Is talent inherent, inherited or the result of hard work?
--> Posted on 2009-08-06 02:14:37 By Har AmolMany artists have stride to reach the apex of their career, some have ever sprinted to achieve the helm. But many have been slow on the road to success with some even knocked off path leading to stardom. The reasons may be different for different artists for their victory or failure, but the most common of them is talent. Talent is the boat which takes an artist near to its destination of farther. But the question is, whether the boat of talent is inherited from parents, inherent or the result of hard work.
Of course, one should not forget importance and role of genetics, (which we inherit more from our genes than just a propensity for diseases such as Alzheimer’s and cancer), but how much do we imbibe through the gradual unconscious process of assimilation and absorption called osmosis, how much do we inherit genetically and how much credit should we give good old fashioned hard work and effort?
We often see children of business families like Birlas, Ambanis, Singhanias, Godrejs etc get into the family business and take it from strength to strength, children of politicians such as Omar Abdullah, Sachin Pilot, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, Jyotiraditya Scindia etc take to politics like ducks to water, and star children like Abhishek, Kareena and Karisma, Esha Deol, Fardeen, Zayed and Hrithik amongst many others, light up the screens their parents once did (and still do in certain cases).
It just goes to show that whether talent is inherent or inherited, you can’t make a place for yourself in the sun if you live in the shade of your family tree. You need to work hard at making your own mark.
The glamorous film industry’s flock is the most dissected and spotlighted. We often hear comments like “an actor is born, not made”, “You either have talent or you don’t”, “It’s in his genes” or “She’s a natural.” Assertions such as these imply that the ability to act is either a gift from God, a genetic jackpot, or a bonus chromosome.
However, human beings learn a lot through the process of osmosis. Being exposed to the professional life of the parent on a regular basis gives children a strong foundation and tangible knowledge base of the profession. This familiarity in turn predisposes the child to it.
But quite honestly, there is no substitute for hard work. Human beings are better at doing things when they spend time practicing it. It’s a simple equation: more time spent on something = more talent and proficiency at the task.
Take Hrithik Roshan for example. He came into the industry after four years of training hard at dance, fight and acting classes and it paid off with a blockbuster first film. Abhishek Bachchan, on the other hand, made a rather unimpressive debut at the box office. Critics said his body needed working on, as did his dance and fighting abilities. However, given a period of time he has consistently gotten better and better. Practice makes perfect?
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