"Stars don't fall out of the sky" - is a very interesting statement. It is actually quite literally true for film stars. We do not quite know exactly when celebrities from entertainment or other fields came to be called 'stars'. What is known is that stars are actually made here on earth with effort and with luck. Stardom has mysteries. It is hard to exactly define what makes or breaks a star. Stardom has its downsides too. Stars seem to have enviable lives with beauty, fame, charm, money and adulation galore. Indeed, there is "no business like show business!" However, behind the glitz, the glamour, the pearly smiles, the beauty, the aspiration-filled starry eyes, the money, the popularity, the fame and the reverence, there are many stories: a few told and some untold. It has been rumoured and the insiders do know for a fact, that after the camera lights switch off; stories of inner turmoil emerge, just as may happen with any other human being. Behind the makeup, the happiness and the smiles, pizzazz and the allure, there is an arduous pursuit of inner peace, happiness and love: from family, friends, fans and loved ones. There are stories of battles: some won, some lost and there are cherished moments, broken promises and emotional scars. Sometimes, there are many unanswered questions and unsolved mysteries. In that glamorous world too, as anywhere else, there are people with different personalities, shades, colours and ways. There have always been some artistes who shun the limelight as much as possible and do not even appreciate being addressed as stars. They dislike all that comes with the territory and prefer to be called good actors; a concept endorsed by certain well-respected industry professionals. On the other hand, there are the others, who remain at the bottom of the barrel, fighting the battles to achieve their dreams, hopes and ambitions; they are the strugglers who often end up battling depression and despair. It is a demanding world, one where its inhabitants bear a constant pressure to live up to the external expectations, up to the images created in the minds of the audience, loved ones and up to one's own gigantic expectations, as well. Only the blessed ones have good loving support and proper guidance throughout their entire lives. Often, it is near impossible to find genuine friends in such a world, a world that is often shallow and where fortunes change fast and tables turn almost every day. Nothing seems to last forever in life and similarly, a day comes when the glamour ceases to exist as it once did. A time comes to bow out gracefully. However, not everyone can learn and master the art of living without glitz and glamour, ageing and continuing with life happily ever after. Moreover, if the individual and collective decisions are not sound enough, the aftermaths can haunt the future. The later stage of life, when the adulation slowly fades away, can become a heavy burden. Sometimes, just a split second difference owed to some negligence, can lead to misfortune and unfortunately, change lives for the worse and leave a trail littered with tortuous regrets. It has been seen that several celebrities have been unable to cope with despair and disappointments. Good mental health is a must for stable inter-personal relationships, but not everyone is so blessed. So, here are a few tales of 'stars and aspiring-stars' and the people surrounding them: stories traced from the vintage days of the Pictures to the present times. The cultures merge across the global divide, but as we shall see, the human psyche and spirit know no boundaries! Most of the stories are set against the days of classic cinema (paying homage to the golden era of films); but the human emotions, pressures of life, situations, experiences and illustrations, can all be considered contemporary and applicable to the present.
About the Author: Snéha is a blogger, author and awarded journalist, whose writing converges on entertainment, socio-cultural and human-interest themes. Snéha's coverage of the entertainment industry has been published by newspapers and journals ever since her childhood and early adolescent years (late 1990s and early 2000s). She has always held a very deep appreciation of the fine arts: cinema, music, dance, poetry, painting, fashion and theatre. A History graduate and Mass Communication post graduate, Snéha has invested significant time and research into the dynamic and vibrant entertainment industry of India. Certified in Film Appreciation by the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India, Snéha has a good understanding of world cinema and is able to provide us with an exciting, insightful viewpoint of the entertainment industry. Snéha is also the recipient of an international journalism fellowship prize awarded in the Caribbean for researching and writing about socio-economic and cultural issues in Trinidad and Tobago. The Film Stars is the young author's first elaborate work of fiction. Her second book, Celebrating Trinbago: A Foreigner's Perspective, commemorates the twin-island nation. Snéha's upcoming novel entitled The Karmic Sisters, eloquently narrates a compendium of intertwined deeds transcending time and space.