The Virtue of Sin

“Shayari meri,baatein dil ki,teri meri,” read out actor Hema Malini at a book launch last week. “This poem is written by Dharam ji; he has now cultivated a hobby of playing with words,” she told an applauding audience. Hema Malini,along with fellow Bollywood seniors Javed Akhtar and Mahesh Bhatt graced the launch of Virtuous Sin (Rs 299,Har-Anand Publication),a book of poetry by Shadan Ahmed. The book,a compilation of poems written by Ahmed during her journalistic stint in Germany,celebrates feminine amour. About the “bold” topic,the poet said,“I write poems because I feel them.”

Filmmaker Bhatt,who has written the foreword,spoke in his trademark clichés. No wonder then that lyricist Javed Akhtar remarked,“Speaking after Bhatt saheb is like coming out to bat after Sachin Tendulkar has made a century.” Also spotted chatting over dinner that followed the book launch,were Swami Agnivesh,filmmaker Shyam Benegal and several members of the parliament.