Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Celebrity Watch!

Guess who?

A friend had sent a youtube link of her kids video. A1, who has so far watched TV shows, movie songs on youtube saw this video and excalimed, "Ammaaa... they are on YOUTUBE!!!" So, we made her a celebrity too!! ;) Talking of celebrities, have you met your favourite celebrity and how did you react? When A1 recently met the family band "Laughing Pizza" for real, she was all dumbstruck and tongue tied!

After the initial excitement of air travel waned and become an ordeal, the one and only tiny flicker I have each time every time, I am about to fly is, "will I spot a celebrity?" Though the "celebrity" for us is either a movie artist or a sportsperson where sports limits to cricket and/or tennis. So, Kenyan marathon runner or even a Dutch footballer won't count!

One of my mother's friend is related to Vani Ganapathy, Kamalhaasan's ex-wife and my mom tells me that we have spotted Kamal & Vani in weddings during their happily married years. Though being very young at that time, I hardly remember the events. But for a very long time, I used to boast to friends about my meeting with Kamal(depending on my mood & imagination level it ranged from shaking hands to riding in his shoulders!)!! So, you can imagine who would have been the saddest person when the two divorced!!

At the peak of my 'cinema payithiam' days, one day, on my way home with a cousin, saw a crowd outside a bungalow. We learnt of a cinema shooting and my cousin was telling me that the house was called Singapore house and it was often let out for cinema shooting. I was bent upon waiting outside to see which actor/actress were inside while my cousin was getting thoroughly embarrassed hanging around there. All that I can remember now is Actor Suresh coming to the balcony to give darshan and we(much to my cousin's relief) taking off after seeing Director Natraj(Moondram Pirai villain!)!

Several years later, I had now jumped fence when it came to running behind cinema stars. At school, we were taken to watch a stupid movie called "Engalayum Vaazhavidungal", supposedly a children's movie, at Nagesh theatre. Thoroughly disappointed by the movie we were all waiting for our school bus when we heard about Anandbabu(Nagesh's son) coming into the complex. Within minutes, 3/4 of the crowd ran to see him and some even returned with autographs. We were a few girls who felt embarrassed by our classmates behaviour and later had a big fight with those who went 'running to see Anandbabu'!!

After some years in the foreign countries, with most faces looking alike, while struggling to spot neighbours at the grocery store, Aththaan and me exchange conversations like, "That Guy browsing at the laptop at the far end.. doesn't he look like John Cusack?" or "Look, look that man in the speeding convertible... he is definitely Harrison Ford!" More pathetic is when I go to famous stadiums, I won't know whether to admire the grounds or celebrities or enjoy the picnic/specialty food!!

Anyway, during one of my air travel ordeal, before A2 was born, it was just me & A1 and I was eagerly waiting to see who was going to occupy the last seat in the 3 seater row. My mind floating high up flashing scenes from 'Dil chahta hai', 'Ninaithale inikkum' and the likes... 'thud' came crashing to the ground when the empty seat was occupied by my ex-company's ex-VP!

P. S. - A1 is at crossroads now...
In Music
She is too old for Dora
too young for Hanna Montana
just right Amul chocolatey suggestions for a 8 yr old please!

8 comments:

munimma said...

took me back to school days. My school was the "official" cinema hotspot. Quite a few celebrities have graced us. Unfortunately Kamal didn't :-( Although anbulla rajinikanth was filmed there, but during summer. 6 to 60 opening shot starred a couple of my friends ;-)

As to the music, don't worry, they are at an age where peer pressure starts.

Me said...

I have seen(from a four to six feet distance) almost all famous Indian cricketers in the early 90's...Sachin, Kapil, Azhar etc..sat couple of seats away from Gooch during one of the test macthes...I have seen Vish Anand...during 80's I used to see...WV Raman, ommakuchi narasimhan, vikku Vinayakram often...another leading ghatam player is my relative :)

..i talked to sudha raghunathan at an airport without knowing who she was!...& you know i saw mandolin srinivas...

...on the movie side...I have never seen anyone of star status...s.v. sekar..sivakumar..dilip & GJ's maamiyaar in selvi(i consider people who act in TV serials as celebs)

...on the political side i have seen MGR & Stalin..both were in their car :)

..except mandolin srinivas i have no photograph or autograph to prove i saw them & i don't care much

..the only celeb i truly want to see/meet/talk to is superstar..

...with this comment...my big head is growing bigger...pretty soon you will hear about a eclipse because my head is going to block the sun

ttm said...

Saw Kumble at mumbai airport returning from Johannesburg from a shoulder surgery. Year later, saw Harbhajan at a hotel lounge just before he flew out for the same surgery, same destination. Thought of approaching the then-newfaced kid Bhajji but read somewhere he was a hothead and kept quiet. Thankfully saved myself a slap or being called Monkey :)

Sat couple rows behind Krish Srikkanth 2 decades back at a game. He flailed his arms and yelled "Pongada! Pongada!" at a bunch of approaching kids, who wisely returned with their autograph books.

Ian Botham mentioned in his bio about a drunk Indian fan jumping on him and shouting "Iron Bottom!(!?!)Iron Bottom, I love you" and kissing him. Pissed, Botham beat up the guy.

Me too said...

Munimma, cinema hotspot-a or Rajni hotspot-a?
Just to know, aren't there anything in between Dora/Diego and Hanna Montana?

me, LOL @ me-ar eclipse!!! Two decades back I would've been so jealous of you!! Some years back I took a pic of famous Tamil film star from my relatives balcony in Besant nagar. If I find the pic, I will post and see if anyone can find who!

ttm, share some airport luck with me! But then I hardly know the present day Indian squad. So, I'm not going to recognise any bajji or sojji! When I saw Dravid on foreign shores, more than his celebrity status, I felt orey the brotherhood!!

ttm said...

me2,
Hope you get your airport luck soon. My personal belief is it's the best place to talk to a celebrity since they cant express their irritation or frustrations in a civil place. People who met celebrities elsewhere often got reactions like this

Or even this!!!

Me too said...

ttm, haiyo! Venave venaampa saami!!!

Me said...

yaarnu therlayae...:(

Anonymous said...

A fasсinating ԁiscusѕiоn is dеfinitely wοгth comment.
I belieνe that уou need to publіsh more abοut
thіs ѕubјeсt, іt might not be а taboo subject but typісally fοlκs don't discuss these subjects. To the next! Kind regards!!

my weblog :: http://www.kimkardashianvideotape.com