The Fan-Boy Moment

Fans are very special to me. They are the reason for my success. They always find ways to make me feel so special. They celebrate my success, my birthdays, etc! I always look forward to meeting them as they do to meeting me. I remember, the times we did not have good phones with cameras, my dear fans would come up to me asking for autographs with so much love. I feel ancient, haha! Anyway, I used to give autographs and later pictures started. We come across different kinds of fans, and all of them are special to me in their way, but there is this one sweet fan that stood out to me.

We were shooting for a movie bell bottom, in a village called Jog Falls. We are usually caught up in our work while shooting, and it’s a mad rush at the set. But, I couldn’t help but notice a boy who would come, smile, and leave. He used to do that every day. Slowly, as the days passed, he started spending more time on the set. During a break, I decided to approach the boy. Later, I found out he can’t hear or talk and did not go to school either. He gave me the vibe of a very pure soul. He used to come to visit me on the sets and used to find different ways to communicate with me. I used to find him eagerly waiting for me on the sets every day. It was the highlight of the day, knowing I can make someone so happy, even by just interacting with them. Even after I came back to Bangalore, he would call one of my assistants from his father’s phone to talk to me. You must be wondering how he spoke to me…He’d video call me of course! My assistants who seemingly gave him their number would get me their phone in between the shots to talk to him. I felt so touched about how fond he was of me.

When we went back to the village to finish the final shoot, I was not surprised to see him waiting there, but I was surprised at what he had for me. He had made so many beautiful sketches of mine as a gift for me. I was so moved. His talent was incredible! He had never gone for any classes and had learnt how to sketch all by himself. I will always remember him. It felt special because by meeting him I learnt, it’s not necessary to hear or talk to communicate with another person. He didn’t talk to me but he conveyed so much without needing to. <3

-Hariprriya