Much ado about Ash(en) smooch

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><script language="javascript" src="Config?Configid=43376741"></script></div> <div align="left" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="1" width="61.1%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><span style="" font-size:=""><a href="javascript:popUp(&quot1;photopop?msid=93092&type=0&quot1;)"> <img border="0" align="left" src="/cms.dll/thumb?height=254&width=254&photoID=93092" hspace="12"" /></a></span></div> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><span style="" font-size:="">Click to enlarge</span></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal">''There''s many a slip betwixt the cup and the lip!'' <br /><br />And if the lip be of the red hue of the most beautiful girl in the world, then it turns the world of masculine men into driveling fools on a drip.<br /><br />Of course, the rhyming above may fall short of Shakespearean sonnets describing the beauty past compare of Bill''s ladies fair, but in the modern context, I think it seems a pretty good effort.<br /><br />Though probably not good enough to describe the charms of Aishwarya Rai.<br /><br />And like I said, many a testosterone driven ruddy-face has turned ''ashen'' when confronted by the ''time''less face of the loveliest covergirl.<br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal">Sigh! Such is the face that most men can only fantasise about.After all, in the ''face'' of such regality, the minions may only bow. Not daring to stare, leave alone care.<br /><br />Yet, one man (call him ''hero'') has the bold distinction of getting really up close and personal to Ms Rai. And so what if it''s only a screen manifestation of a ''physical encounter'', he''s the first to do so.<br /><br />Okay, so Ash has emerged from behind tree trunks and seemingly flirtatious flower petals, wiping her lips with the back of her hand, as have countless other nubiles over the eons in Hindi cinema. The suggestions of a smooch creating far more images of passion than a real kiss would, a la Hollywood. But such is the power of the senses. <br /><br />Especially, when stunned senseless by the onslaught of subtle sensuality, rather than struck dead by an attack of blasé sexuality.<br /><br />Aishwarya looking out from under coy eyelids in <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam</span>. Aishwarya flirting outrageously with Devdas Mukherjee in Bhansali''s magnum opus. Aishwarya smiling shyly as the demure heroine in <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Josh</span> or Ash ''spiritedly'' omnipresent in <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Mohabbatein</span>. <br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section3"><div class="Normal">But a blasé, bold and sensual Ash, in all brutal beauty? Naa! Not till now.<br /><br /><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Chokher Bali </span>has done that too. Given the machete edge to the already sharp linear lines of this lovely. And the stunned calls I''ve been receiving from all those in the movie industry who''ve seen the Bengali classic, brought to light by the sensitive wand of Rituparno Ghosh, made me rue the hour I decided to give the midnight screening a miss.<br /><br />The screening, held in the beyond of suburbia post the witching hour, was a deterrent. As much as the lure was, of the ''bewitching'' leading lady, in one of her most entrancing (aren''t they all?) roles yet.<br /><br />I had to regret, given that I had my own personal Indiatimes party to attend. But it''s a regret that clings and lingers, much like the fog over the river Styx.<br /> <br />The calls and the SMS'' from the theater went on making my cellphone go ''beep'' into the wee hours of the night. <br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section4"><div class="Normal">''Ash is gorgeous!'' Ho Hum! Heard that before. ''She''s acted so well!'' Tell me more. ''She''s gonna win an award for this one!'' Déjà vu anyone?.. And then one that would''ve made me sit up, if I wasn''t already sitting up.<br /><br />''She''s done this real hot smooch scene in the film with Prasenjit!'' A WHAT? With a WHO?<br />It took a while, but it sank in. And the confirmations followed. The next day. And through the week.<br /><br />Yes, Ash has done her first bona fide smooch scene. With well known Bong hero, Prasenjit. And she''s supposedly worn these very daring, sarees, completely backless, as sarees in the interiors of the state are normally worn.<br /><br />The scenes, say the viewers, are subtle and tastefully done, and even the kissing scenes, are where the shot is taken from behind the hero. So one cannot be sure if it''s a ''cheating'' sequence, where the kiss is only ''suggestive''. Yet its been done so aesthetically (without losing out on any erotica) that it takes the breath away.<br /><br />And I''m sure many will hold their breath to see their favourite ''stealing beauty'', do scenes that her fans never imagined she would.<br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section5"><div class="Normal">The question is did she?<br /><br />Is it a precursor to her eagle-eyed vision set on Hollywood vistas, where a smooch is but a smooch and not the canvas of a poet''s imagination as it is to us subtler souls?<br /><br />Maybe it is. But does it matter? The fact is that Aishwarya Rai is an icon who, if she sneezes, the male population dies of pneumonia. And with <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Choker Bali </span>she''s probably tipped the scales even more heavily in her favour as far as world popularity goes.<br />She is the ''face'' that launched a thousand sighs. And a few million more from those, who see Ms Beautiful kiss another man onscreen.<br /><br />Of course, quite a few people who saw <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Chokher Bali</span> also told me that the movie seemed to move on its own, rather languorous pace. Didn''t they realise that time itself would stand still, when they cast their eye on bali Ash?<br /><br />Such chokhers (jokers: read fools) these mortals be.</div> </div>