When a celebrity makes you coffee, serves it to you in a brass tumbler and converses with you like an old friend, it is a magnified, surreal moment, almost so ordinary that it feels unreal. When this celebrity is a highly respected musician, someone whose music weaves its way into the daily routine of many homes and one who has been awarded the Bharat Ratna and Padma Bhushan, it becomes even more unbelievable.
Decades ago, as a teenager, having the golden opportunity to meet M. S. Subbulakshmi was a memorable experience. While we were nervous and terribly awkward, wondering how to present ourselves, she made us feel at home almost instantly. Hands folded, she greeted us with a namaste and proceeded to the kitchen, returning with the finest coffee and a smile that radiated warmth, affection and humility. She showed genuine interest in our lives, asking us questions about our education, likes and dislikes, and even spontaneously sang a few lines of our favourite bhajan.
In an age where we see ourselves and our students increasingly following the celebrity worship culture (often couched in an ambiguous set of values), my afternoon with MS as a 15-year-old brings back another dimension to the celebrity-dom we celebrate.
True stardom The value of paying attention and being in the moment is something we often talk about. To experience it, though, is a lifetime lesson. What I recall from that afternoon is the way MS paid attention to the smallest action, whether it was serving us the refreshment or conversing with us. There was nothing artificial about it. That sense of complete openness and the ability to listen is perhaps an inherent quality that had been nurtured by her after years of practice and devotion to her art form.
A true celebrity is one who is able to bring a certain spirit into daily life, inspiring and radiating joy to those around. Whether as teachers or students, we can bring that quality into our own lives. When we pay attention to what we are doing, to the smallest task, we begin to notice a certain flow (or lack of resistance). Whether we agree or disagree, or like or dislike, we are connected to what is happening in front of us. As students, all of us have favourite teachers, and if we examine them closely, they exude a certain spirit and allow us to see the best in ourselves. That afternoon, those of us who were privileged to be in the room with MS, left her house feeling like stars! Just by radiating a certain spirit of positivity, she had made us feel like a celebrity.
In a recent interview, Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan lamented the celebrity culture and the adoption of celebrities as role models. He felt that as actors or sportspersons, they were just doing their jobs and there were many others, quietly working, risking their lives for a higher ideal, who should be looked upon as role models. As young people (throughout history), it is easy to succumb to the images being presented by celebrities. The barrage of information of their personal lives and the constant updating of their lifestyle choices on social media, quickly become the milieu within which our values and sense of reality emerge. We have seen this in classrooms and in school functions where parents and teachers seem to openly endorse students sensuously gyrating to raucous film music (Ironically, the same institutions would have strict rules about walking in a straight line and so on). We become so anaesthetised that it almost seems normal, and we don’t even question the choices we make or the values we are promoting
True celebrity One of the trademarks of a true celebrity is when their own personalities get overshadowed by the work they do. There is no need to strive for creating an image or be artificial, as what takes precedence is the actual work. When an illustrious composer was asked to speak about his work, he declined saying that he cannot speak about it and the only place he felt really at home was his recording studio. He even suggested that we could bring the audience to his studio to watch the process.
In that sense, the awards or rewards become a byproduct of their work and not the reason for which they chose the profession. Many students are unfortunately trapped in a vicious cycle of engaging with a particular subject or participating in a competition to win a prize or scoring high marks. There is a complete lack of joy in the work itself. If we can slowly engage in a task, such as a school or office project, just to experience the actual joy of being involved in it without thinking of promotions and rewards, we might be able to experience a certain peace within ourselves. When a celebrated actor was asked what he would do the morning after he won the Oscar, he replied, “Why, go back to work, of course!”
If we redefine a celebrity, it is someone who shows up even if he knows he is going to fail. This is one of the most difficult challenges life throws at us. Our fear of failure often prevents us from even beginning an action. As a student, there have been many times that one has given up due to such negative thinking. In hindsight (which often comes decades later), the failure was due to the fact that one did not even take the chance.
A student, who is a wonderful musician, shared how there were days when she did not feel like showing up for practice. But when she moved beyond that feeling of inertia and showed up for practice, often something wonderful and creative transpired. If, as a student, one can slowly train oneself to go beyond the mind’s dictum of like/not like, one can develop great discipline that will be helpful in all areas of life.
Celebrities add colour to the world we live in. Enjoy the razzle-dazzle, but don’t allow yourself to get caught in the bubble of illusions they project.
The exciting dimension about life is that if we observe it closely, we can redefine or change the way we see things, and simply see reality as it manifests. We are the actors in our own lives and nobody else can play the role better than us. Why seek a celebrity outside when there is a shining star within us?
Enjoy your own journey!
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