Miracle Men: Success stories of popular personalities

Congratulations Mr Narendra Modi. You are now Prime Minister of the country… the caretaker, the planner and shepherd to a billion.

But for this piece, we are going to explore how Narendra Modi went from selling tea to taking on 7, Race Course Road and its dynasty might, and winning — against impossible odds. How did he go from an average college student who had absolutely nothing to claim to winning with one of India’s biggest election margins?

And Modi is not the only one who has escaped Jupiter’s gravity. A little over 10 years ago, M.S. Dhoni was a train ticket inspector, along the Kaharagpur route in West Bengal. The day’s job was limited to making sure the passengers were settled down and that there were no smokers hiding away in the toilets. It’s hard to imagine that the man went from being a TTE to a World Cup-winning skipper, and who is today probably one of the richest men in Indian sports.

Speaking of public transport, there’s Rajinikanth, the former bus conductor, sometime coolie and carpenter who indulged in his passion to act by taking part in mythological plays. His days of selling tickets came to an end after a co-worker not just encouraged him to enroll in film school, but also funded his classes. One of India’s biggest “superstars” started his movie career as an abusive husband and now, his movies’ launches are almost a pilgrimage for some.

Truth is, they came from nothing. It’s forgivable if you imagine Narendra Modi and Rajinikanth discussing the quality of tea at bus stations. If the United States has been peddling the American dream, is the Indian miracle really far behind? Another example of dreams coming true is late Dhirubhai Ambani. The man who built Reliance — India’s largest private sector company — started off selling bhajias during weekends as a teenager. His next job at 16, after deciding to skip college, was working as a gas station attendant in Yemen. After saving up Rs 50,000 he returned home in 1958 to set up a textile trading company. The rest, as they say, is history.

What these inspirational success stories have in common is that they are all outsiders, who came in from nowhere and dominated their fields of interest. These men show us that you don’t have to really be worried about not having great educational qualifications. In fact not going to college is no hindrance either. You just need to be smart to succeed in life. Formal education and degrees help only up to an extent. Just like how Oxford, Harvard, IIT or IIM degrees are over-rated, so is being born with a silver spoon. Look at poor Rahul Gandhi. Don’t let snoots intimidate you because being an outsider actually is a good thing. “The days of privilege and pedigree are over. The world today recognises those who make it on their own terms,” says author and columnist Shobhaa De.

In fact, in fields like sports, business and politics, it’s always the outsiders who are the trailblazers. “It’s only when outsiders come in that miracles happen,” says sociologist Shiv Vishwanathan. Why? Unlike kids to the manor born, who have reputations and expectations to live up to, outsiders can take all the risks as they are not endangering any legacy and hence have the advantage of losing nothing. If they win they hit jackpot, if not they remain where they were. There is no huge loss of face, legacy etc. “Another four letter word that effectively sums up the spectacular success stories of super achievers, not just in India but across the world, is GUTS,” reveals De, adding that risks and guts go together.

Distinction in school may not be necessary, but be prepared for some serious hard work in the field of your choice as De points out there are no shortcuts for success. “The only yardstick is merit. Merit and performance. Talent, tenacity and the determination to make it — often against all odds.” Actor Alia Bhatt appears clueless about current affairs as the lady thought Prithviraj Chavan was our current President, but when it comes to her field —movies — she is on top of her game. Whether it was playing a spoilt brat in SOTY, an abused child in Highway or a Madrasi trying to fight the North-South divide in 2 States, she shines in every role.'

While it is a good thing to be aware of what’s going on in your country, as long as you are clued in on what’s happening in your field, you are fine.
Another magic ingredient to success is recognising opportunities. When Narendra Modi became CM of Gujarat for the first time in 2001, he had no political achievements. “He was a member of the RSS and they rewarded him for his loyalty. But after that what he has done is remarkable. This shows you don’t have to be from a privileged background at all to go places,” says well-known writer and columnist Aakar Patel. Aakar believes factors like destiny and luck can be taken out of the equation.

To all the naysayers, who feel Modi, Dhoni, Ambani... are just one in a million,  film director-producer Ram Gopal Varma argues, “It has been proven again and again, innumerable times, that one cannot put a good man/woman down in a free society as long as he/ she has what it takes... This is the truth to which America woke up many decades ago, but in the great Indian tradition, since we wake up late, I am glad that we woke up at least now.”