Who Are The Real Power Behind Bollywood Stars?

They are no longer behind the scene players. The spotlight is on them too.  A case in point is Shah Rukh Khan’s manager Pooja Dadlani, besides film dos she was seen with SRK in most IPL matches. In Bollywood, the role of secretary has metamorphosed into manager. The whole dynamics has changed with manager/professional agency handling stars. Film historian Dilip Thakur says, “Back then, the secretaries knew how the film industry functioned and worked in such a way that the entire industry benefited.” Today it seems a mercenary approach, the agencies are interested in seeing that stars fees are 40% of the budget of a film. This is one of the reasons many films are bombing. A few decades back, the star’s secretary played a different role. They ensured that their star bosses are projected well. They did not think of money. When Big B returned after quitting politics, his secretary Sheetal Jain managed to organise three muhurats in a day at Mehboob Studios. And the films were Hum, Agnipath and Luv Kush. For creating buzz around Amitabh all the credit goes to Sheetal. Rajesh Khanna’s secretary Gurnaam made sure he picked the right script; she had a role to play in his super stardom. After her death, Kaka’s career plunged. Rikku Rakesh Nath who made careers of Madhuri Dixit, Shilpa Shirodkar and Anil Kapoor also ensured that some of his star clients who had no films (read jobless) got one or two films. That speaks of his clout, commitment and dedication. Sridevi’s secretary Hari Singh went that extra mile to ensure she was presented well, bagged meaty roles, and managed to get her to the No 1 position at a time when Madhuri Dixit was ruling the roost. Today, many secretaries/managers have evolved further –turned producers albeit with the backing of the stars.