Miss Roy

By Manuwant Choudhary

I am not sure why I went to see this new Hindi film Roy but I did quite enjoy it and came out falling in love with the Sri Lankan actress Jacqueline Fernandes.

She does have an uncanny resemblance to Jacqueline Kennedy.

But Bollywood directors take things just too far...I don't think she is suited to be a ballerina...even if it is for a few minutes on lovely seaside locale.

The film was modern and international and reflects the times we live in.

Even thieves are no longer the chain snatchers at railway stations.

My mom says a minister in the Narendra Modi cabinet snatched her gold chain many years ago.

But this film does make you ponder....especially when throughout the film Ranbir Kapoor keeps repeating "Main chor hoon !"

The film has some nice songs but still may not do well at the box office...its too classy even for the chor's (thieves).

Coming back to Jacqueline....she looked amazing with the horses and the way she did yoga and the reading glasses and playing hard to get....retaining a bit of her soul in this mad bad world.

Studying in the UK I got a call from an old friend in London and he asked me how things were in India.

The journalist in me would not stop as I went on to talk about the corruption in India....20 minutes of JVG, Sahara etc...and how they were looting the ordinary egg-seller.

At the end of it I asked him what he did.

And there was a pause...and his reply, "Thats exactly what I do..."

He worked for an American finance company.

Of course, todays papers have this story about Subrata Roy and that he is in prison for a year now because India' s Supreme Court wants him to pay a bail amount of Rs.10,000 crore and he has been unable to sell his properties abroad.

At airport bookstores I have seen his autobiography staring at me but I have not bought one.

Nor have I worked for him.

In fact, it has always amused me as to who this man is and the Sahara pranams I would see his employees do at airports with bouquets in hand looked so fake...almost Hitlerish..that I never cared about him, until now.

Until I find his freedom taken away from him by India's Supreme Court.

And now even Amar Singh and Amitabh Bachchan don't say a word in his support.

Nor does Mulayam Singh.

Not Team India who wore his Sahara uniforms for decades.

Not the politcians he favoured.

Roy's bail is his right....as long as he does not escape the law.

And the Supreme Court demanding 10,000 crores for bail violates the principles of justice `Equality Before Law..."

Some years ago..a friend from abroad inquired about Roy and that he planned to set up a dairy and some hotels there....she owned a logistic company.....

My advice to her, "Don't let him transport his cows in your truck...he will take your trucks alongwith the cows !"

Jokes apart....I think Subrata Roys prison term violates the principles of justice.....and I hope justice prevails....because you may be next.

My ex-boss is also a Roy - but the bearded one....