Who doesn’t fantasize about living like an A-list movie star? After all, the rewards of being one are plenty – adulation from the public, a king size life 24X7, having a line of attendants at one’s beck and call, an enviable entourage that only the rich and famous can dream of and of course, enough dough to stack up all those Guccis, LVs and Louboutins in the wardrobe. <br/><br/>But given the fact that only babes of big shots of cinema bag the big banner projects, aspiring movie stars have to either settle down with meager roles, play a side-kick to the main lead or follow the trending route- make desperate attempts to hog the limelight by posting their sleazy pictures every other day on social networking sites.<br/><br/>Starlets and ‘superstars’ of social networking site Poonam Pandey, Roslyn Khan, Veena Malik and Sherlyn Chopra have only one agenda in their mind - how to make it to the front page of every entertainment tabloid in town. And by grabbing some eyeballs eventually land that special acting assignment.<br/><br/>A few weeks ago, I was appalled to see the pictures of a stark naked Sherlyn Chopra posing proudly for the cameras with random people in the Playboy mansion. So what should her ‘stunt’ be called– shameless or modern? Whatever it may be called, the little known starlet just managed to grab the headlines and a lot of footage across the nation. Sherlyn perhaps also ‘inspired’ several more of her league to follow her path. I am sure there are many more aspiring Sherlyns out there who are now plotting cleverly to push their acting career by doing something equally controversial. After all, that’s the easiest way to be in news. <br/><br/>But the question is: for how long will these 15 minutes of fame last? Sure, these ‘stars’ would definitely get noticed for their oomph factor but are they <i>really</i> good enough to compete with the Box Office deities? Is shedding clothes the only pre-requisite to land a role in Bollywood movies? Perhaps no. <br/><br/>Cinema works on the prime dictum of talent. The actor must bring skills to the film maker’s table since a good story line, direction and acting are key ingredients for a successful movie. I can easily quote films like ‘Udaan’ and ‘Kahaani’ that won acclaim from both critics and the masses only because these had a great storyline supported by commendable performances of the actors. The actors who worked in these films are real cine artists who live to act and not the other way round. <br/><br/>On the other hand, Poonam Pandey, who shot to fame for her claim to strip nude for Team India during Cricket World Cup last year, not only managed to become a star on Twitter but now also has been approached to star in a feature film albeit a B-grade film. While Poonam is going around town blowing her own trumpet, we all know that the film is unlikely to work and will not help Pandey boost her acting career. Because in the film industry you need to be noticed by the A-listers to make it big. <br/><br/>There are also some star kids like Mahakshay Chakaborty, Esha Deol, Harman Baweja and Jackky Bhagnani who may have been born with a silver spoon but have rolled out forgettable movies due to lack of talent. They are all now making their way to the exit gate of stardom.<br/><br/>So postulant Bollywood stars, it is time to wake up and smell coffee before your salad days get over! Think about the idea of putting a full stop to shedding clothes at the drop of the hat for tabloid cover stories or at least THINK if that is really a shortcut to everlasting fame, glory and buck. Take a cue from those who have made it to the top via their acting capabilities and even if that does not work out well, take up a dignified job elsewhere. <br/><br/>
