CHENNAI:Under the spectral showcase of lights and music, Sunday evening, the Leela Palace hotel saw more than what is customary on star-studded nights like these. Draped in the choicest of fabric and a sharp mind to match, a panel of seven eminent faces threw open a controversial debate on monogamy, with the omnipresent media personality Apsara Reddy at the helm.
The occasion that drew excited guests strapped in stilts and suits was the anticipated launch of Apsara’s new lifestyle magazine, Provoke. The wine and laughter were aplenty, lending a cozy atmosphere to the large ballroom, but soon enough Apsara got down to business calling for silence, as the debate of the evening ensued. But what really made the audience break away from their conversation and turn to the stage was the opening remark about cheating, “Sexting is happening a whole lot now. There are apps now for private conversations.”
From that point on, there was no turning back, quite literally. The three-women musical ensemble, Colour Chaos, who only minutes ago set the crowd to an easy-going vibe with their Tamil-English fusion, had to give it up to the absolute rapture of discussion that perked many an audience’s ears — married and unmarried. One could tell by how the bar and food corner emptied out, and finding a chair was the next hardest thing to defining monogamy.
“How do you manage two to three marriages? I find it hard enough to work on one. Salute to people who are thinking of it,” joked PC Bala, author of Grand Brand Rajni, drawing laughter and applause. And soon the rest of the panel including educationist Deepa Athreya, gynaecologist and columnist Priya Selvaraj, Yoga exponent Gayathri Rajam, film maker-political leader Poonkothai Chandrahasan and celebrated marriage counsellor Vijay Nagaswami got into the heat of things.
Some of the panelists didn’t think polygamy was a solution to a broken heart or a broken marriage and strongly carried this tone through the discussion. “Why should we jump from one relationship to another to sustain ourselves?” questioned Dr Priya Selvaraj. “We are self sufficient, it’s in our genetic code,” she added strongly.
Although digressing questions came her way, Apsara reined it back on track. “Does a monogamous relationship come with a shelf life,” she questioned. Although a text-book answer wasn’t reached, opinions evolved during the course of the hour-long chat. Dr Vijay Nagaswami, was quick to give his three-point definition. Monogamy, he says is either; A. an emotional/sexual relationship outside marriage B. a relationship that detracts from marriage or family C. relationships involving deception
“Seriously, I can’t decide if this was provoking or thought-provoking’ added PC Bala arousing more cheer from the audience. Wrapping up the session, Apsara fielded with the ease only someone who has been in the media biz for long could have managed. This is her second Magazine venture as Editor in Chief, after The Red Kite. The Magazine is published by Sam Paul of the Paulsons Group, who manages some of the big brands spotted around city.
At the end though, an understanding was achieved, which echoed that Monogamy although meant ‘one person life long’ decades ago, is far more complex to put down in hard and fast terms, today. “It means different things to different people at the end of the day,” Apsara told City Express, adding that the magazine was all about speaking out on things others don’t, and that we have long forgotten that lifestyle carries a human element in it too.
