Surely everyone who enjoys Bollywood at their leisure has at one point fantasized about being a star in one of the biggest film industries in the world. Well for those who want to turn their fantasy into a reality; take a look at what filmmaker Karan Johar recommends in his 8 top tips on becoming a Bollywood star.
One of the first things which Karan recommends is for an aspiring star to have that passion for Hindi cinema. “You have to love everything about it — the song and dance, the hero, the typical hero-wali entry or the heroine’s nakhra,” says Karan. “You have to love all these things which stand for mainstream Hindi cinema. Whoever has done well in our industry in the past has had tremendous affection for these elements.”
Karan also believes that hard work and honesty is crucial in order to flourish within the Indian film industry. “You will also need a good combination of sincerity, commitment and hard work in abundance. This could hold true for other industries too; but in Bollywood especially, you need to fight your own battles. In their absence, you won’t be able to ‘walk tall’ in movies.”
In addition, Karan thinks you should be prepared to act foolish in front of the public in order to give your popularity a boost. “Yes, sometimes, you should be able to do things that otherwise you can’t think of doing on a regular day. I come across some young actors who don’t have the ability to laugh at themselves. Get out of your comfort zone and do things that don’t necessarily come out of your body organically.”
In order to stand out from the crowd, Karan advised that you make out of the box choices. “Take chances and go against the norm. There’s no textbook of what’s wrong or right in the industry. You have to use your instinct and blend it with the inherent sense of making the right choices. The prime example is Ranbir Kapoor, who has always gone ahead with abstract choices. That is what, I feel, defines his stardom. You should do what comes naturally to you.”
Another one which Karan rightfully stated is that although one may have talent, they also require a great deal of luck in order to achieve their goal of stardom. “The right chances plus luck equals success. Destiny plays a large part in modelling a star’s career.”
To uphold your popularity and ensure that your career does not go down the toilet, Karan strongly recommends that you be as versatile as you can. “If you want to be an all-rounder, then you must be able to sing and dance and look good too. Don’t forget, being an all-rounder will make you a national-level heartthrob. You can’t say I am an actor so I won’t dance or I won’t work on my physique. You have to be fit and look good. You can’t be condescending about it.”
Karan also thinks that you should embrace the media and tackle it in an intelligent manner in order to reinforce your star image. “Learn to tackle the media. You need to realise that it is an existing platform that must be leveraged intelligently. It’s no longer cool to be media-unfriendly. You can no longer say that you don’t need the media because the truth is that you do. And at the same time, exercise restraint in terms of appearances. Dealing with the media intelligently is a crucial part of being a star.”
“Finally, the last and probably the most important thing is to have that X-factor,” says Karan. Over and above everything else, you just can’t plan this factor. It’s an element that can break the clutter and establish the feeling that there’s something that only you can do and no one else. It’s the only quality that you can’t work towards. You either have it or don’t, simple. Audiences will decide on it.”
