A friend in need

Is a friend indeed, say celebs this friendship day, as they share with us incidents in their lives that stand testimony to the adage and prove the worth of friendship

A few days after winning the dance show I was a part of, I was totally directionless. People were sweet talking me into making decisions. There’s a friend of mine who is also a dancer and we were competitors back then. She is very, very blunt with her approach and doesn’t mince words. We had our tiffs and were not on the best of terms. However, she gave me the best advice anyone could ever give me. She told me to keep learning and keep dancing, and to stay away from being a mainstream choreographer. She told me I wasn’t perfect yet. Today, she is one of my closest friends. Always respect friends who are blunt in their approach — they usually wish the best for you.

Shakti Mohan, Dancer

My best friend of 16 years, Anuradha has proven time and again why friends are truly a saving grace. I remember this one time when I was so broke that I didn’t have food to eat. But I just couldn’t bring myself to ask anyone for help. I have been on my own since I was 17 years old, so asking my parents for help was not even an option — my pride wouldn’t have let me. Without me saying a word, Anuradha landed on my doorstep one day with enough food for the next week. I can never forget that incident. Kenisha Awasthi, Singer-Songwriter

I was born in Kerala and I had a few select friends growing up. I shifted to Delhi and my parents are also based there now. There is this one friend of mine in Kerala, with whom I grew up. He didn’t have the means to afford a good education. I had started earning early in life, doing shows here and there, making money. I helped him get through college because he deserved it. He paid me back in the sweetest way possible. I was on tour on international shores. During that very period my mom who I am very close to, took ill. This friend of mine travelled all the way from Kerala to Delhi and made sure that my mom was taken care of. He stepped in like a second son in my absence. I just can’t thank him enough for this gesture and I am obliged to him for life. I can’t think of any other incident that describes the above adage more perfectly. Raftaar, Singer and Rapper

My journey has been such that the adage ‘a friend in need is a friend indeed’ applies to more than just one person or a few people in my life. I really can’t recall any singular incident with any particular friend that fits it better than all the others. From the very beginning of my career, there have been many ups and downs and I have been fortunate enough to have been supported by every friend who is close to me, throughout. There are so many people who have just been there for me through all the highs and all the lows, and I know that I too will be there for them unconditionally. Shantanu Maheshwari, Actor and Dancer

I have a few very close friends who are like extended family, both in Delhi and Mumbai, but my best friend is Gaurav Balani who has been like family to me for 10 years and with whom I started the band I’m in. There are far too many instances that proved to me how he’s truly a friend in need, but the most important one is how he helped during my mother’s cancer treatment and also how I had to ask him to fly to Mumbai to help me shift house last year. Only people who selflessly do so much for you and more can be called ‘real’ friends. Aditi Singh Sharma, Singer

You know how people have that ‘3 am friend’ that they can just pick up their phone and call whenever they’re in need of a listening ear One such friend of mine went a step further recently, when I was going through a patch of anxiety with some personal issues. After I had called him and had a chat about everything that was bothering me, explaining why I was as down and out as I was, I woke up the next morning to a text he had sent me which read very simply, “Hey, hope you’re feeling better. Call once you’re up.” At that point, just knowing that I have someone out there who is genuinely concerned for me, and who actually cares what’s happening with me emotionally in life, just made me realise that the ones that follow up on your issues, are the ones that care. They are the ones who are friends indeed. Karan Tacker, Actor

I remember, when I had first come to Mumbai many years ago, I had nowhere to stay. So, this friend of mine had let me stay with her for as long as I needed to, without ever asking me when I would find a place of my own. She was a tremendous support system for me at that time and even after I moved out, we remained as thick as we were when we were staying together. The fact that we are still friends like that stands testimony to the value we hold in each other’s lives. Our friendship of 11 years has survived everything that life in a super hectic city like Mumbai encompasses. So yes, for me, the saying ‘a friend in need is a friend indeed’ definitely applies to this friend of mine! Debina Bonnerjee, Actress

I’m always in trouble of one kind or another, and I have a friend named Priyanka who is always there to help me out, without conditions or even the slightest hesitation no matter what she might be doing at the time I reach out to her. Whenever I call her, I never see the time because I know that she will be there to answer no matter how late in the night or how early in the morning it is. Recently, my Instagram account was hacked and she was the first person I thought of to call. She was at an event at the time, but she took the time to help me out as much as she could. She’s literally my saviour whenever I’m in trouble. Vrushika Mehta, Actress

I don’t understand how and why, but I am always late. It’s so embarrassing to never ever reach on time. But my friend and work partner Sachin always bails me out of situations like these. He always reaches on time and salvages the situation almost every time. I am very blessed to have him in my life and no one can replace him. I’m so happy that we both met and are partners for life. Jigar Saraiya, Music Composer