What is it in India that makes people uplift certain public figures to the status of deities so much so that
the allegations of corruption, malpractices or any human error on their part seems utterly unnatural to
them, is beyond comprehension. As the year 2015 comes to a close, it will be good to reflect back on
some of our prejudices and obsessions vis-à-vis certain personalities/ public figures. Though ‘Hero-
worship’ is not a new phenomenon, a few incidents in the year 2015 will prove the point. While the
conviction of mainstream Bollywood actor Salman Khan by the sessions court in the 2002 hit-and-run
case was a blow to the Film Industry in Mumbai, celebrities and fans across the world were hell bent on
proving that their ‘reel life Hero’ could not have done any villainous act. Social media was flooded with
anecdotes and narratives about his virtuous quality and his philanthropic activities. The ‘Being Human’
(NGO run by Salman) star’s trial and eventual conviction was seen as unacceptable to a large number of
people and the media at large, implicitly showed him as a victim, rather than as violator of law. The
same set of people took a sigh of relief and celebrated when Bombay High Court ruling on December 10
acquitted the actor in the given case.
Another high profile case in the year 2015 involved actor-turned politician AIADMK leader J.Jayalalitha in
whose case, judgment was delivered by the Karnataka High Court on May 11. Since her conviction on
September 27, 2014 in the Disproportionate Assets case till her acquittal after the Karnataka HC ruling,
followers and party- workers had displayed immense devotion for their leader, who they believe is no
less than God to them. Temples and religious places were flooded with devotees performing special
‘pujas’ for Amma’s acquittal.
However, this is not a new phenomenon as many political leaders and film actors have commanded such
followership in the past too. But such blind devotion and fanfare in a democratic set-up in the 21st
century is a matter of inquisitiveness. In an age with zero tolerance being witnessed in our everyday
exchanges and behaviour, the volte-face on people’s part when it comes to forgiving certain leaders and
movie-stars for their misdeeds, comes as a surprise. Is it to do with the image of that persona, magnified
by the media and the psychological ‘imagery of Avatar’ that draws common masses to these celebrity
actor and politicians? As Napolean Bonaparte remarked, ‘a leader is a dealer in hope’. These leaders (in
their respective fields) are good seller of hopes and aspirations to the common people struggling with
their day-to-day survival and waiting for divine interventions all the time. The ‘larger than life’ image of
these celebrities/leaders provides a source of strength to their struggles and any attempt to tarnish that
image invokes in them a negative emotion of dejection of their own hopes. Hence, their denial to accept
any accusation on their leader, even when proved correct by law of the land, is a reflection of refusal to
let their own hope of a better future fade. Otherwise, how can an actor who plays an honest cop in reel-
life but indulges in violation of law on several occasions, can be seen as ‘someone who can do no wrong’
and as ‘just a victim of circumstance’. On the same count, how can a democratically elected leader can
be revered like Goddess just for implementing policies that is required of her as head of the Government
and her allegedly unlawful acts be forgiven and forgotten so easily. The same example applies to the
mushrooming of the ‘spiritual leaders’ and ‘babas’ in the country and the blind devotion of people even
after they were taken as ‘criminals’ by the legal system.
The concept of Charismatic leadership given by German Sociologist Max Weber might provide pieces to
solve the given puzzle. However, the persona of a leader might be responsible for his/her wide
followership; this quest does not end merely in a leader’s aura but in the followership as well. Large
statues, banners, posters of these leaders in heroic postures with words of praises, capture the minds of
the viewer and they internalize it so much that it becomes a part of their everyday discourse. So, an
Amma, Behenji, Didi , Bhai and Bapuji becomes an adjective in itself. Constant references to these terms
in the media, further entrenches it in our minds.
So, when a 10 year old rejoices and dances with her 5O year old grandmother on hearing the news of
Jayalalitha’s acquittal or when a fan of Salman Khan attempts suicide outside the Bombay High Court,
there is more to it than just fanfare and sycophancy. It might well be understood in a complexity of this
entire phenomenon and it is to be seen how far the legacy is carried forward in 2016.
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are author’s personal.