HERO VERSUS VILLAIN
By Pamarty Venkataramana
The world has turned into a topsy turvy one. A duo took off to the celluloid as hero and villain together from the same film, few decades back.
He who started off as a villain soon grew to don the role of a hero in film after film and gradually loomed into a super hero, outshining many others who had established themselves into B-wood demigods.
He who set out as a hero evolved into a classic actor yet soon became an actor of cameo roles. He became a much-married guy and words like ‘divorce’ and ‘live-in’ became tags attached to his Biography.
It is common knowledge that the Villain was so cast in the first place for his dark skin. The Hero bagged his roles for the fair complexion of his skin.
The villain was a hard core dipsomaniac and the Bar boys at the luxury hotel this celebrity frequented had to carry him in their arms to his car, as a ritualistic practice.
Yet, they still fondly recollect that the drunkard ‘villain’ would most generously tip them every such night. As a gesture of real gratitude.
The villain soon met his Lady Love who wooed him and soon took over the reins of his life and purse strings.
Rest is history. He soon grew into being hailed as a most talented actor and a supreme,large-than-life ‘humane’ personality.
This villain turned hero would never forget his humble beginnings and visit a poor bus-driver friend who had given him shelter long, long ago in the yesteryears of his life, in disguise at every which opportunity that came his way.
This celebrity who had started off in life as a bus-conductor soon began to donate half of his astronomical earnings to noble causes, in an anonymous manner, without fanfare.
He also bailed out many a co-star from insolvency and other conditions of distress,calmly.
The public adulation earned by the villain-turned-hero almost dragged him into the whirlpool of dirty parochial politics many a times.
Yet, the better-half managed to drive better sense into him,to not get sucked into that quicksand.
And,he valiantly ducked out,citing health related reasons.
However, today, he has bagged the most prestigious reward of the Film industry which any desi-actor worth his or her salt could aspire for in their lifetime.
Where did the hero turned comedian actor end up?
In a native brash arrogance of being carried away by cheerleaders and ‘testestorone blues’, he declared himself an insolvent.
The live-in ex-actress (the last known companion),was shown the door even as she suffered the painful agony of being struck by cancer.
Last reports of mass media announce him as having floated a political outfit, despite his admitted lack of finances and now aims to reign as a political bigwig.
What makes one a successful human being and another a proud loser?
Racism led one to be cast as the villain on account of his dark skin and the other as a hero due to fair complexion of his skin.
Talent took both ahead in their career.
Still, one is adulated and a contented being devout to the religion his parents taught him.
The other great actor, protests,revolts against the religion of his birth and is an agitated being who can don ten characters in one film, bandying it as a peacock does it’s feathers! Yet, he is not equal to his ‘sparring partner’s of yore.
One is faithful to his spouse and the other can never be loyal to even wife or lady-companion.
More importantly,the woman behind the man of the household would determine the direction of both success or failure of the hero or the villain. This of course, comes about as a rebound and spontaneous response to the behavior of the man himself.
The Gentleman would beget a Lady’s love just as a shrew would be roused by a disloyal or playboy husband.
This is a lesson both on morality of winners and losers as well the moral compass of our great plural Indian society which can never be sunk by the few misled biggies that are out to destroy the fabric and Samskaras (cultural values) of India, that is Bharat.
Unless the swans and the swines are categorised properly, the animal farm would not be able to visit a #NewIndia
Note –
1. Any resemblance to any living legends or dear departed actors, is left entirely to the Good Conscience of the Reader.
2. Also,there remains an exception to every general rule.
3. The fascination of actors and career politicians to exchange their stables of power is a major factor responsible for the fast emerging scenario of coalition governments trying to turn #GoodGovernance into a notional phrase.
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