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Face-to-face with fame

It's an easy act for kids as they take to greasepaint and cameras with consummate ease, writes K.JESHI

PHOTO: S. SIVA SARAVANAN

STRIKING A POSE Children emote for the camera with elan

There is something about Gen-X kids. They like to make heads turn wherever they go. Their schedule is packed with activities from sports to music to poetry, yet they keep adding to it.

Call it extra-curricular excitement or an easy way to fame; more and more kids now want to don the grease paint, face the camera and gain multiple benefits - brush up their leadership skills, gain confidence, and earn some fast bucks.

Growing up is no more just about attending regular classes and tuitions but gaining that extra dose of confidence.

Striking a balance

And, as long as they strike a balance between work and studies, no one is complaining. Shreya Sharma, who shot to fame after playing a sprightly kid in the Clinic Plus commercial, is a fine example. "I have been modelling for advertisements from Class II but have never missed out on my classes. I go for my shooting only after school hours, during the weekends and in the summer vacation."

Ask this Class IV student if acting is easy and she says nothing is very easy or very tough.

"The director explains the situation and I follow his instructions. I don't rehearse; I just go there and emote the way the director wants me to."

Does she get more attention among her friends because of her popularity? "Most of my classmates are also doing a lot of advertisements; so everyone gets the same kind of attention," says Shreya, who was seen last with Ajay and Kajol in the Whirlpool washing machine commercial.

"Every assignment is a learning experience," adds Shreya, who loves reading and wants to become a teacher. Her mother, Ritu Sharma, says that since they chart out her acting schedules, it doesn't come in the way of her studies. "Basically, she's a confident person and this exposure has boosted it," she adds.

Jil Narendra Patel, a Class VII student and the popular face of Avita's commercials, allocates two hours after school for acting assignments. "Because I like acting, I take extra effort to polish my expressions and dialogue delivery. Attending dance classes regularly has come in handy," she adds. She has been modelling from Class IV and her father, Narendra. S. Patel, has given the go-ahead to her endeavour. He says such exposure improves the decision-making skills of children. "They get to interact with so many people and get the freedom to think on their own. As long as they enjoy doing it, we want to encourage them. Money is secondary," he adds.

Parents say such activities give an opportunity for children to demonstrate their abilities in a setting different from a typical classroom.

The rising popularity on television has seen tinseldom beckon. Shreya plays daughter to Suriya and Jyothika in `Sillendru Oru Kaadhal' and will soon share screen space with Ajay Devgan and Bhumika in `Benaam.' Jil has completed the screen test for director Bala's new movie and is likely to play sister to Arya. Jil's sister, Shloka, who is Class II, has already got a peek into acting with a dance sequence in the Hindi movie `Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.'

S. Aditya Shreeram, a Class VII student, who has acted with Shreya in the latest TV commercial for Kishkinta Theme Park, Chennai, juggles studies, shuttle, math tuition, karate classes, dance and acting, all to acquire new skills. "Earlier, even interacting with people was difficult for me. Now, I like to mingle," adds Aditya, whose ambition is to become an entrepreneur. But, V. Pranav Pravin, a Class V student, has his priorities clear. He wants to emulate Hrithik Roshan. Pranav has done cameos in a couple of Tamil movies and is also part of the yet-to-be released Surf Excel campaign. "From my childhood days, I enjoy watching television and films; so I am able to face the camera with confidence. I use my earning to buy things like school bags and shoes."

Wait-and-watch situation

Does this fame and money come with trappings? "It's a wait and watch situation," says psychiatrist Ponni Muralidharan. She warns that adulation at a very young age can leave children with over confidence and lead to other problems. "In reality, it is the parents who are doing the hard work and the kids get to enjoy just the kudos. When success is a cakewalk, kids tend to become aggressive instead of just assertive. So, they will find it difficult to get along with their peer group."

However, when experience adds to intelligence, the benefits are immense.

"A child's brain is engineered to take only a certain amount of load at a certain time. So, the onus is on the parents to give kids the time to mature. When success comes with responsibility, it will have a positive effect and can lead to long-term payoffs," she adds.

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