Stripping for supper

Very much like singing for supper, there8217;s the new adage that goes something like stripping for supper8217;. And to say that it8217;s catching up fast in the city would be putting it mildly. Women stripping in the name of cabaret for leching men of all ages has been going on since time immemorial. When exactly the tables began turning remains in the dark.

Now, private parties, bridal showers, or just plain sessions8217;, organised specially for women where roles are reversed aren8217;t really anything new. And why should any man in his right mind object? Not only is there excellent money to be made approximately five to 50 times what women get paid but which man wouldn8217;t love to have women falling all over him? That8217;s the reasoning coming from Zeus, name changed part of the troupe. Basically a dancer in a group out to make a statement, a la the enthusiastic bunch in Fast Forward, his experiences led him on a stripping-spree.

Having done it just once, all he has to say is, quot;I don8217;t think there8217;s anything wrong with it. If women can flaunt their bodies, why can8217;t men?quot; Kamlaksh Shetty, who has taken part in a couple of other show-n-tell affairs agrees. quot;Basically, I8217;m a dancer. When I was first invited to such a show, I didn8217;t even know exactly what I was in for. But when it came down to the brass tacks, I found I didn8217;t really mind,8221; he says.

But call him a stripper, and he jumps defensively. quot;Excuse me, but I8217;m a dancer first. I8217;ve studied dancing, and have performed in a lot of places, too. See, this was just a one-time thing when I first did it. I was approached, and was told that there would be nothing obscene happening. So I tried it out. It was okay. After that, I8217;ve never had a problem.quot;

Is he embarrassed at all about this bare-all act? And how does his family react to his work? quot;Actually, it doesn8217;t really matter. My parents are cool about the whole thing. As long as they know I8217;m not into other, more dangerous things,quot; he says.

quot;As for being embarrassed, what are you talking about? Tell me, have you seen the fashion pageants for men? What do I do that they don8217;t? In fact, they8217;re more scantily dressed than I am for their swimsuit rounds, with a number-card attached to their underwear. They dance, haul equally scantily dressed girls around on their shoulders like sacks of potatoes, and generally do stuff like that. So what8217;s wrong with what I do?quot; he adds defending himself.

Sonu name changed couldn8217;t agree more. He8217;s done a strip-tease with a couple of Indian models in London, for a group of Indian ladies. Back home, these ladies told their friends to get in touch with him, and he was happy to do a similar show for them as well. quot;I have a beautiful body. Why shouldn8217;t I be showing it off? What do you think guys wearing body-suits and girls wearing almost nothing are doing? The difference here is that I8217;m doing it with a purpose to please others, and they do it to please themselves, or whoever. It8217;s the same with film stars. I8217;m more like them, because I get paid for what I do,quot; he says.

Sonu has no qualms about revealing that he gets paid Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 for one show. Less, if there are others to share with.

Otherwise, Sonu handles his father8217;s business of sand and limestone wholesale. At the age of 26, he8217;s made quite a name for himself modelling as well.

Kamlaksh and Zeus, who also model otherwise 8211; quot;This is just a once-in-a-way thingquot; 8211; are hesitant about revealing the cash they make. So, besides being a narcissistic exercise, it8217;s also a good way to earn money. quot;Yes. Why not?quot; says Sonu. Why not indeed?