This Article was originally Published in Times of India

There is almost no philosophy that cannot be best described by a Vadivelu quote, as the headline shows. The whole Indian approach to life is to de-risk it as much as possible. This is even more true when parents choose their children’s careers as is most often the case. A couple of decades ago, government jobs were the holy grail; now, we are raising a nation of electronics and computer engineers.

I have a huge extended family. My paternal grandparents had 10 children and 47 grandchildren. When I joined my BE in Electronics and Communication, there were two engineers in my family. These days, it feels like I have a few thousand nephews and nieces, and two of them are not engineers. I’m sure this is a pattern you see in your families, too. I can confidently surmise that a very low percentage of them have a passion for the subject and will have rewarding careers. A few lucky ones, like me, figure it out early and start pursuing our real dreams. Among my nephews and nieces, we have state-level athletes, fantastic singers and extremely creative people, who I’m sure could have made it in films, too, but, no, they are all grist to the IT mill that relentlessly grinds on. It’s frustrating to say the least.

In my position as a minor celebrity, I get invites to various colleges to judge competitions or conduct workshops. While I’m pretty good at making it seem like I know what I’m talking about, I have only one constant message — your single-minded aim in life should be, to never work hard. I know you have been told the opposite all your life. But consider this, if you can find a job you enjoy, it really won’t seem like work.

At the heart of the national obsession for IT engineers is our aversion to what we perceive as risk. What will a job as a horticulturist pay? What if he doesn’t make it as an RJ? Aren’t there too many people trying to be singers? Does homeopathy have the same prestige as allopathy medicine? Can journalists have a family life? These questions haunt parents. The last priority in
choosing a career often is ‘will I enjoy doing this?’.

This de-risking obsession is, of course, not limited to careers. About 10 years ago, I was in a meeting with a client. I was heading an advertising agency and I was pitching a campaign idea to a huge textile client. I kept saying that my idea was unprecedented and that nobody else had tried anything like it (I say this about all my ideas). After me saying this a few times, finally the client burst out, ‘why are you trying something that nobody has done with my money?

Please do something that somebody has already done successfully!’ He opened my eyes. My company’s turnover increased significantly after that. If I thought I had escaped this, it sometimes (not always) seems like Kodambakkam is the Mecca of the ‘Safe Formula’. I’m sure you know what I mean. It’s not as if this formula guarantees a hit. If anything, audiences get irritated when they are fed the same tropes and can see what’s coming from a mile away.I understand that safety and stability are important parameters for life, but when a great career or a land-mark film is at stake, a little risk is not the worst thing.So let’s be cool like Vadivelu. Risk edukarthellam enakku rusk saapidra maathiri…