Never give up

It has been rightly said, “A successful person is one who takes the stones thrown at him by others and uses them as stepping stones to success.” Or as one motivational speaker put it, “A successful person is one who takes the lemons thrown at him and with them, makes lemonade for nourishment and sustenance.”

There have been scores of famous people who have ado-pted a “never say die” attitude and they have surged forward relentlessly to succeed often against great odds. Though many a successful stalwart goes through a bad patch, it is heartening to note that they do not lose hope or heart. Am-itabh Bachchan was a star in the 1970s and 1980s when his histrionic prowess helped him to churn out hit after hit. However, his much touted ABCL (Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Ltd.) Company plummeted at the zenith of his career. Though his closest associates turned a blind eye to him, he did not give up nor lose his evergreen optimism. He struck the right chord when he decided to anchor the Star TV’s quiz show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati?’ which garnered high TRP ratings due to his booming theatrical voice and wry sense of humour. Slowly, he was able to re-establish himself as a seasoned, versatile actor par excellence, and climb back to superstardom.

Another actor scripting a rags-to-riches story was none other than Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who started his career as a humble chemist in a petrochemical company. He was hell’bent on an acting career. But was hesitant and initially rejected for he lacked the chocolate boy good looks which heroes are expected to be endowed with. Nevertheless, he set his eyes on Mumbai where he had to struggle for many years. However, he did not give up and finally got discovered as a reporter in Peepli Live, and the rest, as they say, is history. Indeed, Nawazuddin could give authentic portrayals, like those in ‘Manjhi, the Mountain Man’ and ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ where he gets under the skin of the character he is portraying.

The underlying message of these two actors who never gave up is universal, “In life, there are bound to be human beings who will let you down drastically. But one should never give up on the beauty of God-given life.”