The mind is free

Shor In the City - Has got Soul!

2011-05-01T15:28:00.004+05:30

Somewhere in the middle of this film, an oily fixer says, "pata nahin sab log aajkal patli gali hi kyon dhoondte hain!". He, a fixer, looking for a fast buck, mouthing this priceless gem about the state of the argumentative Indian today. It is that kind of a film.

On the surface, it is a thriller set in the cattle class Mumbai, with motley characters, who you will find in everyday Mumbai, jumping in and out of the screen. Three thugs, all different types, have to make some money. An NRI, wanting to set up business and acquire a girl friend in Mumbai up against some local thugs. A cricketer wanting to make to somehow to the Indian team and save his girlfriend from impending arranged marriage and doom.

But, the story is not about that actually. It is more about hope, redemption and the triumph over circumstances through the practice of goodness!

Enter Mr. Coelho in the form of his book "the Alchemist". He starts to teach a thug how to get through life with the choices that one has. The thug is Tilak (Tusshar) and the goodness reaches him first through the book and then through a caring wife who is more educated than him and helps him learn the book.

But while Tilak is learning, the other motley characters are also seeking their destiny in the bowels of Mumbai. The NRI (Ramamurthy)has a dark past that he has run from but needs to bury once and for all. He does this tellingly, if only to be at peace with himself. In his case, the good comes out of the bad as he deals with the thugs who harass him in his own manner, only to go faceless at the alter of God.

The cricketer and his girl come to terms with their chances in the prevailing order of the society. They choose routes to future that may not be the best but yet provide them with a lot of cheer.

The film has its moments in all the departments of film making. Some details are very nicely done.

* The newly wedded Radhika Apte cringing in her marital bed at the thought of her new husband's assault on her for sex. The camera stationed on the side of Radhika's face captures her vulnerability and Tusshar's indecision and confusion. Nice!
* The witty repartee between the three thug friends. (Of course, more proficient actors than Nikhil Dwivedi or Pitobash or even Tusshar may have done wonders with these dialogues, I was thinking Sharman, Arshad, Deepak Dobriyal, etc. Repeatedly, their antics drew laughs. But it had a smear of pathos, through illiteracy and mockery. Very thin ice directors, Raj and Krishna skated here!!
* The redemption scene for Senthil Ramamurthy, the editing and BG score rocked here. The BG score is by Roshan Machado who needs to be complimented for the climax scene. It keeps us hooked to the proceedings.
* The mother outside the cricketer's girlfriend's room shouting away in Hindi and Gujarati alternatively to make the girl get out of the room. Small scene yet so effective.
* Amit Mistry, when he inspects the arms in the hideout. (Amit Mistry has been continuously impressive through Ek Chaalis ki last Local, 99 and this film, don't know why he does not get more work?). Watch out for his Mumbaiya Marathi intonations. It's brilliant!
* The set up of the loving couples at Bandra Reclamation in broad daylight. This spoke volumes about the loneliness of this city!!

My only crib is Tusshar. He is bland. This needed a yesteryear Kamalhasan kind of performer, really! If not, a Sharman would have done adequately or even a Nawajuddin!!

But go see this film. It's got soul!

Of Budgets, Ties and Oscar mirth!

2011-02-28T15:52:00.000+05:30

Need to find some relief. Too many messages from all around. I am a bit mixed up and my thoughts are coming out like:
 Pranabda takes a moral high ground on expenditure because of all the bat changes that Sachin, Gautam, Yusuf and some others have been doing. So, Pranabda has said that corruption needs a deeper probe. Why does Yusuf want to change his bat in 10 balls, I wonder? Because, Melissa Leoh has blurted out ‘f@##$%#g’ during her “Thank You” speech during the Oscars, someone hoots! Blur!!
 We shall Tax exemption upto Rs. 180000. Only? I have to dole out so much. I moan. Dhoni doesn’t. Why would he? He is neither happy nor sad. Or both. I dunno. All I know is that his conveyance is free, his petrol comes courtesy BCCI, mine doesn’t. And then he does not have a good midwicket for half a game. Franco does, look how he was walking on stage!
 Infra has got a lot of government attention. L&T stocks up. Kumble envisaged it and as an advertorial prepared that awesome 22 yards. Kenya can hit up 250 odd there now, but its got to be against India, with Chawla hogging one end to prove his acting skills as a leg spinner! Kumble also has come to know before about Pranab babu’s push to Education. His academy shall have Chawla as Sr. Lecturer.
So on and so forth!
Phew, need some sleep!!

Lyrical Bhardwaj and his Shakespearean Cinema

2011-02-26T16:59:00.002+05:30

Bhardwaj once said he made films only because he got to make his kind of music. Or did he actually?

We already know most of the story linearly through Ruskin Bond, Twitter and Blog reviews. A few minutes into the film, Bhardwaj pulls the rug from underneath my feet in a neat scene where the dwarf jockey cum horse trainer openly rebels against the Housemaster Major Rodrigues (Neil Nitin in a straitjacket). Vivaan Shah’s dry voice over announces a duel. Both Major and the Jockey are with whips. The subjugated Jockey is giving it his best. What is his motivation? Why would he do that, is my thought? He loses and he also loses an eye in the process. Susanna (Priyanka Chopra) gets angry. The bells toll. Major is bumped off in an elaborate sequence.

Why would the Jockey, Maggie the cook and Ghalib the butler willingly take part in Susanna’s ghastly thought as if it were just another episode in their dysfunctional life. As Vivaan keeps explaining to us in the background!

These people are not afraid of circumstances, of their position or their future?
(In the meanwhile, a Christian Susanna has already been shown doing a Naag Devta puja in a well) I get nudged, I am winked at!

They are not. As they know their “Saheb” Susanna from before. (Here, I begin to understand the genius of Bhardwaj). They know that she is a murderer and that at some point in her relationships she’ll snap. So, it is the men who in most cases come to live with her. Not she with them. The Ghazal writer (Irrfan in all glory) being the notable exception. In her familiar environs she sets up her murders like a Sardar and his man servant in a place called Nithari, in real life! Nudged, Winked.
But, she is in a battle with herself, with her damaged psyche that has nestled evil right from her childhood. The house help know. They vicariously enjoy her conquests, live a cheerful life, have bacchanalian evenings recounting her exploits and even willingly participate in her elaborate murders. The Nudge is hard. The wink is Mischievous now.

Very lyrically, through an elaborate use of Western folk, Western Classical, Rock and Ghazals, we see the men meeting their nemesis and losing their life to her through the first hour.

Bhardwaj needs to sell the psyche of a cold blooded murderer to us. He does that with some of the most awesome music that I have heard in recent times. Not all the riffs, church choir songs, a great “I Do” version (sung by Dominique Cerejo, most probably, as I could not spot the tag anywhere), a superb waltz track done in a dark army mess ballroom, Dekh to Dil ki Jaan by Mehdi Hassan et al. Murders need to be dressed up too! Nudged Hard!!

These brilliant pieces set the tone for Susanna to move forward through her story, aid her in her macabre search for life, violins serenade when she walks the aisle with John, the rockstar, just after a church choir help her in shedding tears for her departed Major, who we know she has killed. In fact, John is from the church choir. So musical and yet so fatal for the poor church boy.

I have entered the House of Mirrors that Bhardwaj has set up completely.

So, I state again, Bhardwaj once said he made films only because he got to make his kind of music. Or did he actually?

Do her husbands deserve those deaths? As I have mentioned in the beginning that Susanna’s damaged psyche does not allow herself to even contemplate walking away. She has to kill. So, the characters are shown indulging in some form of sin.
So, back to the music again and now the brimming BG score. I have to take a notepad and sit the next time I would have to note the elaborate notes he spins around each episode, differently yet the focus is to stun us viewers into understanding the fact that Susanna had to do that murder! She had reason, you see!! McGuffin there. But we get sold. Wink. Wink..

The confusion for the viewer is in the second half. Vronsky first. Why? He tells her he would not want to get married then, she forces her into marriage and then gets those photographs. Then the elaborate kill wherein the butler Ghalib malevolently explains how “Saheb” has bumped off the earlier husbands. Now who is winking at me?
So, an Abala Naari who is kind of dysfunctional, has landed up with awful hubbies and so has a history of murders now needs to murder again just for the heck of it?
Hard to digest. All because he has another family or he is probably a double agent?

The answer is in her darkening and wizening face. The demons inside her are out there for all of us to see. The tight close ups now and the haunting BG make us aware of the uncomfortable face and the mind behind it. Gruesome.

Then, she invites the investigating officer Keemat Lal (Annu Kapur) to her home, herself. Compellingly brilliant scene wherein she clearly states that she may be caught and Keemat keeps finding out a way of saving her while looking at the murder scene and then she coolly takes him to bed. Mind you, he is not so sure of this middle aged good looking woman and is just playing the lark. But, she is sure. Inevitably, she is on top in bed, bringing him to a climax that he has not known before. He is sold. He quickly goes through a divorce to come back and get married. Then, he is immediately killed. Why? This time, in church she is not even simpering!
Realization dawns to viewers and herself, Susanna. She ain’t gonna change. At all.
Then, the remorse sets in. She consumes pills to die. She is saved. The tables turn.

So, she plans one last time. She kills and then wants to die as she does not want to kill anymore. The fire results. The violins wail.

Then, the brilliant end. And the seventh husband. Faith! And the Church Bells…
I mean, how would this auteur go about filming this? So, let me get the scenes out of the way and then I’ll worry as to how I shall embellish it or get all the details in place, in head, in the screenplay, the music to the last riff and film it with all my actors knowing what they have to deliver?

The actors deliver, and how?!

Mallu Maniac at work!

2010-12-31T12:39:00.001+05:30

The Mallu Maniac was at the top of his bowling run up. He looked at the ground. All around. His eyes in permanent disarray. Then he did the boom barrier opening gesture with both his forearms raising to his head and down, in a focus gesture. He stood erect and focused on the batsman who was now as antsy as the wicket keeper behind. The mid off, Zakkan, had already started waddling ahead in the hope of stopping that single that might be routed his way. The gully, Najafgarh Nero, in his crouch slumped as he was prone to routine disinterest if he saw too much of too little happening. The Very Special Man bent down to prise out an offending twig from the grass and mutter under his breath. God, at midwicket, was immobile, but smiling.

The Mallu Maniac started running. The umpire straightened. He was happy, a ball was being bowled. He heard the furiously pedaling steps coming towards him as he started to focus on the running crease. Suddenly the steps slowed down. The umpire looked back in dismay along with the more dismayed non-striker ABCD, who really wanted to bat and was stranded for hours at the non striker's end as the striker Amladas was equally exacting a batsman as the Maniac, now going towards his bowling mark.

What had caused this abrupt return to the bowling mark. A man in a black shirt sitting at the far end had moved a quarter of an inch in his seat. The Maniac did not like black moving. So, he did not play in one dayers where they moved the black screens. He had voiced this in a team meeting and Kaku, the coach had thrown him out of that team. So, now he was on his way back. Zakkan decided to take things into his hands as the skipper behind the wickets was pretty much cut up with what the maniac was upto. He came across, and simply said. Mallu, bowl man, the way you are bowling there shall be girls in your room tonight waiting for you to finish your pooja, just go on and give that Amlaman the best outside off and one that can come into him at a rapid pace. Nothing will happen, no one shall throw you out of the team.

Mallu kept nodding while Goatie in covers looked on murderously. Mallu ignored him, no one, and to repeat that, no one was going to take away his chances of bowling a wicket taking ball. He again did his gestures, prodded himself adequately, while God kept smiling. Then, the run up started. The umpire heaved a sigh of relief. The clouds parted as the Maniac came running in and bowled. The batsman in half sleep, put out his bat, and realized that he had committed the error of the morning as the skipper behind went up in a frenzy. The Maniac came rushing towards with ferocious faces rapidly changing colour and mouthing unintelligible phrases that sounded like "f%%& addi" or something.

Amlaman departed. The fielding team heaved a sigh of relief, not because Amlaman was out but because the maniac had bowled something, they rejoiced. The Nero from gully mentioned, "Chalo, ek ghantey ab chutti ho gayi, Sardar tu aglaa jhaapad isko kab dega??"

We saw Sreesanth taking a wicket, as bland as that!

Of Chicken, Oranges, Smartphones, Chefs from 1988 and acute trauma!

2010-12-30T15:55:00.001+05:30

Oranges?! She exclaimed.

I nodded. She had a gaping look on her face. "You're sure, right?" I nodded again. She did her most meaningful sway towards the kitchen. The sway that told me "you are as crazy as a Shreesanth on the dance floor without the stabilizing slap from Harbhajan". But I was stuck. The words were out of my mouth. Now I had to do the dish – Chicken with Oranges! That too, on my daughter's birthday. It was not "Izzat ka sawaal" as frankly in all these years the "Izzat" has gone for a royale toss, without the help of Saif's colours! It was more a sense of belonging to a very illustrious batch of chefs that had streamed out of a dilapidated campus in Hyderabad back in 1988. Not many know that I, the Omelette peddler, had Sandeep Kachroo, Rakesh Upadhyay, Srinath Sambandhan, Padmanabhan, Shantanu Mukherjee and the likes as classmates, chefs who have been featured in mags, channels and posts for their expertise with knives and pans. So, it was their arses on the line, not mine.

That was that and I had to ungainly move on. A couple of days passed by. The thought planted at the edge of my pituitary, I do not think through my thyroids, but probably that is where the recipe nested and grew as I plodded through my motions at Badminton, morning papers, office and the pyrotechnics at Durban. It gained hydra kinds of abilities while I conversed with smartphone pals over Facebook and twitter. It stayed right through my entreaties to my new chauffeur to go straight on Palm Beach Road! Readers should know that it is not humanly possible to make an error in going straight on Palm Beach Road in Navi Mumbai. Only my chauffeur can do it consistently. He deserves applause right now. Oh yes, the recipe. Yeah, it stayed right through all these minor quibbles of life, as it were.

On the Saturday evening, the Christmas evening for more believers and guzzlers, I reached the hallowed halls of Big Bad Bazaar to buy stuff that would make my effort a reality. I entered through with a bus, er..a big neanderthal trolley that could may be hold a full size Shane Warne frolicking with fuller sized Liz Hurley. One second later I found a mound that had sacks of Oranges neatly packed and displayed. I grabbed at the nearest sack. Finito! I had the ingredients for the recipe that had built up in my mind. So what was I doing there with that blasted bus in front of me! I had no clue. What had the denizens at home sent me in for? No idea! This was very embarrassing. I had smart women all around me shopping as if Big Bad Bazaar was about to close down to make way for a synagogue. I had to think of some more ingredients fast enough. Nothing came to mind. So, as they say in every boardroom, when in trouble, fish out your Blackberry. I did just that. Also, they say, when in more trouble, call up the grand lady at home. So did just that. The daughter was on line. I asked her to politely ask if her mom needed anything at home as I was in Big Bad Bazaar. She conferred and conveyed that I was to buy some veggies and nothing else. There, I was stuck. I did not know if the right worthy ingredients were at home, ingredients that were presently lost in the arid Saharan landscapes of the thalamus. And I was not to buy anything other than veggies. So, I had to browse. I cannot browse anything other than books and DVDs. So, I was in very unfamiliar surroundings. I started loading the bus with biscuits, noodles, pasta, Haldiram tidbits and other assorted munchies, in the hope that the recipe shall come back to me in full blown Fujicolor! It did not. So, ultimately after a lot of soul and shop searching, I landed up at the Veggies archive where I decided to buy up all the museum pieces from that morning's mandi heist. The bus was rapidly full. I fished out my small black card that magically wrote up Rs. 1475 against my name and I was through. The boys there wanted to give me a "High Five" for my assorted foolishness at shopping but they desisted and calmly left me with five bags at their doorstep. I made my way back home. I had one ingredient for my recipe. Oranges!!

The Birthday arrived. The Grand Lady had made a cake for a minor morning celebration and that was cut, some photographs taken of absurdly grinning individuals for immediate dispatch to Facebook. The lady had asked me the previous night as to how I wanted my chicken to be marinated. I rapidly said Lime, salt and pepper and quietly waited for the dam to burst. It would if the lime was missing in action. It didn't and I figured the lime was in place. So, I ate cake and left for office. Quietly.

Late afternoon at office. I was trying to multiply 8 * 21 by hand, by pencil and then by the calculator when the phone buzzed. The Grand Lady was on line. The heart started hammering. I knew what would be asked. I still did not have any answer to any of that. The question came over the waves.

"What would be the ingredients that you require for your whatever chicken dish?"

It was like Abhishek Bachchan being asked what kind of preparation he would require to Act. The premise itself was incorrect. The objective itself needed a change. He and Act? Never. He shall swivel, smirk and shuffle, but Act. Nope! Never!!

So I had to improvise. Like I do with many a powerpoint. "Chopped Onions, Ginger Garlic Paste, Soya Sauce, Vinegar, Sugar, Salt, Chilli Powder, Orange juice – about 1.5 glasses". Also, that I would be back home by 8 pm and if possible, could she just do the onions and keep? Polite request, it was. The airwaves became silent. I looked at my smartphone. It looked pretty unsmart and dark. The air smelt of mystery and deceit. Then the crackle, "Yes, OK". Hallelujah! Balle Balle! Sicilia! Shakira!! The second phase of recipe making was achieved. The Mis-en-place achieved over the Blackberry. I joyfully opened the browser to crank up cricinfo.com and seek to understand why Laxman did not take up Tennis when he was as good with the Forehand cross court volley as Federer! The 7 pm coffee tasted good.

Home. 8.15 pm. On the way back as I chatted with an ex-colleague over the smartphone, I realized I have two very senior citizens who also matter in terms of taste and skillets, my mom and my mom-in-law. They were vegetarians and so my work had to be further sub-divided into Chicken and Paneer. So, a pack of Amul Paneer was also pulled out from its forgotten corner in the ramparts of the freezer. And so it started, my "bull in a china mall" effort!

The pan had been helpfully kept out on the gas range for me. I decided to do the sauce first and then divide it for both the dishes. I pulled out my favorite wooden ladle to do the sauce. I felt like Saina Nehwal. I could do two cool sets of Badminton right away with that misshapen ladle. The lady was standing by. She knew I could even pull out the water tap over festering frustration sometimes and she would not have me doing that in her kitchen. But I was taken up. The olive oil was hunted down and some normal simple homely refined oil was added to burn up in the pan. I put in all the asymmetrically chopped onions into the pan. I daren't complain about the sizes of the chopped ones as my recipe had been brought thus far by Blackberry and not my hands. The Ginger Garlic paste pack was jailed between the Jeera powder and the Custard powder on the third rack below the eggs in the refrigerator. It was duly rescued. It breathed, looked up at me in obvious deference to the lord and the mighty and got deflated as I pressed out all the remnants in the pack onto the pan. The sautéing was in full swing. The onions paled and were on their way to browning when I added three pinches of sugar, two pinches of salt and some baleful stares at the slurry. I wanted to anger it. I added some chilli powder that I found at hand, I added lots of it. It was like Jai and Gabbar rivalry between me and the slurry, the more evil it looked, the more I added. Then, I opened up the soya sauce and proceeded to add about three spoons of the dark and quirky sauce to the slurry. It frothed and kicked like those creatures in District 9. I calmed the dark mass with some vinegar. I cannot remember how much I put in but it looked about another three spoonfuls. The slurry had some bite now. It needed respite. I provided. The Orange juice was poured in and the sauce went into a simmer. The flame became drowsy. I took a small teaspoon and tried the slush, it felt nice. The salt, I needed to see if the salt was going to hold up, the sauce simmered. The lady ventured to taste at the second go, and she concurred that it was fine. Never before I looked for so much approval from the lady, not even when I went to show her our apartment in Narendrapur five years go. OK, maybe that was a long shot. The sauce making was done without much ado thereafter. I needed to keep it aside while I did the chicken. I wanted a bowl. I hunted all over the kitchen for one. The cupboards were full of bowls but I wanted a very specific looking one. But I did not know what it would have to look like. Trouble. Fits. Rescued just in time by the lady with a simple bowl and a ladle that simply transfers the sauce into that bowl. Clean. Decorous. Done.

The chicken was airlifted from its terminal decline and the paneer was steamed in the microwave. The chicken was loaded into the pan while the paneer was fished out of the steaming water. The chicken sizzled with some oil in the hot pan for a few minutes from all sides as the sauce was poured onto the paneer and let be for some cooking at a later date. The chicken had started to brown. This time the decision was to have big neat cuts of legs and breasts and not butchered into nothing cuts by the street side butcher. So, the browning was even, nice and serene. It reminded me of "Daffodils" by Wordsworth and "Karma" by Subhash Ghai all at once. So nice it was!

The water was duly poured into the pan for the chicken chunks to simmer into oblivion. I relaxed. The lady had in the meanwhile, started on her flavored rice concept. So, I yielded some space to her. It was Ying and Yang. Only the Yang was not yanked into danger zone. All of a sudden, pandemonium.

The flames drowsed and blew out. I stared at it, non comprehension writ large on my face. The lady acted with more alacrity. She trotted off to where we keep a spare cylinder and brought it over. I pulled out the older cylinder and grimly kept pulling at the regulator. Miraculously, it came off. She commanded me to get the regulator onto the new cylinder while she moved the older one out of the way. I did. I did. The knobs turned. The flames came on. Peace was restored. The Al Qaeda moved back into the hills, the North Koreans put back their missiles and Ponting's frown was back in place.

The chicken simmered. The clock turned and after twenty minutes of me walking in and out of the kitchen the chicken appeared ready to go. I poured the sauce with deliberation. The dark orange hue spread out. My ego inflated. This was coming out just as I had visioned. It was just like that vision of 72 cabaret dancers that Kasab had before he set out on his journey to Mumbai with only a few AK 47s. Only the Cabaret dancers wanted me to stick around on earth for some more time before allocating space in their women's hostel up there.

The paneer dish was to be finished. So, the bowl with the paneer and the sauce went into the microwave with a 5 minute time set. It came out bawling. So, had to feed it with some crushed almonds to bring it back to sanity. The Almonds lent it some grit and fibre. It tasted, well, orangey!

Dinnertime. The items were served. The denizens poked at the dishes tentatively. The morsels went into the mouths. The check lists were ticked off just fine. The hunger took over. The chomp chomp and the mastication were the only sounds, would have fitted well with the Sound Design of "Bhoot". The dining table in the end was just left with some empty pans, bones and bay leaves from the flavored rice.

Braised Chicken in Orange Sauce & Nutty Orange Paneer.

Mission accomplished! Pigs can fly!!

A slice of life - Band Bajaa Baaraat

2010-12-22T15:37:00.000+05:30

I am probably late with this longish note on a fabulous film “Band Bajaa Baaraat”. Or am I?
I have read some of the noted critiques and some other sundry articles that have been generally complimentary about this dazzler of a film. Gosh, I have already stated my increasing affection for this YRF sleeper hit that has struck a chord amongst all that I know.
Is it the honesty of the creative people, Maneesh and Habib, director and writer respectively? Or is it the astounding other Delhi milieu that does away with all flash and cranks out all the oddities of a fellow hard working Delhite we all know? Or is it the slice of life moments that make it for us in the dark Cineplex harking back to our more innocent “just out of college” days of struggle?
Let me recreate some very emphatic moments from the film:
“Plate rakh!” yells Shruti and Bittoo retorts “Nahin rakkhunga ji, kya kar lengi!”. He then goes and brings the poor Videographer whom he knows to vouch for his employment to the uncleji who is the host. The uncleji who has a tough day does not want to create a fuss over anyone that day and allows Bittoo a dinner while Shruti grimly looks on, Bittoo is explaining why he needs to have the dinner then. Superb. Respects.
The flower supplier turns around and says “phool toh yehi lagengey bibi, jo marzi kar lo, issi ke daam diye hain tumharey Chandra madam ne” and we see the innocent bravado of Shruti collapsing under the reality of Chandra Narang’s underhand deals. The collapse leads logically to the next scene where she and Bittoo stand up to the double dealing by Chandra. They take off in their business. Intelligent. Respects.
Silently, the buffoon Bittoo makes the first tea in their office of ‘Shaadi Mubarak’ and it is cool gently reversing gender roles at work. Simple but astounding statement. Respects.
The kissing scene. The BG score peters away. Two tired souls are holding onto each other and their new found success at work. Then, the emotions kick in. They are looking at each other. The silence starts to speak. We, the viewers start to live the moment with them. Then, the kiss, the exploratory kiss that leads to bed. More silence as they ruminate on the road travelled that day. More introspection. A treat. Respects.
Bittoo goes to leave Shruti after their shared night. She is happy, blissful and already dreaming of a future with Bittoo. Bittoo is perturbed as he does not want to disturb a good working equation. He wants to get away fast from her door with the bike. Her father is just leaving for work. Bittoo spots a way out, he rushes on with the bike and offers a lift to Mr. Kakkar who is grossly overweight and cannot sit on the bike with his legs around the bike. So, in a ungainly decision, as Shruti blissfully looks on, he sits “ladies style” and murmurs away through the whole silence between Shruti and Bittoo, completely unaware of their circumstances. Just the next scene, Shruti turns towards her mom and asks about Bittoo and her mom knows in a flash. This combo scene about the whole dynamic in the family is possibly the best scene in the film. Many Respects!!
The wall painter needs to write the name of Bittoo’s fledgling enterprise. Surprise, even Bittoo has not thought of it. His anger has not permitted him to even think logically about his business, an anger born out of love and longing, a feeling that he has ignored just to go by Shruti’s book, Shruti, the mentor, his guide. So, he anchors himself in her company’s name leading to some hilarity and settles happily for the translation of Shaadi Mubarak – Happy Weddings. Admirable scene. Respects.
The confession scene. Bittoo has his simplicity, she admires that. She realizes that it is necessary for her to give in. She speaks of her decision to her suitor over the phone while he is trying to prompt her through some frantic hand waving. She is calm, controlled and keeps looking at him. Then, the shock and awe for Bittoo. He is rooted to the spot. She has to lead him into the embrace. We wait expectantly as he finally does so. It brings a smile to our lips as they kiss.
All is well with this topsy turvy world!
The leads, Anoushka and Ranveer just immerse themselves in what many senior actors may fail at and come out trumps. Ranveer has the impishness of the earlier Salman. But it is the other actors that carry the film on their shoulders to make it a sleeper hit! Mr Kakkar, the Flower supplier, the caterer, the DJ, Bittoo’s friends, Shruti’s mom. All of them are truly classic. They breathe the Delhi that is notably absent in many other Delhi films.
Of course, I remember another forgotten film “Ahista Ahista”!!

The two Kinds of Cinema I see!

2010-11-25T09:51:00.000+05:30

Two Days ago, after a long time, I used Facebook to have a strong discussion on the state of Indian films. KK, a good friend, completely rejected the latest film to have hit the theatres, Guzaarish. Fatema, another friend, and I had a different take altogether. We were of the opinion that this was a good film in spite of all its imperfections. The question is 'who's right'. There was no answer. The reader may say 'to each his own'! But really, truly, is that all that can be spoken about the state of Indian cinema and the concept of universal likes or dislikes.

Let me go little retro here. I remember when Natwarlal, Naseeb, Karz, Jyoti bane Jwaala came out in India. They all were big Silver Jubilee hits. Try and sit through those films in front of the telly. Go ahead, just try. Forget that they starred some of the biggest names in Hindi cinema for 2 hours and just try to gaze at the telly patiently. You may even hum the songs, but the films, you will not be able to sit through. But you will sit through a Silsila or an Anand or even Ghar as they would have a story, some takeaway that you would enjoy.

Now, in those days of 'Silver Jubilee' hits, we were not exposed to world cinema like we are now. TV channels, multiplexes releases, simultaneous world releases, et al. Our understanding of good cinema has been unknowingly redefined. So, a half baked 'Jhoota hi Sahi' shall not be palatable anymore, neither will a metaphoric, difficult to grasp Raavan too! There are no second chances beyond the weekend, as we would know how many Holly films this Hindi film has been adapted from and thus belittle the film totally. We would like to see how many stars the reviewer has given the film before we venture to the plex. So, the idea of a story rich, entertaining film shall take on another hue due to commercial constraints. Therefore, a Dabangg (Jyoti bane Jwala of 2010) shall be more tolerable than LSD! True then, true today too. So, why crib about this at all. There shall be those kind of films that shall be made catering to that kind of crowd those who are looking for over the top simple commercial films and they shall do well if properly made.

Then, there shall be films like Chameli ki Shaadi, Jalwa, Aakrosh, Satya, Udaan amd Ankush that shall be made with small budgets and score big because of the content only. Both of these kinds of films shall coexist happily, if they are not edged out by newer mediums that can deliver better stories to people.

Power to these different kinds of cinema!

Udaan and Inception - Human spirit that triumphs!

2010-07-18T19:11:00.004+05:30

Rahul and Cobb. One dreading his father and not wanting to return home but has to as he is expelled from a boarding school and the private hell he goes through thereafter, and the other is already in a similar private hell as he is in a profession that essentially steals the dreams of people and yet he yearns for a family that cannot be his as he is too far out!

Udaan and Inception.

Two films, two languages, cinematic and cultural differences, and yet the message seemed the same. Break free!

I identify with the Rahul of Udaan for what aspires to and cannot become at home, with his family. Why, it is probably a secret dream of many a young man to do something different. The poems, his notebook where he writes very good stuff, the lonesome evenings beside the rail tracks, hill sides, mofussil roads all point to his inner calm and serenity whereas his outer world is an edgy battle against presiding terror.

But Cobb in Inception is also the same and a conversed manner. He has aspired and become what he wanted to, the seeker of dreams and its architecture, but gone farther in loaning out his expertise for bucks. His turmoil and terror then is within his head whereas he is calm, calculating and a leader outwardly.

But does that help in getting a life a for either of them at the end of the stories. We don't know. They have broken free. Through the tyranny and terror. But are they really free. Both the writers/Directors, Motwane and Nolan, have left it to us to understand and figure out.

Sizzling stuff. Both. Dramatic confrontations. The world coming apart for the protagonists in both but uncannily both the films show the triumph of the human spirit.

Go see both of them!

The feeling was priceless!

2010-05-27T10:40:00.003+05:30

I received a call sometime in the afternoon day before yesterday. An old colleague of mine was on the line. I could not take her call then as I was in the midst of something.
I spoke to her finally late evening the same day. I try and return all calls the same day. She had simply called up to say a Hello! The conversation moved to how the other mates were doing and I suddenly proposed that we get together the next day. She was taken aback but enthusiastically agreed to put together the group.
I landed in Pune the next day. Work was on hand. So, the day passed by in a rush. I landed up in my hotel room, had a quick change and then proceeded towards Post 91 where we were to meet.
The small group of five enthusiastically met each other. Four guys and a lady. Two of the guys with their new wives too. I was the veteran when this group had come out of college and joined work. They acquired their skills under my mentorship. They spread their wings and one day floated away. I kept hearing of their exploits, mishaps, determination and growth, smiling inwardly at my little accomplishment.
Yesterday, I saw them again, in full bloom, confidence personified, the strut of defiance, for success and against suggested failure.
I soaked it all in. The feeling was...priceless!

2010-04-28T11:17:00.002+05:30

I have been transferred back to Operations and now shall be heading the Mall Operations of Phoenix Market City Pune. Is it exciting? Yes!

Now, as I meet retailers and am abl to suss out their true leanings in terms of their spread in Pune Retail, their understanding of the city sociography, the catchments that they would like to deal with, their mindsets and their store physicalities, I find disorder.

The challenge is to convert this disorder into order. We need to capture their mindspace, get them to make great stores, perform out of their skins in the oncoming months for attaining great sales during operations.

Does this remind me of Hotel Operations? Yes and No. Yes, because Malls do need the order that Hotel Operations have to attain the Facility upkeep, Financial and Community building goals. No, because it is a lot more inclusive with B2B and B2C affairs taking place simultaneously. Sometimes, we may have to overlook the partners for the end consumers or the vice versa.

But, interesting times ahead!

2010-04-27T12:30:00.002+05:30

Why does the modern Indian suffer from morality coughs only when public figures are dragged down from the high pulpits?

I would like to compare Modern India to the Roman era, only substitute one Rome with a few more. The senate had the most immoral and debauched group of leaders that the world was to ever see. But, they frowned on the outsiders and threw them to the gallows with regularity. Democracy while it was flaunted for namesake, actually stood for blatant state repression most conveniently. The civil society was thrown a few choice messages and they saw all good coming out of the senate and so the society thrived and the world saw the happening of a great civilization. Perception Management at its best?!

Most governments still apply the same rules generally. Send out the right messages. Work quietly on the unpopular ones. Leave the tenuous ones to conjecture and rumour. If it starts to get uncomfortable, just leave those messages and decisions alone. They die a quiet death. Communication people in the government work this perfectly.

Companies and Organizations picked this art up in the last 400 years quite effectively. Remember East India Company and their idea that they were here in India just to trade! And we know what happened. In the last millenium, there have been various instances where rules were broken but the right messages allowed us to be lulled to sleep again. Monsanto, GM, Union Carbide, Toyota, Vedanta, Mittal Resources, Many Pharma companies have repeatedly flouted all kinds of rules and put a positive spin to their deeds and got away with it.

Now, over the last few years, we see the immorality strike sports and entertainment too. Lip synched songs, stolen writing to create movies, the IPL fiascos and match fixing, all show us that morality is really at a premium and the green buck governs almost all things. Funny thing is, if we still look at the society at large, greed does not govern all our actions. The old and the very young are still being looked after. People generally pay after availing services of other people. The family is still governed by a few values. But the cracks have started to appear. Are we prepared to govern ourselves just that little more to enable a better tomorrow?

Small town boom town...

2010-01-26T17:16:00.003+05:30

Have you seen a tournament called T10 Cricket Tournament being telecast on DD Sports?

I saw a match, being played in Sirsa, amidst a bad winter, with players from all around the country and names like Daman Gullies, Latur Gullies, Ludhiana Gullies, etc.

I was tickled. There is hardly any viewership but the teams have sponsors - GO Airlines and some others like SAIL. The teams are nicely attired, have coaches, physios and managers to boot!

The tournament even has experts like Charu Sharma doing some commentary. LOL!

But, I am trying to tell you something else. Is this the dawn of the hinterland in our consumer psyche. Early last year, we saw the invasion of small town India on the telly. By this year, practically all channels have shifted to small town stories.

Now, Cricket has taken that road. Give it a year or two and then watch it blossom and garner ratings similar to some bigger tournaments just like Aajtak and IndiaTV!!

I am looking forward to the same thing to happen to Indian Retail. It has happened in a very small but forthright manner already but there is more to come. I look forward to more of the Lilliputs, Sreeleathers, Liverpools and Ritu Wears to be developed right in our backyards as they move on from just being manufacturers to full blown fashion retailers from small and significant geographies pushing the boundaries of retail beyond what we know as the 5 city bang!

Global Terrorism - My two Cents!

2009-12-04T15:27:00.000+05:30

Global Terrorism is the result of inequality – in Economic opportunity and Human Literacy. From the ancient times most economic progressions have happened with war as an instrument. Growth was by annexing new geographies. The Greeks, the Mongols, the Spaniards and the British have practised this form of economic progression in some form or the other. The aggressed have resorted to defence in various forms including covert war that have sometimes yielded results or at the very least, created statements.
The Modern world, heralded by the Industrial Revolution of the Nineteenth century in Europe laid a focus on using the threat of war as an instrument rather than actual act of war. This form of progression divided up the world like never before, along nationalistic lines and religious beliefs. The result was Two World Wars and the long period of the Cold War. The Cold War allowed numerous groups, sects and countries to align with super powers that could feed or raise their agenda, in any form. Unbridled greed and insecurity also fed their agenda that mutated to dreams much beyond the rules set up by the super powers themselves. There was a catastrophe waiting to happen.
The Cold War ended after the Berlin Wall. But the arms that were available in the world, their users who had acquired egos and inward looking governments of various countries presented an opportunity for the under classes who had not yet been a part of the world wide economic boom. Instruments of war turned against the Global population. The oppressed wanted to turn aggressors. The gun presented them with the moment.
So, Lebanon, Syria, Chad, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nicaragua and many other countries that did not see their governments pick up the gauntlet of progress turned to the gun as an instrument of peace, security and prosperity. The super powers could not play the game of checks and balances. Hydras created had started to threaten their masters.
What we see as terrorism today is a process of livelihood and progress to many groups and sects. Religion has got very little to do here. Literacy, or the lack of it, has got a lot to do with it. The UN has not made rapid enough strides in Education. The whole basis of Developmental Economics is to allow a person to progress in his surroundings and culture and not to uproot him. Development in the modern world has disregarded this tenet completely.
If we were to correct the situation today, we should start with Education, then move to Local Livelihood engagements, Provide for Local security of land, shelter and work places, create effective Local Governments that are democratic in nature and create centres of Excellence that allow religious beliefs, moralities and creativity to flourish even as countries pursue Industries and Infrastructure.
Inclusive Economics, a phrase much spoken about, has a much deeper meaning today than ever before. Terror is an instrument, used by people. Reform is for the people. The instruments shall be put away as a matter of course!

Why do we shrink from quality family time..

2009-11-29T21:29:00.002+05:30

Gautam Gambhir has decided to forego the last Test between India and Sri Lanka for his sister's marriage in Delhi. The Australians take leave from Cricketing duties for much less. Yet, it seems to be a matter of discussion in the media here.

Ganguly in his column in TOI actually defends Gambhir for what he is doing. Why? Why does a man trying to take care of his family have to be defended at all?

This is a very strange phenomenon I see all over India, in workplaces, in schools and colleges or in public engagements. Family time is viewed as an oddity. I remember a Chef friend of mine had just returned from Canada and as parents there do, went off on a weekday to his son's school to watch his son at basketball in Goa. For the next few days, all of us spoke of his neglect of work for trivial pursuits such as that. Strange but true.

Another instance, not too long ago, there was a lady worker on my floor into her fifth month pregnancy and she had to go for a check up. A colleague went hammer and tongs at her the next day. Intelligently, he avoided mentioning the pregnancy, but he picked on her lack of detail on the previous day and how she could have rectified it the next day, when she was not present.

This brings me to my question. Are we not prepared to seek or take some family time that all of us require from time to time. Is it blasphemy to speak about personal engagements during work in India. I have seen so many people conveniently lying about it at work.

This timidity we carry from schools, onto colleges and into the jobs that we go to. In US, many of my friends remain the best workers for time, but low on quality many a time as the recoup is just not there. Is it the reason that our people do not have original ideas? A question there....

DTH is the way to go for Budget films in the future..

2009-11-09T13:17:00.003+05:30

Yesterday I read in a paper that India shall have 6 million DTH subscribers by October 2010. Good. That set me thinking.

What would it do to the floundering revenues of films in India. A country where filmed entertainment has been ravaged by piracy. These days, to get a body into a multiplex auditorium it costs an amount to make a film and near about that amount to market it, all for the first three days, beyond which the pirated discs are out and the hinterland happily buys the Rs. 30 disc to partake in the entertainment, quality be damned!

DTH shall have 6 million subscribers. So, there is opportunity for this. Read on:

1. Make a movie for 3 crores at best.
2. Promotion is just digital as practically all subscribers shall visit the net or his TV screen or some such digital medium.
3. Make Lease transactions with all the DTH companies for a short term Lease.
4. Release it on DTH platforms along with a few choice theaters thereby calling it 'class' entertainment.
5. Even if 5% of the DTH Subscribers see it in the first two weeks, the revenues could be -

6000000 * 5% = 300000
300000 * Rs. 100 (average ticket per download) = Rs. 30 million

The money spent on the film production is already recovered. So, a producer can make profits if he just puts in a bit more effort in Marketing his content, acquires a good story and gets a good director to work wonders with the story. The stakes are low and so he can work this story without the necessary stars that populate our tinsel world.

We shall be spared "Kambhakht Ishqs" and "Blue" films!!

We may even get to see gritty subjects, made by good directors with a neat cast who can "act", not tire us with noddy mannerisms that pass off as acting.

Also, digital content cannot be copied so easily and so we may not see pirated discs. Also, pirated stuff are usually of the "star" subjects and not these low budget ones we are talking about here. So, no harm done!

Better technical personnel will get their due through this alternative medium. Indian masses are most happy when served good entertainment at home, through room service. So, no harm there too!

A safe idea, ain't it!

Clenched Jaw Determination...

2009-10-27T12:48:00.003+05:30

I haven't attended to my blog for a long time. Criminal, very criminal, but what do I write about?

1. How I have been doing at work?
2. How I have been utilizing my spare time in running after a passion that has brought me at the cusp of a great transformation in my career and my talent for creativity?
3. How I have been postponing the writing of the second draft of my book?
4. How I have been avoiding a trip, to a hill station, close to my heart?
5. How I have been trying to shed those extra kilos that sheath me in ripe middle age?

No, I shall write about all this some other day.

Today, it shall be about a trait called "grim determination"!

Some years ago, we had bought this duplex Apartment in a suburban area of Kolkata and were to shift to the new abode in a few weeks. I and my daughter decided to visit the place one evening. My daughter was then in first standard. An obidient child that she is, she kept by my side through out my visit to the apartment. But, I could sense her excitement on seeing the green lawn and its play area, that the developer had thoughtfully provided for the community there. But she had no playmates. I suddenly suggested to her that she should run three rounds of the lawn.

She agreed enthusiastically. But a small child like her would have problems and so it happened in the third round. She was breathless and very tired. I egged her on. Then I saw her face change. A different jawline appeared as she ran the last few metres just on determination, the will to succeed and the single objective of achieving the finish line. I was impressed with my child. I knew if we did not spoil her in the oncoming years, she will excel in whatever she does as she had that 'grim determination' to succeed under all circumstances.

This year, under a lot of duress at work, a change in job profile, my erstwhile colleagues living the company in a hurry and basic insecurity in these tough times, I had not many people to turn to. The saving grace was that my new assignment had me returning to familiar environs of Pune for business development. I had to grit my teeth and start all over again in my tenure with my company.

I dithered, for that is human. I optioned my chances of success. I tried to chart out a progress in this scenario. But then one never knows about what lies ahead. I could not turn to a forecaster or a soothsayer! It was also getting late at the job. I needed to perform. So, I decided to ditch all inhibitions and wade into this river with only my abilities as company and lots of "clenched jaw determination" that I had not used for quite sometime.

Today, I am glad to say, I am ahead of the curve, at work, at home and in my head. I am able to clinch deals, understand goals and getting around to achieving them as my organization would have wanted.

Is it not fair to say, when in strife, just put the head down and work hard, as you can!

2009-06-04T16:55:00.000+05:30

He is more determined than usual. The company that he has set out to start up is showing no signs of coming off the ground. At work, he realises that he can go as far as this and no further as the requirement of his skills are only that much. It can be frustrating. But, he is training himself to hold breath, judiciously mix his abilities with his vision. He is being patient. Alien to him, but an altogether necessary commodity in this crazy path to success.

He is more silent than usual. Not his style. But, being vocal would not get him where he wants to be. He would not be able to listen to the clicks of the levers when destiny shoves the key into his liberation groove. He needs to keep his eyes and ears open for the click of the key. Interesting stage, it is!

He can see the mist. Of insecurity and unsure future. But, he can also feel the throb of his diligence, his ability and his knowledge. The throb shall turn into a purr. A machine well oiled when he is on board and sailing. It is a matter of time, he understands.

She knows it all. She can see it in his hooded eyes. She can feel it in his tensed body at night. She envelopes his frame in her warm cuddle to melt away those measly worries. She fertilizes the determination in him. Silently yet lovingly. It is the salsa that needs no practise anymore.

The click. That sound. The flight of pigeons. The soar. The applause. She, the silent one. Beside him. Tender. Warm and indulgent. Man and woman!

What attracts investors to FILMS?

2009-05-22T16:36:00.001+05:30

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

What attracts investors to FILMS?

View more OpenOffice presentations from Farnaz Fanaian.

Motion Picture Studio Strategy And Managment

2009-05-22T16:14:00.001+05:30

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Motion Picture Studio Strategy And Managment

View more Microsoft Word documents from Lance Young.

Life on the Leasing Path!

2009-05-20T11:12:00.000+05:30

It has been a long time that I have attended to my blog. So, here I am, back again to do as good a job as I can.

Many things have happened over the past few months. There has been a shift in my Job Description in the past month. I am now in Leasing and Sales. In a way, this is my first direct Sales job ever in life. Usually, people go the other way. They first do Sales, then Marketing or Strategy and then arrive at General Management. I moved from Operations to General Management to Projects and now am in Sales. Well, that's how it is. Go with the flow, as they say!

But, Leasing, in my belief (and I should be right about this) is a different ball game from plain Jane Sales. One has to create an ever lasting relationship that goes way beyond just a Sale. Some Realty agents or Salesmen in US operate on a different scale. They schmooze at a very high level, keep excellent relationships, keep track of executive movements in the professional world, in fact sometimes have a whole office who advise them as to when to go in for the kill!

In India, we do not do such stuff as our relationships are easily formed and kept. Over smaller achievements, answers and smiles. But, we are not able to articulate what is on our mind so easily. I believe that our culture does not provide for that. We just have to carry along with this. I am grateful to Baba that he taught us the art of positive speaking so early in life. I always believe that if I get into a room with other people, they shall be convinced at the end of the session, no matter what the subject is about!

But, Leasing has another thing to it. Follow Up. Rigorous. This is where most of my mates are stumped. This is where I need to test my mettle.

More stories as I motor along this highway. Sayonara.

Delhi 6, Billu, Dev D - a study in Strategy

2009-02-17T15:35:00.000+05:30

Let me draw your attention to a very prudent Marketing principle:
“THE MOST SUCCESSFUL MARKETERS NURTURE THE STRONGEST RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR MOST PROFITABLE CUSTOMERS”
Delhi 6 is releasing this Friday. The net is agog with good news out of New York about the movie. Good to hear. UTV, again, as usual has done a tremendous job of getting the film to its required junta. The songs and the music are doing wonderfully well and are able to lend to the movie’s marketing a whole lot.
In fact, this brings me to the above principle. Delhi 6 was announced to the world some two years ago and R O Mehra took some time to get together his principal cast. But, he had done his script and had taken pains to give A R Rahman a complete narration of the screenplay. Rahman , on his part, started with his homework and it then took a painstaking process of much over a year before he got all the tunes in place. Tunes that were from all over the place, various types of music, even a devotional number that he had safeguarded for about nine years!
ARR knew Rakeysh’s story. He also could get the spirit of creativity. He nurtured it. So, look at the product we have at hand. ARR strove to provide us through Delhi 6 music the strongest relationship – love and honesty. These were tunes that were not hatched up in a Rum and guitar session. These were not ditties that were composed at 6 am in the morning because Shreya Ghoshal was not going to be available for another 3 months as she was going away on a Live tour! This was not poetry that was hatched up with stock words such as “Soniye”, “Munda”, “Mar Jaawan”! This is lyrics, as we know it from the “Aaa chalke tujhe main leke chaloon” days. Prasoon Joshi may not write another single line at all but shall be remembered for “Arziyan” forever. This is what I mean when I say “Strongest Relationship”.
When this kind of a relationship is created at the outset, the rest of the movie is created with the same fervour and devotion. I can very well imagine the cast, high value ensemble that it already is, would feel when confronted with such writing and such music. Top your best, shall have been the cry in unison. I can definitely say with complete confidence, even without getting a minute peek into the film, that Vijay Raaz, Dipak Dobriyal, Divya Dutta, Rishi Kapoor, Supriya Pathak, Waheedaji, Om Puri, Pavan Malhotra, Sheeba and the others would have just been driven by some unseen power to deliver acting standards that they themselves had not touched before. Such is the power of sturdy, hard, painstaking, honest work and craft!
The Marketing principle also stated “Profitable customers”. Fortunately, Indian cinema, the unique Entertainment juggernaut does have the entire country’s population as its “profitable customer”. Movies made with utmost honesty with true regard to story, plotting, music, language, idiom and communication shall always be able to reach out all the customers.
Billu – a moderate movie with a simple cast except Shahrukh Khan has not seen hysteria at the Box Office. Why? For me and many other people, it is that entry of Shahrukh and his dalliances with three heroines, promoted as they were. So, what happened?
a) It became a mass movie that converted into a multiplex movie
b) It was a multiplex movie all along but had tried to break into other markets too
I really have no problems with either marketing premise, but was the story or marketing true to its form. No!
Ideally, the movie was to have 3 – 4 nice songs from the heartland, like the location of the movie, based on new sounds, but heartland, with good and clear lyrics, not the Urdu symbolisms that fail to enthuse the normal paying people and that good cast to do some even more pithy lines of dark humour right through the movie.
But what we got is a Shahukh Khan starrer where he has pontificated about the goodness of our film industry. C’mon, people can see through all of this! So, Monday onwards the movie is taking a huge dip. At best, it will scrape through somehow and a thundering performance by Irrfan shall be consigned to the back pages of tabloids.
On the other hand, Dev D, a movie, that had an entirely different form, style, content and visual appeal has managed to stick through the last ten days quite merrily. The reason is very apparent. Kashyap and UTV focused on getting their customer right with the right story, the right pitch, the right music, hummable lyrics, easy to understand dialogues, everyday pronunciations and generally kept the vim and vigour flowing. Kashyap has gone on record saying that he bounced it off his mother too.
This is the hallmark of a good Producer, manufacturer or service provider. They keep it simple to make it easy for the customer to see some value in it. Thereby, a Brand is created and generates mindspace and heartspace.
Delhi 6 is on its way to become a huge trendsetting blockbuster.
Dev D has shown what a good small film can do.
Billu is where it is!!
The Best Startegy is still the best product, a great movie shall still result from a well told story and its accompaniments, other gimmicks can be kept back in the garage!

To President Obama - Sramana Mitra on Strategy

2009-01-29T15:23:00.000+05:30

To President Obama - Sramana Mitra on Strategy: "Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let our minds awake.
-Rabindranath Tagore"

2009..Here we go

2009-01-15T16:51:00.000+05:30

2008 was bad for India and for the world at large. For me it was a nice year. I switched from my Job in Pune in early Feb. In fact, I recieved the offer while I was in Kolkata celebrating my cousin sister's marriage in Jan.
My in laws visited us in Feb. They did have a nice time in Pune. I spent my last few days in Pune at home, with the family. That too is a rarity for me. Ma also went over to my brother's place in Hyderabad. She also had a nice time.
My new Organization turned out to be very different from what I had seen of companies till then. The pace is hectic and so are the dynamic people in it. Work became a pleasure, a passion to excel, curiosity for the better and striving for productivity. I loved this. Mumbai was kind. I took up residence in a PG dig in Bandra and started life anew.
By April, I had been assigned Bangalore as my area of purview. The project was very promising. After having been in Marketing and Operations through the most part of life, switching to Projects and Retail Leasing was the trickiest. But, I have been managing fruitfully till now. There are two projects under development in Bangalore. Things are underway and we are making daily progress towards a mid 2010 launch!
Personally, I got to know a lot of new people. PFC became a serious hobby. I am looking at this getting to be a serious business entity in the oncoming future.
I acquired a lot of new friends on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. It helps!
My classmates from the olden times have also become accessible. Its been good on the whole.
So here's to an equally or more happening 2009!!

WTF of the Day

2008-12-17T09:50:00.000+05:30

The shoe throw incident resounds on the net. Check this out! Wacko Game!!

The Shiv Sena guys have crawled out of the woodwork and are doing this!
Ah, enough, laugh along at the WTFs of the world today!!!

Downturn..What and Why?

2008-12-12T15:42:00.000+05:30

What is a Business Downturn?

I could not find an answer to this anywhere on the net. At least not satisfactorily common man answers. There is a lot of economic mumbo jumbo being spat out that makes no difference to my idiotic mind. So, what is it and why has it supposedly made people very wary of doing anything positive and visionary at work?

Also, what was a continuous super boom even six months turned into an almighty doom now.

Sampath Nayak is a small farmer in the district of Sambalpur, Orissa. His brother is a cab driver in Mumbai. I asked him about the state of affairs back in Sambalpur. He had this three liner, “The same thing, like before, no electricity, no water, bad seeds and no rains. One Crop and just enough to fill our stomachs once a day. I don’t know whether that is bad or good!”
I have heard about other states and a similar story of gloom through the last few years. So, they are our have nots who have not got any proceeds of the supposed boom.
So, who have benefitted? If we whittle down our country population to 100 and do a simple study, we shall find that the boom will have affected not more than 7 people from among this 100. I may be wrong in my calculations. But this is what the Human Development Index 2007 says.

So, it is gloom and doom for 7 people. Fine. But, these seven now control the loudspeakers of this country. So, if they are shouting doom, then so be it.
The benefits of the boom were never passed on by the companies, real estate barons and Investment banks that made their dough in the near past. It is they who have hit upon tough times. As the hoard turned bad. So, I have another term. Greed. Very known but seldom used.

So, we happily followed the dictum of some guy from a movie out of Hollywood - Greed is Good!

Great, all is fine but now the shit has hit the fan. The guy from that movie is not making a sequel and telling us about what Greed now is. USA is grappling with the aftermath of the mortgage crisis. They have a sound Federal system with its checks and balances. They also have a sound education system that will ensure the learnings from this shall not be forgotten in a hurry. They will make do. What about us?

The downturn in my eyes is:
1. The relearning process. What is right and what was wrong.
2. The required understanding of how a company should make money.
3. The strengthening of Fundamentals. The requirement of any business. Get your facts right.
4. The concentration on Processes and Knowledge development rather than adhocism.
5. The basic understanding that money is not so easily made. It needs diligence.
6. Have to do hard work!

It is not actually a downturn but nature’s way of telling us to be more inclusive in our growth as an economy. Money in fewer hands has to make way for money in more hands. If this fundamental is taken care of, a jitter in NASDAC will not shake somebody’s arse in Raipur. Not that it has even now. Our media just don’t know the business reality of our own country based as they are the two leading cities and rarely if ever travelling to the hinterland except for elections and natural calamities.

So, I believe that is a nice warning bell for predating companies to introspect and understand the nature of country, train its people to work hard and expect suitable results only.

The real alarm is elsewhere. We are deficient of very basic economy and growth differentiators:
1. Our Education is headed southward in Quality. Research and Development is at an all time low. The cities are mass producing engineers and MBAs who have no specialities and Innovation capacity. The hinterland while producing graduates are unable to get them to go up the L&D ladder. So, talent and its usage are still abysmal and what is progress without the Human Resources!
2. Job and wealth creation is a complete sham. Ask an average citizen and he has no clue how to get things going to achieve all this. The inherent idea of all inclusive progress is absent. So, it is herd mentality that prevails. Let’s take IT as a case study. In the mid 90s, just as US realised that there were a lot of jobs at one end of the food chain in the IT industry that could be farmed out to other countries to save costs, we grabbed the chances and progressed as an IT service nation. The turn of the century saw ITES also take the same route. Media went bonkers with the scene and India became the back office of the world. Some companies understood that the basic work would not last them for years and went on to create more products and services that probably would last the test of time. But others, who were simply looking for the buck, are in deep shit now. Even if no one says anything, the writing is pretty much on the wall. No new products, no R&D, no killer apps, no developments from university labs and most importantly, no hunger or appetite for Innovation or invention. So, what wealth creation are we talking about for the man on the street. Only the share market fellas and a few Investment guys doing trade in Land bought their Pajeros and Villas!
3. Bureaucracy does not permit Risk taking and Entrepreneurship as yet. First, the guy is basically risk averse because of the voodoo surrounding business in most communities except select ones and then the government does not promote or support it. Even if they do, conservatism by banks, institutions or peer groups overturns all the enthusiasm into cold sweat very early enough. Numerous guys with stars in their eyes early in life decide to settle for the quiet little job. Roam the countryside and you will find scores of youngsters wanting to set up that pharma lab, small savings company, PVC plant or restaurant settle for a job and lose it forever.
4. The mass at large have no direction. Bad schools that tell you nothing about ideals and ambitions. Colleges where you just go to pass an exam. Teachers who are largely failures themselves. Parents who just don’t have any clue. TV that tells you nothing positive. News that is depressive. Factories that have no excellence. Mentors who don’t impart wisdom. Managers who are busy saving their jobs. Loose tongues, Loose morals, Indiscipline and Impatience have largely fucked the country beyond redemption. Oh and Yes, the politicians and thought leaders are clueless. The bureaucracy is still in the British era. What a state of affairs!

This is the biggest downturn. In the garb of garbled progress we have unitedly pulled down all institutions of the country. So much so, 10 bloody terrorists just wangle their way into our land, rape us and the media beams our abject state to the whole world. What a downturn!!

0312.I shall remember.

2008-12-04T11:35:00.000+05:30

The shouts. The cries. Vande Mataram! I trained my eyes onto an oncoming group of people. Dressed in chaste white Shalvar Kameezes, donning white skull caps, flowing beards, they were devout Muslims. Then I noticed the placards. “Pakistan is a Terrorist State”. Indian Flags aloft. The Group was highly animated. Pretty Large number by any standards. Raza Academy, the people behind this organised walk. They brushed past. Then, the clapping started. Thunderous! All around me were people who stopped what they were doing and applauded this segment of our community for doing what they did. It was then I realised the strength of my country. India.
Let me rewind. Blogs, SMSes. Facebook. Orkut. Everywhere was this call for being there at the Taj on 03.12.08 to send out a message to the entire country, the administration and the Politicians that we were to be no longer taken for granted. Non Cooperation was the word that Suparn, my organiser coined. As the day dawned, I had other pressing matters of the office to take care of. As if in sign of honour of the day, BEST got rid of the electricity in our office building at 8.45 am as I reported for work at my office. I lingered for a while at the chai shop while BEST put things right. The talk was about mundane things in office when someone piped up that he would be going for the march in the evening. Now, I am not really forthcoming about my other life with my office mates. So, I mumbled about me going there too.
Evening 6 pm. I hurried to finish my work at office. Left at 6.10 pm. My driver was smart enough to get to Churchgate by 6.40 pm but after that it was snail pace. I could see the sea of people all over, in “I love Mumbai” T shirts, with placards, flags and other assortments of democratic indignation spilled all over right upto Metro, that old and venerable movie hall. I did not fume. Let the driver be. He instinctively got everything right too. We turned in front of the Mumbai Police Headquarters. I told him that he needed to drop me there and proceed to any parking space that he could get. I would walk it from Regal. Ha! Little did I know that it was the only decision that could be taken under the circumstances.
Manjeet, my friend from PFC had already called and was waiting somewhere near the Ferry place along with our other mates. So, my mission was to get there first. But, what was this. ‘Sea of people’ was an understatement. People on the road. People on Traffic Podiums. People on the dividers. People on cars. Even people on the shoulders of other people. The Tricolour had been freely bandied about. There were scores of them. Banners were there in all shapes and sizes. The grim ones, the smiley ones, the naughty ones, the solemn messages, the concise ones and the silly ones too! Politicians. Pakistan. Parties. Media. CM Deshmukh. Raj Thackeray. RGV. Achutanandan. Naqvi. RR Patil. They were all lampooned.
Then the Cries. Vande Mataram was a crowd favourite. Jai Hind rang out all the while. Then the made up ones. Poor Pakistan bore the brunt. “Jab tak Sooraj Chand Rahega” was another favourite. Scores of youngsters in Tees. I had never seen such an emotional outpouring ever in my life. Absolutely never. There was no breast beating, mind you. Just a response. A huge response to a call given by fellow citizens about the state of our country. There were people from Colleges, from surrounding offices, from the far suburbs, all classes of the society, all religions and all age groups. I saw young kids in shorts doing “Jai Hind”, saw perfectly sane housewives from South Mumbai shouting “Down Down Pakistan” and a very old couple with the lady holding aloft the National Flag proudly and walking erect beside her husband of many years leading a bunch of very boisterous youngsters to an amazing effect. I took my time soaking in this unique and historic happening. I plodded along amidst this amazing humanity. I shouted too. I laughed at some ridiculous slogans too. The occasion was sombre but the people weren’t. The glint in the eye was combative, resilient and intelligent. Nobody was there to make merry. Not one soul did misunderstand the occasion. But they made it their own. It was so freeing, so life giving!
I reached Gateway of India. Manjeet, Raja and Suparn were there with their group. We talked about some normal stuff. Actually, I did not have much to talk. I was overwhelmed. Totally taken in by the sense of occasion. I am not Harsha Bhogle who can reel out a measured take on any occasion leave alone Cricket. I was not Alyque Padamsee or Mahesh Bhatt who could have given a philosophical edge to whatever was happening, anywhere. I just stared and stared. Trying to make a sense of where this could go. Shortly, we were joined by Kartick and Ashish. Kartick told me that he was witnessing history here and then would again be witnessing history back in US in a few days again with the Obama induction. Yes, he was absolutely right. This is history. In the making. And I just hope I can be some part of it!
Lastly, as we were coming back, we could see a large group of people standing still in the middle of all the melee. Went closer. “Jana Gana Mana” was on. I also belted out the last lines as I joined them. A sense of relief swept over me. This is my dear country. India. Redux.

So, no Age of Shiva!!

2008-11-15T13:12:00.000+05:30

The criminal that is man,
Never blames himself at all,
Others pay for what he does,
Pray for what he destroys.

Is it the Age of Shiva?

Investment Bankers ruled us,
then fell like a pack of cards,
So all spoke of Global meltdown,
and the Bankers partied!

Is it the age of Shiva?

Is it a Cascade effect?
Is the market telling us to stop,
If so, then my milkman does not know,
As he still asks and gets his dough.

Is it really the age of Shiva?

My Ma feeds me an Orange juice,
her beta must keep well,
for there is a lot of work at hand,
and he better have a healthy look!

Is there an age of Shiva?

What goes must come back,
The Laws of motion, they say,
do your best, Gita espouses,
Is Life all that difficult?

And so will there ever be an age of Shiva?

Hold on, easy, as Jeeves says,
Paste a smile on your face,
and work like hell,
For nothing comes easy.

Maybe that Shiva bit...

But will actually come,
Happiness that eludes now,
As rationality would prevail,
Making the world a better place!

So, no Age of Shiva!!

Madhumati - a tale of two generations! (posted in PFC too)

2008-08-21T15:56:00.000+05:30

“suhana safar aur ye mausam haseen..hamein dar hain hum kho na jaaye kahin”
There is a Magnet Hypermarket in Mahim near the station on the western side where I buy some of my stuff. Today was another good day to stop by and buy some stuff that one continually needs. Beside it, in a hole in the wall space a “paan bidi ka dukaan” is there with an ever attentive bhaiya in place. I was needing my next pack of Marlboro Lights and that seemed as good a place as any other. A hidden Tape or CD player (I really don’t know which one) threw up this tune...
...and pulled me back into so many memories, so much so that at 1.45 am I sit down to share some of those memories with all of you.
My brother was just about a year old and it was this Sunday when Baba and Ma decided to go to our nearest town Ooty or Ootacamund then and Udhagamandalam now (really don’t know who speaks of it with that name!!). This was a weekly ritual and we always alternated between Coonoor and Ooty. Coonoor, if it was a short trip – the market, tiffin or lunch in Ramchandra’s , a stroll through the main road, Baba’s stop at a book shop near the bus stand and then back. Ooty was another thing altogether. The market was mandatory but there was this nice half a day at Botanical Gardens or Ooty Lake, Lunch at various places – dosas, sandwiches, Tandoori stuff (yes, they were available even then back in the mid seventies), cakes and other nice stuff that a seven year old usually craves for. But, the highlight for my parents was a movie. There was this quaint hall called National back then, don’t know if it is still there, and that is where Baba gravitated once he knew about the name of the movie that had arrived there. Obviously, readers shall understand that this was the only movie hall that used to screen a few English and a smattering of Hindi movies. Why smattering...because those were the Anti – Hindi post Kamaraj days of Tamil Nadu...and a Hindi sentence usually met a retort like “Yenna da..yenne peserei nee!!”
That Sunday was one of those rare Hindi days and the movie was “Madhumati”. I am not going to harp on the movie here. I know most of you admire it for what it is or has come to represent over the years. But, I cannot begin to tell you about the happiness on the face of my father after he manages to buy those three tickets from the ticket window. He educates Ma about all the erudite people behind the film. Bimal Roy, Ritwik Ghatak, Salil Choudhury, Shailendra, Dilip Kumar, Vyjantimala, “Sar jo tera chakraye” Johnny Walker,Pran, Hrishida and a host of others that I did not even begin to comprehend then. (Actually, I would not have remembered even this so vividly but for his narration of this same episode years later when both of us sat in another dark theatre in Chandrapur and saw that smash called “Golmaal” by Hrishida.) There is some time to go for the film to start. Ma feeds my brother so as to keep him quiet for the next couple of golden hours. Baba is fidgety. I have acquired a strange affinity for the Box office window through which some people were getting their tickets.
The bell rings. We queue up to get into the hall. Well, there are not too many people and so we are able to claim our seats in a jiffy. The Fims Division documentary about 20 point programme, an Emergency thing, is duly shown. I think that was obligatory back then. All halls showed practically the same documentaries. As the FD film was finishing, Baba asks us to keep quiet and watch the movie with considerable interest. For a shifty seven year old, that is a tall order.
The magic starts. For me, the songs, the background score, the supernatural thing, the Bicchua dance, Madhumati being killed by Pran and the “that Aaja Re strain” when Madhumati reincarnates and Dilip Kumar is trying to find her, all hold me in complete thrall. The film is over. I have many questions. Baba is not very enthusiastic answering any of them. Ma tries to do some justice but with another crying infant in her arms, she also is not able to satisfy my curiosity. The thirst remains!
Some years later, Baba has become the Durga Puja Cultural secretary (that is a very honourable position for any culture loving Bong) and he has to arrange for entertainment for four days at the Puja premises near the Factory. I have no clue what he did in between but this is how the Entertainment programme card reads:
MAHASHASHTI – Film: Jana Aranya (Dir: Satyajit Ray)
MAHASAPTAMI – Film : Kaapurush/Mahapurush (Dir: Satyajit Ray)
MAHAASHTAMI – Theatre : Sajano Bagan (Wr: Manoj Mitra, Dir: A.K.Majumdar)
MAHANAVAMI – Film: Madhumati (Dir: Bimal Roy)
Does not that card speak of the pride of a film loving Bengali with all the enthusiasm of filterless Panama cigarettes, broad white pyjamas and half kurta or fatuas as they are known?!
Also notice how cleverly the cultural secretary has inserted his own directorial virtues among two of the best India has produced – ever! RAY – MAJUMDAR – ROY!!
Not that he did any badly, my first interaction with shades of night and day on the same stage was through this play – Sajano Bagan. It got converted into a movie later called “Bancharamer Bagan” in Bengali and it was also made in Hindi in the eighties.
But Madhumati comes, plays to full house and in 1977, 19 years after the movie was first released receives a rapturous ovation from the entire canvassed theatre in their Navami finery. Mind you, there are Army generals, colonels, staff, Cordite Factory officers, workers and even some manual workers in the audience. The power of great cinema!
The more relatable outcome, Baba is mobbed by his seniors who drawl, Majumdar Saheb, aaj to kamal kar diya, haan, very good, Congratulations, and all that. Whoa! That was Bimal Roy who did the magic and not Mr. Majumdar. But who cares, it is the Power of great Cinema!
Baba bounced in that reflected glory for many weeks after that.
He is no longer there. I miss his enthusiasm for good cinema. But, the CDs are there and his enthusiasm has crept into the next gen ever so nicely. Only, can somebody do another movie like Madhumati ever again?

Broadcast Media - goons????

2008-07-17T15:01:00.000+05:30

Lots of things happening in India and all over the globe. The media is doing its job and reporting it faithfully. I armed myself with the nearest available remote and did a quick scan as one might put it. Here are some samples:

CNN - OBMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMCANAANANANANANANANANANANANANANAN
CNN-IBN - AMARSINGHMULAYAMSONIAKARATRATARATRATRATRATRATRATRATRATRAT
BBC - WAR ON TERROR...IRAN...SUDAN..WAR ON TERROR...QUEENQUEENQUEENQUEENQUEEN
NDTV - We are good all other channels are bad..karatkaratkaratkaratkarat
INDIATV - Bhoot...Raju Srivastav..Arushiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
Headlines Today - Biker gang in Delhi, Rape in Noida, Bluelines accident again...
Star News - Arushiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
Aajtak - Black Magic..Arushi..Dhoni's female bodyguards..Live telecast of Katrina's birthday

Why are we subjected to all this?
Because TRPs govern these pathetic channels. Because they are businesses too and at the end of the day have to defend themselves in a boardroom. Because there is a growing audience for such crap!!!
Who decides this crap? Us or some private eye who goes around snooping into people's living rooms!!
I am befuddled and am sure many others are too...

Sixty Days Up!

2008-05-03T16:46:00.000+05:30

Yes..I have finished sixty days in my new organization..all very nice and rosy even now..I have my fingers crossed..it should be like this all the way..I love my assignment..that's saying a lot..as I was this cynical Bong all my life..measuring what is at the other end of the rainbow all the while.

Major pluses till now -

1. A veritable parade of talent at work everyday. Whoa! never seen such brilliant people in one collection before this. Sometimes, I just have to shut my trap and listen to them speak, interact or think aloud!!(tough, that for a true blue Bong!!)
2. Lots of good work to do. I itch to get to office everyday..hope this goes on and on..so many decisions to make..process contributions to make or even be in steering sessions that shape up developments as they happen..Man, it reminds me of my cheffing days when a Biryani or a kebab used to get creatively done through painstaking mis en place!
3. Finance, a subject I had blissfully ignored during Operations, is my area of work and I am having to hear my brains creaking into place even to understand basic things..hopefully, It shall get better as I plod along??!!
4. My belief, that no plot of land is bad and no location is great or awful is now being strengthened. I am working with two not so great locations knowing fully well that what I shall put into them shall make the location a "Great Destination"!

This is one Big Opportunity and I am humbled by what I see everyday! India's largest REIT..That's cool!!

No Panic Stations yet!

2008-03-20T16:05:00.000+05:30

My blog has been left untended for the last 25 days or so. Ah, not an excuse but I had actually been busy doing the shift from Pune to Mumbai and the shift in paradigm, from my old job as a Business Head of an Entertainment company to a new job that looks at Urban Developments, an amalgamation of Retail, Entertainment and Leisure!
Well, the shift is complete and I have steadily settled down to my usual play all round the wicket, as they say! Land acquisition to Pioneering Developments, have to do all in between and more. That brings me to an important question. Is India ready for such galactic progress in Urban zones?

Why I ask so?
1. Our Urban zones are still populated by the very poor and the very rich. The middle class is..well..still in the middle, I do not yet find them hugely aspirational or risk taking. In fact, they have been pretty sceptical of the progress even while they surreptiously take part in it. Some sectors have done well, need based but I'll give that - Telecom, Infra, White goods, FMCG, Media, etc. As the middle class is, wants to wear good clothes, put on decent fashions, eat the right stuff, carry the right phone, see the right channels, save well and use money judiciously, we have seen the Business boom in those sectors who cater to such basic needs. But, Lifestyle and Entertainment still rank pretty low and Our BIG Developm ents may have to stretch limbs to catch this middle class without which we are actually done for!
2. Urban roads and Transport are a concern and very few cities are able to address that very correctly. Our developments may depend on them for succor.
3. People to service these Lifestyle Developments - where do we find them? These sectors are still considered as non serious sectors in the minds of Parents, Teachers and the youth themselves. So, quality people are not to be found in a hurry. So, I have to confront a YSL seller who cannot pronounce the "Yves St. Laurent" correctly. How is it gonna sell?
4. Paucity of Thought Leaders in Retail and Realty sectors - So, we have the same Anchor Stores, Multiplex and Vanilla shops peeking at us from various nooks of the same city!!

These are Destinations and have to be propelled as Tourism ventures with the potent mix of Fun, Film, Food, Fashion and Finesse. Customers, who when coming in have to be looped in with enticing and compelling "Stay" reasons.

But, glad that we are all starting to give primacy to that customer. A day shall come when we shall have the Password to his heart and mind too!

The Sensex is down. Liquidity has been sucked out of the market. Funders are pretty much wary of putting their money where their mouth is. Land prices are showing no signs of touching Mother Earth. This is not a pretty picture. But, no Panic Stations yet, we live in hope and make the best of what we have now!!

Mithya - Art of a thriller!!

2008-02-09T13:14:00.000+05:30

Mithya starts off as benignly as good pulp thrillers generally do - doing a nice sketch of the protagonist, replete with his small dreams, manipulations and limitations. But boss, what transpires after that is what I have not seen before on Indian screens as yet. The film goes beyond the pages of a racy thriller and puts in a poignant story of a manipulated human being.

I cannot tell you the story, not any more than what all other reviews are telling or summaries on various websites. That would be too hard on people. Good cinema lovers shall do well to troop to the nearest movie hall and see the film. I have enjoyed it and have resolved to open a McD bottle (alongwith that free glass as in the movie, now where is that going to be on offer - Krishna wines??) and then discuss the movie in all its glory with friends, movie lovers and the likes!

Suffice to say, character sketches have never come so razor sharp in the near past. Ranvir Sheroy has so many shades to his character that he is something of a mystery somewhere in the second half, and this when he has a very commoner feel when the movie starts. I have found another good actor called Brijendra Kala, or so the credits say, playing a henchman's role. Gosh, one cannot take an eye off this guy when he is on view!

Some fabulous oneliners populate the movie. It must be, Sourabh Shukla is there as a writer here and going great guns as always. Some onliners shall go on to be very popular too. But, "Samundar mein nahake aur bhi namkeen ho gayi ho!!" takes the cake for its inventiveness!

I found that while the humour is there all through, I felt sad for the protagonist. That is where this story crackles. The poignancy never leaves you right through just as troubles never seem to leave Ranvir. This is a nice story in itself without any gimmicks.

I also liked the fact that it did not delve too much into the character sketches of the supporting cast and concentrated on the lead character's plight all through. The support cast was almighty and performances are galore. The pitch of each of the support cast was perfect including 1 minute cameos of Honey Irani, Suhasini Mulay and the likes! Of course, do I even need to mention the competence of Vinay Pathak, Saurabh Shukla, Harsh Chaya and some others!!

Naseer acts as a Bhai here. I was a little disappointed with his character. He could have been much more. A wee bit lazy, I felt..or may be that's just the way the director visioned the role. Neha Dhupia wants to do good films but needs to be more expressive to do well in such movies. The director, of course, has cast her as a dumb belle here.

That brings me to Rajat Kapoor's work. As a director, this is his third attempt and very different from his other movies. He has adorned his frames with a lot of dark shades suitably colouring his characters to tell a poignant story of lies and deceit. He then employs the technique of moving the story ahead with conversation, clever twists and a mood that towers over his scenes. This mood is solemn with humour rounding off the rough edges of every scene.

He concieves a lot of scenes from the POV of Ranvir, the Bhais and the women. This gives a wholesome round look to most scenes. Impeccable are many scenes, but some notably more so -

1. The photography scene of VK by the henchmen.

2. The Chai scene between Ranvir and Irawati (very well concieved character, hers)

3. The Punju scene at Honey Irani's place.

4. The first boat scene.

5. The classic asking for breakfast and lunch scene by VK.

6. VK's bathroom scene as Raje bhai.

The Editing merits a mention and so does the Camerawork. They create the moody scenes with a flourish. Plenty on view here in terms of craft. I was not enamoured by the songs. The background score is not harsh, a ploy in many thrillers these days!!

Mithya has a lot of cinematic substance. People may find it slow or not enough masala type. But go see it. ( Sorry, I will do a star exercise here)

Nandigram - The Root Cause

2008-01-14T15:26:00.000+05:30

I hail from Medinipur, the very district that has a town called Nandigram within, in West Bengal. I am surprised that the nation, its intellectuals, bureaucracy and law makers shuddered at what happened in Nandigram. To me, Nandigram has been happening for the past three decades very overtly and smugly, aided and abetted by the chosen few of the ruling Left Front.

I shall present here a few truths that govern people of rural Bengal forever:

1. Land is still with a few and the others can till that land for money on daily or result basis. They are known as “Borgadaars”. This is a corrupt system and is malleable by the local CPM honcho.
2. All transactions are governed by the party and not by BDOs or Gram Panchayats. Other party or Govt. Machinery orders are ignored. People also adhere to the Party dictates because they are persecuted otherwise.
3. Party writs are final and anybody opposing have a “Life” problem.
4. Elections are rigged and steered. All know it and even if somebody opposes, he is hounded out of his abode into the jungles or out of that area itself. He cannot return to that area, no matter what happens!
5. Party controls all. SFI controls students. WBTA controls teachers. They supply posting lists and new recruitment lists. The Industry is controlled by CITU, the ghost behind Bengal’s Industrial downfall. At one time, they even governed officer postings!!
6. Party controls land. Party bids and party makes the contractual decisions. In Nandigram, party bosses and a few others have already made crores on Kickbacks and that is why they face such a dismal scenario.
7. Party controls all contractual work in the state. This is a big thorn as there are people who do want to make a decent living without bribes and they have to exit the state.

Bengal is now at a very crucial juncture as a polity or a society. After Nandigram, people have realized that all that the Party does even for its cadres is not good or right! This realization has made these people look upto the Naxalites, The Trinamool Congress (a rowdy community, If I may say here) and assorted disgruntled factions of other Left Front entities. They are not a solution. In the meanwhile, the social structures have gone from bad to worse. A raped woman told a friend of mine, “Whom do we go to and what good will happen…things like this shall keep on happening!”

People there do not know who Salim is or what “a chemical hub” is. They are scared as all they know is their land and that is being taken away. Actually, most of them are CPI-M fellas themselves!!

Development is needed. We know that. But where is the machinery that includes people in the decision making process???

Good 2007..

2008-01-10T13:13:00.000+05:30

Mmm..Yes..2007 was an eventful year!

Many things got done and many more got into pipeline as promises for an even more eventful 2008..

2007 began with my daughter Antara and Ma coming down from Kolkata to live with me here in Pune. Yes, it was back to home cooked food again!

MA, at work helped get over the first few quesy months nicely. VT, lended me an associated interest in Brands. This interest, I cultivated actively and have emerged stronger in Marketing at the end of the year!

I got new acquaintances in SA, JD and JZ. JZ turned out to be a childhood friend from Chandrapur. Working with him has turned out to be a pleasure.

The redoubtable K arrived from Kolkata in April. I had made a friend in SP who helped me get K placed in a good Realty firm here in Pune. It turned out to be smooth sailing for her.

Sales had perked up in the summer and promised so much more at WF.

The rains disappointed me in many ways. In terms of Co. Sales and in personal terms.

WE took a short holiday in Goa. Unpredictable K did another trip there afterwards.

WE also took a trip to Hyd to S&L's place. S has done well with himself and L. It was a pleasure to be with them and watch a lot of movies more than anything else.

I went there again and was witness to the Hyd. blasts. It was scary. Lucky to be alive!

Met Sagar and others from the college gang again. Was good to see them!!

Been busy in the last few months, with work and home. Have watched my fav movies consistently..

Spent some quality time with Antara and K and it feels good!!

In all, a good Year!

Low Cost Marketing - Go for it!

2008-01-04T16:21:00.000+05:30

1. Narrow the market focus. Create a picture of the ideal client: what they look like, how they think, what they value, and where you can find them. Start saying no to non-ideal clients.
2. Differentiate. Strip everything you know about your product or service down to the simplest core idea. Make sure that the core idea allows you stand out.
3. Think about strategy first. Take everything you’ve done in steps one and two and create a strategy to own a word or two in the mind of your ideal client and prospect.
4. Create information that educates. You are in the information business, so think of your marketing materials, web sites, white papers, marketing kits as information products, not "sales" propaganda.
5. Package the experience. Put visual elements around every aspect of the marketing strategy that you adopt. Use design to evoke the appropriate emotional response from your ideal prospect.
6. Generate leads from many points. People learn in different ways. Your lead generation efforts must allow your prospects to experience your firm from many different angles and views.
7. Nurture leads along the logical buying path. There’s a natural way for your prospects to come to the conclusion that you have what they need. Build the lead conversion system for before, during, and after the sale.
8. Measure everything that matters. Certain things always matter. The secret sauce is in finding and measuring the intangibles – those things down on the shop floor that eventually add up to profit.
9. Automate for leverage. Embrace the Internet or else. Create access, stimulate community, capture innovation, and build knowledge to automate the basic delivery elements of your information business.
10. Commit. Resist the temptation of the marketing idea of the week. Create daily, weekly, monthly, and annual marketing calendars, make marketing your new habit, and find the money to stick with the plan.
The rest as they say is just “lage raho”!!

HNY

2007-12-31T10:40:00.001+05:30

Motives are nice,

Motivations are better,

Motivated are the best,

Is 2008 going to be the year of the Motivated!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Mirror..Her (A short)

2007-12-28T16:20:00.000+05:30

The key turned. I twisted the door knob. The door opened. I was in. It was dark. Sombre, sad and eerie. She wasn't around. Her smell was. Saucy, pervading and animal!

Could I turn back? Into my private hell. I didn't think so. Ah, that sole ribbon. A strand of want. Of wanton and sex. I felt her skin. On the wall now. I felt her guile. Lips, tongue and more!

The mirror saw me. Caught my furtive glances. This was that bed. She, me and sweat. My heart thudded now. Fright, lust, broken vows. There, her profile...in the mirror?

I sat down. Mussed my hair. Just like her. Her dark eyes. Lit up the dark. The mirror looked. At me and my hopelessness. No longer there, she tormented me, like never before!

Cursed myself, for that night, when I let her go, to heaven. From that balcony there. A push, 32 years ago!!

Check this out!!

2007-12-26T16:20:00.000+05:30

Roger Ebert is out with his best 10 List...Top of the tops!!..in Movies 2007!!!

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071220/COMMENTARY/176124809

Opportunities in the Entertainment Industry!

2007-12-26T14:43:00.000+05:30

Maya Sharma is wondering what she would want to do with her family this Sunday. She brings out her notepad and jots down her home and family needs. She needs to buy some groceries this weekend. Her husband is a music freak and has been clamoring to go to the nearest Music outlet. The children wanted to go bowling in the nearest Entertainment mall. There is a fabulous movie of Shahrukh Khan that has come on screen last week and Maya has not been able to catch up with it even now. Also, Maya feels that the children may need a wardrobe change for the winter.

Maya Sharma is upwardly mobile Indian woman. Her values are intact but yet she wants the best for her family. She looks for contemporary entertainment that would bring happiness to herself and her family. So, the country is seeing a fabulous boom in all forms of entertainment that we can think of. Movies, Multiplexes, Retail Malls, Entertainment zones, Amusement Parks, Theme Restaurants, Spas and Sport Complexes – all doing good business and tapping communities and audiences of all kinds. Add to these the Media vehicles of all kinds – TV, Radio, Internet and Ground or Live Events; we have a mix of entertainment that is huge in size and content.

This vast world of Entertainment has to be managed, operated and processed like any other business on earth. So, all these companies are tripping over each other in trying to keep talent with them. Talent comes in all shapes and sizes. To understand the Industry requirements, we shall have to understand the kinds of Entertainment we are dealing with now. Principally, Entertainment is divided into two sectors: Ground and Broadcast

Ground Initiatives : Multiplexes, Malls, Amusement Parks, Spas, Galleries, Museums, Aquariums, Wildlife Parks, Safari Parks, Botanical Gardens, Theme Parks, Film Cities and Sport Centers

Broadcast Initiatives: TV, Radio, Web, IPTV, Mobile and Movies

As time passes, both these mediums shall converge and each medium shall progressively participate in the profits of the other through sharing agreements and co – branding methods that are now prevalent in the West. This is to enable maximum monetization of the content produced.

The industry is looking for talent of all shapes and sizes to move this huge juggernaut towards glory. Some of the major requirements are:

Operations – All Ground Initiatives require People with Business Administration, Business Operations, Hospitality, Facility Management, Engineering, Health and Fitness, Creative Arts, Retail, Merchandising and Sport Administration talents.

Marketing – People with Marketing, Advertising, Publicity, PR, Promotion, Media Planning, Execution and Creative skills are required to market these Ground and Concept Initiatives into successes.

Projects – Architects, Landscape Designers, artists, Botanists, Construction Engineers, Theme Architects, Conceptualizers, Visualisers and workers of all kinds are required to build all these marvels on ground.

Finance – All kinds of Finance Professionals are needed to run these businesses effectively.

Events – All Initiatives have an Event section that makes the place happen and rock! They need producers, Production teams, Planning teams and Managers that can make these Events highly successful.

TV, Radio and Movies – They need Producers, Directors, Actors, Technical Crews, Writers and Marketing people of all kinds.

Internet and Mobile – Designers, Producers, Technical people, writers of content, Managers and Marketing people of all kinds.

All these put together makes for very interesting combination of people and services. Yes, that is what it is, a very Interesting and Creative field of work and growth – The Entertainment Industry!

2007-12-24T11:36:00.000+05:30


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Taare Zameen Par

Mesmeric Taare...

2007-12-22T15:02:00.000+05:30

Many years ago, a child used to don his Stretchlon half pants, his favourite navy blue sweater and a pair of worn out Hawai chappals to go pottering out in the misty countryside of Nilgiris. He studied rivulets, grasshoppers, droplets of rain and layers of oil only on one side of a Eucalyptus leaf. He was a loner and had to work very hard to keep up in class.

Taare Zameen Par reminds me of that boy, his anxieties, his rebellions, his lies and failures, his truths and successes. It reminds me of a lot more. Of pushy parents, of testy uncles, of indifferent teachers, of insular neighbours and above all it reminds me of unrivalled joys in the nature of life!

Taare Zameen Par is a very mature take on essence of childhood, relationships and parenthood. It talks about many things that hinges around a dyslexic boy, his situations and the indifference that he has to cope with before his drawing teacher who empathizes pulls him out of the morass.

Taare Zameen Par is a story that is a unique sum of many beautiful moments, emotional and apt. A few samples are on offer:
Nikumbh (Aamir Khan) is very disturbed on seeing the paintings by Ishaan (Darsheel Safary) in the child’s home and is aching at heart. He cannot be rude to the parents. The parents are naturally anxious on seeing him at their place. He wonders what to say. He asks for a glass of water! The tension is crackling. We are a part of it!!
The housemaster is at the entrance of the hostel on a bench. The sun is setting. Ishaan comes back from a lonely stroll. The Housemaster asks where had he been to, very authoritatively, but takes him into the hostel with a hand at his shoulder. Love in unknown forms!
The mother retrieves Ishaan’s flipbook. The mother and we see the contents of the flipbook again and again. Both of us register Ishaan’s loneliness and hopelessness. Both of us are stricken. Very moving!
Ishaan is told to get out of the class. He has to be brave and hs to be showing it to his classmates. So he does that classic fist pump, “Yess” and walks out jauntily. He is happy, we smile but there is huge undercurrent of solitude in this act of his!
Ishaan is buying Icegola. He is more interested in what is being done with the Ice by the server. We are taken in by the act. Then, it is served to a child perched on the shoulders of a bare bodied labourer. The child starts eating the Icegola. The labourer turns and walks away, proud and erect, for us and for his child. Mesmeric symmetry in thought and shot! And all this happened in the course of a song. Wow!!
Nikumbh keeps Ishaan back in class after he has explained dyslexia in class. He then reveals the identity of another person who was not mentioned in front of the whole class. Ishaan looks on in trepidation. Nikumbh reveals about himself. Fabulous moment. A story in itself!!
The father is extremely miffed with Ishaan. He is packing. Ishaan asks where is he going. He says he is going away from home. Ishaan is sorry. He keeps repeating ‘Sorry’. We are taken in. His mother intervenes. She says his father is lying. Ishaan is now angry at the betrayal. A mini satire on parents today!

Then, there are the plot points that drive the story and the involvement by leaps and bounds. That needs to be seen on screen.

Some narrative styles are new with an animated song and a documentary ending. The dialogue is kept to a minimum in most part of the movie allowing us to soak in the atmosphere, the child’s urges, loneliness and intelligence.

In fact, the camerawork, sound design and lighting communicate with us directly using the silence and the background music as communicating tools. Just great!

Here is where the team scores. Here is where the story truly catches us and takes us into Ishaan’s world. This is the most unique contribution of Aamir Khan, the director, Amol Gupte, the Creative director and the writer and Deepa Bhatia, the Editor of this film.

The actors suited their roles to a T. The surprise was how each kid was handled. Darsheel and Tanay (as Ishaan’s friend Rajan) turn in majestic performances. Tisca Chopra, as the mother, is a revelation. Aamir did not act. He just felt his character. Flawless!!
The teachers were probably told to be a little over the top. Indian Cinema needs, I guess!

Taare Zameen Par is truly path breaking and has to be seen by one and all and for their own reasons. It is compelling middle of the road cinema. Something that has disappeared since a gentleman named Hrishikesh Mukherjee had stopped making movies.

Oh, by the way, the boy from the first few lines was yours truly 30 years back!

Picture abhi Baaki hai mere dost!!!!

2007-11-28T13:30:00.000+05:30

Excuse me, that line has been taken from OSO and I might infringing some copyrights somewhere. But it is apt for what I am writing about here.

Have you heard about Experiential Entertainment?

Well, that is the BIG THING that has hit me in the last few years and I am going ga ga over the possibilities with it.

It is “the Process of opening a customer’s six senses and leave him agape for a considerable period of time experiencing any form of entertainment resulting in commerce of a different level for the Provider”.

Why am I being very optimistic about where we can go with experiential entertainment? Simply because I truly think that with a little bit of original thought and a lot of hard work (this we always profess to do!!), we can actually think of Products that have never been thought of before in any part of India or abroad.

I have been studying Experiential Entertainment ever since the mall mania hit India and the malls in their hurry to make cash gave out important spaces to top of the line brands that created their own utopia! There was no connect with the customer and we saw the advent of the age where footfalls were in scores but realizations totally messed up. Ex: Bose, Reebok, Wills Lifestyle, Sony World, Samsung Digital, Blackberry’s, W for Women, Satya Paul, Hidesign and a whole lot of others. I do not say they are bad brands. In fact, we all would say that they are top of the line brands that are not able to make headway into the average Indian consciousness because of their look and feel that has frightened the average guy on the street.

Of course, they are an essential part of the Indian mall but going one step forward, they had to be set up in such a manner where the simple tenet of curiosity – entry – browsing – interest – sampling – buy had to be done with the latent view that there is no hurry. Time provides the minds of the customer that unique pleasure – the pleasure of greed!

Ask me why Ladies are better for any retail establishment. I would say that they just have a lot of TIME! Test my observation and see. You will understand that I am right. So, what is supposed to be done if we are to provide time to our mall goers!

Experiential Entertainment is the answer. This is the latest in Hospitality and I have not read it anywhere until now. I just made it all up. But you can get the drift.

Why do we say that when we go for the typical Indian “Masala Movie” that it was “Paisa vasool” or “Mazaa aa gaya” or even “Mast time pass”? Why has Om Shanti Om become one of the biggest grosser of all time in Indian cinema?

Indians all over the globe have always equated Mazaa (entertainment) with Vasool (Value) and Time (as in time pass). This is the ultimate truth of our going out of homes to spend an “entertaining” day. It goes for our Movies, our shopping, our events, our Food and our naachgaana!!

It may or may not be similar for a European or an American. They are societies who have more TIME on hand than us and devote that time to various other pursuits like Theatre, fishing, barbeque, museums, art discussions and other such activities that stimulate the grey cells, activate our latent talent and give them a serene weekend away from their hurly burly weekdays.

It is different with us. Our weekends are not very different from our weekdays. So, when we ultimately get out for some much needed “Mazaa” we want “Mauja hi Mauja”. We want to have the ‘kitchen sink’ of Hospitality and Entertainment to be thrown at us.

I’ll tell you about this friend of mine who eats at a Shivsagar outlet the whole week as he is a bachelor and does not cook. He does not make a single noise through his entire meal at all. But every Saturday night, he and his friends tour the night clubs and bars where he orders for the flashiest Whisky and delectable finger food to accompany his drink. The Whisky is fine but the stewards go crazy trying to solve his food problems! Now, why does this guy have food problems only on Saturday nights? Psychology anyone!

My friend does not get the “Mazaa” and “Vasool” for his time spent at these places. Shivsagar, on the other days is able to provide him all of that on the other days. Strange but true!

Media has converged. So, has Hospitality and Entertainment. Today we just have to be very bold and upfront about our attitude towards our Retail Customer – at multiplexes, malls, Amusement zones, Hotels, Restaurants and Sports arenas. More “Om Shanti Om” type, as I would put it!

How to do this??

Content, boss! Compelling content in all these areas shall keep people engrossed. Like a Reality show on TV, there should be something happening all the time that would enable people to look and experience open mouthed, in wonder, every time, at all times!

You may say that the areas that I have mentioned may have no commonalities in content and so cannot be clubbed together. True yet false! Ask me how?

True because the products are dissimilar and principally cannot be bunched together. False because these are old rules. The new rules are “Any place that welcomes a customer with a concept and wants him to buy into that has to be governed by Content / thought / script / event / feel / senses. Only then the “Majaa” and “Vasool” for the time spent shall come in!

Yes, the world is now the “Masala Movie”!

I have designed methods of making a Mall, a Multiplex, a Movie, an Event, an Entertainment Zone, a Hotel, a Restaurant, a Sports Stadium or even a simple Park work on these precepts.

Entertainment is principally of two kinds – Ground and Broadcast. Movies, for me is a form of Ground Entertainment. Sorry, if I am changing the rules here.

Broadcast, I am not touching upon now.

But, Ground Entertainment has been redefined for ever in India. Are we aware? OK, most of us are. People who are not are getting there. Through trial and error.

First, the forms of Marketing Ground Entertainment changed. We called it Experiential Marketing. Then the content started to change. We are amidst the change even now.

There shall be a day when the success of a mall or a Cricket stadium shall be plotted through content or a story, simply put.

Who would plot this? There shall be a lot of contributors in this team of script writers – Promoters, Architects, Communication experts, Operations, Event Planners, Marketing whizzes, MCs, DJs, Amusement Designers, Movie Producers, Scriptwriters, Special Effects people, Music Composers, Landscape artists and Child Psychology experts!

Oh yes! There shall be a baffling team of people trying to make it worthwhile for you, the customer, to go to such places and have “Mazaa” and “Vasool”.

No, friends, it is no more about the LOCATIONS only. It is about captivating the customer. La La Land for a short while. The “All in One” concept at large! Someone please tell me as to why “Highway Dhabas” do so well!!!!!

They just bundle every kind of food and Masala and present a Unique combination of Food, music, comfort, easy surroundings and Colloquial habitats. The Bundle is what matters!

I don’t profess to be an expert here. Nobody is. Just that I have spotted the trends. Yes, they are very visible. Also, I have been able to spot the ‘Happiness Quotient’ of customers as they converge on content, popular or otherwise!

They define the likeability of an Entertainment product very fast. It is the establishments or content owners who do not see the obvious. Solely because their eye has moved to the collection tills.

Content is forever. Good Content more so! Revenue is transient. It comes. It goes too. So, which is more important. Which requires more Quality measures! How come then that CFOs rule the roost in many companies.

Why is the theme music of a Disco dependent on the in house DJ instead of a top line DJ or Music Composer?

Trends spell interest. Interest brings in Curiosity. Curiosity gets the footfall. Footfall turns into browsing. Browsing turns into a Buy. What I profess here is that we can cement this separate bricks by a product called “Mazaa” and “Vasool” content. This shall customer there for enough time to make that “Great Choice”!!!

Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost!!!!

Innovation Marketing!!

2007-11-13T11:26:00.001+05:30

Marketing shall never be the same anymore. I have been involved in setting
up exciting ground entertainment solutions for my company. The brief was to
get across to my target audience in the most straight arrow manner without
the usually big costs of Media plans that suck the heart out of start up
companies. I had to design something that would be durable and secure. I
also had to make it so customer centric that every unit cost would enable a
walk in to my entertainment mall very comprehensively.

I designed a very radical thing called "Customer First Programme". This is a
Promotional that enables other malls/ showrooms/ Food joints / lifestyle
places to sell us through their sales. Suffice to say that it was such a
huge success with 95% turn throughs of my promotional give aways. On some
days, the lines at my Box office had to be multi pronged which is generally
not the case with establishments such as ours.

I have many such more radical ideas of direct and indirect sales approaches.
But, all of them are not from any textbooks. Why...I had to ask myself. It
turns out that our country is very "Nirala" in all such matters. Penetration
of most print media is hopeless. Electronic media also suffers because of
the junk on air. Lifestyle customers are not interested in "Bhoot pret"
news, "Saas bahu" serials and chalta phirta cricket. So, how does one get
them. Radio is an answer. Malls and multiplexes are also an answer. But some
of them are so expensive that a start up like my company cannot afford it.
So, where do we go?

Websites and the New media are an answer. But, we still have some way to go
before we catch up with the mass. But, we are getting there. As of now, I
have put my bets on innovative direct sales as the main approach!!

Passions - To keep me going!!

2007-11-02T16:28:00.000+05:30

I have never stopped to take stock of my passions in life. Why, I do not know. There aren’t many that I have in any case but an inventory should be on now that I am half way through my life!

Well, let me start with my biggest passion – books! Who are the authors that I like. Ayn Rand…she has elevated my reading to another level of fundamentalism. I have read her over and over again through the years and have understood the Roarks and Tooheys differently each time. Dominique is no more that youthful enigma but I am still yet to understand her fully. Howard Roark has influenced me and I dare say here that except being a sociopath as he was I have relentlessly followed his path to originality! Others may differ but…

Khushwant Singh has influenced me too. Now, ask me why I had to be done in by that dirty Sardar. Then, you must read Delhi – a novel. He is a fabulous historian and a storyteller. I have yet to come across a more qualified Indian writer writing about India as he has done. Suketu Mehta follows in close on the basis of his sole book, Maximum City! Boss, what energy..I could not sleep after I had completed the book at one go on a Sunday. Since then, have read it many a time. There were many others..Bruen, Bach, Henry, Wilde, Forsyth (I love that man!!), Grisham, Lawrence, Satyajit Ray, Sunil Gangopadhay, Tagore, Marquez, Menon, etc and I shall never tire of those page and gum smells!!

My next passion is Movies. Scores of people are passionate about movies but only a few watch movies alone from the age of 12. I did. Don’t ask why. I don’t know. For me, movies are a therapy, a taraana, a thrill, a study, a fantabulous occasion that I could never escape even for a big party or a daawat or even religion. Well, movies are my religion.

I saw Chemeen sitting on my Dad’s shoulders. I saw Aradhana when I was two and I am able to recollect my own lusty singing after the movie ended. I remember Johnny mera naam, Hare Rama Hare Krishna from then on. Then, a hiatus and after a few years I got introduced to Ray straighaway. Pather Panchali, Jalshagar, Apur Sansar, Mahanagar, Teen Kanya and Goopi Gyne Bagha Byne..they were classics even then for without even getting the full import.

I launched into my Hindi movie phase again with Sanyasi. Manoj Kumar and Hema Malini served up Masala movies to me like never before. I was hooked. Sholay followed and what a follow up!!

Then, was a phase that I was seeing a movie every week dutifully one-way or the other. Good ones, vague ones and downright horrid ones. Does anyone remember “Oh Bewafaa”, a ‘The lonely Lady’ rip off starring Anil Dhawan and others. Bambai Ka Badshah will also not ring any bells. Amjad Khan in a double role. I caught up with the Hrishikesh Mukherjee jewels during this time. I also tried a few Bimal Roy ones. Then, I hit upon Kishore Kumar and Guru Dutt films. The movies had me for life.

I have torn shirts getting tickets for Sharaabi and Hero in Nagpur. I have seen Pataal Bharavi alone in Hyderabad grooving to Jeetendra’s pots and pans. I have copied Mithun’s “Kasam paida karne wale ki” muffler style all winter of 1985. I saw Ghayal after curfew in an illegal video parlor in Guwahati in 1990. “Tridev” was seen with CPM and Trinamool Congress going great guns at each other just outside a hall in Kolkata. Sathya, the Tamil one, was with a girl whom I never met after that day. DDLJ was in Panjim with my spouse. Tezaab was in a place called Alampur in Howrah district in West Bengal with my brother. Taal was in Siliguri when my daughter was being born at a nearby hospital. Takshak was in a bus to Pune to see my mom.

Now, I see movies on DVD or at the nearby multiplex. I enjoy. We enjoy. My wife is a freak too. She even worked with Inox and institutionalized her freaking out for two good years. Indian movies changed. We get a Khosla ka Ghosla. We also get a Matribhoomi. We get a Bheja Fry and we also get something as radical as “No Smoking”. I still love the movies.

I am passionate about music too. A R Rahman is God. RDB is up there with all the Gods. LP, KA, Madan Mohan and other greats are also as revered. I can listen to a Pritam too. I can get along with Salil Chowdhury (that genius..) too. Kishore Kumar, Asha, Lata, Rafi, Mukesh, Hemant, Manna De, Jagjit, Ghulam Ali, Alisha, Bappi Lahiri, Salma Agha, Abhijeet, Alka, Sanu, Sonu,Udit, Nusrat and his tribe..all of them have contributed to my ears and pleasure over the years.

I even enjoy Bombay Jayashree, Anuradha Sriram, Harini, Sreekumar, Unnikrishnan, Hariharan, Nachiketa, Zubeen, Indian Ocean, Mohit Chauhan, Remo, Richa Sharma, Vishal Dadlani and others who are not heard all that frequently.

As they say, music has no boundaries.

My last and foremostest passion is work. Here, it shall suffice if I mention that I have toured the country only through my job locations. I went where work seemed interesting. I went where there was opportunity. I am the later day diamond prospector. I cannot give up. I cannot lie in a cocoon. I am still innovating myself. I am still at it. Kitchens, restaurants, Hotels, Banquet Centres, Multiplexes, Discos, Heritage Parks, Clubs, Resorts, Spas, Health Clubs, Amusement Parks, Entertainment Malls and Waterfront developments. I have seen it all and done it all.

Operations, Marketing, Sales, Events, IT, Business Strategy and Projects. I have been all over the place. Ah yes..there are places I can go to from here. Sports Management, Talent Management, Content, Themed Attractions…the list goes on!!

So, here they are…my Passions…then there is Cricket..ah..umm..well..yessss!!!!!!!

Johnny Gaddar - GR8!!

2007-10-06T15:53:00.000+05:30

I was never interested in the typical 70s thriller genre of Hindi movies.
PFC kept telling us that Johnny Gaddar was one hell of a movie and that one
should miss it, whensoever it comes to the neighbourhood multiplex..fair
enough!!
I waited, read about how Sriram Raghavan (the guy who made the film
yaar..)had been sitting with the script for a long while before Adlabs got
interested in making the movie. Of course, Sriram had Ek Hasina Thi to back
his script. But well, you know how it goes at the movies..Even Vikram Bhatt
started with an original movie..look where he went!!
Then, the day arrived and I went to see JG..not many people in the hall..we
were just two of us..the movie started. The 70's style titles and montage
went by and someone was killed!! Oh yeah!..Sriram had me by the hook then
on..I won't give away the plotline, save your foul breath, guys!!
But..but..I was amazed by the dexterity of the director. Every scene was
economical, stood out for itself, perfect shot compositions, yummy teasers,
fabulous silences, textured lighting moods, grand soundtrack for back up,
kick ass dialogues.."Pure Non Vegetarian"..goes Kalyan (Govind Namdeo in a
whammo cameo), terrific sets (Neil's home is just too very cool). All in
all, I could see that here was one director who took the best short cut to a
good movie..A VERY TIGHT SCRIPT..Cool!
If this is the way Indian movies are to go, then boy..I'm relishing it!!!!
Neil Mukesh is the find of the movie. Again, economy in presentation of his
character worked. I hear he has a good friend in a lad named Hrithik Roshan.
That's another actor who has an ample amount of screen presence. Zakir
Hussain is class and Vinay Pathak just leaves me speechless with each turn
out of his. "Jab kissi ki kismat itni saath de rahi ho to usse ungli nahin
karte!!"...Waah!! Dharam paaji was decent and Riimii was OK. Another
surprise was Ashwini as Vinay's wife in the movie. She played the hyper wife
a la Shefali Shah in SATYA to perfection.
My Idea of a good day out is something like Johnny Gaddar from now on!!

My Interview with Cybermedia - 30/9/07

2007-10-04T14:36:00.000+05:30

City: Pune
Date of news: 9/30/2007 4:43:16 PM

When IT amuses

What happens when technology touches us even on Sundays – at the roller coaster ride, at the food plazas, at entertainment joints, at bowling alleys and who knows someday in the machine-made curry and basmati on a day not so distant? Indraneel Majumdar, Vice President of Wonder Leisure & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. (WLEPL) speaks to CyberMedia News and shares how easy or challenging is to inject technology in an entertainment mall and fight with issues like ROI, obsolescence, servicing and scale at Wonder Funkey, a new entertainment zone in Pune that entailed a technology spend of Rs2.2 crore in a total project investment of Rs15 crore. Here, he gives a glimpse of the magic that IT can work for those Disneyland moments
Being quintessentially an entertainment joint with games, ride simulators, bowling alleys and food as your key offerings, where and how did you pump technology inside Wonder Funkey?

To start with, the entire environment at Wonder Funkey is software controlled. A customer gets a smart card of a given value as he enters inside and from there on at every point he gets access to a game etc through the card itself. Every consumption is cashless and as soon as the card exhausts its value, the customer can get it redeemed with a top-up. So the head of the family need not tug along with everyone whenever they hit a point for payment. Cards can be given to every member, specially to kids, of a value as per the discretion of the wallet-holder, thus everyone can be free and on his own to enjoy a game or point of their choice. Every point has readers for these smart cards. The result is an experience that is not purse-controlled, is error free and proven to be completely secure.

What prodded you to experiment with a cashless entertainment zone?

Research and insight tells us that when an entertainment trip is continually encountering moments with the wallet, i.e. money, the whole joy and fun of the outing is brought down when one has to shell out a sum at every point. Instead, one can plan a lump sum amount that can be spent on a trip and enjoy the outing with no sight of unplanned money going out at every half hour. That's why we hit upon the idea of cards.

Was it a customized IT solution or an indigenous deployment?

We worked the logic and our vendors converted and customized it. It took us nine and a half months to do that. The whole project started in December 2005 and completed in October 2006. Aftek helped in areas of basic hardware, customized readers and lines up to the server so as to get the complete flow of the system right. We had to re-convert the machines too from metal coin input to card input. That undertook some in-house re-fixing. Dimakh Consultants came in the area of software. I initially started with the game applications but later expanded it to non-game retail. We opted for two kinds of cards – offer cards that have built-in denominations for corporate and group packages where games are pre-decided in the menu. The other one are non-offer cards for individual customers or families.

Have the footfalls and average spending reflected some impact?

We are getting 432 footfalls on weekdays and 1081 footfalls on weekends on an average basis. From Rs122 per person to Rs252 per person the wallet outgo has increased too. We see an upward swing in the utilization of the place.

Has the idea of toying with technology at such as scale worked?

Technology allowed me to create an organization and getting through the nascent stages. I have seen many others around who have experimented with the idea of bringing technology in an entertainment environment. They could not succeed. They were eking out from one year to another without the sight of good financial rewards. Entrepreneurs in this field haven't yet crossed the technology barrier but the scenario will hopefully change. It is not easy to marry IT with fun and still be in the black. The investment does not always blossom operationally. I am however hopeful that one day the industry will warm up to this idea and make money as well.

So, did you manage to buck the trend? Is the ROI visible?

The entire deployment, including the software and hardware, cost us Rs15 lakh and adding people and training to that makes it Rs20 lakh. But it is cost effective. Savings of one and a half lakh every month are showing up simply on the manpower side already. There's no big pump-in required for the whole life now. I know I will recoup my investment by the half of next year. The system is delivering well on all scores – business objectives, customer efficiency, EQ, happiness etc.

What then, helped you make money in this business while others, as you say, failed?

Entertainment as a business here is still not import free and that makes the ROI difficult. We have learnt to offset risks like these with other things and F&B (Food & Beverage) has a better ROI any day. But managing profitable F&B is not everyone's cup of tea. We focused there and succeeded. In fact, look a little ahead and we will see technology playing a renaissance of sort in this segment. Big scale IT set-ups for instance, would need the magic of machines in kitchen, catering and housekeeping areas. Why have the headache of finding Indian chefs and manage grime-swathed kitchens echoing with hustle-bustle to cater to a huge army of jockeys, when machines can be of assistance? The idea of a machine that churns out basmati or curries at a large scale for the Indian palate in software premises is quite tempting.

Any plans of taking your IT deployment ahead as another revenue stream - for instance, as a standard product for entertainment vertical or as benchmark sharing?

Well, we are getting interests and queries from a lot of peers across the country. People in the industry are curious and keen to know how is it going so far.

Does your penchant for technology also reflect in the menu? Any hi-tech games or rides?

Our features are non-tech but the system is tech-enabled. In other words, the content has been kept different from the interface. The whole experience is simple fun-filled entertainment, which, at the backstage, is powered by technology. In hi-tech options we only have dark ride simulator and 2D film so far. The 2D thriller will be converted to 3D and probably to 4D. Bowling is however software-controlled and has been sourced from China (Via). All the four lanes are controlled by software. From the moment, a customer steps on the aisle, technology takes over in areas like positioning, retrieval and scoring.

What next?

We will see gradual changes but smart card digitization is the way to go. Hardware might get more concise; software will get better in terms of logarithms and version 1.0. Besides these, there would be no radical shift. The set-up is pretty liberalized and on an autopilot now.

What were your major mistakes or lessons, if any?

Tackling obsolescence was one major challenge. When we bring an item from abroad, it is going through the fag ends of its lifecycle there already. Thus, we end up traveling with the baggage as once the item is obsolete, getting it serviced and invoking guarantee clauses etc is not easy. Many others in the field of electronic entertainment have suffered on this aspect and had to give up their machines as junk. We too faced that when we placed orders in 2006 and by May the equipment became passé. There were issues like cost of servicing, lack of understanding of external software and lack of servicing people. We learnt to develop our in-house service efficiency with domestic resources. This is costly and entails huge payment outgo. It's a hard road to take but now that we have taken it we can tread it up to any scale.

Kolkata Police - a Nightmare!!

2007-10-03T15:34:00.000+05:30

This is in response to the ongoing scandal involving the Kolkata Police and the Todi family. I am not shocked at all by the goings on in Lalbazar and elsewhere. I had been a resident of Kolkata in 2004 and was consulting a company that was involved in converting a cinema complex in Central Kolkata into a Banquet center. The proprietor of the complex had financial problems and wanted to come out of his problems by making this center.

The New Market thana was the local police station. I do not remember the names of the officers but I do remember the way they pummeled this businessman into a shell by their strong-arm tactics. They landed up at all hours of the day with frivolous issues and exorbitant money demands. The businessman had to meet them and had to undergo the strain of meeting their demands. The entire Police station was involved in this extortion and there was no respite. Once, the businessman went to Lalbazar to talk to some other known people there but the extortion increased after the New Market people came to know of his escapade.

I was a veteran in Kolkata police and political affairs by way of heading Hotel projects in Central Kolkata where one keeps coming across a lot of such filth. But, I was taken aback at the intensity of the extortions. The Thana OC went on to comment that there was no one above the Police and that he should quietly pay. Then, the local political thugs were also let loose on him. Building permissions from KMC were delayed intentionally resulting in more mayhem as the businessman wanted to cut losses by opening fast.

I left the city then with a very bad taste in my mouth about Bengali government servants and politicians. I am vindicated when I see the filth spewing out now with the Rizwanur episode. No industry shall be able to come up in the right manner in Kolkata as permissions have to come through KMC and the Police. They are among the most corrupt and loutish in the entire nation. I have built a 60 crore company here in Pune in one year flat. I would not be able to do even one-fifth of what I did in the same time.

Some Police officers used to tell me very engagingly that they have to do it as there is some quota system or else they are questioned. This money goes right till the top. If anymore needs to be ascertained, somebody should ask the OC of Shakespeare Sarani Thana (2002) as to how many properties he owns in Kolkata and its surroundings. He may not say but his colleagues used to go green with envy in Police Club then!

They are worse than hooligans and it is not the first time that Kolkata has witnessed a murder by the Police officials for money. Prasoon Mukherjee has a lot to answer for!

Maine hi India mein Disco Laya!!!!

2007-09-14T13:49:00.000+05:30

Don’t we all come to a point in life when we cannot remember any incident, movie, song or news completely? It comes back to us in snatches like a melody played in Vividh Bharathi some five households away and we are able to hear only the high notes!!

Speaking of Melodies(!!!!)…I keep seeing Bappi Lahiri on TV these days. My mom is a fan of his comments and his Bongliness. She keeps Saying that he is very Bhadro (eeks.. with all those chains, does’nt he get choked!!) and my missus freaks out on his mannerisms and comments for all the wrong reasons (the amajhing accent..main hi Disco India mein laya..Oneek you are tha naambaar oane..types). Well, the poor guy is a hopeless case on TV and is a prime candidate for situational comedy but he has had a brilliant run in Indian movie industry!! I started to find out how much I could remember of him from my childhood and youth. After all the guy made us trip over the Disco beats all those years back, didn’t he!

Disco Dancer comes first. I begin with “I am a Disco Dancer”. A pulsating number that made all of us do the Mithun foot tapping trick and the trademark pelvic shove at all possible places including my school assembly once when I heard it in a distant loudspeaker in Chandrapur. The number had a continuous disco beat but Bappida had done some amazing things with Vijay Benedict’s vocals. I went orgasmic with “Aao mere saath nacho – gao!!”. Mithun had done this like a stage performance in the movie and the song was apt as it was one strong appeal for guys to Disco. The drums rolled and the Sax made new sounds that had not been heard in Indian movies before that. A crescendo never seen before!!
Next in Line is “Auvva..Auvva…koi yahan aha naache naache”. This is the song that actually I took fancy to when I heard the tracks the first time. It had an oomph that only an Usha Uthup could put across. The gruff vocals and those smooth transitions from top to base. Effortless! I should mention here that a guy called B Hiremath who suspiciously sounded like Bappida himself did the male riffs here and what Disco. Priceless! Only, it translated onto screen through Karan Razdan (?) and Kim (??), two complete non entities in Indian cinema and with two great left legs. B Subhash was completely intent on making money only through Mithun’s antics. Now, you see what was Bappida’s contribution to that super hit!
After this was Kishore Kumar’s crazy “Ae o ah..ah o aha…Zara mudke dikha aankhen”..if you do come across the song again, mark the “Tere Liye!!” that he does in five different ways. Yes, Bappida did a classical touch in a total Disco gaana! KK had a fantastic take on the Disco dhoom that was happening then. When asked why he sang such songs that was beneath his capabilities, he said, “Tum khilaoge mujhe…Ghar le jaake!!”. The interviewer had just shut up after that.
Jimmy Jimmy aa ja..was a refrain that had its roots in some English ditty that I am unsure of but what the hell…here was a pure Indian melody just given a Disco face. Imagine, it had a sad version too. Bappida’s genius was in getting Parvati Khan to go as full throat as she could go and drawing those breaths from her to make it sensuous for the listeners. Wow!!
Yaad aa raha hai….was again sung by Hiremath and some very good lyrics pervaded the number. I don’t remember all of it but it was enjoyable to the core. Bappida excelled here and with a voice that never made any other significant contribution to Indian cinema.
Last but not the least were “Goron ki na kalon ki” and “Krishnaa..dharti pe aaja tu”. Goron..was sung by Suresh Wadkar and Usha Mangeshkar. There is an amazing bongo riff in this otherwise normal Indian road song that went turrr…turrrrr. I remember that I used to sit in the last bench of my class and try to do this on my writing table with my fingers tapping the rhythm. “Krishnaa…” was sung by Nandu Bhende. I had a hard time finding out his name when I first heard the song. The violins were used very imaginatively in this song. Hear it and you would know what I am talking about and it had Bappida doing something new ‘Pathos Disco’. That’s something I have invented now, as there was no classification of this ‘Mithun in distress’ number.

Disco Dancer heralded the arrival of B. Subhash as the Disco producer of India. Kasam paida karne wale ki and Dance Dance were to follow. Tarzan came even later.

I should follow this up with a write up on the other tracks of B Subhash, Mithun and Bappida mentioned above. Save it for another day!!!

A Poem - My Friend Venky wrote!!!!

2007-09-05T18:36:00.000+05:30

This poem is indeed a true reflect of how anyone with a heart feels when you lose love and get in back in different forms…
Love indeed is a mirage… Love is a contradiction to oneself... yet the unsinkable truth holds that love is forever... As with very sunrise, we never know what the tide has in store for us... so love and live life to the fullest… it will never deprive you of what you really deserve... with time!!!
Unknown to the myths of heart aches…
Welcome one and all
A game you must play
lest you look with a wider moral.

Rules put up by both players
But one with knack shall slay
It’s all but a mere game
A game of wit and dare.

Never known reality
To strike as lightning unwelcome
Yet to watch the game go on
As days goes by & by.

Bleeding heart is timeless
None wiser than before
If only the heart would not succumb
To all the bruise deepened

Time heals... true to the word
Not sparing the ugly scars
Without indeed none have know
What it is to grieve.

Yet the new day dawns…
Washing away the tide
Behold the new rays
All that life’s to spare again!

2007-09-01T22:06:00.000+05:30

I saw "RGV ki Aag"the film yesterday with the wife in a Pune multiplex. The hall was 40% full (a 400 seater). My wife had already called up friends in Mumbai and got the news that it was bad. She wanted to see Dhokha. But my RGV success anxiety made me chose this film. When we queued up for the tickets we could see that people were ignoring Aag and plumping for Dhokha and Heyy Babyy. I put it to RGV fatigue. 1 good movie and all of them would again fall in line for true blue RGV movie again.Then, the movie started. I could actually see that here was a completely off kilt script going in no direction except run down every original Sholay situation. Nisha Kothari was so awful and poorly characterised that she was actually fumbling and the editors could not do anything with her large screen presence. Ajay and Prashant did not have even one single memorable line. Forget, the original sholay…this did not get upto TLV Prasad levels..then poor Mohanlal had a characterisation that could not evoke any sympathy, honour or a sense of belonging!Sushmita was plain disinterested. I think she had smelt long back that she had been hard done by the director.Into this muddle came in AB. Now, It was very apparent that AB wanted to rule the frames from the time he came into the picture. But, with all the problems in the characterizations..he was plain stupid..one minute he was groaning..next he was giggling…suddenly he was roaring..then he was limping…then he was striding across the screen…HERE IS WHERE I FOUND THAT THE MEGALOMANIAC WAS NOT ONE BUT “TWO” - RGV AND BIG B.What do you do when you have two people intent on destroying a movie for themselves and their whims!AB is at such a point where is starting to go overboard in his portrayals if he is not guided well as he is like that guy who says “I know it all and I can do it all”. Also that he had done pretty much everything over all these years, so he wanted to get kinky and quirky..and How!!!RGV let him be and constructed the rest of the movie around his antics…imagine the thing with Urmila in the car!! So bloody unnecessary and tasteless!Also, just as I feared…any remake of Sholay needed a big budget..and I know RGV has tight budgets these days..so he did what he could..put the whole set up in some rundown factory lot…and that looked..in spite of some ajeebogareeb cam angles..no that does not make good frames..sorry..the lack of budget came through totally..even the Ooty - Mithunda movies have better finishes!!!!Probably, the first time…i had no good word for a RGV movie..I feared it..seeing the poster and how all the other decent actors were elbowed aside by Urmila’s boobs and AB’s smirk!!If RGV has such an ache for Urmi..he should sort out his issues, get back with her, stop that Nisha business…and at least try to make another decent prequel, sequel or anything of Satya!!! Because only she lived at the end of it!!!! Probably, that would be much more palatable…Now, all of you..be forewarned about Sarkar Raj…the two megalos are at work there too…thsi time I shall take it easy and catch the movie if I hear at least ONE guy here speak of it in decent terms!!!Imagine..to get over, I had to see “Bawarchi” midnight on to smile through and regain my faith in the movies!!

New Life, is it?

2007-08-29T23:59:00.000+05:30

August 25th 2007
The bomb blast happened at Lumbini Garden in Hyderabad. I was there..I mean there..and had a narrow escape..however one might put it..it was narrow for me..I did value my bones and flesh before..I do more so now.
So, what did I learn then??
That life is short and we shall have to make the most of it..a la Anand??
Or ponder, pray, get religious and ask for Moksh or some such fangle??

Hey, I just remembered..a poem (if you don't mind please)

Ah! I look upwards..
Was life so difficult,
before, when I was younger,
Supple legs running,
Up the Nilgiris..
Not a care..Not a Care.

Naah..it was not,
I do remember,
for evil was there then too,
But I gave a hoot,
Gavaskar was bigger,
A issue for me and friends,
For Amritraj ruled,
Our consciences all times.

No fear or tremor,
Except Balan Sir,
When he pinched,
And my skin inflamed,
Except Ma's shouts,
When I emptied,
The Biscuit container..
Ten at a time.

Time passed and,
We got more robust,
Rode Cycles in 40* heat,
Chandrapur roads perspired,
But cared little,
"Laila O Laila"
On our Lips;
And Hair over the ears.

No fear as I entered,
My youth, my golden years,
Proposals and disposals,
took them all in stride,
Studied when I could,
Played all the more,
Heeded Dad's advice,
But was on my own.

Today, I stand aged,
I have my strings,
That are pulled taut,
To my family dear,
But why am I fearing,
Of destiny's will,
Of the Unknown beyond,
Will Never Know.

A state of Mind,
Is that it..Just,
That can be shaken,
And Purity regained,
Ah! I shall try,
Surely, No harm in that

If that is a bad poem..I shall not try my hand at it...anyways Ciao!!!!

10 things that I would like to do...

2007-07-29T12:28:00.000+05:30

I constantly read about people who have given up the rat race to do something that they have ached to do over the years as a profession or as a hobby. I also do feel now that I should pursue my other interests to their logical end before it is too late. So, here we go...ten things that I would like to do:
1. Write my novel..in fact become a writer!
2. Make my own leisure or multi utility destination (well...I don't have the money now...but maybe...)
3. Travel the world...not the luxorious way..but the budget way
4. Make films...write films...
5. Be a Corporate coach for Business Strategies
6. Own a Library cum Restaurant on the foothills of Himalayas (In Dehra Dun maybe)
7. Make a log cabin away from the boxes of the cities!!
8. Become a professional massuer..I am rather good at it...
9. Read more and more and more.....
10. Learn Architecture

Oh..the wish list seems to be pretty eclectic. But, is definitely achievable..only if I am able to do some nifty time management and get down to planning my day creatively and stick to that plan religiously.

What say guys!!

La la land diary!

2007-07-26T15:20:00.000+05:30

Two articles that appeared in Maharashtra Herald in the last month - written by moi!!!

I don’t drive my car! I have a very trustworthy person to do the honors, my wife! And no, I am not joking, as she will not take to it kindly in public, being my driver!! Oh, Why, because I am mortally afraid of speed, heights and all other assorted body heaving and mass disturbing things in life. My family decided to, please note that I had nothing to do with this catastrophic decision, go to an Amusement Park while we were in Bangalore on a short but hugely money-guzzling trip. They went willingly and I grumpily and grudgingly. Hello, I am not talking about the expenses that I rightly thought were obscene but I knew that now I had a whole day of tackling, dodging and dribbling with fright of all mortal kinds!
The gates of the Park were still closed when we arrived there. I happily pronounced that probably the park has shut down because of low attendance or some such likely thing. I got evil glares from the young and not so young in my group immediately. I clammed up. The gates opened. The Ticket windows opened too. I was unfortunate to stand in and around that line and suffered my first roller coaster then and there. I have not seen a more healthy pack of vultures since then! I careened towards the counter on borrowed legs and found myself confronting a very colourful counterperson. I had not counted the people in my group. I looked around helplessly only to find my little one all of eight ready with an answer. The magic figure of nine was shouted out. The tickets were in my hand in a jiffy. I was shooed to the nearest entrance by very overzealous Black Cat security cops with all the swish. Vroom, I was into La – La land.
My group immediately became a sickeningly childish bunch of Neanderthals, yelling, roaring, eyes glistening, arms waving and furiously gesticulating at me to join them at some nearest contraption that waved its arms about frantically in glee while some poor unfortunate souls were trapped in the buckets attached to its arms. That was a very angry piece of human invention. I must have done the fastest dash to the nearest seating canopy and found solace with seventy year olds grinning maniacally at my photo finish to the chair. My group was already in queue to get on to the angry arm waver. The wifey waved at me to join her. I waved her on. She is my better half. So, there was no sense in endangering the worser half. If anything had to happen, the worser half could carry on like Hydra, amoeba or some other such creature!
The angry arm waver again started with my group in various buckets. They guttural shrieks terrified me if not the very people who were emitting those shrieks. I did not know how humans could be so terrified and yet so thrilled. I was spilling my guts out seeing the spectacle! The ride ended. My goofy group came back and shriekingly related the stunts once more. They were frothing at their mouths in excitement. I said that we give it a little break and was hollered at, GIVE US A BREAK, MAN!
Next they sat in a contraption where they were just dropped from thirty feet. God, I nearly got a qualified seizure seeing those gravity struck faces. My kidneys were in my mouth. I had to gulp them back. But the children came back dizzyingly happy. Wifey was already gravitating towards a giant wheel going in all directions. Now, I had tried a wheelie while in college with my Kinetic Honda and had landed about ten feet behind my own bike. So, anything to do with wheels was definitely out!
Wheelie boy started and the group went ga-ga. I went guhh-guhh. My muscles were stricken with fright, I was lock jawed just seeing the wheelie boy do the act. It was eternity before the wheel thing stopped. The group came down delirious. My first reaction was to try and take their temperatures, CT scans and other medical health reminders. The group only felt that it was time to move me into action. They chose a simple train ride through a lot of tunnels, valleys and caves. I thought that this would be easy and got on with the Neanderthals. The train started. It suddenly turned right at a fast clip. My breakfast banana started bobbing in my esophagus. We entered a tunnel and the train went into a dive. My teeth and my bile started a war in my mouth. My eyeballs wanted to break shackles of their sockets. The dive eased only for us to turn lurchingly left. Now, the banana, bile, tongue and teeth were fighting for space in the mouth. I could vaguely hear an announcement that the first stage of the train ride was getting over and people uneasy within could get down here. I was out of the train in a flash. The Neanderthals were oblivious. I stumbled out of the platform onto the nearest bench and motioned for the Park staff. They arrived fast sensing disaster. I do not particularly remember what happened after that. But yes, I could hear wifey cursing my senility, age, sex, height, sloth, condition and culture in no particular order as I had deprived her of some Jurassic thrills in La-la land as she had abstained from further entertainment to take care of me. Poor she!
Anyway, the group proceeded to have a great day, irrespective of their tortured elder. I thanked all the gods for keeping me alive that day.
Who knew that one day I had to be running a similar establishment here in Pune!!!

Malls for Voyuers!!!

2007-07-26T15:15:00.000+05:30

We are a nation of voyeurs. We love to watch, period. It could be a monkey dancing to the tune of his master, it could be a poor rickshaw driver getting beaten up by a passer by, it could be a man scratching his armpit or it could even be ‘Tulsi’ on TV getting worked upon by one of her great grandchildren!
Malls have come up everywhere and I and my group of Neanderthals have lately been very supple in making our way to one of this hotspots in the city to see and rejoice! Now, you may ask me that malls are for buying, splurging, getting stoned on fashion or some such hip and happening thing. God! How outdated can you be!!
Malls are for checking out, seeing others at play, gazing at celestial beings on earth. Malls are for getting the grand idea of how much we are missing in our daily buns, I mean the slurpy ‘maska’. You guys have still not got it. Let me tell you of my last and lasting experience at one of our leading malls here in Pune.
The Neanderthals and I decided that we should hit this mall at a very strategic timing on a very sunny and sticky Sunday. The car was brought out. As usual, the wifey was driving. The rest had decked themselves up in the ‘loose and let loose’ fashions that are prevalent these days. So, they daintily crammed themselves at the back of the hatchback. We negotiated the mall going crowds on the roads. It looked like everyone was rushing to the nearest mall to take the serious fix of ‘shoppers’ toxin’ and the high that it gave along with the Pav Bhajis, SPDPs, Papri chats, Samosas, Dosas and chutneys that were being doled out at all traffic intersections as if the country was just going to war with Bangladesh and we were like camels stocking adequate rations within our body during the food famines that were to follow during wartime! Needless to say, the traffic was unmoving, what with all the rations being piled onto soft stomach linings!!
We reached our ‘Imposing mall’ only two seconds after one hour later than when we had decided upon when we left home. That was perfectly acceptable. The Neanderthals had, by the way, decided on their agenda in the car itself. The ideal route was always through the bargain sections of the various showrooms. I understood the need for a neat little scramble when the mind and body is fit and willing. So, I gave into this very obvious proposal.
So, we headed towards a very nicely placed fashion store that had 50% discount emblazoned on its 8 inch glass door. The smiles of the Neanderthals were seen to be believed. We waded in. Legs and torsos competed for strategic spaces and everybody was browsing and checking out the choices of the others. The were a lot of people fighting their way to subtly placed Trial rooms and announcing their outfits to the approval or dismay of all the others in the place. In fact, a few women had very strategically placed themselves near the trial rooms and were rushing towards the origins of every approved dress, not worrying about their colors, cut, look and feel. The game was to try the clothes on offer. Of course! The good ones did not have any discounts attached to them and so had to be discarded very unwillingly. The men in the meanwhile had parked themselves near the women racks and were checking out the aisles rather then the racks! It was like the “shaadi.com” franchise had opened right there. A lot of informal checking out was being done, sometimes rudely interrupted by their spouses or lady friends who wanted them to comment on some fashions that they did not have any idea of.
The Neanderthals invaded my sight seeing with some obviously naughty choices. I desisted from commenting. So, they themselves found suitable faults and returned those discount rags to their bins. The idea was to look, not buy. Buying was for the rich, the Bollywood strains of mankind, the Dubai returned. We do not fall in that category; so, we shifted location and now were in a music and book shop that was crowded to the gills because of a Season sale.
The hip and happening suburbia was here looking, clucking, gossiping, laughing and generally disregarding all the rules that a nice bookshop would have. We again banged our way in. I stood perplexed as to which way to go and for what? I could always come back on a weekday for a favorite book avoiding this BO nirvana. But the Neanderthals had managed to set themselves near DVD stalls that promised “Bheja Fry” at unheard prices. Mine was already getting fried for free because of the din. But, as I looked around I could see many groups of watchers avidly ogling away. A group of programmers were checking out a group of Art girls across the aisle. A couple of History middle-aged men were peering over their unopened books at some very fetching twenty somethings near the Fiction racks. And so it continued. I desperately looked out for the Neanderthals. The wifey had settled herself with a Good Housekeeping magazine near the bargain rack and was oblivious to the bargaining stares. I did some muscling and reached her completely hot and bothered. But before I could mumble anything, there started a shouting match near the door. We turned to see that an old citizen who was similarly bothered like me was admonishing a very blond haired specimen who apparently had passed a highly charitable comment on some PYT in there. The crowd left all the readings, browsings, meanderings and other doings to concentrate on the verbal lashings. Good time all around at the blond’s expense!
We banged our way out. Still no Buy!!
The Food Court was nearby. We had to refuel for the rest of the extravaganza coming along. So, we selected a very dirty table and sat down hoping that somebody would take the trouble to clear it. I motioned wifey to order. She, naturally, ordered all the fries, sauces, chutneys and grease that was on offer. Now, we had to serve ourselves. So, while I jostled at the counter, the Neanderthals got back to watching. Yes, that was that people were doing apart from gorging away at grease unlimited. I made a dozen trips to the food counters and somewhere along the way lost all appetite for the gooey stuff. So, amid the ruins of a bad meal I sat and watched my folks go gluttony. When tired of them, I watched the others. The papas, mammas, betas, bablus, pinkys, bhabhis, uncles, annas, bablis and sweetys clamoring for divided attentions.
I saw forlorn shop owners who probably did not get any sale in this entire din. I saw a gift shop shut early for lack of patrons. I saw the caustic look of the shampoo counter girl who had only given away samples but no sale to speak of. I understood the real meaning of a Mall Experience! Just that “ EXPERIENCE”
Thankfully, I look after an ‘experiential place’ and thrive on people arriving to feel the joint.

My tryst with Equity people

2007-07-16T11:23:00.000+05:30

I have been meeting a series of Private Equity Investors and getting them to be interested in our landmark 300 acre project in Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra, India. I have encountered an interesting observation.

The world is again interested in our lands (read Real Estate). Not for purposes mentioned in our History textbooks, but for pure Investment benefits in a large way. And hat enthusiasm!!
One guy happily told me that if I were to show him the modules of Business Revenue, he would happily invest all the way and stay invested, not seaarch for exit routes at the earliest!

On one hand, this excites me as this is ,going to be good for our business and on the other hand it makes me apprehensive as one does not really know what these guys are going to do!!

Of course, at the end of the day I shall have to respect their strategies.

Trip to Goa!!!

2007-06-17T20:36:00.000+05:30

The family and I went on a short trip to Goa. We drove down with a colleague and his family from Pune. The drive in itself was quite interesting with some beautiful scenes to take in on the way. Also, we had the first taste of monsoon as we drove, a sight in itself.
We checked into Ramada. The Hotel was a disppointment for me, as the food and some services were insipid to say the least. But, in a trip of two days one could overlook such trivialities as there was a lot to catch up with.
We met Arvind, now in Ramada, then in CDG (95 - 00), and doing well for himself. Also met Sujeet Kumar at Marriott. He was a nice meet up. Narsimh Mallya was also there and it was a nice thing to meet him too.
We then went to CDG too and enjoyed it, even though we came to know that all the oldies are missing. Only, Rajesh and Manjula were the ones surviving!!
I came to know many sad things about our seniors in the Hospitality business there. Many had turned corrupt. Some had had messy divorces and some others were plainly not doing well.
Well, not everything is rosy in life!
We came back the day before. I still have the vision of the beautiful Goa that I visited this time, all decked up for the international visitors. Wish all the other states also feel the same things about their towns.

Superstars!!!????

2007-06-07T13:00:00.000+05:30

I was reading the news of how Dav Whatmore was shunted out of the Coach selection because he was too 'keen' on the role. I do not get this. Anybody who wants to do well in life would be too 'keen' for the job. A certain Mr. Gavaskar always was during his playing days and kicked up a huge fuss everytime he was ignored during team meetings. I remember him roundly criticizing everyone in his columns those days.
Anyway, I have huge suspicions about Gavaskar these days. He has an agenda. That is clear. He also has an axe to grind with many an ex - cricketer. He is in the centre of every unsavory controversy surrounding Indian Cricket over the years. We still don't know where unaccounted bucks were in his locker in Bombay Gymkhana. There is a certain smell with him that is unpalatable. Just as it is with Amitabh Bachchan.
AB, I remember, was pretty mean during an ICICI conference in Bombay years back wanting his appearance money before showing up in front of the delegates, and when ICICI could not provide the bucks as he was already the Brand Ambassador, he headed home.
Now, on a bigger stage, he and his money friends have forgotten their manners, modesty and civility sharpening their personal axes to grind.
AB, in his defence, always says that the industry did not come to his aid when he was down and out in the 90s after the debacle of ABCL. But I ask, does anybody ever come to anybody's aid without reason.
AB had treated the industry people shabbily during his heydays and had to face the repurcussions. It is again happening with the shaadi tamasha that he has gone and done. No other lead actor wants to work with him or his family.
RGV worked with him and now has a situation where no other actor is signing up with RGV.
Superstars with sell by dates have this problem! Remember Kaka!!!!!!

passion for cinema - Anurag Kashyap's Blog

2007-06-02T15:19:00.000+05:30

Reading Anurag Kashyap's posts in "Passion for cinema" blog today. Actually, studying that man's intellect, desires, motivations, likes, dislikes and whims. At long last, here is a man other than RGV, his cronies, Imtiaz Ali, Sanjay Khanduri, Rajesh Bellary, Sourabh Shukla AND A FEW OTHERS, who is looking to take Indian Cinema on another route.

To think that, he has not been able to release his major works, Paanch and Gulaal, uptil now.

The man is a genius. I can vouch for that as I have seen Satya, Yuva, Water and the other films that he has written. I also own the DVD of Black Friday and that is compulsary screening on my player every Saturday night.

I am going to look at the cult artist's career very closely. I know he shall make a big mark on the celluloid of this country.

Cheers to AK and his NO SMOKING!!

My Novel Effort

2007-05-30T11:00:00.000+05:30

I am now on my my umpteenth try at writing my first big novel. The way I have been going about it has not been very funny. I know that this stop - start method would take me nowhere but yet, as I keep telling my dear friends, I shall over come - my sloth, inertia and all the blistering mind barnacles, to actually put fingers to keyboard!!!
But why do we always take snippets of our own life and pass them off as highlights of the novel. Also, is that why most of the first novels are the ones that come out best and the following ones are usually less than best!
I have decided that I shall take snippets from my own adventures but make novels, not over a lifespan but on 'phases' that have been quite interesting.
Some may say that "kya yaar..apna..dukh dard baant raha hai kya" but no...i assure that it shall be quite interestin...even thrilling in some goddamn parts...
Ok Ok...I shall not trumpet anymore...watch out for some highlights here!

People I Emulate

2007-02-14T19:08:00.000+05:30

I would like to take the opportunity of this Valentine’s Day to thank a few people who have been instrumental in my growth as a person in this lifetime.

My Dad – He has been the cornerstone of my development as a person. He taught me honesty, loyalty, the power of knowledge, the positive attitude, the ability to laugh, reading, writing, music, cinema, theatre, focus, method and above all love and affection for other people. He was a people man!!

My Mother – She has been my vigil teaching me tidiness, the eye for detail, value of time, the need to study hard, healthy living and all above – the ability to keep working towards a goal. She has great resolutions in life that is tough to emulate!

My Brother, Shuddhasheel – He is 6 years younger and went through the first part of life doing what he did best, being the good younger brother. But then he transformed and how!! Today, he is a Corporate Trainer and a very good one at that. He has taught me a lot. The Power of Self, Determination, Clear-headed focus, Follow through in a work process, diligence, innovative thinking and team building. He taught me the essence of acceptance.

Vijay Dewan, presently MD of The Park Group – He does not remember me. I do not expect him to. The last time he saw was in 1994. But he has left an indelible stamp on my growth as a person. He taught me the beauty of Systems, Procedures and Continuous Development at work. He was far ahead of his times in thought processes. He taught me, indirectly – as I did not dare ever sit down with him, I was a measly Supervisor when he was a VP, the value of class, design, value to customer, posture management, eye for detail, work competence and zeal or passion for excellence. That sure was incredible!!

My Father – in – law – I learnt the art of simplicity, humility and honesty from this remarkably down to earth person who rose up the ladder in Tea Industry only through uncomplicated hard work. I have not seen another person like him!

Jeffrey Shabong – If a combo of knowledge, quest for excellence, hard work, smart work and curiosity can carry a person far…here was one example and I just had to emulate this person. It also helped that he has been my brother – in – law for sometime now.

Sujith Gopinath – An unassuming guy with tons of aptitude towards planning. Whew! I sure learned the goodness of planning from this colleague of mine. Absolute method to counter all madness and emerge victorious!!

Rakesh Upadhyay – A master in the Culinary world and my room mate in college, I still try to keep up to his simple adage in life, ‘Be the best in what you do’. He has lived unto it. He has been a hard act to follow.

Vijay Thombre – A creative thinker who provoked me to new levels of creativity in my profession. People like him have the ability to ignite the minds around them and that has occurred with me too. It is a pity I cannot work with him continuously.

Kiran, My Spouse – Last and arguably the one who has influenced my life most. She has a host of qualities I have emulated – Listening ability, clear and concise thought process, uncluttered mind and unfettered decision-making, thoughtful spending, budgeting, target orientation, target achievement (you should just ask her company), logic usage (in all situations), tidiness, eye for taste, planning, practicality, emotional leadership (she gets her teams to do anything…and I mean anything!!), friendliness and above all the capacity to be unruffled. Oh! I have conquered my temper just watching and emulating her!!

These people are men and women that I have lived and worked with. I shall quote the Kotlers, Welches, Dr. inghs, Gandhis of the world to cover myself in adjusted glory.

Triple Aces!!

2007-01-04T14:37:00.000+05:30

In the ongoing scenario between Aishwarya, Abhishek and AB, I smell a huge marketing story. For one, they have mastered the art of staying in public view over the years.

AB has been doing it for years together and his very modest approach towards the media has nobody fooled these days about his inordinate need for publicity. Also, his stance that he had been down in the dumps after the ABCL debacle and that Mr. Amar Singh managed to save him from the edge is old hat and does not have many takers too. Of course, it goes without saying that he is one of our foremost actors in the cinema business even now.

Aishwarya has precisely two hits, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Devdas, and even here the contributions from her co-actors mattered most along with the canvas and direction. In fact, most of the movies that have starred her have flopped because of her bad acting. Also, she has never been good with the warmth on screen and comes across as pretty cold…Umrao Jaan, Dhoom 2, Josh, Bride and Prejudice, etc. are ready samples that come to mind. But, she has remained very nicely in the public eye with the right acts, poses, interviews, moves, premiere appearances, utterances and that giggly laugh. She should brand that laugh now!! I smell a marketing guru’s coaching here and if she has done it herself, then Abhishek shall do well by making her his manager for the oncoming future.

Abhishek has come a long way in the recent past and has been picking up the best commercials for hefty prices right through 2006 to secure his earning potential. This had not happened before and has certainly been helped by his cinematic successes in Bollywood. But, essentially it is good Marketing at its zenith!
They all have a need to promote their brands or be their ambassadors at all times but weaving their personal world with their brands and thereby moving to another plane in Marketing, Waah!!!

Chillax the mind!!

2006-12-27T18:49:00.000+05:30

Am I very idealistic when I call for the right kind of efforts at the right time and preferably every time from people?

I see Kiran (my wife) at her workplace, not obsessed with all the above but yet getting the right kind of responses from her people effortlessly, is that because she is of the fairer sex. Her being my wife, I can safely say that the sex does not matter. Actually, it never matters at all in any situation.

It is all about how much control we are able to achieve between our mind space and our environment, people and controlling factors.

I, after seeing my wife, have started to learn these small nuances of enjoying what I do without being obsessive. She calls me senile for what I am and that is a term I do not want linked to myself.

So, I am trying the path of Chillax!!

Movies - 2006

2006-12-25T14:33:00.000+05:30

Friends, it was a great year for Indian movies. Movies did well at the box office and there were some gems. I would like to put them up here as I feel is best.

Dor – This is for the thought process of the director. The sweep of the film truly left me a little breathless. Nagesh has not worked with a rural canvas (a little of Iqbal notwithstanding) before. But the modern sensibility of the hinterland woman was exceptionally brought to screen. Bravo!
Omkara – A story needs to be told only in this manner. Gripping, with all the right colours, props and dialogues in place. The acting was of a high grade and there was no compromise on sensibility. Shakespeare himself would have been really impressed. Note the first scene, Saif and Dobriyal; and the climax, fitting props to great story telling!!
Khosla ka Ghosla – Boman, Boman and Boman!!! Just Amazing with Pravin Dabas and Ranveer Sheroy throwing in their weight too!
Lago Raho… - Just for the Chutzpah of the lead pair and the funky storyline, all the crowds that day in the plex came out with a smile!! That says a lot for Hirani’s scrpt and direction!
Gangster – Shiny’s restraint in some scenes were just superb. Anurag is a nice director and actually it was hard to find fault in the movie. Pritam put up some great numbers…typical Bollywood but good!!
Rang de… - Caps off the list….great team…wonderful camera work. The lead team were suited to the roles like purring Rolls in motion. Surprises – Siddharth Narayan – this man is sure to go places…and Sharman Joshi, if he handles his career well, he could do a great deal of nice work!
That’s it…yeah..I could have added Krissh, Pyar ke side effects, Taxi No. 9211, etc. but this was a good list..I feel so!

Fail to plan, Plan to fail

2006-10-16T17:33:00.000+05:30

It is absolutely essential to understand India to understand Indian Cricket. Yesterday, half way through the Indian Innings, I found that the communication between the two batsmen, Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh had ceased. There was no reason really. Just……..

Immediately, my antennae had propped up and I knew there was a wicket for the Englishmen here. An over later Harmison got Sachin out. You’d ask me how I figured that out. Simple….check out the calm before the mayhem in any household, mohalla, office, city or wherever that you would see a group of Indians…..

We simply are not used to living on the edge and fall into a comfort zone after a little while or some modest success and that is not really good for the body or the soul.

We invite trouble by not preparing for eventualities. We do not have back up plans. We just fail to realize that the opposition has a better plan in place.

We go through the motions and are thoroughly surprised with bad results…c’mon!!!!!

'Great Job Done!' pat

2006-08-23T10:43:00.000+05:30

'GREAT JOB DONE!!' is something that I like to tell my people even when the going is not too great. Yes, it sometimes sounds downright funny but telling ' I love you' to your mate is also funny most of the time. If the lover gets this big compliment without doing much most of the time, then why would I refrain from complimenting my colleagues during tough times. Actually, it is something that we do not do even when our lives depend on it. Complimenting does not come easily to humans. Notice dogs, they are grateful for small gestures that we do towards them. Humans need these gestures far more often than dogs!!

KK manages facilities at our workplace. KK comes from MP and is a MSc in Botany. KK deserves more recognition than he gets as he is from a semi-rural background and he has made it to some extent in the rat race. But he is the butt of all jokes in the office. I compliment him more than the others, but he has not been able to be completely self confident and even after doing a good day's work does not feel good about himself. There are a million KKs in this country who deserve better gestures than they recieve at work, work that is not so much in the eye but needs to be done by someone and properly at that.

I live for the KKs. I strive to get them their place in the sun. In fact, I like the low profiles as they consistently deliver more for each buck!!!

EQ for life bettered!!

2006-08-20T15:58:00.000+05:30

I am back to blogging again. I desisted from clobbering my keyboard all these months as I felt that I had nothing to contribute to the blogosphere. I plodded my way through life and tried to give my self esteem a new high by succeeding at work. A job change on the way did its best to get things right for me. Ah!! looks like I am succeeding at last at what I thought what was only for dreams.

Actually, I am running an organization that I had decided should not be run by typical management rules and by the book. I decided that I had to invest in my EQ (Emotional Quotient) to get things done here as I am now heading a very young group of boys and girls who can move earth with the right pats and gurgles. I explained to everyone in the team that work is fun and life needs to be full of fun. The only serious fun was the bottomlines at the end of the month and that would be absolutely right if the fun quotient at work was in place. Fun has been a major contributor to EQ through the ages and I am seeing these aspects being taken up by HR managers all over India in some format or the other.

Coming from the staid old Hotel Industry with a stiff upper lip, it was difficult for me to do this in the beginning. I had never related fun with work. The advent of the sunrise industries in India like the IT, ITES and Entertainment Industries in India rapidly changed my beliefs and psyche. Here I was with all the experience in guiding Hospitality companies to profits and I did not even have the first idea as to how I could start to provide a better life to my colleagues.

Quite a daunting thought it was! I joined a leading corporate in Eastern India headquartered in Kolkata last year to try out my ideas and see whether they were workable. Of course, Indian corporates still do have a bureaucracy that is difficult to tackle. I also had my difficult times during the whole of last year but my colleagues had begun to understand what I was babbling about. The teams started to appreciate what was being done. The winds of change was on the anvil.

Then, I had an opportunity to join this new upstart Leisure company in Pune and head its Operations and marketing. Bingo! I had the field to myself and I let go of my IQ and selected my teams on the basis of EQ. During the first month with them on board, I told stories, shared experiences, gave in to their silly demands, made nice friends, talked visions, understood their views, listened to each and every member for all his worth. Today, they are pulling off one of the most amazing success I have seen in my entire work life and I did not have to do much except exhort them to prove themselves.

I now truly believe that man searches for recognition and esteem. When provided a medium, he is bound to succeed beyond his dreams.

I know now that we do need management mumbo jumbo to succeed all the while. Old fashioned hand holding is as or more great!!!!

Conquering Laziness

2005-09-22T12:54:00.000+05:30

Is laziness a state of mind?? I don't have an answer to this question. But, I have been trying to tell my mind that being lazy is something that bloody brain tells me to be, otherwise I am perfectly able to complete mundane tasks such as getting up at 5.30 AM in the morning, doing my exercises, doing up the house, take my daughter to the school bus stop, doing the washing, getting to office in time, finishing my In tray, getting all those Communications done, making my action plans for the teams to follow up on, getting meeting over with and follow up...... phew!!

I do not manage to do even half of these successfully. Pretty much to do with my limbs and their inertia?! Did Dale Carnegie ever write something on How to influence your mind and limbs....or Darwin do something on Surviving being lazy!!!

Just this morning the missus told me to do the dishes as she was running late and I had to grope through the dense fog in my brain, at last managed to keep the newspaper down to get up and do the dishes. Just a question here;why is it so difficult to keep the newspaper down?

Why am I not able to move myself away from even a India - Zimbabwe cricket match, where only I seem to be bothered about the outcome other than those sundry bookies in Mumbai and Delhi? It is appalling the way I sit in front of the living room TV with the smelly feet, dishevelled hair, grimy shirt(blame it on Kolkata's smog) and my shoes beside me like a long lost pet. But I cannot take myself away from the TV for a minute. I don't enjoy soaps, so my missus saves a potentially crazed situation by wrenching the Remote out of my hands for her favorite 9 PM show. I immediately conquer all my laziness to go and change. I fear her more than God. God is not around, she is!!

Laziness in all encompassing, it is aawesome, has great strength as I am 73 kgs in all and I never seem to get up in time to do things or do that much needed exercise!! Keeps me down, you see...

I have entered that phase in life where I have to choose between a dynamic, organised and healthy/wealthy life with doting wife and a beautiful daughter or my slovenly, pessimistic, bone creaker, short tempered, droopy eyed life. I am trying to be the former but the latter is playing kabbadi with me!!

'chocolate' Huh!!

2005-09-18T16:14:00.000+05:30

I saw a movie named 'Chocolate' yesterday. It had a curious blend of Hitchcockian suspense (highly inspired), John Woo action and typical Hindi filmi dialogues. Already, guys must be thinking as to what this pot pourri could mean!!
That is the whole problem....the movie was all up in knots till the intermission. It did itself a lot of justice by the end. The concept was fine but the scrpting was loose. So, the movie dragged a bit and I, for one, was tired of all the boobs and legs by the end of the movie.
Performances were uniform and no surprises here. I thought Anil Kapoor and Irrfan did a competent job.
But the girls continue to disappoint. I am yet to see a breakthrough performance this year, except Shweta Prasad's performance in Iqbal.
But 'wow' the 'sex' word was quite ....EXPLICIT.

umm....Indian movies coming of age (18)!!??

Did not know the truth!!

2005-09-17T16:22:00.000+05:30

Today is another special day. I have achieved a lot at office today. Actually Saturdays are good for achievements. The office tends to be laidback and so I have time to sit back and think as to what can be done and actually plan this day effectively.

Usually it does not happen and we are frantically running from appointment to the other. Endless cups of coffee and zit zero achievements.

Met a guy today who happens to lead a corporation. Actually, I was introduced to him before too. He did not give his background then and I neglected to ask. The mutual introducer had mumbled something that had not been very captivating. Came to know the specifics today and am very impressed with his achievements.

Indians are suddenly achieving a lot at very young ages. My brother, Sheel, is now a Training Head of DELL INDIA at 31. A few years ago this was unthinkable. I am getting to know more youngsters who have done brilliantly for themselves at similar ages. Again, this goes on to prove that India is a young nation and has done immensely well.

Wish Nation builders keep a track of this greatest resource on earth - Man...Uranium, Oil etc.. can come much later.

Dear Departed !

2005-09-16T11:48:00.000+05:30

My bro in law's father passed away today. He was a strong willed man who lost his will to live and enjoy after he took VRS from his government job.

I feel some people live for their career and when they are compelled to give that up retreat into a shell that consumes their positive energy for life. PEOPLE ALL AROUND US WHO ARE SO VERY MUCH INTO THEIR CAREERs, CAN DO WELL TO STOP FOR A MINUTE, THINK ABOUT THIS INEVITABLE!!

This is not to say that we should not chase our success in careers. In fact, that should still be the drive in life but there is life after that too!!

I am moving residence today and may have to shuttle between the old house, the new one and the cremation ground.

Life starts, stops, ebbs, tides over......

uh...huh...let's get positive!!

Movies - 2005

2005-09-15T14:06:00.000+05:30

I saw ‘Iqbal’ the movie a few days back. The movie is quite laudable. It had a decent crowd too. By now, avid movie goers would know that this movie has been one of the best to come out this year – I also liked what was done on disability in ‘Black’ too. That too came this year.

So, are we amidst a reorientation of audience tastes or just that film makers are getting bolder?

There are a lot of instances that has kept ‘Iqbal’ fresh in my mind. The scene where ‘Iqbal’ – Shreyas Talpade gives permission to his sister, Shweta Prasad, to take a present from his Aunt. Then, the scene where Naseer apologizes to Shweta after having a little of the booze in the toilet. The scene where Naseer has a go at Girish Karnad’s Guruji character. Truly priceless!

I was enamored by Nagesh Kukunoor’s work before too. ‘Teen Deewarien’ was just fabulous. Unseen by many but unforgettable to people like me who had seen it.

I have had the pleasure of seeing some good scenes in a few movies this year. I shall put them here. I don’t know if they shall match other minds.
1. Pankaj Kapoor’s last scene in Sehar, very real and restrained, he played that single scene masterly and brought a taut movie to a dignified end.
2. Abhishek Bacchan’s Bunty having a meek argument with Rani’s Babli in the train after they are caught. Very endearing!!
3. Amitabh’s first scene with the little Ayesha in ‘Black’. Truly a work of art and restraint!!
4. Amitabh in that ‘Monkey cap’ scene with Sharmila Tagore in ‘Viruddh’. Actually, this movie was well directed in patches. This was one of those patches.
5. Kay Kay Menon in the ‘lusty eyed’ scene in Sarkar. He is a wonderful actor. The industry is slowly but surely realizing it.
6. Shiney Ahuja in many scenes of ‘Hazaron Khwaieshein aisi’. He is sure to go places.
7. Boman Irani in the restaurant scene eating Biryani and fudging a discussion about the Biryani and a murder that happens in ‘My Wife’s Murder’. Here is another hugely gifted actor getting roles that make a grand reputation.
8. Anil Kapoor in the same movie as the silent but intelligent film editor. Here, the dialogues were less but subtle body language helped giving credence to his character’s desperation. I do think Anil pulled it off.
9. Shernaz Patel in the passing out ceremony in ‘Black’. Not many ladies do make the grade in my list this year (not even Rani in this movie). But Shernaz did communicate the pride effortlessly. This was an amazing piece of casting more than anything else.

Aww….I cannot think of other memorable moments.

MATTER OVER MIND!!

2005-08-22T17:36:00.000+05:30

Hassan Iqbal would never qualify as a good-looking young man. Also, there is this fact that he is no longer young. He was, in 1971 when the Indian armed forces trained him somewhere in Siliguri with small arms and very basic jungle tactics.

Not that he used those trainings to any great effect. By the time his training was complete, this callow youth all of 22 years, his country, now christened Bangladesh, was liberated. He came back to Khulna, his hometown, joyous because he did not have a stomach to be a revolutionary. He had got into the act only because his brothers and other mates were in it. There were no heroics, in fact he did not know of any friend or relative who had actually lain down his life for the cause. Frankly, as he was unemployed and had nothing else to do and the current fashion was to go over the border and live a little rough, he had got into the act.

Hasibur and Jewel were his good friends. They were also the products of the local university, Khulna University. The University had a good reputation from the British times and had generally retained its capabilities as an institution. Hasibur had been to his house the other day and had announced that he was off to London through an uncle of his who was starting this restaurant somewhere near Charring Cross. He needed some help and all the relatives were now pestering him to go off there and do himself some good. His father had also commented that there was no point in sitting in this newborn Bangladesh and waiting for things to happen. As it is, there was news that looting had started in Dhaka and Chittagong among the unruly citizens themselves.

Hassan was a bit dumbfounded. Here was Hasibur who had wanted to take an active part in the country’s liberation and who now wanted to run away. He wondered whether achieving Liberation was the only objective and not getting this newborn country on its feet. Anyway, all around him the elders were also talking in likewise terms. Some wanted to go to India, the Hindu neighbors had gone already and there were some Muslim friends who wanted to get away from all this. Some others were actively planning to go off to Europe, UK or the USA. All of this depended on the money that they could come up with to move bag and baggage. Hassan’s house in Khulna was abuzz with these topics days on end.

Hassan went away to Jewel’s house for better company. Here he could smoke some cigarettes and chat with Jewel about local politics, women, jatras in the neighborhood and have endless cups of tea prepared by Lily, Jewel’s sister. Lily was good looking and Hassan had been bedding her for the last four years. Jewel did not know or did not care. Jewel’s father had passed away five years back leaving a lot of property. Most of these properties were just taken from Hindus fleeing Khulna in 1947 – 48. He had an army of people working for him in the fields and was known in Khulna as a usurping landlord. Jewel’s mother spent her time bathing, eating and sleeping. So, Jewel and Lily had a free run of the house and the town. Jewel wanted to follow his father’s footsteps but did not know how to go about this. In these five years that he had been looking after the land and holdings, he had grown dependent on a young uncle of his named Ashraful. He was fondly called Ripon. This Ripon uncle used to run the estate and business. Jewel’s mother had total faith in him and was loath to hear anything against him. Jewel, therefore had very less to do through the day. So, he had gone on this liberation bit. Now, that too was over and he needed something to do. Another friend of his had come up with this news that the government had to give out a lot of tenders for building the country’s infrastructure and businessmen were queuing up to get onto this big gravy train. Jewel’s current interests were these tenders. He used to speak about all day long. Sometimes some other friends used to come over and add some spice to the latest Tender happenings. Hassan was also sucked into this slowly. Jewel had decided to go over to Dhaka and meet certain officials regarding these tenders. Hassan was to be going with him. Both of them actually did not know how to go about things but Hassan did one bright thing. He carried a lot of money and he knew that money would open a lot of closed doors in the capital. The night before they departed for Dhaka, Hassan had a quick tryst with Lily in her room. Jewel was busy having an argument about something with Ripon uncle.

Dhaka, 1971 - 72.

The city was unkempt. The government, even if was there was not very apparent. Hassan had heard Mujibur Rahman on some radio broadcasts. He sounded sincere but Dhaka, the capital appeared otherwise. It spoke of a government that was indecisive, laidback and incompetent. Winter had set in and the New Year was not very far away. But in these months the government had done very little to assure the Bangladeshi citizens that they had nothing to fear. Jewel had taken up living space in a house in Gulshan that belonged to another uncle who was a contractor with the Railways. He was away and there was a caretaker couple that looked after the house and was from Khulna. This uncle, Rafiq, had a wife too but she was nowhere to be seen.

They settled down on the first day in Dhaka. The next day, Jewel found out about the Road and Culvert Tender office. They went there. There were officials milling about. No one took notice of them. Jewel spotted a very short person giving a whole lot of commands over a phone. He approached him and told him the reason they were there. The official, Mamunbhai, looked at them and smiled. Then he gestured them to get into another office adjoining this room. Two officials, very important looking, were seated there. Jewel repeated their business. The officials were unmoved and Hassan was aghast to see that Jewel calmly removed a wad of notes from his shoulder bag and put them on the table. The officials then moved. In fact, they started talking. The rest of the day went by in a blur. By the evening, they were in the Awami League office in Central Dhaka where an important looking Minister took another wad of notes from Jewel and signed some documents pertaining to the Tenders.

Hassan had thought that they should actually have an official Tender process where the lowest bidder will get the work. Here, it was given away just like that. Mamunbhai only said that nobody had come from Khulna to bid and so all works had been given to Jewel. For the next few days, there were a whole lot of papers to sign and in a few days after spending 60,000 Taka, Jewel had got most of the Khulna town PWD work in his bag. As town and district administrations had not been set up, there were no other people to bribe to get these contracts underway.
Jewel and Hassan came back to Khulna. They got started on the jobs. Then it struck Hassan as to what his role was in all of this. He looked up Jewel the very next day with this thorny question. Jewel was a canny one. He said that if wanted to play an active role in this business, he had to look after the Operations end of the Contracts. He would then get 10% of the contracts. But if he was not interested in roughing it, he could be in Dhaka and angle for more contracts through other chains that could be built up and he would get a 4 % of the contracts. Hassan did not want to work hard and so he opted for the Dhaka work.

So, Hassan was back in Dhaka within a few days of leaving it. This time he was on his own. He had received a small sum from Jewel to start life in Dhaka. His parents chipped in with the rent of a place to stay in Shantinagar. They also dispatched a widowed aunt to stay with him and cook for him. Hassan loved to eat. Hassan understood that he was not on a salary. His job was more like a Commission Agent. So, he had to run around trying to get more contracts. For Hassan this was not easy, as he was not used to wheeling and dealing with people. In fact, he was not comfortable in public.

Lily arrived in Dhaka on some errand. Jewel had sent a long letter. Hassan read it and grew morose. Jewel had basically told him to gear up. Hassan had not succeeded with a single contract acquisition. Lily sensed his discomfort. She stayed back with him to comfort him. Hassan stopped sulking and had a great and languid time in bed with her. Lily spoke of marriage. She was only 20 years old but four years of active sex with Hassan had taught her a lot of things. Hassan did not want marriage but he could not tell this to Lily. He did what he could do; get her back into bed and clinging to him for life.

Hassan met Shafi one morning in Dhaka. This Shafi was a very colorful character. He knew whoever there was to know in Dhaka. He knew good places to eat. He knew all the better clubs that one could go to. He even knew of those places where some beautiful Lahori whores were available. Hassan stuck to him like glue. He even convinced Jewel of Shafi’s use in the present scheme of things. Jewel sent over some cash to spend on this Shafi. Shafi took over Hassan’s life.

Everyday Shafi would be at Hassan’s door at ten in the morning and take him to various government hotspots where Shafi would know everyone and ask Hassan to spend on these officials citing future usefulness. Hassan would gladly take out cash from his pockets and call for Tea and snacks to humor the humorless civil servants. Hassan came to know many civil servants, bank officials, PWD Engineers, Police officials and petty politicians during these sessions. In the evenings, Shafi would take Hassan to many shady places where Shafi would inevitably come up with a known person and gain access to these gatherings. Hassan got acquainted with the underbelly of Dhaka too.

Hassan, through Shafi, came to know that the rest of Bangladesh was very different from Dhaka. This was a cosmopolitan city with global traits. It had a very liberal outlook and the prime force moving this city was money and the things that money could buy. Islam was a religion that had to be maintained, not that it governed life totally as it did in the rest of the country. Money talked in the power circles. No politician, no bureaucrat or public figure was above taking a little on the side. The Army had still then managed to keep away from this all encompassing corruption. There were people who for want of good things in life were buying properties all over Dhaka. There were others who were busy sending all this ill-gotten money abroad and following this up by sending their families to stay in these countries.

Hassan knew of a Customs Officer who amassed so much money that the countries where he was sending his wealth had started asking questions. He ultimately settled most of his wealth in Sweden where he was not asked questions. Within the year, by the end of 1972, Hassan saw a lot of changes among this elite group of countrymen. Among these were people who had lived in ditches during the Liberation, or were they?

Hassan was also not far behind. He was now approaching 24 and in that single year he managed to land Jewel with 4 contracts of PWD work on the Dhaka Khulna road and the Khulna Jetty. Jewel was happy and gave Hassan his commissions. Hassan became busy with social climbing in Dhaka. Shafi was there to help him with this. Hassan acquired his first suit and befriended a lady who had been to London and back. Tahmina was very pretty and thoroughly spoilt. Shafi had done the introductions. She was from a family of singers. But she could not sing much. Her mother appeared on Bangladesh Betar very frequently. She could dance, flirt, argue, smoke and drink, not necessarily in the same order. Bur Hassan was enamored. He jumped into a very physical affair with Tahmina. Shafi was very supportive and tag along everywhere. They were a threesome. Life was great!!

Era of Pregnancies

It all started with his widowed aunt. Hassan was very happy eating whatever this aunt cooked and barged out of the house as soon as Shafi arrived. He did not have an inkling as to what was happening. This aunt was in her mid thirties. One day, Hassan arrived home to find her bent over the kitchen drain. He received no answer when he asked what had happened. Next morning he woke up to find that she was wailing in her room. He was perplexed. Then it came out. She was alone all day in the house. So, when this next-door neighbor got friendly, she gave in to his advances. He was a married man with three children but that evidently had not stopped him from getting her into the sack. She was into her fourth month of pregnancy and was beginning to show. Hassan was surprised that he had not seen the signs till then. Hassan went the neighbor’s house. The man, Fakhrul, was in and received him at the door. Hassan gathered some courage and told him about his aunt’s plight. Fakhrul looked at him, snorted and asked him if he really believed what his aunt said. He also told him that the entire neighborhood had bedded his aunt and that she was freely available. There was no way of knowing whose child it was. Fakhrul practically spat the last few words. Hassan was ashamed. He abruptly got up from his seat and came back home. His aunt, on seeing him let out a cry. He started to shiver in anger. He started shouting the choicest of abuses. She shut herself in her room.

Next morning, he found her letter. She had left home. He was suddenly remorseful. He knew she did not have any place to go. Shafi came by. He told him the whole story. Shafi told him that he needed to go to Khulna and tell his parents everything. Otherwise, they might look at this issue differently. Hassan found this a good suggestion.

Hassan landed in Khulna the next day. The journey had been difficult. He slept in the afternoon and late in the evening mustered up the courage to tell his mother about what had happened. She burst into tears and blamed it on the almighty. Then, his father took over and went off to call someone in Dhaka. They wanted her to be back in Khulna now. Hassan did not want to be questioned anymore. He scampered off to Jewel’s place. Jewel was not around. He had gone for some survey. His mother was in bed unwell. Ripon uncle was in his room. Hassan silently made his way to Lily’s room. She was knitting. She kept the knitting aside and opened her arms to hug him. Hassan rushed into her familiar embrace. She was getting fat. But it was fine with him as Tahmina was too bony because of all that dancing.

Hassan left Lily at dawn. She was amazing through the night. Then and there Hassan made up his mind to stick around till Jewel came back to Khulna. His father maintained a very austere household. So, not too many creature comforts found its way to the Iqbal household. Hassan set about putting things right in his house. He found a willing partner in his mother and her sister. Actually, they wanted him to stay back in Khulna and do something. So, they were glad that he was not rushing away to Dhaka. Hassan also did not want to rock the boat now, as he wanted to stay in Khulna for a while and be lazy and virile.

A few weeks later Jewel returned and he and Hassan got into some serious business thinking. Jewel wanted to expand beyond Khulna. Hassan had never thought about this and so had no comments at all. Jewel told him that he needed an office in Dhaka to manage his affairs better. Hassan agreed with that. Jewel told him to look for a suitable office. Hassan spoke about keeping Shafi on some kind of a payroll so that he would be more helpful. Jewel said that he would look into that. Then Jewel asked him as to when he would be leaving for Dhaka. Hassan told him that he should require another week to go as he had some domestic work. Jewel looked at him quizzically. Hassan came back home.

Jewel was at his bedside when he opened his eyes the next morning. He lit a cigarette and sat staring at Hassan. Hassan immediately knew something was very wrong. He sat up and asked for a cigarette.
“How long has this been on?” Jewel asked.
“What” Hassan stammered feeling his stomach start paining.
“You and Lily” Jewel was incredibly calm.
“Whaaaat do you mean!!” Hassan had acquired a small voice.
“How long” Jewel had not lost his calmness.
“About a few weeks” Hassan had to turn truthful now.
“How about a few years” Jewel had that quizzical look again.
“Ah… well, yeah…. right, yeah….”Hassan was feeling for the right word.
“Stop, Hassan, you know that I have kept you by my side in business. Tell me why?? It was because I knew you were bedding Lily all the while. You were very irresponsible through your life and I wanted to see if you could do something good. It seems that you are in no hurry to improve. I sent you to Dhaka on my costs. Why?? Only because I wanted a good husband for Lily. But you like a rat have come back and made my sister pregnant while I was away. I had understood your intentions yesterday itself. My mother confirmed my fears today morning. I am sorry that I have to tell you all this but if you do not marry my sister by tomorrow, you are done for as I will not tolerate this at all. Also, forget being my business partner, you may go your own way henceforth.” Jewel stomped out leaving Hassan shell-shocked.

Hassan’s father had come to the door hearing all the commotion. He lost his speech totally due to his anger. Hassan ran out of the house.

The mind is free

2005-03-22T16:17:00.000+05:30

The mind is free
Cricket in Nilgiris has this quaint flavor of the British Raj. It is all the more in 1977-8. The teams that come to play here are essentially the district teams and the local teams. The best team is of the factory where my father works. I know of a few uncles who have given up promising careers in Cricket and are working at a reasonable paying job with this government owned factory. Of these uncles, I had seen Biswas uncle at play and overnight he had become my idol. He had these four bats of different makes that were always well kept and well cared for. He also had these gloves, for batting and wicket keeping that were just divine. On our social visits to this very eligible bachelor’s domain I only used to keep touching and ogling at these wonderful possessions of his. Biswas uncle, one day, took me aside and gave me my first tips to batting and wicket keeping. I resolved to only do as he told. As time went by I found that his advice coupled with Baba’s ministrations with the Tennis balls on our long verandah had developed me considerably as an opening bat a la Gavaskar, my ultimate hero. As the verandah was flanked on the on side by the living room wall, I had to make every stroke towards the point or the cover or hit in the straights. Baba was very particular about shots at ground level and used to get angry with my airy fairy shots. So, I had to quickly adapt myself to only cuts and drives, no hooks and pulls in my Cricket learning book. Pretty one dimensional, but that was it. I developed my catch practice through Tennis balls rebounds from the wall of the verandah. Yeah, I worked hard at what I did. The local teams had by then come to know of my efficiency at the wicket and I was invited to be a part of many budding clubs like Young mens(sic) Cricket Club, Nilgiris sports society, Aruvankadu Boys club, etc.
The Saturday has arrived and once again I am the most enthusiastic of all about the afternoon’s class match. Mr. D’Souza comes to the class in the first break and announces the teams. I am the captain of the inferior team in the class. I had expected a better team but this is a selection match and it does not bother me if the team does well, I need to do well and produce the goods at the right time. Murli again grins at me from the back bench and whispers, Da Sujit, you’ll lose da and losing captains do not get to be the captain of the class team da. I am immediately worried. Ms. Rajlakshmi steps in for the Science class and I am very oblivious as to what is being taught in the class. I spend my mental energy in trying to figure out how to better Murli during the match. I have in my team Anantha, who is the best athelete in the class but is weak at Cricket, does’nt do much except waving the bat around at head height. I have Venkat who is good but very temperamental and stubborn. Then there is Sharif, Paul, Satheesh, Dasan, Ali, Srinu and some others who are neither good nor bad. Satheesh and Srinu can bowl. Let me remark here that these were the pre One day days when there was no limits on the overs from one bowler and the team batted till they got all out and that was fast. Murli had a better team with Chandran and Venu decidedly better bowlers than anybody in our team. Murli also turned his arm over effectively. There was also a new boy called Atul who had come from Raipur in Central India. He had already told the class that he was good in all departments of the game. I am very skeptical about the outcome!
Murli wins the toss and as usual decides to bat. I lead the team out. The ground is a grassy one and a long rectangular one. Bowling is only from one end. The batsmen changes ends. Ajay is the opening bat with P C. P C is a good student and a stupid cricketer. He goes to the batting end. Srinu takes the ball to bowl first. I stand as a wickie at a respectable distance. We clap for the first ball which is wide. Kantham from the 9th standard is the umpire. He signals duly. Huge cheer for the first run. P C does not take another run through the over. Next over, I rush to Satheesh who has been given the ball and tell him to keep the ball on the stumps. 1st ball and Ajay hops forward and swings the ball for a six! Murli and Co. freak out near the boundary line. I am doing my ‘buck up’ scene at the back. Satheesh comes in again, the ball is outside the off stump and Ajay cuts it, Venkat falls to the ground, I raise my arms thinking he has got hold of the ball, but no!! It is next found at the boundary line. Four runs.
It continues like this for another 20 minutes. I am miserable and constantly swearing at my fielders. Murli, in the meanwhile has come in to bat in place of PC who got bowled out to Satheesh. But the score has reached 69/1 in 11 overs itself. I give Ali the ball. He is not a good bowler but I had not anticipated Satheesh and Srinu to go for so many and did not have any back up plan at all. Ali bowls, Ajay smacks him for four. I groan. At the end of the over another 13 runs to the already huge looking score. I give Venkat the ball. He is not wanting to bowl, the bugger wants to safely get into the class team. I shout at him, he glowers at me, I have switched to swearing in Tamil, which from me is quite funny. Venkat bowls, Ajay continues the mayhem. Last ball, Ajay manages to snick the ball and I dive, eyes closed, ten open the eyes to see that I have clutched the ball somehow. Rejoice!!!
They finally end at 138. All of this in just over an hour. In between Mahalingam lands up hitting another 26 runs full of edges, half catches that are nicely dropped and frantic heaves through the midwicket. Murli scores a sedate and captainly 33. Oh! Ajay scored 61. Somewhere, in between all this, D’Souza sir had landed up and watching everything with keen eyes. He must have heard my Tamil too. I, the very propah guy, grew tense with this thought again.
We are to bat next. I pad up. I am not speaking. I have heard that Gavaskar also does not speak before stepping out. I need to build myself up similarly. I step out with Dasan. I take strike. Chandran is bowling. We call him Chandra after the great Chandrashekhar. First ball is out of the stumps, I let it go with a flourish. All style. Some claps from the boundary. Next ball on the stumps, this is actually a long hop but a la Gavaskar, I shall not try anything silly till I have set myself thoroughly. I am on forward defence. I even say ‘good ball’. Ultimately, I take only 1 run on very average bowling from Chandran. Next is Venu whom the fielding team claps for. He is actually their best bowler. I grind through the over and on the 5th ball take a run. My team is already impatient after seeing such hitting from Ajay, I hear cries of ‘Hit, da’ from the boundary. I am steadfast on creating a settled impression and so I plod through the first six overs with only seven runs to my credit. Dasan also does not lose his wicket, amazingly!
Ajay is brought in for the seventh over and Dasan is to bat. First ball whizzes past Dasan’s ear. Dasan is horrified at the speed, he comes down the wicket and whispers to me, ‘Shit man, I don’t want to die, da.’ I tell him to keep his eyes on the ball and see nothing else. Everything will be fine. Next ball on the stumps, near yorker and Dasan conveniently moves away, watches his stumps shatter, puts his bat under his arm and walks away towards the boundary. I am speechless. Murli is already telling Ajay to give a loose ball to the next guy coming in , allow a run and then attack me straight away. Venkat walks in. I travel down the wicket and give the same advise about seeing the ball, Venkat gives a grim look and tells me that I should have taken more runs when I could. Now, we may suffer with Ajay’s bowling. I glower at him but I know he is saying the right thing. Venkat pushes the first ball to him confidently enough. In answer Ajay places a Forward short leg and a Silly point. Venkat gets through the next ball too. He manages to get through the over without further chaos. I play the next over from Murli now. I take single on the first ball. Venkat looks at me and then proceeds to quietly play out the over from Murli. I am left to face Ajay.
Ajay tells me something in Hindi which I cannot understand. My understanding of Hindi is very bookish and this was definitely out of the books. He comes in with the first ball, I drive, it reaches the boundary, a four! The boundary lines erupt in cheers. I am strutting around in the crease like a peacock. Next ball, I shape for a cut, the ball whizzes past my shoulder. I am beaten. Murli is giggling from the slips. I concentrate again. Next ball, I drive, my eyes close momentarily, I hear the clunk of fallen wood behind me. I don’t have to look. I am out for only 12 runs.
I have no interest in the rest of the match. I sit by the boundary, forlorn and lost. At the end I see Mr. D’Souza dusting his behind, getting up from where he is perched and open his diary. We all get up and crowd around him. I stay by the edge of the crowd. I think I know what is coming. The team is announced. I am a part of the team as a wicket keeper. Ajay is made the Vice-Captain to Murli’s captaincy. I do not perform when it matters and to my horror, D’Souza Sir walks across and tells me to be more sporting and get my team to go along with me rather than command them nonsensically.
I am spared from further humiliation. That evening Baba comes home to announce that we have been transferred to another factory near Nagpur, Maharashtra.

The mind is free

2005-03-22T16:15:00.000+05:30

Days and Nights in Bangladesh

2005-03-21T21:00:00.000+05:30

DAYS AND NIGHTS IN BANGLADESH

It has been about five months that I have been in Bangladesh now. Indians living and working in Bangladesh have mainly restricted themselves to the two cities – Dhaka and Chittagong. I decided to venture into the unknown. The city of Cox’s Bazaar is known to the average Bangladeshi, being the premier seaside town with a heavenly beach stretching for miles. My employers told me only as much when they contacted me in Kolkata. I came down to Cox’s Bazaar for a recce. Yes, the beauty was impressive and the hotel that I was supposed to head was even more so. My risk of relocation was lessening by the day. I started with Seagull Hotel here in August 2004. But did I know the country, the people and their natural suspicion of us Indians?

Here lies another story altogether. Firstly, I saw that Hindus ( Sanatanis, as they are called here) were not very involved in the political landscape of the country. In fact, there are not too many Hindus who matter in this country. Now, the Muslims, through their religious antipathy, have come to view any Indian with suspicion and that is very much understandable. But the Hindus here are of a very mean and cowardly variety. I have tried to understand the reasons and the oppression faced in the past seems to be the only answer that comes to mind. These people have a presence on both sides of the border. They are working and living in Bangladesh and awaiting the day when the powers that be here tell them to go over the border. I have met people who have it all planned and are hoarding their wealth bit by bit across the border. In fact, I met a doctor from Firozepur yesterday who has his brother in law in Kakdwip, West Bengal, India from 1992 onwards, in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid riots. He has very meticulously planned everything including the requisite ration cards in India. He holds a Bangladeshi passport and travels to India every three months to look at his benami holdings in West Bengal. He may be residing in the fringes of the urban world but he is exceedingly wealthy. What does my average countryman say to all these schemes!

On the other hand, the Muslims, with a clear majority in the country have not been able to regroup themselves after the liberation in 1971. The country has not gotten ahead in Education ( the urban population totally depends on other countries for receiving a good education, visit colleges in Pune, Bangalore, Chennai and Trivandrum and you shall know what I am talking about). Because of this subsistence on foreign education, the youth of the country are disconnected from the orthodox elders and have no idea about nation building. The political class consists mainly of businessmen who have their own causes and prerogatives to pursue. The space left in the middle has been taken up illiterate touts and agents of all hues who do not have anything to give back to the country. The rural and urban divide is at an all time high. Migration from agriculture to Manual labour in urban areas and India has been continuous thus fuelling another economic disparity. I find that this disparity is getting to be the real cause for a massive migration towards Indian cities in the last fifteen years and this has been continuous in the face of abhorrent living conditions in some areas in Bangladesh. In many ways, this has not been different from the migrations from Bihar, UP, AP, Jharkhand and Orissa in India.

Manual Labour exists at many levels. But primarily, it exists at the various manufacturing factories. Bangladesh has a very poor manufacturing infrastructure. Here, even plastic goods are imported! There is no white goods, car, electronic goods, leather goods, machine tools, or heavy Engineering items manufactured in the country. The dependence on Chinese, Taiwanese, Malaysian, Thai and Indian good s is so high that they devalue their own goods. It is like what used to occur in India during our fathers’ times. So, smuggling constitutes a hefty part of the country’s economy. Custom Inspectors are millionaires having 3 to 4 houses in best locations of Dhaka and paying hefty sums to be at the check posts for duties. So, the Labourers needing to earn well have been finding the safe refuge of India.

Has India understood the entirety of this problem? - coming up.

Days and Nights in Bangladesh

2005-03-21T20:57:00.000+05:30

The mind is free

2005-03-21T20:52:00.000+05:30

The mind is free
Nilgiris has this habit of drizzling all day long, like a child pissing! I am walking uphill towards school, my raincoat drawn tight over myself and my backpack schoolbag, looking like the Hunchback of Notre Dame, wishing for that elusive rubber shoes that my friends seem to have the moment rains are on the horizon. This very exclusive footwear has managed to elude my father’s shopping list till now. I have pestered, begged, even thrown futile tantrums but have had to revert to that dumpy Bata Schoolboy that never seem to tear in spite of me playing football regularly with it on the factory ground after school finished. My father has a static answer to all my wishes, “I don’t earn on the side and I come from a poor farmer family in Midnapore, West Bengal. We do not need two pairs of shoes to run life, one does the job perfectly” As if that answers all my questions satisfactorily!!

On the way Sridhar catches up with me, gives a slap on the back of my neck, that being the latest fad in Sridhar’s class, and announces that Vijay Amritraj has lost to Bjorn Borg in the fifth set after fighting very hard. “Shit! Couldn’t the fellow do a little better” I asked and immediately received another slap. “What da, what are you talking, where Borg and where our man from Madras!, you think he was going to allow our guy to take the match?, you must be crazy!” I think I am crazy. I did not comprehend why no Indian won in sports anywhere. The Hindu kept repeating the phrase “gone down fighting” till I blurred my eyes while reading it. Anyway, important day in school because I had stood in the elections as decided earlier and today was the most important day when the results shall be announced by the Class teacher in our class sharp at 10.30 AM in the class. I reach school, get away from the clutches of “slappy Sridhar” and enter my class. Of course, I first look around to see if Pramila has arrived, the heartbeat naturally increases on spotting her. Anantha punches me on the arm, his latest fad, and remarks, “ Man, where in the name of sweet Jesus are you, man” I am still not comfortable with that kind of language but Anantha has been reading a lot of Archies and that kind of stuff and boasts that he and Joseph are soon going to a place called Dubai outside India that has people talking like that!

I ignore him and dump my bag on my desk. Nandini is weeping and some boys are trying to comfort her. She is forever weeping and there are always boys all around her trying to comfort her. Venkat and Sarita are quietly looking at a glass statuette that Venkat must have conjured out of nowhere to attract the girl’s attention. Venkat is our class trickster. Today it is Sarita who has fallen for his tricks. Poor girl! I am not interested in these very mundane activities of my classmates. I am searching now for Sakthivelu, the guy is not to be seen. He is the guy I feel shall be of some opposition to me. Ah, forgot to tell, he is also in the election that is taking place today. Actually, he does not seem that much excited as I am. Yesterday, we both were sitting in our “bush place” after school and I broached the topic and he told me a very telling observation. He said, “Can we tell anything about these guys, they are going to write the names of their favorite fellow and put it into the box, if we are never going to know what they are going to write in that, why break our heads over who wins,da.” It then looked to me that he had given up on this whole issue and like a true blue Bong I just could not let go of a chance on a public platform. Instead Sakthi asked me if I had the Hindi notes from the Monday class. He had not come to school that day. Sakthi stood first in the class and stood second till class 6. I wanted to do better than him but had no idea how to do it. I barely managed the second rank. My memorizations were giving up on me and Sakthi seemed unbeatable this year. But here he was not being interested in that thoroughly new contest invented by Balan Sir.
Ms. Manimala is reading out the results. Five have stood in the elections. Sharmila has secured 2 votes, Rama 2 votes too, Mahalingam 9 votes, I am perspiring by now, I look across at Sakthivelu and he has slid down in his seat for some reason and so to somehow balance the tension I sit straight only top find my name next – Sujit 13 votes. Whoosh goes my tension and instead a big disappointment sets in immediately. I have lost out to Sakthivelu again. In the meanwhile the class starts clapping on the announcement of Sakthivelu winning the first secret ballot I have witnessed and fought in my 11 year life. I manage a weak smile in the general direction of Sakthivelu. Murli pulls my head from the back and whispers in my ear that he did vote for me and that I should remember that favor when the cricket selections are on. There, now the guys who have voted for me will want to exchange favors with me. I can never understand this ‘give and take’ thing. I invent the reasons of my loss. Must be my colour. I am the only fair guy in the class. Must be because Pramila was the object of desire of most of the boys and I was very much up there in the stakes. Or so I felt!
It does not enter my mind that I must have lost to a better opponent who had better credentials than me. I have already built my defenses in readiness for my impending losses. I have also prepared the lies that I have to tell to save my honour at home or elsewhere if I am called upon to explain my plight. It also does not strike me that apart from me nobody is as much bothered with the outcome. Rama passes me a short while later as chirpy as ever. Sharmila has already resumed her giggly conversation with Fatima beside her. By the way, Fatima runs faster than me. I hate to say that to anyone. When the episode happened, only three fellows were around. I immediately gave a spiel about a cricket injury that cropped up as soon as I started running and limped off the ground. I do not like Fatima when she smiles at me and wags her finger in that know all style. She is reminding me of that episode!! Mahalingam is singing a Rajnikanth song and has clutched his fat pen like Rajani holds his cigarette. He too is oblivious to his defeat. Sakthivelu has left the class along with Ms. Manimala. Baba, what will I tell him! He always has high expectations from me. Also, I am terrified of him generally. I had very gallantly told him that I was in this election and I had a good chance of winning the election as I had put up my credentials very properly with a very ‘high falutin’ speech. I had noticed that Sakthi only said that he had been the Class Monitor in the past and we were a good class. So, he had a good chance of making it again. Baba was mighty pleased and spouted his “ Amra Bangali” bit. Here I am, again finishing second. I take out my compass box, remove my pencil from it and start making emoticons at the back of my English Book, my favorite solo pastime.
That evening clutching my bat and walking towards Ponnappa ground, I decide that I shall try and become the Cricket Captain. Here there was no election. It was all about getting Mr. D’souza to agree that I was the best choice. Now D’Souza Sir used to call me Imran, after the upcoming all rounder of Pakistan, and the reason for such a name I did never figure out. Already, Orange House had named me the 12th man in the House team that had students up to 10th standard. That was an achievement in itself. Here, other than me only Murli was in the fray and while Murli was a good bat, I was a good bat and a good wickie. When called upon to bowl, I also did that job decently enough. Last Sunday, in a match with Rajan uncle’s team, Rajan uncle is a district player, I scored 19 not out for Y.D Ravi’s team. I was a permanent member of Ravi’s team and we have a small club in which I had foolishly donated all my Amar Chitra Kathas. Ma had relished pulling my ears after this episode. Anyway, D’Souza Sir would not be impressed with words, I knew that, I’d have to perform in the next match before team selections of the class. There was not much to figure out in the selections. Most of the guys in the team selected themselves as the others barely managed to put bat to ball but the captaincy was a contest.

The match was on the coming Saturday afternoon. I could barely wait for it. My next chance at salvation!!
a>

The Half Pant years

2004-09-25T18:16:00.000+05:30

Year 1977. I cannot remember the month. Baba sitting in front of the big Phillips radio. His diary is in front of him. A fountain pen beside it. He is listening intently to the broadcaster. I am fiddling with my short buttons and trying to get his attention to my immediate problem. He turns around to look at me as he registers my presence.
Tell me, he says. I need a haircut, I say. Go, take money from Ma and have your haircut tomarrow, he says and turns his attention back to the radio as the broadcaster is now droning about some Jagjivan Ram.
Oh, I know it is all about that mother of all elections happening all over India. Baba has taken three days leave from the office to sit at home and dutifully note all the developments in the diary. Every morning I received The Hindu first as he had to be in office by 7.30 AM and that lazy newspaper boy never arrived before his departure. So, curt and familiar instructions were left with Ma that I was not to leave the paper in disarray and that it was to be left in a dry and cool place untouched by me and my brother’s filthy hands. He would have included Ma’s name in that list too but for the fact that she did not read English at all. But I managed to read the latest Ranji Trophy scores by heart before I neatly folded back the paper for him to devour this evening.
I go to Ma and tell her about my immediate financial need and she ruffles my hair and tells me that it is not large enough and the haircut can wait. I am getting fed up.
Actually, it is not for the haircut that I am worried. I have lost Sridhar’s Tennis ball and he has already given me an ultimatum that I dare not disobey. Sridhar is two years older to me, his Tamil is full of swearwords already, he has a penchant for keeping me bowling to his horrible batting for hours together and most importantly my father reports to his father at work. So Sridhar has to get his ball back and I am willing to tell lies at home to enable that. Actually, my fault. I never should have imagined in my head what happens when Vijay Amritraj plays a short ball from outside the off stump to the leg side and that too on a driveway at the edge of a hill in Nilgiris. That was the fourth Tennis ball I personally lost in the last three months. The lie was because I was generally tired of hidings from either of my parents.
On my way back from the kitchen I can hear the broadcaster droning – Congress (I) – 43, Janata Dal – 61, CPI-M – 5, etc. My father cannot even hear me now. His pen is flying over the diary pages as he writes away. The results of the election, I presume. I turn into our bedroom at the far end of the house. My brother is curled up asleep. It is only 8 PM but he is sleeping. He is always sleeping. If he is not sleeping then he is tagging along behind Ma. Oh, he is always hungry when he is awake. My share of biscuits also go to him these days.
I open my Social Studies textbook to show Ma that I am studying. I start to dream about Bahadur rescuing my Class teacher on horseback during a fire in my school and me rescuing Pramila from the same fire. Bahadur is the beloved comic book hero and Pramila is my beloved. My reading table becomes the playground through which Bahadur rushes through on horseback with Ms. Manimala, my class teacher. I am following him on another horse with Pramila behind me. Very romantic and thrilling stuff! Enter Ma.
She spots me with my rubber riding my pen and me mumbling the appropriate running commentary and goes ballistic. Now, she hails from rural Howrah, a district adjoining Calcutta in Bengal. Some ten years ago she shifted from Bengal with Government Servant husband but instead of progressing from that milieu in Howrah, she has happily stagnated at home since then. So, her language and the abuses also carry that rural Howrah feel and with matching decibels! I hurriedly put the pen and rubber away before she can cause any more damage to the situation and pick up my Social Studies textbook again.
Ma wakes me up from a dreamless sleep at my study table by my left ear. This is an old scene. I cannot stay awake beyond Nine PM if I have my textbooks in front of me. My mother feels that I cannot grow up to be the great scientist or Professor that I am supposed to become if I have not studied till ten PM. I have learnt to be tolerant of this ‘pull by the ear’ concept. I am ordered to come for dinner. I loll towards the dining room. Baba is still with the broadcasts. Even now I do not know whom he supports because he did not go to vote as all the neighbouring uncles and aunties did. We did not have our names in the Voter’s list. Why, I do not have any idea. He never discusses his politics with us, the rest of the family. I sit for dinner. It starts to rain outside. Typical weather of Nilgiris. Ma is waiting for Baba to come and sit at the table. She will serve him and only then the eating shall start. She calls out to Baba. I can hear his grunt of assent. Baba is fond of good food. Ma makes reasonably good food. So, Baba is never late at the table. But today is something else. He has more things on his mind than just his stomach. At last, I can hear his chair scrape and simultaneously the volume of the radio go up.
Baba is at the table. Ma serves him his dinner. Bhaat, Begun Bhaja, Dal, and Moti fish fry. Simple and yet hugely effective for me and Baba. We both love the combinations. Baba relaxes after the first few gulps. Ma is also calm. I can sense Baba’s happiness. My first question pops out by itself, ‘what happened, Baba’.
Baba patiently starts to relate to me and Ma about Jaiprakash Narayan’s crusade against the Emergency misrule by Indira Gandhi. He tells us about the emergence of Jan Sangh, the apex Opposition party pitted against the Indira Congress. He tells us that India is moving into a new era with this change and who were the leaders those who were responsible for this change. I had heard of Morarji Desai, Charan Singh, George Fernandes, Atal Behari Vajpayee and others before too. But I did not know the specifics and I had no patience with The Hindu frontpages. The Back three pages were far more interesting. But now the cobwebs in my mind cleared. Baba is quite descriptive while telling us all this. He also tells us of a new era dawning in West Bengal where the Left Front was coming into power. He told us about a very dynamic barrister who shall be looking after Bengal, Jyoti Basu. I was quite impressed with these new names and mentally told myself that my new game would consist of all these characters.
Presently, Baba stops to listen to some more results coming over the radio. Ma tells him to eat and then sit and relax in front of the radio. He glowers at her. She shuts up. I am through with my meal and Baba also finishes. Ma waits for all of us to finish before she starts her meal. This is customary. I have never questioned this system. While Baba is finishing he tells me that if Janata Dal comes to power then he will buy me that Fruit cake from Lingam’s shop. Ah! The cake means far more to me than any Janata Dal Victory. I only ask him by when is Janata Dal expected to win. He smiles. I can see who he supports now. I go off towards my bed. I can still hear the faint noises of the radio from the living room among the pitter patter of the raindrops. I sleep off.
I wake up next morning to find my brother, Rajat riding me. I push him away. There is a bright sunshine outside. The radio is still on. Baba is on the verandah having his Tea and talking to the next door neighbour Mr. N.K.R.S.Rao. Mr. Rao is waving the Indian Express Firstpage to Baba and Baba is reeling out facts and figures from the diary. Very animated talk! Rajat has pushed my toothbrush into the water tank. I spank him. He starts to cry. Ma arrives, retrieves my toothbrush and takes Rajat away from me. I put the brush into my mouth and stand listening to the political debate happening outside. Baba no longer has that Bengali accent in his English but he retains the slow and deliberate cadence of the speech. In any debate his style of speaking always proves very effective. Mr. Rao falters in his extempore debate. Baba has won a small battle of his own and also the Tea is over. He comes back inside. Ma tells him that since he has his leave today too, it is prudent that he goes to the market for the fish and vegetables. Baba gives her a dirty look. She goes away grumbling. Baba sits down with The Hindu. I sit down on the floor in front of him with my glass of Horlicks and try to read the back page of the paper. I am a fast reader and there is not much to read on the back page. I finish and wait for Baba to turn pages. But he seems to be taking his time. I rush off to the radio. It had started wheezing for lack of care in tuning. AIR is back in full bloom. I hear that Indira Gandhi has lost the election. Baba also rushes from his chair near the verandah. The newsreader is good, Barun Sen, if I remember correctly. There is a lot of statistics told. I do not understand that but I can feel a suppressed excitement in me. This is my first exposure to politics, my new game. Now there was something that I could understand beyond my books, cricket, football, tennis and Pramila!

Chapter 2
I have no inclination of what Mr. Balan will say when he calls me into the school library today. It has been a pretty boring day for me today. Gavaskar was toiling his way to a fruitless century against the Pakistanis in an uneventful drawn test match somewhere in Pakistan. Baba tells me that he is the most self serving player in Indian Cricket. I cannot believe that but I cannot discard what he says too! Anantharajan, my hero in class has not invited anyone to a fight today. The English class has passed without Ram Sir committing grammatical errors while teaching us. Sharmila’s shirt did not pop up from her tuck – in for me to glimpse her bare back. So no luck there too! Oh! Back to Mr. Balan. Now, Mr. Balan has never taught me, he being the primary school teacher looking after those ABCD fellows. But he has always struck thunder whenever he has happened to cross my path. All because I have heard from Sridhar that during Volleyball practice Satish of 9th Standard was hit on the face purposefully by him for not being able to lift the ball correctly. I know it is true because I trust Sridhar to tell me the right things. Mr. Balan sees me entering the library and gestures me to get over to where he is. Mr. Balan looks a bit like the Amar Chitra Katha wolf, only with a lot more curly hair than any self respecting wolf would have. I sit at his desk. He folds the notebook that he has been correcting. He looks at me with suitable horrific facial expressions geared to increase my heartbeat to extreme levels. He speaks up in his malayali tones, “Sujit, have you ever stood in an election or do you know what an election is”, he asks. No Sir, I meekly answer. ‘Well’, he says, “it is like all your friends select who they feel can lead them best if they have to choose a leader”. I could not get what he meant to say. I knew what an election meant in great detail through Baba’s efforts but I was not about to tell Mr. Balan that. He continued, if you put in your candidature for such a selection from your class VII A, I will see to that you are supported enough by other students in the class to become the Class Monitor. Ah! So this was the issue here. Last year I was not able to become the monitor because Ms. Sakina, my Class teacher did not like the way I interrupted her during class. Also, she had caught me writing I love you in Pramila’s notebook. For Ms. Sakina these were not the characteristics of a good leader. A pity, because I was at the forefront of every activity in class. Cricket team Vice Captain to Murali, Football team goalkeeper, Hockey team forward a la Govinda, I sang all the Hindi solo songs and even some Tamil ones that were put up by the Orange House. I acted in all the plays and even directed some that came my way. This I picked up again from Baba who had to convert our living room into a rehearsal stage two months every year before the Durga pujas. I was already reading the ‘Thought for the day’ in the morning assembly. I had still not broken any test tube in our Chemistry Practicals that had started this year. My handwriting still won prizes every year monotonously although I was starting to go bad. But Ms. Sakina still did not select me and gave the honour to Shaktivelu who came first in class and did nothing else. I happened to be second in class.
So, I was ripe for a fair competition and that has been noticed by Mr. Balan very well. He tells me how this election is going to take place fifteen days from now. He tells me that I have to canvass for myself within my class. I ask him as to how I am going to do that. He tells me that I should be preparing a list of future achievements that the class should be doing and my help in getting those achievements. I am also to prepare a list that speaks about the disciplinary and cleanliness measures that I shall introduce in Class. I listen to him intently. This is new to me and I do not want to queer my pitch by saying that what discipline and cleanliness can I achieve!
I wait for Baba the same evening. Baba is seemingly late. I get a little bit impatient. Ma is feeding Rajat and the pranks he is making is irritating me. I sit down with some linseed oil to re-oil my bat. The strokes this afternoon were not really thumping. It must have been the tired wood of the bat. I can hear Rao uncle shouting at the gardener. If Rao uncle is back then Baba must be really late. Baba is always home before Mr. Rao. I start to rub the linseed oil into the surface of the bat. The conversation with Mr. Balan does not leave my head. I cannot understand that I will get my Classmates’ votes on the basis of promises for the future. I always thought that one always becomes famous on the basis of past deeds and performances. But Mr. Balan must be telling this to me on the basis of something that he already is aware of. Baba can sort out this issue of mine but I do not know when I can see him. I have rarely waited for him in this impatient manner.