Bollywood Beefcake Alert!

Back from a highly amusing trip, more of which anon. One thing that caught my eye - you'll see quite clearly why - were the omnipresent advertisements in the nearby princedoms, the scenic Emirates of Ajman and Sharjah (or Dubai's Newark and Camden, as we tend to think of them here) for a new epic of Mumbai: Dostana (Friendship), a romantic comedy with a twist.


The picture stars not one but two of Indian cinema's biggest male stars: Abhishek Bachchan (the scion of a Barrymore-like acting dynasty that has dominated Indian screens for decades) and the decidedly toothsome John Abraham.

I hope no-one will take it as disloyalty to the immortal Upen if I note that Mr. Abraham appears to be a little bit of all right.

Oh, and the twist? Dostana is the subcontinent's first gay-themed comedy, although in a kind of Bosom Buddies/Three's Company way: the boys have to pretend to be a couple in order to share a flat with the shy and retiring Shilpa Shetty, pictured lounging between them above. I was surprised to read, on my return, a fairly positive review of the picture in the New York Times.

Even more surprisingly, this daring effort is now playing in our staid little Sultanate. Perhaps a trip to the movies is in order...