The rocky path to success

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I was born to an agricultural family in a place near Madurai in Tamil Nadu. At the age of seven, I ran away from home. I had beaten up a classmate in a fit of rage, and feared my parents’ wrath if they got to know of the incident. Hence, I decided to run away from home.

For days, I drifted around like a nomad, till I landed in the Bagalkot district of north Karnataka. There, I started working as a labourer in a sweets shop. But after a while, I could not handle the physical abuse and ran away from there too, in search of my home. I wanted to return to my family desperately, but didn’t know how to go back. I walked aimlessly from one place to another. Often, hunger would drive me to steal from sugarcane farms; I would even raid honeycombs to overcome my hunger pangs.
Finally, I reached the fort district of Chitradurga, where a family which found me on the road adopted me. I did odd jobs for them and also doubled as a watchman. I was leading a pretty content life until seven years ago, when my life changed forever due to a mere `100.
My adopted family accused me of stealing `100. I was devastated because they were the only family I had. I lost all purpose in life and could not digest the humiliation. I went to a nearby fort in the area, with the intention of committing suicide.
I climbed up a boulder, and went up for about 50 feet. However, I realised that while the height was good enough to break my bones, it would not kill me. And so, I continued to climb higher and just as I was about to leap off the edge, I saw a large crowd gather below.
They were cheering me on, assuming I was performing acrobatics. They continued cheering for a long time. I was shocked and amused at the same time, with all the attention I was receiving. But within a span of those few seconds, I had suddenly found the will to live.
The next day, I went back to the fort and noticed a monkey climbing a boulder. I thought to myself, if the monkey could do it, why not me? That’s where my love affair with boulders and forts first started.
But rock climbing was good to entertain people, not to fill my stomach. So, I started working as a daily wage labourer and a tourist guide. I earned about `3,000 to `4,000 per month and I managed well with it. This was possible because of the love the people of this district showered on me.
Today, most hotels allow me to eat free of cost and I pay just `1,000 as room rent. The rest I use to fund youngsters who want to make a career out of rock climbing.
I also do a few roles in movies and after I became famous as the “Spiderman of India,” I have also been featured in many television programmes. On one such programme, music director Anu Malik and director Farah Khan praised my skills. I was hoping that they would encourage the sport, but that did not happen. But I’m not one to give up. I have started training 12 youngsters in the district to become world-class climbers.
On the personal front, I have also made peace with my family in Tamil Nadu and stay in touch with them.
I’m now working towards my ambition, which is to enter the Guinness Book of World Records and I’m sure I’ll get there some day.

As told to Manuja Veerappa