Indians have always been passionate about cricket and films.
Any cricketer or actor of iconic status has to go through the following unjustified
upheavals in their career.
Phase 1: Swimming against the tide
During the initial days when the legend is just a common
person trying their best to make a mark society would try its best to put in all
sorts of obstacles in their path. Every day society breaks their heart trying to
prove to how incompetent they are and how impossible their dream is.
This is the phase when the person is most vulnerable and
needs maximum support...this is the phase when they receive maximum criticism.
Phase 2: Race winning phase
The legend has started to win. Society begins to acknowledge
the achievements. Suddenly every one takes a vocal U-turn and showers praises
on the new star.
Now that the person has risen to stardom society wants
behave like a soothsayer who always knew that this person is special.
Phase 3: Swan song phase
The legend is getting rusty...slowly but surely. Now is the
time when society would show fanaticism for the legend. Now is the time when
they would worship the veteran and beg them not to leave the arena. Now is the
time when they would use his example to crush the confidence of the youngsters
who are struggling in phase 1.
It’s futile because the legend has already earned his status
and is above the immature pettiness shown by society.
In Bollywood when the Khan trio made their entry despite
several hits society branded them “lollypop heroes” and was hung up on a
visibly aging and tired Bachchan. Now that the Khans are aging they have risen
above criticism, any movie they act in can garner an unrealistic amount of
expectation and is guaranteed to be a big hit long before its release.
Similar criticize-accept-idolize cycle has been applied to
cricketers like Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar.
This pattern is observed not only in larger-than-life
scenarios...there is very basic emotion that triggers such reaction. Love.
In love too people often show tendencies of going through
the denial-acceptance-clinging cycle.
Why do we Indians suffer from this masochistic tendency of
valuing something only after it’s gone??? Why not appreciate a flower in its
full bloom instead of shedding tears before its picture once it has withered
away?
May be it’s true...that tragedy appeals more to us than
comedy...
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