The Rocket in You

" Risk tho Spiderman ko bhi lena padhta hai "

Rocket eventually learns a lot from this line in the film and I was thrilled to know that once upon a time I was Rocket, except no one told me that line. Rocket Singh - Salesman of the Year is a film that I personally connected and felt nostalgic about by "non-filmy" days. We see these characters in everyday lives, yet few stories have been written about them. Jaideep Sahni and Shimit Amin deserve full marks for believing in the story, and for bringing it to life. It does not aim to be clever or gimmicky, yet communicates with a powerful message. Rocket does not take a safe path, infact he does not have a safe path, since he failed. He takes up a career in sales considered risky by everone else, he eventually goes on to become an entrepreneur. There was a message unknowingly deciphered by Rocket in the film, like a clarion call.

Rocket finally decides he wants a change of industry using his sales skills. When Rocket enters the new indusrty, he realises everyone in this indusry knows how the product should be made. Rocket learns the ropes around the organization with time. Film industries also functions like an organisation, so for someone like Rocket how is the film industry an organisation or like an industry. When Rocket first enters the industry he studies his products. He begins understanding his product is a film, there are multiple companies making films. Rocket by conditioning of his Dadaji realises that Ramayan and multiple stories told to him are good stories. A film is a good story and good stories have soul, becomes his mantra.

So Rocket starts with his R & D department to develop a good product for the market, he decides to have everyone on the same strategy as he formed Rocket Sales corporation. He decides all partners work in profit. Rocket applies the strategy and a system from his sales organisation. Rocket meets a passionate director who has a vision and a story to tell. Together with the director, Rocket hires a writer. Rocket trusts his writer and director to spend months doing R & D on the product. Rocket moves on to find other people in his team. Rocket makes sure that his marketing team, stars, actors does not influence the script and his R & D dept, their work is to their respective functions and not to write scripts. He makes sure people hired for different functions stay within their skill set.

Finally the day arrives, Rocket realises his R & D department is ready to move to implementation and developement phase. Rocket spends months raising funding and selling his product in the market, finally a buyer surfaces. Rocket treats his every pitch as cold calls and sells his product with passion to every investor. Rocket convinces his investor that he will give the ROI (Return on Investment). The film audience is Rocket's consumer, he realizes the value of 150 bucks spend by the consumer while consuming his product. He has to give them an satisfying experience, that they keep coming back for more. Rocket begins implementation with the rest of the team, backing the director at every step. Rocket realises the importance of support to the director and his vision, The director goes on to direct everyone from the script writer, actor, cinematographer, musicians and technicians, fully supported by his producer. Months later, Rocket makes his product for the consumer, he is happy he has made a good product that he would consume himself.

He continues selling his product at each stage hoping one fine day, his product will be consumed by his target consumer, when it is out in the market. What happens next stays unsure? Rocket either goes on to start a production house, churning quality films after films, since his organisation works like a proper organisation or Rocket initially finds a lots of hiccups, ups and downs and finally wins, but as of now the story is still under developement. Importantly, after every step Rocket remembers Spiderman.

There are many Rockets in every industry, but how many Rockets can sell their products with conviction at every stage. Many Rockets become disheartened, loose hope and finally return to a no risk arena. How many rockets are able to think independent ? Many Rockets bringing in new knowledge to the industry are afraid to challenge the existing norms. Many Rockets simply deliver a product in haste without thinking twice, eventually their products fail and they discourage other Rockets. Some Rockets go with vengeance, some with indulgence, some miserably fail, some fail to understand their own product. Some are selling it because their families are selling it. In the whole scheme of things, only few Rockets really stick it out like our Rocket Singh, because he knows his product and believes in it, more importantly he approaches his work with integrity and that's what brings out the soul, Every step rocket is independently thinking every moment on he can get his product or service out there.

Surprisingly and maybe unknowingly YRF, Jaideep and Shimit, have given out a clarion call. If you can find the Rocket in you, very soon, you will be out there selling your product or your service, doing what your beleive in, cause that is the only thing you can sell best. So be it an actor, doctor, writer, musician, journalist, scientist you need to know how to sell what you beleive in. So taking this forward, I shall remember the spiderman quote.

"Risk tho spiderman ko bhi lena padtha hai, main toh phir bhi Salesman hoon "