The Price - Part 6

The Price

-A Novelette By Varalotti Rengasamy

Part F

Raghavan thought that the whole thing was just a dream or a figment of his imagination.

When he looked at Vidya his eyes were a fountain of happiness; but hers was a cesspool of grief which Raghavan chose not to understand or bother about.

On that night itself Chandar organised a party for a select band of producers, distributors and financiers in their new Juhu home.

The home was a four thousand square feet marvel in granite and marble and just being inside it changed Raghavan’s outlook to life and its problems.

The next day Chandar and Raghavan left the house early in the morning in a borrowed luxury car and visited a dozen producers and directors on the sets.

But it was not an easy job even for a seasoned kingmaker like Chandar. Bollywood had a closed-shop policy and did not gladly suffer persons outside the established Bollywood clans and dynasties.

He heard that a director known to him was looking for a supporting actor – just to act as the hero’s friend in a few scenes. Chandar rushed to see him frantically requesting him to give that role to Raghavan.

“Chandar, I don’t mind giving the role to your man. But there’s a problem. The film-cost has exceeded the budget and all the financiers have backed out.

“If you can arrange two crores – just to meet the over-run- we can resume the work. And I’ll give the supporting role to your man – I will even add a few more scenes for him.”

“Is it a deal?”

“Yes, a deal.”

Chandar shook hands and went out in search of financiers. But none of the film-financiers showed interest in that film.

The producer and the director seemed to have a bad reputation with the financiers and they said in an unanimous voice that they “were not prepared to throw good money over bad money.”

Now Chandar concluded that no one in the film-industry would fund the project. He should get hold of a rich man outside the field. He scratched his head for a while and very soon a bulb flashed in his head.

Chandar was seated before his uncle Ramnath who was also Vidya’s father. Ramnath was one of the city’s largest industrialists.

His hatred for Chandar came out the moment Chandar entered his cabin.

“What brought you here?”

“I have got a sound investment proposal for you. With an initial investment of two crores you can make five crores in less than six months.”

“Are you kidding? Such huge returns are possible only in boot-legging, running a brothel or loan-sharking. I am not interested in any of them. Will you please leave me alone? I’ll call you when I am in need of investment advice.”

Chandar swallowed his pride and explained Raghavan’s predicament. He emphasised the point that but for the funds Vidya and Raghavan would soon be on the streets. That touched a chord in the hardened heart of Ramnath.

When Ramnath started to relent Chandar quickly filled him with the details. He also hinted about the strong story-line of the film and assured him that the film would be a success any day.

It would not only open the gates of Bollywood for his son-in-law but would also more than double his investment in a matter of months.

Even if the money was lost it would be only unaccounted money and so there was no big deal. After hearing him for an hour not only Ramnath, the father-in-law was convinced but also Ramnath, the businessman.

Once he agreed Chandar did not waste time. He completed the formalities in a few hours and handed over the money to the Director.

The Director kept up his word. In the same week Raghavan got the role as the hero’s close friend. The Director changed the script to allow a few more scenes and a few more lines of dialogue for Raghavan.

He also saw to it that Raghavan’s physical beauty was fully captured by the cameras.

Raghavan was not in this world when he went along with Vidya to the premiere show. The movie was a hit – and of course Raghavan had no role to play in its success.

The strong and a different story line had done the trick. But all the eyes fell on the charming friend who even belittled the hero by his casual good looks and natural acting.

The girls went crazy over the new face. Raghavan started appearing on the covers of filmi-magazines. And before his first movie ran for a month he was booked in six more.

Whatever happened appeared as a sweet coincidence and a lucky break to the untrained eyes of Raghavan.

But the insiders knew that it was Chandar’s approach, his strategic planning, his astuteness in the matters of publicity and press and the influence he had over big names in the industry, that brought out the alchemy.

Raghavan never looked back. On Chandar’s advice he had changed his name to Ramkumar and soon became a much sought after hero of the industry.

In a matter of five years cine-star Ramkumar had a palatial bungalow on the Malabar Hills alongside the residences of other celebrities in the industry, about six block-busters to his credit, call-sheet problems, income tax raids, in short all the paraphernalia that woud befit a top rank movie star.

Ramkumar was in cloud nine; but Vidya was not so euphoric.

She had a strange feeling that Raghavan was slowly slipping out of her hands.

Dear Sridhar,
Raghavan went up the escalator to become Ramkumar ? No staircase or lift for him like ordinary mortals , I suppose !
The tempo is totally changed now.
I enjoyed your " namma ooru nakkal & naiyandi". the two lines:
Bollywood did not gladly suffer persons from outside
and
He scratched his head for a while and very soon a bulb flashed in his head.
reveal that !
Oh, the second wife is already creating a suspense ! You just " touch & Go" - to increase our tension. Well, choicelessly we wait for next Sat ( or will it be Fri again? )
Love & regards,
Chithra.

HI Varalotti,

Episode was truly touching...felt bad for Vidhya, shes been swallowed by the whole lot of pseudos...hope her life with Raghavan resumes to normalcy....

Nice and moving...

Purni

..is the word that comes to my mind on reading this week's episode. Give or take some twists and turns in the story line, I feel I have an idea of what's to come. ( Also, thanks to your generous tips which give enough ideas to us!) But it is your writing style that impresses me most this time round. No unnecessary dilly dallying and long narratives. The story simply moves forward like a sleek merc(edes) sports! Raghavan may have escalated to MalabarHills, but looks like his crashing down is going to be very painful. Hmm...
Till next week Sridhar saar...

L, Kamla

Sridhar,
I am following your new serial, but couldn't gush out my comments to you like the mainstream,owing to other pressures; Thought i would bide my time till the suspense cleared, but you,with your forceful personality, dragged me out of my cocoon! Congratulations sridhar, an entirely different subject
with real movie-suspense! Your pen has a natural grip over style-words!

I have replied you ,did you notice?Re My 'Middle'? And I have produced the orginal ending also, did u read it? How do you like it?
By the way, where have you inserted my 'Middle'? Couldn't find it!

Dear varlotti,
Your story is moving at a fantastic pace. everybody knows only the star and the fame. You are bringing to light the uncertainty and tension for the partner. the price for limelight is someoutsider decides the fate of your life.I hope the film crazy youngsters take cue,
Regards,
Meenu

Dear Sridhar,
Now the story is on the fast track. As you have said, many husbands do not see the pain and sorrow in the eyes of their wives, more or people like Raghavan who are very selfish. They will think that all good things happened because of them and only them. It is only natural. Poor Vidya, Raghavan had already floated away from her, only she has not realised it.
Anyway, awaiting the next episode with eagerness.
With war wishes,
varloo

Hello Sridhar,

There’s a saying, Youth is a Blunder; Manhood a Struggle & Old Age a Regret.
Looks like Ram Kumar has passed the first two stages already & very soon going to approach the last stage too. Maybe it applies to Vidya toooo.
Its time for Vidya (maybe late) to wake up; is it the love for her husband OR the conservative thinking that’s blindfolded her??????? Its unfortunate that Ramkumar’s film entry had to do with his FILs financing while Vidya not wanting the same had to sacrifice her happiness. Maybe Ramnath wouldn’t have yielded to his Daughter’s request – sometimes ego leads to complete destruction in relationships and that’s the time wolves like Chandar sneak in and take full advantage of the situation. REGRET is all that is left at the end.

Fantastic narration, Sridhar. I do appreciate the smooth & fast pace inspite of humps & bumps (twists & turns). Just can’t wait to see the next episode.

Most Gracious ILites,

Sorry for the delay in posting the 7th part of The Price. Please read it and let me have your views.

I ought to have replied to your views on the 6th part. But could not do it because I was travelling since Tuesday onwards. And from Saturday last till Tuesday, I was not psychologically free, due to work pressures (remember this is our peak tax season) and the pressures due to travelling in the very beginning of the month.

I am seeing a steady decline in the readhership of this serial. I can have a lot of excuses for that - vacation time, people are otherwise busy, there are many other things vying for their attention and so on. Those of you who are attached to the TV Industry would know that the TRP rating of a serial is cruelly and mercilessly intrepreted, irrespective of the other factors which might have caused the fall in viewership.
So I take the blame on myself. Will definitely do my best to improve the quality of my writing.
I plan to end this serial next week.
From the week after next you will see something different in "Saturdays With Varalotti". Every week we will take up somer controversy (as we did in analysing the opposition to Uyir) or other ranging from homosexuality, living together, illiict relationships, the mall culture, software boom etc. Everything will be bared and nothing spared.
Wish you a happy reading. Eagerly waiting for your views and reviews.
love,
Varalotti