On Children’s Day, kids say Modi, SRK, Mary Kom and Deepika are the role models
Shradha and Adhreshya M Vijay pose as Mary Kom. (Photo: DC)
Chennai: Narendra Modi, SRK, Bill Gates, Mary Kom and Deepika Padukone — they are the idols for kids of the new millennium. Gone are the days when children used to dress up as Gandhi or Netaji for fancy dress competitions held on Children’s Day. Their whole perception of ‘idol’ has undergone a sea change, largely due to the role played by Internet and television.
With a strong Modi wave sweeping across the country, it’s no surprise that our PM tops the list of idols. “I was fascinated with the way he took over social media during the elections, endeared to youngsters with his campaigns and reached out to us in a personal way that I’d never seen before. This year was the first time I followed the elections and our Prime Minister has made a lasting impression on us,” remarks 11-year-old Vishwa Guru, a student of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.
Manya Bagri, a student of APL Global School says Children’s Day is special for many reasons but more so because it’s her brother’s birthday as well and it offers her a reminder every year to chase her dream of becoming an actress! “I’ve always wanted to get into films, and my modern-day role models are Deepika Padukone and SRK. They are both self-made stars, who worked hard and charted their own career path. In fact, I have met Deepika once and it was a memorable moment!” she smiles. Deepika seems to have large number of fans among the younger lot. Eight-year old actress Sara
Arjun of Deiva Thirumagal fame, who is presently busy with Bollywood films also loves Deepika Padukone. “I stand in front of the mirror and emulate Deepika ma’am for hours. I also love to dance like her,” she says.
For someone like Ranjani Ramadoss of PSBB, her definition of ‘icon’ has changed with time. “I fondly remember celebrating November 14 as a kid, dressed up like Jawaharlal Nehru complete with a rose and all! I used to participate in culturals, and also speak about him as I’m a good orator. Now, though, as cheesy as it sounds, I want to be the first ‘me’ rather than be any other personality.”
She adds, “One person who constantly inspires me though is author John Green who wrote books like The Fault in Our Stars and Looking for Alaska. His themes are so relevant to us as teenagers and really insightful.”
Eleven-year-old Syed Shahidh Ilhan says he idolises Bill Gates. “Bill Gates has made this world a much better place to live in. Despite being a college dropout, he’s done an incredibly inspiring job, putting a computer in every home. He’s my hero. I hope to do something like that someday,” he says.
Eight-year-old Adhreshya M Vijay and her eleven-year-old sister Shradha say that they love to watch Mary Kom boxing and thoroughly enjoyed the movie based on her life. “I like Mary Kom. She can fight just like any guy. I like to see her boxing. I want to be like her when I grow up,” says Adhreshya.
Mary Kom is not the only icon of strength and perseverance for the kids. Priyanka Shrivastav says her kids, Ahan (10) and Sara (8), prefer dressing up like people who are everyday heroes “My son wants to dress like Lionel Messi and my daughter is keen on dressing up as Kalpana Chawla or Sunita Williams. They read newspapers regularly and know the struggles that people face before they make it big. They aspire to be who they can relate to and not people who are an important part of our history but can only be seen in history books,” she says.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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