THE Fendi Spy is the latest handbag on the Indian socialite’s arm. It’s a devilish looking leather bag with a secret pocket for storing surreptitious notes or keys to a clandestine love nest. And it costs Rs 1.18 lakh. But it isn’t the must-have accessory du jour. Far more in demand are secret pockets that are closer to the heart—comfortably tucked under the mammary tissue.

Not too long ago, a boob job was a privilege enjoyed by actresses or models (or a bane borne by them, depending on which side of the fence you’re on). But now, everyone from wealthy socialites to trendy teenagers wants a B-Job.

‘‘The desire to look good has always been there,’’ says Mumbai-based top aesthetic surgeon Dr Ashok Gupta, who performs anywhere between three and six breast enhancements a week. ‘‘At one time it was the corset, in the ’80s it was the push-up bra. And though it came into existence in 1964, the age of the breast implant is now. It has become the most performed plastic surgery in the world.’’

Sunaina Nanda (name changed), a mother of two, had her breasts enhanced four months ago. ‘‘I have waited for my breasts to grow from the time I was 13 years old,’’ says the slim and attractive 34-year-old. ‘‘They didn’t, even when I was 25 and married. Breast feeding two babies only made them sag.’’

And Nanda’s husband, a corporate leader, definitely prefers his wife’s new avatar. ‘‘But I didn’t do it for him,’’ she asserts. ‘‘I’m very fashion conscious and love my clothes. It really bothered me that I was missing out on the sex appeal that comes with wearing certain outfits,’’ she adds.

Leading plastic surgeon Dr Narendra Pandya, famous for his celebrity clients, says there are two distinct patient profiles. ‘‘One is a young woman who wants to be an actor or a model. The other is a housewife with children. The second profile is my average patient,’’ says the surgeon of 40 years, adding that 60 per cent of the surgeries he performs are breast augmentations.

Pandya performs anywhere between 10 and 20 surgeries a month. He’s just returned from performing six at New Delhi’s Apollo Hospital and is flying off the next day to Bangalore’s luxurious Golden Palms Spa to see 15 more patients. The doctor says he often has 18-year-old girls under his knife. ‘‘Well, they are legally permitted.’’

Arpita Chatterjee (name changed), a 22-year-old graduate, recently went in for one after discussing it with her parents. “Even after surgery, I am a 32A. So, you can guess how flat I was earlier,” says the suburban Mumbai resident, who’s currently scouting for a job as a graphic designer. “My parents were okay with it. My only apprehension was whether it would affect me as a mother.” While she is happy, Chatterjee says life hasn’t changed too drastically for her.

Think plastic surgery is like medicine you take when you fall down Koena Mitra Though plastic surgery has existed for decades (since 1964, when a surgeon’s twisted assistant joked that a plastic pouch of blood felt like a breast and gave the surgeon a eureka moment), it’s as common today as a manicure (well, almost).

While at one time cosmetic surgery was largely corrective—like rhinoplasty for a broken nose—these days the C-Cup runneth over thanks to the media, skilled doctors and increased affluence. ‘‘Once food, shelter and clothing are taken care of, you start worrying about noses, boobs and fat,’’ says Pandya.

In effect, a boob job costs as much as a special designer handbag or a budget holiday to Europe. And middle class women who desire them no longer think twice about saving for a year or two for a lifetime of enhanced cleavage.

It’s not like a walk in the park, it changes your body forever Sushama Reddy Pandya says he even performed one on the 20-year-old daughter of a hospital ayah. ‘‘The girl’s fiance was troubling her about her breast size. The mother came to me for help,’’ says Pandya. While the doctor waived his fee, the hospital costs were borne by an actor’s wife, a former patient and good friend of Pandya’s.

‘‘I didn’t charge her, so she said that if I ever had a patient who couldn’t afford surgery then I should send the patient to her for help. It was a strange request because celebrities usually act like they’re obliging you by coming to you.’’

Eight years ago, film star Sushmita Sen held a teary-eyed press conference to deny her breast enhancement. But today, almost every actress or actress-in-the-making has had one. Shilpa Shetty, Priyanka Chopra, Ayesha Takia, Koena Mitra (she’s apparently had two), Shamita Shetty, Bipasha Basu, Aditi Govitrikar, Jessie Randhawa and, most recently, Sushama Reddy have supposedly had implants.

THE MENU

Saline Bags Costs Rs 20,000 a pair (the operation, plus hospital expenses, adds up to Rs 75,000 to Rs 1 lakh). They look like water balloons and have a lifespan of five years. They have been known to leak or grow fungus Silicone Pouches Banned at one time and okayed later by the US FDA. Rs 50,000 a pair (the package is about Rs 1.30 lakh). They’re seamless and wobbly Cohesive Silicone Better known as ‘the gummy bear’, as it’s textured like the chewy candy. Costs Rs 2 lakh. Of the three, it has the least chance of leakage or losing shape

Reddy, soon to be seen in her first film, Chocolate, says it’s a very personal decision. ‘‘Women need to think long and hard before going in for implants. It’s not like a walk in the park, it changes your body forever. I also don’t think young people should go in for it, it isn’t going to make your boyfriend love you more.’’

But for those not so famous, there’s less shame associated with breast implants. ‘‘Women enjoy their new look so much, they’ve begun to flaunt it,’’ observes Pandya. ‘‘They’re more open about discussing their augmentation.’’

Nanda remembers telling her mother-in-law about her surgery the day before she went in. ‘‘I didn’t have to discuss it with her, but I informed her that I was getting a boob job,’’ she says. ‘‘I think she was shocked at first, but she didn’t bring it up later.’’

‘‘I was shocked, but not shaken-up,’’ clarifies the mother-in-law. ‘‘Besides, she needed my help because she was in bandages for weeks.”

A month after her surgery, Nanda was showing off her new acquisitions to a group of girlfriends when one of them expressed a desire to get a pair. ‘‘I’m photographed in the society pages, and I needed to look better,’’ says the friend, a glamorous restaurateur, who had her implants put in two months ago.