Some moments in life need to be covered in protection. They need to be disguised in expressions, somewhat irrelevant to others. I believe there is no crime in it. The human rarely ever shares his or her entire mind or body with others completely.

I hid behind a mask. Those that could see through it perhaps will. I wish them well. Those that could not I wish them well too, for even if I were to explain them the details it would not make any difference to their lives.

Andy Murray lost to the grit of the American Andy Roddick at the semi-finals. The last British bastion at Wimbledon fell today amongst great hope and expectation. The build up to his presence and all that he was expected to achieve now gone horribly sour. I do believe that a certain degree of restraint was necessary from those responsible for winding up an entire nation towards what he was expected to achieve for them. An athlete representing the country he or she plays for, carries a great burden of psychological pressure, apart from all the other more physical pressures of performance. Yes they need the support and the encouragement to know that they are not alone, but excessive talk or public projections, become an unasked deterrent. They destroy the spirit instead of lifting it up. The focus of the performer shifts. Instead of concentrating on his game, he gets more involved in concentrating on whether he shall please those that expect the ultimate from his game. And invariably this is destructive. Just as much as the technique and physics of the game is a necessary armament, the mind too plays an important part. Indeed, I believe, with the enhanced levels of performance in most humans reaching a common peak, there is very little left technically and physically for them. What then becomes an important factor in almost all such cases is the treatment of the mind of the athlete. And here is where a great amount of attention and training is being imparted.

The treatment and training to the mind of the athlete is not just only for him. There is a great amount of effort being put into how the mind of the competitor can be dealt with as well. What is it that can be psychologically played upon, to distract or disturb the rival or challenger or the opposition. Success in disturbing the opponent results in victory for the other. And this has now become an important tool in all sports activity. Indeed an important tool in almost all walks of life.

Andy Murray and his team of consultants, trainers, physicians and family shall most certainly be grieving the loss today of a well trained and certainly world class tennis player. But I believe that those that did him in, also, were those that built up expectation and destroyed his mind. Their intentions may have been very noble, but they must realize and share the finality of the defeat.

For MS Dhoni, the Indian Cricket captain to have got into a most unnecessary give and take with the media in South Africa during the T20 Championships, I believe, went a long way in our unexpected early exit from the competition. The media’s continuous questioning on whether there was tension in the team because of the presence or non presence of Sehwag in the players list, must have played on his mind. There was a constant defensive attitude of justification, when none was required. These things play on the mind when you are out on the field. Instead of justifying your talent and skill, one starts justifying skill to counter the media. Thats when things go wrong. And I believe that is where the T20 team went wrong.

There is an interesting aside to this as well.

Knowing that these unconcerned pressures play on the minds of players, the opposition could perhaps also, very intelligently and with some deliberate intent create controversy in order to disturb the opposing team. Tactics that do not concern skill are often used for ultimate gain.

Nothing alarming or unknown here. Happens all the time. In politics in business in life, I guess.

What eventually comes out shining is that despite all these maneuvers, victory is achieved. Nothing but nothing can ever stand in the way of a consummate victory. You win the cricket championship, you win a tennis title, you give a box office hit and you kill controversy, you kill that media over expectation and you wipe out that cynical critic, in one felled blow !

It is the 3rd of July. An sms, or mobile text message from one that worked with me from day one, writes to inform me that it is the day today that Kaun Banega Crorepati was launched ! Goodness ! I have even forgotten the year it was. But, my God, an entire lifetime has passed by ! Someday perhaps we must reminisce of those days and exciting moments when KBC first hit the TV’s in India…. and so much changed…

Remain well and connected… with my love

Amitabh Bachchan