Stories beyond the Silver ScreenA Tribute to Classic Cinema, is a humble tribute to cinema which has entertained so many people from the last century onward. It is also a modest attempt to pay homage, not just to dedicated stars and artistes, but also to crew members and everyone else, who have over the years, shed their sweat and toiled hard and long, to contribute to the movie making process; which is a difficult and time-consuming exercise.These short stories are fictionalised accounts mainly traced from the vintage days of the Pictures.The tales about characters associated with the Silver Screen show how 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 have been many struggles alongside the blessings: a few told and some untold.There have been 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.It has been a demanding world, where its inhabitants have borne constant pressure to live up to the external expectations, up to the image 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 has been 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.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.Sound mental health is a must for stable inter-personal relation ships, but not everyone is so blessed.The cultures merge across the global divide, but as we shall see, the human psyche and spirit know no boundaries. The human emotions, the pressures of life, the situations, the experiences and the examples, can be considered contemporary and may apply to current times.The entertainment industry comprises many people who have been there, for the sheer love of the art and not just for money, fame, and glory. These individuals deserve a solemn salute. Cinema has brought many people happiness, in regular times and in times of loneliness, melancholy, or boredom.