Hi again friends,

Now that I’ve started blogging, I’ve to keep thinking of topics to write on. And naturally, I choose to write about things that I can relate to, and hope that most people reading it do, too.

I’ve been living in Bombay (Mumbai, if you insist) for close to 10 years now. I see people from all walks of life working hard to realize their dreams. And since this is the Entertainment capital of the country, it has people from all over the country struggling to make a mark in the glamour industry.

Some people succeed, some don’t. But they diligently persevere. As the saying goes – ‘Ummeed pe duniya qaayam hai’. Hope is most important. And one day, ‘Ek pal mein zindagi badal jaayegi’. So they keep at it. Searching for that one elusive moment which makes all their dreams come true. Their sense of self-worth depends on achieving their goal. So, obviously, there’s a lot at stake.

The ones who become successful, go from strength to strength, money to more money, rental flat to own flat, two bedroom flat to two storeyed flat, Local train to Maruti 800, Maruti 800 to Mercedes Benz, you know what I mean. They go from assignment to assignment with as much dedication, earn even more popularity, fame, wealth, fan following, sycophants, everything that they dreamed of.

Everything feels great for a while. Success is a powerful Aphrodisiac, and most people revel and happily reel under its impact. Some are wise (and lucky) enough to stay grounded with the help of family and true friends, treating success more casually than others. But that’s a rarity, really.

And then, suddenly, they get bored. Familiarity surely breeds contempt. They start searching, all over again. And they don’t know what they are searching for. They indulge in more work, more property, more cars, more affairs, more sex, more of everything. But it remains elusive. By the time they figure it out, to their chagrin, they realize that they’re no longer ‘Hot and Happening’!!!

We see it around us all the time. Yesteryear hero-heroines, models, musicians etc. who literally ruled the industry, being reduced to mere shadows of themselves. Some accept reality and blend in, and move on. Some go into their cocoon, hardly making public appearances. Some migrate to the backwaters, or across 7 seas. Some live in hope that their children will continue their legacy. And some die of heartbreak.

How does one deal with lost Stardom? Even Shah Rukh Khan himself has publicly acknowledged that he can’t imagine the day when people will not run to him for autographs.

Stardom doesn’t come easy, nor does it go easy…. Right?

Sowmya Raoh,
1st May 2010,
Mumbai.