I have fallen in love with an actor. And another. Haven’t all of us? There is something about the actor, or the part he plays that is intensely appealing, no matter how bad an actor he is. A Kathakali actor is all but unrecognisable once he dons his costume and puts on his make-up. It requires a very developed attitude and taste to find a Kathakali artist handsome or appealing. When he is on stage, I mean. But I can totally believe someone falling for that hulk in the costume. Or the part he is playing. Kathakali draws mainly from Indian mythology. Most of the stories are those of Krishna, Bhima, Arjuna and such superheroes. They are heroic, courageous, valiant and larger than life. No wonder they inspire the highest feelings in us. In some of us, they bring out love, adoration and a sense of awe. Why even take Kathakali, such an ancient temple art into consideration? Aamir Khan played Raj in QSQT and countless girls developed heartache overnight. He was charming, ever so earnest and hopelessly in love.
It is the charm of one and all who is into role-playing. Who can say where the acting ends and life begins? Who can discern the faint line? Can the role-player himself say when he drops the part and gets *real*? Nitish Bharadwaj played Krishna in the TV serial Mahabharata and found himself blessing crowds of people who couldn’t separate the idea of the blue-skinned God from the actor. Girls all over the world have shed tears as Jack Dawson hopelessly hangs on to a wooden plank in the icy Atlantic. Were they crying over Jack or Leonardo? I think they fell in love with Jack and transferred their affections to Leonardo as the titles came on. This predicament was well-captured in ‘Mili’ starring Jaya Bhaduri and Dharmendra.
From the actor’s perspective, I don’t think it is a simple task to shed the day’s role and slip into his real self. Maybe it has to do with how much he identifies with his character vis-a-vis how professional he is. Where does *work* end and how often do you get your *work* home?
