Saw Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year after quite a while and I stood just as impressed. The movie is just as inspiring and could not have come at a better time. In a world run over by an extreme competitive streak, the movie stands out for preaching something just as opposite. I had been impressed the first time I had seen it and had written about it here. And today when I was able to view it again, it definitely stood out just as hard hitting and impressive.
Extreme competition in every field has taken such a huge toll on our everyday lives but we still find it necessary. Incidentally I read about coaching classes vocally publishing their supremacy by declaring their respective list of top ranks for the IIT JEE exam. When the exam was started, I am sure it was meant for people who were really interested in science. And today, it is just a pattern. The classes blatantly blare out how effective their successful "pattern" is in predicting the exam papers. My uncle is an IIT post graduate and I wonder if he would ever have made it in today's competitive world. He never went to a coaching class. I am sure he would be completely lost in this world of "patterns".
I recently met one of my father's friends who was boasting about his son and his desire to study overseas. When I asked him where his son planned to do his Masters, he proudly told me he wanted nothing but the best for his son. Money is not an issue, was the answer. Yes, definitely sir. Money is not an issue and you are rich. But is your son really interested? I asked him what his son wanted to do in the future and got just a frown and a shrug for a reply. Now will his son be able to survive in a world without the support of coaching classes, in a sea of some of the best brains in the world, remains to be seen.
Another popular dance program has tots hardly over two feet tall dancing over "Chikni Chameli", the popular item number from "Agneepath". And the mother is called on stage and proudly tells the judges that it was something she had aspired to do but could never do it due to the family culture. Now she wants her daughter to realize her dream. And I wonder, what about the daughter's dream? Does she want to gyrate her tender body to the treacherous twists of the song? Well, her mother definitely wants her to.
Which brings me back to Rocket Singh and his very valuable lessons. Winning is not everything, playing fair is. Not everyone can win every time and everywhere. Everyone is special in their own fields and everyone has a special time. Instead of chasing this wild rush to win it is better to chase a dream. At least that would be a life well lived.
Extreme competition in every field has taken such a huge toll on our everyday lives but we still find it necessary. Incidentally I read about coaching classes vocally publishing their supremacy by declaring their respective list of top ranks for the IIT JEE exam. When the exam was started, I am sure it was meant for people who were really interested in science. And today, it is just a pattern. The classes blatantly blare out how effective their successful "pattern" is in predicting the exam papers. My uncle is an IIT post graduate and I wonder if he would ever have made it in today's competitive world. He never went to a coaching class. I am sure he would be completely lost in this world of "patterns".
I recently met one of my father's friends who was boasting about his son and his desire to study overseas. When I asked him where his son planned to do his Masters, he proudly told me he wanted nothing but the best for his son. Money is not an issue, was the answer. Yes, definitely sir. Money is not an issue and you are rich. But is your son really interested? I asked him what his son wanted to do in the future and got just a frown and a shrug for a reply. Now will his son be able to survive in a world without the support of coaching classes, in a sea of some of the best brains in the world, remains to be seen.
Another popular dance program has tots hardly over two feet tall dancing over "Chikni Chameli", the popular item number from "Agneepath". And the mother is called on stage and proudly tells the judges that it was something she had aspired to do but could never do it due to the family culture. Now she wants her daughter to realize her dream. And I wonder, what about the daughter's dream? Does she want to gyrate her tender body to the treacherous twists of the song? Well, her mother definitely wants her to.
Which brings me back to Rocket Singh and his very valuable lessons. Winning is not everything, playing fair is. Not everyone can win every time and everywhere. Everyone is special in their own fields and everyone has a special time. Instead of chasing this wild rush to win it is better to chase a dream. At least that would be a life well lived.
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