John insures ‘ass’et
It’s not the first time John Abraham’s gluteus maximus is in the news but he’s graduated from a half-moon-rise in Dostana to getting his bottom insured for Rs 10 crore making it his most valuable ‘ass’et.
Though a well established practice in the West, the closest any Indian celebrity has come to getting a body part insured has been Rajnikanth who got his voice copyrighted, making John a pioneer in derriere-indemnity in this country.
“Insurance of body parts is not very common in India, but abroad it has a lot of takers,” says Ranjan Sahi, assistant manager, insurance products and independent insurance consultant, Bajaj Allianz.
“The phenomenon came to light only after David Beckham insured his hair. From a purely insurance perspective, this kind of insurance is subjected only to specific cases. If someone approaches an insurance company with a query, we need to investigate their need thoroughly before taking it further. These policies are customised, the insurance amount and premium carefully worked out. It is easier to process these enquiries when it comes from a well-known person because then we know what use and importance that particular body part is to them. Regarding other procedures, it works like any other form of insurance —you get a policy document, pay premium on a half-yearly or annual basis, etc.”
As pundits speculate about whether ‘covering your butt’ will become the next big thing in Bollywood, the actor is still working on the fine print of this insurance policy that is unprecedented for any Indian insurance company.
“We are still examining it,” John said (of the policy), clarifying that he never really planned on insuring his butt, but it was “something that has come from the insurance companies.”
Prahlad Kakkar, has a punny take on the situation, “John Abraham has decided to insure his butt, the question should be put up to the public to send in their bids. Imagine — everyone will have a stake in his butt.”
On a more practical note though, he says, “More than her singing abilities, looks or even acting, Jennifer Lopez made a career out of her derriere, so if she can do it, so can John. He was almost the female lead in Dostana, if you think about it, heroines in Indian films are known to flaunt their bodies. Abhishek was the one acting, Priyanka was the counterfoil and people liked John’s butt better than hers. I can’t say if this is a publicity gimmick, but it’s keeping him in the news, everybody is talking about it and the media will run with it for sure.”
If you’re wondering about the numbers it takes to keep limbs safe, Sanchali Pandey, representative, United India Insurance, offers, “This is a unique policy. He may insure it under the Personal Accident Policy, which covers him in case of an injury to his person or he could have insured his body part under the Miscellaneous Policy where artistes can insure themselves. The premium is calculated based on many variables. On Rs 10 crore, the approximate figure would be around Rs 1,00,850.”
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