REEL TO REAL... Nayh! REAL TO REEL!
Serendipity.... That’s the word! And what an ironic one I must say, at the moment. A girl who has always been defiant and practically vowed to never be in the movies, is now busy filming one of the biggest mainstream Bengali films named Chaamp. With none other than superstar Dev himself, who also happens to be a very dear old friend of hers, from a time she didn’t even know that he was a movie star!
Surprised? Well there’s more! I’ve known Dev since I was 16 years of age. We were friends and he wanted me to act in films. But me lacking the knack for it, refused the offer, and hence he in his mind had stamped me as a “SNOB” and well, basically, HATED me! And then we got busy with our respective lives, and suddenly bumped into each other after a couple of years out of nowhere, and probably started hating each other a little less day by day.... And the rest as we all know, is history!
But one thing about this boy remained the exact same. The fact that beneath all those layers of stardom and name and fame, and luxury and indulgence, there lies a little childlike Deepak still craving to enjoy the little pleasures of life, with his head placed on his mother’s lap, busy pulling his sister’s leg and hogging on lip-smacking food made by his father, with occasional friendly attacks by his dog all over! As a silent onlooker, it’s one of the most heart-warming of sights to watch!
Having known Dev as a friend who stands almost next to family for me today, my world seems to have turned upside-down, topsy-turvy and any direction one can possibly think of as I get to know him as a co-actor and filmmaker on set.
The same person I could back-slap at any point of time and share a trashy joke with, without having the fear of being judged, gave me chills running down my spine as I watched him disfigure his face and transform himself into a crestfallen Shibaji, the instant the director (Rajda) went ‘action’!
I heard myself saying in my head, “How on earth do they even expect me to act in front of that??!! Was this too far-stretched a joke my friend Dev here was cracking on me this time??” And the answer came firmly from the other end: “Ruks! Focus. Concentrate! Forget I’m Dev. I am Shibaji. You are Jaya. Look into my eyes and fight me with all your might. Concentrate!”
I had heard before that he was a very helpful co-actor, but that day I felt the power with which he helps you push your own limits, which one knows not of.
A very generous actor this one is, I said to myself. Five days down the line I heard myself saying, what a selfish filmmaker! Haha! He will push himself and push you even further and every artiste performing on set to help bring themselves to prominence. You ask why? Because this man perhaps knows today the key to a good film. You build each scene with every single performance, and on your last day you look back only to realise that you’ve built the most splendid fraud, yet the most believable one on celluloid!
All he wants is to make a celebrated film, not caring who steals the applause. And that, my friend, is a great deal!
Having witnessed the journey of a boy to a man, from Dev wanting to be a praiseworthy actor to now being a Superstar and then a Member of Parliament, a Restaurateur, an Entrepreneur and today a Producer... and amidst all that one can’t deny a loving Son and a protective Brother. My Friend who calls me his best friend, has undeniably only made me proud with each passing day. (Not counting the occasional irritating, irrational brawl that we have!) But hey, that’s what friends are for, right? All love and no hate would make it a boring relation any day!
So, here’s wishing you a Very Very Very Happy Birthday, Deepak! May you be blessed with loads of punches of Love, Genuineness, Contentment, Peace and Prosperity always... CHAAMP!
Love and Luck — RUKMINI MAITRA (Jaya)
