Bounty

'Just For You' is a television serial shown every Sunday at 5 pm in
Calcutta. It is an open slot. That is to say that there is no fixed
director or a fixed writer. Anyone who can make a one hour film about
love can submit the same. If it is accepted it will be telecast. A lot
of promising directors have made stories for this slot. In fact a
couple of them have moved on to the big screen format on the strength
of their work in this series. Good actors are eager to work in 'Just
For You'. The stories are always pleasant and the audience sees the
actors in a likeable, positive light. Indeed, it is an opportunity few
want to miss. Though none of the actors who have worked in this serial
have yet become stars they are popular on page 3, because they are
invited to the right parties around town. Once you are seen in these
mushy tales the party pages begin to look at you as hot property. A new
competition has recently started. After each episode, that is after
every love story is telecast, the viewers are asked to rate the heroine
through SMS. At the end of the month, the heroine with the highest
audience ratings gets a diamond necklace worth one million pounds. The
heroines are paid well but most of them covet the diamond jewellery
that comes free. So, the competition between the four actresses who act
in 'Just For You' each month is intense. Each one craves the million
pound diamond necklace. Shooting for any episode commences two weeks in
advance. The episode that is currently being shot is called 'Loved and
Lost'. It is the story of a girl whose husband fails to turn up at her
wedding. The part of the heroine is being played by Minnie, for whom
this is the sixth episode. Minnie was late for the shoot. In fact she
was late by a good two hours. She had won the diamond necklace on two
previous occasions and is confident of winning this time too. Her hero
is a struggling actor called Mark. He hardly has any lines in the
episode. He merely appears in the same frame with Minnie. Mark had
arrived on time and hence had to cool his heels for two long hours. And
when shooting did begin Minnie pronounced that her dialogue was not
good enough. And even as the director explained the merits of her
dialogue Minnie asked for a raise. It was not a small raise too. She
wanted her fees to be hiked by fifty percent. The episodes are all shot
on a tight budget and it was not possible to give Minnie more money
than she was getting. So, Minnie walked out of the serial. As in all
other serials Minnie, here, had an understudy too. She was called. It
took her two hours to come. She was ready with the dialogue she said.
The camera was switched on and shooting began. But the girl was drunk.
Besides, she simply could not remember her lines. She managed to give a
single shot. After this she fell asleep and could not be woken up at
all despite much effort. It was three pm now and the whole episode
needed to be canned within three days. An aging, forgotten actress was
called as a last resort. She arrived in fifteen minutes. But the lady
turned out to be taller than the hero. And the writer said his hero had
to be taller than the heroine without assigning any reason for such a
belief. The actress, who was very disappointed was put in a taxi whose
fare was paid in advance by the producer. Thus a whole day was wasted
without any work. Everyone in the unit reported early the next day. A
heroine had to be found. One of the assistant directors was going
through the script when there was a tap on his shoulder. It was the
girl from the studio canteen who was carrying a tray of glasses of tea.
"Sir," she said, "Take me as your heroine. I know the dialogue by
heart." The assistant director looked at the girl. She was decent
looking. With proper make-up and grooming she could be heroine
material. He took the girl to his director. The director asked the girl
whose name was Sandra if she knew any poem. She said she did and
recited a few. Mark, the hero was called. When he entered the room and
saw Sandra he immediately exclaimed that he was not going to work
opposite any extra that the director picked off the streets. The
director told Mark that Sandra was his cousin's daughter. Even though
Mark did not completely believe this he agreed to work with Sandra.
Sandra turned out to be a competent actress. Her episode was the last
to be telecast in the current month. After that, the television channel
waited for the SMSs from the viewers. The verdict however was
unanimous. The next recipient of the million pound diamond necklace
would be Sandra, the heroine of the episode 'Loved and Lost' on 'Just
For You'.