The risk of meeting a star
Source: Hrithik Roshan Instagram
Hrithik Roshan in Europe
How I even learned there is an Indian actor named Hrithik Roshan - about this I will talk some other time. This is about meeting Hrithik Roshan - about the risk and the joy to meet a star you admire for the first time.
It begins innocent enough - with an ad for a Bollywood event in Rotterdam. Special guest for this event - Hrithik Roshan. For years I mourned the fact that I most probably would never see the fascinating artist in person I tried to watch every movie and every interview I could get my hands on. India is far away from Europe and to meet a Bollywood star would be almost impossible. But Europe - this was a possibility I couldn't let go! From Austria to Rotterdam - it shouldn't be a problem.
Planning to travel
It was a problem. Though Europe has nothing on the dimensions of India, it still needed some extended planning to get to Rotterdam, to the concert and back in time to go to work again. Without the help of another Hrithik Fan - Stefanie Wunderle - it would have been even more difficult. But finally everything was thoroughly planned, tickets purchased, bags packed. The long journey to Rotterdam began.
From Innsbruck to Rotterdam. Source: Google Maps
The opportunity
When I got a message that there was a small possibility to meet Hrithik Roshan, I grabbed it - of course. I knew this was my once in a lifetime chance. There was no way I would not try everything to jump at this opportunity.
The ticket I had bought was a meet and greet ticket - and though I had never done something like that before, I was full of doubt that this would work out. I counted the tickets - and there were more than 150 of them. How should the star meet so many people? I read about other meet and greets with stars, and there were never more than 30 people mentioned. The organizers couldn't have thought it through: if Hrithik Roshan would spend even just two minutes with every fan, it would last at least five hours. After the event. Not very likely. But - who knows? Maybe there would be some lucky coincidence and the sun would shine on me?
And that was exactly what happened. I was contacted and asked if I would be interested to meet Hrithik Roshan! There were three of us getting this opportunity: Basundhara (who I didn't know at the time), Stefanie and me. I was with Stefanie and we met Basundhara, still not believing that this was really happening - could it be? Was it real?
My Ticket for Rotterdam
Reflecting on meeting the star
Meeting a celebrity, a star you admire at that, is what everybody wants. But for me it is a risk, too. For an actor it is much easier to maintain the public persona he wants people to see in movies and interviews than in real life. The question was, how similar or different in this case the public persona would be to the glimpse of the "real" person one can get in a face to face situation.
Among all the thoughts that came to my mind - will it happen, how will it happen, will I really be allowed to say something to Hrithik Roshan? - there was one I didn't say out loud when talking with the other two lucky fans, but was prevalent in my mind. What kind of personality will I see in this - admittedly very short - encounter with the famous person, artist, man?
My long life experience made me cautious: Everybody tries to project a certain image of oneself, not necessarily an authentic one. And famous people do this kind of projecting on a professional level, with the support of management and public relations. Hrithik Roshan fascinated me because of his outstanding level of acting ability. But that alone wouldn't explain my "fanning" over him in such an intense way. It was his personality - the one he showed in interviews and in the way he mastered the difficulties in his life - that made me a dedicated fan of Hrithik Roshan. That he is immensely good looking was the cherry on top, of course!
The meeting
Until the last minutes before the meeting it was not a sure thing for me. But it happened. I met Hrithik Roshan in Rotterdam. I said two sentences to him and he answered.
When I waited for the meeting, surrounded by the two other excited fans, still not believing that it would happen, my thoughts were not that rational anymore. Everything I thought about before took a backseat while I waited full of excitement for the big event.
And then the doors of the lift opened, and Hrithik Roshan stood in front of us. I deliberately let Stefanie and Basundhara talk to him first. I just wanted to observe the situation - and get a handle on my nerves. The former I did - the latter I had no chance to do.
And the risk had been worth it: Hrithik Roshan in person is even more fascinating, more attractive, more charismatic than he is in his public appearances. He projects a down to earth personality I never expected in a star like him.
When it came to me he asked for my name, and I somehow was able to say that I am Antonia from Austria. That I am thankful for everything. And that it was so nice of him to reply me on twitter. He smiled, said "from Austria, really!" and I asked for a pic.
His bodyguard Mayur Shettigar took it. And everybody laughed - because I didn't look into the camera. I looked at Hrithik Roshan - when would I ever have this opportunity again, to see him that near? About his often discussed beauty I can only say: Nothing about it is exaggerated. He really is that attractive!
Source: Personal Picture and Edit by Antonia S.
Afterthoughts
What happens after such an experience? There was a lot of thinking involved. About being a fan. About unusual experiences. About me. About Hrithik Roshan.
You don't go back to everyday life like nothing has happened when you have risked something and won. My prize was the conviction that my admiration for Hrithik Roshan was justified. That he is an outstanding artist was never in question - I can see that in his work. That he is a fascinating person and an attractive man in real life - this I could experience in five short, but important minutes when I saw him in person. The thought process is ongoing. I have created this blog to put the results of my thinking out there for you. This won't be the last time I write about being a fan - and about Meeting Hrithik Roshan.
Pics and Edit: Antonia S.
Footnote: The two fans I am talking about in this article are Basundhara Gosh and StefanieWunderle
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