Why does three quarters of the population of Bombay live in the suburbs? Because of the Industry, of course. Since there is only one industry that counts in Bombay you'd have to be from out of town to ask which one? Actually make that two -- Film has a healthy, attention-grabbing sibling in television.

And its power can be measured by the fact that auto drivers now accept TV star directions, "Take a left at the building that Farooque Sheikh lives in... then a right at Akshay Anand's place..." But from struggling for direction to direction, is a long, long way. As far away as Andheri East in fact.

The bottom of the rung, `Sir-ek-chance-dijiye' struggler is to be found in PMGP colony, Andheri East. The tea stall here is a hot bed of intrigue, rumours and ambition. The cry goes out, "Casting is happening at Plus Channel!" -- and is drowned under the sound of galloping feet. Plus Channel actually had to call in the police to control the crowd of would-be actors whomobbed them while they were casting for their daily soap.

Here you will find the writer with the ultimate script, the Dev Anand lookalike, the seventh assistant, twice removed, who familiarly refers to Ram Gopal Varma as `Ramu' and the Great Indian Novel. Each believes that one day his dreams will sell in black outside the halls that he haunts.

A couple of script sales, an on-air serial and you're ready to move closer to stardom and to Film City. Gokuldham is flooded with people who have got their first speaking role, their first countdown script okayed, their first successful film narration. The mood here is upbeat, the strugglers upwardly mobile, the tea stall up market.

If you've managed to extend that lucky break into regular work then you can move onto Sai Baba complex. This cluster of buildings all feature names that begin with Sai -- which can completely psyche a first-time visitor. Here you'll find the professionals earning a healthy living out of the industry. The directors with two or threeserials on air. The small-time ad film makers. And all the technicians. I have a director friend who gives his unit a wake-up call by leaning out of the window. The cameraman lives opposite. The sound recordist is on the ground floor. And the graphics person is two doors away. A healthy yell can summon an entire technical crew for a feature film.

A hit film or two, a review in the papers noticing your `raw intensity' or containing coy remarks about your boyish charm, and you're ready to move onto Yari Road, Versova. And to cross the great East-West divide. An address on the West Side of town means that you're happening! It's also time to change your name to something more marketable or more in tune with the stars. You'll be rubbing shoulders here with half the TV industry and with Manisha Koirala.

Unfortunately, the smell is not that of sweet success but of the fishing village that sprawls across one end of Versova.

Ah, but if the stars foretell right and your lucky streak becomes a yard wide and you'reactually a hit -- start househunting at Lokhandwala. Here you'll find the producers who are pets with various channels, the actors who do three shifts a day and filmwallahs who actually call Ram Gopal Varma `Ramu'.

You can bump into Juhi Chawla, Sridevi, Johnny Walker -- or Akshay Kumar who goes jogging at four in the morning. Your house agent will also try to up his commission with tales of how this particular flat was the lucky one that got Chandrachur Singh his break with ABCL.

The growth of Bombay and The Industry are intricately linked. Addresses and advance go hand in hand. The few surviving stars of the '50s are to be found scattered sparsely around Warden and Napean Sea Road. The stars of the '60s are to be found in that most wonderful of suburbs -- Bandra. Boskiana, Dilip Kumar, Sunil Dutt... Pali Hill is a mecca for thrill seekers. Much of the thrill is also provided by the star sons who roar up and down the hill on BMW's and other exotic cars.

Stars of the '70s moved with the city andthe times and you can find them in Juhu. Jeetendra, Shatrughan Sinha and Amitabh's famous bungalow where he no longer lives. Darshan is at seven sharp -- a nod and a namaste from Major Sahib for all the out-of-towners for whom this is the only address.

The '80s and '90s film wonders are to be found between Versova and Lokhandwala. If you wanted to know -- Shilpa Shetty lives in Chembur. And no Shah Rukh hasn't bought the bungalow at Bandstand.

From PMGP and PG's to Pali Hill -- it's a long trek to stardom. Just hope that Lady Luck has your address!

Venita Coelho is a script-writer