OFFSPRING OF A GOD AND A MORTAL
“To
ride two horses at the same time is difficult.”
Rajnikanth
But,
it shouldn’t be difficult at all for Rajnikanth, right? “Hello, he can ride hundred
horses at the same time!” Yes, I hear it loud and clear…
I am not a great
fan of Rajnikanth’s acting. He always plays to his massive world of fans – who expect
him to play the larger-than-life - and over-the-top - roles. To them, he is the demigod and God,
both. It doesn’t appeal to my sensibilities.
But, like
millions of people in India and around the world, who adore Rajnikanth for several
other reasons, I, too, have a set of my own reasons…
Rajnikanth is the quintessential
underdog. He became Rajnikanth, the Superstar, the proverbial rags-to-riches
way. He was Shivaji Rao Gaekward from Bangalore (Language being Marathi and
Kannada)… He worked as a coolie and a bus conductor in Bangalore. But, he dreamt
big and worked hard to become a huge movie star in the South… The rest is Rajnikanth’s
inspiring saga of success.
So, like I find in
other self-made people in the world, I find in Rajnikanth, too, that invaluable
elixir in life: Hope!
If Shivaji Rao Gaekwad,
once a coolie and a bus conductor, can become Rajnikanth – the Thalaiva – I, too,
can… Something tells me inside my soul!
Rajnikanth is
not ashamed to reveal his true self. He is old and far from possessing the
looks of a movie star – leave alone a superstar. But, this man does possess tremendous
guts, which, I think, comes from his spiritual inner-strength. He knows the
limitations of his real life and separated it from his reel life. True, he unapologetically
cashes on his on-screen popularity. But, he, simultaneously, takes incredible
risk of showing his true off-screen self…
Which, as I
said, is not only brave, but also unusual.
I admire Rajnikanth
for this.
The rest –
whether or not it was sensible for him to enter party politics, whether or not that
would have made any difference, whether or not his idea of ‘Spiritual Politics’ was
just a fantasy etc., etc. – yes, I just don’t care much about…
What I do care
about is this: will Rajnikanth continue to inspire a simple mortal like me –
through the mix of his myth and realism – yes, I just care about that. It’s a
great relief to me – his fan – that he decided to ‘leave politics even before
he entered it’… That decision, too, must’ve taken a huge toll on him. Because,
it was he who had said:
“If you leave
without a fight, you will get the name of a coward.”
Did Rajnikanth
leave without a fight?
I don’t think
so, Sir. For, to win an inner battle – to be or not to be – has, always been
the greatest battle of all!
Good health and
a long, peaceful life to my hero Rajnikanth. Thalaiva!
GERALD D’CUNHA
Pic’s. Unknown source
Video: Shubham Sharma
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