The cons of a celebrity mom

Fame at an early age is always a difficult proposition. The child is subject not just to the camera but he/she also has media obligations. Often the channel and the production house are very cautious as to what the child says to the media. (A few of them even gag kids from speaking to the media). As always, it’s the child’s parent who does most of the talking. Not all parents are media savvy and some are so anxious that they end up spilling words which then come back to bite them. Jyoti Nair, mother to child actor Akash didn’t adopt caution while speaking to this reporter. Akash plays the little Ganesh in Sahara One show Ganesh Leela that goes on air from 17 August. Last evening, onlookers were surprised to see how coolly Akash fielded all queries from the press. The 9-year-old looked cute in his Ganesh get-up with a trunk that looked so authentic. We asked his mother about how much time it takes for his make-up and were stunned to hear what Mrs. Nair had to say. “It takes about two hours for the make-up. And once he’s done with it he can’t have solid food because the trunk covers his mouth. He does get his break but that again requires him to sit for another hour for the make-up and the trunk to be fitted back. So, we usually feed him milkshakes. Akash gets up at 7:00 am in the morning, attends school before spending the next 12 hours on the sets.” Well, the poor chap’s got quite a hectic schedule. Isn’t it too much to handle for a 9-year-old? Why did he take up the show then? “Though stressful, Akash simply loves being in front of the camera. He never complains on the sets. As for your second question, well we were never keen on daily soaps for him but the production and the channel ‘brainswashed’ him. Besides, he’ll get a good exposure and since he’s required to give two months we agreed to do the show,” said the celeb mom. Well, Mrs. Nair we empathize with your son’s plight. At least, Akash has been brainwashed to play Lord Ganesh. So, we all bow down to Him.