In Satyajit Ray’s iconic Bengali film ‘Pratidwandi’, a friend asks the protagonist why he doesn’t clear job interviews, though having such good intellect. He replies sardonically ‘ Who wants intellect ?!’ One of the great paradoxes today is that while there is no dearth of talent but only few eventually make it to the pinnacle of success and get the recognition they deserve, leaving room for plenty of mediocrity at the top ! The modern jargon exhorts  ‘ working smart’ is the way forward never mind the art and craft.

If the parable of ‘hard work is the only way to succeed’ is true why then do only a handful actually realise their full potential (professionally or in chosen fields ) despite being talented and industrious. It’s probably not just the intense competition that disfavours them but how to compete and edge out others in the race that is the crux. A bigger issue remains that many are not aware of their forte or strength areas which need to be nurtured

For that matter are the  employers really looking for talent (with originality and creative thinking) or identities matching the boxes of selection process !  There’s this familiar case of Mr. Competent (C) and Mr. Slick-smart (S) – both started out as freshmen with ‘C’ showing greater proficiency, very quick-on-the-uptake and so work-obsessed that lunch breaks would be foregone. ‘S’ shrewdly focused on that side of the bread which had butter, made sure of being at the right place at the right time, making the right noises suavely to the right people. At the end of their careers, C had been able to manage just three promotions in 30 years (and accumulated huge working knowledge) while ‘S’ became the darling of those who mattered and made it to the top.

This appears to be happening in all spheres of work, govt. services, banks, private sector firms, corporates and even the creative fields.

Also, one of the problems that most talented people face is pride in their skills which demand recognition rather than to seek it. Operational capability and good contributions failing to get appreciated is a common occurrence in organisations where individuals matter only if they represent a part of management which must project its own image rather than those of its team. The talented are more focussed on honing their skills and lose out on self-promotion. Those less talented are more adept at it !

Experience has shown that prestigious projects are mooted to enhance owner’s image – however, that’s where the ownership ends ! Implementation, results, outcomes is the hard task of the appointed ground-staff, shortfalls in targets even if justified, are not tolerated and accountability fixed on staff as per guidelines. Success and glory of the project, on the other hand, is credited to the foresight, vision and sagacity of the makers – in some cases forming part of their best-seller memoirs too !

While visiting overseas destinations as ebullient tourists on an overkill, many of us exhibit myriad unenviable characteristics – speaking in native language on a high pitch, gesticulating, lugging bulky bags, shoving and trying to grab the best seats on the coach ! But the most prolific of all is the propensity to capture on camera or video-graph all conceivable objects, characters and scenes that we come across.

During our 2015 Europe trip, the tour guide said to us resignedly ‘.to catch every scene on camera is futile, you will stop looking – why not savour all that you can see in your memory forever’ ! Despite these admonitions, all continued clicking happily ever after and returned back with few memorable moments locked inside us and loads and loads of pics consigned to digital space which may never be visited again. Be that as it may, why do people love taking photographs incessantly, apart from the sheer fun of shoot-and-click handsets ? Because, visuals create far greater impact than any other medium.

As an keen photographer with no real knowledge of photography, I am convinced that this too is an art to be perfected, since a photograph or a series of them, has the ability to convey stories to those that view them reflecting the psyche and rhythm of the story-teller. Pictures of rock-stars, pop-artists, racers and soccer league champs will adorn the walls of the impetuous youth, taking rare photos of musicians and artists interest music lovers, while nature enthusiasts can spend hours on photographs of nature and wild life in its many splendoured forms ! Photos tell a lot about what makes a person tick.

Pictures artistically taken have the ability to convey emotion, mood, narrative, ideas and messages, all of which are important elements of story telling. For the uninitiated, the best way to prepare a travelogue is through pictorial depiction that has the flow of an exciting journey. As the telecasting and broadcasting of major events, matches and speeches become ‘viral’ the pictures taken on the occasion also get preserved for posterity. Then we have the ‘Big Fat Indian Weddings’ which invoke countless sessions of the pair, family and friends with professional photographers all of which form an enormously costly, beautifully bound book like a historical document for the archives !

Even for the average fun-loving amateurs, why are photos so important that they need to be clicked on every occasion. A vital necessity comes from the social media where the life’s latest happenings, dresses, styles and events of any Shyam, Dinu or Hari can be posted with pics with same flair as Ranvir, Ranbeer or Raj Kumar (Rao not Hirani !).

However, aside from the much-debated privacy issue, it’s the ‘problem of plenty’ with photographs that arises – what to do with the tons of them ? Yes, the digital means are fine, but they too require meticulous dating, classification and categorization and must find place in various forms of storage. However, what cannot be done must be deleted !

As for me, I follow the classical style of 5×7 glossy prints which are preserved in albums of all sizes. All this is cumbersome, but holding an old picture in my hand, brings back many memories, stories and faces, just the way they were, many, many summers ago !

Some time back, when a leading media chief suavely entered in discourse on many matters of national importance with an enigmatic leader of stature, it was followed with great interest on prime time. However, apart from the expected political umbrage yet correctness of the talks, one thing looked common between the two celebrities – both appeared a bit like the helpless parents of today !

Here was the visibly relaxed Soniaji stating candidly ‘I try not to volunteer advice to them, do you ?’ to which media baron, Aroon Purie seemed to lament ‘my children don’t listen to me’ (partly in jest, maybe) while the audience did LOL ! The irony remains, be it leaders in the fields of politics, media, business, sports etc or the struggling service class, all need to brush up on communication skills when it comes to their own grown up children. (the issue of dealing with teenage kids is beyond the realm of this writer ! )

Professionals teaching different techniques and impact of good speaking styles, often fail miserably at home resulting in indefinite family deadlocks ! What are parents, otherwise intelligent beings of substance (outside home), not doing right and mostly getting the wrong end of the stick ?

For one, it’s probably that they’re talking to them as their closest relatives, always knowing what’s best and wishing them to be like them. Keeping the relationship aside, talking one to one like adults, starting as equals may work. Add to this, a lot of quality listening and unlearning your past glory about what sacrifices you made and how wonderfully you brought them up.  Like all others, grown-ups need backing from parents for the decisions they’ve made and appreciation for efforts but without major interventions. The unsaid message remains – spare the advice, we’ll ask for it if needed !

One father/parent (and celebrity ) who measures up to these high standards is the great Prakash Padukone, ex-badminton champion and now coach. His renowned daughter and international actress, Deepika Padukone, recently called him ‘The Best Dad’, for his humility and many qualities ! At least let’s try and become brighter, meaning more ‘Prakash’ all around !