“I came to the city when I was twenty-one because I wanted to meet my favorite actor. I thought that I’d wait outside his apartment, and he’d appear shirtless on his balcony just like in the Bollywood movies. But he never came out. I didn’t want to go home without meeting him because all my friends would laugh at me. So I slept on the streets. I had no money to survive. I began working at a bookstall just so I could eat. And every day after work I’d return to his house to see if I could find him. I finally got my chance when there was a big movie premiere. I knew he’d be there. I waited along the rope line and met all of the other actors. But when my favorite arrived, he walked past without greeting anyone. He didn’t even make eye contact. I was heartbroken. He didn’t even acknowledge his fans. At least now I have a bookshop. I can thank him for that.” (Mumbai, India)
