Manu Bhaker shoots down ‘unwanted questions’ as fame’s double-edged sword follows her

India is an Olympic medal-starved country. And being an Olympic medallist in a country of 150 crore could be a rare feat.  

Years of relentless effort, dedication, detachment from the world, and immense sacrifice do not guarantee success at the grandest stage.

However, if one successfully obtains the coveted medal in India, they may advise you to proceed with caution as it takes courage and patience to deal with the overnight success that comes with its own cost.

For them, facing a barrage of unwanted questions, unsolicited bits of advice, and weird requests go hand in hand with the sudden fame. Some grow into it; others struggle to cope.

The young sensation, Haryana’s Manu Bhaker, joins the elusive list of celebrated sports personalities who rose to fame after the Paris Olympics.

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The world number five, Manu, created history by becoming the first Indian athlete in the post-independence era to win multiple medals in a single edition at the Summer Games in Paris. 

Manu finished third to bag bronze in the women’s 10-meter air pistol and mixed 10-meter air pistol. 

Her unfortunate third-place shoot-off series against the former world record holder, Hungary’s Veronika Major, saw her finish fourth, after missing one extra shot in the women’s 25m pistol final. 

With two Olympic medals, Manu achieved something in Paris that no Indian has ever achieved. 

Manu’s triumph brought her to the heartland of Tamil Nadu.

Chennai, a city known for star adulation, tried to deliver a dazzling show for the shooter, who was felicitated by the Velammal Nexus for her historic double in the Paris Olympics at the Velammal Mall here on Tuesday.

Velammal group’s school students made cardboard cut-outs, a miniature Eiffel Tower, a 10-foot Rubik’s cube pop art portrait of Manu, the shooter’s hand-drawn portraits, a podium, a crown, and a pageant, among several other things. 

At the entrance of the event hall, a well-decorated wall dedicated to Manu, adorned with over 250 Polaroid prints, greeted attendees. At the same time, a 10-year-old boy was ready to unleash his tennis-ball juggling skills on a one-wheel cycle, which might take one back to old Rambo Circus days. 

A royal welcome was expected. It did happen with energetic sounds of trumpets and drums all too briefly before the beautiful set-up was marred by a howling ruckus of media persons and YouTubers who gatecrashed Manu’s entourage. However, the warmth shown by hundreds of students powered over the commotion as Manu entered the venue. 

Before distributing sports scholarships worth Rs. 2 crore to the group’s sports achievers, Manu took a moment to sign a few pencil sketches of herself, drawn by the students.

Once the scholarships were handed out, the spotlight returned to the 22-year-old star. A question-and-answer session followed, where Manu faced a mix of reactions — disappointment for not recognising Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and applause for knowing popular actor Vijay.

Manu remained patient throughout, diligently answering each question. Then, a student made an unexpected request: a song.

With a touch of reluctance and a hint of embarrassment, Manu obliged, singing  ‘Dekha Tenu Pehli-Pehli Baar Ve‘ by Mohammad Faiz and Jaani — a not-so-expected sight at a medal felicitation event.

But the surprises didn’t end there. When asked to join a group of schoolgirls dancing to the Bollywood hit  ‘Kala Chashma,’ Manu couldn’t refuse. With grace and good humour, she joined in, grooving alongside the delighted students.

The event wound down, but the barrage of questions didn’t.

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Right when the proceedings were coming to an end, a reporter fired a curveball: “Vinesh’s judgement was politically motivated. What’s your opinion?” 

Manu’s face remained unreadable as she processed the question. Before she could respond, another question was hurled — this time at her mother: “What was your conversation with Neeraj (Chopra)?”

That was the tipping point for Manu. Without a word, she decided not only to leave those questions unanswered but to leave the place altogether.

In India, where successful athletes tend to be celebrated more than they should and remarks over personal attributes take up more attention than professional achievements, the spotlight can feel overwhelming and misplaced.

After all this, if one wants to know how fame truly feels, try asking Neeraj Chopra. Curious about the flip side? Perhaps ask Arjun Babuta.