Job woes

Friend: You cover cinema? That’s so exciting!

Me: Yes. I started a couple of months ago.

Friend: You must be meeting all the big stars!

Me: Yeah,I’m supposed to.

Friend: So have you met Aamir?

Me: No. My colleague interviewed him.

Friend: Shah Rukh?

Me: I was there among the media outside Breach Candy Hospital on the day of his shoulder surgery.Friend: Salman?

Me: I was supposed to meet him but his dog died that day and my appointment was cancelled.

Friend: Hmm. Tell me,what do you cover really?

Me: Well,we do a couple of industry and trend stories and interviews too. I’ve met Deepa Mehta and…

Friend: The same director who made Salaam Bombay?

Me: That’s Mira Nair. Deepa Mehta made the Fire,Earth and Water trilogy. And also Irrfan Khan when Slumdog Millionaire released in India.

Friend: Haan,he’s a good actor… Even acted with Angelina Jolie. Lucky bum. But he’s so ugly. Did you meet Freida Pinto?

Is she really dating Dev Patel now? And she really dumped that Rohan…what’s his name?

Me: Antao. I don’t know man. No,I didn’t meet her— she’s been busy travelling. I met the slum kids though when I went for the Slumdog premiere.

Friend: Oh! That red carpet event at Wadala? You get all these big premiere invites,right?

Me: Yeah,the media was invited,but only to the press conference. But we were right there you know. Right behind the barricade next to the red carpet. All of us: print and television media.

Friend: So you didn’t get to go in and watch the film? Hmm,so can you tell me,just so I can get an idea of how things work,what’s your next assignment?

Me: I’ve been trying for a week to get an interview scheduled with Bobby Deol for his film,Ek.

Friend: So,how come it’s taking long?

Me: His PR personnel doesn’t like me because I didn’t meet him during his last release,Dostana.

Friend: You can’t be serious…

Me: Take a guess.

(dipti.nagpaul@expressindia.com)

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