1983 & 2021 — Two random numbers? Not really!!
1983 & 2021 — Two random numbers? Not really!
It is two very significant years for all of us, but especially for any proud Indian.
It is two years with momentous events, Events that show the power of conviction, the power of talent, and the simple power of a dream. It shows that a single success sets off a domino effect, with each success building upon the earlier.
For Indians of a certain age. 1983 will always ring a bell for those who have not made the connection yet, it was the year when a young India reared up and flexed its muscle for the first time. When India came out of nowhere to become the world champion of cricket. But all is not lost for those who did not live through that year of wonderment. A passionate filmmaker called Kabir Khan has dared to recreate a cinematic experience that will make everyone vicariously experience the moment. If you have not watched 83 yet, it’s time you take note of this wonderfully evocative movie.
Although I had read and heard about the famous win, I myself did not get to see any of the matches because of the simple fact that my family did not have a TV then. So, I did not have any intimate eyewitness details of how the famous Kapil’s Devils went through that campaign. But the way Kabir Khan has directed the movie is like sitting and watching the world cup come to life. Storytelling at its best.
Being both a movie buff and also someone who likes to extract takeaways from every experience and exposure, I do look at movies through the eyes of an analyst, but for once, I was lost — for I could not see the actor Ranveer Singh, What I saw and heard was our own Kapil Dev.
I saw a nation that lives and breathes Cricket but had never won a World Cup until Kapil Dev dared to dream the impossible. I saw a visionary grab his team and usher it to glory, I saw someone lead a country to believe anything is possible. Kapil Dev served as a leader who transformed the Cricket playbook and puts India as a formidable cricketing nation for the next four decades.
And then, in a brilliant vignette, the movie also shows how that win inspired a certain child called Sachin Tendulkar, who picks up cricket to give India its first numero uno in cricket — literally the God of Cricket. Kapil Dev’s impact went well beyond that single tournament — he inspired India to dream big and changed the trajectory of Indian Cricket.
But enough about Cricket, you ask, what is this about the other number, 2021? And I say 2021 started something which is almost a parallel story of achievement, A country that has contributed immensely to information technology worldwide but has never been recognized as a country that could develop indigenously has finally managed to break the barrier, a company is now standing toe to toe with the greatest Infotech companies of the world. A company that built a product in India and launched it with resounding success to become the first product-based Indian company to be on New York Stock Exchange. The team here is Freshworks which started out in 2010, and the Kapil Dev here is Girish Mathrubootham, Girish a la Kapil has dared to dream big and then follow up on actually delivering it, sending a spark through the Information technology industry, inspiring young entrepreneurs to think about how we can build the next Microsoft, Oracle Google and so on. The parallel does not end there, If Girish is the Kapil Dev of India, then there is a corresponding Sachin as well — Suresh Kumar at Pepul. The torch that Girish lit also blazed brightly with Suresh. Suresh, who had a wildly successful run with MacApp, is launching Pepul, India’s first Integrated Social Media platform.
I’m an Entrepreneur, both a Cricket aficionado and a player myself, and so these stories and their similarities appeal to me on various levels, but there is another reason — a strong affinity for entrepreneurs or players who come from the same town. This adds extra warmth and tenderness since here I am rooting for my hometown as well #Trichy heroes Suresh Kumar and Girish Mathrubootham. You shine the light on Trichy!
#KapilDev #KabirKhan #Freshworks #Pepul #GirishMathrubootham #SuresKumarG @TherealKapilDev @KabirKhankk @mrgirish @hisureshg @83thefilm #Trichy
