Mallika I hate you, I hate you. I want to touch you. The metallic computer-altered voice kept ringing on my car’s FM channel. It was a strangely addictive techno-tune, which kept doing rounds in my mind long afterwards. This non-film song, released as a single by composer-singer Sandeep Chowta (of Mast, Khallas and Kambakht Ishq-fame) has been reigning lately over the FM-charts all across the country.

Now look at what Chowta has to say about the hit song. “"My song has nothing to do with Mallika Sherawat. I just wanted an Indian name. I could have even named my album Chandramukhi I Hate You! But Mallika sounded more Indian. The title is about the women we love but can’t touch. They are inaccessible and remain in our dreams!"

Femme Fatale

Now if that is not hogwash, what else qualifies? Yes, I fully endorse and identify with Chowta’s thought-process when he says that the song is about a Femme Fatale – a dream object who remains frustratingly out of reach, invoking a strange love-hate feeling. But I simply don’t believe that Chowta is not cashing on sex- appeal of real Mallika (Sherawat that is!) in this song because it is her image which gives that song a touch of reality. The last couple of years have seen the Sherawat-girl making big strides in the realms of stardom and this song (despite Chowta’s claim to the contrary!) represents yet another confirmation of her growing star-value!

Like No One Before

Have you seen anyone like Mallika before? At least I haven’t. She has been a new breed altogether and it’s hard to predict about impact of her legacy so early in her career. I distinctly remember her debut-film Khwahish, a film that most film-goers gave a miss- despite the hype about 17 kisses in the movie (or was it 71?) There she had played a smart, young and modern girl who matter-of-factly asked pointed questions about her would-be husband’s prior sex-life and who boldly asked the shop-keeper for condoms when the husband was tongue