Star Struck Symbiosis

There is a general perception that actors and actresses have a certain circle of light around them that attracts masses. Recently, this was amply exhibited in Symbiosis where stars had lit up the Lavale campus by their presence. So it really wasn’t a surprise to see the palpable excitement running through the entire campus. By now it is easy to guess that I am talking about none other than superstars Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor who were at Lavale for the shoot of their film ‘Bodyguard’.

Salman Khan

While it is not the first time that Symbiosis has hosted Bollywood stars, what made it special this time was the fact that A-league stars like Salman and Kareena were on campus for around three weeks and almost every day from 9am to 9pm. What added to the glitz was that the students of Symbiosis not only got a chance to see the stars closely but also to work with them. The students participated in the film, assisting in direction, in production and in other departments. In fact, one of the students got a job offer while assisting on a shoot with Kareena in the highly equipped Symbiosis Studios which was inaugurated by Mr. Amitabh Bachchan last year.

What’s more, Salman actually visited the studios, interacted with students working on their films and encouraged them. And as Salman-Kareena continuously kept shooting in classrooms, canteen, grounds and the hostel with some students getting to act with them as junior artists too, students surely had a blast.

Being the Principal Director of Symbiosis allows me to interact with a lot of V.I.P.s frequently. These range from politicians to bureaucrats to eminent personalities from various other domains which include actors and actresses. When I went to meet Salman, as soon as he saw me approaching, he immediately got up from his seat. This gesture of his, before we actually talked, indicated a lot of respect. But it was his opening line that caught me unguarded. He said, “Oh, so we meet again!”

Actually, a day before we were part of a function of another Symbiosis institute but we really had not interacted as such since he was almost gheraoed by his student fans. So I was pleasantly surprised that he remembers me. Later, in the course of our conversation, he said many nice things about Symbiosis and the Lavale campus, and I shared with him the story of Dr. Mujumdar, the foundation of the university etc. The next day, along with Dr. Mujumdar (reluctantly though!) and my mother, we went to meet him. The first thing Salman did after shaking Dr. Mujumdar’s hands was to touch his feet. This really wasn’t anticipated considering the kind of stories one hears about stars who are supposed to be in news for all the ‘wrong reasons’. But this was not all. The series of surprises continued as Salman began to converse with Dr. Mujumdar in fluent Marathi. “I am a Mumbaikar. My mother is a Maharashtrian. So why shouldn’t I know Marathi?” said Salman proudly to my father. It really was a pleasure to see such warmth.

His actions made me think and frankly, they reaffirmed my faith in the fact that all great men, in any domain – be it politics, education or films – have one great quality that is easily reflected in their behaviour. It is that of humility. Humility strikes all people. Personally, I have not only noticed but also learnt and tried to imbibe humility, especially from my father who is not just known and respected for his contribution to the field of education but also for his humility and simplicity.

Continuing with the thought above, another person whose strikes you for his humbleness and modesty, in spite of his legendary persona and great achievements, is Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. To narrate an anecdote, we wanted to invite him to our media school at our Lavale campus and the associated Symbiosis Studios for its inauguration. So to invite him we were to meet him in person at his residence, Jalsa in Mumbai. Once there, when we were ushered into his presence, Mr. Bachchan stood up, greeted us and believe it or not, introduced himself, “I am Amitabh Bachchan.” Speechless, I was. I said, “Sir please…You don’t have to introduce yourself.” And Mr. Bachchan replied, “Why not?” This was the first instance of his humility I witnessed. His aura, personality and intelligence shine out as one speaks to him and yet, humility remains a distinguishing trait in the way he deals with people.

Of course, he graciously accepted our invitation to visit Symbiosis and inaugurate the studios. Here too, we saw his humbleness reflected. At Lavale, while we were touring the studios, my father could not keep the pace with Mr. Bachchan’s fast gait. But every few steps he would stop, and tell me, “Let’s wait for your father.” It really is something that speaks volumes about how men at the top are, and inspires how one should be to reach there.

Indeed, stars at Lavale contradicted the popular perception that they behave snobbish or act as if they are a class apart. Be it Salman Khan or Mr. Bachchan or even Akshay Kumar who was the latest star on campus visiting us during the Fest-O-Comm organised by the Symbiosis Institute of Media & Communication (SIMC) – they all exhibit humility singularly.

Speaking of Akshay Kumar, whose presence on campus was like an icing on the cake after Salman Khan’s visit, the same set of events repeated. I discovered an Akshay who took pride in speaking in Marathi, an Akshay who touched elders’ feet, an Akshay who mingled effortlessly with students and their activities, an Akshay who played cricket with them and encouraged them in their displays and shows.

Needless to repeat again, but this uniform display of humility among these men of extreme calibre is not mere coincidence, but is something that inspires. And there really couldn’t be a matter of more pride for Symbiosis to have hosted such wonderful people.