CHENNAI: Fame doesn’t fulfil you. It warms you a bit, but that warmth is temporary — Marilyn Monroe
No one can perhaps argue with Marilyn Monroe on what fame is and what it is capable of doing. Beijing Olympic bronze medallist Vijender Singh’s observation too was not far from hers.
Fame is something that can scorch you or soothe you. It can either make you or destroy you. Vijender Singh, who survived the Beijing-Olympic-bronze moment and rose to Number One in the world in the following years sniffed and felt the idiosyncratic world of money and celebrity-hood. As he quietly prepares for his next professional bout in England, he recollects those days when the heady concoction of stardom and riches turned his life upside down. But as he says, it’s not easy to handle those moments.
Jet-setting across the country, sometimes he did not have time to even say hello to his mum and dad back home. He was led away from his friends. Only people he could see around him were the stars he had dreamt about as a child. And suddenly sitting and eating with them made him wonder whether everything was real. “First few months it was surreal,” says Vijender. However, one thing he surely did – enjoy. “One must enjoy everything and I enjoyed every bit of it,” he says. “Those few months were crazy. I had never been to Mumbai and then there I was with the set of people, who I use to see in movies and in my dreams. It was crazy. I have seen places whose names I don’t even remember now.”
What started as mirth turned into addiction for Vijender. “I was just blown away,” says Vijender. “There were moments when I used to get fidgety when my phone stopped ringing for a while or people don’t look at me. Then I realised how much I loved stardom.” He went on to even act in movies and be part of a few reality shows.
Vijender knew one thing. He realised that in that lonely region of stress, strife and stardom, no matter how famous and rich one is, when there are challenges you will be fighting alone. “So one should never forget his or her roots,” he says. “One must realise that the sport has made you famous. You are here because of the sport. After the first couple of months of madness, I made it a point to at least find time for myself and my sport. I used to hit the gym as I wanted to stay fit. I did my shadow boxing sessions. But it’s not easy. Getting your concentration back was difficult. Even Sakshi (Malik) and (PV) Sindhu must realise that to build your brand, one must keep winning. One must be in the news for what he is.” Pearls of wisdom, they are!
Rewards galore
Both Sakshi and Sindhu were awarded Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna for their accomplishments. The two athletes were rewarded handsomely by State and Central governments. In an amusing turn of events, Sindhu received awards from both Telengana and Andhra Pradesh governments.
indraneel.das@newindianexpress.com