Thursday, February 18, 2010

Two faces.... both beautiful




Just look at the contrast! I shot both images at Angkor Wat. The young monk's face mirrors innocence and calm. The superbly lithe Caucasian model is doing her job.... and doing it well. Both are 'meditating' in their own fashion. Both are beautiful.
It's official. India ranks 8th in the world as a country of beautiful people. Shockingly enough, America tops the list. But what do 'Americans' look like??? Does one follow the Barack and Michelle Obama model? Or is it Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie? Back home, most newspapers have gleefully reported this nugget, and nearly every paper has used Aishwarya Rai's image to illustrate the story ( fair and lovely, light- eyed and slim ). More the pity that a leading tabloid ran a story this morning supposedly based on the Big B's blog ( I haven't read it) in which he has apparently expressed anguish the 'rich man's TB," which was taken as a reference to his bahu suffering from TB of the stomach (since denied). I found that most troubling. Was there any need for the tabloid to speculate or to reveal something as private and disturbing? Aishwarya is a gorgeous young woman - an epitome of grace and beauty. With this revelation, there is an attempt in the media to link her delayed pregnancy to the medical condition. Not only is this highly intrusive, but also irresponsible.
Hamera Aish ko nazar lag gayi hai....please spare her such torment.

29 comments:

Latha said...

I completely agree with you. And thanx for both the photos. The child monk is chooo chweet.

anamika said...

I liked the way u analyzed both of them..As far as ashwarya is concerned when lady doesnt have problem in being in news and adulation which has been proved by her such long delayed pregnancy then i m sure she wont mind this also....

supriya said...

the pictures are awesome. and about the new bacchan lady...its just another attempt of her to be in the news..!

Maria said...

Well, America is multi-racial and multi-cultural as is India, but comparison is unfair. Every race has it's own beauty.

I agree with your views on Ms. Rai Bacchan.

goodluck said...

Highly intrusive and also irresponsible? From stardust ex boss. seems one of those sober moods waiting to turn different at any moment.

malini said...

Yeah, both are meditating, both are doing their job well. But wish more people take their jobs as meditative, we would then have less pufunctury and more people loving their job.
Nice observation mam.. (as usual)

anotherlostsoul said...

meditative is really apt. you can even do bad stuff meditatively i guess ( just a thought ).

but how is beauty really defined? i think that monk's picture is beautiful, i think that model's pic is beautiful too.

I think whatever pleases the eye is beautiful, but its so subjective, how can anybpdy put bpundaries to it or pin it down?

Theyoginme said...

Shobhaa you are a talented photo-journo as well!!! With regard to beautiful people, I think we all are beautiful but the dark ones most especially because we radiate all the solar eneregy we absorb...anyhow, I was at greek Gyros place in downtown Atlanta (Gyros King) and the owner found out i was Indian and said "Indian's are the most beautiful people in the world, especially the ladies..because they are a blend of so many races and culture".. Couldn't argue with that truth :)

Indian press has lost its marbles..its become tabloid, all of the media. I have to empathize with BigB.... but he needs to ignore them, drop his sail..he spends a lot of his energy and late night hours on his blog (or his media team)...not healthy..Perhaps its time to let go, kick back and enjoy life, smell the chai and chillax. Perhaps you could pass this on..I think such comments to his blog are censored.

Dr Bhaskar said...

Is it just a coincidence that Teen Patti is close to release. I'm sure the big "stomach TB" reveal is for publicity.

Anil Anuragi said...

Yes Mam exactly. India is beautiful from both the side!!

Sidhusaaheb said...

I suggest that the Anne Hathaway model be followed for America. :P

BTW, the monk's face reveals his peace of mind, even as he doesn't appear to be meditating.

Theyoginme said...

Seriously Dr. Bhaskar you can't expect this man (BigB) to sink so low to get cheap publicity. He can afford other channnels.. and would not go to the depths he does to respond to the tabloid press at late hours of the night.

hamaarethoughts.com said...

Nice..n..well said!!

Siddharth said...

For some reason I am failing to appreciate the monk's picture, he doesnt look peaceful and calm infact he looks sad (with a smile) to me. Americans are indeed very beautiful they have thin lips agreed but they also have beautiful eyes and very sharp features and flawless skin, and I am not talking about Angelina Jolie or Brad Pitt but common people walking on the street. Indian men to be frank are the worst looking of all(if you leave Punjab and Haryana), women I would agree are very beautiful. BTW that poll is based on 5000 votes so its very useless and considering that Venezuela is missing from the list makes that poll a complete joke. A list having anything to do with beauty is a joke if it doesnt have Venezuela's name on it.

Another Kiran In NYC said...

Beauty is a culturally subjective. This poll has no merit except for the immediate place the poll took place... and not even then.

As for Aishwarya and her illness, I am sad that she has to deal with any sickness. Being sick with anything... much less TB... is horrid. I sympathise. However I do not see this tabloid story as "private disturbing or intrusive".

It is what it is, a story in a rag tabloid. Fact and fiction in varying degrees. Public figures and ragmags feed off each other and need each other. Both would perish without the other.

AB needs to get a hobby yaar! Preferably one which does not involve constant whining about percieved slights. Fame comes with its pitfalls. Deal with it!

All that being said... get well soon Aishwarya.

RAJ47 said...

Hi Shobhaa,
You are truly a gr8 and amazing photographer.
The second photo (Monk's) is extremely interesting. There are two boys in the pic.
The Monk - has a serenity and calmness surrounding him. He has peace written all over his young smiling face. He holds the keys too.
But look at the second child - he has a troubled expression which generally comes from suffering and child abuse. The clothes being western have some disturbing effect on the pic. He is not there. Probably wishing he was born somewhere in the West where he would have enjoyed his life like these tourists.
Irony of life - one is content and the other is not.
You must send this photo in some competition. I am sure you will win hands down.

Unknown said...

Why does Amitabh Bachan keep referring to himself as the head of the family. Who says that in today's world and what exactly does that mean?

He sounds like a Gambino crime boss from the Sopranos. I. AM. The. Head. oF. The. "Family". Be afraid, be very afraid.

Speculation about Aishwarya having a baby is hinged mostly (I think) on the fact that she is now 37 and her biological clock maybe ticking.

Anonlee said...

Big B did NOT say Aishwarya had stomach TB or any TB on his blog. He said she was ill with a throat infection and fever and recovering.

MM created a story out of thin air about TB and pregnancy.

Why are people so gullible that they believe false stories? No wonder the media is able to fool people because no one reads or does research to get the facts.

If I recall, the media made SRK a hero for standing up to SS although he said Pakistan is a "good neighbor". Then Pune bombing happened and the hero became a dog.

STOP BEING FOOLED BY THE MEDIA

Gajendra said...

media at its blatant best.....

made srk a hero.....foolish media

Scarlett said...

Amitabh Bachchan can write whatever he feels like on his blog. That's his space. It's the media's problem that they're trying to make news of what he writes about his daughter-in-law, who, BTW, isn't young anymore. Have you noticed how she's taken to wearing cleavage-revealing outfits with a vengeance, of late? See her recent red carpet appearances, L'Oreal advertisements, photoshoots for magazines etc. Trying very hard to "look" young, undoubtedly. It's hilarious!

R@kHe$h said...

love u ash!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

The Bacchans have a funny equation with the media. They'll make journalists wait out in the sun for hours for one quote if they don't fell like it, or they'll be divulging their gastro-intestinal woes if they do.
I have to admit that I'm not the biggest fan of the first family.
I've never been to the Angkor Wat,(a place I intend to visit sometime soon though.) Did you ever post about it? Do, if you haven't!

anupamaa said...

Looks like it is not Big B who has said that Ash has TB , it is the newspaper tht said that. His only mention of TB was related to something being a rich man's TB in the long previous column which I couldnt read fully. But news does need some regulations , there seems to be no difference between a responsible newspaper column and a cheap gossip rag these days.

Scarlett said...

Both father & son are mouthing the same lines - "you can say anything to the men of the house, we will take it. But we won't let you say anything derogatory about the women of the house". LOL...they have once again proven what I always knew - that they are one of the most sexist families of Bollywood!

Ambika said...

Hi!
Loved your post.
I was wondering how to get in touch with you. Thankfully, I came across this blog. Just wanted to let you know since a long time that I loved reading Speedpost. I read the book when I am missing my mother and need some solid advice or just to remember the time I spent and didn't get to spend with her. Thanks.
Ambika

Anonlee said...

@Kiran and others,

AB is not being sexist with his statement about being the head of the family. He considers the oldest member of the family to be the head - male or female. Here is a quote from AB:

"I am the UN Representative for the Girl Child in India and work hard for its cause. The ‘head’ of my family before me was my late mother. The Bachchan family discusses and acts as a collective of equal individuals of equal value and voice."

People need to chill and stop projecting regressive traits onto a man who is progressive. The guy is always being accused of something or the other and usually unfairly.

Bharath Enaganti said...

i will agree with you...both are very nice to see...and children are looking cute
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ladugopal said...

Beauty does not mean glowing skins or a thin lips rather inner propensity to reckon people as beautiful...Peron becomes beautiful as per their thought,principal,more,ethics,code of conduct etc..Both photo are at their perspective but girl is for a ringing of a cash counter while monk is beyond transcendental limit...

curtainz_fire said...

I wonder how the hell is states supposed to be topping the chart when it comes to beautiful people. They seem to be more 'exposed' rather than what we call as beautiful to be on top i guess. Apparently nowadays anything that is supposed to hit the media is a pure publicity to my analytical eyes. thanks for sharing such distinct tastes as always SD. :)