Who's the fairest of them all?

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">It’s tough being a film journalist. In spite of having been around a fair bit, In spite of learning the “insider� ways with the movie men (and women), it''s still tough on the nerves.<br /><br />Especially when you have to deal with a gaggle of beautiful women. I feel rather like the Enchanted Mirror on a palace wall, being asked the perennial question, “Who''s the fairest of them all?�<br /><br />Yawn.With make up on, same style of hair and with branded outfits off the rack from ''abroad'', most look like multiples of the other anyway.<br /><br />Be it the permed hair and pinks of the ‘80s, the straight hair and browns of the ‘90s, or the natural hair and fluorescents of the 2000s, everyone follows a ''look and feel'' that been patented for the period by the designer of the moment.<br /><br />In fact, I would rather give the hard working designers more due than the “mannequins� on the marquee.<br /><br />But still, I cannot escape the question – “How do I look? How was my look in ...?�<br /><br />Right from Madhuri, Juhi, Manisha and Raveena to Aishwarya, Preity and other Ranis of the Queendom,. they have all asked me the big Q.<br /><br />And I know that to answer any one of these lovely ladies with a politically incorrect statement and this mirror would get a “sulk� to last an eternity from the beauties. That''s equal to an exile in fable language.<br /><br />So that''s the tough call I have to take. Should I sound like one of those painstakingly boring, non-committal hubbies who, on being asked by the spouse how they look, reply, “Uh, uh! Sugar, you look simply delicious�, preferring not to anger the hands that cook the gravy (better the chicken than the man)? Or should I say, “Terrible! Turn down the pinks, it doesn''t complement the pastels'' and risk angering the beauty for a long long while?�<br /><br />Too much of a risk, either way. But I like imagining myself as a high roller at the Vegas stakes somewhat. So I do take a calculated gamble.<br /><br />As it is an Aishwarya would never ask me outright, “How do I look?� She''s far to propah for that. But she will ask, “So did you see <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Devdas</span>?� and when I nod in the affirmative, she fixes me with that Scorpio stare that sears the soul and pins your consciousness to a soft board and asks, “And?�<br /><br />And then I''m supposed to wax eloquent, I presume. About what I thought of her wardrobe, acting and appearance. And God help me I I displease a goddess.<br /><br />Then, when it comes to Preity Zinta, I get the same fixed look, and a similar question. And I''m expected to be objective, without angering a diva.<br /><br />Ditto for Kareena, Rani, Ameesha. So God help me already.<br /><br />But actually, this is not the difficult part. A little white lie, to appease the goddesses is no lie at all. It''s just a little camouflaged objectivity, I say. What is the difficult part is showing whose side you are on in the battles of the sex symbols.<br /><br />For example, Kareena, if I''m sitting with her and doing an interview, would expect me to be totally on her side. So any mention in glowing terms of Ameesha, and I''m committing glamour hara-kiri. Likewise, if I happen to praise girl A in front of girl B, I may as well jump off Niagara in a barrel.<br /><br />In fact, some of the glam gals have gone as far to tell me, “You are my friend, and it better remain that way. You cannot be her friend. You better not forget that.� Dare I?<br /><br />It happened once and I dare nor repeat it. It was my friendship with Madhuri Dixit that rankled Manisha Koirala initially, an enough for her to keep away from me for year.<br /><br />But when we did eventually become friends, after thrashing out many issues, it was threatened once again by the arrival of Aishwarya on the scene. So I had to play “choose the beauty� once again. It''s a credit to my jugglery that I managed to retain my <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">dosti</span> with both beauties. <br /><br />And ultimately that''s what it is. The master jugglery of objectivity, and a sweet twisting of the truth, and you can remain on whispering terms with all the beautiful brigade. It''s a small price to pay when you are surrounded by Ash, Preity, Kareena, Ameesha, Rani and their ilk.<br /><br />Oh, thank God for our goddesses, and little white lies.<br /><br /><formid=367815></formid=367815></div> </div>