Be a Star

T

raffic jams in Mumbai are daily phenomena and people are used to wait for hours. Add to it the hot May sun and it was a perfect recipe for rising tempers and major fights. Normally the jams would take place because of an accident, autowalas breaking signals or just poor manning by the traffic hawaldars. Today it was due to a movie shoot that was going on the main road. Heartthrob of millions and the very popular Rocky Kapoor was in the middle of an intense fight with a couple of gentlemen who looked straight out of the gym that was just two blocks away. It was really baffling to see a lean guy like Rocky beating the giant-like villains so easily. As is characteristic of the Indians a huge circle could be seen all around the area where people who had no work, had little work and even those who had very important work could be found standing hoping to get a glimpse of their favourite star.

Once the director had okayed the shot Rocky took one final look around the location and waved a hand lazily to the hundreds of people who had gathered there to have a look at him. Crowd went berserk with people howling and shouting at the top of their breath. Even when Rocky had left the location one could see people whistling and dancing. Still others who were lucky enough to have a camera phone had used up their full day’s battery either to get a full length video or to take pictures of the fight scene from all angles possible.

In around 15 minutes Rocky was back home caressing his hairs and thinking how lucky he was to get all the love and the affection. Just the other day he was on a television show and it had made him blush when the pretty anchor told him that he still looked like he was in his 20s. That was the best part of being a superstar, he had matured over time and as such he had created a fan base that the others in the industry envied. He could see Rocky posters, Rocky apparels and even Rocky themed restaurants all over the city. In fact the local administration had promised him that they would soon be naming a road on him. There were directors lining up his front door and he could not keep a count of the number of people who were ready to finance a film in which he would be willing to act.

As he was thinking of his successful life a young boy entered the door.

Rohan was the only son of Rocky and was studying in the best college of Mumbai not because of his father’s reputation but because he was a brilliant student. Rohan had keen interest in literature and wanted to become a novelist. He used to write for the college magazine and also had a very successful blog to boast of. He had researched all the great novelists and how they had struggled. Rohan on his part had his own share of struggle as his pompous and over successful father had strictly instructed him that he was to be become an actor and follow suit. Initially he had joined acting classes and did all the drama lessons which his father wanted him to do. But slowly he could make out that his interest did not lie in it. In fact he sucked at acting and always wanted to run away from the stage whenever he saw anyone scanning him.

As Rocky saw his son he called him over and started enquiring how his day had gone and how the acting classes were going. He had tried his best to train his only child with the acting talent that he possessed but every time he tried he was disappointed. Rohan was completely hopeless and it was a shame to Rocky to see his own son getting scared of attention. As such it was a regular affair when Rocky would lose his temper and start yelling at Rohan. The boy in return used to yell back at him and it always used to end with a sour taste.

Today was a different day as Rohan was not too keen on discussing his acting classes and rather wanted Rocky to focus on a piece that he had written for the college magazine. Rocky again tried convincing him of the stardom and the money that being a superstar brings but the stupid boy always kept on saying that he was not concerned about money and fame. Rocky was concerned that his son should get an equally successful career as him and like any caring father he did every possible thing to make the life of his son better.

As Rohan was adamant he did not had any other choice but to tell him to leave the paper on the table and he would read it when he finds time. After Rohan had left him he tried thinking of a lot of ways in which he could make him understand his point but could not get any ideas. After about an hour of deliberating he picked the paper and started reading more out of boredom than out of interest. It was an essay on the various festivals of the south and he did not find anything special in it. He kept the paper down and started cursing the stupidity which his son was displaying.

At dinner that night Rocky thought of telling Rohan his views about the essay and tell him that it was not worth to waste time writing when he can have a much better career. As Rocky sat down and started explaining the essay something very strange happened. He could remember everything that was written. It was a 4 page essay and he had read it with nil interest. Lately he had been forgetting the dialogues of a lot of scenes and had to face embarrassment. But there was something special about the essay as he could still make out what it was about and he suddenly had an interest towards the piece that he had written. He bit his lips and just uttered that the essay was a good attempt. Rohan was elated to hear praise from his father and  ran all the way around the table to give his father a hug.

Rocky was confused throughout the night and could not make out why he had praised the essay when he actually wanted to do ridicule it. Perhaps it was out of love for his son that he told such a thing or maybe his son did have a knack for writing. He quickly shrugged off the thought but made a decision of letting his son try a hand at writing. It was really upsetting to think of his own son being a mediocre novelist and not having the same fame that the film stars enjoyed but it was a bitter truth that he had to accept that his son loved writing more than acting.

Rohan had a natural talent for writing and with the support of his father soon published his debut novel “Be a star” Rohan had always admired his father and the way he had built his career and he had written his first novel on his father and his life as a star. It was a hot seller as soon as it hit the markets and generated big money. Perhaps everyone wanted to read about Rocky’s life and who could have been a better narrator than his own son. Or maybe it was because Rohan did have a talent that was overlooked by Rocky initially.

Ironically the day Rohan became a novelist he also became a star contrary to Rocky’s expectations.

A line that was written in Rohan’s book was really true – “Sometimes you should do what your stupid heart says to be a star”