The sea-facing bungalow on Carter Road had had
a terrible reputation. Everyone in the neighbourhood knew it was haunted. Naturally,
there were no buyers although the owner was willing to sell it below cost. That
is when Rajendra Kumar bought it in the 1960s for just Rs 60,000 because he
couldn’t afford anything better. Once he moved into the house, however, there
was an inexplicable change in his fortunes. Every film in which he starred
succeeded at the box office; he became ‘Jubilee Kumar.’ Rajesh Khanna was
closely watching this success story from the sidelines. He believed that if he
moved into the house he would be equally successful.
Rajendra Kumar did not seem to have attributed his spectacular success to the bhoot bungalow which he named Dimple, after his daughter. That is why, once he made enough money, he got a bungalow built at Pali Hill and moved there.
Rajesh Khanna bought the Carter Road
bungalow and moved in. He knew success would follow him. And he was right.
Every film he touched turned to gold. He got everything an actor could dream of
– millions of adoring fans, astronomical fees, superstardom... 15 super hits in
a row. All because of the lucky house.
Rajesh Khanna was sure of the role his
house played in his miraculous rise. We don’t know if he changed his mind when,
staying in the same house, he lost everything including his family. Perhaps he
didn’t change his mind; he explained his reverses away as a temporary setback.
Perhaps he believed that he would soar back to astrosphere where ownership and occupation
of the Carter Road bungalow had taken him.
What has one’s house to do with one’s
professional success or failure? Plenty if you believe that there is a causal
link.
Was Rajesh Khanna superstitious? Do we have
such superstitions influencing decision-making in the corporate world?
Our
personal and professional actions are anchored around our beliefs although,
unlike Rajesh Khanna, we are reluctant to admit the link. That doesn’t take
away our resistance when ideas that are at variance with our belief system are proposed.
We are likely to give a perfectly logical reason why the idea should not be
adopted, but the real reason is that it goes against our hidden beliefs.
Photo credit: http://www.istockphoto.com/
Photo credit: http://www.istockphoto.com/
Dear Dr. Monippally,
ReplyDeleteLet me share my views on this topic. People who believe that fate and chance control their lives are more likely to be superstitious -- but when faced with death they are likely to abandon superstition altogether. The word 'superstition' has a Latin origin, which means 'standing in awe'. People and cultures around the world assign different meaning or importance to events, actions and things. They feel that one can affect the situation, to reflect their own interest. The answer lies within the power of the Subconscious Mind and The Law of Attraction.
The same case was happened with Rajesh Khanna and his home. Plain and simple - whatever we believe to be true is true. So if we believe that the number 13 is "unlucky” or that by failing to form a specific action or ritual some negative experience will arise, then so shall it be.
As per Dimple Kapadia’s statement in 2003, she said that “a person without Love is a person without foundation; it will just collapse like a pack of card”. And that secret card I found in Rajesh. He was a person and he is selfish which lead him to a lack of self-confidence which leads to fear. He often think of oneself's first; a lack of confidence makes him depend on external power/circumstance instead of using the power within; He was a person in fear without Love within.
Rajesh Khanna's most horrible enemies were the sycophants in his lifetime. They created the destructive genie which lurks within but is kept in leash by most of us. Not so with 'Kaka', as the actor was commonly known. He allowed his ego full play and, at a later date, even rued his lifestyle; but, by then, it was too late. He had estranged his well-meaning lady friends, his old schoolmates, his aides, servants and relatives.
Rajesh Khanna's worst enemies were his arrogance and self-indulgence. He was a poor listener, always bent upon dominating the lives of his dear and loved ones. He had mood swings and could be very kind to someone at one moment and an utter miser in the next moment. The constant refrain around him touting his superstar image had turned his head and he could no longer lead a proper private life. He became consumed by an overpowering need to be surrounded by fawning flatterers at all times.
- Deepak Bhatt
In March 30, 2012 The Economic Times published a story on “Why businessmen around the world are so superstitious” and it was written by Prof. V Raghunathan (Ex. Prof. at IIM Ahmedabad and now at present CEO of GMR Varalakshmi Foundation).
ReplyDeleteHe has mentioned that “Businessmen have reasons to be more superstitious than the average. This is because given the very high stakes and the tremendous amount of uncertainties in the market, superstitions offer an illusion of gaining control over these uncertainties and give them an impression as if they have done all that is possible to ensure the best possible outcome.
Businessmen in India are frequently given to such superstitions as numerology, visits to temples before big business deals, avoiding any important initiatives around eclipses, designing offices according to Vaastu, and so forth. Worldwide, the number 13 is considered spooky, but GD Birla was said to be uncomfortable with the number 12 because it reminded him of baarvi, or the 12th day of mourning, considered inauspicious by the Hindus. Post-independence, when GD Birla built the group's global headquarters in Kolkata, he chose not to have a 12th floor. Superstition is a worldwide phenomenon. Some 80% of the buildings worldwide are known to skip floor 13.
Larry Ellison is said to have tweeted that there may not be an Oracle version 13. Superstition is known to impact businesses. It is said that marriage insurance in India is doomed to failure, because people don't want to think about marriages failing, because thinking it could make it happen. In Taiwan, consumers are willing to pay more for a package of three tennis balls than four, because in Mandarin, number four is considered ill-fated, as it has the same sound as 'dead'. Even in the US, 'paraskevidekatriaphobia' - the fear of Friday the 13th - is known to pull down revenues.