Actor Alia Bhatt put the spotlight on a question many quietly struggle with, fear of failure, during a public conversation with Sadhguru in Chennai recently. What followed was not a typical motivational answer but a striking take that flipped the idea of success on its head. The exchange, part of the event In Conversation With The Mystic, has since caught attention for its mix of humour, honesty, and an unconventional way to look at ambition and achievement.
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Sadhguru cut in with a smile, saying, “I can also talk about my failures,” prompting the actor to respond, “Yes, please do.”
Alia then shared a personal anecdote about her daughter, reflecting on how early the need to “win” begins. “I feel, we fear failure. As my daughter is growing up, she is always trying to win, 'I came first,' even if somebody else came first. She said, 'No, but she cheated.' And I say, 'No, she came first.'”
The moment drew laughter when Sadhguru quipped, “Second plan for the Presidential elections in the United States.”
“I'll cry on your shoulder a little bit, please,” he said, adding with a laugh, “Nobody has seen me crying, so let me cry a little bit.”
Alia encouraged him, saying crying is healthy — a remark that left the spiritual leader laughing.
“When I was 25 years of age, one day I realised, if I take my hands off my psychological process, every cell in my body bursts forth with ecstasy. Literally. Every cell in the body drips ecstasy.”
He explained that once inner balance is achieved, outcomes lose their grip. “So if you are like this within you, what is working, and what is not working, is not a concern. You'll do everything to your best.”
‘I know I will die a failure, but I am a blissful failure’
The conversation took a striking turn when Sadhguru described his life’s mission,and why he still considers it incomplete.
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“I sat down, and geographically I made a plan for the world that in two and a half years, I will make this whole world blissful because who would not want to be blissful? No price, no cost, no drink, no drug. Simply sit here and boom! You are gone.”
After decades of relentless work, he acknowledged the scale of that ambition. “I know I will die a failure, but I am a blissful failure. This is my blessing to everybody. You must be a blissful failure because you set petty goals for yourself, once you achieve them, and you say, 'I did it. I did it.' What's that?”
“For human potential, you must think of what you cannot do in this lifetime. You must aim for something that cannot be done in this lifetime. If you take a few steps, the next generation will take the next step.”
He ended on a note that cut through the idea of labels. “If you are blissful, who the hell cares? Somebody thinks you are a failure, somebody thinks you are successful, that's not the point.”
Alia Bhatt echoed the sentiment simply: “We must be blissful failures.”
Beyond the sharp one-liners, what stands out in Sadhguru’s message is how he reframes the role of parents at home. Instead of being constant supervisors, he suggests that parents should focus on creating an environment where children feel at ease. The idea, he hints, is not to withdraw completely but to replace control with awareness and presence.
His remarks also tap into a growing discomfort among parents who feel pressured to “get everything right.” With advice coming from every direction, experts, influencers, and even other parents — the expectation to constantly intervene in a child’s life has only increased. Sadhguru’s take quietly questions whether too much involvement may actually take away a child’s ability to learn on their own.
Another layer to his argument is the way he separates age from authority. By pointing out that being older does not automatically make someone more qualified to control another person’s choices, he shifts the focus to mutual respect. This approach suggests that children, like adults, respond better to understanding than instruction.
The idea of parenting as a “privilege” rather than ownership also changes the emotional equation. It moves the conversation away from control and towards responsibility. In this view, parents are not shaping a product but supporting a life that is unfolding in its own way, with its own pace and personality.
At the same time, his comments do not dismiss the need for guidance. Instead, they hint at a quieter form of influence — one that comes through example rather than enforcement. The emphasis is on how parents show up daily, rather than how often they correct or instruct.
The wider reaction online shows that while some find his views refreshing, others remain sceptical. For many, discipline is still seen as the foundation of upbringing. Yet, even among critics, the conversation has opened up space to rethink whether authority alone can build confidence in children.
Taken together, his message does not offer a step-by-step parenting guide. Instead, it nudges people to pause and reflect. Less control, more connection, the shift sounds simple, but as many parents would admit, it is not always easy to practice in real life.
A conversation that turned failure into a talking point
The interaction took an honest turn when Alia Bhatt admitted, “Sometimes chasing dreams means success, but a lot of the time it means seeing the failure. I want to talk a little bit about failure.”Also Read: 'Rs 17 LPA not worth it': IIT Delhi graduate quits bank job, says 'can’t sell peace of mind for a package'
Sadhguru cut in with a smile, saying, “I can also talk about my failures,” prompting the actor to respond, “Yes, please do.”
Alia then shared a personal anecdote about her daughter, reflecting on how early the need to “win” begins. “I feel, we fear failure. As my daughter is growing up, she is always trying to win, 'I came first,' even if somebody else came first. She said, 'No, but she cheated.' And I say, 'No, she came first.'”
The moment drew laughter when Sadhguru quipped, “Second plan for the Presidential elections in the United States.”
‘I’ll cry on your shoulder’: humour meets honesty
As the discussion deepened, Alia asked for guidance for young people dealing with failure while chasing dreams. Sadhguru responded in his trademark mix of humour and insight.“I'll cry on your shoulder a little bit, please,” he said, adding with a laugh, “Nobody has seen me crying, so let me cry a little bit.”
Alia encouraged him, saying crying is healthy — a remark that left the spiritual leader laughing.
The turning point at 25
Sadhguru then spoke about a personal realisation that changed his outlook on life.“When I was 25 years of age, one day I realised, if I take my hands off my psychological process, every cell in my body bursts forth with ecstasy. Literally. Every cell in the body drips ecstasy.”
He explained that once inner balance is achieved, outcomes lose their grip. “So if you are like this within you, what is working, and what is not working, is not a concern. You'll do everything to your best.”
‘I know I will die a failure, but I am a blissful failure’
The conversation took a striking turn when Sadhguru described his life’s mission,and why he still considers it incomplete.
Also Read: Pakistan, Bangladesh students 'becoming' gay to seek asylum in UK
“I sat down, and geographically I made a plan for the world that in two and a half years, I will make this whole world blissful because who would not want to be blissful? No price, no cost, no drink, no drug. Simply sit here and boom! You are gone.”
After decades of relentless work, he acknowledged the scale of that ambition. “I know I will die a failure, but I am a blissful failure. This is my blessing to everybody. You must be a blissful failure because you set petty goals for yourself, once you achieve them, and you say, 'I did it. I did it.' What's that?”
A different way to look at success
Sadhguru urged people to aim beyond what seems achievable in one lifetime.“For human potential, you must think of what you cannot do in this lifetime. You must aim for something that cannot be done in this lifetime. If you take a few steps, the next generation will take the next step.”
He ended on a note that cut through the idea of labels. “If you are blissful, who the hell cares? Somebody thinks you are a failure, somebody thinks you are successful, that's not the point.”
Alia Bhatt echoed the sentiment simply: “We must be blissful failures.”
Beyond the sharp one-liners, what stands out in Sadhguru’s message is how he reframes the role of parents at home. Instead of being constant supervisors, he suggests that parents should focus on creating an environment where children feel at ease. The idea, he hints, is not to withdraw completely but to replace control with awareness and presence.
His remarks also tap into a growing discomfort among parents who feel pressured to “get everything right.” With advice coming from every direction, experts, influencers, and even other parents — the expectation to constantly intervene in a child’s life has only increased. Sadhguru’s take quietly questions whether too much involvement may actually take away a child’s ability to learn on their own.
Another layer to his argument is the way he separates age from authority. By pointing out that being older does not automatically make someone more qualified to control another person’s choices, he shifts the focus to mutual respect. This approach suggests that children, like adults, respond better to understanding than instruction.
The idea of parenting as a “privilege” rather than ownership also changes the emotional equation. It moves the conversation away from control and towards responsibility. In this view, parents are not shaping a product but supporting a life that is unfolding in its own way, with its own pace and personality.
At the same time, his comments do not dismiss the need for guidance. Instead, they hint at a quieter form of influence — one that comes through example rather than enforcement. The emphasis is on how parents show up daily, rather than how often they correct or instruct.
The wider reaction online shows that while some find his views refreshing, others remain sceptical. For many, discipline is still seen as the foundation of upbringing. Yet, even among critics, the conversation has opened up space to rethink whether authority alone can build confidence in children.
Taken together, his message does not offer a step-by-step parenting guide. Instead, it nudges people to pause and reflect. Less control, more connection, the shift sounds simple, but as many parents would admit, it is not always easy to practice in real life.
