Day 28 - 10 Ka Dum

Sometimes I feel it is in the name of competition some ambitious parents tend to push their wards rather harshly and hastily into something way beyond their age and scope. They want to earn fame and money through their kids. Most parents are chasing the Mozart dream. In our times this obsession with success and instant fame is distorting all our values.

In my earlier posts I had written about my experience of playing guest contestant in a show that made me realize that sometimes our inability to answer even simple questions, in the presence of millions of television viewers could become very humiliating. All such shows have that inherent humiliation. I spoke to you about how most students don’t ask questions for fear of being ridiculed by the teacher or getting laughed at by fellow students. We have created an atmosphere in which ignorance has become bliss. When I think of 10 ka Dum and what attracted me first about the format of the show is that noone would end up feeling humiliated even if their answer was wrong. It was masti and fun in a question and answer format not any false intelligence to show off or to be ashamed about, in this show. It’s just a game and it is played and enjoyed with only in that spirit.

Parents select names of their children so carefully for they become their identities for the rest of their lives. Parents and friends might also give us pet names out of love and jest. But these days it seems people, particularly in show business, must add extra spice to people’s names…the names given to them by parents. Just another kind of identity crisis and childish one-upmanship…like in our film industry we have kings, queens and emperors... meaningless titles do not give stature…do they really?

I simply love to be called Salman - the name my father Salim Khan son of Abdul Rashid Khan has given me. I am proud to be a commoner and can confidently say I have no feudal desires…