Bollywood Extras

Yes BOLLYWOOD Mr Bacchan. Recently AB has taken to correcting anyone who mentions the term by saying 'please dont use that word. say the Bombay film industry. we have our own identity'. So its ok so steal blindly from them but not to be named after them eh? Nowadays they dont even bother changing the name of the movie. Yesterday I saw the copy of Fight Club (Brad Pitt) released with the same name. On his Oscar acceptance speech Satyajit Ray had said that this was a dream come true as Hollywood was his inspiration for becoming a filmmaker. So 'Big' B, if its good enough for Ray, its good enough for me and you can shove your opinions up where the sun doesn't shine.

Anyway. I was watching an bollywood award show yesterday on TV. The women have become more beautiful, production has become sleek, comperes have improved - everyone seems to have improved except the extras who dance behind the stars. I had once stayed at a PG acco in Bandra where everyone except me was 'struggling'. There was a playback singer who had sung one jingle in 3 years, 2 actors who had worked in 2 serials in DD, 2 models who had done nothing and a senior actor who had done bit roles in 3-4 movies but was out of work for 4 years. It was an amazing world. To see these guys struggle for that elusive dream for years on end, going from door to door, getting kicked out every studio, generally being treated like shit but never losing that hope, waiting for that ONE break that will change their lives. Girls with loose morals at least have the casting couch, these guys have nothing. And just when things look hopeless and they decide enough is enough, someone they know gets a break and they start afresh.

One of the models in that flat was Sayan Munshi. He has made it and it took him 6 years. The others have sank without a trace. Maybe the only thing left in their lives is the fact that they had struggled alongside Sayan.