New Year Musings

The ritual of New Year resolutions has been in fashion for decades, perhaps even before Archies perfected the art of selling cards for every conceivable emotion and occasion. The exercise is as predictable as it is futile, yet we return to it every year with touching sincerity.

It reminds me of a recent public debate on the existence of God between Javed Akhtar—well-known writer, poet, and avowed atheist—and a Mufti who, surprisingly, turned out to be far more logical and articulate. The discussion was curated by Lallantop producer Saurabh Dwivedi and generated considerable chatter.

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Predictably, sections of the Indian media condemned the debate, arguing that it distracted from “real issues” such as mob lynching, unemployment, and sustained attacks on democratic institutions—the legislature, the Election Commission, and the misuse of security agencies like the police, CBI, and the Enforcement Directorate.

But truth be told, these issues have rarely mattered to the electorate in India. And New Year 2026 is hardly the occasion to rehash everything that went wrong in the year gone by—God forbid.

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For me, however, the first week of the new year has always been a time to think—or rather, to rethink—why we did not think clearly when it mattered most.

And let me say this, after seven decades of existence on this planet: regardless of what the new breed of podcast celebrities might tell you, every human being is capable of thinking—whether or not they believe destiny is etched into their palm through a “headline” or a “heart line.”

What truly matters is how one thinks.

There was a time when I worked with Evening News, a tabloid of the Hindustan Times. One of my assignments was to call Delhi’s VIPs and ask them about their New Year resolutions. Most politicians had nothing meaningful to say, and I often became their proxy—on the strict condition that their political interests were not jeopardized.

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Then there was Gulshan Kumar, the deeply God-fearing founder of T-Series, who told me simply, “I will go and visit Vaishno Devi.” That was his New Year resolution.

Gulshan Kumar was known to be a simple and humble man who rose to dizzying heights in the entertainment industry, having started his life as a juice seller in Daryaganj, in the heart of Old Delhi. His journey proved one undeniable truth: you do not need formal education to become rich.

Yet, when I was in my twenties, I naively believed that an educated person was automatically a good human being.

Today, most values my generation grew up with—whether that generation is called Z, M, or D, I honestly don’t know—stand thoroughly shattered. The most dangerous individual in our times is not the ignorant one, but the deeply indoctrinated one.

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Under these circumstances, I have devised a few basic, fundamental exercises for myself to survive 2026 with sanity intact. They require no technology, no algorithms, and certainly no artificial intelligence. Any adult, anywhere in the world, can follow them.

Be Sensitive
(“It doesn’t affect me” is not an acceptable excuse.)

Be Sensible
(Don’t allow self-appointed gurus to hijack your brain.)

Be Serious
(Perpetual smiling is best left to show business.)

Be Selfish
(We are taught that we must always come last—it’s time to unlearn that.)

Be Sane
(Let “that’s insane” remain a figure of speech, not a lifestyle.)

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