Success At Any Cost

by Sneha Goud

In the latest hit Hindi movie, 3 Idiots, main character Rancho (played by hottie Aamir Khan) encourages his two friends to let go of stress in their prestigious engineering college and pursue their dreams free from obligations.

I saw the movie with my parents.  On the ride home, I told them I want to give up my corporate career to become a wildlife photographer like Rancho’s friend Farhan (R. Madhavan).  My dad said I was free to do whatever I chose.  But 5 years ago, when I was a senior in high school trying to decide my major, they were singing another tune.

In the film, 3 intelligent, hardworking students commit or attempt suicide because of the pressure to do well.  And the film repeats the message many of us, even those who grew up in the US, heard growing up: the goal is to get into a good college, succeed there, and then get a “good” job.  Everything was dedicated to this goal and everything else extraneous.

When I was growing up, all the Indian adults I knew were doctors and professors. In the university town I was born and raised in, high-achieving Indians were the norm and almost all of them are now in medical school, with a few in law school or other graduate programs.

In high school, I wanted to be a journalist and applied to college with journalism as my intended major.  I ended up switching to business my freshman year.  Though my decision was all my own, I wonder how much subconscious pressure from the community played into my choice.

I am now a management consultant working for a prestigious firm.  But my mother continues to ask me about my plans for graduate school and eagerly informs me every time another childhood friend graduates from medical school or becomes an associate professor of mathematics.

But maybe movies like 3 Idiots prove life in India and by proxy Indian Americans really are changing.  Rancho encourages his friends to pursue their passions, and proves they are more successful when they are comfortable and self-confident.

Of course, stereotypes aren’t over.  Even if an Indian chooses an untraditional, not secure career path, being extremely successful is a base requirement, not a pie in the sky dream. By the end of the film, Farhan the aspiring photographer is revealed to be extremely successful with a bevy of books to his name.  Raju, who obtained an high-status engineering post by finally being honest about his personality in his interview, writes for a popular blog (apparently in addition to his engineering work). And Rancho himself is a scientist with hundreds of patents to his name.

Enjoying your work appears to be a goal, excelling is a requirement.  While I am proud of the progress the Indian community has made, I look forward to a future where Indians in practice and in action believe personal happiness is more important than bragging rights.