Long back, I don't know how many years back but perhaps I was in school, I had heard this line from someone which stayed with me. In India god has been kindest to only three individual: Amitabh Bachhan, Lata Mangeshkar & Sachin Tendulkar. At that point of time I could not understand the true meaning of the line, it dawned upon me slowly as I spent my years in vain and vanity. Or in other words as I grew older.
There are two types of people. One with talent and one who have achieved milestones. Not that talent is not required for achievements and milestones but it is also true that talent alone can not make you big. There are things which all self help books prescribe called, hard work, attitude, perseverance etc etc and the most important of all, being at the right spot at the opportune time. Which many call and understand as luck!
Individuals quoted above are definitely people with immense capabilities, talents. They also have put in immense hard work and persevered testing times also. But to say that they are the greatest talents India could possess would be gross underestimation of others. They are due to what they achieved. They achieved due to what they were offered and they grabbed it by its neck and certainly made the most of it.
I am not writing this to undermine any of these greats of India. I am just wondering that only if this world was not so unfair with other talented people and had given everyone equal opportunities then would this mega star tag have been relevant? Had the share of "luck", "support" and "best wishes" would have divided between less fortunate then how would our world have been?
If you see all these three have a lot of common elements.
1. Loved and revered by all. Across India irrespective of cast, creed, religion and region
2. Have gone through lean patches and came back stronger. Every time.
3. All of them created a space which wasn't there. They played and mastered a virgin territory except for Tendulkar somehow because in a sense he was filling in for another wonderboy of cricket - Kapil Dev
4. Stayed away from controversies. However Mr. B had to face some due to his known affair with Rekha. But largely clean and clear image.
5. Excellent ambassadors of their respective trades.
And last but not the least
6. Degree one PR, Image building, Marketing strategies used to make themselves the brand they are. Please note this is nothing to take their achievements away but if you monitor closely you certainly can see that. Holier than thou image is certainly carefully and masterly created and maintained.
India needs its heroes. We need them that's why we have created them. They did not ask for it. At least not in your face asking. Just spare a thought for people who in spite of having everything somehow could not make it. They too had talents. They too deserve a mention in our short lived memory and outdated history books.
