In love with…..me, myself and I

Name, fame, money and adulation turns an actor into a star overnight. And if a reality check isn't kept, narcissism creeps in. Such a trait is normally found in the entertainment industry where conceit in the wings of success can make any head spin. But have our TV actors too fallen prey or is it just a mind set of a perceiver?

Prashant Golecha speaks to five different actors who are as different as chalk and cheese and finds out the truth.

Rohit Roy

Most actors are little vainer than normal people. In public places, they pretend to be what they are not. See everyone, be it an actor or a person from different profession is obsessed to a certain degree. But actors get self-obsessed because of the life they lead. There is another person behind the image of an actor. Take my example, when I saw first saw limelight after becoming an actor, I got carried away initially. But now I have equilibrated my life. I am what I am, take me or leave it. No dual image, what's inside is portrayed as it is.

Chetan Hansraj
Acting for TV is demanding. The working hours are crazy so where is the time for yourself. The 'I am somebody' attitude happens in the glamour industry. Only people who are not confident end up worrying too much about what the world thinks of them. But I will also add that a little bit of attitude is necessary otherwise people just walk over you. Self-obsession is healthy to an extent and is necessary. If you don't like yourself then how will the world like you?

Moulli Ganguly
Not all actors are not self-obsessed, only a select few are. It's like the adage that 'all models are dumb', which we all know doesn't hold an iota of truth. The acting profession is insecure. Age factor is a vital issue in our industry. Actors want to hold on to their youth, which is just not possible. The pressure to look good is constantly hanging. Say if one notices an ordinarily dressed actor in a market; it won't go down well with the on-lookers. Actors who go to public places expect people to notice them and flood them with autograph requests. If you are taking it too seriously you are inviting trouble!

Shaleen Bhanot
Actors are not self-obsessed but they do like to like themselves. I'm getting good feedback for my role in Kulvaddhu. I makes me happy to see my photographs in papers. It feels very nice inside, as my work is being noticed and recognized. Fame is an elusive term and one grows and learns with time. Obviously freshers don't have experience of handling instant fame. If one gets the right career guidance and has friends who give you fair feedback, then one remains grounded and strives for the better.

Ashish Kaul
By and large actors are not self-obsessed. Actors who have struggled hard to reach a high don't get swept off. But if one gets instant success and fame one gets carried away. It happens quite often with so many shows, so many production houses and so many channels. The entertainment industry is not organized unlike the corporate sector and you don't get genuine friends easily. Rather there are chamchas who hound you and butter you with false appreciation, and then you get trapped in an illusion. A lot of actors try to fake in public. One needs to remain grounded in life rather than running after glamour. One needs to value this field as it gives you back much more than any other profession in every sense.

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