The last giggle!

Aradhika  Sharma

“Girls, I finally saw Raazi last evening. What a super film, yaar!” Shobha said, unwrapping her palak parantha from the foil.

Sabrina: Everyone’stalking about the movie. I think I’m the only person who hasn’t seen it yet.

Me: You should. Don’t deprive yourself of a fab film.

Mandy: Ya, it’s really excellent and explores the essence of patriotism in its truest sense. Unlike jingoistic films such as Gadar, it espouses that love for your country doesn’t mean hate for another. You’re born in one country and you are loyal to it. Period. End of story! Nationalism in its best sense.

Sabrina: Hmmm… all that is OK, but I’m never madly tempted to see a movie starring Alia Bhatt.

Me: Goodness me! Why? 

Sabrina: Probably because that SOTY film that Karan Johar made to launch her didn’t impress me with its intelligence, following which Alia came up with that foolish response on Koffee with Karan to who was the President of the country, and I guess that was that! Her fate was sealed as far as I was concerned.

Mandy: Don’t be judgmental, Sabrina. You’re cutting your nose to spite your face by boycotting — or ‘girl’cotting her — and missing out on good cinematic experiences. 

Me: Also, she’s anything but ditzy. Look at the career choices she’s making. Working with the best directors, getting meaty, meaningful roles.

Mandy: In fact, she’s having the last giggle plus laughing all the way to the bank.

Shobha: Not to mention, waltzing her way into the nation’s heart with her cute dimples.

Sabrina: Humph!

Mandy: She’s becoming quite a role model for girls, you know.

Sabrina: Oh, come on! That’s taking the Alia Bhatt fandom a bit too far.

Mandy: No, really… see, in Humpty Sharma ki Dulhania, her character gave the message of the importance of girls being independent and, in Raazi, she was the scared little female spy, whose love for her country dictated all the tough choices that she made. Those are strong female messages. 

Me: And how about Highway? Although I do think that the denouement was a bit shrill, at least they talked about child sexual abuse in very open and honest terms. And how good was she in Udta Punjab. Gave even Shahid a run for his money. In fact, his character was seeming a bit hammy compared to her tight performance.

Shobha: She’s evidently quite confident and secure about her skill and talent and not scared to experiment. 

Mandy: True! It’s these internet trolls that make a big deal of nothing.

Me: These internet trolls should be con‘trolled’!

Sabrina: Well, each to her own, but my favourites are still Katrina and Deepika. No one can beat them.

Me: Aha! But young Alia has trumped them in one very important department. 

Sabrina: Matlab?

Me: Matlab she’s acting with Ranbir Kapoor in Ayan Mukerji’s upcomingfilm; admits she has the “biggest crush of all time” on Ranbir, and recently, has been exchanging kiss emoticons with mama Neetu on Twitter.

Shobha: That’s one solid Brahmastra!

Sabrina: Masterstroke! I concede her superiority. No ifs and ‘Bhatts’!