Borrowing the title from Carlyle, I am putting it to describe a tradition of the same in an entirely different context and with a different connotation.

Few days back, I read of some fan that had gone to the limit of hunger strike to meet Kangana Ranaut, the silver screen babe. Such news is very common in India where the tinsel town is the world of gods to many and film projectors could be considered ‘deux ex machine.’ Cricketers too join the list.

The numerous fans associations and clubs and the subsequent successful conversion of many a film stars and cricketers into politicians shows their influence on the common public. Numerous examples could be cited of temples built for these demigods. There is one for Amitabh Bacchan in West Bengal.  The sex siren of the south, Namita too has a temple credited to her. Down south, the list of film stars-turned-politicians is immense. It is also on a steady hike across the history of Indian cinema.

When I was in my teens, I remember the days following the death of the beautiful actor, Divya Bharati. Every other day, newspapers showed the increasing suicides of fans, following the hero(ine)’s demise.

The cinema has attained a status that no other art form could, until date. The influence on the viewer, especially children, leads at times to the verge of distraction and perversion. The numerous fans association, especially comprised of unemployed youth, could as well pop up to be heavy problems in the near future. The symptoms of the opening of this Pandora’s Box are quite clearly visible.

I am not against any sort of admiration towards the stars. The fact to be noted is that precaution needs be taken from the admiration being turned out to become hysteric in nature. In fact, there have been few films depicting and correcting the blind admiration towards the hero. The film Guddi remains a Classic in this sense.

The caliber of the actors and cricketers, and the many needs be admired by keeping an aesthetic distance from ourselves. The point under consideration is if this is not expanding into an entirely different dimension than appreciation. A thought needs be taken about this heavy run towards heroes and hero worship.

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