Madhavan, who returns to Hindi films with the comedy "Ramji Londonwale", is thrilled to bits. He plays an Amitabh Bachchan fan in the film and actually gets to meet his idol at the end. "It's like crossing over from the real to the reel."

Sammir Dattani agrees. "I couldn't believe when I was facing Bachchan Sir for the first time in Kannada film 'Amrutha Dhaare'. It was like a dream come true. And yet also very real. Because he was playing himself in the film."

True or false, no one can tell. But real life does have a bearing on the reel when it wants.

More than a decade ago Subhash Ghai's "Khalnaayak", showing Sanjay Dutt with a flowing beard and blood-shot eyes in chains in the role of a terrorist, coincided with the actor's real-life incarceration.

No one is suggesting that Dutt went to jail to facilitate the success of "Khalnaayak". But the headlined happening did have a bearing on the way audiences perceived the film.

Ever since Raj Kapoor appeared for a passing shot in his production "Boot Polish" as a 'Raj Kapoor look alike', real-life references have made a difference to the way audiences connect the movie experience with those behind the scenes.

In A. Bhim Singh's "Gopi"(1970) when real-life husband-wife Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu came together for the first time, lyricist Rajinder Krishan designed a whole song "Ek padosan peeche pad gayi junglee jisska naam", stringing together the titles of all the Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu starrers.

Years ago in Mohan Kumar's "Aman", the legendary philosopher Sir Bertrand Russell had appeared as himself. Unfortunately no one recognized him! In Gulzar's "Koshish", Dilip Kumar appeared as himself in a fleeting cameo.

The off-camera references never fail to generate an extra interest in the audience.

"They do get their share of thrills, I guess, when they see stars making real-life references during the course of a narrative. But to me these are just cameos where I've to play a character called Amitabh Bachchan," concedes Amitabh Bachchan who plays himself in "Ramji Londonwale" and "Amrutha Share".

In Hrishikhesh Mukherjee's "Guddi" reality and fantasy played a strange game of hide and seek. While Dharmendra starred as 'Dharmendra The Star', Jaya Bhaduri played his fan named Guddi.

"Since I was such a Dharmendra fan in real life it felt really strange to play one on screen. I hid behind the sofa on the first day of shooting when he arrived," Jaya recalls fondly.

Nowadays the actors thrown into a situation bringing the real into reel react with much more aplomb. Today's star isn't intimidated by mythic presence before the camera.

"When I shot with Bachchan Sir I didn't want to waste time being intimidated. I wanted to learn," says Sammir Dattani.