The Dhoom women have always been characterized as personification of hot in Bollywood. But as the latest video of Dhoom’s title track went viral, there is a unanimous echo of dampened spirits amongst all. It’s good nonetheless but ‘woh Dhoom wali baat nahi hai’! Katrina Kaif, who serves as the lead lady in the newest edition of the franchise Dhoom 3, is resplendent no doubt! However she doesn’t get in the unusual slickness that people have been pining hopes on.

The reason why Dhoom Machale went viral for the first time was because of its off beat stylish look and feel. Earlier Chubby Esha Deol shed all her baby fat and appeared in a role that was quite stark from her potential and the roles she had procured before that. No doubt Dhoom was her most memorable work. She looked shockingly hot, not merely a shadow of her mother’s beauty which worked well for the film. For its time, Dhoom Machale was a fun, peppy and energetic numbers. It wasn’t common to make songs with such techno base as it was assumed that it wouldn’t ring well with all. YRF risked working against the flow and the first Dhoom Machale was laudable song which till date is famous amongst all.

Cut to Dhoom 2. The title song was a mishmash of b-boying and other fantastic street dances of America. Featuring Hrithik Roshan in the song surely raised the bar higher than expected. The man grooved his body to perfection. But the Dhoom girl Aishwarya Rai was equally stellar. Once again, the former Miss World has always been an example of remarkable poise and elegance. To work in a film like Dhoom 2 was quite unlikely her. She was scintillating and seductive like one would have never expected from her. Sizzling and charming, she made Crazy Kiya Re and Dhoom Machale rock! Somehow meted out with a more potent look worked in her favor as her audiences couldn’t get the Dhoom 2 image of the actress out of their head. The fantastic chemistry of Hrithik and Aishwarya raised the bar of Dhoom songs to an unexpectedly higher heights, which is why Dhoom 3‘s Dhoom Machale doesn’t seem all that great to us.

Aishwarya’s elegance, class and stature was insurmountable always but the reason Dhoom 2 stands as an undefeated work of hers is because of the distinct transition she got in her look for the film. One wouldn’t have expected the actress to don a street smart look like that and be marvelous at it.

Katrina Kaif looks gorgeous in every frame of the song, but the energy of its music is quite low. It was a very dull sounding Dhoom song, and I speak for many who wrote to us saying the same. Katrina Kaif’s infallible beauty is bewitching but the look she dons isn’t any new for the actress. People have seen her do a Sheila Ki Jawani and Zara Zara Touch Me too. She maintains the hotness quotient for sure but fails to raise the bar like what we expect a Dhoom franchise to deliver. She is known as the elegant Indian Barbie Doll but the actress has been versatile enough to try her hand at altering the perception of people towards her in many films before. But, there is not an inkling of newness in Dhoom 3′s Dhoom Machale.

Music wise, energy wise, it’s somber. It doesn’t give me the required kick I was expecting. Years later, I still get thrilled watching Hrithik and Ash do their Dhoom Machale. I doubt this thrilled me at all to linger through the week, forget years! There is a lack of earnest effortlessness as the song comes off as supremely plastic and if I may dare to say- Thanda.

Like I said, Dhoom has always personified a new dimension of slickness quotient in Bollywood. But the first impression hasn’t been quite great with most. We sincerely hope that our first impression doesn’t become our last!

The ultimate 'it' girl Malaika Arora who hit 38 this week continues to be one of Bollywood's primary head-turners.

However, there will be no more item songs from Malaika. 

A friend of the actress commented, "Malaika is the ultimate item girl. Her dances are in a league of their own. After 'Munni Badnaam Hui' in Dabangg no matter what she did would pale into insignificance. So she has made the right decision. 40 is a good age to hang up your boots and stockings even if you look as smashing as Malaika." 

Malaika on her part sounds as sexily secure now as ever. 

Says the dancing diva, "Yes, I am a year older. But I feel fantastic, younger than ever. There are no song-and-dance appearances right now. I haven't come across anything interesting."

SRK-Gauri. Nearly three decades. That’s how long they’ve known each other. Twenty-two years. That’s how long they’ve been married. And what a rock-solid marriage it’s been.

Bollywood’s most stable marriage, between superstar Shah Rukh Khan and his lovely wife Gauri Chibber aka Gauri Khan, has withstood the test of time, controversies, the perils of superstardom and has emerged as Bollywood’s favourite romantic story.

Legend has it that Shah Rukh Khan’s own blockbuster film of the 1990’s, ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge’, was inspired by his own love story. Parental opposition was a common theme in both his real life and reel life: Gauri’s parents were strongly against the Muslim youth who claimed to be madly in love with their daughter.

They met, as most young couples do, through common friends in the year 1984, in Delhi. Shah Rukh was instantly smitten by Gauri, who was four years his junior. They began dating secretly, with SRK reportedly playing the possessive, jealous lover to the hilt (‘Darr’, anyone?).

Soon after Gauri they had broken up for the umpteenth time, Gauri left him to come to Mumbai to stay with friends. A wounded, confused, much-in-love Shah Rukh followed her all the way to Mumbai, and thus began his quest to win her back.

Win her over he did, and the two were soon married (after they had got the permission of both sets of parents, hello ‘DDLJ’ again!)

Shah Rukh then, as the world knows, went on to become THE Shah Rukh Khan. He instantly tasted fame and stardom with his TV and films. The middle-class Delhi boy soon became the talk of the town in Big, Bad, Bombay. He became a certified movie star.

SRK and Gauri’s marriage has been through the entire gamut of difficulties and obstacles one would expect from a filmy marriage. Linkups, break-ups, failures, success- their union has seen it all. Rumours swirling fast and thick, casting aspersions on Shah Rukh Khan’s sexuality, controversies dogging his every step (especially over the last few years).

And yet, and yet… Gauri has stood like a rock by her man, never letting the outside world even cast a shadow of gloom on the love of her life.

Gauri Khan, in many ways, is SRK’s alter ego. While he is exuberant, charming, boisterous, at times hot-headed, she comes across as an ocean of calm. While he is business-savvy, she runs her home like a business: that is to say, extremely ably. When he is flying high, she grounds him. When he is down and out, she lifts him up.

The gorgeous couple have three beautiful children together: a strapping 17-year-old clone of Shah Rukh Khan in the form of Aryan Khan, a beautiful 13-year-old replica of Gauri in Suhana Khan and a new bundle of joy AbRam Khan (born via surrogacy, this year). The picture-perfect family is constantly in the limelight, but that hasn’t diminished the visible love, affection and adoration they have for one another.

In Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri, we see the age-old hope that love will survive the pressures of marriage. We see our collective fervent desires that love will not diminish over time, but will only mature with age, like good wine.

We see the pulsating, beating heart of our nation, going dhak dhak every time she looks lovingly at him, every time they make a public appearance (holding hands un-selfconsciously, like two young lovers out on a date), every time he crinkles his eyes and flashes his famous dimpled smile in her direction.