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Visakhapatnam
Fan clubs BOOSTING star image
A huge cutout of the Nagarjuna-starrer, 'Sivamani' attracts the attention of passersby.
Birds of the same feather flock together. And so do movie buffs at Saraswati Park in the city every evening.
Die-hard fans of all age groups take over the park after the day's work to catch up with the latest filmi gossip— the success or failure of their heroes' films and that of the rival stars, music ratings, box-office collections and black market rates of tickets---everything that goes into making or breaking the star status of their idols.
Fifty-five year old Ramamurthy, a zealous fan of A.N.R. in his youth and now a member of the Nagarjuna Fans Association, says, "My loyalty to Akkineni hasn't changed over the years, despite the fact that the veteran star rarely acts these days. I adore his son Nagarjuna and it is a treat watching him perform. He is a good actor and he looks to be growing younger by the day."
Every new release of a popular star sparks off wild celebrations among the fans.
The temple of Anjaneya Swami constructed by the fans of film star Chiranjeevi at Prakasaraopeta in Visakhapatnam.
Be it Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna, Venkatesh, Krishna or his son Mahesh Babu and the new rage, NTR Jr., the fan following is hysterical. The theatre screening the new release of their star is decorated, cut-outs are mounted, banners strung across streets and firecrackers burst---the entire hungama captured on video. If the movie clicks, celebrations to mark the 50 and 100-day run take on a boisterous note. Nothing delights the fans more than the `house-full' sign on the gates of the theatres where their hero's film is on.
Says V. Jagdeesh Kumar of Jagadamba theatre, "Fans campaign for the success of the movies of their icon. Though fans are important to film stars, they can prove to be a disadvantage, sometimes. Fans believe in the super human depiction of their hero, any climbdown or change in image could boomerang. Fans can help boost initial collections at the box office, but the movie has to run on its merit later."
The fans feel directly responsible for the success of the movie. J. Chinna, an ardent fan of N.T.R Jr. reveals, "It is our duty to make our hero's movie a hit and we leave no stone unturned. We watch the movie repeatedly and visit the theatre every day to enquire about the day's collections. We also keep a close watch on fans of rival stars who could bad-mouth our hero's movie."
The premier of a movie is normally an "all fans show", the supporters raising funds to herald the new release. The president of the fan club arranges for bulk tickets and the members pick them at up a premium, a part of the fund going to charity as part of the effort at building goodwill among the public for their hero.
Fans of Chiranjeevi celebrating the releae of 'Anji'.
For the premiere of `Khushi', Pavan Kalyan fans claim to have raised Rs.1, 20,000 which was said to have been used to foot the bill for kidney operation of a poor youth. Says N. Baaba, president of Chiranjeevi Charitable Trust (CCT), "In the past we had raised funds to the tune of Rs.1,10,000 and Rs.1,30,000 through sale of tickets for premieres, `Daddy' and `Indra' and donated the amount for the eye operation of a student and the renovation of a badminton court. The funds from the premiere of Chiranjeevi's next release, `Anji', will be used for the heart surgery for the young daughter of a Chiru fan."
Fans celebrate star birthdays with gusto. Chiranjeevi's birthday this year was marked by distribution of clothes and fruits to the inmates of Mother Teresa Home at Gnanapuram and Prema Samajam. His fans have also constructed an Anjeneya Swami temple in Prakasaraopeta. Not to be outdone, NTR Jr. Fans Club are in the process of setting up a charitable trust for creating AIDS awareness and rehabilitation of widows.
Internet has extended the reach of the fan clubs. Many of them have launched websites dedicated to their idols, posting comments, exchanging pictures of their star and chatting.
Unlike other places in the State, rival film fans are not known to clash here, but find common ground to celebrate a hit cutting across their camps.
SHAZEEL M. BASHA
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