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On the demerits of Celebrity-Obsessed Civilization
(This is an article I wrote in 2014. The salient features remain relevant.)
I was born in India, moved to England and now live in New York. Growing up in Mumbai, I always found myself searching for role models that would inspire me, not just professionally as an aspiring biologist but also for my personal growth. India is, undoubtedly, a spiritual country harboring diffuse, whispered materialistic dreams and commercial aspirations. Depending on whom you ask, the most predominant religion in the country is either cricket or Bollywood. These two national obsessions are followed with fervor, discipline and religiosity more ardent than any organized religion or spiritual order can ever hope to command. Cricket and Bollywood continue to monopolize the combined public conscience of Indians worldwide. In my teens, I began to recognize that this addiction brought forth insidious repercussions. Personally, identifying with a Bollywood heartthrob was never an option. I was haplessly scouring the horizon for a beacon of achievement, resilience and humility. Surely India, with its burgeoning population, had failed to lionize exemplary, inspirational figures whose mental acumen, thoughtful passion and diligence could provide an aspirational pedestal for young adults. Local news and media only served to inundate the discerning…
