Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega: He Needs A Nurse

rahul

Can't 'imagine' a RDLJ taking over DDLJ. Can't imagine a Rahul taking over SRK! This Rahul is not the heartthrob of DDLJ but a druggy, a wife beater and a divorcee. With a laughter that would scare the wolves away (forget attracting 'brides-to-be') Rahul Mahajan is neither a (role) model nor a star actor. An over-aged ubla hua aaloo (boiled potato) is out to make a mess of a sanctimonious process. After all, the crores made by his father can be used to refurbish his druggy image. Claiming to be an aspiring politician and entertainer, he is out to find a bride for himself in a traditional manner.

NDTV channel Imagine has come up with Swayamvar Season 2 with the infamous (but popular!) Rahul Mahajan. The channel appears desperate to garner TRPs what with the earlier Swayamvar of Rakhi Sawant. Sawant selected Elesh Parujanwala to be her 'husband'. Sadly, the news is she has broken up with him. (So what was the farce all about!) Then came Raaz Pichhle Janam Ka, where secrets of past life were revealed. It was a fight between superstition and science. It was soon off the sir. And now another farce – RDLJ.

Rahul Mahajan, 35, is all out to get married. You would say, he is a little overage to get married and that too on a TV channel in a swayamvar. His dad Pramod Mahajan had allegedly fathered the murdered journalist Shivani Bhatnagar's child and was accused of having a hand in her murder too. From being a poor school teacher to a tech savvy crorepati politician, Pramod raised many a eyebrow. He owned the debacle of 2004 elections. And then on May 3 2006 he met with a bullet-riddled end.

Rahul was supposed to take over his father's political career (a la Rahul Gandhi). And then came the shocker. Exactly a month after his father's death on June 3, 2006, Mahajan was hospitalized after an alleged cocaine overdose mixed with drinks (partying in a government bungalow with close friend). He was arrested by the Delhi Police on charges of drug possession and consumption. Political hand saved him.

In July 2006, he got engaged to Shweta Singh someone he had known for 13 years. The wedding took place on August 29. There were serious allegations of wife beating/verbal abuse. The marriage lasted for two months. Shweta filed for a divorce on 13 December 2007. On 1 August 2008 they were divorced by mutual consent.

From then on Rahul has been on an over-drive on image building. He appeared on Bigg Boss 2 where he was openly pawing and kissing Payal Rohatgi, who ignored him. He did the same with Monica Bedi and was meted the same treatment. It was like langoor ke moonh mein angoor. He had not faced life in entertainment media and couldn't handle it.

Everything happened a little too soon for him – father's death, drug case, engagement/marriage/divorce. Then tryst with media. And now a swayamvar. It is all a little too mush for (poor) us to handle.

Now coming to the show proper. It is compered by Ram Kapoor, who compered the Rakhi Sawant swayamvar too. Enough brauhaha is made to make Rahul appear the most eligible bachelor (!!!) The initial response came from nine jail inmates, who showed keen interest to be his bride but were rejected. It is a puzzle that there are no divorcees as contestants or that would be an interesting point.

Out of the 15 brides-to-be, Swati Augustin, Priyadarshani Singh, Sonia Kour, Rupa Khurana, Rashmi Ravani, Twinkle Mukherjee, Charmy Chauhan, Mrinal, Rajshree Mishra, Tanu Bhatia, Mani Thakur, Devinder Sidhu, Shanti have already been eliminated. Mrinmai Kolwalkar, Harpreet Chhabra, Nikunj Malik, Dimpy Ganguly remain. Dimpy's 'chances' are bright. There were reports that he has already been engaged to her.

The show is nothing short of village nautanki with the girls dancing, singing, and displaying their histrionics. The worst is one can see him openly pawing, flirting and kissing the girls. If (as he claims) is a traditionalist, then none of his family members especially his mother is there. He is having a gala time like a spoilt prince. Seems like the effects of drugs have not left him.

As each contestant is eliminated, she ends up criticizing and cribbing about the remaining contestants. The bitching goes on. With so much negativity, it doesn't reflect well on them too. The girls' makeup and dresses are another eye sore. They look more like publicity-starved village belles. The set itself is garish reflecting old palaces of bygone era of maharajas.

An average Indian is still old school. No matter how advanced the world becomes or how many live-in relationships increase, one still goes for mother's approval and girl next door. A total family picture with an ideal son and an ideal bahu. Sadly none of these standard.Indian features are in this show.

As for Rahul Mahajan, he needs a nurse instead of a bride. Instead of living in fantasies, he should come out of drug-induced hallucinations and face the real world. He should register with a drug-rehab and cure himself of the after-effects. He should also see a psychiatrist to let go of past ghosts. He is no role model for anyone. If he can be on TV seeking bride, tomorrow a smuggler/terrorist/murderer too would take recourse to build up their image.

Considering how a whole lot of young impressionable minds get affected by these easy escapist solutions to the biggest decision of life, the TV channel should go easy. Can a reality show be an answer to real life relationship? I guess not. It is OK to watch it as a TV fictional show. That is what it ends up as.

Will you want a husband like Rahul Mahajan for yourself or your sister or daughter? That should answer that. The rules for courtship haven't changed. We still want someone to share our entire life with love. Period.

It will be interesting to know how this show ends. Will Rahul ever be blissfully married for good? Will the bride face a future unlike Shweta after the initial euphoria dies? Will it be happily married after? Very good questions indeed! Watch and wait. The result is not very far. Aa ha!