In a frank and bold discussion on the radio station BBC Asian Network, London, film publicist Dale Bhagwagar said he couldn't understand "why there is so much hoopla about Shahid and Kareena parting ways. It might prove to be good for the film's publicity, but the hullabaloo is quite unnecessary. Our entertainment media is simply aping the West by trying to peep into the personal lives of stars 24x7. Bollywood doesn't really need this. If the films are good, they are bound to run. And as far as 'Jab We Met' goes, it's a well-packaged product. Both Shahid and Kareena have matured as actors, though it would have done the film some more good, if their onscreen chemistry was still better, and if they looked less like siblings."
"In fact, with this film, Kareena has risen to be one the best bets Bollywood has for the future. She might be direct competition to Rani Mukherji and Aishwarya Rai now," he added.
In this live interview, Dale said, "Kareena Kapoor actually looks like Shahid Kapur's elder sister! Saif Ali Khan is a better bet for her; looks wise, as well as career wise!" This cheesy comment sparked off a debate on the interactive programme, with listeners wondering, why so much importance was being given to the split between the lovers.
The BBC had sort Dale's opinion and inputs on whether the much-publicized Shahid-Kareena split is genuine or a 'publicity stunt' for their latest film 'Jab We Met'. While the publicist said he "would like to believe it is for real, until proven otherwise", he admitted that "link-up gimmicks have been a part and parcel of publicity exercises for hundreds of films since the time of Manmohan Desai."
Earlier, in his weekly PR column 'Ask Dale' on the internet, the publicist had stated, "From an imaging point of view, after his split with Kareena, Shahid can either play cry-baby and portray himself as a bechara attracting public sympathy, or he can say that it doesn't bother him if Kareena left him. But Shahid is toeing a better line right now. He is saying that he is moving on in life. Even if he is being diplomatic in the way he is handling the media, there's no denying that given the situation, it's the best path he can take at the moment."
