Forget GI Joe and Barbie, an enterprising toy-seller with a lot of imagination in Kerala has come up with a Taimur Ali Khan Doll that has got the South curious and caused Kareena and Saif Ali Khan’s two-year-old paparazzi-friendly son to trend crazily on social media this morning.
What exactly are the starry parents’ reactions to this doll that strives vainly to be the next best thing for fans of Taimur is not known. But Kareena and Saif are sure to be displeased by the clever effort of somebody out to make a quick and sly buck riding on the popularity of their son.
[caption id="attachment_168636" align="aligncenter" width="768"] 'Taimur' doll for sale in Kerela[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_168637" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Taimur Ali Khan[/caption]
Taimur, who has been an internet sensation since he was born on December 20, 2016, and reportedly named after the Turco-Mongol conqueror Timur, is said to be the “most-searched personality” on the internet. On Koffee with Karan last Sunday, Saif told chat show host Karan Johar that Taimur tops the paparazzi’s rate card. Meaning, exclusive pictures of the toddler fetch freelance photographers the highest prices from media houses.
In 2015, Spin Master Toys UK and Mattel Toys got their creative talent together to release a line of dolls designed on famous actors and actresses of Hindi cinema that they called “Bollywood Legends”. The most popular ones among them were Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Priyanka Chopra, and Hrithik Roshan.
[caption id="attachment_168629" align="aligncenter" width="730"] Priyanka Chopra[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_168626" align="aligncenter" width="666"] Shah Rukh Khan[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_168628" align="aligncenter" width="666"] Hrithik Roshan[/caption]
The dolls were disappointing. And utterly dreadful. The Kajol doll was dressed in the actress’ famous Mehendi Laga Ke Rakhna outfit from DDLJ. Hrithik’s look was said to be inspired by his character in K3G. The Priyanka doll had a red lehenga like the actress’ from Mujhse Shaadi Karogi featured in the song Laal Dupatta Ud Gaya Re Mera.
However, none of them were a match for the awful Amitabh Bachchan doll that the veteran actor would have a problem recognizing himself in. Other Bollywood stars that have had the ignominy of having dolls fashioned after them include Katrina Kaif who has a Barbie doll named after her, Aamir Khan, Deepika Padukone and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
[caption id="attachment_168631" align="aligncenter" width="730"] Katrina Kaif[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_168632" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Katrina Kaif and Aamir Khan with their barbies[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_168633" align="aligncenter" width="730"] Deepika Padukone[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_168634" align="aligncenter" width="730"] Deepika Padukone and Shah Rukh Khan[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_168630" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Amitabh Bachchan[/caption]
While the sales of all these dolls suffered the same misfortune of Bollywood failures at the box-office, the Taimur doll astronomically priced at Rs. 980 is said to be attracting widespread attention. Will Kareena and Saif pull it off the shelf? Or will a decision on his doll be taken by the savvy and discerning Taimur himself?