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| Poonam Pandey |
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| Poonam Pandey |
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| Poonam Pandey |
All of 19 years of age, Poonam Pandey has already become an overnight national celebrity. Running riot on Twitter, this 5 feet 7 inches model whose only claim to fame so far was having taken part in India’s Pirelli—the Kingfisher Calendar hunt—has now entered happy hour conversation of every cricket buff.
Having vowed to strip naked in case India wins the World Cup, she has become a rather sexy symbol for the phrase ‘wait and watch’. Being an avid cricket buff herself and a patriotic Indian, Poonam says she will not go back on her word and her family will back her up completely in the moment of truth.
Just like the Twitterattis, most people stand divided on her bold declaration. Adman Piyush Pandey for one thinks it’s the worst sort of marketing gimmick.
“She is clearly just hankering for some cheap publicity. I really don’t think or rather hope not that she’d go through with this. What’s all that talk of people feeling proud of her? I, in fact feel embarrassed that she shares my surname,” he said. “And if she really was that big a fan, we would have known her just as much as we know the bearded guy who trails the Pakistani team or that young Sachin fan who paints his body.”
Atul Kasbekar, celebrity photographer, who met her during the Kingfisher hunt, says, “Though I didn’t interact much with her, considering she got eliminated rather early on, I do remember her as Plain Jane deluxe.
“She struck you as a kind of girl who’d get married and live happily in a small town. Simple and sweet, I never for once could imagine her to indulge in this Rakhi Sawant-esque behaviour. It’s amusing, but good for her. She is enjoying her Andy Warhol moment.”
Poonam’s 15-minutes of fame might fizzle out if she doesn’t take the plunge. Till then there are others who have decided to get their 2 minutes in the sun piggybacking off her.
For instance Suparn Verma, director of Ek Khiladi Ek Hasina tweeted on Thursday that he had directed a nude video of Poonam Pandey. He also went a step further and tweeted that it was he who had shot her nude video which he would upload on the Net if and once India won! Well, it turned out be an April Fool’s joke. He was later heard clarifying, “I don't know who Poonam Pandey is. But the joke seems to have worked. My inbox is full and the phone won’t stop ringing.”
Adman Prahlad Kakkar likes to differ on the harsh standpoint on the girl. “It’s absolutely great and gutsy. She is no Rakhi Sawant. She is a good looking girl with a hot body who wants to be noticed for perfectly right reasons.
“She might be accused of using wrong means to a good end, but that’s about it. How she’d pull it off concerns me more. In a nation where there is moral police behind every lamppost, it would be tough for her.”
Atul thinks it’s rather smart of her, as it would never really happen. “Considering she has put so many riders on her claim like BCCI giving her permission and all, it’s bound to never happen and that’s what clever about her claim.”
Prahlad though doesn’t think it’s about whether it happens or not. He thinks the circus surrounding her is quite telling of the times we live in, “The whole nation is titillated by the thought but would still berate her for doing exactly what they hope she does. It’s plain hypocrisy. Maybe she should paint her body with the Tricolour. In which case, she’d only be held for contempt and deal with the police and not come out nude and deal with the moral police.”
For someone who claims to be that big a cricket fan that she’d strip if India win, Poonam surprisingly doesn’t have any favourites in the team. “ They are all my favourite”, she says in a practiced way. She also doesn’t have any cricketing advice, characteristic of a fan. “ They should play the way they are. They are doing so well,” she says.
On being asked if she’d actually do what she claims, she responds rather matter of factly, “ of course. As long as I get permission from BCCI and a ticket to the game. You know how tough it is to get one.” And we thought celebrities don’t have to work hard to get a pass to the final!
Sources: http://edditorial.blogspot.com
