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| (Left to right) Shobhaa Dé, Yana Gupta, Mallika Sarabhai, Saba Ali Khan, Sushmita Sen, Taslima Nasrin, Anjolie Ela Menon, Khushbu, Sohini Haldar, Shovana Narayan, and (below) Soha Ali Khan |
Shobhaa Dé, writer
I would like to propose to Oscar Wilde. He was brilliant, good looking, irreverent, a dandy — and would have posed a special challenge!
Saba Ali Khan, jewellery designer
My mind and heart are set on Pierce Brosnan! He is one person I have been fond of for a very long time. I have been his biggest fan since his Remington Steele days. Even my brother likes his style.
Shovana Narayan, dancer
I would have proposed to Lord Buddha. He was a thorough gentleman, compassionate and sensitive. He always talked about taking the middle path and that too the righteous path. Though I did not like his idea of leaving his wife Yashodhara in the middle of the night, I think he did so because he was too attached to her. It would not have been possible for him to get over his emotional attachment if he had to face her. These are the qualities one would look for in a man.
Kavita Krishnamurthy, singer
I really think men should propose to women. I married at a very late age — and that was after L. Subramaniam proposed to me. I think I would like to get married to him again. But the other man whom I quite liked was Fitzwilliam Darcy in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. I loved his aloof nature. He was very dignified, mature and intelligent but not sociable. I see these qualities in my husband too.
Khushbu, politician and actress
I would choose Gulzaar saab. He writes the most romantic poems. There is something so charming about him that you can sit and converse with him on any subject for days at a stretch.
Sohini Haldar, actress
Given an opportunity, I would have liked to have proposed to Marlon Brando, the American actor. He is my all-time love. Not only was he handsome but in his acting there was this spunk that always attracted me. I always wanted to fall in love with a person who was essentially an actor — and Brando would have been my choice. I have looked for a person who would be somewhat Bohemian, passionate and maybe even a little eccentric. To me Marlon Brando is a combination of all these and more.
Sushmita Sen, actress
Every woman in this world keeps a fast on Monday to get the perfect husband that Lord Shiva represents. So if I get a chance to propose marriage to anybody, it has to be to this divine partner. It has to be a “god” that I will finally walk down the aisle with!
Soha Ali Khan, actress
Why would I propose to any celebs and authors when I am not in love with them? I mean, I do have great respect for literary personalities, but that doesn’t mean I will propose to them just for the sake of proposing! I am currently reading Vikram Seth, and he is a lovely author. But I don’t want to marry him. My all-time favourite author is Ernest Hemingway, but then living with him would not be that easy. And that apart, marriage for me is all about love and emotion.
Shefali Shah, actress
Well, I’m already married to the man I wanted to marry, and I’m more than happy with him. But since we’re being imaginative, I’d have to say it’s George Clooney. He’s good looking and he’s intelligent. I’ve seen all his films, both as an actor and director. He’s not just a good actor, but he’s a great director as well. That’s the sort of man I admire, and if I had to, I’d ask him to marry me. Definitely George Clooney!
Mallika Sarabhai, dancer
I can’t think of anyone as I believe marriage is an awful institution.
Jaya Jaitley, politician
When I was young, I was too much of a tomboy to think of proposing to anybody — and now I am too old. Anyway, marriage is not such an exalted institution as it is made out to be. One may like to spend a lifetime with a person, but it’s not necessary that there should be a marriage.
Anjolie Ela Menon, artist
It’s too late for me now. I have been married for the past 49 years. So I cannot think of anyone else but my husband Raja Menon.
Taslima Nasrin, author
I wouldn’t deign to propose to anyone — real or fictional — in our part of the world even if it becomes a leap year custom! This is because I feel we still live in a patriarchal society where men have a very twisted view of who an ideal woman should be — she has to be pativrata, Sati-Savitri and all that. And I don’t think I am likely to find an ideal man even in the West. But more important, I don’t really believe in the institution of marriage. I am happy on my own. Of course I have been married and have had relationships. But you see none of those men in my life was progressive enough!
Swagatalakshmi Dasgupta, singer
I would like to propose marriage to Lord Shiva — for he’s the destroyer. He rules our senses and I’d like to invoke him to recreate things that I have lost over the years. But in case my proposal is refused, I’d have liked to woo Tagore. After all, he’s the ultimate Bong gentleman!
Yana Gupta, actress
I don’t know about proposing, but I would like to go out on a date with Clive Owen because he is an amazing guy with good looks. Also, I wouldn’t mind having Brad Pitt as my date, though I suppose he is a bit old now.
Advaita Kala, author
I would like to propose to P.G. Wodehouse’s Jeeves, as I need a butler and not a boyfriend. Moreover, it would be nice to have a man who serves me well and has an answer to every social question.
