Monday, February 13, 2012

Withering Shobhaa...


Indian writer-socialite Shobhaa De was showcased as a “superstar author” at the just-concluded third Karachi Literature Festival. Obviously literature wasn't the only thing on her mind ("Inshallah meet Imran Khan").

De pontificated on Karachi – which is “so, so like Mumbai” (very original) -- and full of “hotties” and “cuties” (very creative). At a dinner hosted by Oxford University Press, she told the local media that Indians are curious about how Pakistani women put their outfits together (profound) and also that Pakistanis were a far more beautiful breed (very profound).

She also kept her priorities on track. She shopped for “lawn” (Pakistan’s best known fabric) with her "designer friend", a day ahead of the festival and seemed quite focused on the next item on her shopping list: Multani blue pottery.

In her rush to take in Pakistani society, she forgot to check if Urdu was a regional language in Pakistan. So what if that upset a few literary types.

Pakistanis, too, were very focused on her saris and the 64-year-old's glam quotient. Her saris, and not once her 17-best selling books, were described by the media by way of introduction.

However, the real surprise came from Pakistani author Kamila Shamsie who thought that De would “bring a touch of glamour to the proceedings” at the festival!

At the Q&A session she was asked bizarre questions: “Do you really hate Deepika Padukone?” De chose to answer them all: "I have nothing against them. Deepika and Sonam are non-entities..." She also spent time telling the audience why she wore a tattoo and the audience clapped away. Some others tweeted how glamorous she looked in her sari.

As for De, she enjoyed her one hour solo session thoroughly and thought the questions from the audience were "lively and informed". She was also pleased with the "fantastic" press interviews.

"...I attended a fabulous sangeet and mehendi evening...I had dragged Vikram Seth with me, and quite a few Suitable Boys came up to get introduced, along with sexily clad Suitable Girls.Vikram is adorable!" she posted on her blog.

"Shall go in search of Multani plates at the Itwar Market tomorrow. And Inshallah meet Imran Khan who's in town to attend a shaadi," she added.

Don't know if De was halal for Khan; just glad I missed the fest.

Postscript: Loved this take on last year's Karachi litfest by my favourite Pakistani Twitterer: http://majorlyprofound.wordpress.com/2011/02/06/scared-people-attend-book-party-dont-really-defy-the-taliban/

10 comments:

  1. Whattay takedown of the pretentious. airhead lady. Lovely!

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  2. She is the most dishonest,unethical and insecure journalist I have ever seen.Her books are but crap - a downright insult to ones intellect.

    This completely botoxed lady finds faults with others like Deepika and Sonam while she has a bunch of 4 ugly daughters to stare at...I hate calling anyone ugly but this women deserves it for degrading so many others...

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  3. Oh Gawd... She is one of those people who makes you cringe and feel embarrassed to yourself an Indian every time she opens her mouth (Apart from Anil Kapoor of course post MI-4)

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  4. glorified porn writer...eww

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  5. lol..only sonam kapoor can handle this woman,she rightly put it -"60 something porn writer" haha

    She craves for attention.I would like to know what Bal thackeray thinks of her comparison of mumbai and Karachi,lol!!! she s daughter of d soil...rite?..shameless woman

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  6. oye!! this fossil doesnt deserve so much pubb...if u know wht i mean...sigh... but hilarious nonetheless... -Sam

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    1. got it haha courtesy:sonam kapoor

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