The Year of the Onion or the Year of Viagra? Undoubtedly, a tricky choice with preferences depending on one's political and moral persuasions. The unsung and humble onion nearly cost Mr Vajpayee his job while the 'blue' miracle—available at black market rates of Rs 800-1,200 per pill—upstaged Scotch as India's principal agent for oiling greasy bureaucratic palms. I understand Time magazine seriously considered Viagra as their "Man of the Year" only to be narrowly defeated byBill Clinton and Ken Starr. While a few deaths were reported, men even over the age of 70 (American presidential hopeful Bob Dole being one) testified to the pill's efficacy. In our own country, the desi version was enjoying bumper sales even as Indian pharmaceutical companies raced to produce the indigenous variety. "Pure theatrical Viagra," was how one British critic described Mrs Tom Cruise's (better known as Nicole Kidman) naked debut in a grim David Hare play, marking the respectable entry of the V-word into the English language.
Viagra humour was perhaps not as numerous and popular as the Clinton-Lewinsky, but its quality was marginally superior. The most recent, and allegedly true, story I heard concerned a gentleman who took his medicine at the prescribed one-hour before deadline and eagerly awaited the arrival of his spouse from Hyderabad. As luck would have it, the flight was cancelled at the last minute due to bad weather. With the pill ticking inside him, our friend needed a cold bath and Calmpose to douse his ardour.
