Spot Girl

Mehta Komal

Description

You hold on to that Star . . . Jia is living her greatest dream. She s the manager-cum-miss-do-it-all of the country s hottest film star, Shezad Khan! A man she s adored since her teens. But her life takes a sudden twist when Shezad gets romantically involved with actress Ayesha. More frustrating is when she has to work with Ayesha s attractive but infuriating manager Falak to bring the two stars together for a legendary director s last film. On Shezad s trip to the Cannes red carpet, Jia suddenly finds her picture-perfect existence clouded with self-doubt, heartbreak and questionable career choices. Also that Falak, the man with a girl name and she might have a little more in common! Spot Girl is the story of an ordinary girl who ends up finding something real in this fascinating world of make belief !

Informations

• Publié par: Penguin Books Ltd
• Date de parution: 15 avril 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9789351186595
• Langue: English

Extrait

Komal Mehta

SPOT GIRL
Contents
About the Author
Dedication
Prologue
18 MONTHS AGO
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Follow Penguin
Copyright Page
PENGUIN METRO READS
SPOT GIRL
Komal Mehta used to be a spot girl; however, she is now an author, story-and-screenwriter. She discovered she could write at the age of sixteen and went on to write for newspapers, magazines, DVD covers, websites, blogs, etc. She now writes books, and scripts for movies and serials. She has an engineering degree in IT and is a postgraduate in management. Her previous work experience includes working for Reliance Big Entertainment, EURO RSCG, and Pradeep Guha s Culture Company (Culture Brandz) in the field of film marketing.
To that sublime feeling you get after watching an incredible movie
Spot Boy/Girl : A breed of people/service found only in the Indian film industry. He or she is found on the set of every Hindi film shoot. They are dedicated to the star and do any and every job as desired by the star no job is too big or small.
Prologue
I SAT NERVOUSLY IN my taxi waiting for his call.
I was parked near the entrance of Sun & Sand hotel in Juhu. For years, it had been the most popular and preferred haunt of everyone in the Indian film industry. I d chosen it as the venue for its touch of nostalgia.
It was the place where I had first met him officially.
For this particular announcement, which would be so important to him and me, I think it added that special sentimental touch.
A number of OB vans of TV channels were lined up in the tiny lane leading up to the hotel. Curious bystanders, who had sensed that something big was happening, were crowding the lane, looking around trying to spot any celebrities.
Their patience was soon rewarded as a sleek maroon koda pulled up near the entrance and out came the leading actress of the movie with the director in tow.
A wave of excitement washed through the crowds and everyone started hooting, talking, whistling-all at the same time.
Like a sleeping animal aroused by the disturbance, the media machinery came quickly running out, in a horde, mics out, cameras flashing-hunting for their next juicy bite.
The duo were surrounded by this throng and bombarded with questions, none of which they could answer before the press conference. I peeked out a little bit and heaved a sigh of relief when the PR manager directed them to stand in front of the chequered backdrop of the sponsors to answer the questions. These actor-types never learn, I thought, shaking my head.
Walk on the red carpet: Stop at the backdrop and sit in the banquet hall.
My instruction had really been clear as daylight but the moment the cameras were pointed at them, they conveniently forgot all of it. As long as they got the attention and media space, they didn t care, even if they were caught naked in the shower.
I looked at my watch and then into the rear-view mirror. There was still no sign of him or his car.
To pass time, I mentally went over the answers I would give to the questions that would be thrown at me. How did I know them? Well, I used to do this for a living and I had been doing this practically all my life so I knew the drill. The only difference was that I had always worked behind the scenes, doing this for other people never for myself. This would be a first for me too.
Note to self: Don t panic now that it s your turn; everyone you ever criticized will be waiting for you to falter.
I looked up expectantly into the taxi s rear-view mirror yet again.
Suddenly there was a curtain of dust commotion, screaming, whistling from the guard, and general excitement in the air and then slowly the crowd parted, like a sea parting, as if a god was walking through a sea of mortals, and finally I saw the black Rolls-Royce Phantom emerge out of the crowd.
This was my cue. I had to be ready.
I picked up my pocket mirror. Quickly checked on my hair and make-up, which, in the first place, wasn t much anyway but I had to at least look neat. Better safe than slutty! is what I ve always believed in.
I finally paid the taxi guy who had his meter running, and got out of the car.
All dressed up and ready, I patiently waited at the entrance while his car was being mobbed.
People were not letting him pass. Men, women, children, security guards, the media, everybody was supremely excited to see their favourite star among their midst.
They were banging on the windows, chanting his name, screaming, honking, waving, yelling and air-kissing. Even the air around seemed to be all charged up!
The car stopped midway as the crowd got unmanageable; they were all around the area, blocking the entrance to the hotel.
I looked at my watch and counted up to thirty secs.
As the second hand reached thirty, right on cue, the sunroof of the car opened and he emerged out of it.
Sexy, handsome and washed in golden sunlight, he waved to the crowd, and it absolutely went berserk.
I smiled, pleased with myself.
That was my idea. Right there the waving from the sunroof
We had gotten his car modified for a sunroof a couple of years ago so that, in case of sudden hold-ups, he could always peak out instead of stepping out and waving to the crowd. For an actor of his calibre, it was a crime to waste such a well-meaning photo-op at any point of time-that of an actor interacting with his fans. This was one of the subtle improvements I had made for his image change.
In exactly ten secs, he would say, no, not say he would request the crowd to please step aside. I would not want anyone of you to get hurt. I am very late for an appointment but I will interact with you all when I am leaving from here.
On listening to this humble request, the crowd would let his car pass and he would get a wonderful photo-op feature in the newspapers the next day.
But once the press conference was over, he would leave by the back entrance and the people waiting for him would not even know where the car had disappeared. They would go back home and talk about how seeing him in person had been the highlight of their day.
One mundane moment for him would be one of the most precious and memorable moments of another person s life. So many times I had been right by his side, next to him in the car when we had done this. It made me wistful. All those moments, the memories, our work what we had had together
We were the best team in the industry. That is, until I found my current partner with whom I made the most profitable team the industry had ever seen.
His car pulled into the hotel porch and he stepped out, like heroes have done umpteen times on screen while making their first entry-first one foot out, the one where people noticed his footwear, then the other as the car door opened wide and he would step out in style, remove his shades with lan and look squarely at the camera.
He could do this in his sleep.
In his mind, the camera was always on him. He was always playing a part. And this entry part he had perfected to a T.
He ignored the media, the crowd, everyone around him, and walked straight up to me.
Hey, kid, miss me much? he said with that unmasked affection in his eyes that I knew so well.
And just like that, all the pretences fell away. Finally, all of us-he, I and the media-got a real moment in what was a contrived, play-act event.
I smiled at him and said truthfully, All the time.
Something in his eyes gave away and he pulled me into a bear hug while I impassively patted his shoulder.
In all the years I had known him, I had never seen him get so emotional. For a moment I felt my heart give way. It was the camera flash of the photographers clicking away non-stop that brought me back to my senses.
Someone was going to be mighty pissed when these pictures came out in the papers tomorrow, I thought.
We should get inside. Everyone s waiting for you, I whispered into his ear.
He pulled back and nodded. The PR team pushed the media folks into their enclosure as we made our way backstage.
I don t have any speech prepared, he told me.
I had the feeling you wouldn t; I ve written a rough one out for you, I told him as I pulled out two sheets from my file and gave them to him.
Always so efficient! I knew you d have thought of something! he said, beaming. Then, I miss this preparedness
He was trying so hard to suck up to me.
I d imagined it would feel great to have him want me instead of the other way around, but it didn t at all feel like that. After everything we had been through together, he didn t have to suck up to me to get anything done. I d do it anyway.
You are taking advantage of knowing me. Once again, I told him.
Yes. You do write the best speeches he said, before realizing that he had unwittingly talked himself into an uncomfortable topic. He quickly tried to rectify. I mean, you re great at everything; writing being one of them. That s why we are here, right? he said, smiling.
I d wanted to retort but I didn t. Today was a good day, a milestone in my life. I didn t want to bring up the past here, so I let it slide.
We were greeted with hugs, backslaps and warm greetings as we reached backstage and I signalled to the PR team to start the programme.
The emcee on the other side of the curtain started the programme.
We stood where we were; at the centre of the backstage.
We were the main attraction here today.
The huge backdrop to the stage, which was the teaser poster for the movie we were about to announce, would lift and we would walk out to greet the audience.
We would go up on stage and announce the movie and then answer media queries.
Create enough excitement for the movie but not give away everything. At least that was th