Off Script Story | ✔

34- Feast gone wrong

Maya 

“ Shot one, take one. Action.”

Question of the day: Maya is having the first-day shoot of her first film as a lead actress with an experienced cast and crew team. Describe her feelings right now. 

The right answer is just a word with seven letters: nervous.

I took a deep breath and stood aside. This scene wasn't for me but the next surely was. I observed the actions of my co-actors. Just like a theatre show, the scene mostly starts with a passerby or the childhood of our leads or our protagonist running behind a bus which left on its unusual right time only to screw up our character's most important day.

I was standing behind the camera as the actors roamed about the huge house. A drone hovered over them, taking a birds-eye view shot.

I was about to step in front when I halted at a voice. " Maya, can you come for five seconds?" I turned to see Raghav sir. I nodded at him. 

" Maya, are you ready with your lines? Not nervous, are you?" His voice was of concern but his look said the contrary as if I have to welcome my death if I say otherwise. 

" No sir, I am prepared." I gave him a convincing smile. He heaved a sigh of relief and gave me a thumbs up. 

" Shot is ready." Someone shouted and I ran up to the camera screen and the lights flashed over me. I got tensed up for a second but then my eyes fell on the guy behind the lights. The one with black eyes and a steady gaze, waving his hands at me. I smiled and waved back. 

He mouthed something as if to say, " All the best." I blink my eyes, remembering that moment of my 'first time'. His way of relaxing me down. As he smiled charmingly, my heart raced like anything. Do you need to keep that smile? 

I showed my thumbs up to the director who just asked me if I was ready. Taking a deep breath, I looked ahead. Here it goes.

★★★

" …Yes, keep it up you all. Pack up, guys." 

And the day ends here with loadful of awkwardness, uncomfort and surely a pack of bad nerves. I guess that is why " Pack up" sounded way better than it usually did during the look test and photoshoots. 

I had to take more than 10 takes which just brought down my confidence. And if anyone is guessing that the best part would be my scenes with Ajay. Nope. You are absolutely wrong. 

I didn't have any. All were shot differently and even if we would shoot together, it would have a whole drama. The word is simple: Nervous.

But somewhere deep inside, I felt happy. Happy to see my dreams come real. The world I wanted for myself — is in front of me. 

I walked back into the hotel when I heard a few footsteps behind me, who were discussing stuff and giggling at times. 

" You are right. We can definitely add that element. It will surely add to our comedy level." 

" Yes, but don't you think the concept of speech disorder as comic relief is overused in cinema?" 

" Not wrong but hey, people enjoy it." I felt nauseated at their words. I roll my eyes, listening to their conversation. They won't be tired of using the same things over and over again just because people prefer it. All they is how to make it in the commercial world.

Just like a coin has two sides, every good thing has a bad thing. And this is definitely one of those 'bad' things in Bollywood. 

I almost gave up on their useless blabber when I heard something had just made my senses alive. " What do you say, Ajay? Should we add such a character? We can even use that idea on any character present already. What, say?"