A Starstruck Nation!

Are we a star struck nation, too much in love with our favorite sportsmen, cinema personalities or for that matter artisans from any field? So much so that we go on to debate and defend our favorites stars to such extremes that it makes it feel that they are not mere stars but are our family members instead. Looking at the impractically emotional reactions that we usually exhibit which is usually supplemented by heavy statistical details, the answer to this question seems to be strong ‘YES’. Now it can be argued that it is the media that feeds us with those rather imbalanced, spiced up stories and thereby adulterates our though process. But some of the instances are so true and surreal that we can easily identify ourselves in such situations.

So when a certain Ricky Ponting scores a valiant century and his fans rejoice his ton by various means, why do all the Sachin Tendulkar fans pounce on the former group with a plethora of stats and adopt a strikingly venomous approach towards the Ponting fan base? As if, former’s ton is a direct attack on latter’s credentials. It’s beyond understanding that why do we have to bring Tendulkar into equation when Ponting has played well, even if we are die hard Tendulkar fans can’t we appreciate somebody else’s excellence on the cricketing field. This knack of corona ting a star by bashing his competitor is sheer insanity. Wish we could cherish Tendulkar’s class and Ponting’s ruthlessness in the same strideJ!

Similarly if a Shahrukh Khan flick does well at the box office, the Salman fans or for that matter Aamir fans (vica versa as well) take it as a direct attack on their heartthrob. And in retaliation ( at times even without watching the movie), they start bashing the movie in worst of the worst manners, in addition to further discounting the former’s success by emphasizing on the box office records that latter’s movie created recently. And it’s not just about Salman, SRK or Aamir most of use carry such a petulant attitude towards any of those so called rival stars. Now neither we receive a cut from those hundreds of crores that these otherwise senseless movies rake nor are we the appointed spokesperson of these stars, so exhibition of such temperamental loyalties is a bit weird. And even if we can’t appreciate the success or work of all these artists, can’t we simply abstain from such unnecessary criticisms and comparisons?

And the same dynamics are applicable to the great Federer Nadal chemistry as well. Every Federer Nadal contest is a connoisseurs’ delight and worth savoring to the fullest but for some it’s a matter of life and death. So every time Fed gets the better of Nadal, Fed fans get into the chest thumping mode and start reminding the rival Nadal contingent that Fed has ‘X’ grand slams in his kitty which Nadal can’t even dream of scaling. Nadal fans being no saints either, vehemently retaliate with their age theory which professes that Nadal has age by his side and by the time he hangs up his boots he will have double of what Fed has in his kitty. The debate continues with Fed fans mocking this argument saying that Rafa won’t survive for that long as his typical power game will burn him down pretty soon. But in true sense such senseless debates dilutes the pleasure derived from these classic ties and once again raises the same question that can’t we just relish the game rather than entering into this ugly slugfest( supporting our respective favorites)? Can’t we enjoy Fed’s class and Rafa’s belligerence at the same time?

Sadly a majority of us prioritize artists/sportsmen over their respective trades and this is where we get it all wrong. Surely howsoever big a cricketer Sachin Tendulkar may be, he can't be bigger than the game, similarly SRK or Salman can't be bigger than their trade and Federer can't super-cede the game he rules(d). So unless we stop idolizing these excellent personalities as immortals and Gods we can't enjoy their art in true sense. We will always keep on watching them perform with a fear that 'what if he fails?' and spoil the party for ourselves. So its time we evolve over our star struck egos and enjoy the trade irrespective of the artist who is at the center stage. After all it's certainly not about life and death!

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