Star Struck *

I would always cast a condescending look at media reports describing Fans mobbing movie stars or cricket stars. I wondered how one could get so enamored by after all a movie star. “I could never ever do that”, I once declared to my sister. She then gently reminded me, “ Dint you once bunk your zoology class and rush to see Purab the VJ who was visiting your college for the pop star hunt ?”. I promptly replied that I was just 16 then and was very much licensed to have those star crushes. Besides, Purab was cute and my biggest crush ever. I avowed that I have grown up since then and can never be influenced by the presence of a movie star or cricket star or any star for that matter.

Last Sunday as I was walking with my shopping booty on Brigade Road , I saw a huge crowd cheering. Either sides of the street was packed with animated people talking excitedly. On inquiring we got to know that people had gathered there to see Shah Rukh Khan, the King Khan of Bollywood. “ Oooh Shah Rukh “, I squealed. “ Where Where ?” I jumped. I was disappointed to see nothing but mobile phone cameras clicking away. The crowd cheered as I stood on my toes to get a better view. Some adventurous men had even climbed the street light poles to get a glimpse of the star.“ I can see his hand“, I screamed. “Where?” chorused the crowd around me. But the hand had disappeared in a second. I was soon wondering what I would do if I suddenly bump into Shahrukh. Maybe yell with joy as how much I loved him. Deciding that it would be commonplace I thought of an intelligent but yet acknowledging smile. Yes, that would make Shahrukh remember me for the rest of his life, I concluded. My reverie was soon broken by the garish voice of a policeman yelling on public addressing system. He was yelling saying, “ Yaaru Sharukh Geerukh bandilla , nadiri , footpath block maadbedi” ( No Shah Rukh Khan is here. Don’t crowd the footpath).

The crowd was disheartened. So was I. As I walked away, I was soon restored to my normal self. Where did all the resolution to not go crazy over stars go? What happened to all the claim to maturity? Perhaps along with a strong tendency to emulate movies or the complete readiness to wait and of course fight in long queues for movie/cricket match tickets, we also have another trait impregnated in our DNAs: We Worship Stars. Deny it or not, we do.