…random men everywhere who aren’t Aish/Bips/Shabana-devotees gnash their teeth and shake their fists at the sky impotently. Or not.
Oooooh, DRAMA! An anonymous tipster leaves juicy news on the…well, news tab (via SAWF):
Bollywood star Rani Mukerhee, 29, is all set to marry film maker Aditya Chopra, 36, son of Yash Raj Chopra. A commitment ceremony or “Roka” was held Monday at the Chopra bungalow in Bombay.
A source close to the family told the Hindustan Times: “The roka took place at the same Chopra bungalow where Chandni was shot. Around 60 people (family and friends) attended the ceremony that included Rani’s parents Ram and Krishna Mukherjee, brother Raja and his wife. Present from the Chopra clan were brother Uday, dad Yash Chopra and mum Pamela Chopra.”
Awww, that’s so cute! My last two german shepherds, who were litter-mates, were also named Raja and Rani. And no, I didn’t name them, so shut up.
“Rani wore a maroon saari with silver embroidery and Aditya wore a kurta-pyjama, both designed by designer Pallavi Jaikishan. Pam aunty didn’t seem very happy, as she has a soft corner for Adi’s ex-wife, Payal. Another function will take place at Rani’s house next week,” the source added.
Why do I care, when I am a clue-free Mallu ABCD who has gone on record as not paying attention to Bollywood? Because it’s JUICY. Duh.
Aditya was recently divorced from Payal Chopra, whom he married in 2001.
Ah, so THAT is why anonymous tipster namechecked Angelina Jolie! Apparently, Rani is a homewrecker, but my half- third- quarter-hearted googling found nothing. If the girl Big B got creepy with in KKKG really did break up this guy’s marriage, I’m sure one of you will edify us with confirmation of such sordid details.
According to the Mumbai Mirror, Aditya’s decision to divorce Payal, who is the daughter of a close friend of father Yash Raj, has strained relations between the father and son.
I can’t be the only one thinking…all this would make a great Bollywood movie? Life imitates art…? Annnnnd, I’m bored again. Who wants to talk about Obama, caste or saffron balls? Anyone?
The section where he goes all Devdas maudlin on the dance club girl was the low point for me. Other than that it’s one of the best books on my hometown.
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.
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.
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.
Is this the point where the Greek chorus goes, “Sheesh, get a room already, you two!”?
Nooooo, I meant a fatwa against me…since I clumsily appropriated a very holy Muslim sentence…nm. 🙂
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.
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
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
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.
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.
Such as…? 🙂
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? 😀
I can concede this. 🙂 Particularly re: Namesake. It is one of the best-written versions of the cliched ABCD story. I disagree, however, about the movie being a better interpretation.
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)?
Sorry! I just ask because it would change which books I recommend for the book club =)
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.
Love, love, LOVE Shamsie. Haven’t read that one, either. Let’s do it. 🙂
But which tome do we choose first?
I vote for Kartography if we do Shamsie. I say this because I (selfishly) have not read it but have wanted to for a while. 🙂
Okay, an anthology comment to make up for lost time:
What am I, your performing macaca? PETA, I demand to be locked up for a week in protest against this abuse!
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.
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.
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
Freaks me out, to this day. 🙂 What a use for butter!
I think that’s fair 🙂 Like I said, she’s not the best thing since sliced bread, but I do like her prose. I think, during the time Lahiri came out, she looked particularly good because there were so many terribly written “desi chick lit” (i.e. drivel) novels coming out, thus lowering the bar generally.
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.
It’s no Last Tango in Paris.
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.
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.