Why stardom has side effects

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Every celebrity loves the limelight, adulation, attention and the cameras zooming in on them. But after a point, the constant glare becomes an irritant. Fame exacts its price, stardom comes with its baggage.

And that’s the theme of the documentary Celebrity, in which stars like Jennifer Aniston, Salma Hayek and Sarah Jessica Parker have discussed the problems they face because of their fame. Similarly, many Indian personalities agree that stardom comes at the cost of many things personal.
TV actor Vinod Singh says, “If you are famous, your privacy goes for a toss. Even when you are angry with people, you can’t express yourself in front of the cameras. Handling stardom is difficult because while we like the attention, it is also not easy to handle it. I hate it when you go to a restaurant and people come and talk to you while you are eating, or force you to get pictures clicked with them when you are in a rush.”
Delhi-based singer and anchor Shibani Kashyap says that stardom comes at the cost of one’s personal life. “As they say, everything comes with a negative aspect, lack of personal life is the flip side of stardom. In my case, I have always felt that I don’t have any personal time. You are bound by so many commitments that there is no time left for family or friends. And on top of that, the paparazzi intrude so much in your life that there is no confidentiality. But now I have learnt to be strong and not give out too much info,” says Shibani.
Pugilist and Olympic medal winner Vijender Singh admits that he is misunderstood many a time. “I feel, when you are a celebrity, whatever you say is misconstrued very often as media is good at twisting things. And then begins the blame games. I often get into conflicting situations because of this and end up having to clarify things with the people involved. This is probably the heaviest price that one has to pay for stardom.”
Rishi Raj, stylist and TV personality, says people should know where to draw a line. He says, “I think people who come into showbiz are already prepared for their private lives coming in public view. Not every star is discussed so much because each one draws a line after a certain point. On one hand, we have Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao, who are raising their kid away from the limelight, and on the other hand we have the media hungry for the slightest glimpse of Abhishek and Aishwarya’s baby. One needs to demarcate one’s personal space.”