Each and every time I see a film journalist interviewing a film star, this is what I feel. I know it sounds a bit strange. After all, there are many people out there who would think it a great opportunity to talk to their favorite film stars at close range. Proximity with the glamorous life is, after all, something that everyone aspires to. But this kind of glamour? Not by a long mile, yaar..

 

I will give you my reasons for holding this opinion. Tell me, if given a chance to talk to your favorite film star for an hour, what would you actually talk about? It would be exactly like talking to any other stranger but even worse as you have to deal with the baggage of his/her stardom versus the baggage of your relative anonymity. More often than not, you will end up making an ass of yourself even if you do have the reputation of being a sensible person otherwise.

 

Of course, a film journalist has a fixed agenda while representing his or her magazine or news channel and a prepared set of questions to throw at the actor. However, this does not make their task easier. First of all, the film fraternity today has a low opinion of the entire media for which they cannot be blamed considering the gossip mongering they are subjected to. Thus, they almost look upon journalists as scavengers on the prowl for dirty gossip.

 

This sets the tone of the entire interview and you see the journalist of even reputed channels and newspapers practically fawning on the actor who barely glances at him or her. The treatment is tantamount to that you would mete out to a fly that has jumped into your tasty ice cream.

 

So, unless you are an Arnab Goswami or Vir Sanghvi who have an exalted standing of their own, thank your lucky stars that you are not a film journalist. J