Life imitates art - KANK.

saffron balls

Does Rani wear a vial of blood of any of her exes? Or french her brother? If she doesn't, she's no Jolie.

Google is filled with links to their affair....even though Aditya is much more of step down from Brad, than Rani is from Jolie.

http://passionforcinema.com/aditya-chopra-rani-mukherjee/
http://www.bollywoodmantra.com/1343_rani-and-aditya-chopras-secret-rendezvous.html

Did Rani get together with Aditya while he was divorcing Payal? If not, then she's really not a homewrecker at all :)

I also agree that one must french their brother and wear a vial of blood to even be conversationally analogous to Angelina.

I don't know about Rani, but if you want to talk about caste,

And in that photograph, are her eyes lighting up like saucers at the sight of that sweet, sweet moustache?

Sorry the link disappeared, but here is a caste related story

From what I heard she was dating Jr Bachhan but Big B never let it happen, for obvious reasons. Never heard of Aditya Chopra or his ex-wife associated with Rani's name until today.

woah, she's 29! i always thought she was 35 or older...

Didn't MP-saab Govinda separate from his wife for a while to be with Ms. Mukherjee? Seems like someone has a thing for the taken man... *cough cough* Angelina

From what I heard she was dating Jr Bachhan but Big B never let it happen, for obvious reasons

What are the obvious reasons?? :)

perhaps tattoos will get her into jolie's league?

From what I heard she was dating Jr Bachhan but Big B never let it happen, for obvious reasons

Well apart from the ugly spectacle of BigB drooling big time over Aishwarya?

I don't know what the other reasons are, but let me just say that Amitabh is a disgusting male chauvinist. And it bothers me tremendously that his adherence to troglodyte customs, superstitions, and practices is followed so closely by everybody, with nary a questioning remark in the press. Sorry for getting serious for a second, but this always gets under my skin.

As for Rani, she has a voice that sounds like it's been subject to decades of Marlboros (Wills?) and Bud Lights, run over by a car, and then hung out to dry.

ak, I'm with you on the tattoos! Can't believe I remembered the vial of blood but not the tattoos.

I want to know the obvious reasons! I have absolutely zero knowledge of Bollywood gossip, but this sounds funny.

As for Rani, she has a voice that sounds like it's been subject to decades of Marlboros (Wills?) and Bud Lights, run over by a car, and then hung out to dry.

Your just jealous! You can't have her so ur eating sour grapez and stuff. LOL! Free Paris!

From what I heard she was dating Jr Bachhan but Big B never let it happen, for obvious reasons

Oh my. Sounds salacious. Tell me more!

As for Rani, she has a voice that sounds like it's been subject to decades of Marlboros (Wills?) and Bud Lights, run over by a car, and then hung out to dry.

what - that's not sexy to you?

ak, I'm with you on the tattoos! Can't believe I remembered the vial of blood but not the tattoos.

rahul, i did read an op-ed in a national newspaper about amitabh taking the country in a rather regressive direction. maybe it was a one-off thing, but even you must know how superstitious hindus can be.

I don't know what the other reasons are, but let me just say that Amitabh is a disgusting male chauvinist.

camille, i think it would be pretty cool if a desi actress was that into tattoos.

See, I don't mind the people who are genuinely traditional/conservative (as much), what really angers me is hypocrisy. I lost all respect for him when I first learnt about the fact that he'd insisted Jaya stay in the kitchen right after marriage, but then philandered with Rekha. And with his mucking around with Rajiv and other politicians, playing all sorts of tax games despite his immense wealth, and also all his recent shenanigans with marrying Ash to a tree (or snake or whatever, I can't keep track anymore), going around to astrologer after astrologer, and temple after temple, and his pretty pathetic drooling after Ash (which is what made him willing to do anything to get past the manglik crap), he's done nothing to win it back. Other stars might be like him, but they are not as revered as he is, and I also think his behavior has been more egregious than others.

What are the obvious reasons?? :)

Did she have to marry more than one peepal tree?

what - that's not sexy to you?

It would be, if it spoke the words of Tom Waits.

But they would also have to be cool tattoos -- most of Angelina's are cool, imo

definitely. i've often thought of getting one myself, but fear that what looks cool to me now, is in reality uber cheesy. my best friend got a tweetie bird tattoo (bright yellow) when she was 16. enough said.

playing all sorts of tax games despite his immense wealth

his most recent was fraudulently obtaining farmer status in two different states to hold land. in lucknow it was part of a government grant to poor villagers, so what pisses me off is that that land could have been allotted to somebody actually deserving of it.

but fear that what looks cool to me now, is in reality uber cheesy.

Tattoo regret is not new.

Tattoo regret is not new

yes, the NYT article is the most recent affirmation of my fear...

A friend of mine got a tattoo in Hawaii last year, as another customer was getting his removed. The other guy imparted one sage piece of advice based on his bitter experience: Never ever get a tattoo a girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse's name.

A commitment ceremony or “Roka” was held Monday at the Chopra bungalow in Bombay.

Doesn't Sushmita Sen have some tattoos? She is the coolest among the current crop, in my opinion.

Coolest != Best actress, btw :) Also, Google coughed this up.

Coolest != Best actress, btw :)

seriously? i assume not seriously...

Are you asking if my not equals is not seriously? Too few negatives. NOT! I have no idea which direction your question was in.

Tattoos are taboo? I happen to have one (ok, three)...my mother chi-chi'd them, but I think they're kinda cool.

I have to admit that I have been into Bollywood for quite some time and the fascination is starting to wear off. I feel as if I am finally waking up especially since I heard Shahrukh Khan will be endorsing a fairness cream for men. How disappointing, but it just goes to show how he will do anything for money. He doesn't seem to care if he offends his dark skinned fans. Why would you endorse an alcoholic beverage and you claim you do not drink (Masterstroke)?

As for Rani, I believe she is into the fairness cream too. If this story is true it is quite sad. Couldn't she get her own man? The only justice Aditya's ex-wife will have is 'what goes around comes around.' Rani will get what is coming to her in the end.

With all do respect The Big B is a lying, greedy, land grabbing, ... and I hope Mayawati continues to whip his ass!

OK...time for some gossip update. My Bro in law is a general manager of a 5 star hotel.., and its common knowledge that Amitabh Bachhan is a bigger womanizer than his son ever was. Another confirmed thingie is between Sushmita sen and the younger Ambani Brother. She's his mistress, and has more property to her name than other top actresses combined. I would give her a pass...since she adopted an orphan, but..........such are ways of the desi glamour world. You gotta sleep with producers in order to make it. Another one that doesn't have a good reputation among the hotelwalla's is Preity Zinta. No wonder Maureen Wadia is putting her foot down on her son Ness' engagement with Preity...(BTW Ness is Jinnah's great grandson.)

oo..thanks for the juicy gossip Vic.

vic - that was awesome - way better than the usual gossip pages. your BIL should start his own blog. sen-ambani, eh? and all that property - i guess sush figured that it's easier owning your own home than to be renting as a single female.

Well. Is nobody going to say anything good about Rani Mukherjee? Then I will - I like her, her acting, her voice, her hairstyle, her smile - everything. In fact, I think Manmohan Singh and Musharraf like her too. Probably one of the few things they can agree on :)

In a handshaking lineup in 2005, Mushy (and Begum Sehba) and MS, and a random male member of the entourage, to say nothing of the cameraperson - all have their eyes locked on her even while Mushy's now shaking hands with the next person in line. She grins broadly, knowing just what's happening.

I can't believe "don't get your significant other's name as a tattoo" is breaking news.

Anyone else got a tattoo?

Back in 1995, I was talking to a non-brown friend of mine who happened to be a tattoo artist in Memphis, and told him I'd wanted to get a tattoo, and he asked me what I wanted to get. I told him, "A Ganesha, which is the Hindu god of auspicious beginnings--"

He cut me off. "How about you come by my studio next week?"

A week later, I walk into the studio (Underground Art, if you must know) and he shows me into a room...and there are...HUNDREDS of sketches of Ganesha on the wall. Ganeshas upon Ganeshas. My jaw dropped.

"How about that one?" he says, and it's a green Ganesha with four tusks and slanted eyes with no pupils or irises, holding a ray-gun. Subtitle: Alien Ganesha. "Or that one!" and there's a sketch of a very delicate Ganesha, his body colored as if made of butterfly wings.

No, no, no.

But clearly I'd come to the right place. I had a statue that I'd brought with me. He turned it into a sketch, and it was an incredibly accurate representation.

I've been wearing it on my back for 12 years now. No tattoo regret at all. It's faded quite a bit, but it's still a beautiful tattoo. Maybe one day I'll get it touched up.

Back in 1995

That was the year of the Milk Drinking Ganeshas.

Girlfriend is NOT 29. Definitely not.

Back in 1995

And also the year A Perfect Ganesh premiered on Broadway....

Not that either explains why a tattoo artist in Memphis had thousands of Ganesha designs...

Oops. That was the Broadway Theater, Milwaukee. Still, off-off-Broadway.

I must remember not to be more careful posting on SM after my solitary beer :)

Another addition: you have to be bisexual to fit the Jolie analogy. Pity none of the desi actresses are that adventurous.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenny_Shimizu

Karthik @ 21 : yes, Ash married a peepal tree AND a banana tree. There is a joke possible here somewhere. Where is that Badava Rascal (TM) Rahul? :)

but fear that what looks cool to me now, is in reality uber cheesy.

it was to sort of put a 'hold' on the girl.

Karthik : sorry, I misread your question. I read this story about Amitabh Bachchan and Sheila Jones. I don't know if it is true, but it might be. With marriages, the Big B is supposed to be somethin' else -> the obvious reason referred to?

Abhishek’s attitude is exactly similar to that of his father. Amitabh Bachchan too was seeing a model called Sheila Jones. One good day Bachchan casually drove her to the airport in a Fiat. Sheila was not at all aware of what was going to happen that night.
Bachchan kissed her goodbye at the airport and returned home. He then dressed up well and went ahead for an important event. He was to get married to Jaya Bhaduri that evening. Sheila was shocked to see news of Bachchan’s marriage with pictures
the next day in the newspapers.

Where is that Badava Rascal (TM) Rahul? :)

Badava Rascal reporting. I was out drinking beers to salve the wound of Vic #34 demolishing two of my lovelies in one little post.

A small part of me feels that we shouldn't have any form of tattoo removal (yes, this goes against all of my feelings towards personal choices, getting people out of your private business, etc). If you feel that having to ink something on your skin is that important (and hopefully you've thought about it long and hard), then you should just be able to deal with it indefinitely afterwards. This whole teenage craze with tattoos just mystifies me. Ugh, I hope this doesn't make me a closet conservative.

It's funny - at many clubs/bars I've been to lately, the patrons without visible tattoos were outnumbered by those that did (and I'm not talking about places like the Blue Oyster Bar either [not that there's anything inherently wrong with that place, mind you]).

this is better than any gossip blog...but i have to ask too, what are the "obvious reasons" rani wasn't allowed to marry abhishek? i saw some reference to it in one of the articles i read. according to a lot of the sources, aditya chopra and rani have been together for some time. any other juicy gossip? do tell!

and all that property - i guess sush figured that it's easier owning your own home than to be renting as a single female.

The question is, whom does she rent to?

It's so funny that three friends and myself were discussing some of these things over dinner tonight in NYC (and yes, after that 'dutch' thread I made sure to pay extra). Is it true that Amitabh Bachchan is a big womaniser? Because I was commenting that things have changed so much in India, that back when Big B was young (70s/80s), despite being so popular, he had only one well-publicised affair (with Rekha) whereas nowadays, even B and C list stars have numerous well-known affairs...and I chalked that up to changing societal mores. I also said it's unlikely that the dude is womanising these days since his image and reputation would take a major nose dive if it ever came to light. At the same time, it's hard to imagine a man restraining himself, with the amount of women who are probably throwing themselves at him daily, and the kinds of opportunities he has.

I loved the sections in Maximum City which talk about Vidhu Vinod Chopra trying to sign BigB for Mission Kashmir. Hilarious how Suketu Mehta gently pricks the Bachchan bubble. That and the section where he completely eviscerates Bal Thackeray were the high points of the book for me.

back when Big B was young (70s/80s), despite being so popular, he had only one well-publicised affair (with Rekha) whereas nowadays, even B and C list stars have numerous well-known affairs...and I chalked that up to changing societal mores

key phrase is probably well-publicised - today' media is far more interfering in and less forgiving of celebrities' personal lives. during WWII, the media largely abided by FDR's request not to be photographed in his wheelchair. these days, shit like that wouldn;t fly. but just judging by vic's comment, there is still a lot of stuff on the DL, so it's plausible that the indian media respects certain boundaries. i have a feeling that desi PR is a lot better at american PR from keeping things private.

The question is, whom does she rent to?

sorry, darling, but i assume since it's not you, this point is rather moot for you?

I loved the sections in Maximum City which...

i am pre-requesting no spoilers here - i just received the book and it's high on my summer reading list.

i am pre-requesting no spoilers here - i just received the book and it's high on my summer reading list.

I second that! It's been gathering dust on my bookshelf for far too long, so I'm about to start reading it, too. Perhaps we should start the virtual SM book club, years after it was first requested. ;)

i am pre-requesting no spoilers here

I second that!

Whatever happened to free speech?

Badava Rascal reporting. I was out drinking beers to salve the wound of Vic #34 demolishing two of my lovelies in one little post.
Welcome back, Badava R! So what do you call the tattoo of a tattoo? Here is my latest submission to Urban Dictionary. Yes, I am bent on world domination!

Tathree (noun)
The representation of a tattoo in a tatto. For example, a tattoo of Janis Joplin may show her own tattoo. That makes it a tathree.


Example
Oh, that is a nice tathree of Janis Joplin's heart over your heart.

Perhaps we should start the virtual SM book club, years after it was first requested. ;)

So what do you call the tattoo of a tattoo?

You mean like this?

key phrase is probably well-publicised

Yes, because the Big B in compromising positions with "other" women would be such a small and insignificant story. I mean Indians dont really want to read that. Now if they have a B list star like Shakti Kapoor caught in a sting operation, they would be all over it, but Big B scoop is not really a scoop.

Suketu Mehta's book cant have any embellishments.. C'mon it is not like he gets paid based on number of books he sells and the more controvertial and provocative you are the more books you sell. So there is no reason for Suketu Mehta to embellish any "facts". None. He is writer and writing is a "higher" profession than these naach-gana walahs.

Perhaps we should start the virtual SM book club, years after it was first requested. ;)

set it up, ANNA!

Whatever happened to free speech?

you were so apologetic when it was re shawshenk redemption - not so much love for maximum city?

Perhaps we should start the virtual SM book club, years after it was first requested. ;)
I'd love that. Maximum City is a good reason why. I started reading it, but for some reason, I never finished it. Without a book club, I doubt I will pick it up again. Is a book a month a good way to do it?

wasn't sushmita sen dating randeep "australian idiot" hooda from monsoon wedding. also tanisha mukherjee is dating uday chopra, so i guess the mukherjees hooking up with the chopras is a family business.

Can I join the club of people who fess up to giving up on Maximum City 50 pages from the finish? I tend not to do too well in book clubs because I have a long list of books that I desperately want to read, and reading flavor-of-the-month books takes up too much valuable time :)

Shawshank was all hema's fault, in any case. BTW, ak, Jack Nicholson ordered the Code Red on Santiago.

Maximum City is a great book -- though it could have been 50 to 100 pages shorter and still been just as good. Suketu deserved the Pulitzer (he was a finalist) and I hope he eventually wins one.

Jack Nicholson ordered the Code Red on Santiago.
Also, Jar-jar Binks is Darth Maul. Don't click this link.

Shawshank was all hema's fault, in any case. BTW, ak, Jack Nicholson ordered the Code Red on Santiago.

hema merely pointed out your original transgression. as for AFGM - i still mourn the loss of pvt. santiago.

Speaking of high points in "Maximum City" (I think this is where it came from) I loved it when Shahrukh Khan makes chai in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's kitchen, and of course, the domestic help is stunned that "badshah of bollywood" is so ultra down-to-earth, humility personified etc.
How awesome would it be to have SRK bring me my morning cuppa in bed ;) tres agreable.

Can I join the club of people who fess up to giving up on Maximum City 50 pages from the finish?

This isn't going to sound too good, and will probably come back to haunt me, but I haven't actually read an entire book in well over 10 years. Just don't have the attention span anymore. Which is a shame since I used to enjoy reading when I was a kid. Fiction in particular is something I don't think I can ever get into again. I did actually buy Maximum City from Borders one day (still like to browse), and like Rahul I barely made it past page 50. But I don't think that's any reflection on the book.

Vic, Sushmita Sen and Anil Ambani was two or three years ago. They've both moved on, from what one hears (several pieces of jewellry and apartments later, of course).

A "roka" literally means that both families stop "looking" at other prospects. Very Punjabi thing.

And all Bollywood stars lie about their age, always add five years.

AB's reputation in the business as a womanizer (and harrasser) is indeed awful, and yes, he did seem rather foolish around Aishwarya...in all the publicity photos pre-marriage he was always the one appearing with her with an idiotic grin, not his son. Ugh.

I think you have to be a Bombay person to truly love Maximum City, sorry folks...and Sacred Games is in the same vein.

Maximum City - required reading and requires much patience. Well worth it though.. because in the end...

Amitabh, I made it past page 50, just got stuck at the end. Don't remember if it was the book that started drifting, or outside circumstances that made me give it up, but it was certainly no "Special Topics in Calamity Physics". That, I sat up a whole night to finish, once I got to page 200 or so, and a major momentum-shifting event occurs. The book took a little getting used to because it was very show-offy, but I LOVED it.

portmanteau, I can't think of anything more scary than having to see SRK and his quivering lower lip first thing in the morning. What will he say, k-k-k-koffee? And, where SRK and koffee are, can k-k-karan be far behind? Not a good combination.

Oh, and one story (no way of confirming accuracy) I heard from a family friend in the bidness about Junior AB's broken engagement with Karisma Kapoor was that someone told Big B that "this girl is not OK" (i.e. like many actresses she had to sleep her way to jobs) and so he got someone through someone to offer her Rs 1 crore to sleep with some guy, and when she showed up in the hotel, he was there with his son, and that was that.

it was like that one time at band camp...

SP, I am a Bombay person. I think Bombay is far and away the most wonderful city in India. That is what kept me chugging through Maximum City.

Sorry to unSuketu the thread.

What's with all the player hating on Rani? she's a great actress, (Black) and she's hot and classy. Also, perhaps Payal wasn't keeping her man satisfied, not Rani fault!

I think you have to be a Bombay person to truly love Maximum City, sorry folks...and Sacred Games is in the same vein.

i'm reading sacred games right now and really loving it. i'm by no means a native of bombay, but i do like how vikram chandra treats the city in his books. but, yes, i'm sure that fondness for the city plays into the appreciation.

SP - that is some crazy story re karisma...

I haven't read Sacred Games yet (it's holding down my bedside table right now), but I really liked Love and Longing in Bombay. With a TamBram author ex machina and such exquisite descriptions of Marine Drive, who wouldn't?

I think you have to be a Bombay person to truly love Maximum City, sorry folks...

I loved it and I've never lived in Mumbai. Having grown up outside India, it opened my eyes to a lot of what's going on there. The police brutality was particularly shocking to me. (Not that it doesn't happen elsewhere.)

And Mr. Aditya Chopra, producer/director/writer of "Dilwale Dulhaniya Lejayenge", longest running film in history in India since "Sholay". Who hasn't succumbed to the hype, a la "Kofee with Karan". Very humble and accomplished guy, built a $20 million modern studio and has launched so many directors with him simply as producer. Rani went for the creative guy instead of the glam factor. But now the Bachchan's work for her new family, very well played indeed.

Daahlings, the story I'd heard about Baby AB and Karishma was that Babita wasn't impressed with Baby AB's prospects and that's what eventually put the kibbosh on the proceedings. That's all, kitty kats.

Raul, Babita must have been spinning cartwheels when Karishma and Mr.Karishma were estranged after their child was born and she was stopped from getting a passport for said offspring...

Hehe - I did think that AB-Karisma story sounded like the product of a rather active imagination, and Karisma had the family backing to not have to sleep around, but who knows? Perhaps that was the story the ABs spread around to get their own back.

I'm about 350 pages through Sacred Games right now and LOVE it. Could definitely have used some editing, and at some points I found myself snorting at the intellectualised first-person narration by Gaitonde, but it's really gripping and you can practically feel the car swerving down the road towards Haji Ali sometimes.

Rani was supposed to have been dating Govinda at some point (ewww) but she denied it vociferously. I think that's what got her the homebreaker rep. She was definitely going after junior AB, what's the story on why AB opposed it? I heard Jaya was in favour (of course, as Rani's her mini-me).

The story I had heard was that it was Reagan's military build-up. But apparently, it was a liquidity crunch due to oil that eventually put the kibbosh on the proceedings. Marc Andressen of Netscape reports.

Well. Is nobody going to say anything good about Rani Mukherjee? Then I will - I like her, her acting, her voice, her hairstyle, her smile - everything.

I think Rani is overrated!. She is not as talented as Sridevi or Madhuri Dixit. I've heard that she started getting good roles after she started dating Aditya Chopra.

Jaya did not want another Bengali in the family... this is all publicity... AB jr and Ash have made films before, no buzz.. they are "hinted" at dating and "Umrao Jaan" did pretty well. Rumors of engagement and "Guru" did extremely well (despite it being a Mani Ratnam fillum, which needed no such assistance). Lest us forget, AB Sr, was "actor of the millenium" in the BBC poll. He's trying to make sure his legacy survives at least beyond the immediate generation at hand.

ok, confession, as far as SRK is concerned, I belong to the cohort that was 10 when DDLJ came out. He's playing rugby or soccer or whatever uber-masculine sport in the rain (the wet sari scene for XYs), and I, being a very-very impressionable ten year old just lapped up the cheesiness and adored the his *rakish charms* in the movie. Yeah, I'm a sucker for rogues.
Ever since then, I haven't seen many of his movies (and I bet he was really annoying in Darr), but have enjoyed his wit and candor in interviews.
My apologies littering this thread with personal history. But you all will remember that DDLJ was Aditya Chopra's claim to fame and possibly a seminal film for its time. Perhaps, Anupama Chandra (again featured in the ensemble cast of characters in MC) will attest to that.

Rani's a good actor by Bollywood standards...Sridevi over-acted terribly, and Madhuri did the same three roles in the same cliched style her entire career. Rani probably gets stock roles too but she doesn't over-act, thank goodness.

And I'm of the generation that remembers Shahrukh in the TV show Fauji (anyone?) When he had awful floppy hair and I couldn't understand why the other girls cooed over him like he was Tom Cruise.

oh, and some insight about the reclusive Mr. Chopra, via Google:

"Adi is actually very conservative. His idea that
the two lovers must not rebel against the parents but must ask for their permission is very conservative. For a second-generation film person who went to [Mumbai's] Bombay Scottish School and Sydenham College to be so conservative, was very interesting."
from:
http://www.rediff.com/movies/2003/oct/08anu.htm

Apparently, things have changed.
And I am surprised by my own avid interest in Bollywood drama.

I actually really like Rani as far as Bollywood actresses go. That said, I hated Black! (watch that statement come around and bite me in the ass).

What I like best about SRK is his overexaggerated facial expressions and his crazy eyebrows! I'm so serious.

Is a book a month a good way to do it?

Maximum City? *blink blink* Just kidding! Have never read sacred games, though. I'm beginning to feel un(desi)-cultured, kind of like the opposite of paneer.

portmanteau very observant - that was exactly the premise for DDLJ "two lovers must not rebel against the parents but must ask for their permission is very conservative"

he just happened to dramatize the process of exactly that process.

If the stories about Chopra Pere threatening to cut off Aditya over the divorce are true, then that would certainly be a nice ironic twist on the family and duty-worshipping films that lot have always made.

Does anyone else think Aditya's moustache looks like something out of the Mangal Pandey set leftovers?

I can't believe I'm gossipping about Bollywood.

Have never read sacred games, though. I'm beginning to feel un(desi)-cultured, kind of like the opposite of paneer.

please tell me that you have read a suitable boy?

portmanteau, i understand : i recently caught an episode of KBC and SRK, much to my surprise, rocked! i've never seen it before, so no clue how AB was, but it became quite clear as to why this man is a superstar (of course, with no relevance to his acting skills).

the idea in bollywood of "producer" is a relatively new phenomenon. Sanjay Gupta, Vinod Chopra, Aditya Chopra (do not vilify me for omissions), is refreshing. Then you have the-over South Directors (which I have no exposure to so don't lambast me) but who crossed over like (Mani-ji) and made enoyable and memorable films. Indian filmmakers just recently got status from the government as a legitimate industry (which means bank loans)>

i think its about time for some entertaining dish.
too much politics can cause cancer, as my parents would say. ;)

please tell me that you have read a suitable boy?

ak, AB sr, was the actor of the millenium in the BBC forum. He ruled bollywood, got hurt cuz of bollywood, came cuz of bollywood, became a produer, lost money, and now has beenworking hard. (Kudos to good work). He also tried to secure a spot for his son, Abishekh. His son faced tons of criticism because he's trying to emulate his fatherer. Genetics is such a bad thing. Then there was "Yuva"...

SP

Madhuri did the same three roles in the same cliched style her entire career

Also - sorry to disappoint all you closet Bollywood fans but this may be much ado about nothing

Runa, I really liked Madhuri, it's just a shame that she wasn't given any really meaty roles till perhaps Devdas...and she got away with flashing her famous smile and doing her little ada and that was it.

The one role I had hopes for her in was Mrityudand, but that was so ridiculously full of cliches too, and they just had her do the classic Good Indian Woman Driven to Kali-like Outrage part.

Not to open a new can of worms, but the term home-wrecker (even though I know it was used humorously) makes me cringe a bit - if whassname Chopra chose to end his marriage, or Brad Pitt did, that's their business, they were the ones with commitments to keep or break, not the women who entered their lives.

Back to regular gossipping!

Love and Longing in Bombay

this is the book with the unbearably graphic descriptions of a hirsute lothario and his daring, swinging-from-the-banyan-tree affair with his ex?

Back to regular gossipping

shouldn't this thread just be about her delightfully husky voice? which this chopra fellow will now be hearing for the rest of this marriage?

I haven't. I know, someone should just revoke my brown card right now ;) I just haven't had the time/energy/focus to start hacking into A Suitable Boy... it's so long!

Oh no Camille...I can't speak any languages, cook any of the food, but even I have read that book!

I would revoke it, but being a bleeding heart liberal I hand out brown cards and wads of my parents' money out in the streets to anyone and everyone... Especially welfare moms, homeless people and drug addicts.

Sorry for the politics intrusion on the books/Rani discussion. Every time Manju mentions Monica Lewinsky near my name I get a little turned on...

I think a book club is a great idea as long as we don't read 'One Night At The Call Centre' - ick, ick, ick (said the book snob).

A Suitable Boy was entertaining but not a must-read, if you ask me. Brown cards may now be restored and subcontinental doorstopper fiction assigned to its doorstopping functions.

I liked Love and Longing in Bombay, and yes, the hirsute Lothario is in one of the stories, and he shows up as a protagonist in Sacred Games too!

I haven't. I know, someone should just revoke my brown card right now ;) I just haven't had the time/energy/focus to start hacking into A Suitable Boy... it's so long!

it's OK , camille - 1400 pages is something that requires quite a commitment. i do, however, more than highly recommend it, unlike SP, i do consider it a must-read - it is, in fact, my favourite book. and not for the desiness, but for his language and narrative style. i've read it once through properly, but have re-read in bits at least 10 times. it's that marvellous.

"A Suitable Boy" obviously looks like a great book (and no, I don't do thousand page books, I just don't), but I found the music of the dialogue a little different than what I am used to.

Case in point - chapter 1, verse 1 :
'You too will marry a boy I choose,' said Mrs Rupa Mehra firmly to her younger daughter.
Now, is that "You too will marry a boy I choose" or is it "You too will marry a boy I choose". It is not clear where the emphasis is. Plus, there are issues of translation of Hindi dialogue into English. I hope this last point will not be contested. Such issues of translation have been known since the fourth century at the very least.

I personally prefer over-the-South authenticity.

the rumor mills spin that rani mukherjee & that smoking ball of fire, govinda, were supposedely embroiled in an affair for quite a while(almost 5 years), estranging him from his wife and family. it then appears that his political aspirations got in the way and the two parted ways.

shankar, this book is more british-indian book (since it takes place on 1954) than a desi one. so most of the dialogue is not in hindi - over the span of the entire book, probably only 50-some instances. as for its non-typicalness, that is the est part - vikram seth has a writing style that is like non other - it's the first time i came to enjoy english prose for not just word-selection, but sentence structure. i could go on and on, so i'll stop here. as for the sentence you mentioned - i'm not sure what the difference is between the two emphases, but it's at the wedding of her sister, who had an arranged marriage, so perhaps that helps you.

as for superstar - he was at his best is basha, i think.

SP - do you mean sartaj? yes, i was glad that he chose that particular character from his short stories to expand into a full-time book.

rani - not a big fan. i feel most hindi actresses tend to overact or just not get it right, save two or three. since i'm not into her acting, i pay more attention to her clothes, which, unfortunately, tend to be hit or miss these days.

cool blogs

shankar, this book is more british-indian book (since it takes place on 1954) than a desi one. so most of the dialogue is not in hindi - over the span of the entire book, probably only 50-some instances.
According to you, then, the dialogues in the book are not Hindi dialogues translated into English, but in fact, just Indians speaking in English? Then, if it is supposed to be a vignette of India from 1954, it is one that has been carefully edited to not have any dialogues in Hindi (I mean - how bizarre is that!?), then how good a vigneette is it? ("Maximum City" may not have this problem. Hint, hint :) ).
as for the sentence you mentioned - i'm not sure what the difference is between the two emphases, but it's at the wedding of her sister, who had an arranged marriage, so perhaps that helps you.
In the first, there is a note of insistence on the part of the speaker. In the second, there isn't.

May I suggest a Movie Club? I am thinking movies like Pather Panchali and Manthan. (This could be in addition to the Book Club.) There are some movies that I want to have watched, but somehow can't actually make it through in one sitting. At least, if I know that it is for the Movie Club, I will make sure not to fall asleep watching Satyajit Ray :P

shankar, it is a good vignette, but perhaps not a vignette of what you wish it to be. the language is english - and like most novels written by desi authors writing in english, the bulk of the book is in english - even if the characters in real life would be speaking in hindi or another desi language. in that sense, parts are indians speaking in english, and parts are people speaking in hindi which have been translated for the english reader (with a sparse scattering of transliterated phrases). i think it's actually more bizarre to judge desi literature written in english based on its use of transliterated phrases and label it inauthentic if it lacks them. if you really want to read something involving hindi, why would you choose any book where the hindi is transliterated into english - why not just read a hindi book, in devanagiri script? i don't think you can compare maximum city, since that is not fiction. and the settings are very different - much of a suitable boy takes place in an academic/literray setting, right after the british quit - surely you will agree that the british influence was more pronounced in this era and setting? conversely, maximum city focuses on bombay - so there has to more hindi or marathi. by your logic, though, perhaps even maximum city missed the beat by not being written in hindi? but i wouldn't say that, because india is 'like that only' - so multi-faceted that oftentimes it is hard to completely separate the english from the indian languages.

In the first, there is a note of insistence on the part of the speaker. In the second, there isn't.

then it is the former. if nothing else, mrs. rupa mehra is all about insistence, and indignation.

ak,
I am not arguing with you here. I suspect we are saying the same things but in different terms.

why not just read a hindi book, in devanagiri script?
A fine idea. Is there a Project Gutenberg for Hindi out there? Does anyone know where I can find, say, Premchand's "Shatranj ke Khiladi"?

no. 88

When he had awful floppy hair and I couldn't understand why the other girls cooed over him like he was Tom Cruise.

Hate to admit it but I have a mad crush on him. Can't tell you why. Can't stand his acting - which is hammy and cheesy - except when he is forced to calm down as in Swades. He makes his mediocrity sound like a virtue. He claims that his modesty prevents him from getting involved in big charitable undertakings (i.e. he is a modest guy so he only does small things here and there). He will endorse anything as long as the money is right. He has no artistic integrity and he seems quite proud of it. So, why the hell do all of us have such a thing for him? Damn! There's just something about him. If you watch koffee with Kiran, it appears all the actresses (young and old) have a thing for him too. I bet if Rani had a chance with SRK, there would be no Aditya in the picture.

I read Maximum city over a 4 day period during x-mas. I had to read it for my bookclub- that's why I was able to read it so quickly. Fantastic book. Still can't stop thinking about it. The last part is very haunting (I won't say what it is and be a spoiler).

I started Suitable Boy and really liked it, but figured life was too short for a 1200 page book. I just got the audio book last week from the library and am going to try it out. I've never "read" fiction with audiobooks since I love words and rereading too much, but it seems like that's the only realistic way for me to do Suitable Boy. I really enjoyed his Golden Gate when I read it a while ago.

Speaking of Indian English, I didn't think Namesake really had that for Ashoke, except at one point where he calls Ashima from Cincinatti and says, "Do me one thing.". Did anybody notice that? (I am not a fan of Jhumpa Lahiri. I finally read Namesake a month ago because everybody I knew insisted I should, and while I could relate to some incidents in the book, she pulled off the same feat she did in Interpreter of Maladies of being both overwrought and clinical at the same time. Every description is as detailed as it can be and then some, but it seems like the work of an especially erudite and articulate fly on the wall who couldn't really care about what happened to the characters.)

ak, the novel that really threw me for a loop vis-a-vis sentence structure was White Jazz. I think I was stuck on the first 10 pages for a week, but once I got used to it, boy, did it fit the novel like a glove (or a book jacket?). The cryptic headline like structure becomes more and more intense as the action progresses, and very effectively captures the sense of urgency.

As for sooperstar, I saw Sivaji on opening weekend. It was everything that I'd expected from the combination of Shankar and Rajni. I highly recommend it. I'll write up something more later.

Hmm.. surprisingly, SRK has an avid female following who are not sympathetic to my dismissal of his independently mobile lower lip! Who woulda thunk? :)

female following who are not sympathetic

female following that is not sympathetic. This is what I get for editing in the fly, and mocking SRK.

I am not a fan of Jhumpa Lahiri.

And here I thought I was the only one...

editing ON the fly (please don't think dirty thoughts). Alright, I apologize. SRK is the greatest.

A fine idea. Is there a Project Gutenberg for Hindi out there? Does anyone know where I can find, say, Premchand's "Shatranj ke Khiladi"?

i think it's great that there is so much indian literature in english - it's able to reach a far larger audience than if written in a single indian language. but, yes, i think indian language literature has suffered, if only slightly, because of this. not that it would help me - my hindi/tamil reading is painfully slow...

rahul, i am not a big fan of namesake, either. or jhumpa lahiri. i first read the short story in the new yorker, which is just about gigol (author and name), and then read the namesake for the same reasons as you, and did not like it at all. the short story got it right, but the extension into a full story felt like she was pushing her luck. and this is a terrible thing to say of any author, but irfan khan in the movie conveyed the character much better than she did.

i beseech you to read a suitable boy, rather than hear it. maybe you will hear it and then want to read it - but it's one of those rare books where the words jump at you. plus, sometimes those audiobooks spoil it with their delivery. btw thanks for the suggestion - i was thinking of reading black dahlia, but perhaps i will try this first.

Less SRK, more Irfan Khan. That's really what the world needs. :)

which is just about gogol

I remember reading sometime back about an alleged affair between the 2 (rani and Adi) and that she was the reason for a possible split in the home.

So others found sacred games and loved it too! I am deep in it right now and like it so far. Only problem, I keep remembering all the cuss words at inappropriate times of the day. I think they are permanently stuck in my brain. But Sartaj is a personal favorite.

Love Audiobooks for a long drive.

Rahul: I love it - "his independently mobile lower lip!" As you can see, not a fan (emphatic that)! And then this - "As for Rani, she has a voice that sounds like it's been subject to decades of Marlboros (Wills?) and Bud Lights, run over by a car, and then hung out to dry." You nail em well! Ever thought about writing pro?

Less SRK, more Irfan Khan. That's really what the world needs.

We need more from Arbaaz Khan...................................................'s wife.

As for sooperstar, I saw Sivaji on opening weekend.

Haven't seen it yet, but I heard that it was sort of not the typical thalaivar movie. Also, what's up with Rajni in the blond wig in the trailer?

Alright, maybe I should just man up and read Suitable Boy. Between that and Sacred Games, my backlog is going to pile up faster than the bad guys at a Rajnikanth fight.

munimma, the description of Rani (at least the part about being run over, if I remember) is my approximation of a sentence from a Tom Waits profile I read years ago. So, maybe it was a little Kaavya'esque of me to have used it. As for wanting to write pro, me and 3 million others. But, as HMF always points out, we Indian men suffer from the hard bigotry of high expectations. :)

Well, if the pro writing thing doesn't work out, there's always stand up. You could be the anti-Russell Peters.

ak,
my hindi/tamil reading
Not another trilingual? :)

I think Jhumpa Lahiri's compact style is better suited for the short story. "The interpreter of maladies" was better as a book although "Namesake", the book, I thought, was finely detailed and quite affectionate too.

I am getting more pro-"Suitable Boy" by the minute. Vikram Seth is really the master of the language. (I haven't read "A Suitable Boy", but I read "Golden Gate" about ten years ago). It looks like he might have pulled off the difficult job of doing Hindi dialogue in English.

hema, yes, there was a blond wig involved. Among other things. No more shall be said.

Also, what's up with Rajni in the blond wig in the trailer?
I just had to check it.

A blond wig AND dreadlocks? Wow.

A blond wig AND dreadlocks? Wow.

That's not the half of it.

There was a little something missing in namesake, which I didn't feel in interpreter. So I guess, she might be better off with shorties. Or may be, improve on the biggies.

#128 does sound interesting.

Nothing is going to make me see the oldie in the blondie on the big screen. May be on a dvd, after the hype and the hoopla gets their dues. Thaangamudiyala pa sami!

That's not the half of it.

Ok, now you're scaring me...

Ok, now you're scaring me...

Well, let's just say that they really should have been given a list of hair-don'ts.

Kannaa, ithellam verum jujubee.

Not another trilingual? :)

I am getting more pro-"Suitable Boy" by the minute.

i'm with munimma. chandramukhi was a joke, compared to the original manichitrathazhu. though he's good for one or two one-liners.

ok, from rediff.com -
Even as some Mumbai newspapers claim that actress Rani Mukerji and filmmaker Aditya Chopra are engaged, Rani's father Ram Mukherjee issued a press release on Wednesday, denying the speculation.

'This is a rumour; the news is not true at all. Rani is busy with her work and she will not do anything secretly,' he said.

Just good friends?

It was said before, but really needs more discussion. No opinions on that man fuzz? Or that blotch of mulligatawny soup on his upper lip, as Jeeves would put it?

A Suitable Boy was entertaining but not a must-read, if you ask me. Brown cards may now be restored and subcontinental doorstopper fiction assigned to its doorstopping functions.

BLASPHEMY!

I...am...shaking.

And shuddering.

And muttering.

It is the greatest book, ever. My favorite book of all time. And yes, if you haven't already, you should "woman" up and read it; it's obviously possible to get through it once, since I have read it THREE TIMES.

ASB was the original reason FOR an SM book club, it would have been the inaugural book. It still might be, since I am so OFFENDED by the callous, heartless disrespect shown it here. ;)

There is no book but ASB, and Vikram Seth is its genius author. I expect a fatwa in...ten minutes.

If the girl Big B got creepy with in KKKG really did break up this guy’s marriage,

Speaking of doorstoppers :), there's another one coming out on July 21.

A question to MAX CITY fans..anyone by chance ever run into Mona Lisa? No spoilers for those who haven't read...

you mean in BLACK?

Haven't seen it. :) I just remember this weird dance sequence in KKKG where Big B was leering at Rani, and I thought she was meant to be his kid's love interest. Or something. I don't know!

Anna, in admitting this I may fall in your estimation quite considerably - but I haven't read it either! Although I did buy two of the hardcover editions. One at full price - and gifted it (inscribed 'To a Suitable Girl' - btw, that's one of the reasons your blog domain is so evocative for me.) The other copy stayed with me for nearly a decade till I gifted it to a Library. I don't think the first one was read either - but guess what - since you've read it thrice plus, that was once for each of us :) And I now really do think of you as The Suitable Girl.

It is the greatest book, ever. My favorite book of all time.

I started reading "A Suitable Boy" several years ago but put it down immediately because I thought it was full of cliches. But maybe I should give it another chance.

ak,
excellent - another convert! yes, he really has a very interesting understanding of english. the iambic pentameter of golden gate was impressive.
Count me as a moderate supporter. I had only a vague recollection of "A Suitable Boy". My memory of the book was this : the dialogue in the book did not come out quite as well as dialogue does in real life or in movies. The key problem is the issue of language translation.

Then, I read the first few pages on Amazon. One thing that Vikram Seth gets absolutely right is recreating the atmosphere of India of the 50's. It then occurred to me that Vikram Seth was adopting a certain type of English for the dialogue portion of the book. (People who already know about these issue of translation might say I'm repeating myself after what I have said before. I hope I am clarifying matters).

The problem arises because Vikram Seth has made this choice : to render Hindi dialogue in English. In representing dialogue, he must necessarily render it with reference to the original cultural context in which it arose. I am not just hypothesizing about this issue of language translation vis-a-vis Vikram Seth. Vikram Seth is, no doubt, aware of these issues, and I am almost certain that he has consciously worked on solving these issues in "A Suitable Boy". In "Three Chinese Poets", for instance, he translated works by three different Chinese poets. What were the author's aims? Check out what the jacket on the book says :

The poems work well together; rich with interaction between the beauties of the physical world and the suffering of the human condition in times of upheaval, they give a tangible sense of China in the final years of the Tang dynasty. Each poet's treatment of these dichotomies springs from his spiritual source: Wang Wei is Buddhist, Li Bai Taoist, and Du Fu Confucian. Seth has blended accessibility with near-faithful recreation of the rhythm and tone of the originals. These poems spring easily from page and tongue, as in this couplet from Du Fu's "Spring Scene in Time of War": "I scratch my white hair, which has grown so thin/ It soon won't let me stick my hatpin in."

That's what they hoped to do. But see what this reviewer on Amazon says :

I picked this book primarily because after reading both verse and prose from the author, I know the translation would make a great reading. It did. I liked the poetry, the ideas, and whatever Chinese poets must have thought about was communicated as well as possible in well-compiled text. I cannot read or understand Chinese, but my Chinese friends found the translations to be inadequate and half-hearted representations of what they described as timeless, classic poetry. Knowing the difficulty in faithfully representing a different culture for an author, and the complexity of translation of any verse, cultures, times and metaphors, I think Vikram Seth as always did a commendable job.

There are losses that arise when there is translation, and this is most certainly an area where "A Suitable Boy" ()based on what you have said and what I have gathered after reading 4 pages :)) seems to have succeeded - in rendering Hindi dialogue into English without perceptible loss.

Anna,
BLASPHEMY! I...am...shaking. And shuddering. And muttering.
Heh. Serve it up, Suitable Girl!

I just remember this weird dance sequence in KKKG where Big B was leering at Rani, and I thought she was meant to be his kid's love interest. Or something. I don't know!

ah, the overly-charismatic call-and-answer segment in "Shava Shava" where AB1.0 leers at her "roop hai tera sona sona, sona teri paayal..." He does pay her a little extra attention and seem overly excited about her joining the family, doesn't he? ;)

It is the greatest book, ever. My favorite book of all time. And yes, if you haven't already, you should "woman" up and read it; it's obviously possible to get through it once, since I have read it THREE TIMES.

ANNA, i love you! i must have read it at least 10 times. i met vikram seth last year at a book signing - he was, literally, enchanting.

shankar, i agree. i actually found some of his transliterated hindi a bit off. but in his english (not hindi to english) he gets the tone right always, and this is difficult, considering there are so many characters with such varying educational backgrounds (for instance, it becomes an issue when lata is set up with a prospective). in his hindi to english, also, you can usually get the cadence of what he is saying - perhaps insignificant to the non-hindi speaker, but his words are chosen so that you know almost exactly how it would have been said in hindi (this became clear to me when i re-read the book after learning hindi). i think this is one of those few books set in india that does not necessarily require one to be desi to have full appreciation.

forget K3G. You have to see how silly it was when you watch "Kajra Re" from "Bunty Aur Babli". ABsr and ABjr both trying to kick it to Aish Rai.

Hilarious how Suketu Mehta gently pricks the Bachchan bubble. That and the section where he completely eviscerates Bal Thackeray were the high points of the book for me.

#52 I loved the sections in Maximum City which talk about Vidhu Vinod Chopra trying to sign BigB for Mission Kashmir. Hilarious how Suketu Mehta gently pricks the Bachchan bubble...

Read the book --so does dude have a weave or not?

In the book Vinod & Suketu debate whether Amitabh Bachchan has wig or whether he does weaving. Actually Amitabh has a custom toupee from London wigsmith. Old news in India.

Yes, Shodan, I have to agree with the dance bar girl sequence. Boooooring.

dilettante, I am not talking about any good details because #54 asked for no spoilers.

Rahul,
I give two opposable thumbs to Sacred Games as well. It's got everything. Fine eye for detail. Thrills of a pulp book. And he gets Bombay.

Writers screwing up on details is one of my pet peeves. Fortunately no one does Mr. Mukherjee, the wily gujarathi merchant* anymore. But there are still small things that can spoil it for the reader. No fears of that w/ Sacred Games. Yenjoy.

*Ancient Ken Follet paperback.

dilettante, I am not talking about any good details because #54 asked for no spoilers.

thanks for being so considerate, but i wouldn't want to ruin your fun...

Shodan, I definitely want to read Sacred Games. Love and Longing has the best descriptions of Bombay I've ever read. And I love Bombay. I want to buy Bombay hot masala peanuts on Malabar Drive on a rainy day. I will go to Haji Ali to pamper Bombay with fruit juice on a sultry summer day. There's nothing more I want than to go on a 60 mile walk with Bombay (TMI?). And Vikram Chandra captures that.

thanks for being so considerate, but i wouldn't want to ruin your fun...

Someday - and that day may never come - I'll call upon you to do a service for me. But until that day, accept this justice as gift...

Malabar Drive? I meant Marine Drive. Oh, and Bombay never ever looks fat in that dress.

Wow, I have a fatwa against me! Does that mean I get a well-paid position at AEI or a knighthood tomorrow? ;)

Admittedly I read the book when I was...nineteen, probably, but I thought that after a point it dragged and the situations were just a leetle bit too familiar.

(chachaji #145) And I now really do think of you as The Suitable Girl.

Is this the point where the Greek chorus goes, "Sheesh, get a room already, you two!"?

Wow, I have a fatwa against me

Nooooo, I meant a fatwa against me...since I clumsily appropriated a very holy Muslim sentence...nm. :)

... this suddenly bookish thread

Not to toot my own horn, and it's no yogurt, but the first mention of a book on this thread was #52.

I think a book club is a great idea as long as we don't read 'One Night At The Call Centre' - ick, ick, ick (said the book snob).

Ever since I learned to read, there's been nothing better than to find a book with a clever title. Inevitably, the day arrives when you get your hands on a volume such as "One Night @ the Call Center". First off, I would like to point readers to the "@" in the title. Did you notice that? Very clever, Mr. Bhagat. Want2KnowMo? Head over to Chetan Bhagat's own web site. Now, dear reader, did you notice how well "Know" rhymes with "Mo"? Yes? Good. Mr. Bhagat's site helpfully points you to a place where you can buy the book. Follow the link "Where2Buy?" (if you dare), and await instructions from me below. You did notice the clever use of the number "2" right there, didn't you, dear reader? I think you have already gotten used to that level of excellence.

In fact, the two-year old I hang out finds the idea of "B" being the same as a "bee" quite fascinating. In a few months, I am sure she will also appreciate that an "@" can be the same as an "at". I am glad to finally have found a book that meets her intellectual needs. And if you have read this far, I will have you know two things : one, I have read the book, and two, you don't need to. Yes, dear reader, I read the book so others don't have to. You are welcome.

Also, since there's been too many good things said about Suitable Boy, I feel that I need to offer an (uninformed) counter opinion:

If, by club, you mean a heavy implement that can inflict damage on contact with a human, then yes, A Suitable Boy is an excellent candidate for a book club.

Cue drum-roll.

For you Rahul, Infinite Jest would make a perfect club.

Okay, start yer voting:

Which should we read first?

Maximum City (560 pgs = 2 weeks)

A Suitable Boy (1488 pgs = 4-5 weeks)

I'm envisioning weekly posts where we, the Brown Book Club, have a free-for-all of a discussion regarding the section we just read. Then you will submit your book reports, which count for ten percent of your grade, via email...I keed. :)

If you're slightly speedy about deciding this, we can have our first B.B.C. (not to be confused with that other, less cool acronym) post on Monday (I like Mondays-- gives us the weekend to read). Besides, then we will have the entire work-week to snipe at each other/be entertained by Rahul (no pressure!).

Re: Suitable Boy. Not wild about it. Don’t hate it either. Not bad if you’re going for that chiselled biceps look.
Lurrve Golden Gate though.

Um, one vote for Max City here.

i vote for max city, but in the process of moving so might not be able to find it for a while...

Agree to tha max.

Not to open a new can of worms, but the term home-wrecker (even though I know it was used humorously) makes me cringe a bit - if whassname Chopra chose to end his marriage, or Brad Pitt did, that's their business, they were the ones with commitments to keep or break, not the women who entered their lives.

SP, I gotta disagree. Regardless of whatever problems might exist in a relationship or marriage, I think it's pretty crappy of both the committed/married person AND the third party to do anything while said relationship/marriage is still intact.

I think in a case like Brangelina or the Rani-Adi situ, the third person should absent themselves from, or limit, whatever situation(s) that put those two together, and let the couple sort themselves out first.

It's like Natalie Portman says to Jude Law in 'Closer', there's always a moment where you make a choice to proceed (with the affair).

In other words, if indeed Rani and AC were involved before the divorce, they both have some responsibility for that, not just her. Same with Brad and Angie.

Who'd want to get involved with someone who cheats? Surely, history will repeat itself...

Book club-Yes! I've been meaning to suggest/ask Abhi @'Ask a Desi'- the discussions here are great- and I've wanted to know who was reading/recommending what from Prema to Ted Kennedy

In other words, if indeed Rani and AC were involved before the divorce, they both have some responsibility for that, not just her. Same with Brad and Angie.

i have to disagree here. he is responsible for being unfaithful to his wife - rani does not have the same sort of obligation to his wife as he himself does. of course, from a karmic point of view, it's not so hot for her to be involved with a married man - it might bite her in the back in this life (or the next). and, i always wonder why women marry/commit to the men who were cheating on their previous wife to begin with - i hope they don't feel they are shielded from similar behaviour. the point is, the only person who can be blamed is the cheating spouse - nobody can trick somebody into having an affair - it's their choice to do it. i just really hate that the 'other person' is always blamed, when it's the person in the marriage who should have thought about this.

no. 151

The section where he goes all Devdas maudlin on the dance club girl was the low point for me.

He abviously fell in love with her. Our bookclub was debating whether it went further (or all the way).

I agree with SP and ak on the "homewrecker" front. Also, the rumor mill says Angelina told Brad she could not get involved with a married men, thus leading to rapid Dec. breakup and rapid Jolie/Pitt hookup. So there. :)

I am shocked by all the Jhumpa Lahiri hateration. While I don't think Namesake is necessarily the bee's knees, her use of language in Interpreter is really lovely in most of the stories. I think her style lends itself to the short story more generally.

ANNA, I understand. My best friend says Suitable Boy is her favorite book and that Vikram Seth is one of her fave authors, also. That said, everytime I see it in the bookstore, a part of me dies thinking of plowing through all those pages. One day I'll do it, but I think I'll need to clear the books I'm already reading, first. :)

Ok, so to be a total hater, I don't think we should start with Suitable Boy or Max City. Why? Because so many people have already read them. I know that is a weird way to vote, but I really think we should try something a little more out there. Also, does the SM book club require reading only pieces written by or about desis?

I don't think "affair" applies here. Affair means people are conducting secret liason without knowledge of their respective partners like silsila and suddenly they got found out. In this case, AC just found Rani much more compatible to him than Payal. In a lot of ways it reminds me of telugu superstar Nagarjuna & Amala. At the time, Nagarjuna was already married. Then this Ram Gopal Varma cast Nagarjuna & Amala for his debut Shiva. Then they got the hots for each other, but Nagarjuna was already married, and Amala was having an sizzling career in Tamil films working with the likes of Mani Ratnam in Agni Nakshatiram. Still, the couple somehow engineered the situation to their advantage and today they have the perfect marriage. I dunno what happened to Nagarjuna's ex-wife, some collateral damage will happen in these sort of situations. If two people rush into a marriage, and later on one of them finds true love with 3rd person, I think he/she should take a chance. Otherwise there is no point to life.

I am shocked by all the Jhumpa Lahiri hateration.

I don't really hate Lahiri. I just don't love her as much as everyone else seems to. I thought Interpreter was a really well-written collection, but not necessarily original...and I just don't get all the hype over Lahiri generally.

Rahul # 165: low blow there.
Seriously, give Vikram Seth a chance (with the exception of An Equal Music, I am amazed by his ability to play with language, his sympathetic treatment of character, and the ability to render everyday minutiae into minor epiphanies). As for The Namesake, I thought Meera Nair and the beautifully restrained acting by Tabu and Irrfan Khan really rescued the book. Even the aptness of the title was conveyed more effectively in the movie, rather than the book. Which is rather surprising, because an author is given much more time (and concentrated attention) to establish her premises and motifs.
Shankar, the movie club sounds like a great idea. I've really wanted to see Manthan and other new wave cinema (which I missed given my non-existence at the time), and Netflix does a reasonably good job of having an inventory of such titles.
I've also really liked Irrfan Khan in Maqbool. In commercial Hindi cinema, Vishal Bharadwaj's recent work has been quite compelling and refreshing. Omkara was pretty damn good (lovely cinematography as well). People keep talking about neglected dialects in India, and I thought it was quite brave of Bharadwaj to preserve the authenticity of the language spoken in that part of UP (I have limited linguistic competence to evaluate this, of course) as the yuppie, multiplex crowd would be a significant chunk of the intended audience.
I hope that filmmakers of this sort thrive in Bollywood, even as the corporate candy-floss mills like Yashraj etc flourish.

If two people rush into a marriage, and later on one of them finds true love with 3rd person, I think he/she should take a chance. Otherwise there is no point to life.

i sort of agree - even if they don't rush in, it's quite common to find somebody who is actually right for you, and isn't your spouse. and this is quite a fitting statement, tambram, since i remember reading this exact scenario on the back of the dvd for kabhi alvida na kehna - this, and the excessive use of the word 'soulmate,' lead to my boycotting it. but i think the difference is honesty - you can't just start having a physical or emotional relationship while you're still with your other partner. i think it would be preferable to end the first relationship before endavouring into the new one.

Ok, so to be a total hater, I don't think we should start with Suitable Boy or Max City. Why? Because so many people have already read them. I know that is a weird way to vote, but I really think we should try something a little more out there.

Such as...? :)

Also, does the SM book club require reading only pieces written by or about desis?

One thing at a time, child! That is like dividing a cake that hasn't been baked yet. ;) Let's get the damned thing in the oven, shall we? :D

I thought Interpreter was a really well-written collection, but not necessarily original...and I just don't get all the hype over Lahiri generally.

# 179 portmanteau

Since you mentioned Manthan, I would reccommend almost anything by Shyam Benegal- Mandi , recent Zubeida .Also Ketan Mehta. Regional Indian cinema has some excellent stuff - Jahnu Bahruah(sp?) comes to mind .Some vibrant stuff happens in Marathi cinema too - anyone seen Jait re jait ?

how about in the city by the sea? kamila shamsie's first, and from what i've heard, the most straightforward. white teeth is a bit old, but it covers desi and non-desi elements. any takers for shantaram (for which, btw, AB and johnny depp have been cast in the movie version)?

One thing at a time, child! That is like dividing a cake that hasn't been baked yet. ;) Let's get the damned thing in the oven, shall we? :D

independently mobile lower lip

i think women might actually appreciate unusual (facial)labial flexibility :) a physical marker that distinguishes a cunning linguist among the hordes? might it be a little Darwinian something-extra? maybe that explains the inexplicable popularity of the SRK.

how about in the city by the sea? kamila shamsie's first, and from what i've heard, the most straightforward.

Love, love, LOVE Shamsie. Haven't read that one, either. Let's do it. :)

But which tome do we choose first?

But which tome do we choose first?

Okay, an anthology comment to make up for lost time:

be entertained by Rahul (no pressure!).

What am I, your performing macaca? PETA, I demand to be locked up for a week in protest against this abuse!

I am shocked by all the Jhumpa Lahiri hateration

Not hateration, just not adoration. Despite her lovely language, I just don't feel that her prose comes together in the same way that, for example, Margaret Atwood's does (Blind Assassin anyone?). Although I'll admit that Jhumpa does look good in soft focus and a sundress on the cover of a book.

i think women might actually appreciate unusual (facial)labial flexibility

Sure, but unless you are Cyrano, Steve Tyler, or an erstwhile Melanie Griffith, I assume you'd use a different part of your face to tie a cherry into a knot. Or peel a banana. Or display other signs of prowess with fruits.

#181: Let's get the damned thing in the oven, shall we?

What, you two got a room already?

To #73 SP:

Story may have been circulated by the Bachchans.
In another version, it was Anil Ambani who told the Big B that he'd already had Karisma for 1 Cr.
Babs & her current mother-in-law were childhood buddies and that was her reason for
pushing her daughter towards an alcoholic abusive womanizer. In that aspect the husband
closely resembles the Kapoor clan.

Rahul,
I liked Oryx and Crake better but my favorite Atwood is The Handmaid's tale

The Handmaid's tale

Freaks me out, to this day. :) What a use for butter!

Not hateration, just not adoration. Despite her lovely language, I just don't feel that her prose comes together in the same way that, for example, Margaret Atwood's does (Blind Assassin anyone?).

Runa, I'm with you on Atwood's Handmaid, but I also really like her short stories.

As for the discussion on infidelity, despite Aditya Chopra's clear lack of judgment, as evident in that dead caterpillar glued to his upper lip, he is an adult capable of making his own decisions. While there is something a bit icky in Rani's complicity in any deception that might have happened, the blame lies firmly at his doorstep. He decided to do the cheating. Although, given Rani's increasingly generous dimensions (Rani in a mini was only one of the assaults on the senses in Tara Rum Pum Pum), maybe you do want to call her a (home)wrecking ball. Please hold the drum rolls.

I have a lot to say about how queasy the entire Mona Lisa thing in Maximum City made me, but I pledged that I will not be the one to break the peace.

What a use for butter!

It's no Last Tango in Paris.

Okay, start yer voting: Which should we read first?

I'm counting votes at midnight tonight, y'all. My time. So, my left-coast lovelies, get your vote on before 9pm, because whichever title has the most votes wins. Right now, Maximum City might just be our selection, meaning that we would read that first. Don't you worry, ASB will be read, if not now, then... ;)

Voting: issallgood. Although if you end up picking Maximum City, I'll be the good Indian kid who's ahead on his homework. And I will be jumping from my seat in the first row with my hand in the air.

Runa, Oryx and Crake is on my to-read list. Handmaid's Tale was great, but didn't grab me nearly as much as The Blind Assassin. Apparently, Atwood's poetry is fantastic too. That's also on my list.

anna, i just did a quick search for the city by the sea, and it seems it's unavailable here (better hold onto my dinky little penguin copy), so maybe a different shamsie book is in order. speaking of unavailable books - has anybody ever read one day by ardashir vakil? i started it twice and always ended up at the same point before it left my hands (first time : stolen on air india; second time : forgotten in a taxi in istanbul). it was a really good read - a very different tone from his first, and better. and nice layout of london.

Although if you end up picking Maximum City, I'll be the good Indian kid who's ahead on his homework. And I will be jumping from my seat in the first row with my hand in the air.

That visual is so cute,

a) I might turn in to an evil dictator and just pick MC, in order to experience it

b) I might be able to get over my heartbreak at NOT commencing collective book nerdery with my belowed ASB.

One dimpled chad vote for Suitable Boy. Sorry, folks, can't do better than a dimpled chad, but I will give it a serious shot.

Runa @ 183, I've been all about Shyam Benegal after "Bharat Ek Khoj" and "Manthan". Next on the list - "Suraj Ka Satvaan Ghoda". Portmanteau @ 179, Omkara and Maqbool are also on the list. Thanks for the recommendations.

Alright, I cannot believe that nobody has mentioned probably the best Hindi film to have been made since Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron. A movie club without Hazaaron Khwaaishen Aisi should commit ritual seppukku (would that lead to a scene from Videodrome. Still with me, people?).

Maximum City, let me know when we start reading incase a miss a class. Also I need to make a friend whom I can copy notes from ;)

Add Maachis and Angoor to that list

Chameli ki shaadi. Don’t know why people hate that one. Fairly realistic (for a mainstream film) depiction of small town India.

Yes Rahul, Hazaaron Khwaaishen Aisi hands down the best Hindi-language film I have ever seen. Omkaara gets silver medal. The Bronze list is too long as of now.

alright, have to run to class, but feel so great about the great combination of favorites revealed here in the past two days:
jaane bhi do yaaron, Hazaaron Khwaaishen Aisi, margaret atwood, nizar qabbani etc
it is sometimes hard to find that set of cultural references (not that it is always necessary) embodied in the people i meet these days .
by the time i'm ready to settle down with a nice indian boy, (after many years of single living in the US and all manner of 60 mile runs) i hope SM spawns a dating website (heaven forbid). or may be i will just have to pull a rani for rahul :)
ps: rahul don't get scared, i'm only kidding.

after many years of single living in the US and all manner of 60 mile runs

Runs? RUNS? Hai Raam! Indian girls today are so fast. Whatever happened to leisurely 60 mile walks?

may be i will just have to pull a rani for rahul

You do that, and I promise you that I will decorate the area above my mouth with a hedge row from Hades.

Rahul @ 201 :
Heh. Well done. Keep 'em coming.

Add to the list - Anand Patwardhan's movies ("Father, Son, and Holy War", "Narmada Diary" and "War and Peace") and "Shatranj ke Khiladi"

Are we doing only contemporary Hindi cinema ? Else I want everything by Guru Dutt on that list

runa - pyaasa has been on my netflix queue forever - i just don't have the heart to see it.

has anybody seen english, august? i know it was made several years ago, but i've had no luck in getting a DVD or video.

pyaasa -yes heartbreaking but for some reason "sahib Bibi aur Ghulam" is my favorite

Chaudvin ka Chand is the GREATEST SONG EVER. I haven't seen any Guru Dutt movies though. I also really want to see C.I.D as I am crazy about noir and would like to see an Indian one.

Are we doing only contemporary Hindi cinema ? Else I want everything by Guru Dutt on that list
Any Hindi movie is okay. What we don't want is any of these (check out clip #2).

Zeroth rule of Film Club - Govinda No. 1 not allowed. The first rule of Film Club is : oh well, for the first, second and other rules of Film Club, check out this nifty video.

One desi author who I have always admired is Amit Chaterjee. He writes in a low-key accessible style . I loved both Freedom Song and A New World.

Are we doing only contemporary Hindi cinema ?

Yeah. No contemporary Tamil cinema? ;)

With all this talk of A Suitable Boy, just now, on today's Writers' Almanac, Garrison Keillor just did a short bio of Vikram Seth, whose birthday it is today.

In re: Chaudvin ka Chand: For some reason, I find Waheeda Rahman to be the embodiment of graciousness and understated beauty. I'd be happy if I had a fraction of the aura she has at her age.

You do that, and I promise you that I will decorate the area above my mouth with a hedge row from Hades.

Nahi, Rahul. I'm no fan of the moochhi. Only don't lie to me like Michael lied to Kay. And I won't tolerate a Lucy Mancini. If the above conditions are met, I'll gladly slow down. Like the ever wise Cyndi, I walk far ahead, but I'll be waiting time after time :)

Please tell me I won't be banned for over-the-top, cheesy flirting and quoting Cyndi Lauper.
A girl just wants to have fun.

And I won't tolerate a Lucy Mancini.

Now who's being naive, portmanteau?

Please tell me I won't be banned for over-the-top, cheesy flirting

Next thing you'll be sayin you're trying to find your phone and keys, not my sleeves.

rahul, don't say you wern't warned; "samjho na phulwa phuljhari."

Next thing you'll be sayin you're trying to find your phone and keys, not my sleeves.

yeh jumma chumma na de ;)

dang rahul, consider posting your email address. i can't help but reply - it's too easy. but my public demure-desi-girl facade has been entirely hollowed; can't have our chunri ke daag aired in public, can we?

What, am I Yashpal Sharma to your Yana Dutta? Be warned, though, I prefer my wine from a glass, not off a calf. If it was this song though, it could be a different matter...

All right.

Maximum City - Mehta
will inaugurate SM's Brown Book Club.

But then, we might do...

A Suitable Boy - Seth
Kartography/Salt and Saffron - Shamsie
House of Blue Mangoes - Davidar
Planet India - Kamdar
Untouchables - Jadhav
A River Sutra - Mehta
?
?
?

What do all of you think, how long will it take you to get through the first half (280 pgs) of Maximum City? When should we have our first virtual reading fest for nerds? :)

I'm excited...finally we'll have read the books everyone else has been mentioning on various threads for the past three years.

A N N A, can we can we can we please discuss the last chapter tomorrow? Pleeeeese?

A N N A, can we can we can we please discuss the last chapter tomorrow? Pleeeeese?

You know, if you have to use one hand to support the elbow of the other hand which you have raised and are now waving frantically, you gots to chill. Also, that "Ooooh, oooh, oooh!" noise makes you sound like a monkey. ;)

Show off. Go to the head of the class, middakan. :D

Mommy, teacher was mean in class to me today. Mean, mean, mean.

Anna, (or is it Please Ma'am:)) - can we do 'Planet India' at #2?

Rahul, you're incorrigible :)

What do all of you think, how long will it take you to get through the first half (280 pgs) of Maximum City? When should we have our first virtual reading fest for nerds? :)

#2 should be "A River Sutra". Beautiful book which talks about a lot of touchy subjects but does a really good job of not being judgmental.

#2 should be "A River Sutra". Beautiful book which talks about a lot of touchy subjects but does a really good job of not being judgmental.

Hmmm. Well, it might be nice to alternate non-fiction with fiction...

1) Maximum City (nf)
2) River Sutra (f)
3) Planet India (nf)
4) Something Shamsie (f)
5) Untouchables (nf)

etc.

You can fly through "Maximum City," since it's a page-turner. It's also out in paper.

might be nice to alternate non-fiction with fiction...

Hmm...for 'Planet India', we may want to withhold judgement about its 'non-fiction' classification. Just kidding.

What I love about this concept is how so many of you have already finished these books, so the number of people who might potentially involve themselves in the discussion > than those who are reading it with me. :) It's like the easiest book club ever.

Preston, awesome news! Thanks for the update.

Chachaji, ;)

Can I get a small clarification, ANNA? How long do we have to read the first book? I'm one of those people who's been living under a rock and has not read Max City yet. Can we set up some kind of hard deadline so that slackers like me will get started?

Vat no Wodehouse? I dare you to find a more desi writer. ABDs looking cross-eyed at this -- I’m serious as heart attack. Learn the strange customs of your city slicker IBD brethren. Love of Edwardian comedy and classic rock.

Can I get a small clarification, ANNA?

Abso-smurfly!

How long do we have to read the first book? I'm one of those people who's been living under a rock and has not read Max City yet. Can we set up some kind of hard deadline so that slackers like me will get started?

Well, I kind of need your help with that. :) How many pages are y'all willing to tackle per week? If I'm going to put up posts every Monday which initiate discussion on the section we just completed, would we be able to do that this Monday (the 25th) or next (the 2nd)? I think we could start *now*, that 280ish pages are possible in the next four days, especially if, as Preston said, it's a page-turner.

And I guess I've been living under a rock, too. ;)

I vote for the 2nd! (please oh please oh please)

I'm with Camille. The 2nd works for me.

2nd please!

What, you people haven't read the book already?

I did.

Rahul, hush, or we may have to get all gunda on your ass :)

Okay, Camille, since you're being that way, Me and Bombay are going to have a cocktail at her place.

Rahul, not everyone is so accomplished in their reading and eagerness as you ;)

Is cocktail what the kids are calling it these days?

Rahul, not everyone is so accomplished in their reading and eagerness as you ;)

I know *preening*. Aren't I such a good kid?

Is cocktail what the kids are calling it these days?

I can't keep track anymore. Last I heard it was tango. But then Al Pacino barged in and swept her away, barking something like who-ah while at it.

Me and Bombay are going to have a cocktail at her place.

let me know whether she is of the g&t or vodka gimlet variety, so that i may assess our potential compatibility. i assume the former, but i have a suspicion that there is more to her than meets the eye.

let me know whether she is of the g&t or vodka gimlet variety, so that i may assess our potential compatibility

I told you, ak, no Air Force Colony shenanigans (I believe that's what the kids are calling it these days). She disowns that Sapphire thing though, I know.

ok so maximum city, we have to finish first 280 pages by monday the 25th?

Jeet - by July 2. :)

ak, I was thinking the same thing. I hope she's not a vodka gimlet girl.

What's with all this hating on vodka gimlets? Judgmental much? Don't be dissing on my Bombay.

I thought these days the kids were calling it Facebook...

As in, sit on my facebook and tell me that you love me?

How about Maximum City in two weeks?

With a book title like that we should be able to read it in a few days...any book without a mango in the cover should be fine :)

Please, no mangoes...

What's with all this hating on vodka gimlets?

Don't you think "gimlet" looks like "giblet" a little?

But, it tastes a lot sweeter, let me tell you, you teetotaller you!

Also, for the gin fanatics here, I recommend the Rosemary Gimlet. It has Hendrick’s gin, lime juice, simple syrup and muddled fresh rosemary topped with ginger beer. Magnifico! You can't have just one!

But, it tastes a lot sweeter, let me tell you, you teetotaller you!

I like vodka essentially because it doesn't have the strong flavor of alcohol. And a gimlet on the rocks has the combination of bitterness on top, and the sweet rush at the end, which is just wonderful. I don't think I've had cosmos, maybe once a long time ago.

I was on a White Russian phase, though, for quite a while after the Big Lebowski (not with creamer!).

would we be able to do that this Monday (the 25th) or next (the 2nd)?
2nd please.

Rahul,
Aren't I such a good kid?
Indha maanavanukku noorukku nooru. Cent per cent. Sau mein sau.

I say! Those are some great references. And I see you have quite a talent for humor too, sir. Could one enquire whether you have seen "Mission Kashmir"? If so, could you perhaps let us know as to its viewability? It's the Film Club spirit, sir.

What's with all this hating on vodka gimlets? Judgmental much? Don't be dissing on my Bombay.

no hating on vodka gimlets - just not my thing, you know? it's one of many potential flags in my three-flag system. though i'm pretty sure bombay would never raise any of the other flags, so she and i are good to go. and in any case, what is life if not accompanied by a generous does of air force shenanigans?

it's one of many potential flags in my three-flag system.

Life is apparently much more complicated than I had been led to believe. My momma so stupid she never told me life was a box of minefields.

Life is apparently much more complicated than I had been led to believe.

tell me about it. the flag system was a turning point in my struggle for romantic victory - purely out of necessity. how i miss those days when kanjoos, chauvinistic, insulting, cosmopolitan-drinking, poorly-sexing men wouldn't have raised any flag at all for us ladies....

how i miss those days when kanjoos, chauvinistic, insulting, cosmopolitan-drinking, poorly-sexing men wouldn't have raised any flag at all for us ladies....

I have been called many things, but never cosmopolitan-drinking. How dare you!

I have been called many things, but never cosmopolitan-drinking. How dare you!

how you undersell yourself - perhaps you would have obviated my need for a flag system. then again, maybe not - i mean, vodka gimlets? and viagrous protest? the third flag is bound to be lurking somewhere close behind...

Does that count for insulting?

Although, why does everything in life, be it harsh sentencing or a romantic life, have to be run according to the out system for baseball? I mean, why not four downs?

Does that count for insulting?

yes. yet, i am laughing. hmmm....

Although, why does everything in life, be it harsh sentencing or a romantic life, have to be run according to the out system for baseball? I mean, why not four downs?

because three is the perfect number - nice and curvy. but seriously - am i supposed to wait for a guy to show a minimum of four unworthy traits? i barely want to wait to see two, but out of guilt that i am quick-judging, i leave it at three. and i don't look to baseball for anything, except boredom.

I mean, why not four downs?

Because sometimes you do get a fifth down...

three is the perfect number - nice and curvy

As an Indian kid who likes maths, I was going to say that, no, 6 is a perfect number, but figured that maybe I should get away from my computer and see what it would take for three to tango.

i barely want to wait to see two, but out of guilt that i am quick-judging

What if he makes you pay for his cosmo? Is that a double play?

Because sometimes you do get a fifth down...

Well, hema, don't get me started on the arbitrariness that is the college bowl championship system.

Seems like someone has a thing for the taken man

hmmm...taken man sounds like the 'object' of desire is passive

Several more husband stealers listed here:

http://news.sawf.org/Bollywood/38966.aspx

and this doesn't even include the affairs and second marriages in political families in the subcontinent not to mention the South-ruling celebrities that Bollywood has no time for

Well, hema, don't get me started on the arbitrariness that is the college bowl championship system.

Don't tell me you want one of those newfangled playoff thingies...

What if he makes you pay for his cosmo? Is that a double play?

i don't mind paying, but if he makes me, possibly a double play (and not for any gender discrimination, but because i never make people pay for the things that i consume). to be honest, sometimes i do just leave it at two (obvious) flags when sometimes their overall aura contrbutes as the third. who is this brilliant man you have in mind? i feel as if we've already met...

but figured that maybe I should get away from my computer and see what it would take for three to tango.

I like vodka essentially because it doesn't have the strong flavor of alcohol.

I'm with hema. I feel like if someone has messed up three times within the intro period, do you really want them to get a 4th chance to move back to 1st down?

Don't tell me you want one of those newfangled playoff thingies...

I am far more radical than that. Let me just say that Moneyball's Billy Beane has nothing on what I'd like to see in football.

who is this brilliant man you have in mind? i feel as if we've already met...

Unfortunately, I don't know any cosmo drinkers. I guess I don't get admitted to that kind of crowd. But I will keep an eye out for you. Watch this space.

care to share your findings?

Without going into too many details, there's a reason I wasn't up early today. Me and three, we are going to make it legal with a menage.

The flavor of alcohol, or a distinct flavor unto itself?

You're right, a distinctive flavor. It makes it go down much easier.

I feel like if someone has messed up three times within the intro period, do you really want them to get a 4th chance to move back to 1st down?

I wasn't arguing with the choice of the number three, as to how much everything seems to be governed by "three strikes and you're out". I was just saying, why not, "four downs and you've lost the ball". If there's some penalty scheme for 2 errors, that would be fine too. "2 terms and you get a presidential library"?

Several more husband stealers listed here:

Okay, what's with that article conflating dating divorcees with having a relationship with an already married person?

I am far more radical than that. Let me just say that Moneyball's Billy Beane has nothing on what I'd like to see in football.

Don't want to jack(fruit) the thread, but dude, I'd definitely like to hear what you have in mind.

Well, right now, they are more nebulous thoughts than a concrete proposal. Certainly not enough to convince a football/baseball loving, Tamil speaking, triple-tattooed, Palakkad origin expectant mom :) But, to hear them such as they are, meet me over at rahulsmutiny at yahoo.com. I guarantee that you will be disappointed with the brevity of my ideas though.

Heh. I might have to take you up on that, but just to clarify, it's the husband who's from Palakkad. :)

I PERSONALLY THINK THAT RANI- MY QUEEN, SHOULD NOT ENGAGED SOMEBODY'S EX HUSBAND,BUT IF SHE IS IN LOVE WITH HIM I THINK THAT IT IS DESTINY THAT BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER. I AM SOOOOOOOO HAPPY FOR HER SHE HAS WAITED A VERY LONG TIME.

Aw, Rani saw how much marriage boosted Aishwarya's social capital and wants in on the action for her own withering career.

Do it, Rani, do it!

(How many days until the Abhi-Aish divorce? Say it's soon....)