PERHAPS, THE WORLD JUDGED THEM, TOO SOON

Most of us know that Amitabh Bachchan was rejected when he had tried to join All-India Radio. The reason given was: He did not possess the ‘right’ voice! We, also, know that till his movie Zanjeer happened, this actor – who has stayed there on top as a Super Star as no other actor in Bollywood history has – was not taken seriously by anyone… They declared him as a ‘misfit’ in every respect… Super-stardom was the remotest of all his dreams!

Yes, like the legend of Amitabh Bachchan, his stories of rejection and rising from their ashes, have already become India’s folklore.

There are many like him in the film Industry - actors, singers, directors, lyricists, music composers, dance directors, costume designers, cinematographers, sound designers… you name them, they are there. Yes, the ones who were branded and discarded as ‘misfits’!

Anil Kapoor could not even clear the entrance exam for the Film Institute at Pune. He not only made it as a fine actor in Bollywood as well as Hollywood, his movie made it – and bagged - Oscars too!

Oprah Winfrey is the undisputed Queen of TV show-business. Like our Amitabh Bachchan, she has endured there as ‘the Queen of Hosts’ as no one else has… at least, not as successfully and respectfully as Oprah has. And, this Queen, too, when started out in the same American TV industry, was ridiculed as ‘unfit’ for TV reporting!

Elvis Presley is, even today, hailed as ‘the King of Rock and Roll’. But, not many know that Jimmy Denny,  Manger of the Grand Ole Opry, had fired Elvis after just one performance with his taunt, “You ain't goin' nowhere, son. You ought to go back to drivin' a truck!"

Steven Spielberg is ‘revered’, today, as a ‘great director’ in Hollywood. Fame, money and respect are at his doorstep in ample measure. But, we do not know this: He was rejected from the University of Southern California School of Theater, Film and Television three times… He eventually attended school at another location, only to drop out to become a director before finishing! Thirty-five years after starting his degree, Spielberg returned to school in 2002 to finally complete his work and earn his BA!

Charles Darwin gave up on having a medical career and was, often, chastised by his father for being lazy and too dreamy. Darwin himself had written, "I was considered by all my masters and my father, a very ordinary boy, rather below the common standard of intellect."

Edison’s teacher thought he was ‘unfit’ for studies, leave alone to be a ‘great scientist’!

Lincoln was a flop… and, repeatedly, so!

Churchill had his own days of ridicule!

And, you don’t have to go too far 

 to find such ‘flops’ who rose to become ‘greats’,

 later in their lives…

One thing was common with all of them: They refused to accept the ‘certificate’ of the world, the authority…

They wrote their own ‘Certificates of Merit’…

The world, and the authority, had judged them, too soon…

Perhaps, the world and the authority have done – or, are still doing - the same to some us too, now…

So, let’s decide whether to accept their certificate… or, to write on our own!

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: Anisha Jiandani