Minakshi Saini, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, July 25, 2008
Aamir Khan was kissed by a female fan in Mumbai; Mahendra Singh Dhoni grabbed at Eden Gardens; Sonu Nigam mauled by an overenthusiastic fan; Emraan Hashmi’s kissed on a reality TV show; and Aditya Narayan scratched after a very close encounter with female admirers.
Male celebrities now face a new problem — their female fans. No longer content with catching a glimpse of their heroes, they want to get up close and very personal.
“Too many weird incidents have happened,” says singer Sonu Nigam. “And frankly, however amusing they might sound later, they are stressful.”
Especially because, Sonu explains, while he can pull back, he can never push a fan away. “They are never aggressive but emotional and in all the pushing and pulling one gets hurt.”
Television host Aditya Narayan was kissed by a fan at the finale of his reality show. He appointed six bodyguards. But they could not hold off the fans that grabbed Aditya at a recent live performance. He got away, but not before he was scratched and hurt.
New Delhi, July 25, 2008
Aamir Khan was kissed by a female fan in Mumbai; Mahendra Singh Dhoni grabbed at Eden Gardens; Sonu Nigam mauled by an overenthusiastic fan; Emraan Hashmi’s kissed on a reality TV show; and Aditya Narayan scratched after a very close encounter with female admirers.
Male celebrities now face a new problem — their female fans. No longer content with catching a glimpse of their heroes, they want to get up close and very personal.
“Too many weird incidents have happened,” says singer Sonu Nigam. “And frankly, however amusing they might sound later, they are stressful.”
Especially because, Sonu explains, while he can pull back, he can never push a fan away. “They are never aggressive but emotional and in all the pushing and pulling one gets hurt.”
Television host Aditya Narayan was kissed by a fan at the finale of his reality show. He appointed six bodyguards. But they could not hold off the fans that grabbed Aditya at a recent live performance. He got away, but not before he was scratched and hurt.
Acknowledging the problem, Dhoni was recently appointed with a battery of female guards to protect him. While Dhoni does his best to keep his fans at a distance, his teammate Irfan Pathan is not in favour of shooing them away. “I don’t handle my fans, rather my fans handle me. I think my smile works and makes them so happy, they forget being crazy with me.”
Another person who can handle his fans is Akshay Kumar. A virtual stampede broke out during his Unforgettable tour performance in Canada, when he offered to sing a duet with a female fan, but he pulled it off with elan. Model-turned-actor Rajeev Khandelwal says female fans aren’t a threat.
“I don’t think they can ever be harmful. They are just very expressive and confident. I always treat their adulation as their imagination of someone I am not. It helps me draw a line.” Despite retiring hurt, Aditya Narayan says he doesn’t like shooing away his fans.
“I will be very frank in saying that at times you enjoy being scratched — I enjoy it. They are appreciating your work, maybe in a different way. I would protect myself if they are going to get too aggressive but if it’s well meaning then I really don’t mind.”
Another person who can handle his fans is Akshay Kumar. A virtual stampede broke out during his Unforgettable tour performance in Canada, when he offered to sing a duet with a female fan, but he pulled it off with elan. Model-turned-actor Rajeev Khandelwal says female fans aren’t a threat.
“I don’t think they can ever be harmful. They are just very expressive and confident. I always treat their adulation as their imagination of someone I am not. It helps me draw a line.” Despite retiring hurt, Aditya Narayan says he doesn’t like shooing away his fans.
“I will be very frank in saying that at times you enjoy being scratched — I enjoy it. They are appreciating your work, maybe in a different way. I would protect myself if they are going to get too aggressive but if it’s well meaning then I really don’t mind.”
