Thank God 2012 is finally behind us and we have seemingly survived all those Mayan prophecies and Hollywood scare-flicks about the end of the world for now. It is a new dawn and that time of the year when everyone is in an expansive mood. There is something magical in the air. I love the thrilling nip in the air. Even in the dry Middle East, this is a great time to be around.
Oddly, occasions like these leave me depressed. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that another year from one’s life is gone without accomplishing anything worthwhile. Or maybe it has something to do with the fact that I spent the New Year night alone before the television while Dubai celebrated as if there was no tomorrow.
The iconic Burj Khalifa ushered in 2013 with a bang, setting skies ablaze with another spectacular fireworks display, synchronised and choreographed to a live performance by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.
A window table at Atmosphere, a restaurant on the 122nd floor of the 2,716-feet tall tower, went for a mere Dh16,000! More than two billion people around the world tuned in to watch “the biggest fireworks display on the planet,” claim the organisers.
Superlative is the norm. Be that as it may, I was one of those few who had other things to watch on the tube like the back-to-back reruns of Seinfeld, the American sitcom to which I have been hooked for years.
During my endless channel surfing, I stumbled upon a rather interesting roundtable discussion on CNN-IBN. As part of its 2012 Bollywood Roundtable, the channel hosted what it described as four of India’s finest actors — Aamir Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Irrfan Khan and Nawazuddin Seddiqi. All four of them have not just excelled during the past year with groundbreaking work, but have carved for themselves a niche of their own.
The day before, the network had brought together four young writers and filmmakers — Zoya Akhtar, Juhi Chaturvedi, Habib Faisal and Neelesh Mishra — in another programme. Again, they were described as four of the most influential writers of their generation.
While both programmes were a delight to watch, what struck me was their heavy Muslim representation. If superstar Aamir Khan has been the epitome of excellence and perfection for his generation, Irrfan Khan has distinguished himself as an actors’ actor with his stellar performances not just in India but in Hollywood as well.
This despite being born without matinee idol looks. Seddiqi, relatively newcomer, seems to be walking in Irrfan’s footsteps. With his commonplace looks and build, Seddiqi would have be instantly lost in Mumbai’s milling crowds if it weren’t for his extraordinary portrayals.
Similarly, Zoya stands out among the new-age filmmakers and storytellers despite her young years and sparse body of work, including the refreshing Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and more recent Talaash. Zoya comes from an illustrious family of gifted writers and poets.
If her brother Farhan Akhtar is credited with cult movies like Dil Chahta Hai, her father Javed Akhtar co-scripted some of the greatest films India has ever produced, before turning to poetry. Faisal is another young filmmaker/storyteller who is being keenly watched. With movies like Ishaqzaade and Band Baaja Baaraat, Faisal brings a raw freshness and new grammar of filmmaking to the industry.
Of course, there’s nothing new here. Muslims have always done well in the dream factory that produces the largest number of movies in the world. It is not just the famous Khans, reigning superstars in the 100-million club; Muslims have excelled in all areas of the fiercely competitive industry that commands a global market. Indeed, nothing celebrates the diversity of the melting-pot nation as the Mumbai industry does.
The essentially secular nature of the tinsel town, equal opportunities and fair competition — whatever the explanation, but Bollywood has been a big success story for Muslims (just as Hollywood has been for the Jews). Not much different from some of those rags-to-riches tales it has portrayed over the years.
And slowly and ever so slightly, Muslims are beginning to replicate this success and culture of excellence in other walks of life. If Irrfan was chosen last week for CNN-IBN’s Indian of the Year Award in entertainment category, Dr Yousuf Khwaja Hamid of Cipla, the pharmaceutical giant, picked up the honour in the business category.
With an annual turnover of more than Rs 6 billion (Dh4.67 million) Cipla has been repeatedly in the news for defying western pharma giants like Bayer AG by selling vital, life-saving drugs at throwaway prices in Africa and elsewhere.
Last year, Cipla slashed the price of its complex cancer drug by as much as 75 per cent. But it is its war on HIV/Aids that has earned the company global laurels and gratitude of tens of millions in the developing world.
Dr Hamid may have saved thousands of lives in Africa and elsewhere by making the once-forbiddingly exorbitant HIV/Aids cure accessible to the less fortunate — from under 10,000 people in 2001 in the continent to more than eight million today. Cipla now is the largest manufacturer of critical antiretroviral drugs.
Another big success story on this front is Himalaya Herbals, founded by M. Manal in 1934. The Bangalore-headquartered company is now a global market leader in herbal medicines and healthcare products. Once known for its liver medicine, Liv52, Himalaya’s growth has been phenomenal even as its owner, Meraj Manal, staves off investment offers and takeover bids by western multinationals. The Ayurveda major’s growth is expected to jump fourfold in the next five years.
Staying with Bangalore, the city is also home to Azim Premji’s IT giant Wipro. According to Forbes, Premji is the third richest Indian with an individual net worth of $17 billion (Dh62.52 billion).
The magazine hails Premji as “Asia’s most generous person” for his $2 billion donation to the foundation he runs for philanthropic causes. Employing more than 140,000 people in 57 countries, Wipro recorded $7.37 billion in revenue last year, much less than what it used to be before the global downturn.
These are but some shining stories of hope for a community that has for long been down in the dumps, especially since the partition in 1947. There are more such extraordinary examples of sheer hard work, brilliance and persistence in all walks of life — from missile scientist and former president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam to Supreme Court Chief Justice, Altamas Kabir, and the new Intelligence Bureau chief, Syed Asif Ebrahim, not to mention the popular names in sports and arts.
As we begin a new year, I would like to believe there is hope for India’s Muslims. Doubtless, the challenges they face on all fronts are daunting. As recent government studies have established, Muslims lag behind in all areas — even behind the Dalit and tribal communities. In the North, once the centre of Muslim power, the situation remains depressing.
However, there are definite signs that things are slowly and perceptibly changing. More and more Muslims are growing up with a resolve to break free and do better than their parents’ generation. Down South, you see a revolution in the making with Muslims defying great odds to venture into fields once considered inaccessible — from engineering and medicine to IT and even media.
Of course, Indian Muslims have a long, very long way to go. You cannot expect a transformation overnight, but they will get there if they persevere as the shining examples cited above have. Ultimately, if anyone can help Indian Muslims and change their lot it is us.
Aijaz Zaka Syed is a Gulf-based commentator. Follow him on twitter.com/aijazzakasyed
