Imran Khan and Russell Brand: Turns out Jemima Khan likes a particular type

Both want money to travel from the hands of the undeservingly rich into the hands of the deservingly poor.

Brutally honest, charismatic, towering over six feet, pioneers in their respective fields and socially and politically active; these are just some of the adjectives that could be used to describe former cricketer Imran Khan and comedian/actor Russell Brand.

Mammoth success in their respective fields drove both men to give back to society. They are doing so by challenging the status-quo and by calling out a revolution.

To oversimplify it, both want money to travel from the hands of the undeservingly rich into the hands of the deserving poor. The British former playboy, Brand, blames capitalistic corruption and the Pakistani former playboy, Imran, blames political corruption for injustices in their countries.

It seems like these two have a lot more in common other than their involvement (at different points in time, of course) with the Goldsmith girl, journalist and Black Swan last Halloween, Jemima Khan.

Now let’s take an in depth look at the commonalities between the two modern day Robin Hoods:

Prominent looks and charisma

Both possess chiselled jaws, dark hair and piercing eyes, and to top it off, their self-assurance and eloquence can convince you that the universe came into existence when a piglet sneezed stardust to the ether. Both have the quality of delivering speech that resonates deeply with the listener; barring Imran’s call for not paying taxes and Brand’s call for not voting.

Brutal honesty

In a world governed by social pretence and face-saving, it is a breath of fresh air to encounter those who bravely speak the truth and lay out their lives in the public eye. They have made political elements vulnerable and open to criticism for the sake of developing society into transparency.

Brand has been funnily and fearlessly vocal about his former drug addiction and Imran has been fairly honest about his personal life; which is absolutely unheard of from a politician in Pakistan, where honesty can cost you heavily.

Former ladies men

Brand’s past life as a lothario is an open book, similar to Imran’s past multiple affairs.

But who can blame them?

Few can qualify for possessing the armour to resist the temptation of willing candidates. Both men stayed in a promiscuous rut for a while until they fell for, incidentally, the same woman. Although Brand had settled down prior to this, an intellectual mind needs another intellectual mind to find true satisfaction.

The youth believes in them

The young feel that they can relate to them, owing to their genuine concern, social contribution and compelling personalities. The young see in them, a reflection of themselves. Imran revoked the spirit of the Pakistani youth, and certainly the British youth has become more interested in politics as Brand discusses equality, empathy and justice.

Brand’s notion that we need laughs in politics is agreeable. After all, if you cannot enjoy someone’s speech, why would you take interest in their policies? Although, that is not necessarily a pre-requisite for being a good or effective leader; I mean, even Hitler had youth support. Yikes.

Power for love or love for power?

Brand’s world-tour named ‘messiah complex’ and his frequent jokes about being Jesus hint a love for power. Similarly, Imran’s over energetic speeches, stealth with standing foot firm on ground for days come rain, hunger or Gullu Butt, display an almost celestial want for power.

Could it be a case of needing constant doses of authority?

It has people wondering whether it is more of a case of power for self or power for the people. Perhaps it is a bit of both, in which case, I don’t mind at all.

Accused of displaying more intelligence than they possess

Many scholars, academics and so-called serious people say that these men display more intelligence than they actually possess. I don’t know whether this accusation is a result of their non-political careers or because of other factors. But, one cannot deny that they are raising voices for genuine issues.

Call for revolution but vagueness regarding implementation

Their ability to voice the concerns of the afflicted have won them the support of millions. However, their lack of specification in strategy has supporters equally confused. I guess the question now is would you count on good intentions and ambiguous plan-of-action or tried-and-tested yet not fully effective?

Of course, having more graver than the United Kingdom (UK), Pakistan is in a dire need for revolution or reformation. But improvement is what any country should strive for.

Here’s to hoping that Imran can bat out and Brand can mock down corruption from their respective countries, successfully.