making passes at biceps and glasses

Today saw a hilarious collaboration on twitter to find pictures of filmi actors wearing what the Doctor (as played by David Tennant) calls "brainy specs" while also flashing their biceps. This all started innocently enough when I told my friend Chronicus Skepticus that one of the ways in which Ferrari Ki Sawaari is emotionally manipulative is by having Sharman Joshi look like a nervous, nebbish-y, rule-bound government clerk with big owl-y glasses but often doing so in short-sleeve shirts, thus also showing glimpses of his upper arms. I don't know if there's a name for the effect of this, but in my head it involved several variations of the sound "mmmm." I mean, I personally do not go for muscles, but I most definitely take a second look at glasses, and at least in the case of Ferrari Ki Sawaari, once I was looking, I started to notice other things while I was there, so to speak.

Anyway, I soon discovered that I was not alone in enjoying this combination. In the words of my friend, "Their combined charm is the flame to which I am drawn as a helpless, flappy moth." Soon much of my timeline was abuzz with submissions for a collection. Here are the best results.

It's surprisingly difficult to find filmi actors with both glasses AND exposed flesh above the elbow. Perhaps there is some kind of immutable law of nature that cannot be tampered with. I call this image "Damn you, sleeves!"

Sunglasses and biceps are much easier to find (and sadly do not qualify for this particular project).
One for Temple, one for me.

But we filmi fans are nothing if not diligent, and our group efforts yielded the following, starting with the usual suspects.
Actually, Emraan Hashmi is not at all a personal favorite of mine, and I think his hair looks terrible here, but I dig the stubble and most importantly his picture fit into this collage nicely.
Salman gets two pictures because, hey,  even I have some respect for the fact that he is Salman Khan.
Of course, the fella who is perhaps the patron saint of glasses and biceps, Hrithik Roshan version 2.0 in Kaho Na Pyaar Hai, even provides the look in very delightful motion in "Ek Pal Ka Jeena." Speaking of motion, someone has thoughtfully giffed and tumbld Abhay Deol doing the B&G. The thinking woman's crumpet, as they say. 

More.
Awww, Madhavan.

And because there had to be some howlers.
Close but no cigar, Govinda.
Got more? Send 'em in! A big, strong hug and long, meaningful look to everyone who has contributed. You made my Monday after a week of vacation an awful lot of fun.

Update to post (June 19, 2012): Here are the first 12 hours of photos that have been submitted or found since the post went up yesterday. Most of these are totally predictable candidates, and thank heavens for it. 
That's Siddharth, Ajith, Aamir Khan, and Abir Chatterjee (HELLO BENGALI CINEMA, THIS IS YOUR POST!)
Update to post (June 23, 2012): alert reader Temple found a song with lots of glasses and biceps: Mahesh Babu in "Ramudante Ramudayo" from Nijam! Oh Mahesh, you saucy thing, sleeves barely grazing your elbows.

Update to post (July 25, 2012): Bengali cinema comes through. Here's a selection from Satyajit Ray's Chiriyakhana.

Comments

La Luncheroo said…
To be read à la the dialogue at the beginning of I Like Big Butts:

"Oh, mah GAH, Becky! Look at those specs n' 'ceps".

This is a beautiful thing. THANK YOU. Thanks also for fitting in some Abhay Shots!
Turkish Bacon said…
Omg! I didn't even know how much I dig biceps & specs. I mean, my fiance possesses both, but I thought that's just because he's awesome!

Ranbir looks so adorable and Sonu Sood is always hunky. But is that John Abraham there? Those glasses almost make me believe he can read! Almost.

And thumbs up for the surprise lovely thought I got at the mention of my Doctor, the beautifully perfectly perfection that is David Tennant. Can you tell he's my favorite Doctor?
Very nice work. All I have to add is that world needs a lesbian version of this post. And I know just the blogger to do it ...
memsaab said…
Carla, you can add Kareena in her glasses in 3 Idiots :) Sushmita Sen too...I always think of John Abraham when I think sexy men in glasses. Don't know why, but I seem to have seen a lot of pictures of him in them.
winkorblink said…
Hi Beth, This is such an awesome post. It reminds me of this NY Times article (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/03/science/clothes-and-self-perception.html?_r=1) that refers to a study citing "enclothed cognition", though I lean toward a scholar friend's rephrasing of this type of display/ perception dialectic as "encultured cognition". Clothing carries symbolic meanings and invites particular reactions, in this case, to quote you, "mmmmm"!
Luncheroni - AH MAH GAH! We really ought to rewrite that song to be about Bollywood somehow.

TB - This comment kills me, as you know. :D I hope you have seen great pics on the BBC Dr Who site of DT in his brainy specs. I have one saved in my folder of laptop desktops somewhere.

Carla - DOOOO IIIIIT.

memsaab - I wonder why people want to bespectacle John particularly? Wonder if he actually does wear glasses but is secretive about it?

winkorblink - That's a really interesting article and I wil always love you for using the word "dialectic" in a comment on my site. :D Totally agree that some encultured thought/behavior is going on here. Even though we all know better, glasses, especially on people we don't usually see wearing them, are that cue for SMART, and...well what can I say, I like smart?

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