Steven Thomas, usher or theatre boy at the popular Westend theatre in Camp, has been guiding theatre buffs lost in the dark for the past eight years. His first job, Thomas admits that the chance of watching films initially attracted him to this profession. ``Mujhko picher dekhna achha lagta hai.'' So when he found that as a theatre boy he would be able to see the latest flicks, and that too for free, he jumped at the chance.

``I took about two months to get used to the job. Looking for the seats in the dark was difficult at first,'' he remembers. Thomas, who works in weekly shifts of two shows per day, now knows the theatre like the back of his hand. ``When senior citizens come to the theatre, I usually escort them to their seats. Generally, there is no problem. And even the rowdy boisterous sorts start to behave themselves when they are scolded once or twice,'' he says.

With years of observation behind him, Thomas has a clear idea of the kind of crowd that comes to watch the films. ``The theatre is usually empty for the matinee and first show. The stall crowds are quick to show their appreciation when their favourite heroine comes onscreen - usually catcalls and loose change,'' he says, admitting sheepishly that he keeps the change when he sweeps the theatre. Keeping the theatre clean is another of his chores.

``Empty soft drink bottles and popcorn are what people usually leave behind, but I have also found gold earrings and wallets that I promptly turned in to the management,'' he says.

The glamour of films has obviously paled now. ``I have seen so many films now that I don't feel like watching new movies at all. I even avoid watching TV at home,'' he admits. The only exception he makes is in the case of his favourite hero, Shahrukh Khan, especially when he featured in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, and he also gets his wife along sometimes to watch films with him.

And if you do visit Westend, you will see Steven emerge from the shadows with his torch.