An Acquaintance Revisited...

The feeling that overwhelms on being able to capture the perfect selfie in the first try is indescribable as far as millennials are concerned. However, the enthusiasm to partake the masses in going on a selfie-spree had gradually caught on with me a couple of years back, when the world was also enveloping in a self-imposed blanket of self-love.

More often than not, it is the finer details that are overlooked when one embarks on a selfie spree. Numerous factors have to be taken into account before zeroing-in on the perfect dose of narcissism that can be fueled by the social space for the admiration of one's network circles.

Apart from being a series of trial and error, being able to capture the perfect selfie is also to be complemented by the best-in-class technological advancements especially as far as the camera and battery life of a smartphone are concerned. So much so, that most leading brands in the market have come up with the concept of selfie phones itself that is solely dedicated to the task.

For me, however, capturing selfies is more about freezing memories in a frame rather than unadulterated self-love. One such capture that is especially close to my heart is this.

Another celebrity selfie for the envious lot, you may think. However, this capture has an interesting anecdote that forms for the 'Fable Behind The Frame' as I like to call it.

As an educator since the past three decades, I have realized that nothing or no-one rather, is able to leave as lasting an influence on a child's impressionable heart and mind as a teacher. For it is at such a crucial stage in life that a student becomes a student of life in the true sense.

If I were to rewind to what makes this selfie so likable to me, it would bring me to the beginning of my career when I had recently completed my post-graduation and had joined one of the premier educational institutions in Delhi during those days.

There was an equal emphasis on academics and co-curricular activities, which should ideally be the case too. This led me to Hyderabad, early on, with a contingent of talented girls aged 11-14 to participate in an inter-school dramatics competition on the occasion of the silver jubilee celebrations of the establishment of one of the most prominent girls' schools in the city - Nasr School, Hyderabad.

How the journey from Delhi to Hyderabad was made possible was because of the fact that The Nasr Dramatic Society (NDS), founded in 1980 is the youngest and the only school dramatic club to be affiliated to the National School of Drama, here in the capital city till date.

It was here that I spotted a ten-year-old effervescent youngster bringing on stage a certain grace, charm, and maturity as a budding thespian. I could see the sparkle in her eye but had I ever imagined that such a sparkle would turn into the radiant Dia Mirza that we all know now!

Yes, I had been to Dia's school and witnessed her in action, excelling in dramatics at such a delicate age. I am sure she had put her best foot forward at academics as well. Our school eventually brought the trophy home as it was customary that the host institution would participate but not be in the running for accolades.

It was then that our girls were called on stage and I accompanied them to receive the prize on behalf of our institution. There she was, Dia, being the vivacious girl she is, holding the certificates in tow on the stage. It was then that I appreciated her participation and told her that I could see her achieving heights in life, in the long run. That was my brief tryst with Dia Mirza, who now comes across as an effortless artist with a brilliant stage presence.

Back to present time, where I spotted Dia as a brand ambassador at the launch of a new range of air-conditioners if I am not mistaken, by Panasonic last year. I had completely forgotten about our tryst but at the back of my mind, I was a fan of Dia's acting prowess. I was coincidentally seated at the front during the Media Briefing and after the QnA session, Dia herself was quick to recognize me and thank me for being one of her initial audience apart from her parents, peers and school teachers.

As a consequence, an acquaintance was revisited as I was made to wander in the bylanes of the pleasant past. Yours Truly was a novice at capturing selfies until quite recently and that is where Dia took the lead by adjusting the angle of the camera standing up and close to me with her hand on my shoulder. It was at that moment that the 'perfect selfie' was captured by Dia herself. 

While this was happening, I could hear people whispering (and being green with envy, of course), as to how this was an extremely personal encounter with a star, that is out of reach for most, if not all. After all, Dia is a person who transformed her dreams into perfectly executed plans! :)

As much as being in one frame with Dee, the Diva is a delight, I am also joyous about the fact that Dee is the 'Diva with a Duty', as she firmly voices her opinion on issues concerning our immediate surroundings and the society as a whole, the latest example being her pledge to beat plastic pollution at the recently concluded IIFA 2018 Press Conference.

As a sweet gesture, she even wrote a note of thanks and signed an autograph for my daughter. 

On the whole, the key to the ideal 'Selfie Experience' is a suitably crafted 'Selfie Camera', and many would agree with me about the same. Amongst the upcoming players in the market, I see tremendous potential in a Vietnamese smartphone brand founded in 2009 - Mobiistar. In line with their motto being 'Enjoy More', they are all set to set foot in the Indian market with the promising proposal of a device that features crisp technicalities in the form of a front, dual selfie camera that captures a 120° wide-angle shot. 

Apart from being the perfect arsenal for an ideal group selfie, such powerful features also guarantee more smiles as there would be no complaints of a comrade being cropped out or the picturesque background being compromised. 

Coupled with a long-lasting battery and economical pricing marketed exclusively as 'Mobiistar on Flipkart', I am sure that #Mobiistar would be able to create a substantial impact in the Indian Market with their catchphrase aptly being #EnjoyMore. :) 

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P.S.: Images concerning Mobiistar have been taken from IndiBlogger.