It's not easy being Veena

From her so called topless pictures, to her most recent disappearance people want to know more about Veena Malik.

While we may complain about there being too much coverage of Veena Malik in the news, the fact is that all of us want to read of her latest move, her latest misstep or scandal, so to speak.

From her so-called topless pictures for FHM India, to her most recent episode when she is said to have ‘disappeared’, people on both sides of the border seem to want to know more and more about this controversial Pakistani actress. Some say that she is doing all these things deliberately, for PR purposes, while others say that she should be left alone to live her life the way she sees fit. Yet others say that she has humiliated Pakistan, by posing semi-nude (if not stark nude) in an enemy country and hence should pay for her “sin”. Cases have been filed — and dismissed — in Pakistani courts, accusing the actress of bringing a bad name to Pakistan.

While all this has happened, some have wondered what would happen to her if she really were to return to Pakistan. After all, having the word ‘ISI’ tattooed on her arm for a magazine cover is no ordinary feat and would be sure to, at the very least, garner the attention of the country’s premier spy agency.

Even the Indian media seems hot on her heels. When she went ‘missing’ for a day or so, a newspaper as big and mainstream as The Indian Express got it all wrong when it reported that she had secretly left India for Pakistan. The story had details such as her route of passage — the Wagah border — and even quoted her manager. The reason given was that her visa was expiring and that she couldn’t stay in India any longer and the secret passage was because of presumed threats to her because of her FHM photo-shoot.

Quite clearly, it’s not easy being someone like Veena Malik. She may be a controversial figure and she may have done things that we would never think of or dare to, but at least she seems to have the audacity and the courage to do what’s on her mind. And one should respect that, at least.