I was reading this book ‘The Zoya factor’ in which the Indian Cricket team is convinced that the protagonist Zoya is a lucky charm for them. Every time she has breakfast with the team they win and every time she does not have a breakfast they lose. And she gets an official invitation to all-expenses-paid travel with the Indian Cricket team to Australia for world cup matches so that she could have breakfast with the team. Makes for an interesting read(@Pallavi: thanks for recommending the book).
Celebrities from showbiz, sports to politics are well known to subscribe to good luck charms. Just to name a few
- Sallu and his Blue Sapphire bracelet’s popularity is growing everyday
- Ekta Kapoor(and previously Karan Johar) and obsession with letter K
- Emraan Hashmi the lucky charm for music and songs in his movies
- Brad Pitt and Shark-tooth necklace
- Cameroon Diaz and her anti-ageing necklace
- Jennifer Love Hewitt and the lucky seed
- Schumacher and his blue and gold amulet
Obsession with lucky charm is not just limited to celebrities alone. Even the ordinary folk like us do various things to woo Lady Luck. And the most common is putting your right foot forward when you enter. I know of a friend who always wore red dress for any exam. It is usually something that you wear or carrying articles gifted by somebody or blessed by somebody. Sometimes it is a small ritual like writing ‘Om Ganapati Namah’ on the answer sheet in your exam or kissing the racquet before the match starts. At times you discover it when something goes really well and at other times it is suggested by friends,seer or a well-wisher. But the bottom line is to believe that it will work and it will!!! This obsession is not restricted to any geography or race or religion or whatever. It is a human trait known to found in people across the globe.
If having lucky charm is so human how can I be immune to it. I had a stint with the lucky charms too. In my college days I had a feng-shui bracelet which I believed brought me good luck and it did. Everytime I wore it to the class I had a blast. And then waiting for that somebody to wish me luck for my paper so that I would do well in my exams. I also had this salwar suit and it used to rain whenever I wore that no matter what season!!!
My stint did not last for long though. My bracelet soon became old and faded and my equation with that somebody changed. I am still the same. Sometimes I win and sometimes I lose but I could never understand what was with the charms that helped me so much. I don’t know if they actually work or it is just the confidence they give you that helps. But they do!!! It may simply be a superstition. It may work just because of the confidence that it gives you or it may be an excuse for losing or just human insecurity at work. If later is the case, no wonder the showbiz swears by lucky charms. The stakes are too high and so is the insecurity. Whatever be the reason the trend is here to stay.
According to The Economic Times, the astrology market in India is estimated at around Rs 250 crores. Throw in elements like vaastu, feng shui, and mantras, and it amounts to a whopping Rs 800 crores! And do we need to ask why?
