The Gloom beneath the Glam!

"One day this city will know me"...

7am, 22nd floor in one of the posh localities in the city of dreams, Mumbai. We gazed out at the rising sun as the busy world rushed beneath us. Dreams glittered in his eyes, determination ruled his heart.

Roshan, a model by profession moved in the city six months ago. Having succeeded in his hometown, Calcutta, he dreamed of making it big, making it real. But the world was harder than he ever imagined.

Roshan has it all. The face, the physique, and the guts to face the camera. but what he fails to submit to is his own conscious. "COMPROMISE" is the word ruling the entertainment industry today. You want to walk on the ramp, and everyone from the Designer to the stylist to the producer wants a piece of you. Where will you go? Roshan's experience has been so bitter that he sometimes wants to give it up.

Karishma, another model and a familiar face in the industry has the same say. "It’s safer for the girls now", she says. Karishma is sceptical to appear for any audition, no matter how renowned the agency might be. It’s a matter of 99% luck and 1% talent. “Most of the time its all fixed.”  Karishma recalls that in one of the assignment she bagged, she got selected the moment she was entering the building gates. “Though rest of the girls all got chance for the audition, I was selected without undergoing any process.”

Anoop, a master in various dance forms is from Delhi, says his family has granted him a year to try his luck in the glamour city. “I just want fame…Anyhow and in any form," claims Anoop. But it’s your connections that can save a spot for you. For a newbie acquiring a spot is impossible unless you have the right references.

Entertainment Industry in India comprises of Film Industry and Television Industry. The Indian entertainment industry is among the fastest growing sectors in the country. Entertainment industry in India is presently in a consolidation phase as boundary lines between films, music and television are fast disappearing. Skills and resources are being pooled extensively. In terms of employment, an estimated 6 million people earn their livelihood from the entertainment industry and this number is all set to grow. But is this growth owing to a corrupt industry? Media reports are read and forgotten? But the same leaves a lasting impression when inflicted upon your own loved ones. For some, it’s an industry, for some it’s a source or employment, but for some it’s their dream, their life, their aim and only passion in life. How long can a life sustain on dreams, hope and patience? Will dreams shatter in pieces? Are we to remain deaf to the woes and cries?

This article is a narration by artists from the industry. Names changed on request.