The Road Ahead for Dr. Shilpa Shetty...

Today morning, I flip the newspaper and I see this. What ???? Ms. Shilpa Shetty turns Dr. Shilpa Shetty.

Ok Ok, a little bit of flash back, it was in 1993, I was still in my junior school and those days having a cable connection at home was a privilege. It was during a visit to a friend's house when my friend's mother was out for work that we got the video cassette of the movie 'Baazigar' from a nearby video parlor and saw the movie.

That was the first time, I saw the svelte and lissome Shilpa Shetty. The trademark of her persona apart from her patli kaamar was her giggle. From Seema Chopra, a young college girl in 'Baazigar', who falls for Vicky Malhotra because he is a studious chap and helps her with lots of notes and stuff to a 32-year-old star lionising her entry to a super-achievers list.

Babe, your journey has been stupendous.

The Leeds Metropolitan University was so awe struck by the lady that, it has conferred a doctorate degree on Shilpa Shetty. By doing so, the University says it has

"fulfilled its wish to honor prominent Indian personalities who contributed to India’s emergence as a fast developing cinema-proud nation during its 60th year of freedom struggle".

But this very statement is just a flippant rhetoric. I accept the very fact that Shetty is the youngest among those who have been chosen for the honor, the earlier ones being Amitabh Bachchan, Shabana Azmi and Yash Chopra. But other than that what has been her contribution to Indian cinema. She is like any other star with a career spanning just 14 or 15 years with a string of flops and few doing good at box-office.

Any person can make this out, her latest road to fame is none other than winning a TV show in UK that was marred by some racial controversy. I also appreciate the way the lady handled the scenario and the media then, but to accolade that candid handling of the event with coveted academic honor has left me a little bemused.

There are many people from India and from around the globe who have been or are feted with honorary academic degrees but these people hold that stature, that aureole and put in simple words are deserving candidates. The last President of India, Abdul Kalam, the poster boy of Indian software industry, Narayan Murthy to name a few have truckloads of credentials to merit such honorary awards. Also just a couple of months back, the man who introduced the internet age for the common man and made Windows, the window to the new world, Bill Gates was rewarded a degree by his alma-mater, Harvard Univ, 30 years after he left its portals. So if someone goes on to compare these towering personalities with Shilpa Shetty, its just like comparing apples and eggs.

Everyone knows that Bollywood as a film industry is twice the size of Hollywood and has a global following of millions, with a successful production being watched by anything up to 3.2 billion people worldwide. So its plain and simple business to romance with this goose laying golden eggs.

Councillor Mark Harris, leader of Leeds City Council, said: "This is fantastic news for Leeds and for the whole region.
"The IIFA awards are a huge international event which attracts Bollywood stars who have more fans than many major Hollywood actors.
"Winning the right to stage the IIFA awards is a major coup and will showcase our beautiful region to a whole new audience of film producers, fans and international media.
"Leeds is proud to be part of this high-profile event and we will be extending a warm Yorkshire welcome to everyone who attends."

Or is it just another supplement to the 'India Now' spectacle that London Mayor Ken Livingstone has launched with so much fanfare. Well whatever may be the case, the best beneficiary is the heroine of the plot, Shilpa Shetty, sorry sorry Dr. Shilpa Shetty. When she was questioned how she plans to take the relationship with the University, she honestly said, "It’s going to be a life-long relationship. I have tried my best to do my best. At the moment I am basking in the glory".

Now, what is that 'best to do my best' is a little blurry and groggy to me. Is it films shot only in Britain, or is it no films, supporting some social international group, and the list continues...Let me wait and see maybe the best is yet to come.

Till then I agree with you, Shilpa Shetty, that kitaben and books are not the only road to an academic honour, tu sahi bole re....

kitaben bahut si padhi hongi tumne
magar koi chehra bhi tumne padha hai
padha hai meri jaan nazar se padha hai
bata mere chehre pe kya kya likha hai

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