Five minutes of fame!

Money and fame in Bollywood may be short-lived and hard to come by, but this does not deter youngsters who are willing to begin as nobodies, says Anita Iyer

The glamorous world of Bollywood attracts many Indian youth, and thousands of youngsters come to Mumbai, the land of opportunity, in the hope of becoming stars. Many believe that they can eventually make it big if they are a part of Bollywood even in a small way, as dancers in a group, overshadowed by the lead actors. Actors like Arshad Warsi and Shahid Kapoor, who are well-known faces in the industry today, had made their debut in cinebiz as dancers.

While fame is a great temptation, it is also the quick money that lures teenagers into the profession, and they often drop out of college in the process, despite the fact that there is no longevity in this career. Rupali Yeramkar who has been in this field for the past two to three years and has worked with some of the top choreographers in the film industry says, "We get paid around 2,500-3,000 for a 12-hour shift. Sometimes when the shift gets extended we get paid extra for it. For performing in shows, we get paid about 5,000-6,000 per entry, which is not at all bad".

At the cost of earning fast money, Indian youngsters are often willing to make compromises with culture and values. Sharon D'Souza, who dances with a troupe, says: "Often, we have to wear certain clothes, with which we are not comfortable. These days the performers behind the stars are bound to wear skimpy sexy clothes that reveal their bodies. If the producer or choreographer demands something, we have to give in. We have no say regarding the outfits and have to compromise just for the sake of being able to survive in this field".

Many of these youngsters flock outside the Dancer's Association daily to avail the much-needed membership. Paresh Shirokar says: "Entering in this field needs a lot of investment as you need to acquire membership in the dancer's association. Without the membership card, dancers are not allowed to perform before the camera. A payment of Rs. 51,000 for girls and Rs. 1,25,000 for boys needs to be made to become a member of the association. Youngsters who cannot afford it find some means to collect the required amount". Of course, there are no guarantees of success despite this; with the tough competition that youngsters face, survival also depends on talent and the ability to be tough.

Saroj Khan, the well-known Bollywood choreographer says, "It totally depends on an individual's talent. If he possesses it, he can, of course, make it big some day. Every field has its own struggle and so does this profession. It takes time to establish yourself. However, I have seen many of my kids growing and making it big in movies and television serials".

There are other pitfalls. For one thing, the contract system is very crude. If you have signed a contract with any choreographer, you need to stick by him or her and perform only with this choreographer till the contract expires. If the choreographer gets a show or a break it's fine but if he or she does not, even the performers are left jobless. This results in a great deal of frustration and exploitation, and since the concept of a permanent job is absent, performers often move from one choreographer to another once the contract has expired.

Jaggi Gupta, a photojournalist from Mumbai who has been a close observer of this field, says: "This whole profession is cheap and dirty. Crowds of performers wait for hours outside the Dancer's Association to be picked up for a day's assignment. They are more or less like daily wage earners who earn on a daily basis. But for the ones who have established themselves, it is easy sailing".

As is well known, however, in the showbiz industry everything is short-lived. As Rupali Yeramkar points out: "You are in demand and wanted only till a certain age. Once you have lost the body, age and grace you are nowhere. There is no surety in this field and for girls who get into it, it is very difficult to find an alternate career later".