A life larger-than-life

Just finished reading interview of Shammi Kapoor, his last before his death! It was given to Forbes India, a magazine which I have rarely read owing to its price – 100 Rs. There is something psychological about this 3-figure figure which kept scaring me away from it for all this while. Till now, I have probably invested more on books than on anything else but then it was a ‘magazine’ and it just didn’t seem to be a justified tag for a ‘magazine’ (probably that’s what is called positioning; the same content but the form of the product changes how customer perceives its ‘value for money’).

My gibberish apart, the point is that for reading such an interview, I would have gladly been willing to pay much higher. (Decisions! Decisions! Isn’t it strange! You take them and then just wait for the first opportunity to rationalize them…). But honestly! I mean it. The thoughts of that ‘setting star’ of a superstar were worth many more zeroes following a 1.

Isn’t it ironical! Someone who was famous for the best moves of his generation could barely move for years…someone whose prized possessions were his cars was left driving his wheel-chair for years…someone who was all over the world was most active on world-wide-web till it was all over…life has a strange wicked knack of making us feel so inconsequential with a few flips of the calendar on the same wall…

But this gutsy guy was up for an arm-twist with the life. His last statement in the interview was “You’re not going to kick the bucket just like that. When it happens it will happen. Till then you might as well enjoy it. It’s a beautiful world out there.” Wow! You can take such a man out of life…but can’t take life out of such a man…

When I read it, I just got reminded of an anecdote which I often quote during my training-workshops. While shooting for a dance-sequence in Bobby, Rishi Kapoor was utterly nervous, couldn’t even face the camera, and kept saying ‘I just can’t do that’. At that time the famous RK (Raj Kapoor) gave him a slap and said “You are a Kapoor! And Kapoors don’t lose!”

I am sure that this must have been said by Prithvi Raj Kapoor to Raj Kapoor……with Shammi overhearing it!

About Sandeep Atre

Dr. Sandeep Atre: • Counseling Psychologist and an internationally recognized ‘Emotional & Social Intelligence’ Expert, with experience of more than two decades in helping people ‘sort out’ and ‘excel in’ intrapersonal and interpersonal matters. He holds a PhD in Management and a Master’s degree in Psychology (www.dratrecounsels.com). • Founder of Socialigence – a venture specializing in development of ‘Social & Emotional Intelligence’ and its offshoot interpersonal skills through workshops and an award-winning online course rooted in neuroscience and psychology (www.socialigence.net). • Author of two books related to his domain, namely - “Understanding Emotions Logically” and “Observing Nonverbal Behavior”; and third book on various aspects of life, named “Two Paras of Everyday Wisdom”. Moreover, the collection of his Nazms and Ghazals is published as a book titled “Baat Jazbaat Ki”. • Corporate Trainer, with experience of close to two decades. Has conducted 150+ workshops/sessions for 50+ organizations & institutions like CSC, Cummins, Piramal, Ranbaxy, Lupin, Bridgestone, Michelin, Eicher, Maruti, Force, Idea, Airtel, NBHC, SBI, HDFC, L&T, Zydus, Thapar University, Banasthali, Narsee Monjee, Symbiosis, IIFM Bhopal, Azim Premji University, Nirma, Welingkar & IBS Hyderabad. • Co-Founder and Director of CH EdgeMakers – a leading ‘Coaching and Training’ organization of central India for more than 24 years. He has trained close to 100 thousand students for ‘Soft Skills’ & ‘Entrance & Recruitment Preparation’ (www.ch-india.com). • ‘Management Speaker and Orator’. Has featured at platforms like TEDx, IIM, IIT, NIT, CII, YI, CII-IWN, TCS, IMA, ICAI, ECA, ISHRAE, NEN, Sahodaya, Aditya Birla Education Academy, Round Table, LinkedIn Local, Rotary International, MP State’s Teachers’ Training, Academic Staff College DAVV, Police University Rajasthan, Police Training Academy Indore & more than 100 institutions. • Member of noted associations and boards. Has been an ‘Executive Committee’ member of Indore Management Association. Associate Editor of IMA publications. Governing Council Member of Banasthali University’s SBBJ Centre for Research in MSME & Promotion of Entrepreneurship in Women. Executive Member of IMS, DAVV Alumni Association. Member of Rotary International’s ‘Group Study Exchange’ team to Minnesota, USA. ESI Coach with FWSA Australia. Note: For glimpses of work, watch YouTube Channel ‘Dr. Sandeep Atre at Socialigence’.
This entry was posted in A Person's Musings and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.