Hrithik and Sussanne: Much ado about nothing

The institution of marriage is a fast dying one. In Bollywood, it is almost dead. Reading about our leading superstars bedding the most hot-and-happening women, and sometimes men is no longer shocking. The women too aren’t far behind and rightfully so. Why should boys have all the fun, right?

I remember checking news online on an otherwise boring day at work when news popped up about the Hrithik Roshan marriage getting over. The media went all out playing the guessing game of "Who was cheating with whom?" and many names were brought up. From Hrithik’s alleged scandals to Sussanne’s alleged scandalous relationship with Arjun Rampal, a lot was said and heard. It’s been a year now and everything has died down. The divorce has officially come through and we can see pictures of Hrithik playing doting dad to his adorable boys quite often. Yet, one angle seems to still hold everyone’s attention. When a leading newspaper carried front page news about Sussanne’s friendship with Mehr Rampal running into rough waters thanks to the former’s reported foreign escapades with Arjun Rampal, everyone went berserk. Arjun lashed out at the newspaper, Hrithik joined in giving support and Sussanne issued a letter asking to be left alone. If you’re also bored already, you’re certainly not the only one around. When a marriage falls apart, you inadvertently take sides.

When a marriage falls apart in filmdom, you start looking for a third person. What’s new here? Sussanne’s thick bond with the Rampal twosome has been evident for years now. They’ve been part of the most happening clique on the celebrity circuit and have gladly posed on red carpets time and again. When the rumours first surfaced last year, everyone, as expected, went into denial. Sussanne and Mehr even gave a joint interview, in the same publication by the way, talking about their undying love and affection for each other. So why are we being subjected to this drama a year after all over again?

Sussanne and Arjun might or might not be spending quality time anywhere, weren’t the media done with talking about it the last time? Clearly, the stories never caused any dent in the equation the threesome, pun not intended, ever shared. They’re still seen at every big event in town, holding hands and smiling through it all. And even if they were or rather are having this much gossiped about affair, what is the big deal? Haven’t we all heard about mainstream heroes and heroines having relationships outside their marriages? Aren’t tales about even bigger celebrities than a has-been Arjun Rampal rather well-known? Then what’s with this strange obsession with Sussanne and her life? Even her now official ex-husband has clearly moved on to greener pastures, so why can’t the media?

Arjun and Sussanne’s "affair" tales are as boring as Himesh Reshammiya’s music -- popular at one point of time but of no consequence whatsoever today. Unless, of course, the much-criticized publication that came in for a lot of ire over Deepika’s cleavage scandal has something new to report -- how about a confession from a celeb for instance? I’d say they better not look for some juice where the fruit has long lost its flavour.