सुखदुःखे समे कृत्वा लाभालाभौ जयाजयौ ।
ततो युद्धाय युज्यस्व नैवं पापमवाप्स्यसि ॥
(Bhagavad Gita, 2.38)
Meaning:
Treat pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat alike. Then, act without attachment—you will not incur sin.
This timeless verse reminds us that life’s highs and lows are transient. Fame, applause, and adulation are as fleeting as silence, obscurity, and indifference.
🎭 Amitabh Bachchan’s Bitter-Sweet Realization
In a candid conversation years ago, Amitabh Bachchan recalled the stark contrast between two phases of his career. During the peak of his “angry young man” era, his presence in New York caused mayhem—crowds surged, limousines had to be driven onto the stage, and escape routes were orchestrated underground. Stardom was overwhelming, almost suffocating.
Yet, years later, while promoting a film alongside Govinda and Raveena Tandon, he stepped out of a limousine into a theatre and found himself walking unnoticed, like any other member of the audience. The silence was deafening.
This moment crystallized the truth: fame is not permanent. The crowd’s gaze shifts, the applause fades, and the spotlight moves on.
🌟 The Rise of Govinda
The 1990s marked Govinda’s meteoric rise. With effortless comic timing, dazzling dance moves, and a magnetic screen presence, he captured the nation’s imagination. Bachchan’s comeback in Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998) alongside Govinda was a commercial success, but it also underscored the generational shift in stardom.
🪶 Lessons in Impermanence
Bachchan’s reflection is not just about cinema—it’s about life itself.
- Fame is cyclical: Today’s icon may be tomorrow’s forgotten name.
- Identity evolves: Reinvention is essential when the old image no longer resonates.
- Humility in transition: Accepting obscurity with grace is as important as handling fame with dignity.
✨ Closing Thought
The Sanskrit verse reminds us that equanimity is the antidote to the volatility of life. Amitabh Bachchan’s journey—from being mobbed in New York to walking unnoticed—echoes the eternal truth: everything changes, and wisdom lies in embracing both applause and silence with equal serenity.
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