Thanks a lot for reading this wonderful tale. I will not bore you and will let Pooja continue with the next part of the story.
Kishore was a bit surprised by my proposal. But his look did not indicate that he took bad about my proposal.
He responded, “Anni, definitely I will not mistake you for this proposal. This really shows how determined/desperate you are to make me successful in the audition. I really appreciate and thank you sincerely for your every step and thought. Your thoughts and involvement are giving me big moral support, but…”
He stopped with hesitation. I encouraged, “Come on Kishore. Good to know that you understood my intention in the right spirit, what is that ‘but’. Come up openly. Let me know your thoughts openly.”
Kishore said, “Anni, Thanks for your generosity and proposal for rehearsal. No doubt that this is a good idea considering our real situation. I like it and admire this idea. Definitely, your proposal to shoot our acting and reviewing it together and fixing the minor acting issues are awesome.”
“However, my concern is that I will be really tensed and nervous to act with you. Think about my situation, that Ahalya is an unknown stranger girl. For me just to act with some stranger I was nervous and screwed it up. I will screw it 100 times more if I try to act with you. I need to look into your eyes, speak dialogs, and act in intimate scenes.”
“I will die in nervousness and fear worrying if I am hurting you. Other than this, definitely it is a good idea. Beyond getting the courage to act with you, I’m highly worried for brother. How will he take it? I don’t want to screw up your married life because of this. I’m worried that brother will not like this idea.”
I said “Kishore, I got all your open thought. I will answer one by one for your concern and queries. Firstly regarding the nervousness of acting together. I agree with you. Definitely, it will be a new experience for both of us to physically be a bit closer and act like lovers.”
“Even for me, it is going to be a new experience. I have never been so close to any guy other than my hubby. We need to understand the fundamental fact that we are not lovers. We are just acting like lovers according to the script for a rehearsal for an audition.”
“If we keep this in mind, we will not have any guilty or nervousness in mind. I am going to think of myself as a professional actress so that there is no room for guilt. I believe you should also do the same, and then there is no room for guilt or nervousness.”
“Second point, about my husband knowing this. When I decided to compromise with Ahalya’s brother I decided that I won’t tell Vivek. Vivek will not be happy with this decision. I decided to hide from him because I know that I’m not doing with any self-interest.”
“I’m doing it for your career. Moreover, your brother has also built a dream of seeing you as an actor. He already gave a party to his colleagues exposing that you become a hero. He will be devastated to know you screwed up your chance. I don’t want him to feel disappointed.”
“Hence I decided to not tell about compromising with Ahalya’s brother.This arrangement (training you through acting with you) I don’t think he will think bad. Either I can tell him or we can just keep within our self. I can tell him once he is back here. I’m sure he will not take it wrong.”
Kishore: Anni, Thanks for all your thoughtful decision Anni. I’m happy that you are confident that my brother will not take it wrong. But we don’t want to take any chance. It is better to check with him before we proceed on this. This will be highly risky.
I felt this is getting bottleneck as he is a bit adamant to get my hubby’s permission for acting. How I can tell my husband? Not an easy job. Anyway, I thought God has brought me to this point, he wont disappoint me further. I decided to move forward and see what I can do.
I said, “Ok, da, I’ll talk to Vivek in privacy and explain this situation.”
Kishore: Ok Anni, it will be better if Anna (brother) says the word ‘Ok’ to me on this. So that I will not have any fear or worry about this. Even if he says Ok, I’m not sure how I’m going to do, but we can figure that out later. We need to get brother’s permission first.
I smiled at him, “Ok da I will talk to him and make him speak to you.” I took the phone and walked to the bedroom thinking about how to talk to him. I called Vivek and he picked the phone and anxiously started.
Vivek: Pooja, I was waiting for your call anxiously. How the first-day shoot went? Hope he is happy as he completed his first-day shoot?
Vivek’s voice was with full excitement and cheerfulness. I felt sad to communicate the negative news to him. I quickly told about his whole situation (where he failed in romantic acting). I didn’t tell about my drama of making him act with me. Vivek was totally devastated to hear this sad news.
Vivek: Oh shit? Did he screw up? Is he mad to screw up such a golden opportunity? It is so shaming to call him my brother. What is this issue doing romance acting?
I giggled and teased, “Hey he is not like you, seeing beautiful girls when even you walk with me. He is so reserved, he doesn’t have any girlfriends or female friends. He is a very shy type. Forget about acting romantically, he is not even ready to watch romantic scenes in the movie if family members are around.”
“If something comes up in TV when I watch along with him, he switches the channel. Such a sensitive person he is. Think of what he will do when he is directly put into the scene.”Vivek: Oh god, it is a very delicate situation. What he is going to do? How he is now? Depressed?
Me: It is so pitiful to look at him. He is devastated, I think he needs some moral support and convincing words. I had to struggle hard to extract all these details from him. He is a bit hesitant to use even the word ‘romance’ to tell today’s failure.
Me: I slowly encouraged him to speak out why he failed, and then he slowly revealed. He badly needs some support now. Vivek why don’t you come here and give some counseling to him?
Vivek: Hey are you kidding? How can I come leaving all this civil project work? I cannot come. Moreover, I don’t have a good relationship with him. He is your pet, you need to counsel him on this.
I felt happy that conversation is heading in the direction that I want. Vivek further continued and asked “Pooja, did he mentioned why he screwed up? What is his problem?”
Me: Vivek I probed him a lot and he opened up saying that shyness is one reason. Another reason is how the family (me and you and your parents) will react seeing him in movie romancing with some girl in the movie.Vivek: Bull shit, his career is acting. He needs to do romance as part of his acting. Why we are going to judge him for that?
Me: Another problem interacting with him is. He is worried that talking about romance acting to me considering that is inappropriate talking about it. He is worried that you will not take it right if I talk to him on this topic. So he is not willing to talk. I think he needs counseling. You better come here for two days.
Vivek: No way I cannot come. You counsel him.Me: He is worried that I cannot talk to him on this topic. You better approve him that it is not bad to follow my words.Vivek: That is simple for me, I can advise him on that.
Me: He is already depressed. So don’t stress him too much. Speak gentle consoling words. Tell him that romancing is not bad as long as it is just acting.Vivek: Sure I will do that.Me: Ok I will give the phone to him.
I walked with heavily beating hearts to the living room where he was seated in the sofa. I muted the line and told Kishore, “Hi Kishore, your brother is on phone wants to talk to you.”Kishore: Ok Anni. (he received the unmuted phone) Anna (brother)
Vivek: Kishore, Anni told everything happened there. Why are you so hesitant in romantic acting da? This is nothing wrong.Kishore: No Anna, I’m highly worried if you will mistake me.
Vivek: you are so stupid da, Why I’m going to think you bad on this? No, not at all. I and your Anni (Bhabhi) will always think and wish well for you. I cannot come to console you in person. Listen to Anni whatever she says and asks you to do. She will only do it for your good.
You never think I will mistake you or her on this. So please listen to her without any hesitation or guilt.Kishore: Ok Anna, I got it now.Vivek: That is true Spirit, Thank you. All the best for your audition.
I quickly got the phone back from him and disconnected the call and said to him.Me: What Kishore, your fear and concern about your brother is clear now?
Kishore smiled with a bit relaxed mode, “I’m a bit relieved on brother’s concern. But I’m still terribly fearing on how I’m going to act with you. But you know many scenes are…..(struggling to say)…..too intimate.
I said, “Kishore yes I read the complete script. Yes, the scenes start with basic romance, flirty conversation, and progress to hug and kiss. It further progresses with some touch and I see the explicit climax. I think it should be fine for us to do certain scenes.”
“I think romance talk, flirt is fine. Hug and kiss are fine because nothing wrong between BIL and SIL to hug. There are some scenes with bit sensual touches. I think we should just think of them as professional scenes and see ourselves as professional actors and just act. When there a sensitive climax scene we can think about that later.”
I stopped and with surprise expression “Kishore, do you know the Kanada movie named ‘Mussanje Gelathi’?Kishore: “No Anni, not heard of it? What is in it?”
Me: “It is a Kanada movie, a 45-year-old professor falls in love with a girl student of a 20-year girl. In that movie and they love each other deeply.”Kishore: “What special in that movie, Anni?”
Me: “Do you know the relationship between the hero and heroine in real life? They are father and daughter. They boldly acted and it came as a film itself. We are not going to act and release the movie to the public. We are just rehearsing for perfection privately. So I think we should take them as a role model and example.”
I gave a gasp and tried to play nice. I didn’t want to show the desperateness that I am ready for anything by accepting that we can do the climax scene. So I stopped there and said, “See Kishore, I think we don’t need to plan everything now. Let us start and see how it progresses and decide as we progress. We can check how comfortable it is for us to act and then decide how to proceed”
Kishore is getting better, confident, and still bit hesitant and said “Anni, Sounds like the best plan. There are some conversations in the script where I have to call heroine without respect in singular like vaa dee, po dee (in Tamil, raa vey, po vey in Telugu).”
I Interrupted, “Kishore, that is fine. During acting, I am that character and not your SIL. So you can scold and call me the way script demands. I won’t mistake you. Moreover, you need to understand that for me also this is new. If you hesitate, I will feel guilty as if I am forcing you for something you don’t like. I will feel morally low. Please understand it.”
Kishore quickly in tensed note tried to console me “Anni, please never ever think like that. You are the goddess of sacrifice. One hour back I was at ground zero without any clue or an idea of how to make it. You have drafted a wonderful plan and I like it. I really appreciate it.”
“My all questions to you is to ensure that you are fine. I do not want to hurt my sacrificing SIL in this process. Hence I am politely bringing all the points. Other than that, you are my savior. Please don’t feel guilty.”
Me: “Thanks Kishore, I would not have proposed it, if I am not comfortable. So please keep in mind a simple thumb rule. Once we get into scene/acting, we are just the characters. There is no room for a BIL-SIL relationship.”
“We need to give what the scene demands. Once the shot is over we are BIL and SIL, just keep this in mind and let us do the scenes. Don’t bring guilt, shy, nervousness, etc in this process.”
Kishore with a happy face and clarity said “Thanks Anni, I completely got it now. Sure I am completely ready, but still, I will have some nervousness and fear initially. Please support me initially until I am comfortable. I will work hard to become normal in acting with you soon”
Me: “Thanks Kishore, that’s the spirit! I appreciate it. Sure, I will encourage you and support you. Similarly, I need your support and encouragement as I am also doing this for the first time. No judgment, no weird/shocking look between each other during this acting process.”
I felt Kishore is comfortable and settled down with all his questions and thoughts. His face appeared a bit clear and no more nervous in this discussion, As he is bit cool now. I thought to extend this conversation to a bit spicy. I laughed and with the smiley face said “Ok Kishore. Let us start our rehearsal practice tomorrow.”
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