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A good coach can offer the inspiration and push one needs to do well in any aspect of life - not just sport; a few learnings from the movie Dangal.
A good coach can offer the inspiration and push one needs to do well in any aspect of life – not just sport; a few learnings from the movie Dangal.
Dangal – there are a ton of reviews and much praise as well as criticism of this biopic everywhere on the ‘Indian Internet’ (if that exists). I’m not trying to write another review! All I can say is that it was too hard to ignore its presence!
Why did the little girl Suneeta get married off so young, while Geeta and Babita ended up winning Olympic medals? How many Indian women actually won Commonwealth or Olympic medals before Geeta Phogat (or recently, Sakshi Malik and PV Sindhu) did? In a patriarchal society, how many girls receive this kind of ‘coaching’ in any realm of life? Can girls really make something of themselves and do whatever they ‘want to’ in today’s cut-throat world?
There was a chain of thoughts that struck my mind and lingered on; this was about the importance of a ‘life coach’.
What we typically obtain from a coach are the vision (if it’s not organically present) and nurturing that nudge us whether the chips are up or down. If you find the right coach early on, your life is made!
For girls growing up in a society that sends confusing signals about their ambitions and ‘self-fullness’, support and guidance are vital.
It is important to identify ‘right coaches’ and funnel out right advice. Although Geeta learns what worked for her the hard way, atleast she had the courage to experiment, learn and confirm her thoughts! While this is hard to do, talking to family, friends and well-wishers can bring more views and opinions, helping make better decisions.
The simple, rather conservative Haryanvi village setting kept screaming ‘common girl’ aspect to me. It’s important for a common person to believe in self! No amount of external vision and nudging can help if this doesn’t happen! Introspection and self-belief are game changers.
Even everyday aspects like day-to-day life management capabilities can improve big time with the right guidance and support. In the end, it’s all about the quality of our lives!
The support and faith one needs can come from different sources/people. Remember the cousin who supports the Dangal girls all the way, never for once considering his own success in wrestling? We can all appreciate and absorb any tiny bit of positivity that comes our way from others.
Last but not the least, ‘the coach finding’ doesn’t always have to be organic. One can always network and consciously attempt to interact with inspiring people. This could be done in multiple ways. School events, clubs, friends’ parents/families, and teachers – all offer excellent channels of ‘networking’ in early years of life. And the channels only increase as one grows up!
Requesting introductions, building connections, and seeking help are all ways to expand one’s societal contact, exposure, understanding of the world and ultimately, success!
After all, we all know that ‘we are the people we surround ourselves with’. The people we interact with either elevate or worsen our standards by rubbing themselves off on us. And a coach can only make a very direct impact!
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Top image via Youtube; the quote translates as, “Medalists don’t grow on trees; they are made with love and hard work.”
Free-spirited in thinking, but old-school in values; An ambitious 'career mom', yet a lazy 'mom's girl'; Introverted many times, party-loving nonetheless! A 'medley of contradictions', that loves the 'confluence of thoughts' read more...
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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