Chapter 23

I stood outside the gates of the Filmcity half an hour before my schedule. I didn't want to miss a thing, and being new to this part of the city I was cautious about traffic. Goregaon was so different from the part of town I lived in. Mumbai was full of surprises at every moment. Passing through the wide roads with greenery all around, I actually thought I had entered a forest area until the rickshaw driver confirmed that this was actually the national park. It was serene and so different from the humdrum of the city.

I had no inclination to explore the place. Bua was so wary of me going to film city on my own that she insisted on fufaji to accompany me. I stood my ground and refused to be bullied by her antics. For the first time, I experienced the Mumbai crowd on the train. The jostling and nudging were so fascinating that I felt like an alien. People swarmed the station, humming their way to earn their nectar and returning to their hives later in the evening. Mumbai people unlike Kolkattans weren't nosy, neither friendly nor caring upfront.

Mansi arrived an hour late. She neither apologized nor offered a reason for her late arrival. She simply asked me to hop in the car. She introduced me to the driver dada and the cameraman. She briefed me about the types of equipment we were carrying for the shoot and asked me to ensure everything was unloaded and loaded back in the car at the end of our interview.

"Who are we interviewing?" I asked after quelling my curiosity for a long time.

"We are supposed to interview Nikitaa Popov and her co-star Karan Thakure."

"What is this interview all about?" I continued, prodding her for more information.

"Well on the onset it's an interview to promote their upcoming movie, but what we really want them to talk about and address is the constant accusations and rumours from both ends which might escalate into a legal mess very soon jeopardizing the movie, and career for the new guy on the scene." Mansi gave me detailed inputs, however, the nagging feeling to know what the tiff was all about wouldn't go.

"What's the fight all about?" I continued with my volley of questions.

"It's stupid and blown out of proportion." Mansi nonchalantly remarked.

"But what is it all about?"

"Well, Karan has been accused by Nikitaa of bad demeanour and making her uncomfortable during the filming process, while Karan has complained about the unfairness of the production house in mitigating all her needs and her highhandedness from day one since she has a powerful sugar daddy to boast of."

"Wait if I am not wrong she is with Raman Jindal and hence the news of his marriage on the rocks." I had met the two at the Taj.

"Well Jindal is with her is mere speculation, but I guess there can be truth in such rumours because that's the only reason she can survive without nothing but good looks to fall back on."

She continued with a sigh, "Albeit poor Karan, he is going to get ruined for life if Jindal decides to step in and destroy his career."

"Does he wield so much power in the industry to destroy someone's career?"

"Yep." She was back to the work mode and fired instructions. "Keep your eyes and ears open. Try to be as friendly as possible and pick up a few friends here like the make-up dadas, spot boys and chaiwala. They have the choicest and juiciest gossips of these people."

I listened to Mansi attentively. Her words made me think if Jindal wielded the power to destroy a person's upcoming career? Raman Jindal did come across as a conceited and stubborn man but a narrow-minded, egoistic bastard that was hard to digest. Could he stoop so low? I didn't want to wrap my head around these dark ideas in particular and shifted myself to concentrate on the task at hand.

The location of the shooting was so shoddy, I wondered how they turned it into so picturesque on screen. This was one of my very first experiences in watching a live shoot. More than a hundred people were working on the set and it was so alive and electric. People were constantly shouting from all ends. I took in the sights and noise like a fascinated toddler. Mansi asked me to help the cameraman set up an interview kiosk for the stars.

Mansi vanished from our side meeting and greeting people jovially. The woman had great people skills and it seemed she had developed a great number of contacts over the years. I tore my eyes away from her and got to work. Arjun Sir- our cameraman was friendly and he insisted I called him by his name. Arjun kept the conversation flowing and helped me with information on shooting interviews, setting up lights, handling the camera and other technical things. By the time we were done, I was tired knowing that the interview was yet to begin.

Karan was busy shooting while Nikitaa was in her vanity resting. Mansi asked me to inform Nikitaa and get her ready for the interview. I was nervous. Nikitaa was the quintessential diva and I had experienced it first hand at Taj. I was freaking out that she might recognize and let out something that would put me in a tight spot. I was hesitating but Arjun encouraged me. He lightened up the situation with jokes like she couldn't eat me because of her dietary restrictions.

I held myself together and went to meet her. Nikitaa's bodyguards stopped me. My ID card did the magic. Nikitaa was relaxing in comfy clothes and was plopped up on a sofa with a book in hand.

"I am sorry," I uttered, my voice squeaking. She lifted her eyes from her book.

"Hi Ma'am, sorry to interrupt you but I came to inform you that we are ready for the interview."

"Is Karan ready?" She asked me anything but innocently. I replied in a nay. She asked me to come again when Karan was. I left without saying uttering a word, wanting to pull my tongue out and show it to her. What could go wrong if she came before Karan? I walked back to Arjun and narrated to him everything that happened word by word. He was sympathetic and told me feeding the star's ego was normal, and I would learn it with time.

I went to look for Mansi and found her enjoying a cup of tea with Karan. I interrupted their conversation. Mansi was kind enough to introduce me to Karan who acknowledge my presence with a nod and a smile.

"We are ready to shoot," I announced hoping he would not throw a tantrum, unlike his co-star.

"Great!" Mansi picked up the signs of worry.

"Let's do it if Karan is ready." She asked him politely, making a puppy face. I wondered if that would entice him.

Karan excused himself to talk to the director. Meanwhile, I informed Mansi about Nikitaa and her request. Mansi left to appease her and asked me to escort Karan.

I dutifully waited for him. He returned with a vada pav in his hand. Unhealthy things binged by a star was a great sight. I remain poker-faced but Karan was warm and inviting. He began the conversation by offering his half-eaten vada pav.

"Would you like a bite?" The only thing I could do was look at him with my horror-stricken face. How unhygienic was the only thing that flitted across my mind? Who offers a half-eaten vada pav? I replied with a, "no, thank you," as a standard for such uncouth practices.

"I am sorry. I had no idea you were ushering me like a chaperon. Otherwise, I would have got you one." He explained. "I haven't had breakfast and I am famished.

I offered him a weak smile. If I could, I would have reacted harshly to his use of chaperon for me. Chaperon! Argghh...this man... I maintained a cool front. He persisted in making small talk despite my no interest in indulging in it.

"What are the questions you guys would be throwing at me?" He asked.

"I am sorry I haven't seen the questionnaire," I replied honestly.

"Umm...any clues?" He was fishing for clues to being trapped by Mansi in a controversy.

"I am sorry sir, I have no idea. I am simply an intern." That explanation would put him to rest.

"How long have you been interning?" The man was not backing down. Instead, he was curious about me.

"A few weeks," I replied.

"I like that."

"What?" I enquired."

"Your honesty!" He paused before continuing, "That's rare." I don't know if he was taking a dig at me but I decided to take it as a compliment. I smiled in encouragement.

I was refraining from the chit chat not wanting to jeopardize Mansi's interview by speaking wrong things at the wrong time to the wrong person.

"Have you watched my first film?" He enquired.

"Honestly, no sir." He wasn't surprised that I hadn't.

"You know during my first film, I was a nervous wreck because I thought anything I could do might harm my chances of bagging the next project." He went on while I listened. "Obviously, I did not bag my next project immediately but after waiting a few months. My first stint as an actor made me doubt my abilities in acting because obviously, it didn't get me any recognition I was looking for." He paused for effect and continued, "But I think one cannot stop being the person he is out of fear of speaking the wrong thing to the wrong person at the wrong time."

I looked at him and scrunched my nose. I don't know if he was psychic. But I had to question his intuitiveness. "So, then the rumours going around about you speaking the wrong things to the wrong person is true." He didn't half as flinch as I thought he would on hearing my question.

"If having an opinion and airing them earns you that tag then there is some truth in the rumour you have heard."

I looked at him. "This is my personal opinion sir that people hate anyone who has an opinion different from the crowd. If you are right then stand by the ground without any fear of losing who you are."

"Interesting. That is very perceptive of you." He said appreciatively.

"Thank you. Sir, this way." And I guided him towards the spot we had chosen for the interview.

Arjun was fussing about the waning daylight and the ambience. Mansi was hands-on in helping but Nikitaa was still not in sight. I left Mr Thakure's side to ask Nikitaa to join us. The burly bouncers outside her vanity van were unfriendly and refused to let me in or pass my message. I had no option but to get Mansi to deal with her. Mansi asked me to keep Karan pacified and ensure that we do not lose him.

Mr Thakure adjusted himself keeping the camera and lighting nuances in mind. Arjun was doing a fine job of engaging him in industry talk until Mansi sorted the issue with Nikitaa. Mansi was back only to indicate that there was a crisis at hand. Nikitaa was being extremely unprofessional and could not be reached while Mr Thakure waited patiently for his co-star to arrive. After forty-five minutes of painful waiting time and Arjun running out of topics to engage Karan, we knew what was inevitable. Karan understood the tantrums of his co-star well but refused to commit another hour of his time for this interview today. He could not miss out on his schedule and run behind in shooting his scenes.

Mansi was at a loss and continued to push Karan for another slot. I volunteered to go to her again and requested Mr Thankure not to lose his patience. Mansi was at a wit's end but was composed in the face of adversity.

I ran back to Nikitaa's van and requested her bodyguards but they continued their high-handedness and refused to divulge information about their employer's whereabouts. This was frustrating but we could do nothing about it. Karan apologized and left and Mansi was left with no choice but to call for a pack up.