Socialite Sheetal Mafatlal apparently tried walking through the green channel at the international airport, without declaring jewellery worth lakhs, hoping that no one would check her. It seems that many celebrities have tried walking through the ‘green channel’ of life, perhaps in hope that their celebrity status would let them get away. It is human to make mistakes, but at a celebrity level, it comes with a bit of over-confidence that the repercussions of those mistakes won’t reach them.
Salman Khan was tried for shooting a black buck and drunk driving, and had a brief stint in a Jodhpur jail. Once out of jail, the actor confessed to After Hrs in a vulnerable moment that the experience was a huge jolt, “I was afraid. The jail life was very scary and it was a realisation that how tough life can be. It made me realise about a whole lot of things that I hadn’t even thought of earlier.”
For almost 14 years, Sanjay Dutt lived under the suspicion of being involved in the Mumbai bomb blasts of 1993, till he was acquitted. He was behind bars for six years, guilty of illegal possession of arms. The realisation perhaps that he is human too, in spite of being a star kid, came to him when he was in jail. While in jail he said, “You won’t believe how much I have learnt. I have learnt that never to take anything in life for granted and to be a good human being first and foremost. Believe me, when I get out there again, it will be still the same world, but my perception has changed.”
But even after such experiences, there are celebrities who continue flaunting their celebrity status. Cars being imported without due duties being paid, scribes and photographers assaulted when ‘provoked’ are some examples. At the same time, thankfully, there are also the law-abiding lot.
Psychotherapist Seema Hingorrany explains,” “I wouldn’t say all, but some celebrities do get over-confident because of the power that comes with being a celebrity, and they get used to being pampered. I would say they have to be more careful than a common man because it would lead to more serious repercussions. Thinking you can get away never works.”
