Reality TV shows, genetic research papers, politics, Hollywood and Bollywood rarely get mentioned in the same article. This week, though, in a maneuver akin to an astronomical alignment that only comes around once in a generation, I will attempt to achieve just that.

In Britain last week, the talk around the water-coolers was all about a popular reality TV show called "Celebrity Big Brother," and specifically about the alleged racist bullying by some (white, British) contestants of another contestant on the show, the Indian Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty.

"She wants to be white," sniped one of the bullies.