10 most well-behaved Bollywood stars

Senior film journalist Khalid Mohamed on the most humble celebrities in tinsel town.

Colourful language, a lack of basic courtesies and punctuality, a mammothly inflated ego, tantrums galore and an off-putting attitude attained overnight with stardom are just some of the afflictions of stars who are riding high - and, at times, even low - in Bollywood.
Although it's generally acknowledged that stardom doesn't last forever, the elite club of actors does tend to lose touch with ground reality, becoming moody and difficult to deal with, just the opposite of the goody-goody image they project on screen.
This rank bad behaviour has to be accepted, willy-nilly, by filmmakers, assistant directors on the sets, the staff of hairdressers, makeup attendants and household helps. As for star equations with journalists, media persons are at best treated as necessary evils, there to boost their public images, besides composing gushy sonnets endemic for publicity campaigns before a film's imminent release.
Was it always like this? To a degree perhaps. For instance, Rekha could be angelic with the press when she wished to express her views on topics ranging from fitness to her all-time favourite co-star Amitabh Bachchan. Or else, she could be stubbornly reclusive. Any phone call on the landline - the cellphone number is a top secret - is answered by a domestic aide with an indecipherable accent. And it's usually Rekha herself, disguising her voice. Needless to point out, she has the reputation of being an excellent mimic.
Come to think of it, Naseeruddin Shah, in the course of an interview, had once remarked with dot-on accuracy. "When actors become stars following a batch of hits, their feet don't touch the ground any more. They lose contact with reality and live in a self-created world of fantasy."
Mercifully, there are exceptions to the rule of stars who breathe the air of arrogance. And so here's listing the top 10 actors who have kept sight of the fact that they're human (and not some kind of deities) and are recognised for their exemplary professional behaviour and social etiquette.
Rajinikanth: The Chennai-based superstar has been a man of the masses, deservedly, for decades now. His interviews underscore the fact that he hasn't forgotten his modest beginnings as a bus conductor. If his brief innings in Bollywood cinema didn't work out, he withdrew to his hometown without any rancour. Vastly imitated and idolised, he can walk into a Chennai restaurant, and leave after tipping the waiters generously. And if he assents to conversations with the media, it's without any fuss, and without any strictures of keeping any of his answers off-the-record.
Vidya Balan: No speaking out of turn for her. Endowed with a sense of humour, she has the ability to laugh at herself. If her films don't click at the box-office, she doesn't blame the director or the team. She carries on regardless, accounting for her steady fan base.
Sonam Kapoor: She speaks her mind and insists on calling a spade a spade. Hypocrisy isn't her scene. A voracious reader, she doesn't come with an agenda. If she's often slotted as a fashionista, that doesn't stymie her. An actor who proved her detractors wrong with Neerja, she has the pragmatism inculcated in her by her mother Sunita. Also, she cherishes her mentors, especially Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, who showcased her in the film Delhi-6. Gratitude is her calling card.
Akshay Kumar: A late bloomer. Now that he has matured as an actor, Akshay seems to have pulled his act together, without ever losing his cool. He isn't the most articulate actor you meet, but, on the upside, he is business savvy and ensures that his persona as a family man is no longer under threat. Once described as a Casanova, obviously, the khiladi has been tamed by his marriage to Twinkle Khanna, now known as the popular columnist Mrs Funnybones.
Alia Bhatt: Although she hasn't been to a finishing school, she possesses the graces of a girl who has been to one. When she was trolled for being a 'dumbette' on confusing the name of the President of India, she took the drubbing and acknowledged that she had made a mistake. Unlike dad Mahesh Bhatt, she isn't a motormouth. Rather she's taken after her mother, stage and film artiste Soni Razdan, who's as well-mannered as they come.
Sidharth Malhotra: The boy-next-door from Delhi hasn't been affected by the wiles and strategies, which are a must for the survival of the fittest in Bollywood. This may be construed as a lack of killer instinct. Fortuitously, he has been making steady progress, exuding a likeable presence, both on and off the screen.
Tabu: She can be elusive and avoids a high profile. An epitome of those extinct qualities called adab and tehzeeb, the powerhouse artiste is one of a kind. Despite all the acclaim and awards gathered down the decades, she has never blown her own trumpet.
Ranbir Kapoor: He will fall at the feet of an elder, like lately I saw him respect an ageing friend of the Kapoor family. On the sets, he doesn't horse around or waste time suddenly asking, "But what is the motivation of the scene?", which can throw a day's shoot entirely off kilter, besides insulting the director. All script discussions are done during the film's pre-production, no arguments thereafter. And if he's asked an uncomfortable question, he doesn't clam up. "I can't lie to you," he states, adding, "I can't hurt the lady I'm talking about, so I will have to make my answer short and sweet."
Malaika Arora: Her smile is a dazzler and so is her shy, self-effacing personality. She may be going through personal turmoil, but she answers calls, and remains down to earth. If she hasn't taken on lengthy film roles, she admits frankly, "I can't act. So, I don't want to make a fool of myself."
Tiger Shroff: He doesn't speak brashly, and is a favourite with the studio spotboys, combining the sophistication of his mother, Ayesha, and the casual cool of his father Jackie Shroff. On being viciously attacked on Twitter by the quirky Ram Gopal Varma, he maintained a dignified stance - at most admitting that the jibes from a senior filmmaker did hurt him - thereby allowing the controversy to die a natural death.
wknd@khaleejtimes.com