Hindi film titles are becoming more prophetic than profitable nowadays, as Govind Menon's failed comedy
caper "Bachke Rehna Re Baba" - meaning "stay away" - shows.
That title actually forewarned the audience. If some of us brave hearts who wanted to see the uninhibited
Mallika Sherawat in various stages of advanced undress still chose to go, then who are we to complain?
Call it monsoon madness, but even the veteran Rekha seems to have lost it in the company of Mallika. How
else do we explain her presence in boudoir bilge like "Bachke...," mouthing such preposterous dialogues as:
"Main nangi mandir gayi thi... nangi paon. (I went bare to the temple, bare feet.)"
Perhaps Rekha's ivory-tower attitude to her stardom has effectually quashed her better judgement. Maybe she
doesn't know better... maybe she just wanted to have fun in the inspiring company of Mallika.
Sorry, girls. The figures may be proportionate, but a sense of proportion is sorrowfully lacking in the way the
two thoroughly mismatched actresses conducted themselves. The two may not have had their careers in
mind.
Remember that hotshot model Deepak Malhotra who killed his film career when he whimpered, "Pallo..." to
the equally squeaky but far more alluring Sridevi in "Lamhe". It happens. One mistake and you are gone.
Apparently Mallika is now doing a Subhash Ghai production to be directed by Satish Kaushik. Don't tell
Mallika, but the role was actually first offered to Priyanka Chopra - not once but many times over.
Priyanka just did not like the script. Hurt and upset, producer Subhash Ghai is reported to have said: "My
'Aitraaz' made you. Now you are giving me attitude!"
And he promptly signed Mallika... who incidentally gave her mentor Mahesh Bhatt major grief when after the
super hit film "Murder" she said no to another production "Zehar".
Tuesday, July 19, 2005 17:13 IST