When I was a kid, okay, I loved to watch this show called Shaka Laka Boom Boom. It was about a kid, Sanju, who had a magic pencil, and whatever he drew from that pencil, came to life. Quite a dangerous concept, but he was a good kid, you know, pretty self-righteous, and he would never draw anything bad from it. So much did I believe in his goodness and his fun loving nature that well, I had the hugest crush on him. Plus the fact that he was outoftheworld cute. I mean, which little girl wouldn't have a crush on him, he was the epitome of everything good and fun in the world. Until I grew up and realized that all guys are jerks, but thats another story.
So I was in fourth or something, when I went to Mumbai for a trip and I don't know how, but by some twist of fate, some fluke of luck, my father somehow got his phone number for me. I was ecstatic. Absolutely, I don't think I had ever jumped so much in my life. Sanju. Sanju. His name kept ringing in my head. But my job is done, my father said. Its your turn now. So after rehearsing a million times what I was going to say to him and my thumbs under my fingers, I dialed, and miraculously, that number was not fake, it worked. It ringed, once, twice, three times and a woman picked up. I asked her timidly if I could speak to Kinshuk (his real name) and she told me he was at shoot or something. And she said he would call back once he got free and how did I get that number, which made me realize that it must be a pretty inside number.
That said and done, he never called back and I didn't expect him to, with him being a big star and all. But even at that age, I was a persistent, little bugger so I called and called and called until his mom got sick of me and put him on the phone (thank God there wasn't the Reject Call application in those days). Anyway, all that I had rehearsed, I forgot right away and mumbled incoherent nonsense. My dad took pity and convinced him to meet me In McDonald's. OH YES. LIKE A DATE? MAYBE.
Just with parents and stuff, cuz I was nine. And he was twelve, I add slyly, whenever narrating this story to my friends.
The day finally arrived and I remember I had bought a Mickey Mouse photo frame from Pantaloons to gift him. He didn't get anything. Typical. I remember every single detail of that day, even the color of his jacket, because I've recalled that moment so many times.
The point I'm trying to make is, meeting him was like meeting the ultimate star at that time. I used to worship Sanju and his friends, they were like people from another world. And even when I met him, although tangible, he was still a person from a different world, a completely different world.
As time passed, I still had his number but I never called again, although you would expect an obsessed fan to call again and again until the person being stalked changed his number. But for some reason, I never did. Years passed, and I narrated this incident to shrieks of laughter(guys) and lots of 'awwws'(girls). And two days ago, I found him on Facebook. But please, who isn't on Facebook, so that bit wasn't a surprise.
And neither was it a surprise that he was hot now. That was to be expected.
The surprising part was, how, normal he was. As normal as, well, me. He is in college, currently not acting to focus on studies. But the rest was, all, very normal, like just another teenager. And then I found this other girl too, who played Ritu in the show, one of the main people in the cast, and she has a blog too which I read and was absolutely SHOCKED to read how normal her rambles were! I don't know what I was expecting, stories of starry tantrums maybe, or anecdotes of the 90210 life. But it was as normal as my life, or maybe even less!
I don't know how to put across the enormity of my realization, that these people, who I thought belonged to another world, a world filled with magic and fun and dancing in the rain and rescuing people, were just like me. And not only in the essential sense, no, in every possible sense right down to how we spend our evenings!
Even this second, the thought seems so surreal, that these people are just like me! Its very strange.
A moment of awakening? I don't know.
Most people I know would say, Srishti, of course magic doesn't exist, you've got to be absolutely stupid to be still thinking that these people are different.
But its not the magic part, it isn't. Its something else, something different.
I just hope I'm able to digest this bit of information before something equally unnerving is hurtled my way again!
Yes, go on laugh, yes you. I'll be doing the same when this moment comes to you.
School holidays extended till 17th!! Now, THIS is the life.
Whatte feeel :)
13 Reflections:
your friends just laughed and let go. cha. we would have pulled the mickey out till the end of world. and in this weather it is a crime against humanity to ask us to get out of the rajai no? my office is being cruel.free
Oye! I'm not on facebook! *wink*
And just two words- precious illusions :)
Awwwwww! (see I did it too!) I've never actually been obsessed by a "celebrity" to that extent even when I was a kid altho there were several times when I proclaimed to my mom and dad how I wud grow up and marry Shashi Kapoor! :D
But you know, you're right. There is something strange and magical about the world of make-believe that while folks like Kinshuk might inhabit for a bit altho they dont really belong to it full-time, that makes it really hard to believe that they really arent that other person, that they're just people like us only in front of a camera.
It just doesnt sink in. But what I keep telling myself is all people are special like that. And all of us have something or the other in common with each other. :)
Have fun in extended vacation time! :)
Omg, I remember that show. Its a little creepy how much I loved it, now that I think about it. :\
Its nice to know that celebrities aren't as high strung as people think, though, isn't it? Xx
He's HOT!! I saw.
I wish I had had a meeting with a child star whom I adored (guy). It would've made my life.
Although I did see actors from door se but a kinda-date, man that would've blowed my mind off :D
P.S. I remember Jhumroo from shakalaka boom boom and I thought he was hot Then. Wonder how he must've turned out now.
OMG!! You have met him! Super OMG!!
I adored him..His friends. And Ritu was the tough ladaku girl!
:O :O :O
I watched even the repeats! :P
I had the fake pencil thingy too!
And his another friend jhumroo who caould walk through walls..How cool is that!!?
Its kinda of weird when you find them living normal lives like us...considering them just someone like us!!
:)
P.S - OMG! This post Got me so excited!! :P
Soin, oh yes, getting out of the rajai is the worst! Delhi ki sardi. :|
Priyanka, illusions? Reallyyy? ;)
TUIB, Shashi Kapoor awww! (and I did too, again :D)
Yeahh, I know, it is naa? Its like, someone coming to you to tell you that okay, Harry Potter was in your school, there's no such thing as Hogwarts. Very strange!
CC, you used to love it too, hahah. So stupid, we all were. And yaa, totally. =)
Anon, I know, Jhumroo was hot RIGHTT? Do you know his name or something? Lets look for him!
Blue Periwinkle, HEYYYY! Long time :) Yes, yes I have! I always liked Karuna better than Ritu, I don't know why though, she was such a crybaby. Hahaha, even I had the fake magic pencil! It was cute no? Heheh, talk soon :) xx
I just talked with my dear cousin Mishti and she told me she had a major crush on the actor who played the young Prithviraj Chauhan in the eponymous Star Plus series and who also played Veer in Dharam-Veer. :D So I sent her a link to your post. :)
Oh yaa, everyone had a crush on that guy! He was very, VERY hot! Think Justin Bieber minus the kiddish bod and voice plus longer hair and dreamy smile! THAT. :)And oohhh, I bet Mishti will relate to it!
I'm glad you loved slbb so much :)
we used to really work hard, it feels good. :D
Well I believe it is a fantasy world, we all live in it. there's magic everywhere. don't you think? Life is so magical and beautiful ven with it's flaws? :D
and thank you for liking karuna more than me :(
:P
Love =)
P.S: I don't know why I deleted the previous comments, I guess I'm weird like that only :S :P
Jhumru- Aditya Kapadia
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