Shilpa’s Yoga

She is ravishingly beautiful, has a great body, smiling-talking eyes, a decent actress and yes she has done India ‘proud’. Of course, we are talking about our latest export Shilpa Shetty who is making definite inroads in the western world after the acrimoniously famous ‘Big Brother’ victory. After launching her perfume S2, Diva Shetty has made another coup that is bound to go down well with the West and East alike.

The DVD of Shilpa’s Yoga guide is the brainwave of S2 Global Productions Pvt Ltd and has been presented by Firefly Entertainment UK. It’s a methodical, detailed-yet-simply-put foray into the ancient practice that promises to “integrate” the human mind, body, and soul.

Before going into the details, let’s start with something that startles once the Yoga video flows like the tranquil Kerala backwaters. It’s obvious that Shilpa’s glamorous appeal has been utilized to maximize the eyeballs. For when you watch gorgeous S2 moving that lithe body trapped in a skimpy top it’s hard to take off the eyes away from the washboard abs and the slow sensuous moves. The burning austere lamps, decorated elephants walking languorously on a sea beach and pious music tinkering along softly are definite attempts at cashing in on the stereotypes associated with India.

To be fair to Shilpa, apart from capitalizing on the Oomph factor, she makes an extremely genuine attempt at helping you delve into the world of Yoga by giving personalized anecdotes from her own hectic life. Yoga, according to her is a lifestyle choice and proved immensely valuable during outdoor shoots when she couldn’t carry weights for exercising. It’s perfectly scientific, safe and each asana aims at a specific body part. After a brief introduction, it’s time for the Workout. Shilpa showcases the various asanas catering to various body parts while a voiceover (in a thick British accent) explains the dos and don’ts.

Now, while she shows you how it’s done, there are twin advantages for you as a viewer. The first one is that if you wish to get a detailed guide to the techniques of Yoga, you don’t need to look any further. And secondly, in the manner in which Shilpa performs the various asanas (almost in a slow-motion), there’s sexuality oozing out from all pores and it keeps you engaged even if Yoga doesn’t fascinate you.

The Video comes with a few other notable features as well. If you found the detailed workout a bit too long then there’s a 15 Minute Quick Fix shot at various locations. The most engaging part of this bonus feature is Shilpa posing atop a boat amidst the peaceful Kerala Backwaters. In the Meet Shilpa section, Cheeni Kum child star Swini Khare gives a lowdown on Shilpa’s career. It’s an interesting way of presenting Shilpa’s Filmography for Swini vows to be a die-hard Shilpa fan. Shilpa’s Stills will hold attention for those who wish to perfume their desktops with the designer S2 pictures.

It’s time to come to two of the most amusing features of this Video. The Behind the Scenes and the Bloopers… While Behind the Scenes finds director Manish Jha playing SRK pranks, Shilpa showing off the disco steps, the fast-paced windy conditions causing problems on the outdoor, the camera grueling along on the trolley, the numerous look-downs on the monitor, and the tiring painful moments of doing the same shot again-n-again. The Bloopers are an opportunity for Shilpa to laugh at her own expense. Be it the tongue-twisting script or a posture gone sour, Shetty good-naturedly breaks into hearty laughter nevertheless and you just can’t help but smile unabashedly.