Starstruck!

Cute. Hot. Sexy. Dashing. Heartthrob. Rising Talent.

He must be so used to hearing every one of those words. He must also be used to 'I love you's and 'You're the best's and innumerable other compliments, gushed out by crazy fans, intoxicated by his charm, his magic.

'The critics' are beginning to warm up to him too. He's someone to 'watch out for' in the coming years, he shows all the signs of a 'bright, bright, future.' He is a firecracker shooting across the star-studded sky of glamor world, and he'll leave a permanent mark against it.

I flip on the television and a music channel plays back-to-back tracks from his recent back-to-back hits; another channel plays an older song from when he was just a gawky teenager, unknown. I had loved him then too.

One news channel is busy speculating about his supposed link-up with his pretty-young-thing of a co-star, for the nth time since his much publicized breakup with a top actress, and a sports channel shows him performing live at a closing ceremony of a major glitzy Cricket tournament, driving the crowd insane, naturally.

A soap serials' channel runs ads featuring him between segments. He is the face of an mp3 player brand, a fairness cream aimed at the metrosexual man, as well as a range of designer travel bags. He is also the guest judge on a reality show, where contestants are awe-struck to see him right before them. Had I been amongst them, I would probably have fainted of sheer thrill.

An old movies' channel is screening his debut film, for the umpteenth time, and another channel is playing his other, more recent film which tends to be screened almost every other weekend. It was just such a SUPER DUPER hit; nobody tires of watching it. Ironically, it was his first and last successful film with his real-life ex-girlfriend. She ditched him for an older, richer star before the film's release, when he had been out of the country, working on his next.

Another channel airs a repeat telecast of an awards function where he presided as host and bagged an award too. and yet another channel is featuring him in a random list of the film industry's most eligible bachelors.

He is in the modern remake of an old song promoting national harmony, and he is in the little tit-bits of Bollywood news that run at the bottom of some music channels. He is in interviews and in promotions, in social causes and international functions.

I pick up a magazine and his face stares up at me from the cover page, promising an exclusive interview. He was the sole reason I had blown 50 bucks on the otherwise useless reading material. It will go into my box of collectibles, wherein there are more such magazines and cuttings and clippings of him.

I open the newspaper and the celebrity gossip page features his name in big, bold letters along with a still of him from his upcoming release. An entertainment supplement carries a full-page poster of the same movie on the front page. This too, shall end up in my treasured collection.

I turn on my computer and he smiles back from my desktop background, an older picture when his hair was longer - a style I liked better; when my cell phone beeps a message, it is his face that adorns my screen there too, and the message is from a friend, asking whether I'd like to catch the upcoming release with her the coming Friday.

I smile. Of course I do -first day, first show! He IS my favorite actor, my first love! I turn on the radio and a song from the same movie plays; when I change the station, a special entertainment teaser is on, with a faux interview of him, something I've already heard an umpteen number of times, yet listen to again anyway, for I so absolutely love his voice!

I lay in bed and look across at my closet. He is there too, on not one, not two, but several posters. I grin back at him, rather stupidly. He seems to be here, there, everywhere. He is on my list of 'likes' on Facebook and I'm one of the over one lakh people who follow him on Twitter. He is in my conversations and in my thoughts, even in my dreams and ambitions. I fantasize of writing a movie just for him, knowing full well that it is a silly thought.

And now, he is on my blog too.

Perhaps THIS is what it is: super stardom - to rule over so, so many hearts!

As if on cue, my cell phone beeps again. It is the service provider this time: "Download Shahid Kapur wallpapers, videos, songs! Click OK to connect now!"

I make a face. How stupid! As if I don't already HAVE all the wallpapers, videos, songs, movies, and everything else there is out there featuring him! He is MY star, after all, my Shahid! :)

*This post was recommended as a Tangy Tuesday pick by BlogAdda on 25th May 2010.