15 Minutes of Fame

“In the future, everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes”.

Andy Warhol

Was that a prediction or premonition? Did Andy already know, from the way media was overpowering our lives, that this was bound to happen, sooner or later?

People have done crazy things for their time under the limelight. Example, the likes of Paris Hilton or our own desi drama queens aka Rakhi Sawant, Dolly Bindra, Raja Chaudhary & Sherlyn Chopra. Should I add Poonam Pandey to the list? Unfortunately, they have even managed to stretch their fifteen minutes into endless hours of torture for the viewers (at least for the female population; the men must still like them a lot, hehe). They haven’t even bothered to see how it is taken by the audience, are the people disgusted enough. It doesn’t matter to them. After all, this is fame we are talking about. Rakhi has even turned her life into one marathon reality TV series after another. And just when we heave a sigh of relief that it’s over, BANG she comes up with another one! NDTV Imagine deserves brickbats for showcasing her stunts in an attempt to keep the media hooked to her idiosyncrasies. The thing is, these starlets & wannabes know the art of recycling the same old junk – love, betrayal, tears & a big patch-up. Someone stop the nautanki, please! They’ve sailed beyond the limits of our tolerance & their stupidity.

I wonder about the people who get national coverage because of some unfortunate events like say the recent break out of H1NI flu or dengue fever & are interviewed on TV from maybe their hospital bed!! Do they think of that as their moment of being under the spotlight?

But leaving all that aside, what about us, have we, the aam junta, mere mortals, experienced our 15 minutes under the sun? Have we all had our chance at this mysterious thing called fame? I believe everyone has experienced their small stint of recognition at one point in time or another. For some, their fame would have come & gone in bits & pieces: winning a running race or even the athletic championship in school has made people feel important. Participation in club events makes us feel like a star in our circle. Some have warm memories of being the neighborhood star after their performance in the board exams or after they won an important contest or competition in school and college. For many NCC Cadets, being a part of the prestigious Republic Day celebrations in the country’s capital is truly their moment of glory. Most of us have had our time, however brief or momentary.
As for me, my claim to fame was when I won (is that the right word!) the gold medal/first rank in my M.A. Like every year, the ceremony was covered by the media & my neighbors told me the last shot of the news on a regional channel on the felicitation was me taking my certificate. A congratulatory message also appeared on a local Kannada newspaper. My mother was very happy & so was I.
Shouldn’t we stake claim to our 15 minutes of fame not by our antics but by our achievement? I am sure all of you, who have at one point, been the center of attention, deserved the applause you received, for the things you did. And those of you who haven’t yet been there; there will be a day for you too.

The Promise

I had promised you a blog post a long while ago Salman. Here I am keeping my promise. ‘Dabangg’ has just released. And so has the controversy over your 26/11 remarks.

The mass hysteria “Dabangg” has generated is unprecedented. We all know this craze is only & solely for you. The movie is yours all the way.The director is new, the heroine too. No one cares for Arbaaz anymore & Malaika has hardly aroused anyone since her Chaiya Chaiya days (though she refuses to believe this).

But you… you are a phenomenon. You know that. When you come on screen, it’s like a 440volt current that sends the audience into a mad frenzy. Whistles, hisses, howls, cheers & claps resound throughout the theatre. We watched it first day first show, only for you, for your inimitable style. You are truly one of a kind & that’s what draws people in hordes to the booking counter.

The title song & that unique move of the hip & the twist of the belt, the hearts on your glares (hey, by the way, everyone is sporting a Ray Ban in the movie & to think that it is set in Laalgunj, U.P), the way you mouth your dialogues, the way you walk, the crisp shirts on your lean body … yah baby that’s what we go to watch on the 70 mm screen when it’s a Salman movie. Gripping story, tight screenplay, coherent plot, nerve-racking climax …well, those can wait. Let our eyeballs feast on you first. What say?

We know, & you know it too, that you are not much of an actor. Nobody could have put it better than you, when you said in an interview, “I don’t act. I just play myself in every movie”.

Your filmography is a revelation.Interestingly, for all your machismo, there hasn’t been a single kiss on screen, or a bedroom number, or even a “too close for comfort” hugging scene in any of your movies. You’ve always maintained an arm’s length from your heroines on screen (& perhaps grabbed them full on - off it!) & never indulged in any form of titillation. Your friend Aamir has smooched a couple of them already, especially both the Kapoor sisters! Had you wanted, you could have easily been the ‘original serial kisser’ of the industry & taught Emraan a lesson or two. Would the starlets have complained? I think not. But the thing is, you chose not to walk that path; kudos to you for that.

With “Being Human”, you have surely atoned for all your sins, right here, right now. Even before this organization, the instances where you have stood up for & supported & helped another life are far too many. Garib ke dil se, jo dua nikalti hai, woh seedha bhagwan ke dil ko choothi hai. I am sure you are one of the few celebrities, who finds himself in the prayers of many, who were touched by the acts of your kindness.

The janta loves you, warts & all. It’s the way you make us feel.