In today’s India, perception isn’t just everything — it’s the only thing. The narrative isn’t shaped by truth or experience. It’s outsourced to PR firms, sold through headlines, and consumed with religious devotion by a public too exhausted or too distracted to ask questions. And this is how the narrative has been carefully crafted for us:
A politician is a messiah.
No matter how many scams he’s accused in, how many communities he divides, or how many promises he fails to deliver — he walks around with folded hands and a forced smile, and the cameras zoom in to show a halo. For every pothole and power cut, there’s a press conference that blames the opposition or a foreign hand.
An actor is the hardest working soul.
Never mind the farmers toiling under the sun or the daily-wage laborers working two shifts just to buy rice — we are told that no one works harder than an actor. Their 4 a.m. gym photos, luxury endorsements, and month-long shoots in Europe are sold to us as examples of unimaginable sacrifice.
An actress is the epitome of virtue.
She speaks in well-rehearsed interviews about feminism, equality, and empowerment — often while endorsing fairness creams, diet pills, or designer wear made by underpaid artisans. The media celebrates her as a modern-day saint, even as her every move is curated for maximum brand value.
A cricketer is the ultimate patriot.
He kisses the national flag on his helmet, sings the anthem with watery eyes, and tells us it’s all for the country. What we don’t discuss are the millions earned in endorsements, private leagues, and celebrity appearances — and how patriotism, too, has become a product on sale.
A businessman is a role model for the youth.
Whether he’s taking billion-dollar loans and defaulting, moving his assets abroad, or laying off thousands to increase stock prices — he’s still the guy giving TED Talks on “vision” and “disruption.” His success is celebrated; his ethics are off-limits.
A bureaucrat is the watchdog of corruption.
He enters the system with dreams, and leaves it with properties. Files move slower than sloths, unless palms are greased. And yet, every time someone tries to question the rot, the bureaucrat becomes the poster boy for honesty and governance.
A policeman serves the people selflessly.
The same policeman who might beat up a student protester by day is guarding a VIP wedding at night. He’s stuck between political orders and public anger — and while some genuinely try, the larger institution has long stopped pretending it serves justice over power.
And finally — the Indian who truly loves his country… never lives in it.
He praises India from a distance, buys property in Canada, posts Republic Day messages from New Jersey, and tells his children stories of their glorious roots while making sure they don’t return to live here. Patriotism, for him, is an emotion best expressed on Instagram.
This is the India we’ve been sold — shiny, hollow, and suspiciously quiet when the uncomfortable truths come knocking. It’s time to tear down these myths, not with slogans, but with awareness. Because real progress doesn’t come from worshipping institutions — it comes from questioning them.