Production no 1

The day was 24th July 1980. Floor no. 3 in New Technicians Studio
was busy with activity. The film being shot was yet unnamed. It was
being addressed as Production no.1. Three sequences were being canned
this morning. The first of these involved the megastar Utam K and Sunny
Dutt. The dialogue for this was basically a regular conversation about
the weather of the day. The shot was canned without much ado. Utam K
thereafter went back to his make-up room. He was feeling tired, very
tired. The next shot was scheduled for eleven thirty which was an hour
away. He was thinking of taking a short nap though it was early morning
now. Utam was a megastar. For the last thirty years he had captured
public imagination with his simple, efficient acting. He was not good
looking. His nose was very thick and in his early days he had been
ridiculed for it. But the public went crazy over Utam's smile. It
always seemed that he smiled from the bottom of a clean soul. Utam
never tried very hard to woo his heroines on-screen. He was always so
sweet, so honest, so giving that all the ladies fell for him hook, line
and sinker. In real life he was not too happy. He had started off as a
clerk in the Port Commissioner's office. Then he did a few plays before
he was spotted by Nitin Basoo a famous director. His early parts were
small and insignificant. He became a superstar some five years after
joining films. The film was 'The seven circles'. The public fell in
love with the hardworking boy-next-door that Utam was on screen. There
was no looking back from there. Hit after hit gave him a place in the
firmament of moviestars. He was already married when he joined films.
Fifteen years after he joined showbiz Utam left home to move in with
Suppy, a starlet. Though he never separated legally with his wife he
had lived with Suppy ever since. This had invited a lot of criticism
from admirers and detractors alike.
The next shot was now ready. Utam was woken up and accompanied to the
studio floor. The sequence was like this. Utam the husband would have
an altercation with Soomi the wife. In a fit of rage Soomi would hurl a
flower-vase at Utam. Soomi was a very popular actress about half Utam's
age. She was always in the company of her mother on the sets. Whenever
a film-journalist asked her something her stock reply would be-Ask
Mummy.
However the shot was now ready. The clap-stick was used to announce the
shot and the camera started rolling. Utam and Soomi started bickering
and everything went on fine. Utam's face was covered in shaving cream
and he had a shaving brush in hand. He was waving the brush vigorously
and calling Soomi's character names. Then it was Soomi's turn to pick
up the vase and throw it at Utam. But as she picked up the porcelain
vase Utam suddenly clutched the left side of his chest. Even as the
onlookers watched in horror Utam collapsed on the ground. The studio
doctor was summoned and he pronounced the megastar dead.
The news slowly spread to all over Calcutta. People stopped working in
offices, children stopped studying in schools. Everyone wanted to get a
last glimpse of their blue eyed boy. The mangement of New Technicians
studio decided to hire an open truck. Utam's body was loaded into the
truck. The truck went all over Calcutta many many times. People of all
classes thronged the streets to pay their last respects to the departed
filmstar. Also seated in the truck were Soomi and many many other
filmstars. Never before had Calcutta seen so many stars at one go. It
was indeed a day to remember. The procession ended at six pm. The body
was handed over to Oldie, Utam's only brother.
What happened thereafter was shocking. On one side was Oldie and his
cronies. On the other side were Suppy and her hired hooligans. As Oldie
was driving down to their family home with the body he was accosted by
Suppy and her goons. There was a ugly fight. In the end Utam's body was
forcibly removed from Oldie's car and loaded into Suppy's station
wagon. But before she could go away Oldie broke off half of his
brother's stiff body and drove off with it. Thus concluded the life of
one of the biggest stars India has ever seen.