Deifying the B-townies

India has two sources of entertainment that have had a far greater influence on people that actually meant to be - cricket and bollywood. The film industry here has always enchanted the Indian masses. Name some famous Bollywood star and there is a hardly a person in crowd who wouldn't be familiar with him. Supplements in the daily newspaper, carrying "Bollywood News" often bug me. The other day, I was reading a news article about a certain actress. The article heading read "Ms. X completes shooting of film inspite of illness" .
This really got me thinking. Now, what information does one call news??
Something unusual, out of the ordinary, tragic, horrid, unscrupulous, makes it to the black and white ink on these circulars. But this, what is so special, so unusual about it??! Wont a normal middle-class person do the same? A person is bound to become ill at some point or the other. And not always can he afford missing his job. Then what extraordinary feat did the actress perform? There are fathers catering working around the clock to make sure their family is happy, without caring for their own health. There are mothers who take care of the household, manage children and go to their jobs inspite of illnesses. Isn't that something that should be news? If at all?
Deifying the celebs is a common phenomenon in India. Their influnce in our country is so powerful that government asks them to endorse drives for dealing with social issues, employment schemes, health care and alike. People go the extent of offering religious prayers for their good. Most of youth try aping their ways in every aspect right from their way of walking to their habits. Though appreciating them and respecting them for how they have made it big in life is good, putting them on the pedestal isn't the right thing to do. In fact, it is time, such people develop respect for themselves, have faith in themselves. Idolizing someone else and following whatever he says is not going to help one reach his goal. Instead, it is one's faith in oneself and the right actions that will eventually bear the sweet fruit of success.