This year, the World Disabled Day (December 3) celebrations in Mumbai became starry when superstar Kajol and her sister Tanishaa inaugurated a special exhibition of various hand-made products made by the kids of the city’s Punarvas School For The Disabled.

Kajol and sister Tanishaa spoke of the talent and bravery of the children and were also seen admiring the products on display. Also present were Raima Sen, cricket ace Vinod Kambli and Bhojpuri actress-cum-‘item’ girl Sambhavna Seth.

But while she created a good impression there, the audience at another event in town was shell-shocked at the superstar’s appalling ignorance of the millennium’s biggest scourge – AIDS. The common impression is that Kajol is a well-read bookworm and Tanishaa a dumb bimbette went for a toss at a special charitable function hosted by make-up whiz Mickey Contractor on World AIDS Day just two days earlier.

Asked to give a message to the masses, the lady put most of her elegant foot in the mouth with this profound remark, “It was nothing to be so serious about (!). AIDS is just a little more worrisome than the common cold (!!) and it’s curable, so go out there and get it done (!!!).”

It was left to chhoti behen Tanishaa to make an effort to antidote her sister’s medical gem with a better speech, but the damage was done. And the contretemps led to Karan Johar making the following remark, “Many of us, even affluent members of society, are absolutely ignorant about such a serious issue. That’s what needs to be changed. AIDS has no cure but can be prevented.”

If only Kajol had been prevented from talking too!