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Opinion

That exotic radio!

The fact that I gave no more than a mere cursory,  fleeting glance at that naked, PK Aamir Khan poster on the web when it first appeared, and never afterwards, even after those very welcome and expedited controversies which surrounded it, does not make me any less connoisseur of art, I suppose. Or does it? On a second thought, after that affirmative tag question, I have decided that I would rather take a brooding look at myself and find out what was wrong with me that made me escape a flutter with Aamir Khan’s naked poster.

The process of self analysis churning ,  I’m forced to think if the creative team of PK had it in their mind in the first place too? Well, I can see them succeeding, but not extraneously as planned. My curiosity is getting spiritually intrinsic, which is commercially meaningless to Aamir Khan and the team. But I went on the path of self-discovery a la the PK poster; with my own fancy and imaginations, I recreated how AK grimaced in that PK poster with that transistor covering his vital organ, exposing the left half of his waist to prove he in fact was really naked,  if only the photo was not photoshopped for once.

Starting off
Why did I not appreciate or  get shocked in the first place? Am I not this great thinking actor’s fan? Yes, I am. Except for those particular histrionics when he makes a face with raised forehead and a posed thoughtful, over-empathising, intellectual look which is rare for any Bollywood breed.

Salman Khan, who has as of now proved himself only half as brave as Aamir with his shirtless stint, is fast becoming obsolete , with every other actor desperately imitating him with some chest cleavage and packed abs. The Salman test is redundant in the face of our thinking actor’s PK stunt; the latter is already exuding confidence to set the ball rolling, and whether or not he would be remembered by the future historians of Bollywood as a harbinger of sort?

While many are defending this as a piece of art, I decided to zero in on on that ‘I fear I am no connoisseur’ point after a PIL being recently quashed by the highest court in the country on the same ground.

While still preferring not to take a look at the poster, I intently thought of the railway tracks which had symbolic connotations  on which the naked actor stands with a radio; the underwear substitute for him.

A Tarzan in a renewed avatar or a gadget replacing the Mowgli underwear, sitting or standing naked on river side or under a tree or in nice sylvan setting may be mistaken for a stylish mendicant.
Railway tracks speak of danger, speed and motion. Nudity in public, I believe, suggests the same. Together, they are daringly dangerous.

I believe I have bumped on the right perspective. It is indeed a piece of art and the team has been very artistic.  Kudos. What about the rear? Now the mundane thoughts so inartistic about me start nagging me. Were there spot boys or other helpers ogling at the shoot from behind and secretly admiring the living piece of art, or was the scene a no man’s zone? Like PETA ads, maybe this is symbolic of the urgent need for the revival of conventional radio which when in use has no scope for showing nudity in any way, like television, Internet and movies for example. Not until Aamir Khan has proved you wrong. Radio too can serve as a prop to excite, amuse and titillate.

As an underwear substitute. Focus there. The dying, conventional radio has found an appearance in India’s most thoughtful actor’s forbidden zone to win your urgent attention. That is artistic about it. I am positive now. I sincerely believe that the PK poster is a piece of great art and that I am no true connoisseur of art. Kudos to the Aamir!

The author works with the Information and Public Relations department of Odisha
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