Decades ago, the artist, Andy Warhol foresaw that “in the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes”; fame would be transient and the distinction between the real star and the parvenu blurred. He was the first to predict the democratisation of celebrity and fame with even the mediocre having their moment in the sun.The future that Warhol envisaged is upon us. The celebrity culture that has us by the scruff of the neck is nourished by an omnivorous, multi-faceted media that homes in on the celebrity of the hour who is lavished with adulation that would turn even the most level head. The crazed celebrity focus addles sensibilities to the extent that most people have lost the capacity to distinguish between the real hero and the performative pretender. Even inane statements by the man of the moment are lapped up as gospel truth.Consider the over-the-top praise of the Indian team following its T20 World Cup victory, calling it “the best white ball team ever” that had ‘created fear among all the teams of the world”. Forgotten in the hype was the stumble against lowly-placed USA, the resounding thrashing by South Africa in the Super-8s and the lucky breaks against England.Such extravagant applause is understandable but what was truly nauseating were the post-match comments of the newly minted celebrities, coach Gautam Gambhir and the team captain, Suryakumar Yadav. These guys have evidently not heard of Winston Churchill’s counsel about showing magnanimity in victory; nor do they understand that boastful gloating when one wins is bad form.The perpetually sour-faced Gambhir attributed India’s triumph to a “super team” culture rather than a “superstar” culture: “My job is to build a super team not superstars.” He went on to add that his team prioritised collective goals over personal milestones, and specifically underlined Sanju Samson’s dynamic ‘team first’ approach that got him three consecutive scores of 85 + but no hundreds.It’s clear that his comments were a barely disguised jab at the two legends, Kohli and Rohit. And there’s a method to his mean pettiness. By using the victory podium to denigrate two of India’s greatest cricketers, he was clearing the way for dropping them from India’s ODI team for the 2027 World Cup, which both are keen on playing.Suryakumar Yadav, this regime’s puppet, was no better in his deportment after this great achievement. He claimed that he “never paid attention to personal things” and was focussed on winning games for India. Without batting an eyelid, he took fulsome credit for “planting a team culture 18 months back” that ushered in an era of aggressive, fearless cricket, although the template of all-out aggression was cast by ‘hitman’ Rohit who, not so long ago, gave India those blazing starts in match after match.Suryakumar even sought to play the deep thinker, spouting absurdities like: “I don’t want to be the captain, I want to be a leader.” Not a whisper about the debt he owed to those who came before him.Let’s look at India’s T20 World Cup triumph in perspective by comparing it with our T20 World Cup victory in 2024 when Rohit and Kohli led the way. To begin with, we played the tournament this year in perfect, tailor-made home conditions before the most passionate and partisan fans, whereas our victory in 2024 was crafted in alien territory in the Caribbean and USA.India’s T20 World Cup winning team of 2024 was the real dealIn that 2024 tournament, India did not lose a single game and even thrashed our bugbear, Australia. That wonderful team was all style, spearheaded by ‘hitman’ Rohit’s pyrotechnics up front and the purring batsmanship of ‘Chase Master’ Kohli. It was aggression tempered by cricketing wisdom, unlike the slap-bang approach of the current team that very nearly cost India the match against USA. And not to forget, that team was coached by the quintessential cricketer and gentleman, Rahul Dravid.India’s T20 World Cup winning team of 2024 was the real deal and showed the way for the team that followed. To borrow Isaac Newton’s famous observation, our current T20 team has excelled “by standing on the shoulders of Giants” like Rohit and Kohli. It’s tragic that our fickle fans and media have forgotten them in the frenzy of the moment!As for Gambhir and Suryakumar, they will be remembered for their self-aggrandising arrogance in victory. In sharp contrast, the hero of this year’s T20 World Cup, Sanju Samson attributed his success to guidance from Sachin Tendulkar and the encouragement of his former captain Rohit Sharma and coach, Rahul Dravid.Magnanimous to the core, he thanked Gambhir and the team management for giving him the opportunity to open the innings, though everyone knows that he got his chance fortuitously only because of the precipitous loss in form of Abhishek Sharma and the mediocre showing of Ishan Kishan. Sanju Samson made us proud by showing both humility and magnanimity in victory. He used his celebrity status to display the best of sportsmanship, so kudos to him. And shame on his small-minded seniors for their unsporting conduct!Which brings me to the question of the role of celebrities in society. At the end of the day, life is not only about laurels won, financial rewards, the rubbing of shoulders with the rich and famous and basking in the unconditional devotion of the fans; it is also about what you give back to society. After all, celebrities are hallowed leaders who have the social clout to pressure the governing class to do the right thing by the people, apart from influencing the behaviour of ordinary citizens. I daresay celebrities have a greater impact especially on the young, than religious or political leaders. How they use this power determines how history would view them.In this regard, our homegrown celebrities have been reticent if not downright apathetic in their social concern. In dark times we turn to our idols for light but our celebrities have been utterly indifferent to the life and death problems confronting the country. I have a theory that the poorer a nation the more solipsistic and heedless the rich and the famous, on account of a deep sense of insecurity. Amid widespread deprivation and state-sponsored injustice that has severely damaged our democracy, fearful celebrities tend to distance themselves from the misery and disorder by bolting their ivory towers.Truly abhorrent though are celebrities who have been complicit with a regime that has justly incurred the odious label of running an ‘electoral autocracy’. Gavaskar, our best ever Test batsman, has been a lead apologist, his latest salvo against Indian corporates for including Pakistani cricketers in their teams in foreign leagues, diminishing his legacy as a sporting great. His hypocrisy and flawed justification have been brilliantly parsed by Sushant Singh in a recent piece.Tendulkar has been even more of a lickspittle of this regime, his only overt intervention in politics coming in support of the government’s repression of farmers in 2020. As for megastar Amitabh Bachchan, he revealed his toady credentials when he justified Modi’s absurd thali-banging order in 2020, claiming that the sound vibrations from the banging would destroy the potency of the coronavirus.In marked contrast, celebrities in America have been the most prominent and voluble critics of the boorish, white supremacist Donald Trump and his illegal war against Iran. Robert De Niro, Jane Fonda, Madonna, Richard Gere, Rosie O’Donnell and a host of others have felt obligated to tell the world that they have a dangerous bigot as President. As cultural icons, they have mobilised their power to raise issues of justice and humanity. And they have made a difference, inspiring people to join in the ‘No Kings’ protests in their millions.From as far back as the 1960s, I have followed the celebrity world avidly, beginning with page 3 and the Sunday Supplement of the national dailies, and the glossy magazines in the barber’s shop. And since then, I have never let go. Given such impeccable credentials, allow me to pick my choice of the greatest celebrity in my lifetime.Marlon Brando is my man! He was the greatest actor of his time who was ever willing to share his knowledge with his co-stars. And when the arc lights dimmed, he was a gladiator for social justice. In 1973, he stunned the world by refusing the Academy award for Best Actor for his role in The Godfather in protest against the dishonourable treatment of the Native American community. He was a leading and persistent advocate of African American civil rights.Despite his megastar stature, Brando was all humility when it came to his craft. He was asked to do a screen test before being offered the role in The Godfather and he readily complied. Even at this distant date, I remember Time magazine’s droll comment: “It was like asking the Pope to recite his catechism!”The writer is a former civil servant. The views are personal.