Stand apart from Bimbo sisterhood
Shalini Passi, the season's new entry from Delhi has become the unexpected star of reality TV show Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives (FLBW). Since its release in mid-October, articles have been devoted to cuts of her blouses. Even Kapil Sharma gushes over her on his show, calling her a 'machhli'.
In this post-shame world of reality TV, where everyone is letting it all hang out — from Victoria Beckham's WAG lifestyle to Dubai Bling's idle elite — it's intriguing to find someone who stands out by holding on to something resembling values.
Passi's debut sees her descending a marble staircase in couture, dressed as Cleopatra no less, referencing ancient Egyptian iconography by holding daggers — even though she may not know that Cleopatra is typically shown with daggers only in death. The detail is telling: Passi resists the 'lady who lunches' label, though she may well be one. She trains in dance and singing, collects art, and even dabbles in painting — though her portrait of journalist Ruchika Mehta didn't quite resemble its subject. Perhaps she was going for something else.
In this bizarre genre of television content — almost a reverse Hunger Games, where the wealthy cannibalise each other for the not-so-wealthy's entertainment — Passi stands out by diving into life beyond luxury. She wades into the ocean in an expensive gown, embracing spontaneity over caution.
In another segment, she plunges into the sea while her cast-mates linger at the edge. To the other wives, she's weird. To the rest of us, she's reaching
