|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Ever wondered what it really takes to succeed in a career path that people you know tell you is too dangerous, too improbable or not? That is the defining issue of Episode 19 of WTF, and the three guests that Nikhil Kamath assembled onto that stage are one of the most fascinating and astute panels you will see on the show.
Kriti Sanon ranks among the most eminently bankable B-Town heroine with successful stints in films from Mimi to Bhediya and bagging the National Award for it. Badshah is one among Indian music’s most successful aural avatars, who changed the outlook on rap from a niche subculture, to the commercial mainstream Indian entertainment space. And KL Rahul is among Indian cricket’s most prodigious and intelligent sticksmen who handled the idiosyncrasies of racing at the top in a country where cricket is deified.
All three manifestations are vastly different, variations on a theme: going down the less traveled road and creating something magnificent from the journey.
The Beginning of Podcast
Prof. Kamath kicks off the discussion by asking off hand, “All three people here today pursued careers in areas where according to their families, friends and indeed in some cases the accepted wisdom of the ages, a more pragmatic and sensible choice would have been something else. So what inspired you to go against the grain?”
Though the specifics varied, my interviewees’ answers sounded like a theme: a mixture of truly feeling like something is the thing, and having a remarkably clear sense that there really isn’t anything else that would feel like the right thing to do. They weren’t describing a strategic career move-they were describing an inability to conceive of anything else seriously.
Kamath probes them on this, questioning whether obsession is enough, or whether there is something else-an attribute of drive, determination or nerve-that distinguishes those who succeed from the numerous others with the same passions. The responses are some of the most frank and helpful moments in the programme.
Kriti Sanon – From Engineering to National Award
Kriti Sanon’s choose-your-own-adventure story is to me one the most relatable narratives for the modern Indian youth already struggling to reconcile traditional approaches with entrepreneurial ambitions. She completed electronics and telecommunications engineering at JECRC in Jaipur- a red-blooded, infinitely sensible decision- and then chose to forsake it for the mirror.
She discusses how that decision was received, and about the battle within to remain committed to it through the year or so of no returns. She is honest about the rejection, the self doubt, and the time when what everyone else said seemed to be validated.
She also reflects on what her experience as a filmmaker has taught her about how the craft of filmmaking intersects with commercial viability. She admitted “I think the movies I’m most proud of aren’t always the movies that do the best” and that “Learning to balance, to keep both those things, without allowing one to swallow the other whole, has been, I think, one of the defining personal struggles of my career”.
Badshah – Building a Genre, Not Just a Career
His entry into the business is, in certain respects, the most counterintuitive of the three. Badshah picked rap style – technically virtually no native, everyday commercial avenue in India when he began 3-4 years back – and, for purposes of hard work, hustle and incomparable sensibilities, succeeded in creating precisely the path that he is now defining.
He discusses his transition from subterranean rap to the commercial music he is famous for now and how he has been disparaged for abandoning his Street cred by die-hard rap fans. He is not defensive about this. He says he believes he needs to keep evolving to stay on top of the ever-changing music scene and would rather keep selling that worldwide than not sell any at all and be subject to criticism.
He also has some truly insightful points on talent psychology: the balance between inherent talent and the effort needed to cultivate it-and his reasons for believing the latter’s more significant than many people in creative fields would like it to be.
KL Rahul – Performing Under India’s Most Intense Scrutiny
Among all the three guests, KL Rahul talks most directly about mental pressure of competing at the very top in a game where the immersion is complete and the gravity is immense.
He discusses his experiences as an Indian cricketer. Every single game was scrutinised by hundreds of millions of people. If he had a run of poor form, it would be headlines all over the country. The intensity of constant expectation is unparalleled in most other careers.
He is open with regard to his struggles with self-belief, to the mental effort required to sustain that belief during long sections of difficulty, to his reliance on external confirmation to keep internal stability, or the balance of a downward slide vs. Uphill climb on a ‘rosy’ graph. His argument-that you’ve got to learn to play for something more than audience approval at some point-is an argument that can have far wider applications than sport.
He touches, among others, on the topic of how to learn from failures at the global level, and the fact that the cricketers who go on to a long career are invariably those who are candid with themselves about their shortcomings-and willing to work on them.
The Talent vs Relevance Debate
Perhaps the most memorable part of the podcast is a spirited debate, in a wonderfully tongue-in-cheek manner, on whether talent or relevance is the determining factor in the Bollywood/music/cricket scene.
Kamath asks the question outright-can you be hugely talented yet still irrelevant, and if so, what does that imply about the real functioning of those industries? The answers are candid and sometimes anything but straightforward. Each of the three clients agrees that talent is the starting point, but not guarantee, for longevity. Relevancy–maintaining a sense of what audiences are hungry for by constantly re-calibrating knows and helps, expanding a profile outside the limits of craft innovation-is equally essential.
What gets really exciting is when they discuss the impact of social media on the artist and fan relationship and how that is shaping the kind of career one can develop.
Why This Episode Became So Popular
The episode succeeded for many points. Having three completely different guests gave a really lively discussion since the areas crossed and balanced with each other unlike in single host episodes.
It also helped that the three guests were happy to be honest about the dark side of their lives. Not something all high-profile speakers are eager to do. Being open about success, failure, self-doubt and the true price of the alternative lifestyle tapped into the audience’s depth of feeling.
About the Guests
Kriti Sanon is an acclaimed actress who has won a National Award for playing the leading lady in the film “Mimi” and also more recently for the film “Bhediya’ “. The actress is known to have worked in other Bollywood movies also. Kriti, who studied electronics engineering, entered the entertainment industry by first working as a model.
Badshah (Aditya Prateek Singh Sisodia)has established as one of the top music artists to emerge in India. He is a commercial artist and is behind some of India’s most successful songs in the last couple of years. Released earlier, he started with a career in underground Hip-hop before taking the commercial plunge.
KL Rahul (Kannaur Lokesh Rahul) is an Indian international cricketer. He is among the most talented batsmen of his era, and is prominent in Test, ODI and T20I cricket.
Why You Should Watch This Podcast
This episode is for everyone confronting a situation where they want to follow a trail others think is foolish, dangerous, or odd. All three guests have done so at the very top, and do not hold back in sharing what they’ve learned.
It is, also without a doubt, just one of the best episodes in WTF was’ history – three really interesting people with strong opinions and actually interesting things to say, put together by a host who is a consummate professional.
Conclusion
Episode 19 of WTF was one of Nikhil Kamath’s most successful and talked about episodes and the reason is pretty simple: it tackled a question that a large part of his listeners are truly struggling with.
The three guests-Kriti Sanon, Badshah, and KL Rahul didn’t give utopian solutions or encouraging clichés. They gave candid insights on how much it truly costs to create something amazing in a profession where great possibility and success are always in the minority.
It is this honesty that is what makes this episode a must see and a reason to keep coming back to.
1. Curious about the guests this week?
Kriti Sanon, Badshah and KL Rahul with Nikhil Kamath
2. What was the hot topic?
The show went on to examine what is required to succeed career-wise. Careers-to look at the motivation behind ambitions, between talent and relevance, through failures and maintaining one’s position over a period of time.
Watch Full Podcast Here:
Kriti Sanon, Badshah & KL Rahul Podcast with Nikhil Kamath – Making It in an Offbeat Career
