Bollywood On Top

India’s most beautiful woman is hitched (January 2007)

Actress Aishwarya Rai has found her life partner in co-actor of several movies Abhishek Bachchan, son of the doyen of Indian cinema, the great Amitabh Bachchan, voted as the global actor of the millennium.

For long Aishwarya, a former Miss World, has defined the quintessential Indian beauty in western minds, appearing on the cover of Time magazine and the touchstone of popular American television, The Oprah Winfrey show.

Her persona has transcended much beyond what many consider average acting prowess, but as India’s global face has emerged in software, outsourcing and a vast untapped market, she has typified the perfect Indian woman to international audiences.

Somehow her acting abilities have not been in the same league as her printed pictures, her biggest movies Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Devdas shot quite a while back and her latest Umrao Jaan and Bride and Prejudice not doing well in the box office. Fans have panned her Oprah appearance in which she giggled more than she talked.

But, she has tried hard, even consciously moving away from the ``ice maiden’’ tag, by agreeing to kiss co-actor Hriktik Roshan in a recent release, Dhoom-11, predictably a runaway hit, though the scene reportedly had Abhishek squirming on his seat when he watched the movie for the first time.

In the past Aishwarya famously refused to star in a James Bond movie, apparently because she had to kiss Pierce Brosnan (who essayed the role at that time), as all Bond girls have to do.

However, in keeping with trends in contemporary Indian cinema and competition in the arena from peers such as Rani Mukherjee and Priety Zinta, Aishwarya did bite the lip, as the role demanded in Dhoom.

Still, as an actress Aishwarya will perhaps not be pegged among the all time greats, though her beauty is unparalleled.

Indeed, she is beautiful, to many many the most pretty, with captivating eyes and a face that can tantalize any male in the world.

That she chose Abhishek (could he say no, did he have a choice) has caught the imagination of the Indian media for a while now, earning them the sobriquet Abhiwarya, a blatant copy of the other hot paparazzi property, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie conflated as Brangelina.

The rumor mills about an impending marriage have been working wild for a while now. The two were engaged to be married this week, relegating every other news item including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to south east Asia, a far reaching energy pact and defense minister Pranab Mukerjee’s Pakistan sojourn.

The Bachchan’s and Rai’s are rooted to what is termed as traditional middle class values and have reportedly been consulting astrologers, pundits and sages that reside across the country.

The Bachchans (Amitabh and actress wife Jaya Bhaduri, also a member of the Indian Parliament) have apparently been concerned about a planetary configuration around Aishwarya that makes her a Manglik (which means she is strong-willed and dominating woman).

This could still be okay, except that she reportedly belongs to a more virulent version of Manglik that could in turn shorten the life span of her husband, whoever he is.

Some added fuel to the fire by speculating that she has been unlucky to her former boyfriends, including the hotheaded Bollywood mega-star Salman Khan, who has since seeing her been to jail over a case related to hunting endangered wildlife and is fighting a case for allegedly mowing people while driving drunk.

Astrological matters can be quite tricky in Indian situations and many possible matches have not happened due to such pronouncements by pundits, believe it or not. Though, when it comes to Aishwarya, it is debate able, whether any man including Abhishek, would let such matters dictate.

But, the Bachchan Seniors have reportedly been a worried lot and have been visiting temples around the country in the last few months. The good thing about Indian pundits and astrologers is that they always have a solution to problems they plant in the heads of their clients.

As per the anti-dote, Aishwarya was reportedly recently married to the peepal tree (considered holy), in the religious city of Benaras, as it was ordained that her second husband would not suffer her negative planetary vibrations.

Thus, technically and astrologically this is going to be Aishwarya’s second marriage and Abhishek’s first. What if the peepal tree turned into a handsome prince if/when Aishwarya garlanded it? Problem.

Most predictions are that the marriage will go the distance, with many babies to follow soon as Aishwarya approaches her mid-30s and Abhishek a couple of years younger.

Apart from strong family foundations, Abhishek is also a steady and regular guy with no known vices, a factor that should be very important to Aishwarya.

In the past she has been in a tumultuous relationship with Salman, known for his wild ways and roughing up girlfriends. He beat up Aishwarya as well, even as jealousy and over possessiveness drove him to recklessness such as barging into her house and movie shoots, until the police had to warn him to keep away, after a complaint by Aishwarya’s father.

Plus, she stands to inherit the estimated Rs 2.5 billion fortune amassed by Abhishek’s parents, the one sister happily married to a top Indian business family. Not that Aishwarya needs the money, given the very high fees she charges for movies and endorsements. But, it helps.

Abhishek probably holds the Indian record of maximum number of flop movies since making his debut as an actor a few years back (this also cost him personally as his then girlfriend, actress Karishma Kapoor chose to break the marriage engagement rather than be associated with a failed actor). The Bachchans had reportedly even purchased a bungalow for the couple to move in.

But courtesy Bachchan Senior, known for his extremely good inter-personal skills and an enormous reputation in the industry (in his mid 60s he still commands the highest price for movies and brand endorsements), the roles kept coming for Abhishek. Sometimes it pays to be born with a silver spoon.

To his credit, Abhishek has found his groove, worked hard on his acting and dancing skills, developed a loyal fan following and delivered hits such as Dhoom-11, Sarkar, Bluffmaster and Bunty aur Babli. His latest release Guru (his past few have predictably been with Aishwarya) is already being touted as a runaway hit, with critics praising his acting.

Abhishek thus knows how to create his own space living in the shadow of a father who is a legend. Now, he has another living legend for a wife.

For millions of Aishwarya fans, one can only hope that she continues to act and mesmerize even after marriage and babies as other contemporaries such as Kajol and Karishma.

But, it will not be the same. Can it?

Shilpa Shetty Arouses Interest (January 2007)

It was understandable when the top echelons of the UK government reacted to the apparent racist slurs bestowed in a British reality show on Indian actress Shilpa Shetty.

Racism is a major issue that western populations, including immigrants, have had to deal with since time. It is not so in India.

Thus, it has been the unexpected reactions from top Indian government quarters, including ministers and the foreign office that have spoken out in their official capacities that have been a bit unusual.

Till the recent past an issue revolving around Shilpa would have found plenty of presence on TV channels and Internet blogs (especially expressions by immigrant populations who perhaps face racist jibes in their daily existence), as has happened this time as well.

In India, Shilpa is the kind of controversy the TV channels always relish.
It is a good mix. Shilpa, not much of an actress (not many in Bollywood are in any case, given the role of most women as an attractive add on to the main plot) possesses one of the best bodies among Indian female stars and a fantastic dancer due to which some of most popular songs in recent Indian film history have been pictured on her. This is of course more than enough to arouse plenty of viewers interest.

As has become common practice now, a few unemployed youth this time in the state of Bihar, who perhaps are unaware of the alphabets of the English language, burnt a few white effigies representing British executives, to earn their two-minute fame on TV centered round the Shilpa episode.

The verbal attack on her would have (and has) died down once a new set of images have appeared, such as the latest slapping incident of the coach of the Indian cricket team by a crazed fan in the state of Orissa, where a match is to be played. Should the foreign office comment on this as well?

However, what has been a bit unusual is the alacrity with which the Indian establishment has reacted to an incident in a second grade reality show, desperately seeking to widen its audience base by roping in a failing Indian actress, who has agreed to participate for purely commercial reasons. Such government agility is definitely required, but in many other spheres of government functioning that continue to be woeful.

To explain a bit more, the Indian politician is a selfish creature with an eye always on votes and thinks about every means, whether for the good or bad, to influence various vote banks. Religion and caste, for example, are potent tools often used to coalesce support. In this context, racism becomes a bit of a misnomer, as it does not exist in India.

Thankfully, it is also not as if Shilpa was physically harmed in any way, which would have listed as a crime, with Indian diplomats helping the law take its course. As a matter of fact Shilpa has spoken against any racial attack in the show, clearly at the instance of the channel bosses who are paying her a fat paycheck, more than all other participants in the show. There is also the fear of more sponsors withdrawing and the show being scrapped. To repeat, racism is a big issue in the west.

Yet, it does not explain or merit the Indian government’s involvement. There is the India’s pride has been hurt argument, given India’s colonial past, but does not hold too much basis. Majority of the Indian population is very young and don’t know a bit about being ruled by a foreign power.

These youth are more concerned about acquiring the right skills to be absorbed into fast growing and very lucrative Services sector that ranges from software to outsourcing, hospitality, retail, finance and banking and more. They see a very bright future for themselves and a country on the threshold of many good things.

They expect the government of the day to deliver on what is required, infrastructure, law and order and an efficient regulatory system that comes into play in a very macro sense. Otherwise, individualism and merit should be respected.

Indeed, the Indian politician and power holders, it seems, are becoming increasingly aware of what has been termed as ``middle class sensibilities.’’

For so long used to dealing with a an illiterate or semi-illiterate population that formed the maximum number of voters, the middle classes fast approaching the 400 million number are beginning to be counted.

They are empowered by education and have no limits to the kind of economic prosperity that awaits them, given the sprinkling of millionaires and billionaires that seem to prop up from anywhere in India now.

It is a global phenomenon as well. The emerging global middle-class of China, India, Russia, Brazil and elsewhere has been ranked at the seventh position in the “50 who matter now” list published by a recognized international forum.

``This emerging class is looking forward to enjoying a more comfortable way of life. These newly affluent consumers also have the money to spend — estimated at over US$1 trillion a year,’’ the magazine said.

Thus, on the positive side the Indian politician is beginning to be aware of the massive thinking population, which is a sign of a maturing democracy.

For example, there is an emerging political consensus about economic reforms, development and change. No party in power can now afford not to leave its imprint on pushing India to a higher trajectory of growth, better infrastructure, competition and employment.

Even the left parties are siding with the Tata Group in West Bengal to acquire land for an automobile factory. Of course market forces must apply to everybody including farmers who can only be happy when paid premiums for the prime land they hold. Development needs to be participative.

On the issue of reservations in educational institutions for backward castes, the government has ensured that there is a commensurate hike in number of seats for general category students, who mostly belong to the middle classes.

But, at the same time the political class has not fully figured out the issues to talk about, express their opinions on or meet expectations.

One benchmark is to look at the media that is closely followed by middle India. But, TV is now increasingly about escapism and what is being watched during ones leisure time does not essentially translated into a matter that the viewer wants the government to act upon. Certainly, not name calling Shilpa Shetty.

The Shilpa episode clearly shows that the Indian politician, as in the past, is trying to adapt. Past strategies cannot be easily forgotten, but new ones are being adopted. This can only be for the good, though as far as the insult to Shilpa goes it should have been better to keep the mouth shut.

Kissing James Bond In India (January 2004)

Invoking feelings of pride for the entire sub-continent, India's top actress, Aishwarya Rai, has been approached to play the "Bond girl" opposite Pierce Brosnan, a coveted role consistently filled by some of Hollywood's sexiest ladies - most recently Academy Award winner Halle Berry.

In the interviews that have followed the announcement, Rai has been asked the same question time and time again - will she kiss James Bond, as most Bond girls do, quite willingly? Rai has been circumspect, knowing the Indian media all too well. Even an unsuspecting remark could be a headline: "Rai will kiss Brosnan", or "Rai prepared to bond with Bond", or "Rai will go all the way".

Rai told the British press that she has agreed to appear in the next James Bond film if its producers agree to use a body double for the sex scenes, noting that her strict upbringing meant there was no question of her doing anything saucy. "I've said I will do the film if there is a body double.

The producers have said they will have to ask Pierce," she said. Pierce can't be happy. The focus here, though, has been on the kiss, as most writers have ruled out sex. Indeed, a top Bollywood actress kissing on the screen is as close to going all the way as Indians are accustomed too - by Bollywood standards.

Handsome as Brosnan may be, Rai's answers have been neutral, from, "I have not thought about it," to "We will have to wait and see, I have made no such commitments." A kiss in this country is a big deal. It has affected relations between India and Pakistan, although at most times it takes much less.

A furor was created a couple of years back when prominent author Khushwant Singh planted a party peck on the daughter of the then Pakistani high commissioner Ashraf Jehangir Qazi. Tenuous India-Pakistan relations took a further tumble.

Qazi scurried off to Islamabad to kiss the feet of then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, explaining that the whole of Pakistan need not be outraged. Worldwide, of course, a kiss always makes news that is given prominent coverage in India. Former US president Bill Clinton went as far as regularly kissing his wife Hillary on the forehead. He didn't feel the need to go any further.

Tennis great Andre Agassi likes to plant sweaty lingering kisses on his wife, Steffi Graf, between shots and games. She doesn't seem to mind. Not too long ago Agassi did it to Brooke Shields, who also did not seem to mind. Continuing with the tennis world, the Williams sisters are regularly planted a kiss by their father in appreciation of the good work they are putting in.

In the runaway hit Pretty Woman, Julia Roberts' most "personal kiss" happened to be on the mouth, although she uses it on every other part of Richard Gere's anatomy.

Indian girls have routinely been in the news for "kissing indiscretions" that have not gone down too well with the population. Young, over-eager and beautiful actress Padmini Kolhapuri went "all the way" with Prince Charles. His royal highness was in the news again shortly after in India for the "not-so-eager kiss" by the late Princess Diana that sent the tabloids into a tizzy.

Also worth noting was actress Shabana Azmi, who planted a "freedom kiss" on South Africa's Nelson Mandela, which caused a lot of heartburn in the country.

We are a liberal country, not in the mold of Pakistan, but can be just as prudish when our women kiss - or are kissed - by men who don't belong here. The only instances of public kissing here involve foreigners.

There is always a crowd of hangers-on who accumulate for a closeup of the action, which can happen on a street or a market place. The big question, however, remains: with Internet porn, explicit pictures and video just a click away, why, then, is kissing such an issue in the land of Kama Sutra and Khajuraho? There have been several explanations to this phenomenon.

First, it is the stereotype of the Hindi movies, the most popular mass culture phenomenon apart from cricket. (There is little scope for kissing in cricket, as only men play it, and mostly just men watch it.) In the Hindi movies the kiss is a really big happening, if it happens at all. Hindi songs are not only about running around trees, but also gyrations that approximate making love with clothes on and from a distance.

But when it comes to a real kiss, the world shakes and the heavens come down. A recent example that attracted attention was the "rain kiss" in the movie Raja Hindustani in which the two top stars, Karishma Kapoor and Aamir Khan, kiss each other.

The clouds thundered, lightening struck and the rain grew heavier as the lips touched. The common explanation by producers and directors as well as the censor board is that Hindi movies are family outings; so kissing is a no-no. But the most brutal violence on screen escapes any cuts. Recent crossover movies aimed at non-resident Indians and English-speaking urban audiences are bolder.

One has the pleasure of watching the absolutely ravishing Lisa Ray kissing in Bollywood Hollywood. There were a number of full-throated scenes with Rahul Khanna, well shot with Lisa putting up a sterling performance.

Then there was the movie called Khwaish that was released a few months ago. It stars two newcomers who are being actively sought due to the 17 kissing scenes in the movie. Recent surveys have indicated that promiscuity as well as frequency of sex among Indians is on the rise.

Yet it is not as if smooching happens in public places here. Another reason for the coy approach is the laws that prosecute for public obscenity - including kissing. Indian cops, generally a lethargic lot, are eagle-eyed about couples on the loose in gardens, parks, cars or on any corner. It's the easiest money-earner. One more explanation, far-fetched though, is the weather.

It is hot most of the time, requiring air-conditioning for kissing in the open. This writer, however, attributes it to kismet - bad karma in the past - that has resulted in kisses being such misses in this great nation.

Sex, Britney, Cameron, Kareena and Mallika…..

For all those -- the truth is, there are millions, perhaps a billion --- who trawl the Internet fishing for fresh porn and similar stuff, it can get no better.

There is oral talk from Britney Spears husband for 55 hours who has dished out all that happened when they went about their business as a married couple; there is Cameroz Diaz who is busy trying to erase She’s No Angel, a 30-minute soft porn video of hers on the Internet; there has been Paris Hilton’s One Night in Paris; Baywatch star Gena Lee Nolin bared it all in a mattress romp.

In the recent past, there has been the homemade videotape of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee that has been a rage since 1997 on the Internet. Further in history there have been Marilyn Monroe and later Sylvester Stallone.

Pamela-Paris as well as others associated with the release of such private celebrity material which are hot-sellers on porn sites have gone on to make pots of money, with the stakes only higher as technology has improved over time.

Today, estimates of the annual revenue for adult entertainment film sales and rentals and website subscription fees range from $8-10 billion. In such a global scenario, it seems that Indians too want to join the party, where boldness and obviously bareness is fast becoming the credo.

It could be more than just a co-incidence that top Indian actors Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapur have gone to town about their relationship, though the stuff they do together has a much more dignified air than the things Britney’s ex-hubby has talked about.

A prominent Indian actress is considering an offer to appear on Playboy which obviously will be beyond just a bikini spread; two Indian girls are running successful porn sites in the USA; there is a bandwagon effect of top Indian actresses on a kissing spree; a bold movie on lesbianism, a series of Bollywood movies on affairs outside marriage --- the themes are getting barer and so are Indian women who parade the wide spectrum of India’s glamour industry, with porn completing the widest loop.

There is bound to be an overall ripple effect, for the good or the bad.

The caveat first. It must be remembered that India still exists at two levels which the defeated Bharatiya Janata Party realized a bit late in the day after their ``Shining India’’ campaign boomeranged --- the urban pockets of affluence where the traditional stereotype of the Indian woman who raises kids and looks after her husband at the cost of professional achievement is being continually shaken; and the other India where one hears of a Hindu boy being burnt for loving a Muslim girl or the dreaded ``culture police’’ composed of the fringe elements of Hindu fundamentalists who still believe that it is anathema for a girl and a boy to hold hands in public.

Now, for the bits of breaking of barriers, wherein no Indian woman has gone before in arenas of competition that remain the most mass cultural influences on Indian society --- movies, television and the expanding internet. Angela Devi and Sunny Leone are two Indian girls who have hit big time in the US porn industry that is estimated to be worth anywhere between $ 4 billion and $ 10 billion.

Indian girls feature regularly in international porn sites, but never have any carried the tag of being stars, meriting a front-page display in a national newspaper here.

Angela, 25, was born to Delhi migrants in New Delhi and has been living in Phoenix, Arizona for the past 17 years. Her credits include regular appearances in hardcore magazine Hustler since 2002 and voyeuristic videos. Sunny, 23, came of her own when she was named Penthouse’s Pet of the Year a few months back. Both Angela and Sunny also run successful websites.

The ``success’’ of Angela and Sunny may be dismissed by some as Indians taking on a different hue in the USA, working hard and making a mark in any endeavor of their choosing normally as computer engineers, doctors, teachers, taxi-drivers, a couple of film makers and an odd Bobby Jindal making a pitch for governor of Louisiana.

It’s a matter of adding porn to the list in challenging times. But, the story is not limited to Indians in USA. Here, Mallika Sherwat who has set scorching standards in her bare-dare movies --- two till now, the first Khwaish which broke any Indian record of maximum 19 kisses and the second Murder which was an equal encore --- has been offered to pose for the center spread of the venerable Playboy magazine that has catapulted so many to stardom. This is the first such offer to an Indian star, though a few have appeared in mainstream news magazines.

Mallika’s publicist has said that the actress is considering the proposal and going by her past performances it looks unlikely that she is going to reject the chance in a lifetime.

In yet another coup Mallika will also be the only Indian star to feature in a Jackie Chan movie and there is talk that it involves at least one nude scene as well, though the actress has been going to town insisting that there is no such episode.

The success of Khwaish and Murder and by extension Mallika has sent the rest of Bollywood actresses in a tizzy, with several now shaking off their traditional Indian mores to break free.

The first off the block is a starlet in the form of Neha Dhupia who in her second movie release called Julie is set to bare her backside, the first such happening in a mainstream Bollywood fare. A former Miss India, Dhupia’s uncut nude and love making scenes from the movie are already doing the rounds on the Internet.

Not to be undone, Kareena Kapoor has added spice to the powerful Govind Nihalani film Dev on the Gujarat riots of 1992, by allowing her co-star Fardeen Khan complete play with her lips. Another star Mahima Chowdury, who famously spurned top director Subhash Ghai who wanted her to strip a little a few years back, will be featuring in a series of lip-clinchers with much older co-star Anupam Kher in the movie Chess.

Bollywood’s prima dona Aishwaria Rai, has reportedly shared some close chemistry with real life beau and actor Vivek Oberoi in a yet to be released movie. Rai was considered the epitome of prudery, keeping a safe distance from most of her co-stars on-screen, till now. Of course the readymade answer to why this sudden change in screen prudery: ``the script demanded it,’’ the starlets pout in unison.

Indian actresses on a kissing spree also follows Bollywood’s experiments with several bold themes connected to extra-marital affairs, one-night stands in movies such as Tum, Raaz, Murder among others.

One recent release in this genre is a movie called Girlfriend, is the story of two lesbians, quite trashy by any standards but inviting a lot of publicity due to the theme.

The movie raised the hackles of the ``culture brigade’’ in the form of the Shiv Sena --- regional party of Maharashtra with affiliations to the BJP --- whose activists are attacking cinema halls playing the film, accusing the producer and director of polluting Indian society.

The same people had reacted similarly a few years back to the movie Fire, starring top actresses Nandita Das and Shabana Azmi, on the same theme.

All the boldness in one broad field of activity would of course come to a naught if Indian women were not making headways in other areas, not connected only to matters of a few exposures and suggested sex. The news is both good and bad.

The unshackling of the Indian economy, the increased role of the private service sector and emergence of multinationals over the past few years is also witnessing a slow, albeit definite rise of women managers and entrepreneurs who are beginning to take charge.

This is a long way from results thrown by several surveys in the 90s that did not reveal more than a handful (less than two digits) of powerful Indian women in the corporate sector. A recent study has shown that the number of successful girl geeks in India’s vaunted Information Technology sector has also grown exponentially.

Bollywood itself is witnessing the emergence of filmmakers such as Tanuja Chandra, Farah Khan, Pooja Bhatt, Ekta Kapoor who are making successful movies.

The flip side is the alarming drop in the sex ratio --- the number of women per thousand men --- across the country, with the steepest fall in urban pockets, which says a sordid story of destroying the female fetus and killing the girl child. As reminded earlier, India still exists on two planes, one that is setting its own standards and another where a girl is never born. It’s a tragic and happy mix.

Why Hurley went for Nayar

There are all over the pages here again. Liz Hurley and Arun Nayar,
consequent to their wedding plans, setting off the commonly encountered
debate relating the two.

Hurley has been in the spotlight for some time now, as Hugh Grant's
girlfriend, the Double Whammy and Bedazzled star and a beautiful woman
whose personal life interests everyone.

Nayar, until recently, was known in pockets of Europe where his business
interests lie and Mumbai where he originates. He is handsome, successful, a
charmer (the press reports say so), with pots of money and not too happy
with his wife --- ideal conditions for another woman to walk into his life.
It happened to be Hurley, in a similar personal situation. Lucky him.

Contrasted to her fame, he is near anonymous and should recede to his
relatively faceless existence, were she to drop him. Unless he is smart and
cruel and writes a book on how and where to make out with Hurley, like many
have done with Princess Diana.

Still, after millions more, a couple of months facing flashlights, he should
disappear from collective consciousness, when the media forgets him (viz
Chicago) while Hurley will endure, through her movies/endorsements, looks,
or the next man she chooses.

Right now, though, in the company of Hurley, Nayar is always news ---
holding her hand at Cannes or inside the British Airways flight where things
got a trifle hot between them for passenger comfort or a discreet visit with
her to home town Mumbai, that was well caught by the tabloids here.

The question is: should an Indian man going out with a Hollywood diva be
considered a national achievement? Or did Nair get plain lucky? To put the
query in correct perspective: Ever since Bollywood heart throb Madhuri Dixit
married an Indian doctor settled in the USA, many similar doctors across the
world feel they stand a chance with Bollywood starlets and rue they did not
woo Dixit.

In the same breath, should every tangible Indian male consider himself worth
a shot whenever a Hollywood actress finds herself single or is on the
rebound, ditched by a former boyfriend? Binged, in Hurley terms.

It is difficult to estimate why Hurley went for Nayar, as women are
inscrutable, but there are arguments being bandied here. First --- the vital
stats, which can be an important factor. The beauty and the beast is a fairy
tale.

How much of Nayar is Indian looks? Did she spot him at a do and say,
``oooooh, he looks so Indian.'' Drool drool. Would it have made a
difference to Hurley if Nair were not an Indian? Well, looks wise, he could
pass of as a Pakistani, Fijian, Sri Lankan, Malaysian, Saudi Arabian. Even
Afghan or Iraqi. Some say he looks a bit like Saddam Hussein's elder son
Uday, dead or alive, with a different hairstyle.

Arguments of nationality being a factor are thus eliminated, though, to be
fair, Hurley probably would not have gone for Nair if he did look like Uday.
The only male in this region to attract women anywhere in the world on
sheer brute looks was Pakistan's former cricketer, the charismatic, though
now aging and struggling politician Imran Khan. But, Nayar is no Khan.

To delve deeper --- what is it that attracts western beauties to India or
things Indian, in the first place? Kate Winslet, Goldie Hawn have visited
India. Nicol Kidman dropped by incognito, in dark glasses and a salwar
kameez, though everyone recognized her.

These incredibly beautiful women arrived for spiritual solace, yoga,
alternative healing, meditation and making peace with their tumultuous
professional and personal lives. They didn't come chasing Indian men.

It is unlikely that Hurley went for Nair's spirituality, not in designer
suit. There is lots of snooping going around (very soon we should see them
naked on the internet, beach bathing, which could already be a search engine
away.)

But, one hasn't read anything that suggests that Nayar interprets tomes of
Hindu philosophy, reasoning to Hurley that Grant with pants down and a
prostitute was just the play of Maya, the truth that such a happening in the
ultimate analysis does not exist.

Nayar wouldn't, even if he did read about Maya. Lets grant him this much.
Nair's loss could be Grant's gain. He certainly is not the spiritual Indian
eyed by western beauties to discover their souls sitting by his knee. If it
was not Hurley, it could have been anyone else, equally beautiful, perhaps
not as famous. Nayar seemed ripe for it.

Money is not a factor here; it is but there are too many millionaires in her
circuit. It is the least common eligibility factor. She is hiring a private
jet on her own steam, to fly cozy with Nair rather than BA executive class;
she shouldn't need anyone else's dough.

On the other hand, Nayar could be just another global male defined by a
sustainable logic that appeals to women such as Hurley. A patient listener
who makes her laugh given her other relationships. Maybe he is better than
Grant and Bing put together, in bed or the seat of a BA flight. This,
assuming was discovered later might have added to his earlier attributes.

A common catchphrase here is, we Indians are like this only. Perhaps more
and more like everyone else.