Hello My Dear Readers...
The following is a story that I had started writing during my very early days here.
I could never really get this ready for submission, and it was only a couple of days ago that I finally completed the draft.
There are a few shortcomings, but I have tried my best to make it as enjoyable as possible. I hope you like it.
While my story 'An Interview with Madhavi Doshi' can be considered as a fictional take on Bollywood & The Superstars, this plot focuses on the protoganists from a completely non-filmy background.
The characters mentioned do not exist in real-life.
The story is narrated by 19 year old Rohit, and is set in India.
Happy Reading!!
My mother, Jisha, always wanted to be an actress.
She never craved to be a celebrated figure, but always hoped that one day she would be appreciated for her acting skills.
Marriage, Motherhood and Professional Commitments had all taken away a lot of time from her life.
But, at 40, she still wanted to try her luck in Bollywood.
My mother was a movie buff, watching almost every film, and followed cinema closely, secretly hoping she would someday get a chance to showcase her talent.
To be very frank, I had never seen her act out any scene, or do anything cinematic, but she always was very confident that she had it in her to excel in the field.
She had quit her job at the bank, two years ago, and now lived the happy & stressfree, yet mundane, life of a regular Indian housewife.
With me joining college, this year, and opting to stay in the hostel, my mom was starting to have time for herself, again.
My parents have been married for more than 20 years now, and I have never heard my dad say "NO" to my mom.
And, when she shared her desire of being an actor, he readily agreed!!
With my dad's support & encouragement, my mom set out to fulfill her biggest dream...
"You will do great, Jisha. Trust me!! I know you... I really wouldn't be surprised when you tell me they have cast you as the heroine." my dad definitely sounded more than just assuring, but he really meant every word he said.
He knew his wife was a go-getter.
However, it was not going to be an easy task with the abundance of talent already in the Industry.
My mother knew it very well, and it was a difficult mission. But, she would just not give up.
And after a decent amount of struggle, and a very long wait, she finally got a chance to star in a full length feature film.
It was no longer a fantasy, and she was rightfully over the moon.
My mom was also lucky to be selected for a movie directly through auditions, without toiling in low budget TV serials, and having to participate in crappy vulgarly late-night shows.
And to top it all, she was acting in a big film featuring Superstar Aftab Khan.
We were all excited, and though I was never overly optimistic about my mother's career in Bollywood, this opportunity had even me gushing.
It all happened so quickly, by the time we were fully convinced this was really true, my mother had already completed the rehearsals.
"What character are you playing, Mom??" I asked her, with two days left for the commencement of shooting.
"That is a secret!!" was all she said, giggling.
"You will be blown away!! Haha!! Just joking..." she added, laughing.
Neither dad nor me could visit my mom on the sets during the filming process.
Dad was busy setting up his new office in Hyderabad, and I was having my semester exams. But, she would keep us updated.
The night before the release of the movie, my mother and I went out for dinner at a posh restaurant. She was treating me, and she was very very happy.
I never really commented on my mother's looks, my whole life, but that night she looked absolutely gorgeous.
Dressed in her new peach colored body-hugging sleeveless kurti & maroon tights, she was at her best.
The neckline of her top was lower than usual, but still covered her pretty well. Living with her all these years, I could notice this change easily.
In terms of makeup, she only seeked the help of her favorite pink glossy lipstick, to decorate her. But, that was more than enough to declare her as the most beautiful woman in the room.
Maybe it was because I had started seeing her as a Movie Star, but she also looked a lot younger, and nobody would ever guess I was her son.
"It is sad that your Dad cannot be with us tomorrow, for the first show..." my mom said, a little upset.
My dad was still away, and would be back only a couple of days later.
"Don't be disappointed about that, Mom. He is going to be really proud of you when the reviews come out. We can watch it again with him." I consoled her, cheering her up.
"Yes, Rohit... I am very confident about the project. It has been planned & shot brilliantly. This is definitely going to be a huge hit." my mother replied.
"I know, Mom... I am very sure about it... I have told my friends in college that you are starring in the movie. They are all going to be watching it tomorrow." I said with a lot of pride.
"Hahaha!! Ohh, Rohit... Mine is a small role, Okay?! But, it is an important one. So, hopefully, people will notice me. And... I thought I will keep this as a surprise, but let me just tell you about it straightaway... I even took part in a small dance sequence. It was amazing. The whole experience was so refreshing, Rohit." my mother said, jumping with excitement.
We were both understandably very thrilled about the next day. It was definitely a special ocassion...
But, little did we know our lives were going to turn upside down, in a matter of few more hours!!
The big day had finally arrived, and my mother & I reached the theatre well before time.
There was considerable buzz around the film, and the crowd in the Cinema Complex justified the same.
My mom did not feature in the trailer of the movie, and was not to be seen on any of the posters, either. But, honestly, we did not care. We just wanted the screening to start.
And, exactly at 9:00AM, the opening titles started to be shown.
In under 20 minutes, we had already been graced by the most expensive song shot in an Indian Film, and also some of the finest action sequences.
The movie was going ahead in swift pace, keeping the audience hooked.