Just Like That: Is instant fame eclipsing enduring talent

There was a time when fame was expected to be the consequence of achievement. Today, increasingly, achievement itself seems to have become secondary to fame.

We live in an age in which visibility is mistaken for distinction, publicity for accomplishment, and notoriety for fame, irrespective of whether there is enduring talent behind it. From viral videos to celebrity politics, attention increasingly passes for achievement.

What Happened

The challenge is to restore patience, discrimination and respect for excellence. (Unsplash/ Representative photo)The phenomenon is not entirely new, but its scale is unprecedented.

• And, ultimately, we need an audience willing to be patient.

• Our responsibility, therefore, is to recover discrimination.

• The second is measured by influence, originality, craftsmanship and the capacity to survive the changing fashions of public taste.

Key Details

The smartphone, television, social media and the twenty-four-hour news cycle have devalued fame in a peculiar way. A video can go viral overnight; a provocative remark can produce millions of views; a contestant on a reality show can become a household name.

• The first is measured in followers, ratings, views, box-office figures and headlines.

• Yet there remains a difference between being famous and being remembered.

• The irony is that a society with such a profound cultural memory of disciplined excellence is now increasingly fascinated by instant celebritydom.

Why It Matters

The distinction between achievement and attention has, frankly, blurred. Film stars and cricketers are perhaps the most obvious beneficiaries of this culture.

• Mastery was not expected to arrive overnight.

• The Sanskrit concept of kala, the classical traditions of music and dance, the literary cultures of different Indian languages, and the guru-shishya traditions all placed a premium on sadhana—disciplined, sustained practice.

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by Hindustan Times as more details emerge