Hi! Magazine needs to say BYE to its photographer

Okay, not that I know anything about photography, but how does one manage to make such beautiful people look so hideous? Well Hi! Magazine can surely tell you how. I'm not sure if it's bad photography or bad photoshopping or even just bad makeup/styling to blame for this, but these August covers are not okay. First up is Saif Ali Khan on the cover of Hi! Blitz:

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The usually hunky and dashing Saif looks almost sickly in this picture. With a headline proclaiming that he's "back" he sure doesn't look happy to be so. The white background makes his skin look deathly pale (did the dementors get to him?) and that bad haircut isn't helping things. Add that not-so-sexy smouldering expression to the mix, and Saif pretty much looks like a creature of the night. Or an alcoholic that hasn't bothered to bathe in a while (Slouch some more, will you? It's really helping.).

Yeah, I'm definitely being way too harsh on one of my favorite actors in the industry but I'm not blaming him! I'm blaming the magazine for putting out this atrocious photo. That plain red shirt also looks like the magazine took their styling cues from the dying Aman of KHNH. 

Oh Saifu, don't worry, we know you're better than this! But, please, that haircut needs to go.

Then there's Sonali Bendre. Remember that bombshell beauty that never really made it that big even though she was absolutely gorgeous? She's 36 now (the last time we saw her was in KHNH about 7 years ago) but still shouldn't look this bad on the cover of Hi! Living:

First of all, that outfit is gorgeous and Sonali of all people should've been able to rock it. But it's not her fault that this is clearly a bad angle (Tyra would tell her to "find her light") and a botched photoshop job.

Seriously, why would you do that to her face? She looks kind of demonic and literally does not look like herself. I thought photoshop and airbrushing technology existed to "enhance" people's natural beauty (aka make them look better). This is a great example of when not to photoshop--Sonali is a natural beauty. Leave her alone! I realize that every photo probably needs a bit of alteration to reach today's impossible standards but this is ridiculous. Do these editors not have eyes?

Sonali, sign up for a new film and show the world how beautiful you really are.

As a side thought, are these even "original" Hi! Magazine pictures? We all know that magazines tend to recycle old pictures (especially magazines that aren't totally top tier) so maybe these pictures aren't actually Hi! Magazine's doing. In which case, the magazine fails even more. Why would you willingly choose these photos? 

Juhi on the cover of Ishq magazine

Juhi Chawla, who's back in the spotlight after the critical success of her recent release I Am, has landed the cover of what seems to be a German-language Bollywood magazine. Doesn't she look totally gorgeous??? Juhi is seriously the epitome of elegance, especially in this shot. And her signature smile just makes me feel so nostalgic for the Juhi days of Bollywood!

The sari she's wearing is so perfect. The color is beautiful and the work on it is so sophisticated, yet elaborate. Then again, this woman would literally look good in a paper bag.  And the 43 year old mother of two looks awesome for her age.

I'm anxiously awaiting a DVD release to watch I Am. Have you watched it yet? Thoughts?

Ranbir on the cover of GQ!

I never understood Ranbir Kapoor's physical appeal...until I saw this cover. I always thought he was just a normal cutie but not some complete hottie, but he is sizzling on this cover! I'm not sure if it's his smoldering expression or the impressive styling (...or maybe it's just airbrushing).  This cover just gives me a new, hotter perspective on RK.

To my knowledge, the last time RK was on the cover of GQ was about 2 years ago in March 2009:

 What a difference! He looks rather goofy on this cover, and the cheap looking style of the cover itself doesn't help. But I'm really impressed with the current cover, and Ranbir is slowly moving up my personal Bollywood hero ranks.

Yesteryear's Actresses Rock it as Cover Girls!

I've been meaning to post about this for a while, but it always makes me so happy to see retired B-Town actresses on magazine covers--alive and well, and looking as beautiful as ever. Recently, Madhuri Dixit made a splash with her Filmfare magazine cover but here are a couple more actresses also rockin' it:

Sridevi! This 80s bombshell, at 47 years old, looks sensational in her Asia Spa Magazine cover. I can't get over it--the woman is 47 years old and looks simply amazing. Yes, of course there's photoshop/airbrushing involved, but natural beauty still has a lot to do with it. Few contemporary actresses can claim her subtle sex appeal and natural elegance. We haven't seen her in a leading role since 1997's Judaai (one of my favorite movies of all time) but Sridevi does manage to pop up every once in a while, like in a special appearance in Halla Bol (2008) or her nostalgic Filmfare 2007 dance performance.

At only 36 years old, it almost pains me to refer to Karishma Kapoor as a "yesteryear" actress, but since we haven't seen her in a decent leading role since 2002's Shakti, I think the term fits. Lolo also looks fabulous on this L'Officiel cover. Her hair is perfect (I'm loving the long locks) and she's managed to keep her figure after 2 children. The crowd of male models around her holding her pictures is a little...well...creepy to me. Regardless, Karishma is the star of the show and pretty much looks as gorgeous as ever.

It's unfortunate that Bollywood actresses careers tend to end so early (while male actors usually work as leading men well into their 40s and 50s). Sridevi and Karishma prove that even in their late 30s and 40s, they can work it! Now, it's Bollywood's turn to be more receptive to older, more mature leading ladies with actual acting talent and experience. One can only hope...