Celebrated Malayalam writer, the 90-something M T Vasudevan Nair, riled up the establishment with his scathing opinion of the “ritualistic hero worship” of political leaders in India these days. Speaking at the Kerala Literature Festival in Kozhikode recently, Nair, without naming anyone, criticised the transformation in governance. “Today, totalitarianism is described as power,” he lamented, unfazed by the buzz floating around that he was referring to the Modi government or the Pinarayi Vijayan government. “If my words have influenced anyone for self-criticism, I think that’s a good impact,” he countered.
It’s dreamily intoxicating, the idea that from nowhere, a cult-like figure will swoop down, save the day and rescue us from ourselves. Since the majority are beset with grave uncertainties, gurujis, godmen and the powerful have always enjoyed extraordinary clout in India; the vulnerable desperately need something, or someone to believe in. In the social media era, it’s never been easier to mesmerise the junta with clever image building. Like, for example, the failed plan to display a leader’s photograph on banners in ration shops in West Bengal recently, was an excellent way of creating an aura of mythical Godliness. Subconsciously, the recipients of subsidies feel beholden to a specific individual, enhancing a false narrative.
The concept of heroism has deep roots in popular culture as well. The entire romance novel and action movie genre thrives on the notion of a great saviour, a gallant knight whose deeds of valor will turn despair into joy, and everything will be alright, at last. However, when these yarns escape the fictional space to be applied to mere mortals because of characteristics like charisma, an intimidating voice and a purposeful stride — we are likely to end up deeply disappointed.
What exactly constitutes a hero? Batman and Superman feel sadly outdated because a jaded public doesn’t buy into simplistic tales of good guys versus the bad guys anymore. People who perform incredible feats of athleticism are inspiring, as are entertainers and sports legends but their unique abilities place them in a stratosphere we philosophically accept as inaccessible to all. Somewhere, during the surreal Covid years, the idea gained traction that the possibility of greatness lay not among these chosen idols but among the millions of unsung nobodies performing their duties in dire circumstances. Perhaps, all this time the wrong people have been put on a pedestal; and actually, we’ll find terrific heroes when we learn to distinguish between truth, and appearances.
It is worth noting that all the famous ancient epics have sombre reminders peppered throughout, that there are no real heroes, just deeply flawed human beings who sometimes manage to overcome their frailties. In the Mahabharata, Yudhisthir’s character of piety and truthfulness is acknowledged yet he lost his wife and kingdom in a game of dice. In the Odyssey, Odysseus is described as wily, not entirely averse to cheating and stealing to get ahead. These revered figures’ traits and unscrupulous exploits serve as a metaphor, that the path to glory is long and winding and the virtuous qualities these heroes embodied came post many stumbling blocks. We relate to these timeless stories even though our lives have different challenges because dharma remain the same.
God bless the people we admire and look up to, only for possessing attributes we think we lack. Given enough time though, and heroes turn out to be people no better or worse than anybody else; who then have to live with the added discomfort of a fall from grace. And it’s always worth remembering that elected officials have an agenda when they cast themselves as heroic figures or do-gooders—basically, a mania for power.
The writer is director, Hutkay Films
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We’ll find terrific heroes when we learn to distinguish between truth, and appearances
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28.01.2024
Celebrated Malayalam writer, the 90-something M T Vasudevan Nair, riled up the establishment with his scathing opinion of the “ritualistic hero worship” of political leaders in India these days. Speaking at the Kerala Literature Festival in Kozhikode recently, Nair, without naming anyone, criticised the transformation in governance. “Today, totalitarianism is described as power,” he lamented, unfazed by the buzz floating around that he was referring to the Modi government or the Pinarayi Vijayan government. “If my words have influenced anyone for self-criticism, I think that’s a good impact,” he countered.
It’s dreamily intoxicating, the idea that from nowhere, a cult-like figure will swoop down, save the day and rescue us from ourselves. Since the majority are beset with grave uncertainties, gurujis, godmen and the powerful have always enjoyed extraordinary clout in India; the vulnerable desperately need something, or someone to believe in. In the social media era, it’s never been easier to mesmerise the junta with clever image building. Like, for example, the failed plan to display a leader’s photograph on banners in ration........
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