Is your hero enriching your life, or is he just feeding on your adulation?

The endless debate of whether heroes are born or made confines itself to a neutral conclusion: heroes rise from among us. In 1840, Thomas Carlyle, one of the modern world’s profoundly influential philosophers, gave a series of lectures in London titled Heroes and Hero-Worship.
His publication by the same name later made people sit up and think about how to measure the success of individuals and call them our heroes. The Industrial Revolution had set in, and the world was changing rapidly in every aspect- colonial leadership, rise and fall of empires, art and culture, religious orders. Carlyle’s lecture series helped society measure, in subjective terms, who is a great hero.
Towards the fading end of 1943, in my beloved city, the city of dreams, the city of hope - Bombay, of course, Mumbai today- a 21-year-old young man had earlier dropped out of college to support his father’s declining fruit trading business and supplement the family income to support a large joint family.
While this young man was applying for jobs here and there, a chance encounter at the crowded Churchgate station with a family doctor, who was known to his father, led him to be referred to a movie studio. The Bombay Talkies owner Devika Rani, offered him the role of the lead actor in her upcoming movie.
This young man had never even watched a movie until then and had anticipated a desk job in the writing or accounts department. Shocked but humbled at the offer, he learnt everything on the job.
The audience rejected his first performance, and the most influential movie critic of that time passionately criticized him in writing. But heroes are not born—they work and earn the trust of the people.
Within a few years, this actor became the benchmark for acting; some credit him for introducing the concept of Method acting. I am sure all of you, who have the slightest knowledge of Indian cinema, will agree that Dilip Kumar is perhaps the benchmark for acting and cinema.
My dear gentle readers, my kind, informed listeners, the above paragraph is not just my love and tribute to Dilip Kumar but my adulation for a person who I consider a hero. That set me thinking—who is a hero? Do we love Dilip Kumar just because of his acting? My firm answer is: no.
Hero and hero worship is something that should be looked at beyond their job or professional craft. It’s about their essence—what they stand for, how they live, and the values they inspire. Let’s, for a moment, limit our discussion to public figures of either gender in entertainment and sports.
For children, parents are often their first heroes, naturally embodying love, sacrifice, and the instinct to do right by them. But when it comes to public heroes, the question becomes: are they heroes for themselves, or for society?
Call them stars or celebrities or call them heroes, but what I learnt from my hero is the ability to discern between a hero who lives for others and a hero who feeds on the adulation of their followers or fans.
Our contemporary society is being fueled and bombarded by the rapid rise of social media promotions. Bombay has been, and Mumbai is, home to many people who are considered heroes or have a huge fan following—local, national, or even international. We see them in performances on screens or on the field, on billboards and hoardings, and even in newspapers and mobile advertisements.
So, based on Carlyle’s long philosophical lectures, my own inspirations, and perhaps some wisdom, I started to contemplate who a real hero is and came up with some internal reflections.
Does that hero inspire you to become a better person? Goodness is something that is in the DNA of every person, but a hero’s inspiration can help you become better every passing day.
Does your hero’s behavior remain authentic in public and in private? I feel your hero should be better than you are.
My hero never endorsed any product for a fee. Modern heroes charge hefty fees for everything—and that’s totally okay, as long as they themselves believe in what they are endorsing. I am sure you would expect them to remain true to their ‘preaching’ in those ads. To thine own self be true, said Shakespeare.
A hero excels in one thing but creates a halo effect (the way their excellence in one area influences their reputation in others) around many other things. Does your hero take advantage of that halo effect?
The sacred Bhagavad Gita reminds us, “Whatever a great man does, others imitate. People follow his example.” And the Quran warns us, “O you who have believed, why do you say what you do not do?” Even divine wisdom guides us to remain authentic and reminds us of the responsibility that comes with being admired.
Is your hero enriching your life, or is he just feeding on your love and adulation for him? A true hero doesn’t just bask in the glow of admiration. They give back, using their platform to make the world better.
The heroes we choose reflect who we are and who we aspire to be as individuals and as a society. When we hold our heroes to the standard of goodness and authenticity, we elevate not just them but ourselves. For such a hero we wish them success in the words of Iqbal: Tu shaheen hai, parwaz hai kaam tera / Tere samne aasman aur bhi hain.” You are a falcon, soaring is your destiny / There are many more skies waiting for you.
I found my authentic hero. Did you find yours?
(Faisal Farooqui is a co-founder of two tech startups and CEO of MouthShut.com)