CHENNAI: When George Lucas made the first Star Wars film on a shoestring budget, he perhaps had no inkling of the cult status it would achieve later. Thirty five years after it was first released, on May 25, 1977, fans still swear by his enterprise. Believe it or not, even in Chennai — which is about 9,000 miles from the US where the movies were filmed — diehard fans walk among us by the dozen. But where are they, you may ask. Well, they aren’t underground but one will perhaps not recognise them because you don’t see them sporting light sabres or darth vader costumes. “I’m a huge fan,” says Ankit Prasad, an MBA student. He recalls, “I remember we once did a movie marathon that went on for two days — watching all six Star Wars movies in order.”Then there are those Star Wars junkies who will do anything to get their hands on the cool memorabilia from the films. IT professional Giridhar Sampathkumar reminisces, “I bought my first light sabre on a trip abroad when I was 13.” Of course, given that none of the sought-after costumes are available in Chennai either, some fanatics don’t mind going the extra mile — well at least by credit card. Musician T T Sriram reveals with excitement, “I just ordered a Darth Maul costume with my measurements that will be home delivered from the US.” Unfortunately, despite the market and fan base in the city, the problem most often is that fans simply cannot find one another. “There are no Sci Fi conventions here or platforms to get together,” laments Tarun Joseph, a general physician. In fact, he adds, “It would be great to have a Star Wars dedicated Facebook forum, I hope someone starts one soon.” Joseph, unlike some snooty enthusiasts, is only too willing to provide a crash course on the characters and elaborate on the storyline to those unaware. Apart from the 40 odd books in his collection, he even owns a Star Wars encyclopedia! Jedi wannabes in the city should perhaps put some thought into seeking their kind. There may not be enough light sabres to go around, but hey, there’s always social networking. May the force be with you.
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