Struggle. Not a new word is it? Everybody goes through a phase of struggle in their lives. Some struggle to fulfill their dreams, others just to keep up with the demands of daily life. You'll find examples around you too if you observe carefully. Kids struggling to understand whether to play outside or to update selfies on facebook, teenagers struggling to choose who to keep a check on- pimples or their partners in relationships? Husbands struggling to satisfy the materialistic demands of their wives, wives struggling to comprehend what to buy- shoes or jewellery? I too have applied for the University of Struggleship in Mumbai. Only difference being, my bills get paid by dad so you could say I'm a scholarship student in the University. Barely did I recover from Zoster, (It's viral Herpes and not an STD. Clarifying because people love to jump the gun) that I gave my first acting audition. It was for the reality show NDTV "Ticket to Bollywood" and it required contestants to act, dance and sing. It came naturally to me because that's all I've been doing in the bathroom for years without an audience.
So after waiting in queues that could give Burj Khalifa a run for it's money I finally give the audition and I am informed that I am selected and I get the golden ticket to the biggest film industry in the world. The next thing I hear which gives me an "eargasm" is that it will be aired on television. As excited as I was, I was just recollecting the memories of the audition so as to reassure myself that I didn't do anything idiotic that'll be aired on national television and embarrass my parents. Next round of the audition and I was at it, rehearsing like it was the last opportunity of my life. One thing I realised being there was the hardwork and sleepless nights put in on reality shows. People watching a reality show don't realise the Godzillanimous ( I made that up) efforts that both the performers as well as the channel crew put in to entertain you guys for an hour. So, people be sensitive towards performers from now on if you already weren't because a lot of blood, sweat and meticulous preparation goes into entertaining people. If I thought I was tired working 22 hours on the trot , I had a crew member from the channel as motivation ; working for 24 hours at a stretch . 2 weeks in to the show, I get into the top 21 contestants from all over India and then get eliminated. The show gave me friends, a bit of fame, a wealth of experience and "episodes to cherish" as far as mom and dad are concerned. But most importantly it gave me self-belief that if my first babystep in this industry could create ripples, then surely training, grooming, perseverance and a bit of luck could take me places!
So after waiting in queues that could give Burj Khalifa a run for it's money I finally give the audition and I am informed that I am selected and I get the golden ticket to the biggest film industry in the world. The next thing I hear which gives me an "eargasm" is that it will be aired on television. As excited as I was, I was just recollecting the memories of the audition so as to reassure myself that I didn't do anything idiotic that'll be aired on national television and embarrass my parents. Next round of the audition and I was at it, rehearsing like it was the last opportunity of my life. One thing I realised being there was the hardwork and sleepless nights put in on reality shows. People watching a reality show don't realise the Godzillanimous ( I made that up) efforts that both the performers as well as the channel crew put in to entertain you guys for an hour. So, people be sensitive towards performers from now on if you already weren't because a lot of blood, sweat and meticulous preparation goes into entertaining people. If I thought I was tired working 22 hours on the trot , I had a crew member from the channel as motivation ; working for 24 hours at a stretch . 2 weeks in to the show, I get into the top 21 contestants from all over India and then get eliminated. The show gave me friends, a bit of fame, a wealth of experience and "episodes to cherish" as far as mom and dad are concerned. But most importantly it gave me self-belief that if my first babystep in this industry could create ripples, then surely training, grooming, perseverance and a bit of luck could take me places!
What it also gave me was mindboggingly illogical wedding proposals, dark circles, an exhausted body and tolerance towards make-up to hide the dark circles and exhaustion. Mascara, foundation, concealer , oil free sunscreens and brushes of all shapes and sizes finally entered my life and though they sound gay; in this industry by the looks of it are here to stay. I finally made peace with the fact that I have to put on a face to entertain the rest of the world though forgetting to remove it during night and waking up to that face can be a scary prospect sometimes. However, whatever be the faces or circumstances, one thing's for sure..my love for acting and the camera just grew bigger and this relationship is sure to blossom even more in the future!
