It's super cool to be 60....!

Guys, I have been naughty and neglected this space. My apologies! This is what happens when there's a new baby ... err... book, to deliver. Being both devout and superstitious, I went straight to the feet of Lalbaugh Chha Raja and gave the Lord my first copy ( duly gift wrapped ) of 'Shobhaa at Sixty'. I was nervous.... would we be able to jostle past the crowds and reach him? Guess what? It turned out to be a magnificent darshan, all thanks to a gentleman who shall go nameless ( he graciously said, " Darshan happens only when Ganpati Bappa calls and only due to his benevolence. Glad you had a divya darshan!"). 'Divya' , it most certainly was! Strange. When I am in Ganeshji's divine presence, I turn to mush and go blank! All the wonderful things I want to tell him, stay in my mind. All those 'requests' remain non-articulated. I can only close my eyes, surrender.... and feel uplifted! It is such an extraordinary feeling - and nearly everybody I've asked, has also told me they experience a strange power when they enter the Lalbaugh pandal, that renders them numb! I emerged from the darshan feeling twenty kilos lighter.. and in a state of unadulterated bliss. On a more mundane level, I was also famished! We rushed to my favourite restaurant SOAM, right across the road from the historic Babulnath temple. We feasted on palak and moong dal with jowar bhakri. Shudh vegetarian fare. So 'satvik' and wholesome, I want to go back for more. Soon!

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Then, it was another round of back- to- back interviews, shoots ( watch out for the next issue of 'Society' - Suchitra Iyer, the clever Tam Brahm editor, and Vikram Bawa, the man with the magic lens, made me feel like a Goddess ) and, of course, my own columns. This morning I shot with Shekhar Gupta for NDTV's 'Walk the Talk', which will be telecast tomorrow night, 9.30 p.m. India time. With a repeat telecast on Sunday at 3. 30pm. I enjoyed it thoroughly, even though our last few shots took place under a downpour! The skies over Marine Drive were spectacular - deep grey and full of attitude. They were also heavy with rain, which came down in torrents as we were about to wrap up. It was time for a Bollywood -style duet! But Shekhar had a flight to catch. And I, a potential author! It was fun catching up with Shekhar - he's an old friend. What a scary memory the man has. It's scarier than mine!

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As I write this, several Ganpatis are bidding farewell to the city. I have had my fair share of 'ukdi modaks' ( steamed to perfection , with the right balance of jaggery , freshly grated coconut and cardamom).

Here's a thought : Something good is happening to all those of us who have hit 6O! 'Sexy Sam' has won the National Award for 'Paa', and my darling school friend Shabana Azmi turns 60 tomorrow! It's official, folks - it's definitely super cool to be 60 - geddit???

'Dabangg' - Who's Fearless??? The audience!

This appeared in Bombay Times.....
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‘Dabangg’ - Big ‘Bangg’ for your buck?

Salman Khan’s Eid offering may create history for shattering box office records, raking it in by the truckloads, and breaking the astounding collections of ‘3 Idiots’. But for me, the one scene that really and truly created history and will go down as an astonishing cinematic moment is the one of Salman Khan’s shirt tearing, popping and flying off his back… all by itself! The shirt deserves a special award for performing this remarkable feat – perhaps, it marks a first in world cinema! Imagine – a shirt with a will and mind of its own! A shirt that understands dramatic timing perfectly and helpfully strips itself off the wearer’s body. Wow! Whosoever thought of this stunt wins a permanent place in the Movie Hall of Fame. The shirt definitely stole the show and in a way, summed up the movie. Rarely does a script in our films work as subversively or slyly as this one. Salman as Chulbul Robinhood Pandey, the corrupt cop with a golden heart, parodies himself brilliantly! It is such a clever take on all that Sallubhai stands for ( mad genius, bad boy, man with the best lines in town), and that he succeeds in sending up his own persona so brilliantly, is a killer plan in itself. Those looking for a plot, be warned – it is flimsier than Munni’s ( Malaika in a sizzling item number that out-beedis Bipasha's) barely there costumes. Both are ‘badnaam’. The director claims he went back to the 70’s formula ( half brothers, wicked step father ) to come up with ‘Dabangg’. If so, he should have milked the genre still more and thrown in a wicked thakur and a tonga race. Instead, there is Sonu Sood as a wily goon of the local neta. Not a bad plan, given Sood’s intelligent performance and rippling abs ( unfortunately, his kurta is less talented than Salman’s shirt). The other surprising performance that competes with the Magical Shirt comes from Arbaz Khan playing Chulbul’s dumb brother. That leaves ‘Dhano’ … sorry, Rajjo, an impoverished potter played by newbie Sonakshi in sexy designer gear and perfectly applied MAC makeup , her hair cut and layered to salon perfection. If one can overlook the absurdity of it all - especially a Dubai honeymoon sequence , featuring Salman in Sheikh gear, complete with a photogenic falcon as a prop – Sonakshi is a thousand times more talented star-kid than some of the over- rated stick insects crawling around.
Let’s call this a vada-pav Western which would curdle Clint Eastwood’s blood were he to watch it. It is dangerous in the extreme when a big ticket movie’s box office fate revolves around just one factor – the hero’s star power. And nothing else. Going by that yardstick the makers of ‘Dabangg’ which means ‘fearless’ in ‘Khari Boli’ , are just that. It takes guts and supreme confidence to place all your bets on a single individual – Salman Khan. Clearly, the gamble has paid off big time, going by the buzz. There is hardly a single scene which does not feature Chulbul. Since much is being made of his new look and ‘moochch’, surely SRK had sported it earlier in ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ ? None of this matters when the movie is a hit. … the music has clicked ( two really catchy numbers, including a boozy ode to getting hammered called ‘Peeni Hai’ and the mandatory Sufi inspired number to appeal to Salman’s core constituency in the Middle East). Oh – there is also the much appreciated Buckle Trick – Salman’s hot new dance move during a hectic number in which he fiddles provocatively with the buckle of his belt.
Let’s hand it to the main man – he has pulled it off – the stunts and pelvic thrusts are pure Salman. Nothing new there. But it is the naughty self- parodying, which is so camp, so out there, which delivers the biggest punch. What’s left for this guy now – all he needs is a cape. And he can call himself Superman. Officially.
Khamoooosssshhh!!

Rahul or Salman - Who is the real Biggg Boss??

This appeared in the Asian Age \ Deccan Chronicle
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Why Rahul G is a lot like Salman K
Amazing but true - these guys have more in common than most people would like to accept.For one, they are both in the same business – politics by any other name is still showbiz. At forty (plus or minus a year idhar –udhar), they are determinedly single, mothers across India consider them super eligible dulhas, they definitely fall into the ‘hotties’ category with a vast female fan following panting after them, both are dubbed mama’s boys by those in the know, both adore their sister(s), and qualify as eye candy in every which way. Of course there are significant differences – Rahul Gandhi keeps his kurta on in public, Salman can’t wait to peel his shirt off – anytime, anywhere. Gandhi looks like a lean and mean fighting machine, but nobody has seen his pack ( four, six or eight, only his trainer knows for sure). Salman is the original Sando – possibly the most famous actor in the world to flaunt his gut and guts. Salman’s rippling muscles get more media coverage than his leading ladies – which is not such a bad thing, going by some of the recent samples. Salman’s roster of girl friends qualifies him as a true blue marathon man. Not much is known about Rahul’s love life. Salman is an unapologetic alpha male, Rahul G , far more new age and metro, even charmingly retro. Perhaps, Rahul is happy to conform to the strong-silent matinee idol style of the ‘60’s, while Salman’s abs do most of the emoting, on and off the screen. Both come from established- in- the- chosen- field families – the Gandhis have run politics in India for decades. The Khans have been around in Bollywood for decades, too. Parivaar is key. The Khan clan sticks together through good and terrible times. Ditto for the Gandhis ( even though theirs is a more compact unit).Despite their hitting forty ( Rahul is a whisker away from the landmark birthday), they continue to be perceived as ‘Bachchas’ – Salman as the Bad Boy, Rahul as the Good Guy. India is waiting for both to grow up – but not in a hurry. At the end of the day it boils down to just one quality – mass appeal. And as any marketing guru will tell you – that’s one thing nobody can manufacture. It’s like Lycra – either you have it or you don’t. Synthetic charisma works only to a limited degree. Merely pumping someone up with an inventive hard sell strategy that overstates the image can lead to a serious case of overkill. But both these guys exude the real thing – they are bona fide icons , worshipped by fans and damned by critics. They arouse passion. And passion is always a positive attribute – it attracts the janata. Since their survival depends on the faith their constituency displays in their leadership, these boy-men are fortunate indeed that we have not packed them off so far, despite everything.
Now, here comes the clincher: Salman’s future as a big star depends entirely on the box office. Rivals may come and fade away ( as they have), but for Salman to hang on to his position, he must prove himself from one Friday to the next. He has had a string of pricey flops in the recent past. Now , with his Eid offering of ‘Dabbang’, Salman needs a super mega hit in order to hang in there as one of the film industry’s most bankable stars. If Chulbul Pandey does not click with the aam aadmi on the expected scale, Salman’s future will be somewhat dheela. With Rahul, we are likely to be much kinder. He is a lambey race ka ghoda. For one, he doesn’t shoot his mouth off, and when he does care to open it, he speaks thoughtfully and uses a direct, simple lingo that his followers can understand instantly. He listens more and promises very little. This is a perfect strategy, especially since nobody really knows what he stands for, or what his political plans mean in real terms. Since he is the closest thing to a Bollywood star ( good looks, gora-chikna , photogenic) in a country led by really old people, he can get away with token gestures and populist moves (‘ sipahi’ of Orissa tribals – most of whom looked totally blank during his much publicized visit to their neglected, even wretched mohalla). Never mind, he is at least making the right noises, and as we well know, in politics, that’s half the battle won. Bad Boy Salman is forever putting his foot into some place much worse than his mouth. That’s very much a part of his USP – that’s also why his hysterical fans love him. At the end of the day, both men are looking at numbers. It is numbers alone that keep them where they are. Rahul, as his party’s general secretary in charge of IYC and NSUI, is on a crazy recruitment spree. He has to enroll members on a war footing… or else. Given that about 50 to 70 million voters between the ages of 18 and 23 are being added between two general elections. It is Rahul’s primary job to chase this pool of youngsters and get them on board. Luckily for Rahul, there isn’t a rival in sight. Unless, of course, the incredible Priyanka decides to jump in (unlikely at this stage, but who knows?). Salman, poor fellow, risks losing that hardly worn shirt off his back each time a film tanks, and there’s no dearth of younger, hungry rivals snapping at his ankles.
I have a suggestion: Why not a Rahul Gandhi Reality Show on television? Salman had his very own Dus Ka Dum and will soon be the Bigg Boss. Rahul’s minders would do well to pitch him as the Next Big Thing on tv as he goes around the countryside screening fresh candidates and recruits. It will accomplish two major feats in one go – viewers will be trated to a spectacular Bharat Darshan and India will witness the birth of a Political Superstar. Perhaps Katrina can be roped in as co-anchor, now that she is… ummmm, officially single??
What an idea, Sirji… err… Madamji!!

Blogdosts, Many thanks for your overwhelming response to the book. I am truly, truly touched. Perhaps I should have clarified earlier - the book will only hit bookstores around the 21st of September. The trade buzz has been most encouraging. I was shooting a promo for a sales conference yesterday, and Harish, who is just so good with distribution, told me he had advance orders rolling in. Okay. No more sales talk!!
Today is a very auspicious day - Ganesh Chaturthi. I am planning to watch 'Dabbang' and then go back to Kittichai's 'Koh' to sample what I'd missed out the last time - his signature dishes. Shraavan is over (it ended at 4 p.m. on the 8th). I am seriously considering sticking to my Monday fasts, and giving preference to a largely vegetarian diet. It makes me feel healthier and lighter.
Rushing to a panel discussion on CNN-IBN ( interesting and volatile topic - Caste Census ) last night, I nearly missed the slot - families wishing to avoid the Ganpati rush today, were bringing the beloved deity home and the streets were filled with joyous greetings as thousands blocked traffic for hours. I am planning my annual pilgrimage to Lalbaug chha Raja - this year, the security is that much tighter on account of the terrorist threat. All the more reason to go and pay obeisance at the Lord's feet - with devotion in the heart and enough courage not to fear any calamity. More tomorrow.... till then, join me in saying, "Ganpati Bappa Morya!" and Eid Mubarak.
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This appeared in The Week....
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These lashes are not for fluttering…

Tala Raassi’s name is not known to many outside the rarefied world of international fashion. She’s the 27 year old, originally from Teheran, who made waves at the recently held Miss Universe Pageant, when contestants walked the ramp in bikinis designed by her. Tala’s flight to freedom at age 18, is part of her dramatic c.v. as she moves up the fame ladder in America, which is now her home. When Tala was celebrating her sixteenth birthday in Teheran, she and her friends were arrested for breaking Islamic laws as practiced in Iran. Her crime? Tala had taken off her head scarf and black chador inside the privacy of her home, and was caught wearing a mini skirt, tee shirt and high heels. The religious police who burst in and broke up the celebrations sentenced her to be lashed. Five days later, she found herself face down on a mattress, ordered to do so by a woman holding a Koran in one hand. Tala kept her tee shirt on, hoping the thin fabric would offer a little protection. On the contrary, with each lash, the fabric got stuck to the deep gashes on her back and made the excruciating pain, still worse. It was then that Tala decided to escape to America and pursue her dream to become a fashion designer. She was inspired by the idea of being in an environment that encouraged women to wear what they like. Where women were free to cover up – or not.
Tala was fortunate to get away with just lashes. She could as easily have been killed. Women in today’s Talibanised Afghanistan have it much, much worse. Like Tala so many years ago, they too have zero personal freedoms, cannot listen to music, dance, drive, receive an education, speak to members of the opposite sex or in any manner, express themselves. Nearly every day, one comes across reports of women being stoned to death… and no matter what the justification, it remains an act of unadulterated barbarity. That the civilised world can do nothing about it, adds to the complicity of the crime. Closer to home, our own record isn’t all that better – after all, if we condemn stoning a woman to death for suspected infidelity in other parts of the world, what can one say about the equally primitive tradition of Khap killings in our own backyard? And it’s about time we stopped referring to them as ‘honour killings’ - that tag makes this heinous crime sound almost respectable. Despite protests and condemnations, our newspapers continue to be filled with grisly stories of young girls being relentlessly hunted down by male relatives out to ‘save’ the family name. Here in Hypocritical India, we refuse to acknowledge this as a major social blight, we refuse to call it the Talibanisation of our culture, and most importantly, we refuse to punish the guilty. If justice was swift and strict in these cases, if those guilty of murder were tried and sentenced in fast track courts within a reasonable period of time, believe me, others contemplating such dastardly acts, would think a thousand times before going after their defenceless victims.
That’s how it goes in our country. Women remain our lowest priority on all levels. Their health and well being are not issues of any importance. Which is a really pretty foolish and short sighted approach, given that women form the fulcrum around which Indian society ( like most other civilised societies) revolves. Despite that, we continue to strip them naked in public, beat and torture them, maim and murder them. All in the name of ‘protecting’ society. The reason we do so is absurdly simple – because we can.
Tala’s memory of those lashes prodded her to take a risky step and plot her escape. She did it! But there are millions of women across the world who aren’t as lucky or as gutsy. What about them? Some lashings are obvious – they are physical. They leave visible scars. Equally damaging are emotional lashings – and those scars remain hidden. Sometimes for life. Either way, the guilty don’t pay.Not in this life, anyway.More’s the pity.

Bingo!!! The book!!!!!!!!!

You’ve got nothing left to prove ...
remember, life soars at 60!


Penguin Books India is delighted to announce the publication of


Shobhaa at Sixty
Secrets of Getting It Right at Any Age


By Shobhaa Dé


Published by Hay House
9789380480497 / Paperback / 217 pages / Rs 350



Shobhaa Dé is known to live life by her own rules. Declaring sixty ‘the new forty’, she shares some of her most intimate secrets that are valuable at any age. From beauty tips, dealing with anxiety and ageing to spiritual quests and seeking solace and tranquility, Shobhaa wants you to have a joyous and fulfilling existence.

In Shobhaa at Sixty, she helps the reader rejuvenate their life, giving wise, honest and practical advice on how to cope with the daily challenges and stresses we face in today’s fast-paced world. She shares her own experiences from her life spanning six decades, claiming the inspiration for penning this book was, in her own words, ‘to free people from the cage of age’.

Whether it’s flagging levels of confidence or diminishing stamina, Shobhaa with her trademark wit and insight provides the perfect antidote. Laying great emphasis on family values and ties, she stresses on making each passing decade more meaningful and enriching while taking the time to enjoy the small pleasures of life.

Leading by example, Shobhaa shows us just how much we have to look forward to, no matter what our age!


About the Author

Voted by Reader’s Digest as one of ‘India’s Most Trusted People’ and one of the ‘50 Most Powerful Women in India’ by Daily News and Analysis, Shobhaa Dé is one of India’s highest selling authors and a popular social commentator. Her works comprising both fiction and non-fiction have been featured in comparative literature courses at universities abroad and in India. Her writing has been translated into many regional languages as well as French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Turkish.


For more information please contact Mina Okamoto at 4613 1494 or mina.okamoto@in.penguingroup.com

For more information on Penguin Books India please contact Hemali Sodhi at hemali.sodhi@in.penguingroup.com

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BLOGDOSTS! This one is just for you! I swear!

Haven't shared THE NEWS with anybody else.

It is an auspicious day.

And what a lovely way to mark it!

Bring it on, guys!!!! Tell me what you think.... tell me you are happy for me...

I AM SOARING!!!

How to pen a masala memoir...

This appeared in Sunday Times...

Tony Blair has done the full monty… well, almost! Don’t we just love it!! At last, a memoir that hits all the wrong notes and the right spots! Deliciously candid, outrageously readable and mercifully, indiscreet! Thank God for Blair’s political incorrectness. This is the stuff good masala memoirs are made of. And fortunately for hungry readers there’s one brave man out there willing to let it all hang out…. err… literally. Now that Britain’s ex- prime minister has informed the world about his boudoir conduct ( “ I was an animal in the bedroom,”), perhaps it won’t be too much to ask his wife Cherie to write her version titled “There’s a tiger in my bed.” He goes on to brag that women find politicians irresistible since power is an aphrodisiac. He merrily justifies what he calls a ‘free bird impulse’ to have affairs, adding, “ There is a moment of encounter, so exciting, so naughty, so lacking in self control…” it provides a thrill that is like ‘‘an explosion of irresponsibility.” Is this a grown man blathering on about male sexual fantasies or a frisky schoolboy salivating and leching in a girl’s dorm ? It hardly matters. The book is likely to sell millions of copies and find zillions of takers for the juvenile justifications it offers on matters sexual and political. It should be read in the same spirit it has been written – come on, Tony is entitled to reveal all. It’s his book. Statecraft meets the Kamasutra meets Lady Chatterley’s Lover - that adds up to a whopping, international bestseller! What’s the bet his publisher has also become an animal, in and out of the bedroom? By the time the numbers roll in, there may be a veritable zoo in Blair’s boudoir.His take on statecraft and bodycraft are both equally engaging, equally shallow. But it is refreshing as hell to come across a 700 page tome that goes beyond affairs of the state and jauntily jumps into risqué territory – sexual affairs. Blair’s own passionate ‘affair’ – no, not with Princess Diana - but the very unlikely George Bush, may arouse hoots of derision in political circles, but it’s pretty rare for a politician to stick his neck out and stand by an old ally when the rest of the world has discarded the person. Going by the published excerpts, Blair and Bush were a little like Tom and Jerry or Laurel and Hardy playing war games.They rode into Iraq together and the world has never been the same again.
Memoirs work best when the person writing them is confident( or foolish) enough to tell all. If Blair admits that there was a stage during is prime minister ship when he was dealing with a G&T ( Gin and tonic) problem, often knocking back a stiff drink, along with half a bottle of wine over dinner, the revelation makes him far more human. If he confesses his attraction for the ‘People’s Princess’, but qualifies that her ‘emotional wildness’ scared him off ( even though he saw a bit of himself in her ‘manipulative nature’), one can completely get it. It is nuggets like these that are likely to make this a truly modern memoir, and therefore appealing to the aam janata across the world. Some of the anecdotes are amusing and cute – like the time Britain’s Queenie herself got down to doing the dishes at Balmoral , after slipping her royal hands into a pair of rubber gloves. It is a vivid and amazing image – can you imagine a single wealthy woman in India undertaking this humble, after dinner chore? And here, Blair is talking about his Queen – one of the richest individuals in the world. He claims three years out of office have given him time to reflect on his government. It has also given him the opportunity to trash rivals and his successor, Gordon Brown in particular. Bechara Brown is dismissed as a ‘strange guy’, someone low on ‘emotional intelligence’. There goes Brown’s female constituency!Blair watchers should see ‘The Ghost Writer’, a movie in which the former James Bond, Pierce Brosnon, plays a thinly disguised version of Tony Blair penning his controversial memoirs.It had generated a lot of controversy when it was released… with good reason. It was a pretty telling film that followed a ghost writer’s scarey experiences when he stumbles on secrets that eventually cost the fictitious prime minister his life.The most shocking suggestion in the movie was that the British prime minister had become a total stooge of the American President, going so far as to suggest that the P.M.’s ambitious wife was an American agent ready to sell the country down the drain. Sensibly, the Blairs had ignored the film. Another movie titled ‘The Queen’ , had also projected Blair in an entirely unflattering light, showing him as a vain and self serving prime minister who cared only about his own image and little else. Blair ignored this one, too.
India emerges glowing away in Blair’s racy book and he has given the country a generous pat on the back (“… a shining example of a large nation, still developing, that manages to be democratic.”). Oh well… just for giving us that rather naïve certificate for good conduct, let us invite Tony to launch his book here. We can treat the Blairs to a special screening of ‘Peepli { Live}’ just to give them an idea of India’s experiments with democracy.

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Blogdosts, I am faced with a vexing question and need your help. I hate the idea of using this space for any kind of hard sell. A blog is not a classified ad. Now.... here's the tricky part - I have a new book that is going to hit the market shortly. Do you want me to keep you in the loop about the launch dates, reviews, and other events associated with a fresh title? Would you like me to share interviews, quotes, posters and other details here - if I promise not to indulge in over kill? Be totally honest, okay?? Frankly, I am very excited and would love to tell all . It is a special book and the cover is looking good. The trade has shown a lot of pre-release interest. But that is another story. This is as much your space as it is mine. I leave the verdict in your capable hands. As you are aware, this is not a monetized blog and I am not about to sell out. So relax! The views expressed here are entirely independent. Which is why I love this space and respect your opinions. Haan.... ya, na?

Mission statement made! Over to you....

Shraavan ends next week. On one level I am glad it does - I confess I've had my cravings for meat, fish and a glass of crisp white. But then again, the self imposed discipline makes one feel virtuous ( and SLIM!). I have dropped weight visibly and am feeling lighter. Shraavan is a great way to detox... all that fruit, all those veggies! Each time I felt hungry, I'd drink warm water and think of my waistline - ha ha! It's a good thing my mad travel schedule was comparitively restricted this month. I can tell you it's totally frustrating to be at gourmet destinations and watch other people enjoy an unforgettable four course meal while you stick to limp salad leaves. I am plotting and planning my 'end of Shraavan' party. I've picked an old fashioned restaurant called 'Gaylord's' at Churchgate. My family is most amused. Why that of all places, they've been asking. Well...for one, I am sick of starving at over rated, over priced smart restaurants specialising in so called fusion cuisine ( very few places get it right). 'Nostalgia takes me back to 'Gaylord's'. I grew up within walking distance of this classic place, which used to be the favourite hangout of old Bollywood stars. The food was brilliant then... and is equally brillaint now. Delicious, hearty, sensibly priced stuff sans frills. Besides, I've been dying for sizzlers and very few places serve sizzlers these days. Shall report all next thursday - I am counting the hours! As I write these words I have polished off a plate of diced cucumbers and carrots. Am feeling like an over stuffed rabbit!
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Waiting to get my hands on this year's hottest title - 'A Journey', which is Tony Blair's 700- page tome - by all accounts a racy, naughty, sexy read! If any of you guys has read it, do share your views and reviews. I am delighted Britain's former Prime Minister has taken the risque route. I'm sure he has lied through his teeth - but that's half the fun of penning a political memoir. Now that we know Blair is 'an animal in the bedroom' ( his boast... but must check what Cherie feels about this!), why was he such a mouse in the presence of George Bush????
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I did promise you a comment on 'We are Family'. Let me just say my tear ducts were in overdrive, especially post-interval. Does that make it a good film? I dunno. I was moved despite myself. After years and years, I cried like a baby while watching a film. Maybe I am a sucker for Mommy Movies. You go watch and give us your verdict.