Is it fair to compare a famous and successful person with his son or daughter if both are in the same profession?
The second generation is often the subject of great scrutiny as he or she is expected to keep the tradition going.
In certain cases where a person has reached dizzy heights and attained legendary status, it can be particularly exasperating for the son to be constantly compared with his father.
We may not have seen Sir Don Bradman in action, but we have all heard about the greatest batsman of all time. But do you know about John Bradsen?
He is the son of the legendary cricketer, but changed his surname from Bradman to Bradsen to avoid being hounded in public life.
Closer home, there are many such examples. Read on…
Sachin and Arjun Tendulkar
Whenever Arjun Tendulkar gets selected in any team — be it Mumbai under-19 or senior squad or IPL franchise Mumbai Indians — there is a lot of discussion and debate in social media on whether Arjun was picked on merit or by virtue of being the son of the incomparable Sachin Tendulkar.
Even though he is just 21 years old, such discussions, eventually leading to comparisons, are unfortunately inevitable. The young all-rounder, who is a left-arm pacer and bats left-handed too, simply has to accept it and concentrate on his game.
Kishore and Amit Kumar
The late Kishore Kumar is an all-time favourite of most Indians. His son Amit Kumar is also an accomplished singer, having completed more than 50 years of singing. At 65, he is still a man in demand and does stage shows — which are always houseful — and also popular shows on radio and social media.
Amit, who started his singing career at the age of 13, has many superhit songs under his belt, including the evergreen number Bade achche lagte hain. And yet, Amit Kumar frequently gets requests to sing Kishore dada’s songs at his musical concerts even now.
“Half my life has gone in comparison and in singing Baba’s songs, allow me to sing my songs today at least in my show,” Amit quipped at one of his shows recently.
It was said in jest, but summed up the popularity of the legend that Kishore Kumar was. It is universally accepted that there will never be another Kishore Kumar. And however good Amit is in his own characteristic way, he will continue to be judged in comparison with his immortal dad, and will come out second best. Grossly unfair to Amit, but that’s how the world functions.
Sunil and Rohan Gavaskar
The pressure on Rohan Gavaskar taking up cricket must have been immense as his dad Sunil was one of the finest openers in the history of cricket. A left-handed batsman who bowled slow left-arm spin occasionally, Rohan was a competent cricketer in his own right. After all, how many players can boast of nearly 7,000 runs in first-class cricket with 34 fifties and 18 centuries at an average of over 44 besides playing for India?
Many cricketers will be satisfied with such a career. But Rohan had to suffer due to comparisons with Sunny Gavaskar. Interestingly, when asked whether he felt additional pressure, Rohan had once said that it was the Gavaskar genes that helped him play 11 ODIs for India and enjoy a first-class career spanning 15 years.
Rather than burdening them with comparisons, one should applaud the likes of Rohan for overcoming pressure cooker-like situations in life and coming up trumps in the sport he embraced.
Interestingly, both took up cricket commentary after retirement.
Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan
Abhishek Bachchan is another prime example. Being the son of Amitabh Bachchan, the general feeling is that Abhishek got a headstart because of the stature his father enjoyed in the film industry. Nepotism in Bollywood has been a subject of debate for ages. But, as many star kids have pointed out, an entry may be easier for them but survival and success will depend on their skill and hard work.
Abhishek hasn’t had a stellar career in Bollywood, but has done some good work in films like Guru, Paa, Sarkar, The Big Bull, etc. Yet, critics don’t lose an opportunity to highlight the fact that he’s lucky to have a cushion even when his films flop.
Why just famous people, this is a fact of life, especially in India. Don’t we see bureaucrats, doctors, engineers, MBAs wanting their children to take up the same profession and succeed like them? What they don’t realize is that it puts unnecessary and avoidable pressure on their offspring. It will be much better for them to let the kids choose their profession of choice.
If it so happens that an Arjun Tendulkar chooses cricket, just leave him alone and allow him to carve his own destiny.
