Monojit Lahiri examines the stark contrast between stardom’s glamour and the selfless pursuit of empowerment, questioning who truly deserves recognition, rewards, and respect in a world obsessed with glitz.

In today’s India, the debate rages on: should cricketers like Virat Kohli and film icons like Shah Rukh Khan, with their opulent lifestyles, command more admiration than social reformers who tirelessly transform lives without fame or fortune? As consumerism, celebrity culture, and post-liberalization wealth reshape aspirations, the silent heroes driving real societal change remain neglected.

Just as I was beginning to relax and think that my iconoclastic friend had mellowed, arrived his midnight call. “Gurudev, I know, like Dracula, you are a night creature and this must be tea-time (since blood-sucking is no longer in fashion!). So I thought I’d indulge in some intellectual curiosity. Ek baat bataiye, do our movie and cricket superstars really deserve the luxurious lifestyle they live? The fame, fortune, mega-bucks, mass-craze, hero-worship et al compared to the much more deserving souls - real game-changers, who make a difference on the ground – forever ignored, overlooked, unsung, unheralded? Why this massive disparity and inequitable allocation of attention, resources and rewards? Whatever happened to our chest-thumping hoo-haa about our 5000-year civilization with the Rig Vedas pronouncing that the real aim of our life is keeping Dharma, Karma, Artha and Moksha in perfect balance? If you can locate an answer, pray, do tell!”

Luxury, Consumerism, And A New Culture
As always, the agent provocateur got me pondering over a subject I never really bothered to chew. My mind went back to several breathless invitations (through social media) to peep into the impossibly luxurious and opulent homes of our celebrities with roof-top swimming pools overlooking a spectacular view of the sea, all so unreal and in dramatic contrast to the simple and modest home and lifestyle of a fraternity who continues to do path-breaking work in the area of social empowerment through inspirational achievements to make a real difference to children of a lesser god!

Coming to think of it, what is so special about our movie stars and cricketing heroes that clean bowls the vision and value, passion and purpose, drive and dedication of a community that single-mindedly focuses on path-breaking work relating to the underbelly of the world’s largest democracy earning them nothing more than tokenism and lip service? His words came back to me. “Why are the tireless champions who refuse to divorce hope-from-reason given fifty-third from left space in the big picture? Why are these silent achievers deprived of a voice in the public space, totally hijacked by movie-stars, cardboard cutouts with the tinsel thunder who despite their heroics on screen, shrink to embarrassingly, puny size creatures off-screen?”

Heroes, Stars, And Public Fascination
A valued friend, a fearless chronicler of truth, whose trademark is to expose the face behind the mask, takes first strike with an interesting theory. She believes that today, words like progress and development are eminently interchangeable and have less to do with the human spirit than the different brands of deodorants! It’s because freedom is equated with choice. The market too has changed. It is now a de-territorialized environment that basically is in the business of buying and selling - the future! Powered by the twin forces of consumerism and globalization it intimidates and marginalizes the un-entitled players who refuse to turn customers and Houdini-style hypnotize the starry-eyed fraternity who have thrown their hats in the ring, ready, willing and wanting to be seduced into this optical illusion!

Not all agree. Devotees of our stars and cricket icons insist that human beings, especially in a suppressed, un-entitled, unjust and corrupt world, always look for heroes and role-models they can look up to. Once upon a time, we had towering figures across the entire spectrum - Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, Sports, Entertainment, Business and Industry, Social Reformers, even Politics - but today we seem to have dwarfs desperate to cast large shadows. In this depressing space, it is these dazzlers who bring colour, excitement, hope and joy with their inspirational achievements and aura on screen and in the park.

Young 30-year-old Bhavna Khanna however begs to differ and is shocked and disgusted at this glamorous and hi-decibel celebration of celebs that clearly don’t deserve the mega bonanza gifted to them. The young social scientist believes that in this scary world, which knows the price of everything but value of nothing, the real meaning of making a difference has been hollowed out and emptied of true worth. Consumerism in India, she believes, has created a prosperous, inward-looking middle-class, punch drunk on sudden wealth and the vulgar respect that accompanies it. Its conscience clearly is haemorrhaging and its rhetoric reflects its blinding love affair with all things connected with the good life.

In contrast, Khanna argues, away from the Mannats, Antilla and Jalsa, Lamborginis, Ferraris and Bugattis, are the armies of unsung heroes and heroines, the silent achievers who continue to passionately dedicate their time towards societal change.

Such stories of inspiration, of relentless dedication of touching to transforming lives are actually received by a cynical readership and viewership blitzed with tales of venality, greed and corruption. These are heroes far removed from the frivolous Page 3 crowd so beloved of one section of today’s dumbed-down-media catering to the lowest common denominator.

The history of the world (a brilliant editor once famously said) is littered with the ruins of ancient civilizations. India is probably the only civilization whose ancient knowledge and traditions have been kept alive for over 5000 years. This has been possible by the passionate silent minority who are basically striven, moulded but not mastered by circumstances, defying all odds, to reach out to the neglected fringe people, forever marginalized and disenfranchised, to show them the light.
Who deserves more recognition, respect and reward - Virat, SRK or these champions who work as agents of change? Or do we go back to the classic and convenient cliché, after all, we don’t live in a perfect world, yaar!
Over to you, gentle reader.