Celeb or his audience-who faces the heat?

"The way he behaved and the way he abused us, I will definitely propose that he be banned for life."
"Yes, I was abusing them as they were insulting me. I don't want to repeat what he was saying as it will give colour to the issue, it was started by the other man, then only I abused him back."
"Discipline on a cricket ground is of primary importance and if he does not understand that, he does not understand the game and it's better he does not come here."
"I went to pick up my children as they were misbehaving with the children and manhandling them, they were abusive.I got angry as they were abusing."
The entire world and its favourite condescending intellectual have something to say about how everything Shah Rukh Khan did that night at the Wankhede stadium was completely wrong. As human as he may be, his iconic status demands composure and grace.
"We get affected by what these people do. As public personalities, they represent most of our crowd. People emulate them however they can, from fashion sense to body language", says Soumya, a great movie buff herself.
Thinking individuals like her, are few and far between, though. On the other hand, people enchanted by Khan and his movies could make up a small country. Which explains why for a nearly a month now, Khan has been facing the heat.
In India, movies mean serious business. We crave entertainment. And the joy of letting yourself go with people you don't know but connect inexplicably to for two and a half hours is unparalleled.
The seven year old who watches Shah Rukh Khan does not know if he was inebriated that night. He has no idea who misbehaved and who manhandled whom. What he does understand though is that someone he looked up to and aped, had been shamed. And he finds that really uncool. It takes away from his joy of watching a lot of the star's work.
Like the little boy, most of us have no idea what really happened. What we do know is that we love someone and have been watching his work for years. And no matter what happens, our love for him will remain unconditional. For the joy he spreads through his movies will be forever.
Like any other individual, a star is entitled to be flawed and human. What he also needs to realise though is that he's held a little more accountable than most others since a lot more people look up to him than the guy on the street. His actions are emulated and scrutinized. A million plus population watches him with bated breath in both reel and real life. As Pushpita Roy, a high school teacher and mother of two says, "These are icons we're talking about. They affect masses in large numbers and to a great extent. Responsible behaviour is a must."
Though somewhere, we need to introspect and realise that while patience is the price Khan needs to pay for stardom, a certain amount of restraint is the price we need to pay as audiences and reporters of the famed in a society where we're born hero worshipers.
Says Shreya, a first year student, "I think it's fine as long as our adulation for stars is limited to following the cultural trends they set. That is a part and parcel of any entertainment consuming society. They need to be responsible but we should also restrict our scrutiny to certain aspects of their lives only."
Not everything demands an instant conclusion. We need to realise that we're often manipulated because we allow ourselves to be. Like life, a lot of events are not just about black or white but also shades of grey. It's very easy to judge a public figure. It's harder and more important to be critical of ourselves as members of the audience and allow ourselves the liberty and joy of watching something without being affected by the paraphernalia beyond an extent.
Says Shweta, a mother, "I don't understand why such a huge fuss should be made out of this. Children of today can think for themselves. I think it's time we stop breathing down these people's necks.”
Why then, should we kill ourselves trying to think and analyse so much when we don’t really need to? The world would be a simpler place as long as we understood that we, as audiences and they, as celebrities, share a highly symbiotic relationship. We make them what they are, and they add incredible joy to our lives in return. We’re both indispensable for each other, which is why we both need to exercise restraint.
So, the question is, who really faces the heat now?