Opening Doorz

By Martin D’Souza | Opening Doorz Editorial | January 25, 2017

It takes a lot of head-banging to get going in Bollywood. Ask any outsider. Earlier, an outsider stood a good chance of making it, with continuous visits to the sets or producers. Success stories of Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan and Dilip Kumar are legendary. But that was the time the industry was in its nascent stage, even though a few had already made a stronghold.

Cut to the current generation and you will see that newcomers have this hard grind that they have to go through. They have the talent, they have the necessary humility to knock on doors, but what they do not get is an attentive ear and a decent break. Either the nepotism shuts them out or casting directors scuttle their dreams.

On the other hand, there are those few who are fortunate at being born in a filmy family and having filmy connections, and who sometimes need no talent to get a BIG BREAK. Soon, however, their bubble is burst and those who ran towards them with work because of their father or mother or uncle or an aunt who has been a part of this industry, now run away from them. Who would want to place money on a dead horse?

One look at the long list of famous star sons or daughters who are cooling their heels at home and you will see the ‘talent’ that is now gone into oblivion!

I remember one ‘outsider’ very sarcastically remark inside Mehboob Studios a few years ago, “Industry to inke baap ki lagti hai.” He was referring to a ‘talented’ star son who had just passed by.

So what is my point? My point is Vidyut Jamwal. Commando 2 releases on March 3, 2017, and in six years from the time he showed us that he was a force to reckon with, he has just three releases—Force, Commando and Bullett Raja.

On the other hand we have Tiger Shroff whose prowess in karate is being hailed so highly that he appears to be an incarnation of Bruce Lee (I love Tiger’s stunts as much as I do Vidyut’s). Connections: Jaggu dada is his daddy, and Tiger has literally grown up alongside the other star kids of today. But even Jackie Shroff, an outsider in 1983, needed Subhash Ghai to mentor him and give his talent the rightful place.

Imagine what would have happened to him if he did not have the support from Subhash Ghai? Vidyut Jamwal has done some serious dare devilry in Force, Bullett Raja and Commando. In Commando 2, the trailer of which was out two days ago, he once again shows us that he is still as fierce in the air as he is on the ground.

Thankfully, he has Vipul Amrutlal Shah who believes in him. Or else we would have had Akshay Kumar in Commando 2. He has already taken over Jolly LLB 2!

Vidyut, on your part, ensure that you are true to yourself and your profession. Knock off all excess baggage and ‘yes men’ from around you. I can assure you, you will be a force to reckon with. Things are not falling apart for you: things are falling into place.

Remember what I told you on December 4, 2013: “The struggle will be tough there may be ample opportunities to compromise. My advice to you would be to bid your time. God has special plans in store for you. Don’t upset His plan by getting anxious, or insecure. What is yours will be yours, but for that you have to have belief in God and in your God-given talent.

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. If He has brought you so far, I am sure He will take you places you will never imagine.”

Stay positive, brother!

Here’s to our very own Jean-Claude Van Damme!

Also Read: “People thought I did not want to work in films”