A bare show of patriotism

“I am ready and willing, at any place and time of the Indian team’s choosing, to go in the nude to boost their sporting spirit to perform better!” And so goes on the letter by India’s most ‘patriotic’ citizen — model Poonam Pandey — to the BCCI, requesting permission for a “private therapeutic performance” (really now!) that she is willing to offer to our players to boost their morale.

To prove her point, Pandey goes on to say that psychological and medical studies conducted abroad confirm the fact that such performances are ‘inspirational’ for the players. So much for the love of the nation!

The bikini model’s audacious declaration sent ripples of shock throughout the nation. Not surprisingly, it has earned her the ire of the saffron parties and a lawsuit in a Bhopal court.

She was the most searched name on Google during the World Cup final and, mark my words, she will be the most sought-after controversial person for publicity-hungry reality shows.

And she might also become the most targeted person by the moral policing groups of the nation.

Miss Pandey might be viewing this as her shortcut to fame (even though it reeks of obscenity and desperation), but the smart lass fails to realise that such disgraced notoriety is always short-lived.

Where is the Preeti Jain who once accused director Madhur Bhandarkar of rape; or Jhanvi Kapoor, who claimed to have been actor Abhishek Bachchan’s wife?

Just because a Rakhi Sawant somehow became a household name with her bold antics does not guarantee the same fate for others emulating her.

Is the lure of the glam world so powerful that the hunger for recognition and success drives people into resorting to measures like this?

In a country where sex in films is heavily censored and nudity in art disapproved of, it would be a little too much for Pandey to expect her wish to be entertained.

But she achieved what she had probably set out for: instant rise to popularity. Almost overnight, Pandey became the most talked-about subject, second only to cricket.

Even social networking sites were replete with references to and speculations about her ‘sincere & selfless’ promise.

Pandey must believe that she has guaranteed herself a place in history books as the first woman to even make such a promise in India, but little does she know that far from being immortalised, she is most likely to end up being remembered as yet another wannabe trying her luck at sensation and success.

Last heard, she wanted to finalise Paris as the destination for her show of... er, patriotism. Talk about grit and determination!