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Stars in their eyes

The craving to reach the pinnacle of recognition drives countless individuals to tread treacherous pathways. The concept of reality shows, also known as talent hunts, claiming to unearth the most talented person in a particular field, from singing to comedy to dancing, is popular on air waves, with promises to catapult talent to the superhighway of success. The latest in this long list of `national hunts', titled Super Stars, was launched recently by Sahara One Television, in association with Endemol, and was presented by Fair and Lovely Menz Active.

The auditions for the Delhi chapter of the talent search (alsobeing conducted in four other cities) were held recentlyat Pragati Maidan. Braving oppressive heat and energy sapping humidity, ignoring terror alerts , hundreds of aspiring Super Stars thronged the venue. Kishore Namit Kapoor, who has trainedseveral budding actors, some of whom have struck it big in Bollywood, judged the show.

Inbuilt and polished talent

As Kapoor explained, "Acting is something that cannot be taught. The basic seed of talent has to be inbuilt in a person, it can only be honed. It is like a raw diamond which needs to be polished to enhance its shine and value, but only if it has the intrinsic parameters to classify as a diamond." Kapoor who had already conducted the audition at Ludhiana before moving onto Delhi was impressed by the participants and was optimistic about "short-listing probables from here, which is also my home town".

As per the format of the show, 120 winners from regional auditions will be short-listed. They will then move to Mumbai in batches of 10, and will be exposed to about two weeks of intensive grooming by experts in choreography, acting, hair styling, fashion and fitness. After a series of elimination rounds, the Super Star winner will be selected by a jury that will include the likes of Shiamak Davar and Urmila Matondkar.

However, even a cursory look at the background of the participants reveals that the passion to attain fame now burns most fiercely in the vast Indian hinterland, in places as diverse as Moradabad and Kharagpur. As several participants froze under the first impact of the arc lights or became emotional on rejection and burst into tears, it was obvious that no matter how slim the chances of winning, for many, these contests offer the only real chance to conquer their disadvantages and to make a dash towards fame.

APS MALHOTRA

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