A good hour into the interview
She was still not in a mood
To let the audience have
A peep into her heart.
Then took the Rendezvous
The longed-for turn
With this shot from the talk show host:
“What’s the secret
Of graduating from rustic Rekha
To where you stand now
Oozing confidence through every fibre—
A complete transformation?”
To draw her further out
Simi came up with
Another intriguing question:
“Would you let us into another secret?
How did you make peace
With all that had happened to you?”
From this point the tête-à-tête
Took off, suffused with
The rush of adrenalin:
“One has to have a role model”
Intoned the queen of Silsila.
“I had him (The Big B)
To model myself on.
It’s not just the voice
The throwing of dialogues
Learning the science of speech.
It’s the strength of character.
“I used to watch how
He transformed every crisis on the sets
Into a stepping stone.
“I’m grateful for all the tragedies
That dot my lifescape.
I would not be what I am
If they were not there.
There is not one single negative bone
Within my system….”