What's common between Sunny Leone, Himesh and Rakhi Sawant?

Had this on my mind for quite some time now. These three people evoke extreme emotions from others. The entire male population above 14 seems to love (deliberately avoiding other adjectives) Sunny Leone. Himesh Reshamiya has his share of haters, but he also boasts of some hardcore fans. Let's spare Rakhi Sawant from a detailed scrutiny, shall we? I want to clarify that I'm not a big fan of them, except for Sunny Leone to some extent.

The point I want to make is that there is one admirable quality common to all three: "I will do what I want, don't give a damn about what the world thinks." Let's not rush into criticism; it's not an easy thing to do. Most of us would rather conform, do what's considered good or acceptable, than take the risky, untrodden path. Let me briefly walk you through when and how I noticed this quality in each of them.

When it was announced that Sunny Leone would participate in Big Boss, everyone went crazy. This became breaking news on all news channels and magazines (unfortunately a sorry state of affairs). The excitement in guys was justified, and girls, at least those unfamiliar with her, just wanted to check out what the fuss was about. There is that one person in every Indian family who's crazy about a particular TV show and drives others nuts. In my flat, I had two. So, although I wasn't a big fan of the show, I couldn't escape watching it. And of course, Sunny was attractive too. What I really liked, though, was how she carried herself in the show and was unapologetic about her work. India is still a very conservative country, and it would have been acceptable if she did not talk about her life and work. But she did. Having the courage to say, "I love my work, enjoy it, and am proud of myself" requires guts and self-respect. It would have been easier to sweep it all under the rug, but she stood for herself. Personal choices are just that, personal, but not many have the courage to stand by them.

Himesh Reshamiya took the Indian music industry by storm. In the good old days of countdown shows, I distinctly remember when 5-6 songs of the top 10 were composed by him. He had tremendous success as a music director. Then he decided to sing. Many predicted his downfall, skeptical about his talent, and all this opinion & judgement was in the public domain. But he went ahead anyway. At least for the initial part, each new song was a bigger blockbuster than the last. Then he decided to act. By that time, the entire nation was on Facebook or Orkut, and everyone was vocal in ridiculing him. But he went ahead anyway. Composer, singer, actor, and now producer. I don’t recall anyone in the recent past who has been scrutinized and mocked so much. But, to his credit, Himesh has done whatever his heart desired. Many may not accept it, but he has achieved significant success in each of his avatars. I may not buy his music CD or watch his movie, but for not giving up and having faith in oneself when no one else does, he has my respect.

Lastly, Rakhi Sawant. She may not be in the same league as Sunny Leone, nor is she as talented as Himesh. So, I’ll keep it short. Whenever you see or watch her on TV, you realize that she is always unabashedly honest about herself. She says what she wants, does the kind of songs or movies she wants, and participates in the kind of shows she wants. She's aware that she's the butt of many jokes, but that doesn't deter her a bit. This doesn't justify all her actions, but being true to oneself and not judging oneself based on others' perceptions is a silver lining if you look for one.

Before I conclude, I must talk about one more guy who falls in the same league. He has been laughed at, ridiculed but has quietly gone along doing his business and has performed exceptionally well. But I guess I will have to write a whole new blog for Sir Jadeja. Later, because I feel this statement will age really well.