Bollywood movies are said to follow a clichéd formula for decades: the hero overcomes odds, battles villains, and wins the love of his life, with side trips into taking care of family, friends, and relatives, and doing good for the society.
These “masala” movies mimic Indian cooking, which is a spicy mix of all elements, tastes, and flavors. This filmy trope might appear well-worn, but remains relevant if viewed from the proper perspective. One of these is the business and success perspective, and how grit and determination can help overcome tremendous odds.
This can be inspirational, especially if it is a popular hero who embodies a typical rags to riches story. This can be seen in the Bollywood movie Don in which Amitabh Bachchan is a street-smart kid who eventually goes on to become the top Don.
One can see it in Baghban where Salman Khan, the adopted kid, goes off to the States and returns a wealthy man to support his foster parents in their sunset years. Heroes like Bhuvan and Bunty and Babli or villains like Mogambo also come to mind.
There are innumerable such examples strewn across the Bollywood film landscape that can foster the entrepreneurial spirit. Bollywood can be a business strategy masterclass.
This perspective is explored in detail in this book that focuses on Bollywood as an inspiration for business and lessons delivered in palatable dollops. Lights, camera, Action! Let’s get down to it in a few examples.
“Raaste ki parwah karoonga toh manzil bura maan jayegi!”
(If I worry about the journey then the goal will feel hurt.)
This is a prime example of entrepreneurial philosophy in a nutshell. Taken from the movie “Once Upon a Time in Mumbai”, this delivery line, though apparently unethical, under girds how businesses and businessmen take the high road to success.
Doing business in India is a tough task, to put it mildly. There are minor concerns such as theft of ideas, competitors, and customer refusal to buy on the one hand, and there are laws and regulations that need compliances. These are potholes that a business entrepreneur must navigate to reach his destination—the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Amazon, Tesla, Infosys, Apple and myriads of others are prime examples of starting small, innovating and overcoming hurdles to grow to become behemoths. You walk down a thorny path and then own the road.
Vital lesson: If the road and the journey scare you, you will never reach your destination.
Lagaan: Overcoming challenges of mega corps
The East India Company during the British rule is akin to today’s mega corporations. It was a virtual monopoly that squeezed all resources and stifled competition, further buttressed by the unbearable taxes imposed by the British on the poor.
In Lagaan, Bhuvan, played by Amir Khan, flips the game and beats the British at their own game, which is cricket. The underdog wins, despite being absolutely without resources except a fierce will and derring-do.
Bhuvan spotted an opportunity and grabbed it by building a village cricket team, building upon the individual strengths of each player to create a powerful and winning combination thereby outsmarting the competition. In the cricket match the Brits bite the dust, India wins.
