I was in Bangalore for the last few days. I caught some cricket as the TV would be on all the time. No, this post is not really about cricket. This is about ‘Fair and Ugly err Lovely’ Fourth Umpire. As I saw the face of Charu Sharma and Srikant, I was waiting for the ‘fair and lovely’ and incredibly dumb about cricket, Roshini Chopra. My, I almost fell out of the chair! I saw a woman who looked very different from Mandira and Roshini types. I was waiting for her to open her mouth but somehow I never got around seeing her speak that day.
But now I am back home and my nephews put the TV to DD sport and I saw that dame again on the occasion of today’s Ahmedabad One Day Match between India and Sri Lanka. My curiosity was piqued and I started asking my nephews about her name. They told me she is a former Indian cricket team member and her name is Anjum something. Well, I searched the net and found her name and photo and she is Anjum Chopra and she is not so fair for a lovely change. And she is such a breath of fresh air on ‘Fair and Ugly’ Fourth Umpire.
I wonder how DD Sports managed to get her on board with a sponsorship from ‘Fair and Ugly!’ After all, according to the ad they used to show, the prerequisite for being on Fourth Umpire kind of shows was fair skin (and if you do not have it like me, you were doomed unless you acquired it by the use of this magic cream).
Now in a land obsessed with fair skin in women (see any Indian matrimonial, and it will be full of men seeking fair women) I find Anjum’s presence so refreshing and somewhat surprising too. I find Anjum charming in her own way and when she speaks about cricket, you feel like listening to her. But I wonder how this good sense prevailed over in this show?
As, I was about to complete this post I saw a new ‘Fair and Ugly’ ad, which shows a newly wed dark woman being shouted at by her husband and after she uses this ‘Ugly’ cream she becomes fair and her husband is completely bowled over by her. I find this ad so offensive and ugly.
Now that some good sense has prevailed over the Fourth Umpire Show, I wish they would chuck their sponsors. Or better still, those idiot sponsors may quit themselves now that they do not have their ugly mentality reflected on the show.
I also wonder what do men folk have to say about Fair and Handsom, a recently launched fairness cream for men. My dad (who is 63) says he never imagined that he would see in his lifetime water sold in bottles and a fairness product for men!
FINALLY IT IS GOOD TO SEE A FORMER FEMALECRICKTER GIVING COMMENTARY…I DONT KNOW WHY IT TOOK SO LONG ….MAY BE THEY WERENOT WILLING TO WEAR NOODLE STRAPS AND BARE THEIR SHOULDERS ( AND DISPLAY THEIR IGNORANCE OF CRICKET )UMA
We can’t expect from ad makers to bring in social change, however flawless English they speak, or trendy look they sport or innumerable hip and hop parties they attend.These “Seths” “Kalras” and ” Padamsees” are not going to think differently from an illiterate Gawor.
I can so agree with you on this. I had written about this “Fair & Lovely” ads some time back, before I started my blog on a fresh note. I just can’t imagine why “success” is often equated to being “fair and lovely”. It is so damn sickening.I have not seen this edition of “Fourth Umpire”. But I am sure it must be such a relief not to have a noodle-strap woman on the panel, who is there only to provide the glamour element, much like the heroine of most of our Hindi films, especially those made in the ’80s.
Sigh, I miss the bomb Mandira but I’m all with Mridula. Good one. Anjum’s doing a great job and showing us why these ex-indian cricketers, males, are such fools. Give or take a respectful Jimmy amarnath and an inconsistent Vassan and a buffoonish Srikhanth…i think I’ll stop. Sorry for this overlong rant. Love post. Great blog. Olive branch. Cheers, Avi
And what about the new crème: Fair and Handsome that makes guys gora? My, my! I feel so emancipated!Regarding Mandira and the other equivalent dame, I have no problem with them. Their “pretty” faces go down well with me because cricket, for that matter any other game, is about playing, not about opinions being spouted around by dumb looking “cricket experts.” If there is a choice between Chetan Sharma, Srikanth, etc. and Mandira Bedi, I prefer Mandira Bedi any given day.Amrithttp://www.writingcave.com
hey mrids..I was gonna post about the same on my Blog..Now that compulsive cricket viewers have some sense to listen to in the breaks between sessions..there’s someone who actually talks sense amid the hulla-bulloo of the Srikants;Jimmy Amarnaths and the Charu Sharma’s of the world.. :0)And hey she talks more sense than any of these guys..hey mrids..the blogspot guys jus messsed with my Blog Template so i jus started on a new one..I know all my posts mite be gone but phew..thats the internet i guess..:0 (http://chronicserendipity.blogspot.com/ cheers Para
my first comment here.. I was about to comment on ur ‘5 reasons’ post.. which I will do sometime later..Good to know that some TV channel has brought a woman who actually knows cricket.. As we live in a time when ‘fair females’ are required even for men’s products like shaving cream, suitings and the like, the time for the presence of a woman in the commentary box is not far away.
I find Anjum’s presence so refreshing and somewhat surprising too.Well…is the change following ‘good sense’ having prevailed? Doubt it; this seems only an economical choice…since Mandira dumb Bedi n likes have started demanding exorbitant sums for doing such shows…the producers decided to go low frill…hence hired a little known (more knowing) lady-cricketer. Only time n TRP ratings will tell if this was a master move!
Alka, I do find this particular ad very offensive! And it does reflect a very mean mentality.Emma, I agree, out with noodle straps. They belong to FTV and not even cricket (pun intented).Avi, get your bomb dose on any other channel, they are so easily available that there is an overdose these days :)Raju, thanks a lot for leving a comment but I am so apprehensive what you have to say on the ‘5 reasons’ post! The bloggers have been very kind to me there, I hope you will continue the trend :)Amrit you will prefer Mandira Bedi to get your cricket from? What more can I say? The sarcasm was so quick for ‘Fair and Handsom’, but when it comes to women, the fairer the better, knowledge be damned? I say restrict them to FTV and the likes. Every damn thing is not about looks, whatever HT City and Delhi Times may say.Para, I am so happy to see your new blog up.Mustang, are all fair wannabes also asking for the same price as Mandira? How difficult it would be to replace one dumb about cricket good looking gal with another who is not yet famous? But then, you have sown some seeds of doubt, because I too do not give ‘good sense’ credit to these programs. And even less so to who determine TRPs!
Chennai pages, I AGREE WITH YOU.
Mridula,Just wanted to thank you for the hat tip to Desipundit on my post. I had not really seen it until you pointed it out. Thanks so much.
Well Anjum Chopra could be the only one making sensible comments on cricket in that panel. Srikanth is a comedian, Amarnath is a poet and Charu Sharma was actually an athlete. FYI Anjum Chopra was a usual guest in a show called Silly Point which comes on Sahara Samay. Thats where DD picked her up from.
i have always found the “fair & lovely” ads in bad taste. they shouldnt be allowed to air ads with such themes. their old ads too have reflected the same theme.coming to the matter of cricket, i’m not much of a cricket fan, but, i do think that a sportswoman associated with that game would be far better than any “fair n lovely” ladies that they usually put up for decorative purposes.
and about the fair and handsome ads…why do everyone aspire to beat the caucasians in skin color? whats the big deal…if that cream is gona make a killing in the market, i’ll probably be wondering about the degree of this world’s craziness.
I so hate fair and lovelyIndians are extremely racist !
Agreed.
She has such beautiful eyes!!!!
I have always had a problem with the makers of ‘fair and lovely’. They are the ones to blame for this crazy fairness obsession. Their ads make people think that your not good enough or theres something seriously wrong with you if you have a dark complexion. Someone needs to step in and set them straight.
Sidhu, I never noticed that!Anonymous, I agree with you.