Sunday, July 10, 2011

Beep!Beep!What the F#@* is going on???







I really enjoyed this fashion shoot! I hope the pictures show it. It was for the latest issue of 'Harper's Bazaar'. And I must confess, I am Lovin' it!!!


*************



This appears in Sunday Times today...


Beep! Beep!What the F *#@ is going on….?

I love cussing. Always have. It is cathartic and liberating…. I have always believed cussing is good for health. If ‘Cuss and be damned’ is your mantra, you are actually doing your over worked heart a big favour . If more people cussed away uninhibitedly, chances are, the world would be a kinder, gentler place. But, here’s the catch - there’s a good way to cuss, and a nasty one. Good cussing is when there is no malice behind the swear word, and it is used to express love and admiration ( “Bitch! How dare you look this hot!”), frustration and irritation ( “Damn! Why the eff are you so effing late? I’ve missed half the effing movie!”). But bloody minded cussing is for the seriously badass types who harbour mean, evil thoughts towards the world and are mean, evil people themselves. The stupendous popularity of a slight, clever film (“Delhi Belly’) has opened up a stimulating dialogue on the power of gaalis. Especially English ones. To be addressed as ‘Dog’ shows a level of familiarity that makes the person thus addressed feel accepted…. even adored! These days, ‘Slut’ is right up there, if you wish to belong to in an international league of women who are adopting it as a big time bonding tool. ‘Whore’ remains in a grey area… but who knows, it could well become a favourite appellation of the ultra cool ( both sexes). Language is like that only! Fluid and unpredictable. That’s what makes language so seductive! Yesterday’s abuses becomes today’s terms of endearment. And all those embarrassed men whose real names happen to be ‘D.K.Bose’ need not run for cover - why ‘bhaag’ when you can dance to it, kyon Aamir?
Kader Khan (remember him?) made ‘ Kutey ke Aulaad’ pretty acceptable. If that was okay by the censor board of the day, what’s wrong with ‘son of a bitch’? As kids would put it, “Same to same, no, uncle?” The ‘B-word’
(b*****d) has always been trickier and more lethal since it is considered the ultimate abuse across cultures. To call someone a b****** is to question parentage and insult the mother. But to describe someone as a ‘Chu****’ ? Welllll – that depends. It’s English equivalent (“c**t” ) is not considered as terrible. Since this season’s most discussed movie centers around the impressive use of graphic expletives, apart from the even more graphic explorations of the two unmentionables of polite society ( shitting and fucking ), it merits a national debate on what is worse – the pornography of images or the pornography of words? Or, still more importantly, whether pornography itself needs a fresh definition. Now that the floodgates have been thrown open, it’s time to be more upfront about the ‘boldness’ out there, and deal with this tricky territory - the way modern India thinks and speaks… and yes…. err… f***s. Wake up! Our movies have made the big leap and high jumped into the 21st century when no one was looking. From two flowers kissing or two bushes shaking violently to suggest on- screen love making… here we are watching full on, in your face sex scenes, including one of the female protagonist of ‘DB’ faking an orgasm while shouting, “From the back… from the back…. yes, yes, yessss!” Nobody fainted inside the multiplex where I watched the movie . If anything, people were rolling in the aisles with glee and cheering the girl on!
We have come a long, long way from the old ‘wet saree’ sequence or the ‘girl under a waterfall’ ( how I miss the erotic charge of those sensuous sequences!). Today’s ‘item songs’ are as brazen and as blatantly sexual as anything one can find while surfing the net. But wait a minute – was ‘Choli Ke Peechhay Kya Hai?” less of a tease? Less provocative? Was Madhuri’s ‘dhak dhak’ not a turn on for an entire generation? Even in the cleavage stakes, we had our busty beauties willing to flash miles of it without blushing. What then is new? Avid Bollywood fans would say it’s those tongue- rolling kisses ( Aishwarya and Hritik Roshan set the trend) as opposed to couples rolling over snow and across verdant hills ( nobody did it better than ‘Yahoo’ Shammi Kapoor)? Similarly, bump- and- grind routines (‘Munni’ and Malaika) are as old as the hills… or as old as Helen (“Piya tu…ab to aaja” ). So… what it really boils down to is language. The shock value generated by ‘DB’ has little to do with the sex scene… it’s the effing language! How smart of Aamir Khan to zoom in on the last remaining frontier of ‘taboo’ in Bollywood (unparliamentary language). How smart of him to pepper the movie with ‘dirty dirty’ four letter words. And how smart of him to spoof recent item songs by performing one himself ( fully clad, but with the most suggestive pelvic thrusts ever). Aamir has taken Bollywood masala to the next level… by boldly testing the country’s ‘abuse meter’ He has shrewdly left it to the audience to decide how far to go with expletives. In the process he has made Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘Beep Beep’ in ‘BHTB’ appear old school and out of sync with today’s movie goer.From ‘Kuttey -kamineey… door ho jayo mere nazron se…” to “ F*** off, you ‘Chu….”, Aamir has sensed the shift in our sensibilities - it’s desi abuses that score over phoren ones, folks. And Aamir has cashed in brilliantly on the altered vocabulary of the youth brigade. If ‘DB’ is being seen as a game changer, it is the rawness of the lingo alone that has done the trick at the box office. People come out of theatres exclaiming “What the f***! I totally loved this shit!” And they are paying a huge compliment! The big grins on their faces as they throw the f-word around randomly, demonstrates something more than just the thrill of cussing and swearing in public. It represents absolute delight at this new found freedom to use ‘forbidden words’ openly and not shock anybody. Not even themselves!
Personally speaking… that’s a bit of a shame. The F-word has just gone phooooos!And Aamir’s to blame for killing it.

32 comments:

Jyostna said...

OMG Shobhaa, r u really sixty? u cant be sixty, where does all the age go? my fav is pink, u luk so adorable.
Yet to read the post.

manisha said...

if you do a *Shobhaa De's Beauty Guide - its guaranteed to be a bestseller!! :)
keep rocking...

jean said...

wow!!!!!

Mona said...

WTF! Like I said, Sixty is new thirty these days!

( and that is 'good' cussing)! :)

goodluck said...

You are simply looking very lovely.

चंद्रमौलेश्वर प्रसाद said...

Kader Khan.... Tumhari ussmein woh kar doonga and supplements with decent words... That is the effing in pictures but U can listen these golden words used freely in lanes and bylanes :)

Anonymous said...

Do they(directors/producers) know there is one more actress-Shobhaa De.

Pooja Rathore said...

nice pics you look younger and beautiful of course i loved the pictures the moment i saw i said wow!.
i liked the subject of your post- language and yes lot has changed!

Tsomo85 said...

Now that's Shobha De! Looking stunning in all your pictures. Only if you braid your hair nice & long, you'll look like an aristocrat who just step out of glorious Himalayas! And may Lord have mercy on your beauty! Ting*******


About galissss, you are so right. One time my ex husband pissed me so bad, like something I couldn't tolerate & I was so upset that I end up saying all the galis that exist in this world & screaming without any consciousness. I usually don't do that at all, like I have to super upset to get there. Later, he keep begging for more, yes more gali. What the heck,like I've to fake it. Get a life!!! But I guess people do enjoy such a language, & that's extra cherry on cake. At least, that way we can bring tiny joy or smile on our companionship's face. Much better,cooler, & healthier then any of phonographic that exist in this world.

((((he he he he)))))
Fun topic, can't wait to see DB!

Bhagsi said...

Loved your cuss blog ...and you looked fab in your photo shoot..

Rohit said...

DB strikes a chord with today's youth coz the language is exactly how they speak it! Natural and free flowing!

Ravindra said...

No doubt Shobhaa u r luking stunning.


liked ur Beep! Beep!What the F *#@ is going on….?

Farha Khan said...

are u really 60??? u look stunning

Archana Bhakare said...

OMG ! You look so stunning in the photo shoot ! I would like to grow old like you ! :)

Shafiq said...

Wonder what keeps a writer getting younger as one gets older!

Sizzling Shobha!

What is the future of English is the worrying part.

With Shobha in front of shoot is fabulous but what goes behind as exposed is absolutely 'shobha-less'!

Shafiq said...

The secret behind why big biggies wish to be writers is here.

Is it the emaculate energies of word games that keeps one young is undoubtly proven.

The accent in the name also matters in demonstrating the facts.

Haritha P Singh said...

i must say- its u n all 'u' turning so young inside.. n surely the pics gladly display your youthfulness n holistic approach to things.. thumps up !!

Ashwini Sane said...

WTF u look S**t good! ? No, I think I have grown out of this abusing thing/ phase! What I really want to say, M'am , you look eternally beautiful! Sounds better no?

Anonymous said...

Hi Shobhaa,

I have read all your books and I LOVE the way you write! Although I'm not a regular reader of your blog, I was wondering if you have considered making your blog mobile-friendly. It will be easier for all the avid readers of your blog to read your posts on their smartphones or mobile devices when they are on the move.

I am with a mobile app development company and I would love to work on a few ideas to bring your online presence to the mobile world. BTW...you look stunning in these pictures!

I hope you'll ponder over my suggestion. I look forward to hearing from you. I can be reached at sonia[at]praumtech[dot]com

Best
Sonia
www.praumtech.com

Anonymous said...

My correct email id is: sonias[at]praumtech[dot]com

Apologies for spamming your comments section.

Best
Sonia

KD said...

Wow Shoba, you really look great in all the pics, though my fav is the last one.

speakyourheart said...

Dear Shobha,
I am your newest follower and fan….I am glad someone got out this topic….and I hope you are going to agree to what I am going to say now:

I was a big fan of 'the' AAmir Khan, but not anymore…as he, otherwise a very balanced man has deterred from his path to use cheap songs, stories, and language to sell his movies at the box office. Aamir much more was expected from you knowing you are the brand ambassador of TEACH INDIA….

What is he going to teach India….”SAALA,CH**YA, ETC ETC ETC”…..it’s a shame…I agree completely with you shobha totally.

But my question is to everyone reading my comment, that is Aamir the only person to blame here?????

What is the CENSOR BOARD doing????? Sleeping, or just making money under the table to turn a deaf ear to such “stuff”..

They started by allowing kissing scenes in movies, which again would have been okay only if the population watching was not illiterate and vulnerable… following that the menace of sex scenes started, and was that not enough that now they allowed songs with bad words….”pappu cant dance saala, vilaiti pee gaye desi abhi baaki hai, munni, Sheila, etc etc the list is never ending…

Where is our country going,….Corruption was less that now Vulgarity is standing up next to it to compete…
Our kids are singing these catchy songs without knowing the actual meaning behind it….and we are allowing it by accepting these scenes, movies, and above all songs which we can’t stop our kids from learning…as it’s played everywhere,it has no “ADULT” rating to it…

What are we trying to prove here…that we are COOL, BROAD MINDED, EDUCATED….
Nooooooo……it is just Proving we are a “WANNABE COUNTRY…and we have no knowledge to give our kids hence we are teaching them BAD WORDS, BAD CULTURE and above all to ultimately be BAD HUMAN BEINGS…….

RAPES are happening everywhere…on the railway stations, in cars, with old women, with young girls and boys….with everyone and everywhere….
Has anyone realized that why now…why suddenly now such a rise in these cases…..why not 5 years back was it so evident….
That’s because we now have Media to arouse those kids who have never been exposed to such vulgarity.
Bikinis in the everyday newspapers just lying in the house, kissing and sex scenes in movies , and to top them catchy hot songs playing 24/7 on the radio….
Who wants PORN when it’s available just in our day to day life.And then we blame the young minds; how convenient….

I do not know about everyone…but I do know that how much ever we try and teach our children at home ,the Society, the Peers, and the NATION have a lot to contribute to their upbringing as well…

I DO NOT WANT MY DAUGHTER TO EVER BE RAPED OR MY SON TO RAPE ANYONE…and we have to start today to put a stop to it tomorrow.

So Dear Shobha….I REQUEST you personally to bring forward this issue to the right people as you are much more connected and social than we readers….and save our children (the future of our nation) from this contagious racket of “COOL STUFF”

Awaiting a helpful hand
SUSHMA MEHTA SHAH…

Daniel. I said...

Wow.You look gorgeous in that pink outfit.

Uppal said...

Hi Shobhaa,congrats for upstaging the fashion and glamour world. The bright pink long dress with a girlish expression in a victorian setting remind me of a Jane Austen heroine minus the hat.

As regards DB being punctuated with F words and obscene graphic images, euphemistically named as toilet humour depicts the paucity of powerful scripts in Bollywood.Very few film makers are ready to take risk to make meaningful films.The reason why the youth are lapping up DB is an emotional outlet which it provides to their pent up rage.The line between right and wrong has long been blurred and the young have hardly any role models.What bothers me, however is what next? It does not bode well for us all.

Divya (Virmani) Chadda said...

Stunning pics! Hats off for keeping yourself in such good shape! Quite motivating for all kinds of generations out there!

As far as the movie is concerned...OMG, Freaking awesome, if I may!!! Aamir literally holds some magic in his mind. Too creative, no one can beat his movies! Loved the post, btw!

mygrahakblog said...

stunning pics...great going shobha..

Anonymous said...

Oh man!!
I'm 30 and I look older than you *gloom*

Whats your secret ma'am??
BTW, that Sabyasachi Maxi suits you best!!

Mukesh said...

Beep Beep guess(song)....to aaya mujhe yaad gali mai aaj chand nikla... ...nice pics and post
http://beatrip-makeatrip.blogspot.com/

malini said...

first of all you look great and i am posting late as i missed on all your blogs, but i read this in sunday times though i missed out the most gorgeous snaps.. u look amazing, inspiring almost.
about cuss words, sadly iam very shy to use them till date, i think it goes back to my sad school, where my sad classmates branded me bad girl for using, "Shut up" in 4th std. :(
But yes, using F word or any other is liberating but still shy vhy to use it. good post.

Baljeet said...

Well said M, each an everybody is using F, even the so called social people. The time is changing very fast and nothing is taboo these days. Thanks S for keeping us updated for long time now and it is appreciated especially when you are a W.

Baljeet said...

Stunning Shobha!

--
Loan EMI calc

dreamy srayosi said...

u r rocking at dis age also,cant believe u r 60.