Monday, July 12, 2010

Bollywood twits on Twitter....

Bollywood : A question of breeding and upbringing …


Last week I wrote a candid critique in this very space on a hugely hyped up film that has tanked. The point is it would have tanked whether or not anybody had written about it. That’s the nature of the beast. And that, alas, is the nature of what columnists the world over engage themselves in – it is their job to express opinions. That is what they are paid to do - express honest opinions without fear or favour. Their sole duty is towards the readers who trust them –and nobody else. This is the way the cookie crumbles – take it or leave it. Unfortunately, the current generation of Bollywood brats in their monumental arrogance and limited intelligence forget that not all journalists are purchasable commodities. And if their film is a turkey, that’s what it is going to be labeled. Those writers whose opinions in print are available for a price are called by other names, but in the interests of keeping this a polite platform, let’s just stick to ‘Hacks for Hire’. There are any number of them floating around churning out shameless p.r. reviews that come with a price tag. Nearly every write- up these days falls into this category. There are two ways for a filmmaker\actor to respond to criticism : Hit back or reflect. Hitting back is childish, petulant and gets the attacker nowhere. And here’s where one can separate the men from the boys.
When I wrote strongly about ‘Raavan’, my words were challenged, as was my response to what was being projected as a major tour de force. When I posted the same column on my blog, I received a lot of hostile comments, which is understandable. Movies are meant to arouse passions. If Mani Ratnam did read the column, or was upset by the criticism, he maintained his silence and stood by his vision without carping about a writer’s opinion. Of course, there were several other columnists\ critics who felt the same way about the film, but hello! anything in the public domain necessarily lays itself open to criticism – be it a book, play, art exhibition, musical performance. One has to take it on the chin, sulk privately, cry a little, fume away to glory… and move on. Seniors in the business realize this and rarely fall into the ‘tu tu main main’ trap. When one runs into them in public, their reaction is often frosty but civil - that’s okay. It is tacitly accepted there is nothing personal about the review.There’s no ax to grind. The filmmaker has done his\her job by making a movie, and the critic , his\hers by writing about it in an unprejudiced way. That’s where the equation begins and ends. Or should.
This is where good breeding and decent upbringing come into play. Take the Bachchans. Abhishek was slaughtered by critics recently after his ‘Raavan’ bombed. What did the young man do? Did he respond to critics by tweeting in an uncouth, rude language? Nope. He kept his cool. He had put in a lot of hard work…. too bad audiences didn’t appreciate his performance. Ditto for Aishwarya who was also given hell in print and across channels. She too didn’t go into a silly huff and crib about how mean everybody was being to her. Sure, Mr. Bachchan Sr. did talk about the strange editing and attracted his share of flack. But at no point did the Big B resort to pettiness. Ditto for the Roshans when ‘Kites’ bombed big time and the press tore into the multi- crore dud, sparing no one – not Mori, not Hritik. The Roshans took it on the chin. Seasoned professionals from such a background do not take cheap pot shots at journalists and start abusing them on assorted public platforms. Unfortunately, these days the film industry attracts all kinds of upstarts who reveal their own shabby backgrounds when they launch personal attacks on columnists. Surprisingly, even some of the newbie hot shot actresses resort to slanging matches when critics don’t automatically fall at their feet and go gaga over their looks\performance.These immature, spoilt filmi kids should take their cues from someone like a Karan Johar, who is their ultimate guru. You’ll never find this guy descending to pathetically low levels and trashing critics. His jibes and cracks are always good humoured, even when he wants to put someone in his or her place. That’s called finesse and class. By all means defend your work – but do it with panache. Or is that too much to ask of these one film wonderboys who believe they can teach the masters a thing or two?

72 comments:

The Wandering Deeva said...

You are talking about finesse and class, when you have used words like "public spanking" and "no oomph factor" in your writing about the film in question. Now thats what you call hypocrisy. And of all the reasons you could come up with for sonam's comment you talk about "upbringing and class" and have the audacity to say this: "Unfortunately, these days, the film industry attracts all kinds of upstarts who reveal their own shabby backgrounds when they launch personal attacks on columnists."

Does that indicate that people from "shabby backgrounds", which can theoretically be a large portion of the indian population - depending how you define shabby, have no business being in the film industry. Where does someone who talks like that come from? So we should follow dynastys like Bachchans and Roshans but small timers have no class so should not be considered to come out with a good film? (Not to say Ani Kapoor is a small timer) Talking about other journalists being suck ups, do you not achieve the same by warming up to Karan Johar in the end?

What a hillariously hypocritical article!!!!!!

Unknown said...

Totally agree with Divalicious up there! Youre a fine one to be talking about class-waas, you who possess none of it. Nice clothes? maybe. Class? NO.

I think Sonam has a lot of chutzpah, taking you on in the past & now. It shows her spunk & self belief. & her loyalty. Even if her film isnt the greatest one ever made. Has she signed some contract at birth that shell react in EXACTLY the same way as Aishwarya or the other actresses?? Come on, even YOU cant be that obtuse! Everyone has their own personality & reacts in their own way! When it goes against you, you bring out the auntyji-weapons: 'breeding', 'spoilt filmi brats''blah' & 'more blah'! You can dish it out, but cant seem to take it gamely 'in the chin' yourself! Cant? Give up your unnecessary public commentary then! All you do is get personal. And mean. You may not know this, but readers can gauge a writers integrity you know! What happened? The Kapoors didnt send you Diwali mithai or something??

What youre asking for is exactly what the sleazy 'paav-pado-haar-pehnao' neta types expect Shobha.Only, youre not coming right out & saying it. You want to be paav-padoed!

SO glad its not gonna happen, especially from Sonam. Sonam, if youre readng this, ''YOU ROCK, GIRL!! DONT STOP!!''

Balan R S said...

Shoba De wellsaid i think it about time the young generations should learn from elders. Take for exmple Shatrughan Sinha kids esp SONA and LUV the way they treat fans and people with sincere love and respect. That way they say u can learn about a family by looking at the kids.The kids moments show of the way the parents bring them up.Lastly once n forall it all Karma be nice to people and dont be bitter

a hindu seeker said...

I WOULD DISAGREE ON THIS

Reason? well you as a movie critic, have watched a lot of movies. The more movies you watch , the more accustomed you get to certain patterns. Now you would expect some oscar worthy performance. But many oscar worthy movies are for mature and experienced people, these movies rarely rock at the boxoffice in terms of revenues. The movies that do billions of business (such as spiderman, twilight, harry potter, avatar) are the ones that are targeting the young audience (especially the teen). May be if you would have been a 16 year old woman you might have liked it.

When i was 12, i especially enjoyed the 'end of the world' movies having one hero who saves it. Now these movies dont appeal to me anymore. But i see a lot of young kids who enjoy them.

So as an experienced movie critic, when you make some bad comments about the movie, you also turn off the young population from watching movie who might have liked it at their level of maturity.

Divya (Virmani) Chadda said...

Ms. De,

I'm a die-hard fan of your articles and always keep track of your blog. However, I'm quite disappointed with you at this time. It is very well known that Sonam is a spoilt-brat but I don't think there is a need for a writer like you to waste your time on her. You gave your opinion on ILHS and your job is done! Readers can 'take it or leave it'. But, the way you reacted gives a clear picture of how you are also acting like Sonam, a young bithcy gal!!!

Please focus on other issues, I'm sure if you dig deep, you'll be able to find tons. Give B'town some rest...

Speaking Oracle said...

Actually, I thought this was a much needed article. (Even though I loved the movie, and said so myself). S&P (every pun intended) may be the cause for the article, but the point is a very relevant one. and someone needed to say it. Many of the younger generation newbies do not understand the world of cinema. It is business that will ever be critiqued. "Standard" has shown she compulsively can't deal with criticism (and doesn't understand when not to retweet) and "Poor" has shown that there is only one opinion - his opinion. Too personally involved after the ship has set sail. He seems to carry an attitude that comes with being a derivative celebrity. The world of cinema is not just about your friends, relatives and their opinions. It is driven by an audience. One must never forget that. And where there is an audience, there are opinions. Sorry.

I was much disappointed with S&P's poor show of emotional intelligence, especially when Anil Kapoor & Manish Malhotra have never ever resorted to such pettiness in their careers. So, lets not blame pedigree for a moment. And let's not give AB Jr a free ride. He was also the epitome of arrogance once upon a time, early on. It's possible that his track record on flops has probably mellowed him down (as does age sometimes). Raavan was not liked in the Bachchan home either, so critiques got a free pass from them. Not the same story with Guru, if you remember. Ash truly does keep away from foul mouthing and negativity as a habit. It's definitely her emotional maturity all the way through. Keep in mind that she has had very few positive reviews in her career ever. Maybe Sonam and Punit will mellow with age. Or more movies.

Box office numbers are never a good argument. That a movie is doing well must mean that it is good is like saying all tasty food must be healthy. Sleazy movies do well too. The classic mid 80s formula - hero, villain, village, rape scene, rain dance sequence churned out umpteen hits. Jeetendra made a career out of saving sisters from lechers. Ranjeet made a career out of raping. These days mindless cheesy lift off comedies (you know who you are) help pour more serotonin into your blood. Happy Happy. Bottom line: There are demographics to peddle every category. The youth wing seems to be very strong and active in our country and that can win favor with all kinds of hatke movies these days. No need to hyperventilate over few a few reviews that go the other way. Take your mainstream masses and rejoice.
This article should make people-who-need-to-realize-stuff realize stuff. Otherwise, it made for good reading at least.

Good job, Dear.

Unknown said...

whatever your view is regarding the film, you shared it with the readers last week.whether anyone subscribes to your opinion is a question of taste.
my advice to you is not to take seriously comments made by the actors or director of the said film,however derogatory they might be.

Unknown said...

shobha..u r now getting a taste of ur own medicine dahling..for years u have trashed everyone , claiming it ur right as a critic..journalist..but i am glad the younger generation doesnt take ur shit lying down..this is how it feels baby..to use abusive language towards other people.I thought IHLS was very good and Sonam rocks!!..she is a super star in making..u r just out of tune with the times..wud be a big favor if u just stopped writing. U have lost all credibility...ur rejoinder is such a suck up job to find friends..ha ha ha!! serves u right.

goodluck said...

Why do people like to read you than some goody goody blogger? Because you are pure masala. And you should take backlash in the same way you attack others. Most of your writing is personal and not objective. Yet we love to read you. Do you mean to see that Anil Kapoor and his wife are bad parents? What a poor way of attacking a chit of a girl? Everyone who read Bachchan's blog know to what level he goes to punish his detractors? So is his parents to be blamed?

goodluck said...

Why dont you write something about football and the public rowdyism displayed by the players? Especially Netherlanders. Why not have 2 footballs and watch the confusion? And mayhem?

Unknown said...

Ms Shobha....what do you say abt Amitabh Bachchan slamming critics for failure of delhi-6 in his blogs...no words..hah!!

obssesor said...

Smart retort, what Punit said was absolutely uncalled for. It just shows his limited intelligence and tolerance levels.

Pooja Rathore said...

i agree with you . you just stated what u felt about the movie but you said both positives and negatives( what they were good at and where they failed) i know your pen is not for sale.

Unknown said...

Goodness me Shobhaa,

Only prats who concern themselves with breeding and racial purity are skinhead nutcases we find in Europe. You shouldn't really use the word breeding unless you are talking about dogs lol...

While Sonam Kapoor indeed comes across as your typical bratty South Bombay lass who can't take criticism, that doesn't give you a license to indulge in condescending snobbery. You are a public figure, and thus should have a thicker skin! If you were a columnist here in the States, you'd have had to endure shows like South Park and Colbert to rip you apart to shreds.
Calm down lassie! (or should i refer to you as kaku out of deference to your age like a propah marathi mulga? )

athi said...

loved this! and love you! You so rock!

Shwetha said...

First things first - The first commenter Divalicious seems like a Kapoor insider taking vehemant hate potshots at you. Shame on her to not take frankness, unless its to her liking!

As for the bog...Very well written Shobhaa, Sonam needs take take criticism in her stride, just as she lapped up earlier accolades. If you can't take the brickbats and improve your self in the next round, she has no business being on a public platform...albeit a pretty huge one as Bollywood.

I am glad you call a spade a spade (with Ravan/ IHLS/ Kites) etc and go about doing your job irrespective of personal equations with the families in concern.

Bravo!

Nandini Rao said...

...and that's why i love your work!
...it is true that the current lot of achievers, or rather under-achievers(because everything is invariably hyped, like the 'India Shining Campaign'), in any domain/field, have lost the basic sense of decorum, a sense of the right body language/conduct when it comes to justifying your effort in the job you pretend you do well.

It's the attitude that counts, and the attitude showcased by young Indians today borders on the false notion of aggression & verbal retorts. (...AND WE ARE MORE & MORE DEVELOPING INTO THE MOST UNGRATEFUL & SNOBBISH LOT EVER..)

That is not culture, & definitely defines the kind of upbringing one has acquired.

The right attitude is determined with the confidence with which one listens to criticism. With the economic boom, more & more new moneyed snobs have learnt how to grasp & grab any damn opportunity that comes their way, but have failed miserably in the manner in which they conduct themselves at the work place, especially when it comes to respecting another person's viewpoint.

I call them ego driven , rather than ambitious. You get out of this country to notice popular opinion about us Indians world-wide, & while being polite, people will let us know how ill-mannered we are.

And that's not an achievement, for God's Sake!

Sidhusaaheb said...

Well, you expressed your opinion and the other party expressed theirs.

Fair enough, isn't it? So, why not leave it at that?

Digistrom said...

You have been a firebrand - dishing it out to people ever since I can remember! Hurtful, personal comments about people and even about their families. I remember you comparing Sunil Shetty to a waiter at an udipi restaurant. Was that just you performing your duties as a film critic?

This whole indignant rant triggered by a few nasty tweets is reminiscent of the playground bully getting punched in the face and running home crying. Get off your high horse.

avidblogger said...

Shobhaa,
I think this is a damn well written piece. And yes, that young director in question should surely learn to take criticism in his stride.His reaction was very immature. I saw the movie too and my sentiments were exactly the same as yours. I admire the way you have always spoken your mind and been true to your readers rather than worrying about your own personal relationships with celebrities. Please always continue to do so.

siri said...

Shobha de you have lost your mind. When you write a article your action should always relate to that. But your articles end up abusive,rude & personal digging on peoples.What goes that comes back...Why such a big deal out of it.

Your own upbringing is in question now?????? unfortunately you are not acting you age.

Nimish V Adani said...

Why do I feel that many of the comments here are planted by the PR agencies managing the crew of IHLS.

Unknown said...

Have you forgotten all the personal attacks and the pot-shots you have taken at actresses and actors? Now when someone like Shah rukh khan and Sonam give you a taste of your own medicine you can't handle it.

P.S : Sonam has apologised on Twitter. Don't think you would ever apologise for that Suniel Shetty comment or for comparing Deepika Padukone to girls on Brigade road.

Anonymous said...

Shobha,

We should not forget that each and every individual is working for a living, or to enhance their life styles, and is proud of what they do, whether it is a flop/failure.
An Actor in movies, drama, a journo, critic, a Technician and so on, they all have a right to reach for the skies.
It is the people who decide these individuals fate, by going for the movie (sale of tickets), reading articles, thereby increasing the newspaper/book sales, using a good Technician, who offers good services etc.
It is very sad when one tries to put/pull one another down, and to add fuel to the fire, by talking about Family values etc.
I do not condone Sonam or anyone disrespecting elders, but also do not appreciate bringing in the Family and blaming them for the child's misconduct. I am no fan of anyone in Bollywood, but you have earlier come down heavily on Salman Khan's Family, when the former was courting Ashwaria, and he was having a bad spell. Salman deserved the bashing for his behaviour, but not his Family.
You should keep on writing, but think first what would you feel if you were in their shoes.
Guess you are feeling the pinch.

Anyway Cheers!


Norman

Unknown said...

i agree...i wouldnt be surprised if this punit guy (who in the bleepers hell is this chimp) and sonam are actually frantically writing posts themselves...guys you all need to take a breather....its a fun blog...i mean shobaa de or anyone could NOT convince me to either watch a film or not watch it...grab a few beers...beat the heat n forget about it...
PS: enjoy reading your coloumns shobaa...u do pack a punch :)

The Wandering Deeva said...

@ Shwetha this is divalicious .. no Kapoor insider here .. just someone reading objectively!I'll thank you for not making assumptions!!!!! Potshots? I just interpreted what Ms. De said in her article.. please let me know if you're reading something different??
Always wondered if celebrities really had their "insiders" and hunch men/women defending them on blogs... now clearly since im being blamed for being one... i realize its all a big hoopla.. and really people/media are definitely not that conspiratorial!

PS said...

Fail for me.

~"it is their job to express opinions. That is what they are paid to do - express honest opinions without fear or favour" ohh really !! thats too big a claim.
~"The point is it would have tanked whether or not anybody had written about it. That’s the nature of the beast." so you understand that you are not that big to be taken seriously. fair enough. But there are people who go by reviews, there are movies coming out every friday and nobody has means and time to watch all the movie, and guess what how do they pick what to watch and what to ignore ? --they read reviews, ofcourse not yours.
~In the end that Kjo thingy...you were sucking KJo's 'whatever' without any doubts. KJo doesn't hit back as he knows what he makes is crap. He is not a filmmaker, he just a good salesman selling his movies to target audience.

athi said...

finally u get a much owed apology.. ;)

But alas..

Karma always comes around. :)

ak said...

shobha, with all due respect, you would do well to take some of your own advice - you, too, are a public figure, and if you are putting yourself out there, then you should be able to hear comments with which you do not agree - take it 'on the chin' like a 'seasoned professional'. instead, you continued this 'tu tu main main,' and pointed it at sonam, who wasn't even the original source of the comment at hand. in the process, you also insulted her parents, which is not only uncalled for, but also undermines sonam's ability to think for herself - and in any case, you are not the most respectful of people in terms of how you frame your criticism - should or does this reflect your background and your parents' poor upbringing of you?

clearly, your seniority in the profession counts for nothing, as you just could not resist hitting back. now that you've given her so much fodder, i wouldn't blame her for making her own comments. perhaps in this round 2, you will think twice about continuing onto round 3.

Anonymous said...

Maybe those keeping silence are into the silver field for long duration.
yeh paisa bolta hai...?
- NO

Songs said...

You of all people talking about decency and upbringing? HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

The marvels of novels that you gifted to this countries--that could make Nancy Friday blush although san any literary merit---your pearl of wisdom for last 30+ years... I just wish you die soon and God knows even then your blabbermouth will stop or not.

Nalini Hebbar said...

There are few like you who speak their mind!...WAY TO GO, SHOBHAA!

Vamsi said...

I'm not sure what to say. If I leave the point of how good the movie was, I can decipher this issue as:

1) Shoba gives a review of a movie
2) Cast and crew does not like and retort
3) Shoba gets back at them and argues that they are misbehaved.

Should this not have ended with point 2? I mean if what Shoba stated in her review offended the cast and crew of the movie, why are they not in the right to express their opinion the same way Shoba did? Finally, I think its about class and neither party in this displayed that so finger pointing does not hold any relevance here.

Unknown said...

It's quite paradoxical that this blog of yours is a lashing back at Sonam, Punit & Imran in response to their tweets. Does that mean you too lack finesse & class? A function of immaturity or not-so-refined-upbringing?

I honestly enjoyed IHLS ... dunno what you are so frustrated about. There is the art of movie making, and also the art of movie watching. I guess you know precious little about both.

Anonymous said...

Act your age woman, take on other fossils from your generation, not a twenty something.

If you didnt like IHLS, it is due to your hormones, or lack of them as Sonam rightly said. Accept biology and move on. Dont hit back with pathetic columns

The problem with you and SrBacchan is that you try too hard to remain in the limelight.

Your day in the sun is over. Sit on a rocking chair and live happily ever after. Spare the rest of the world your senile views.

Youe were great. Were. Not Are.

Tranquility Speaks said...

I've read a few of the comments above. I won't take sides here and I won't judge who is right and who is wrong. But one thing that I must applaud and appreciate is your strength to stand it all. It takes nerves of steel to withstand criticism.People love to tear you apart, but still read you. Isn't that a great compliment in itself! And never have the caustic and toxic comments kept you from voicing your opinions and succumbing to pressure. I love that aspect about you. When a film maker makes a film, he makes it with all his conviction. Puts in all his hard work. Despite that, there will always be people who disagree with his vision. But he must learn to take criticism constructively. Take the positive, drop the negative. I feel it might be hard to accept, but negativity in return for negativity, doesn't yield positivity. Hence your statement about the stoic silence of stalwarts. Keep going Ms. De!

Unknown said...

Ms. De,

You may like a film or hate a film, heck, even write reviews. But you have no business to be rude to people and make personal comments about them, specially speaking about their upbringing. You have no right to do so! I will not justify whatever Sonam and Punit did but considering your experience and their's, I didnt expect this backlash from you. As someone up there rightly pointed, please act your age.

Rupa

Alokita Bose said...

Keep up the good work. Best of luck. From http://www.hyderabadonlineflorists.com.

Jyostna said...

Ms.De,
I partly agree with you about the younger gen actors/actresses not taking criticism n lashing back personally. But it does apply for some big wigs too like Big B too (am referring him coz u also mentioned him.,) He is very much similar to these young lads when coming to giving back to his critiques..it is sad that he brings up almost every news on his blog that is against him. One news was about his Lexus SUV n it being a gas guzzler., n him being a green ambassador..the news slammed BigB for endorsing green while he is not following any..n Mr B had reacted for days in his blog about this. So I think it not only applies for younger gen but also oldies like him. Ash n Abhi need to stay for a while in the industry n ofcourse look forward to work with Mani again, so they remain diplomatic, BigB need not be ;)

Unknown said...

Auntyji goes for Family background, Upbringing and other shabby personal remarks just to show that she takes criticism postively.

And I love the way she warms to Karan Johar and the Big B Family cause she sure knws who is powerful and who aint.

So Shobhade time you go for the Meditation as recommended earlier...and to the same Guru u lashed some time ago...maybe he will teach u how to control urself...

rishi851 said...

Am I the only one who is seemingly sick of this tweeting and blogging business!
Sheesh....Sr Bachchan has to have an opinion on everything from critiquing and criticizing western movies to taking a jibe at random folks-Just now there seems to be a development on him slamming the reviewer Rajeev Masand as we speak, What is next?
Hey!, Just came back from the toilet, diarrhea-Yipee !!!!!!!

This is why I miss the stars of the bygone era-There was this sense of mystique to them, because we only saw them on the big screen and made our assumptions, All that is lost today

But coming to the topic-Ms De is receiving a lot of flak over a sensible article she wrote.....She has a point-Those two nutsacks could well do with some PR and marketing skills to go with manners.Mrs De's opinion is valid and this being a free country, should be respected

srijithunni said...

I remember seeing an interview of Sonam Kapoor on ZOOM channel. Asked which directors, she wanted to work with, I was absolutely pissed off, when she didn't mention even one Indian Director's name.

So she for sure is no Angel, but having said that Shobha, your job is to review, why even give attention to these outbursts..

Unknown said...

I agree a film is a work in public view and as a critic you have a right to express your honest opinion and for the same reason your movie review is also something which is in public view so everyone has a right to express thier opinion on that, is it right to show your angst by pointing at someone's upbringing...does it not put a lot of questions on yours too????

Unknown said...

I agree a film is a work in public view and as a critic you have a right to express your honest opinion and for the same reason your movie review is also something which is in public view so everyone has a right to express thier opinion on that, is it right to show your angst by pointing at someone's upbringing...does it not put a lot of questions on yours too????

Unknown said...

I agree a film is a work in public view and as a critic you have a right to express your honest opinion and for the same reason your movie review is also something which is in public view so everyone has a right to express thier opinion on that, is it right to show your angst by pointing at someone's upbringing...does it not put a lot of questions on yours too????

Sash said...

I do not understand why Sonam called you names. You are entitled to not like the movie. I have not seen it, nor do I intend to see it. On the other hand, amusing to see Sonam not mincing words..lol

Unknown said...

http://life5minutes.blogspot.com/?spref=fb

Advaita said...

Ms Shobha De.
There is a difference between a critic and a slanderer... Criticism as you rightly said may suffix anything in the public domain.. But when you talk about someone's upbringing and get personal you are no more a critic but a slanderer.. Or in other words thats even called bitching. Please honour your job in the right spirit. Try to understand the thin line which distinguishes criticism from bitching and slandering.

Anonymous said...

"the critic , his\hers by writing about it in an unprejudiced way" ... thats the problem Ms De ... critics dont write in unprejudiced ways. Film critics/ journalists in India are anything but unprejudiced. The problem was that all these days only journalists had the pen but now with forums like twitter and blogs, everyone is voicing their opinion so the exclusivity and journalists is non existent. All the things that you accuse the team of IHLS, have been done by you in your review ... did you review the film or thrust your personal opinion of the team in your article ? Did you use a public platform for cheap shots or not ? Mr Bachchan is the one who started the whole trend of giving it back to the press with his "other side of the story". The number of times he has personally attacked journalists on his blog is beyond count. And he does not resort to pettiness ??? You are some hypocrite !!! I may forget SRK's recent film dialogues but his "she is cynicism in a designer sari" is worth a standing ovation.

Unknown said...

The Bachchans and Mani Ratnam dont respond/react because they just don't want to get into a further mess and not because they respect your opinion. You are a writer and he is a filmmaker, you reacted to what he made and he reacted to what you wrote. So stop it at that. In any case, there was no need to get to upbringing . Now you are really getting personal !!

Latha said...

'twas amusing to watch you fret, fume & breast beat like a granny over the tweets of Sonam K. You know you got senti & overreacted. I thought you were strong inside. Look how vulnerable you are Shobhaa. Imagine how the young starlets would feel when you write them off as 'she is not sexy. She is no good' & the like.
Now that you've extracted your pound of flesh from Sonam K by making her apologise publicly through her same tweets, I guess you can sleep well. Shobhaa devta ki appeasement ho gayi.
Gair chodo in bekaar ki baatomko.
Who said the big B can take criticisms ?
I had just posted a few lines in Malayalam for fun 'cause he had written that he was acting in a Malayalam fim & promptly that post was removed because someone (regulator ?) didn't get the joke. Mr big B had written an English word which was not in any dictionary. So I had just asked him what is the meaning of the word & that post also was promptly removed. They want only a 'bhajan mandli'. Only sycophants allowed. No genuine thinking people. Now I don't even go to that blog.
Everybody reacts for every silly thing, whether it be Sonam, BigB or you. I guess ego has become second nature to all public people !

Natasha Abdullah said...

You seem bitter. First of all the film has not tanked. Although, i did not think the film lived up to my expectations, i do not agree with your vile and empty noise. In simple words- you are mean. Words are powerful and you misuse them. Clearly, you don't understand the concept of being civil. You should use the panache of Karan Johar, as you do not possess it either. You simply survive because our generation like controversy and nonsense like you apparently love to display. It doesn't mean anyone appreciates or actually respects what you have to say. You have insecurities and you use your tag as a "writer" to make yourself feel better. Writers are bestowed with a special gift and i suggest you learn how to use it.

Unknown said...

Hear,hear Natasha, Advaita,Prasun, Kshama, Latha & all others who dissed Shobha Aunty!!! More power to you guys!!

& somebody mentioned something to the effect that those who have spoken against her are 'planted' by the Punit/Sonam camp...hahahahahaha!! Loser dudes, its YOU whove been planted by Shobha Aunty to touch her imaginary feet in this comments section! Sheesh!

kakaka said...

Ms. De i have a feeling Divalicios is Sonam Kapoor...hahah....
I am sure you have more respect for aishwarya now. i remember you ripping her apart on every show...like koffee with karan, now that she is amitabhs daughter in law u have changed.
U need to reflect, usually whn someone is non confrontational we keep provokin them. we dont take the same liberties with someone who gives back

Clearly u need to be more matured...i hardly see maturity with woman in your generation including my mother. you are down right mean to most woman. I mean stuff you say about deepika is far worse than what you say abou sonam. i have a feeling that you are somewhat of a bully in real life.

but i like the fact that you dont delet any of our omments.

bhawna said...

i have the movie and found it a dud. i completely agree with the fact that the job taking criticism with dignity is not a cake walk. you got to have a clear understanding of the thin line which tends to exist between class and crass.

bollywoodstylediaries said...

To be honest, I was shocked at what Punit/Sonam tweeted abt Ms De on twitter. It was very cheap but it would have really classy if Ms De had just kept quite. Sometimes silence is more powerful than 500 word articles:-)

sonali
bollywoodstylediaries.blogspot.com

Corners and Moments said...

I have always admired your honest opinions and sheer ability to speak exactly what's on your mind. It would certianly annoy some people but it makes you - you !

I have been an ardent fan of yours based in Australia...and love your work. Eagerly wait to read your blog entries - something you can trust , is credible unlike a lot of Indian media...

Well done !

Unknown said...

Shobha...I LOVE your writing! And I LOVE how you say it like it is...just as you did IHLS. We are with you...write on lady!! What a dud of a movie...and they (including Johar) love to blow their own trumpets. Why don't they instead stop making these kind of mediocre crap?!?!

Anil Kumar said...

I am happy with your review. Although last time I watched a movie was way back in 2001. Anyone who can BEAT THE SHIT out of these Bollywood raand and randuve must have done something SPECIAL.

Keep up the good work Shobha. Hit them where it hurts...

Unknown said...

What does acting your age mean at any point of time in your life? You act and react to situations not to the date of birth.
Sonam should know better than to play out of her league and it's a good thing she had the sense to tweet an apology. Bottom line is Shobha isn't her PR and "I am anil kapoor's beti" doesn't beep beep mean anything to the audience. Your dad is your ticket to a fancy home and designer wears but when it comes to being successful as an actor you need to sweat it out like the rest. And if people don't like your work, well guess what, you suck it up and try to do better the next time. See what happens if you don't...you end up tweeting a public apology to the "60's porn writer". Now how's that for poetic justice?
HA HA. I love it!
Shobha keep dishing out the truth not in small doses but in huge thalis. We all NEED it. Cheers!

kakaka said...

Hey Hello,

I just wanted to say i did watch the movie to find out how bad it is..first 5 were on youtube....i dont wanna exaggerate but it is really cheesy and stupid.
There is one point where the lea guys asks this girl you know what Fugly means right?(horrible dialogues)
i cant believe it, they are such wannabes and downright silly, and if this movie was popular with the teens of Mumbai, then i am speechless!

Anonymous said...

Shobhaa De... you are such a sick person... I wonder how people can read and tolerate your articles.. All you do is talk negative... and criticize people all your life... Go and get a life for yourself. Just by wearing nice clothes and showing off yourself even at this age does not qualify you as an intelligent person.

Youngsters have actually shown you your place, which other just hesitated to do for years... not out of choice but out of some kind of negative publicity..

Stop bother others and look at your own kids....

Khadija Ejaz said...

Mmm I do think that people behave pretty trashily nowadays, there's no class. What's with the f-bombs anyway? It's not cool or intellectual or sophisticated or even emo.

Unknown said...

Sonam Kapoor and Punit 's comments really shows how they think and wot they discuss.Otherwise how can a 24 yr old gal can say abt anoter lady tht she is undergoin menopause and old fossil?I hope her mother also old now n goin thru menopause.or she bilievs her dad is one n only superhero of the country so her dad n mom will nevr be old?

see she made a lot of hahahehehuu whn she became the brand ambasador of loreal .now here is her loreal ad?she always insis she is YUOUNG YOUNG AND YOUNG?doesnt she know that youth will pass away and she herself will become an old fossil and she will get menopause?

u kno I hate her.even before she made this comment abt Ms DE I knew that she s a very prideful gal.Let me tell Ms Sonam I am sure u will be peeping into Ms De s blog,So lemme tell u u dont look great or u dont look so good as u think.U smile like a witch .always the plastik smile.N oter than ur dad there are many oter superstars in d country.if u donno lemme tell tell their names Dharmendra ,rajesh khanna ,rishi kapoor, raj kapoor ,Amit ji ,mithun chakraborthy ,Dev Anand,etc etc.these ppl also has daughters n sons who are beautiful n richer than u.but they hav never made any cheap comments like u did .their movies flopped but i havent heard anyone reacting like this .Ms De wot u said is true.its all based on upbringing.
I really appreaciate starkids like ,abhishek bachan,tusharkapoor,fardin khan,zayed khan,akshay khanna ,esha deol ,all these ppl they behave so well.why sonam u r these much pridful?wot is ther in u?I DONNO

Unknown said...

mast ahe...

The occasional blogger said...

We know you take pride in displaying your cynicism but I cant believe how a well read, well informed and mature women as you fails to appreciate any beauty in a girl. Sonam's reaction to your criticism is certainly immature but you fail to show any maturity either. Its not your fault. Its just that when people grow old they behave and want to behave like little kids.

Buzzintown Blogger said...

Those who criticize our generation forget who raised it.

Regards
Udaan movie review
Inception movie review
Lamhaa movie review

Unknown said...

a veteran writer like mrs de should not pay attention to what the skank brigade of bollywood has to say.

Shynash21 said...

hey guyz why all this lecture talk to shobha that she is rude and all that stuff...cant you see the fun part of anything...i frankly dont care abt how good or bad ihls is..i visit this blog to read shobhas extremely funny movie bashing columns...her columns are so entertaining that i literally fall of my chair laughing...like swati said grab a few beers and beat the heat!

Anonymous said...

For a woman with two ageing daughters who have been movie wannabe's themselves, you sure have the nerve.

Let me not forget one of your ugly daughters who has done quite a bit to look more attractive and in the bargain she did!

Deepika Padukone is not my personal choice. I do find her moderately attractive but to thwart someones looks like that just because you had no standing yourself is utterly ludicrous!

Sonam Kapoor may be a brat and every parent who is well established would give their kids opportunities and pamperings they never had is inevitable. I would and should be surprised that a woman like you who calls one girl a verni ( sure she needs brushing up on the accent) and the other a brat with airbrushing, you have two wannabes sitting at home, nothing really going for them, moderately attractive post the work done, you are a loser I once saw at the BONG CONNECTION movie preview with bright orange, trying to garner attention.

Your face is vividly similar to Shabana Azmi , although she is a tad more attractive. With a rat face like yours, the critique is coming from a wannabe with daughters who could NEVER BE!

Rest in peace woman, Attention deficit disorder is not a fatalistic disease in most cases. And quit getting work done on your 60 plus face if you are so concerned about others looks . lets see you age naturally . I can promise you, it wouldnt be a pretty sight.

Unknown said...

I guess Celebrity and Twitting goes hand in hand.

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Cinderella said...

Great i have add you in my twitter account.
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