Marvel’s Ant-Man is in theatres and it has the adventures of a man who shrinks to the size of an ant, and thus becomes a tiny superhero who has the power to save our world from towering threats.
In our world, the damnably traditionalist world, height plays an important role in one’s success, especially when you are on screen, entertaining the world who want you to be the ideal picture perfect person. And in sports, it matters because physicality is important. But then, there are exceptions, the few who have defied the convention of height, and have become successful in the world of cinema and sports. Take a look.
Sachin Tendulkar
Height: 5 ft 5 in
Widely hailed as the little master, Sachin Tendulkar is arguably the greatest cricketer that India has ever produced. A child protégé, he tasted success at a very young age, and had a considerably long cricketing career in which he smashed and made records after records. His success has earned him fan following around the world, and he is without a doubt, one of the most famous sportsmen in the world.
Aamir Khan
Height: 5 ft 6 in
With Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak’s (1988) raging success, he became an overnight sensation, and now forms the holy trinity of the Khans in Bollywood. He has earned a special place for choosing films that earn critical plaudits along with making huge gains at the box office. His television show Satyamev Jayate is also a terrific example of using star power to address larger social evils. The not-so-tall leading man is widely hailed as the thinking man’s star, and his career is the envy of his peers, and ecstasy for his countless fans.
Rani Mukerji
Height: 5 ft 3 in
In 1998, she delivered two major hits, and never looked back. For a small duration, the petite Bengali girl struggled a little to get hold of the right roles. But by 2004, she hurled back to back terrific performances and became one of the major leading ladies of Bollywood. A cinematic presence infused with subtleness and poise, she has a keen pair of eyes, choosing well defined roles in the sphere of mainstream masala.
Saina Nehwal
Height: 5 ft 5 in
The first Indian to win a medal in Badminton at the Olympics, Nehwal’s success has been a major boost for women participating in sports in India. Besides her glory at the London Olympics 2012, she is also the first Indian woman shuttler to be the world’s number one champion. Currently, at the prime of her career, she has many records to break, and many awards to claim. And height doesn’t matter at all for that.
Mary Kom
Height: 5 ft 2 in
Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom, popularly known as MC Mary Kom, brought women’s boxing into mainstream discussion with her daredevil success. When the little wonder woman won the bronze medal in the flyweight (51 kg) category at 2012 Summer Olympics in London, she became the only Indian woman boxer to do so. Rightly nicknamed Magnificent Mary, her struggle to success also inspired a Bollywood biopic featuring Priyanka Chopra.
And the Hall of Fame award goes to...
Peter Dinklage
Height: 4 ft 5 in
We are used to seeing dwarfs being the perfect target of a joke, and Peter Dinklage’s success is a tight slap to that conformism of our world. His breakout role came in 2003 with The Station Agent, a nuanced indie gem where he walked the tightrope between solitude and loneliness. And a barrage of roles followed. Since 2011, he has been playing Tyrion Lannister in the hugely popular HBO series Game of Thrones, and has entered popular consciousness worldwide.
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