Bollywood item girl-turned-reality TV star Rakhi Sawant`s `swayamvar` is also making news in Pakistan with reams being written in the English and Urdu media about her impending marriage.
Sawant
chose Indo-Canadian businessman Elesh Parujanwala as her bridegroom on NDTV Imagine`s reality show `Rakhi Ka Swayamvar` late on Sunday evening.
"Rakhi Sawant ne jeevan saathi chun liya" went the headline in a Urdu newspaper.
The news was also put up on several news portals, including popular pakmahfil.com and e-zine pakteahouse soon after the grand finale of the much followed reality show.
Titled "Bollywood, Reality TV and Indian secularism," a post on e-zine pakteahouse talked of Sawant who became "a sensation in Bollywood through her hard work and determination despite an obvious lack of education and family background".
While a post on pakmahfil.com said, "The 30-year-old Gujarati NRI came all the way from Toronto to marry television`s drama queen...Rakhi has been bowled over by Elesh`s charm. He is the quietest of the lot and most sensitive when it comes to showing his emotions."
Sawant had zeroed in on Delhi`s Manas Katyal and Chittiz Jain, but finally chose Parujanwala.
"If Rakhi ties the knot with him, he is willing to leave Canada for good and settle in Mumbai forever. Rakhi has time and again said that at no cost she is willing to quit her showbiz career," another report read.A blogger who uses the nickname Bradistan Calling wrote, "The eligible bachelors are invariably unknown wannabe actors and small-time professionals. Without doubting their intentions, at first impression they all look as if they want to use Ms Sawant`s moderate success in Bollywood movies as a stepping stone to fame and fortune.
"I do not want to talk about my cynicism about limited talent and education or the apparent opportunism of the boys."
His post also talked about the episode where a Kashmiri police officer wanted to take Sawant as yet another wife. "The issue of Hindu-Muslim marriage, even in a supposedly secular India, is an explosive one."
Another forum `pkpolitics` wrote about Sawant getting ready for her engagement. Some members were surprised to see a post on Sawant. "What is this post doing here?" asked a blogger.
