Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2001 4:17 pm
Posts: 2853
Location: Canada
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Who cares abt the world cup. Now that India has "Officially" defeated Pak, here is what the World Cup is really abt :-
Mandira Bedi
Never knew she was into cricket... But I guess this "Homo" (geneous) game of Cricket can use a lil bit of glamour !
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No, not again. This is not just about what Mandira Bedi wears or doesn't. This is about how Ms Bedi's wardrobe could have a mind- boggling impact on market trends and viewer ratings.
In all the excitement over India trouncing Pakistan to win the "final within the final'' and bag the "Sub-continent World Cup'' on Saturday night, this cricket-crazy nation missed a silly point: Ms Bedi actually changed her dress code.
The world's first sex goddess of cricket has started clothing herself…well, a bit... more appropriately. Not just that. She giggles less. She has even stopped biting her lips each time she gives a come-hither smile. All this has got more to do with market, actually, than with the flak over hip and hep.
A top-secret market study by Sony Max revealed that women -- whom the channel allegedly targeted by showcasing Mandira -- stopped watching after two matches.
Worse, many women switched off TV sets during matches: they didn't want their husbands to watch Mandira in her sleeveless splendour with the excuse of watching cricket. Some women have permanently banned husbands from watching Sony Max, along with Fashion-TV and MTV.
(Mein Teri Souten Laaonga tum dekhte rahiyo  )
Deep Throat, my unimpeachable source on what goes on in this country --and what doesn't-- gives an exclusive account of two strategy meetings that Sony Max top brass had, one before and one after Ms Bedi's makeover.
Delhi, February 2
A week before World Cup
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"We will demolish the myth that cricket is a men's game,'' Sony Entertainment Television CEO Kunal Dasgupta said. "Yep," Executive Vice President Rajat Jain added.
Kapil Dev, the channel's brand ambassador, grimaced. "How?" he asked.
Kunal and Rajat chorused: "Meet Mandira Bedi."
Kapil looked at her. "Good grief and Holy googly!!" he thought. He had never seen an outfit like that before. Is she wearing a sari without a choli? He wondered. No, she is wearing a choli! But he couldn't quite see one sleeve. He quickly turned his gaze and began staring at the ceiling.
Anshuman Gaekwad, who signed up for expert analysis, said: "Well, it might be unnecessary. In any case, everybody will watch your channel because you have the exclusive rights."
"Oh no!" Kunal said. Rajat added: "It's only the men who watch. Sponsors want women also to watch because they too buy their products."
"Mandira, show them how you will SPONTANEOUSLY react on the channel LIVE when Tenduklar hits a boundary," Rajat told her.
Mandira adjusted her hair, touched up her lips, picked up a mike, looked at Kapil, Gaekwad and screamed: "Wow! Gee! Maa…rrr..velous! What a glorious four the lovable Tendu has hit!'' She smiled and bit her lips…
Kapil and Gaekwad gaped at her.
"And now," Rajat continued, "this is how Mandira will SPONTANEOUSLY react LIVE when Sachin hits a six."
Mandira adjusted her hair, touched up her lips, picked up the mike, looked at Kapil, Gaekwad and shrieked louder than before: "Wow! Gee! Oh Boy! Dum maro dum! Man! You adorable Sachin, what a beauty it was. Hmm...'' She screamed: ``Common India, Karlo dunia muttii mee...'' She blew a kiss in Kapil's direction, smiled and bit her lips.
Johannesburg, March 1
Before India-Pakistan match
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"I am getting negative reports from India about our cricket coverage,'' Kunal groaned.
"Aren't more women watching your show, I mean, cricket?" Kapil asked.
"It didn't quite happen like that," Kunal and Rajat said.
Kunal: "We secretly surveyed 3,658 women in 12 cites. 1, 932 stopped watching after two matches. The remaining 1726 women switched off television sets during matches. They didn't want their husbands to watch Mandira. And 431 of them banned their husbands from watching Sony Max along with FTV and MTV.''
Rajat: "This is not quite what the sponsors wanted."
Gaekwad: "So what do you do?"
Rajat: "Mandira will wear more appropriate clothes and less make-up. She will giggle less. She will stop saying `Oh Boy!'. She will stop biting her lips each time she smiles and speaks. And she will speak less.''
POSTSCRIPT
After England lost to Australia on Sunday night, she dropped a pearl of wisdom that shocked even co-anchor Charu Sharma: ``England must be upset. After all, they invented cricket!'' Hadn't Ms Bedi said she would be just ``herself'' on TV? Another Sony Max meeting?
Edited By sknath on 1047080197
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