None of us can claim to have never tasted defeat. Though I wonât deny that it might secretly be every winnerâs most earnest desire to keep up the winning streak, but as we know, life isnât a cakewalk, and knows of the most definite ways of maintaining equilibrium. Which basically means, you and I have tasted our shares of failures and perhaps also fallen short of making it to the top by a decimal point.

And unfortunately for us, nobody ever really cares to look past the winnerâs gold medal and into the eyes of the runner-up - that would be you and me. Amen to that. 

However, when I happened to stumble upon the trailer of Har Kisse Ke Hisse Kaamyaab, something, no, strike that, everything about this film hit me right in the feels. If you have ever known what itâs like to stand at the runner-upâs spot, or have been introduced as âjust a friendâ by a potential crush, you know the feeling and thatâs reason enough for you to read this.

 1. Overshadowed By Glamour

So you made that stellar PPT for the team presentation but the âbest employeeâ took the trophy when it came to presenting it? You went out of your way by âbeing thereâ for that girl-friend you hoped to make your girlfriend until she called you her best friend instead? 

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Well, going by the Kaamyaab trailer, the same goes for the âsecond most popularâ thing that makes Hindi films such successes - the sidekicks and promising character actors who never get their dues despite their great work when it comes to name, fame and money.

2. Adding Colour To The Bigger Picture

I mean, letâs face it. Where would these winners be without the likes of us? It is because we are there to charge them and push them to do better that they even make it to the top just ahead of us. If there isnât anyone to take up the second spot, who even is a winner? *Sour Grapes Alert*

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Such is the case of yesteryear âsuperstarâ sidekick Sudheer, who added so much flavour and dimension to the films he acted in, and yet leads a life of obscurity with little recognition from that one (out the 499) film that got him a âmemorableâ dialogue. Because of course, who remembers a sidekick despite how he helped make that movie a success?

3. The Official Face Of Bigger & Better

You know, people should give us more credit for never really losing our heart and giving up. I mean, of course it sucks, missing the top spot and all the âstarry eyesâ that follows it, but really have you ever seen a runner-up giving up the fight? Right, you havenât because thatâs not how weâre wired.

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We love a good fight, and whether we make it to the top or not, we always believe in improving our game, and breaking our personal records. Though just like Sudheer, we keep secretly hoping someday people will notice our achievements and contributions too.

4. The Badshah Of Dashed Hopes

However, all that said, more often than not, people seem to look right through us. As if that decimal point is a difference of hundreds, the presentation didnât mean as much as the speaker or the best friend is all but a caretaker, a cushion.

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In Sudheerâs quest to star in the 500th film, create a personal record and gain a sense of achievement, he has a lot more to lose than just his hopes.

5. Making Peace With Our Share

Despite what weâd rather believe instead, we are pretty practical and know how the society works and what it prioritises. So we do what we have to do, and end up making peace with the ways of the world.

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Though it would be a lie to say that we donât continue to look for ways to challenge peopleâs stunted worldview, because we do and shall continue to do it till the end of time, or until runner-ups get the love and respect they deserve.

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