No Jai Ho!

The last time I got newspaper coverage was in July 2006, in the first few weeks at IIM Lucknow. As you can imagine, I was thrilled by it. Front page stuff!

HT Lucknow Live - Think Different

That wasn't the case when recently a photograph of mine was sneaked into a Singapore newspaper article. Curiously, the context wasn't very different. It too was unexpected; The article talked about dance and creativity; I was dressed for the occasion, surrounded by females, looking not too unattractive and most importantly - in the centre of it all. In college, any publicity is good publicity. But at work, I realize there are zones of pride and huge cavities of discomfort.

The Article - Slumdog Dance Fever

First, a brief background on the dance picture. This is a 12pm to 1pm Bollywood Dance class at the gym close to the office, free for P&G employees. Instructor: Female. Female Participants: around 8 to 20. Male Participants: One. Me. Through some occasional sophism, I have convinced one odd male colleague to join in. But dropout rate of this circle has been 100%. It is typically just Aunties and me.

An interviewer and a cute photographer blessed the dance class last tuesday. They clicked pictures and interviewed a couple of dancers during the class. At the end of it, when we were asked to pose for a group picture, I tried to use all my diplomatic might to stay hidden amongst a sea of aunties. But that didn't happen. Instead, being the only male in the class, I was made to stand in the centre just behind the instructor Nidhi. And hence it appeared on 20th April on MyPaper.

Disparaging comments about the act of dancing I can handle. Newspaper articles I can handle. But disparaging giggles and SMSes about a newspaper article about the act of dancing is new territory for me. Slumdog Millionaire has already caused pain in my life. The kid in the movie who gets blinded and smells the $100 note is christined Arvind. A certain colleague (yes it's you Yik Hun) chose to run that line of humour for six continuous weeks.

And now this article was flashed in a meeting for everyone to giggle and lovingly call me 'Celeb'. The worst aspect of it all - I appear out of sync in the picture!

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