The news of Sachin Tendulkar being nominated as MP has made the nation anxious if not amused. Leaving the debates like whether he deserves it or not and whether he can manage both politics and games, I could not resist thinking of what made a cricketer (possibly more than that!!) getting a chance to sit in the Parliament.

          
               It's not really a surprising scene in a country where people talk about celebrities more than politicians, where a sportstar is more honoured than a minister. But the question is "When did India become celebrity-obsessive?"

            
                Contrary to the popular belief, it was not induced by the foreign cultures. A brief insight into Indian history and culture reveals our obsession with the celebrities. Lord Rama, Lord Krishna were kings who became Gods after their life span even though they did not preach anything to the common people. It's quite evident that what we feel towards celebrities is not just admiration.

             But foreign culture has changed our tastes and preferences. We have drastically changed ourselves in terms of what we respect, admire and love. Television and the internet has brought us new super heroes and the inherent tendency to worship whom we admire has made us obsessed with film heroes and sportstars. It made us build temples for film stars, it made us visit a movie theatre more often than a temple, it made us watch music channels instead of news channels.

It is something one can’t change (if there is someone who wants to) and perhaps the highest civilian award may turn out as “the most popular Indian” award in the nearest future.