Welcome to the Kalpana channel and today we are coming close to the finale of “Urvashi Ka Swayamvar” , which has garnered records viewership in all the three worlds. This is your host Narada and with me I have, as always, my trusty henchman Vidur.
For those, who like the Magna-mainaak (submerged Mainaak mountain) have been hiding underneath the ocean for thousands of years and have no idea of what I am talking about, a brief re-cap.
Urvashi is the most famous “item girl” in the universe (or as we call her round here “apsara”) who became supposedly “irresistible” after being granted several boons by the God of Plastic Surgery, Implanta-karma. She initially made her name by doing provocative dance numbers like “Mohabbat Hain Chili” and managing numerous other small-time little-clothed appearances in several Indrasabha programs. However she catapulted into universal limelight only after being kissed by Mika-asura (famous for setting fire to the rains), in full view of Trinayana (television cameras). This was followed by another explosive appearance on a reality show “Bada Boss”. Since then Urvashi has been controversy’s child, forever in the media with her opinions being sought on cricket, terrorism and even on whether Mahishasura needs a deodorant.
A few months ago, after a failed relationship with male-apsara, mega-nautanki-baaz Abhi-Shake and after much nationally-televised drama, Urvashi floated a universal tender for herself and decided to get married in front of the Trinayana (the television cameras) with the three worlds as witnesses. Thus was born “Urvashi Ka Swayamvar” as sixteen worthies, representing Dev Danav and Manav came from the far reaches of the galaxies to win her fair hand.
Vidur: And now only a handful remain and the excitement everywhere is palpable.
Narada: You don’t say. How is this for appreciation? A viewer, a God in fact by the name of Aranya Dev writes in —-“Urvashi Ka Swayamvar is must-watch evening viewing. I have always been intrigued by how Lord Mahadeva bore Halahala (the Great Poison) in his neck during the Great Churning Of the Ocean (Samudra Manthan). Watching “Urvashi Ka Swayamvar” gives me some sense of what he went through as I feel my body turn blue every evening.
Vidur: That’s extreme. But amazing. Or as Urvashi says “Amaaaaaaizing”. What I find so appealing about Urvashi, besides her saying “mother-in-low” and “father-in-low” and “Shock ho gayee” and “Woh off ho gya” (to denote someone’s death) and “Aap mere liye thande hain” (I find you cool) and “Tank You”, is her honesty or as the Danavs call it “Bind-Ass-ness”. Take for example her age. Whenever any of the contestants tell her his age, she is always concerned that she is six years elder to him. So as the contestant’s ages vary, so does hers in a wide spread.
Narada: Most astute. After all, age like bra size is just a number.
Vidur: Aha you betray your bachelorhood. A bra-size is actually alpha-numeric.
Narada: Whatever. But you bring up an interesting point. Bachelor parties. Urvashi very openly makes a clean breast of her bachelor-party dancing past though of course she remarks that no touching was involved. Ever.
Vidur: Yes. Good you mention that. It was indeed bravely honest of her to lay bare in front of all how her father abandoned her, how her mother and sister and brother and boyfriend all exploited her and how she, like a blameless all-sacrificing martyr who makes even Jesus-Dev look ordinary, worked herself to death for them. Most people would not talk about their pasts, even when it makes the halos round their heads brighter at the cost of others.
Narada: Of course I should mention there was some controversy regarding that. Some people believed that Urvashi’s hammering of her family on universal TV was rather unfair and poor form (especially since she eliminated a contestant for not being respectful of his mother) since those being vilified were not there to give their side of their story. But then again Urvashi has never shied away from controversy and neither would the channel want her to for that matter.
Vidur: The biggest controversy in my mind of course was Urvashi eliminating a contestant who dared ask her about her past. The nerve of that guy ! Not only was he very probing in general but he also had the gall to inquire whether she has engaged in a physical relationship with her ex. Critics of Urvashi said it was hypocritical for her to get so angry at being asked genuine questions people encounter before getting married, especially since Urvashi who makes such a show of bind-ass-ness had asked her prospective grooms to ask her anything they wanted.
Narada: What bull. Even a bachelor like me knows that when a woman says “Ask me everything” she means exactly the opposite. Every husband knows when wifey puts on a dress and asks “How do I look darling? Please be honest” you don’t say “You look like a blue whale wearing a circus tent”. No. You say “You look delicious. I could eat you right now”.
I mean every other contestant knew that. Given the opportunity to ask Urvashi questions, they waxed eloquent about how ethereal she looked, how heavenly she was and how they wanted to spend eternity looking at her emmm eyes. Why did that guy have to ask her “those questions”?
Vidur: Right. When Ganga-ji married King Shantanu she laid down the rule that he was not to ask her any questions. He didnt utter a word when she started drowning her new-borns. The day he said something, we all know what happened. Didn’t that manav learn a lesson from this story? Did King Pandu ever ask Queen Kunti why Arjun and Bheema look nothing like him? If he did, then perhaps we would not have gotten the greatest warriors of all time but instead merely a few Pandu Havaldars. Hah !
Narada: Point. Point. To me what’s most appealing is Urvashi’s “child-woman” appeal—-her babylike innocence, her “cho chweet” smile, her closed eyes, her making faces at the camera in the style of Sree Devi, her desire to have a wedding like Plastic-Arya Rai (she even got the same designer Langda Lulla who designed Plastic’s wedding ensemble to do hers) , the Yash Chopra “Mere Khawabon Main Jo Aaye” “Pativrata Indian nari “thing she has going (note how she takes ghunghat in one of the prospective groom’s parents house but does not forget to show some cleavage and navel), the fresh lady of indeterminate age awakening to love and romance, a love she feels for many contestants, in the best traditions of Draupadi.
Vidur: Aaah. Some asshole Danavs of course run her down saying that this whole show is all about Urvashi playing out a gigantic Hindi movie fantasy—– repeating cliched filmi dialog (like how despite having a line of multi-billionaires behind her she wants a simple honest boy), pretending to be the typical solaah-saal heroine, getting pampered obscenely and being showered with gifts every second, having dates amidst carefully constructed sets in the best traditions of the Johar-Chopra genre with songs of the Great God SRK playing in the background. This is of course framed in the context of a larger complaint—that the show is fake and scripted. And that the ending is fixed and will involve no marriage.
Narada: I could make an epistemological point about truth and maaya here. But such high philosophy will be lost on the average Urvashi Ka Swayamvar viewer. If you are really interested in “Sach” I ask you to watch “Satya Ke Aage” on our competing channel where Hardy Kambli weeps under a lie-detector saying Laurel Tendulkar should have done more for his weight problem.
So for now I will just say “What ! You think the program is scripted !” I cannot imagine how anyone can find anything remotely fake about the show. I understand that her “elder brother” isnt really her elder brother and her “mai ka” have no connection with her and her “friends” are hired professionals and that sometimes even when Urvashi knows exactly which surprise “relation” will show up, she feigns surprise and happiness.
But just look at the contestants. What can be fake about such a group and their expressions of mad love for Urvashi, a love for which they jump on burning coals, bend rods with their chest, debase themselves in every episode, try to outdo each other with the most over-the-top expressions of passion possible? Indeed. When I look at these fine group of Manav, Danav and Dev like Ilish (Hilsa) the Fish King from NRI-land I don’t see a bunch of star-crazed small-town halfwits or fame-hungry sharks out to out-Urvashi Urvashi at her own game or “trophy-wife seekers”. No sir. I see a bunch of people, madly in love, out to catch that comet debris in the sky, the cosmic matter that their Mamas always told them they could not touch, in the process giving hope to people all over the universe that the pin-up doll you have in your bedroom can one day be yours. If you want her that much and if you are willing to forsake totally your self-respect. Yes you can.
Vidur: Excellent. Let me read out a note I got from an anonymous viewer. She writes.
“Call it what you will. Fake. Scripted. I don’t know. And I don’t care. But being a woman who has gone through the humiliation of an arranged marriage, of being paraded in front of prospective grooms like a goat at a country fair , some of whom are eager for the laddoos from the plate and some eager to measure the other laddoos they like to think they are “getting” through shameless stares, and then finally of being rejected like a piece of furniture I just love the way Urvashi turns the tables. For once it is men who have to show their wares, dance and sing, brag about their cooking skills. It is the man’s family who have to go out of the way to be nice and complaisant. And most importantly it is the men who now have to put up with a public rejection. People will now be pointing and smirking “There goes the guy Urvashi rejected despite his best attempts”. Not that it changes matters much but at least it will be a pleasant change from the whispers I often heard: “She is getting so old. Why doesn’t anyone marry her?” Go Urvashi go. Give it to them.”
Narada (coughing): Yes. Indeed. Very interesting. Well before we go to the program, there is just time for one more viewer mail, where from the millions we get, we select one at random. And here it is. We have no idea as to what’s written here. We will read it together with you viewers.
” There is just one winner here. Urvashi. She gets to live her fantasies. She gets to blast whom she wants. She gets pampered. She gets paid. For those people scoffing at her and using the word “loser” , here is what I think. There are losers. Sure. The contestants for one. But they are nothing compared to the biggest losers—- those who watch the program. Every day of the week. Wait. I take that back. The biggest losers are those that watch the show and then comment, email, discuss and blog about it. ”
Uncomfortable silence…
Narada: Moving on……let us now go to Freddie Flintstone, our man in the Swayamvar as he takes over….
Freddie Flintstone Kapoor (trying hard to prevent himself from laughing out loud at the ridiculousness of it all): Urvashi Ka Swayamvar mein aap ka swagaat hain……
————————————————————-
[Event: A Kolkata blog meet, which I think can be better characterized as a small blogcamp, is being organized by some enthusiasts in the city . Here is the link for the event]
The Greatbong Blog & Podcast 
Ipod!! :d
Arnab da eke baare jata hoyeche 😉
ipod ???
Urvashi ka swayamvar? LOL… You really have a Demented Mind. But mind you, Rakhi Sawant ain’t no Urvashi. Not that you wrote that she was. 😉
I hope Madame Urvashi doesn’t slap Freddie Flintstone Kapoor … and I sure as hell hope he does not slap her back only to cry: “How can she slap me Sir… How can she slap me?”
Oh wait a minute…that was a Bind-Ass TV show, not very different from the swayamvar. 😉
Ipods only go to the first comment that is longer than a few words. So, please send me a silver ipod this time around.
Love this show, hope she doesn’t find her man so is back for second season.
By the way, is that a painting by Raja Ravi Varma? Wow…Priceless !!
“Didn’t that manav learn a lesson from this story? Did King Pandu ever ask Queen Kunti why Arjun and Bheema look nothing like him? If he did, then perhaps we would not have gotten the greatest warriors of all time but instead merely a few Pandu Havaldars. Hah !”
Awesome….
Very hilarious and top notch. The ending had me rotfl
Arnab ki bolbo! Sadhu sadhu! Tum is yug ke Ved Vyas ho aur yeh Urvashi-Puran ka pehla adhyay tumhari sreshtha kritiyon mein se ek hai vats!!
But a little nit-picking, just to give credit where credit is due. The man who left his mark on pop culture with “Amaaaaaaaazing”! was the fellow who asked Urvashi who she did hanky-panky with, not Urvashi herself.
My favourite Danav Kaliyug ka Kanhaiyya Manmohan Tiwari is out of the show :(. Sigh, I’ll miss his bombastic prose and cheesy wooing.
By the way, is the first reader mail for real? Because it echoes my sentiments exactly. Go Urvashi go – for once give the men a taste of what women have to endure.
hahah….awesome. love her or hate her, can’t stop watching her…..
Awesome.. totally enjoyed reading it.
Please give me dust of your feet!
Hail Urvashi!!
Hey GB,
Another masterpiece!
I just can’t wait to see how would Urvashi react if she ever reads your blog (assuming she can read & understand English)!
On a side note, are you checking out ‘Sach ka Samnaa’? Its aired on Star Plus.
Regards,
Sowmik
Hi there….got to your blog by chance…and boy!! am i glad!!!
This piece was hilarious!!! Specially the last line 🙂
had me in splits…
Consider me a fan henceforth…
looking forward to much fun at your site!
Cheers,
N.
From One Loser to Another – So you do watch it after all eh?
Thank you arnab thank you!!! I so was looking forward to this. Well written as always.
O JEEJAS! This is the best blog you have written this year. If you try your hand directing spoofs you can go places.
Amazing piece GB… Highlighting the horrors which a girl going in for arranged marriage face was poignant. Even the acceptance, that there is only one Winner – Urvashi and the rest all – viewers, bloggers and ppl who comment on such blogs are losers.
This is amazing – we have reached a time when the so-called losers are the actual winners. First – our madame Urvashi – the biggest winner. Then the bloggers who see an increase in readership due to her – are also winners.
@gb,
Please let me know if the line below has come out innocently from your demented mind :
“her “mai ka” have no connection with her ”
😉
dement-asur, you are truly wicked 😀
but instead merely a few Pandu Havaldars. Hah !
Not bad at all 🙂
“You look like a blue whale wearing a circus tent”. No. You say “You look delicious. I could eat you right now”.
…..
What if the husband is vegetarian ?
“You look like a Russian Salad without the topping.” ?
Enjoyed the post 🙂
Superb and hilarious. You are the one who has made the program enjoyable. Watch it and wait for the next GB dialogue…..
rakhi ka swanwar…………
Urvashi would have been better doing a SWIMWEAR show, rather than a SWAYAMVAR show.
Rofl stuff 🙂
it was definitely one of the best post of yours …. i just can’t stop laughing … my tummy has started paining now …
i did write a post of rakhi ka swayamvar … but this one was a sure killer …
Magnificient GB….
“Take for example her age. Whenever any of the contestants tell her his age, she is always concerned that she is six years elder to him. So as the contestant’s ages vary, so does hers in a wide spread.”
Priceless.
Add to that she was born on the 25th of November 1978….which makes her almost 31. She tells everyones parents that she is 28-going on-29.
oops…shouldnt be discussing a girls age.
But wait.
We were discussing Urvashi right?
Narada: Most astute. After all, age like bra size is just a number.
Vidur: Aha you betray your bachelorhood. A bra-size is actually alpha-numeric.
TOP NOTCH! You should have been a laughter therapist, DADA!
The best part- “The biggest losers are those that watch the show and then comment, email, discuss and blog about it. ” Funny one. 😀
LMAO.. will get back to you when I can breath again.. Haaaaa
😀 😀
Maha granth (Mega post), khoob bhalo.
Just now found orkut profile of Manas 🙂
However she catapulted into universal limelight only after being kissed by Mika-asura (famous for setting fire to the rains), in full view of Trinayana (television cameras)…….Freddie Flintstone Kapoor….[:D] That was simply brilliant!! U r the best man!!
Amazing…..
You gotta watch this….
Mummy is sooooooooo goood… Papa is soooooo goood…
Mujhe Papa ka pyar chahiye…..
LOL….
I love it…. (The link above)
aapne itna sara bookeee diya (Bouquet) diya… this is shooooo shweeet
I am stunned
“Did King Pandu ever ask Queen Kunti why Arjun and Bheema look nothing like him? If he did, then perhaps we would not have gotten the greatest warriors of all time but instead merely a few Pandu Havaldars. Hah ! ”
Most awesome piece of creative writing !! ROTFL
simply your best post ever.
ROFL
hahah!!!
one of the best peices describing this spectacle.. I have never seen the show though extremely curious about it.. Now after reading it.. i definitely want to see the finale episode.. if nothing else.. it will definitely be a good wedding with wonderful sets and jewelery and clothes. With the masala of Indian moview thrown in.. wonder if her Ex boy freind would show up and save the damsel in distress/ realise he loves her and doesnt want to loose her..
and then the caption on TV to follow: “To Be continued…”
ha ha ha!!! a very well rounded take on the entire laugh riot on television in the name of swayamvar. I agree with the viewer on the point of arranged marraiges though, urvashi (though i detest her sati savitri ways) has been abale to turn some tables though. kudos to her for that.
Only u can write something like this! Your greatest post ever 🙂 And u r so right about the arranged marriage thingy. I actually have staarted liking her bcoz of her courage and m quite curious about the ending of the show. I started watching it on you tube after reading your earlier post about the show.
Just an aside, Sach ka saamna is noiced by the I&B ministry! Why are we such a nation full of morons!
oo vashi oo vashi … take it easy oo vashi
Rakhi Ka Drama Hai, Make the most of publicity
Char Dinkee, Chandani, Yeh swayamvar Fantasy
oo vashi oo vashi … take it easy oo vashi
My comment just got posted as Bengal Voice….
I heard there is going to be a sequel “Rakhi ki suhaag raat”. This time there will be 21 contestants since it is R-rated and under 21 not allowed 😉
Oh…and on the money as usual, GB!!
waiting for sequel to sequel – “Rakhi ka divorce -ek dardnaak haadsa”
GB, Amazing piece!
I am now uncomfortably silent 🙂
I loov the expression on her face when she says, “Main uddna chahati hu”. If the smartie Tiwari gets married to her ..next sequel dekhne ka maazaa aur jyada ayega.
Well…for the ‘losers’ who think they might miss this masterpiece once it’s over, there is some good news !!!
It seems there will be a Season-II. Even possibility of further seasons can’t be ruled out.
More entertainment!!!
More information here
“her “mai ka” have no connection with her ”
Wit…sheer wit of a pure devil with an utterly demented mind… 😀
Take a bow, GB.
hey this didnt work for me.
“Mihisasura needs deodorant”…..ha ha h aha ha ah aa
This is tops, GB…just tops!
brilliant! we’re not worthy…
GB, please something on ‘Sach Ka Saamna’.
Last night I saw this thing for the first time on y’tube ! Baap re baap …..kya kya specimen aye hain boss …… I fell off the sofa laughing once ! By the end of an hour I didn’t realise that I was on my 4th drink !
A question for everyone – Is it true that Abhiskek Bacchan dated this lady for some time ?????? I thought that chap had brains of a human not a cockroach !
Dibyo, This Abhishek isnt that Abhishek.
You can love her (you must be contestant on the show for that!), hate her but can’t ignore her.
BTW, here is tale of another swayamvar, of Mayawati’s 🙂
http://removing.blogspot.com/2009/07/maya-ka-swayamvar.html
GB wrote – “Dibyo, This Abhishek isnt that Abhishek.”
Then it must be that Abhishek who commented just after GB’s comment. 😉
Luckily Rakhi’s last name is spelled with a ‘W’ (i.e., Sawant) and not with a ‘V’ (i.e., Savant)… Otherwise it would have been quite ironic right? 😉
Freddie Flintstone Kapoor looks and talks like a pimp. Looks like both urvashi and freddie are comming directly from a mumbai dance bar. I want to tip freddie every time he asks rakhi to appear on the screen.
i would have preferred “draupadi ka cheer-haran” over “urvashi ka swayamvar”.
Some of whom are eager for the laddoos from the plate and some eager to measure the other laddoos they like to think they are “getting” through shameless stare!
😀 ROFL
@Arnabda : Ok, so its some unknown starlet Abhishek, that makes more sense.
BTW, shouldn’t “Freddie Flintstone Kapoor” be renamed as “Harjuna Ram-a-thonga Kapoor”. I mean his pot belly is enormous.
You are an Asur (Devil) GB.
Your Wit is outstanding.. and that punches shows in your post.
Loved it and reading again and again.
Bye the way the end is scripted here.
Channel will give the winner a choice between Rakhi and some Money.
Winner will take the Money and run away..
and once again Rakhi will get a chance to Sob on National Television.
Eager to see the last episode when he curses his destiny and they winner.
Thanks,
TarZan
Tarzan wrote: “You are an Asur (Devil)”
If you don’t mind, my friend, I would like to point out something remarkable:
• The Indic “Asura”/”Asur” comes nowhere close to the Middle-Eastern concept of “Devil”.
• Actually, there is absolutely NO Devil (Satan/Shaitan/Lucifer) mentioned in Indic scriptures.
• With no “Devil” (viz. Bogeyman) to Blame, there is no Devil’s Adversary to Fear. Therefore, there is no Eternal Hell to Fear. God is Love – Pure and Simple. Awesome, ain’t it ! 🙂
Lovely hahahahah!!!1
An entertaining activity is so observe side players in a frame. It always yields very entertaining results. In this case, just look at Mr Ram Kapoor. He is really really making the faces you and I would make if we were sitting there. I think he is having lots of fun!.
P.S This Manmohan Tiwari is quite entertaining. He seems to believe that he is a cross between Abhishek and Amitabh Bachchan.
GB,
You are exactly right! We find the show outrageous, still we watch it night after night and say ‘this show is so bad that its its good’. We are the biggest jokers here no matter the queen herself is Nautanki personified.
Awsome as usual.
Aap log mera swayamvar bhi dekhna…i have divorced my husband..
and the constestants would have to spend one night with me to prove themselves..
coming soooooonnnnnnnnn…
Please do not miss the Rakhi hamming in the latest episode “Main jaa rahi hun.. Main is Sawanvar chod ke jaa rahi hun!!” … With fluterring eyes (method acting gone kaput).. Actually, she has been trained to act it out but sometimes, I guess she is unable to hide the smile on her face.
And offcourse Atirik Sharma naming all the 4 finalists in rather imaginative ways!
Ram Kapoor should be given some award-shaward for taking Rakhi for another ‘special’ episode where he gets to hear Rakhi’s non-stop tirade of how
1. Every guy has broken her heart
2. And she does not have any family.
3. And she started working at a very young age.
4. And she loves being called the item girl..
Just goes on to show what can happen to all those handsome hunks of today if they put on weight!
And those of you who has been missing this atyachaar.. on Monday, there is a special episode of Rakhi on primetime, pouring her heart out to Ram.
Arnab da,
the new look of the GB is fantaballastic !!!
however u seem have lost some weight when compared to the old pic..
Looking forward to your book..
I’m sure other TV channels are going to start copying this reality show and are going to come up with a new show called “Randi ka Swayamvar”. :O
Guess which celebrity is going to star in this new show? There are so many celebrities to choose from …. that we might have actually this new show running to atleast 100 seasons. 😉
HeeJeeBeeJee wrote: Please do not miss the Rakhi hamming in the latest episode “Main jaa rahi hun.. Main is Sawanvar chod ke jaa rahi hun!!”
I think you forgot to put an “h” in “chod”. I think the correct dialog should have been: “Main is Swayamvar chodh ke jaa rahi hun” (“I’m going to screw this swayamvar before I am done.”) 😉
just alada………..darun darun
@GB,
What do you think of the photograph in this article?
Now Rakhi and Elesh to play parents in new reality show
Hahaha….The kid is trying to peer inside (as he/she may be hungry). Rakhi’s fearful expression and Elesh’s lusty look say it all !! What happened next? Any guesses? Wardrobe malfunction?