Outlook – July 06, 2019

“Think about the rage that you felt when you couldn’t walk down an escalator
because a bunch of assholes were standing still. Imagine doing that for hours in
freezing temperatures...– Comedian JOHN OLIVER on traffic jams at Mt Everest.

Boom To Bust: A Sad Tale

You’ll feel doubly depressed if you superimpose this

tale of Boris Becker’s utter penury with those indel-

ible, faded-colour images from Wimbledon, 1985:

hands aloft, the quivering frame of a flaxen- haired

17-year-old after he won the championship point.

Becker, who was declared bankrupt, is now selling

off his silverware: replica grand slam trophies,

medals, clothing, watches, racquets, socks...to raise

money that would keep him afloat. Fiscal prudence

might not be Becker’s strongest serve, but can they

not organise a charity match for him?

An Actress Prepares

It speaks for myopic, unprofessional casting dire­

ctors i n Bolly wood that someone who looks as

int el ligently del ectable as Bidita Bag (Babumos­

hai Bandook baaz) was till recently refused roles

on account of long­held biases against ex­models,

non­native Hindi speakers and anyone not sport­

ing a vacant prettiness. But her dark days might

be over; Bidita shoots for a new film in Lucknow.

8 July 2019 OUTLOOK 65