A journalist recently pointed out to a pretty successful actor that he is not ‘hero material’. Later, Twitter trolled the very same journalist for not being ‘journalist material’. Sometimes you live by the pen but still die by the sword. On behalf of the Planet of the Apes and trolls, apologies to both.
You can study mass comm to be a journalist; to be a hero you have to be a game changer — not just act in Game Changer.
Who is a hero? According to the Oxford dictionary: A person who is admired, especially for having done something difficult or good.
According to Hollywood: Anyone who can act well. I’m in Hyderabad; I don’t know their inside politics. But I’ve seen Black actors like Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, and Halle Berry — and bald actors like The Rock, Jason Statham, and Vin Diesel — make it big, while our wig industry is booming. That says something.
According to Bollywood: A hero is a person who can come close to anything Shah Rukh Khan does or did or still does — just not in a way I like anymore. He made masala movies before also but now he only makes pan-masala movies.
According to Kollywood: A hero first practices changing society in the movies and then tries the same by joining politics. Acting helps a lot here as long as you have crowd control.
According to Tollywood: Same as above, or ‘Jai Balayya’.
According to producers: A hero is anyone (male/female) who brings collections. The late Sridevi was a hero at her peak. If money’s involved, people can forget sexism. If you can bring Rs 100 crore, even a fly can be a hero.
According to the government: A hero is anyone who has worked hard all his life and is now ready to help them win more votes.
What is the material needed for a hero?
Content — Our mythologies were told orally. Once upon a time, heroes had no posters, audio functions, or PR teams. They survived 2,000 years because the story created interest. Now having a good story is outdated like Pinterest.
Body — ‘Body of work’ has taken a back seat to ‘work on body’. That’s why the journalist was surprised: ‘You don’t even have six-packs. How come your shows are packed?’
Face — If you come from money, face doesn’t matter. We have man-made marvels, and we treat them like gods. But if you’re an outsider, you’d better look good — at least like Liger — or the journalist will call you ‘lucky’, for not using a fairness cream.
How to become a hero? At the end of the day, you need to make people like you. We’re back to the old days where content is king. You don’t need to be on a film screen to be a hero anymore — I was at an event where a social-media star got bigger cheers than a film star. Sometimes you don’t need to audition; you need a good editor.
Where? A hero can come from anywhere. Rajinikanth came from a bus, SRK from an acting school, and Naga Chaitanya from Jubilee Hills. But to be a hero for a long time, it’s not where you come from — it’s where you live, in people’s hearts.
Sandesh
@msgfromsandesh
(This comedian is here to tell funny stories about Hyderabad)
(The writer’s views are his own)
