The Indian Beauty vs the Indian Sex Symbol at Cannes

The ongoing Cannes Film Festival is seeing a stark contrast of the Indian cinema this time.

While on one hand there is the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai (view Aishwarya Rai videos) who represents the true face of Indian womanhood - delicate, feminine, beautiful, ethereal, on the other hand there is Mallika Sherawat (view Mallika Sherawat videos) who with her brassy upfront image, recently likened herself to Brigitte Bardot, Grace Kelly and Madonna all in one sentence.


Ash undoubtedly did the whole of India proud when she declared the Cannes Film Festival open. The face of Indian cinema is the face of Indian grace and dignity -- Hema Malini , Rekha , Sridevi , Madhuri Dixit , Ash. These are the dream girls of Hindi cinema representing Indian grace and beauty personified.

But if eulogizing herself wasn’t enough, Mallika addressed a press conference for promoting her forthcoming film (the Jackie Chan starrer) ‘The Myth’ in an attire that not only showed more and covered little but looked like a revved-up advertisement for a silicone implant (have another look at the picture).

And many of her Bollywood colleagues are appalled at her body-display. Says one: "What was the need for her to wear, or not wear, clothes that left nothing, and everything, to the imagination? The hot-bod image may have men panting for her back home. But over there in Cannes Mallika represented India and Indian cinema. The foreigners are hardly going to be bowled over by a woman's sharp cleavage content. You need much more substance to grab attention at a jamboree like Cannes."

But Mallika has said at Cannes that she represents Jackie Chan's ‘The Myth’ and not Indian cinema at Cannes. She has also sent back her reactions to Cannes in a letter where she expresses her delight at being able to explore "unexplored anthropological territory".

Her powers of expressions in the English language seem to have improved dramatically. But her image as the consummate Indian actress seems to have gone for a toss in Cannes.

There's little to endear Mallika abroad to those who are curious about Indian cinema. Mallika represents the pseudo-cosmopolitan face of Bollywood. Her appeal is restricted to pre-pubescent students and single men who consider cinema a source of vicarious pleasure.

So cover up babe, before its too late.