Stepping into parents’ shoes not a cakewalk

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Recently when Sachin Tendulkar’s son, Arjun Tendulkar, 13, made it to the Under-14 squad from Mumbai, it made much news. But Tendulkar Sr tried to play down his son’s big break by saying Arjun needs to be left alone.

Sachin was quoted as saying, “Like any other parent I feel extremely happy and proud that he is part of Mumbai U-14 team. His hard work has paid off. I hope that people leave him alone to enjoy this beautiful game as a normal member of the team.”
While Sachin made this statement, he also made it quite evident that the pressure on his son to do well would be too much. People will keep an eye on his performance and pundits would often compare him with his dad.
“It often happens when you choose to work in the same field in which your parent has made a huge mark,” says fashion designer Nikita Tandon, whose mom Reynu Tandon, in a career spanning more than 25 years, has set a benchmark for her.
Nikita, who started in the industry around four years ago, says, “My work is often compared with my mother’s and this never ends. Buyers often tend to do that. They will compare the design, the fabric used and very intricate detail. Initially, I wanted to do better than mom. She became my benchmark. But then I realised that I’m born with my own talent and can’t imitate her. I will have to stand out,” says Nikita, who is now comfortable doing her choice of clothes.
For some, the popularity of their parents has put them under much pressure. Sumit Roy, son of artist Sudip Roy and a second year student in the Faculty of Fine Arts, MSU, Baroda, goes through the same feeling time and again. “I face a lot of problems in my college as well. When I do something, it’s often my dad’s work that becomes the yardstick. People forget that my dad has achieved that perfection in years,” he says.
The kids, who opt to take up the same line of work as their parents, always have to live up to an image. “And to be unaffected by the criticisms that you are to get, you have to make yourself very strong,” says Shreya Sabharwal, who has started doing theatre recently just like her mom, veteran theatreperson, Bubbles Sabharwal.
“I’m a person who doesn’t really get affected by the pressures from others. Most of the time, it helps me to take an independent decision. I could never be her and thus I’m trying to create my own path, my own identity,” she says.
However, it’s not just the stress that these kids get from their parents success. They look at the positives too. Tanira Sethi, daughter of fashion veteran Sunil Sethi, who is pursuing textile design currently, says that she feels privileged that she can look up to somebody for guidance. “With his experience, my dad can really help in making the right decisions. Plus, my chosen line of work is very vast. There’s space for everybody to co-exist,” she says.
Sumit also looks at the optimistic side. He says that he knows the hardships that his dad went through to reach where he is today. “And he is there to help me to come through those adversities smoothly,” he concludes.