Tuesday, July 24, 2007

When Mahesh Bhatt made Me Smile


It’s been four years now working in a news channel. My job profile as a program coordinator has involved interacting with a lot of celebrities trying to get them on the Various prime time shows. Every time that I have picked up the phone and punched in the numbers of these stars my heartbeat increased to a zillion per minute.
I was a mere nobody and they were known by the world why would they pick up my call
let alone talk to me. The very first celebrity that I have interacted with was Mr Mahesh bhatt. Now when I look back nothing much seems to have changed. The same blue or black shirt, spectacles perched on his nose and a smile that at once puts you at ease.
He was a successful director and a personality and every time there was a issue that nobody dared to talk about. This man never turned his back. Not because he needed his face to appear for a few minutes on national television but because he cared.
Great men are not made by recognition but their ability to keep their head on the shoulders and their ability to make a effort even for the most inconsequential human being.
Mr bahtt had once told me that “madhu you cannot control everything.” but this did not mean that he refused to try and make it to the spot where I was hoping to get a signal for my satellite van. He walked down six floors came out of his building and walked even more to the spot where I had set up. Despite all this effort the interview did not go on air.
I readied myself for a volley of insults and reprimand. What I got in return was a message saying that “even perfectionists fail sometimes”. I messaged him back saying” sir thank you for being nice to a nobody like me. ”He messaged me back saying that “nobody is a nobody you are good at what you do and I am giving you a ovation”.
His movies are not hits because they have a astounding star cast or lavish sets or foreign locations. They touch the human heart. The man still thinks like a common man, the pain, the helplessness the dreams and the aspirations. He has not forgotten what it feels like to live a life of averages. You cannot portray emotions unless you can feel them.
That day bhatt sahab not merely transformed a very scared nobody into somebody but made me realize that it takes more than hits to be a star it takes a heart of gold.

No comments: