Alia Bhatt's recent remarks on nepotism show a side we were too dumb to see
Look smart, think smart, act smart. Smart talk, smart city, smartphone, smart guy, smart answers.
Dumb people, dumb idea, dumb blonde, dumb jokes.
While nobody wants to be called 'dumb', even the smartest of people like to laugh at dumb jokes, especially when the butt of the joke is someone "really dumb". What greater joy than calling someone else stupid. That sure is a way to say — well, in not so many words — that "Hey, I'm so intelligent".
Bollywood actor Alia Bhatt, who has faced more criticism for "dumbness" than her on-screen performances, recently proved that one doesn't need very high IQ (intelligence quotient) to be rational. The actor's recent remarks on nepotism show a side we were too "dumb" to see.
"Of late, I have realised that there is no need to defend the nepotistic nature of the industry, because it does exist. The reason why it has become an emotional debate is because those who don't get a chance, it is difficult for them. If I was on the other side, I would be heartbroken. I may have felt the same way," Alia recently told The Times Of India.
"Yes, it does exist everywhere, but this is the only business where there's no fixed funda. You need to be at the right place at the right time."
And with that, Alia has proved that her heart is in the right place - and so is her mind. And that's what makes a human being smart, not how many country capitals or presidents one can name.
Bollywood and all those closely watching its every step have been engrossed in the debate over nepotism for some time now. Industry biggie Karan Johar, also known as a mentor of Alia and other starkids, found himself caught in the middle of the nepotism debate several times for "promoting celeb kids over outsiders". He was called the "flag-bearer of nepotism" by actress Kangana Ranaut (on Johar's own show, Koffee with Karan), which started a full-blown debate.
The legend of 'Alia Bhatt jokes'
Meanwhile, the young Alia became the butt of mean jokes by some really smart people following an episode of Koffee with Karan Season 4, back in 2013. The actor, during a rapid-fire round in the show, blurted out that Prithviraj Chauhan was the President of India. Of course, she didn't know the correct answer, but it's also true that she didn't deserve all those nasty jokes.
Soon, the internet of all smart things ripped Alia apart for her stupidity, her low IQ. How her BMI — "brain mein IQ" — was almost nil.
"Alia Bhatt DUMB Jokes In Public Will Blow Your Mind" .
"All Alia Bhatt DUMB & Smart Moments In PUBLIC".
There were so many headlines with all permutations and combinations of the same words that soon, from 10 best, it went to 20 funniest Alia Bhatt jokes, to 30 best Alia Bhatt memes to "make you LOL".
Almost everybody justified the "harmless" jokes, and just as the rule of thumb on bullying goes, it is the ability to take a joke, not make one, that proves you have a sense of humour. Easier said than done! But Alia did take everything in her stride and did exactly what nobody was expecting — she started laughing at herself.
Speaking at the India Today Conclave last year, Alia said, "I look at it in two ways — I'm either relevant or irrelevant. If you're making a joke about me, I'm relevant. So why should I be upset?"
The ruthless world of smartness finally stopped inventing new Alia jokes.
While the plethora of meanness should have ideally killed anyone's self-esteem, Alia came out unscathed. Well, almost. The actor hardly voices her opinion on anything other than her films during promotions. Her private life is still private to a large extent. Neither is she seen flooding social media timelines with smart activism — now the primary vocation of a lot of Bollywood stars, joining a new debate every now and then in the free-for-all that social media is.
Alia seems to have learnt her lesson well — don't talk when too many smart people are around. And social media is full of such enlightened people with a take on everything - witty quotes, cracking memes, fast and furious put-downs, and loads of outrage — basically a factory of ignited minds.
Let's stop being so smart
In being perennially ignited, we forget that 'smartness' can come at a cost that not too many seem to realise.
We can spend hours talking, writing, debating how smart or stupid someone else is, instead of being rational about life and its rules. We expect our children to be intelligent enough to crack IQ tests, or be a Spelling Bee champion to prove their worthiness. We spend hours poring over current affairs, news stories and outraging over them, only to forget these the very next day. We measure our success by spending large parts of our days sitting in glass-door meetings, which every single person present in the room knows are entirely meaningless. Our life exists outside those glass cabins, under the blue sky.
Do we even realise that we are so dumb not to see that the joke has been on us all the while?