Why do film stars get tight-lipped?
I am not much of a movie buff, but a great admirer of our Bollywood stars for their talent. Facing camera is certainly an art. But my interaction with two extremely popular stars has left me wondering if they ever go beyond script and stop acting to be their own self. May be their overzealous fans don’t let them be what they are!
The other day we had Salman Khan visiting Lucknow for promotion of his latest venture. As a newspaper we had organised a small meet with our readers and clients.
A very fine guy with very laudable ideas, like I don’t want kids around as they get crushed, they get pushed. I sometimes fear that they may get injured. It’s fine if a youngster gets a knock here and there, but not children. Worst still they come with their old grandparents. I don’t want them to get hurt.
I was simply impressed.
But why he suddenly got tight-lipped when faced with a tsunami of emotions at the meeting with select readers is hard to understand. Yes there were crazy girls telling him not to marry ever or another wrestling with children to give him a rose, but he had an audience he could have easily addressed, sent a message. A line on social harmony, against drunken driving, safe netting et al would have been impactful.
The other film star, who came out as a decent fellow, quite different from his screen image, was Sanjay Dutt. He was in our office for an informal interaction. Again he could hardly answer any questions, even the simplest ones. Amar Singh who accompanied him quickly said, ‘He reads the script I write.’
The success of Satyamev Jayate once again goes to prove the role film stars can play in spreading social messages to the people, irrespective of their age, creed and caste. They are the new icons we need even to spread the message of our national heroes like Gandhi, Ambedkar and Nehru. Just cross-check and you will know how many kids read them after they leave school!
PS: Please don’t throw your national flag on the road after celebrating the Independence Day. There is way to dispose of our national flag. Some Google check will help.
Hindustan Times



(10 votes, average: 3.7 out of 5)

observer Reply:
June 16th, 2012 at 3:27 am
A giant that confessed coalition politics being the cause of his ills! A giant that turned the other way when peer looters plundered the country ! His erect posture is purely physical, Sirji !. Acting tough when it mattered does not mean a knee jerk reaction. He is exceptional and consistent in his survival instincts.
Seeing China’s potential growth and India’s opportunities, it is Narasimha Rao who made liberalisation possible. Not your copy book MMS. May be he documented it with floral phrases.
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