So far so good. The awards season is about to end. And it feels wonderful when the deserving ones get their dues. Kangna Ranaut in Fashion sweeps the screen with her neurosis in a way that we’ve never seen before.
Seeing Priyanka Chopra clutch the trophy to her heart was a magical moment. Her speech at the Filmfare Awards was so splendidly warm. Who wrote it for you, Priyanka? Seriously, I know it was her own. But in the past I’ve had a number of actors calling me to have their speeches written. One of today’s ruling superstars would call from the awards’ venues and whisper, ‘Listen I’ve been nominated for the award in the comic category. Can you quickly tell me something funny to say if I win?’
The superstar of tomorrow was going to collect an award for best youth icon. Around 20 minutes before he reached the venue he sent an sms. ‘Quickly, give me a 300-word thank you speech.’ The two superstars mentioned above are no longer on talking terms with me.Maybe I didn’t live up to their expectations. If we only know what stars expect!
More than a big fat cheque, stars need a reality check. They insist on living a lie even when the truth stares at them in the face. If their films sink without trace, they blame the ‘unfair’ critics. If there’s an adverse buzz about their film, they blame the ‘opposite’ camp.
So many times, I’ve heard this or that Khan being blamed for a film’s failure. It all sounds so delusional and unreal. Showbiz is a delusional province. So many actors’ careers have suffered because they’ve slotted themselves wrongly and nobody has bothered to revise their self-worth. Manoj Bajpai and Randeep Hooda could do better provided they stop playing the conventional leading man.
Among all the products of Ram Gopal Varma’s factory, only Shimit Amin has made a mark. Rohit Jugaraj and now Prawal Raman are just beginning to find their space. Prawal is making a film on Bipolar Disorder which ironically could be a disease lots of our stars are suffering from. Why else would they attack you the minute you offer them sane but unflattering advice?
Not that I haven’t come across actors who can take criticism on their chin? Bipasha Basu, Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra... these are stars who genuinely welcome my criticism. There’s another set of stars who pretend to welcome criticism. But actually want only to be praised.
It’s no longer about looking anxiously over the shoulder at the neighbour’s work. It’s about making sure the neighbour doesn’t make any headway.
News via http://www.asianews.com.pk
