Real super heroes….

I was at a filming site, courtesy of a family friend. It was the filming of a song, which are an integral part in Indian movies. They play a major role in entertainment and also in making the flicks intolerably long sometimes. The protagonist of the movie was played by a very popular star in this particular regional language. There were loads of his fans waiting to get a glimpse of their idol. The star was the centre of attraction on and off the camera there. I also had this rare privilege of having a photograph taken with him much to the envy of others who were refrained from even getting close to him.
I was at this filming site for a couple of hours and observed very grossly the procedures of film making. The confusion was compounding at every passing minute and the director was yelling on his microphone to bring some order around the place. It had not sunk in till then the reason for such a big hustle in this tiny make shift studio place which was setup. It did not take me long to realize though! It was this huge conglomeration of technicians, artists and casual laborers that added to this disarray. I then became present to the hardships that the supporting crews have to go through to make a movie. The actors as always get all the attention and help. The producer and the director are always tracking every breath of their lead face to make sure he is pampered and happy. They are always at the core of every action at the site. Unsurprisingly they charge a fee that would be more than my dream lottery!
The stark contrast was the manner in which the second rung technicians, artists and casual laborers are treated. I saw the dance troupe which danced with our lead artist on the song. It mainly constituted of wannabe actors who just hang around the film industry’s hub waiting for their destinies to have a paradigm shift to get them an opportunity to have others dance around him. They were dressed up in glossy outfits ready to take orders on the sets. They don’t mix around with the main cast of the movie and I could see their submissiveness and inferiority complex they carried. It almost looked like they were ostracized from the main crew. How many of us who watch Indian movies tend to realize the co dancers in the songs and give due credit to their participation in making the song viewable? I must admit that I never did and maybe I will never be able to do it. Well partly to blame are the camera angles that focus on the lead of the movie. Actually I would use this as a safe excuse!
The next were these bunch of men designated as the “light boys”. They hung like trapeze artists on high ceiling grills and weak make shift ladders. The safety of these workers is in an utmost pathetic condition. They hung precariously from these high positions with only Aether (Greek god of air) to his rescue if he was to fall asleep up there.
These were just a few examples I have illustrated here to give you all the tip of the iceberg. The others like the trolley pullers who help the cameraman give you those unbelievable shots under a waterfall, the cooks who don’t have enough to eat themselves, and the beautification artists who cover the pimples of our gorgeous heroine all face the same scenario.
Guys, the next time you are at the cinema to watch your latest crush on screen or your macho man beating up the baddies, please realize that there were armies of under privileged people who make these super heroes.
Wanna watch a movie tonight? I have invites for a premiere!