Movies are a way of life for me. I try to watch as many movies as I possibly can, and try to keep up with things written about them. I want to establish this before stating my opinion. I am in touch with everyday Bollywood, and I know the struggles that the likes of you have to go through everyday. You guys are often unfairly treated as the ‘also there’ in the film. But I see your brilliance in your limited scenes that make it to the final cut of the film.

I see how your fearless performance elevates the superstar’s performance and makes him look better.

I see you being signed on by the money-spinning stars for their potential blockbusters and the credibility you add to the project overall. I see you being cast as the antagonist to the good-looking hero, or the superstar’s friend time and again, and still the fresh vein of brilliance you bring in all of those roles. I see how your fearless, uninhibited performance in turn makes the star look better than he/she deserves to, even if they don’t acknowledge it as much as they should.

I see how you politely interject in round-tables, even as the ‘bankable stars’ can’t stop raving about their career’s one decent performance.

I see you at year end round-tables, starstruck by the glamorous looking people around you. I see how you keep mum during the majority of the discussion, and interject only once or twice to make your point. I see how you politely speak about ‘your process’ when asked by the moderator, while the ‘bankable stars’ keep harping about the one decent performance of their career and how they ‘discovered their craft’ with it. I see you silently observe these people who are more ‘gifted’ with their sheer aura, and I see the awe in your eyes.

I understand the struggles of working in Bollywood, and I’m with you.

I realise Bollywood is a mean place to work. I get it that it is difficult to remain relevant in this industry purely on your love for your craft and films. And I know you’ll have to occasionally ‘sell out’, to keep the fire in the kitchen running because the small, independent films hardly pay you anything more than the creative satisfaction. I want you to know that I understand your struggles and that I’m with you.

Watching a moving performance by someone who realises the necessity of good cinema, gives me a high.

I’m in awe of your acting prowess. I see the blazing eyes of your character full of vulnerability each time you appear on screen. And I want to say, that I recognise the passion for your job. It inspires me more than anything else, to see a terrific film with a an equally moving performance at the centre by someone who understands the necessity of good cinema. It gives me a high. And I’m not alone.

Even though you will lose colleagues over the years, I urge you to strive to make relevant cinema.

You will see many colleagues give up on the films and the audience along the way. But I urge you to keep moving ahead. I urge you to keep pushing the envelope with your roles. I urge you to strive to make relevant cinema. ‘Cos there are people like me who are hungry for those products and will consume it with a blissful glee. And this number is growing everyday thanks to the moulds your films keep breaking.

You are a treasure we don’t acknowledge everyday. Thank you for being there.

Thanks to you, there is an audience who strictly come to the movies to see you act. To see you play challenging characters. Not to see ‘heroes’ beating up ‘villains’, and then break into a dance with 50 backup dancers. You are a treasure which we don’t acknowledge very often, and hence I’m taking this opportunity to do so. Thank you. It is because of you that some of us get to experience the magic of movies every Friday.

Cheers!

A Cinephile