When we think of stars, we only think of actors. We hardly imagine other artists being given those titles. It is as if they are reserved for a handful of people. In all honesty, the system that associates star treatment with actors seems deeply flawed. It assigns them a pedestal that: a) comes with a lot of power, b) does not expect the same kind of responsibility. Every time I tell people that I write for a living, it is followed by a weird silence – which is then followed by questions like what I plan on doing ‘next’. It is expected that there will be a next, and this cannot be it.
For our system, writing is not so much work than it is a hobby for the side. It is not taken as seriously. All of this stems from a vicious cycle, where most artists are not paid enough, their work is not respected enough. So, it’s not something that is counted as a serious profession. The cycle goes on. Artists are mostly fighting for these things, their battles are so constant that getting to a point where they can fight for being stars doesn’t even make it to the list.
Angry Young Men speaks of this larger question – why writers and artists cannot be stars? There is no simple answer or solution. It is how things have been, and it is how things are. A film is celebrated for its actors who are mostly stars. Audiences and even the industry hardly cares for what other artists bring in. Writing, for instance is treated like something that just happens – as if there is no effort attached to it. When, in fact a story is what it is because of who writes – and of course, how they do it.
Actors take up so much space in a film, that there is no space for artists to be seen as stars. That never happens. That is not to say that actors do not have their struggles – making it big in the industry is a struggle in itself. But there can be a point in actors’ careers where the ‘star treatment’ just comes in – that is when you can sit back. This almost never happens for writers and other artists.
A recurring conversation in the docu-series is about how Salim-Javed had to fight to be taken seriously. To be simply treated with the same respect actors and directors got. And when you have to fight for things that automatically come to the rest of the lot, it tells you about the indifference. It speaks of privilege. Which is one of the many reasons artists can’t be stars – they do not come from the same privilege. They have to work harder, do more, and just fight more often to find some respect. The ‘star treatment’ is another fight, altogether.
And let’s just face it, it isn’t the same feeling when you get things after you ask for them. They come bearing a sense of obligation. No, you want people to recognize you – not for you to ask them to recognize you.
Angry Young Men speaks to artists through the writer duo that brought up this question in the first place. It speaks to people who know they deserve better. Who know that their work deserves to be treated like the star that it really is. Which almost never happens. It is assumed that artists do not want the spotlight, solely because they work for something that doesn’t directly attach their faces to the work.
The truth really is that artists are not seen so much as stars because the industry and audiences fail at recognizing art. We take it for granted. We consume it, it affects our lives, but we just don’t care for it enough. Probably because we see talent as something that just comes to people. No one sees the work that goes behind harnessing it. Because talent without effort is as good as having no talent. So yes, there is effort to art – only you need to value it.
