Around a week after Flappy Bird spread its wings for the first time(no pun intended) on Google's Play Store, it scaled new and unimaginable heights(no pun intended again) as it became the #1 game in 53 different countries. It wasn't just a game anymore: it was a revolution. At every corner of the digital sphere, at every social gathering or even at my own workplace, people were glued to their smartphone screens, screaming and slapping their foreheads every 10 seconds. I hadn't played it yet, and borrowed a friend's phone to see what the fuss was about.
As I watched that ugly little obnoxious bird dying the same death over and over again, I felt transported into the screen and shortly after which I lost track of time and space. Only after about 10 minutes did I snap out of that trance, thanks to a co-worker's incessant demand to play next. I gave it up, and observed a majority of my colleagues hooked to their phones, oblivious to the work scheduled for the day. It was astonishing to see how a simple, silly game could have such a cultural impact and became an inevitable part of people's lives for a few days.
The next day, I, like millions around the world came to know that the creator of this addictive phenomenon, Dong Nguyen had decided to take the game down from iOS and Android apps stores. Everything came to a standstill as there was a resonating wave of silent 'WTF's around the planet.
To say that Flappy Bird was a 'success' would be an understatement. It raked in over 50 Million Downloads and 48,000 ratings. In terms of moolah, the creator was set to receive $50 million from a single banner.
If he wanted, Dong could have let things go the way they were going, let his bank savings multiply in millions, and wouldn't have to work another day in his life. Instead, he decided to end the madness that had been taking shape when every single reporter wanted a piece of him. He realized that the game had become 'too addictive', and also had an adverse effect on his 'simple life'. He kissed all that fame, success and money goodbye, with just a single tweet to his followers.
When I was trying to analyze why exactly this happened and why someone would do something like this, I have no clue, but an image of Rajinikanth popped up in my head.
Being one of the most prolific icons in the world and probably the biggest element of India's pop culture, Rajinikanth's beginning was nowhere close to where he is today. Before he became a Superstar, Rajini was nothing more than a flashy bus conductor in Bangalore. During his years of struggle, he slept in dingy lodges and went days without meals. And when he finally did achieve stardom, he couldn't handle it. Working on 3-4 different films in a single day, Rajinikanth slept for less than an hour a day and succumbed to drugs and alcohol to keep him going. For a brief period, Rajinikanth was also called a crackpot, a madman because of the pressure and stress he was under.And suddenly, one fine day, he decided to turn his life around. He never left cinema, but decided to do only one film at a time and spend more time with his family. He wore simple clothes, simple slippers and kept his private life private. He avoid wearing any kind of make-up or wigs to public functions. After every film he completes, he took off on a pilgrimage to the Himalayas. Alone.
With his tremendous influence on people around the world and especially South India, coupled with the political undertones and parallels in every dialogue in every film he stars in, Rajinikanth could have easily entered politics as a standalone party and no other politician would even stand a chance against him for as long as he's alive. But being the epitome of simplicity, keeping in mind the greater good and his own simple life at stake, Rajinikanth has always refused to enter politics, and still does so. It is this humility and the power to stay rooted that makes this man the Superstar he is.
Agreed, it is difficult to handle fame and success, and one can easily get mindfucked into losing their identity in the limelight. But what's more difficult is the ability to handle the limelight and keep your identity, your principles, your roots and your life intact. The real challenge is to know what and who you were before you become famous. The bigger challenge is to surround yourself with the people who knew you before you were famous, because 90% of the people who you meet after that would be around just to get a piece of you, for strictly materialistic reasons. As much as all of us think that money and fame can get us anything, it's quite the opposite. Our lives become constantly under the scanner, and everything we do is governed by what people think of us. Millions who follow, but not a single soul you can talk to, confide in. And with those millions worshipping you from below, it's pretty fucking lonely at the top.
There are very few people in the world who realize that the grass is indeed not greener on the other side. Dong Nguyen is one of them. He might've created a rage that would make him a millionaire overnight, but he decided to not be lured by the illusion of money and the greed for power, and ended it all. While hustlers around the world are now selling 'Flappy Bird-installed phones' for thousands of dollars, he is now happy to return to his life pre-Flappy Bird, and is probably happy enjoying a bowl of ramen watching a Hanoi sitcom. He did it for the people who he made it for, as well as for himself.
Of course, he confirmed that he will continue to develop games for people to love all the world.
The grass is greener where you water it.
