Syncretism Of Ideas

For(S)tress

2011-05-24T14:57:00.007+05:30

Sundays have a special place in every person’s heart. The only thing that comes close to occupying the mind of an Indian may be a cricket victory or a Bollywood blockbuster, closely followed by the Water/Electricity/Ration/Petrol/House Rent/Fee/Sabzi bills. For the many housewives of this country the second most craved thing after diamond/gold/kanjeevaram saree is a family outing on a Sunday. But this post is not about Sundays. This post is not about any such family either.

Many homes have a debate about the Sunday Outing which sometimes exacerbates the room temperature more than the tyranny at the equator. The kids make a big sacrifice of leaving their evening cricket match with friends and are made to dress up as if the idea is to enrol them for some beauty pageant. Maybe it is these small things that constitute the family bond. But this post is not about family bonding either.

Some families love to go out to gardens and spread garbage there. They take their home sheet, spread it and get the feel of a picnic. While relishing savouries like Chana Chor garam or popcorn, they take it as one of the duties stated in the Directive Principles of State policy rested on their shoulders, to spread garbage at the hangout spot. Others simply choose to go for a movie where, if any of the member (mostly men) doesn't like cinema per se,atleast peaceful sleep wont be denied except for purchase of cold drinks and pop corns during interval. For some families, the idea of a hangout is to go out and eat. That’s it!! But as you may have rightly guessed by now, this write up is not about the places where family hangs out on holidays either.

Before I play too much on the edge with the patience of the readers and the skills of this writer to express my opinions properly, let us try coming to the point. One of the favourite spots for a Sunday trip for families to spread garbage is the historical monuments that bless many cities of our country. Yes, this is the story of one such monument. This is my story- once shining with pride, now whining without prejudice structure, a body with some pieces of flesh left on it but sans the rib cage. I am the “Unchi Dukaan, No more Pakwaan” Kila.

Well how times change, and those who said that change is always for the good deserve a punch from either Rocky Balboa(Even Sunny Deol’s dhai kilo ka haath would suffice).

Let’s rewind a few centuries to get a hang of what I’m talking about:

FLASHBACK in Eastman Colour:

I don’t want to bask too much in the vainglory, but the glory back then was indeed magnificent. I was at my prime, with my edifice rock solid to guard the royal family. I saw the bravest of warriors in my lifetime who were never afraid to fight to protect the cause of their mighty motherland. The essence of royalty was evident in their demeanor as well as in the respect in the eyes of their subjects. I witnessed true blue blood instead of the desperation to bleed blue. I witnessed the strongest of men and the most gorgeous of women. In retrospect, it seems like staying with a different species altogether.

I was given prime importance and even a single chink in my walls was attended to with due diligence. Blood was sacrificed for a cause which was much bigger than just smearing names of lovers on my walls (or are they using just red ink these days??), not that romance was an alien concept then. To put it in a box-of-cookies-without-any-nuts( pardon the eccentricity of the writer, I shall have him fired soon), Life was indeed beautiful then.

CUT TO PRESENT TIME IN BLACK AND WHITE:

After seeing generations pass through and such turbulent changes in the political/social and economic setup, I wonder what else is left for me to see. What is this democracy and egalitarianism farce anyway, cant people have respect for their innate

nature of being ruled??Anyhow, anything said here should not be held against me as I’m strictly apolitical and if that isn’t sufficient for my defence then buy the theory that I’m very old and hence crazy. The only one to beat me as far as age is concerned is my very good friend since those times, Mr.A.K.Hungal.

My importance in the life of people around me has come crashing down over years like my wall on the southern end did in 1436 in a brutal war. My importance has been reduced to the mercy and the mood of the skinny and the fake accent guide who cooks up stories about me which leaves me in splits at times( as if the ones on my walls aren’t enough). Fancy the one where the broken pieces of the wall on the eastern half of the front gate hav

e been attributed to the vandalization caused by the attack in 1442 when the reality is that the strong breeze did the final rites of the already dead wall in 2001. ASI is too busy to notice, maybe still excavating Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa ruins as they find a mention quickly in the history books.

The purpose of people’s visits to my premise couldn’t be more diverse than the agenda of Capitalists and Communists. Just the invisible hand of having a good time is the common thread. Parents bring their kids so that they can understand the cultural heritage of the country as well as the richness of the history that our country has to offer, much to the bewilderment of the kids who somehow just can’t relate to the mystic beauty of the ruins. The Artillery section is the only one where I have seen sparkling eyes of boys who get excited on seeing all the weapons. I can see it in their eyes that they start dreaming about themselves battling it out in those costumes fighting the mighty enemy and emerging victorious to conquer kingdoms. Since people aren’t charged much to visit us because of our supposed importance t

o the country’s heritage, they throng in large numbers and needless to say the larger the visitors, the more employment generation for the cleaners.

I’ve witnessed some of the finest artists this country has ever been blessed with. The artists with their scintillating carvings and paintings have adorned my anatomy over years. The modern day, however, seems to have a clear deficiency of quality artists and thus they are substituted by obsessive lovers who decide to engrave their immortal love on my walls. Although I never asked for it myself, but I have been made part of millions of love stories like Ramu loves Kamala, Pokiri Loves Missamma, Anjaana loves Anjaani and lyrical masterpieces like “Hogi Pyar Ki jeet”. The word spellbound has a new found meaning in my existence now.

The generosity of the lovers does not end here. They take the onus proactively to show me how deeply and madly they are in love with each other with highly innovative ways of Public Display of Affection. One of the first lessons of marketing does talk about understanding the Target Group and then going all out to acquire them and retain them. Well, atleast on weekdays, these lovers are my main audience ( or am I the audience to their escapades, whatever !!). The acquisition and now the compelled retention is proving a tough cookie to digest.

The peculiarity of people who visit does not end here. One such wonderful yet slightly amusing category is of the foreign tourists. They are astonished at anything and everything. I’m not sure it’s the novelty factor or the fact that our guides are wonderful raconteurs, but they leave my premise as if they have just reinvented the wheel. The only sad part about their visits is the illustrations and anecdotes they narrate of all the places they have visited and start comparing me with my competitors. Why wouldn’t a neglected fort like me be disheartened to know that some fort in Rajasthan is so majestic or is still without a sign of ageing? Adding oregano to injury isn’t basic manners, now is it???

Time is an illusion and the mirage does seem to show uncanny things which might not even exist. Even though I’m left in ruins, I live with the pride of being the carrier of preserving the last remains of a kingdom and maybe a civilization for that matter. I’ve been a silent spectator to the rise and fall of generations. I don’t expect one to respect heritage and preserve it, maybe its too much for ask for. The only

courtesy that would be sane to expect is that people would not at least ruin the sanctity of the place that once was a symbol of pride and glory. After all, I may be your last hope of a Time Machine to relive that era.

The Bold Face Of Beauty

2011-03-25T14:01:00.001+05:30

There are three magical words which have defined some of the most prized moments of human history. They have been at the nub of some of the biggest battles, some of the uncanniest contentions or the subject of the most ubiquitous desire in Almighty’s most prized creation- human beings. The three magical words aren’t every lover’s karaoke song “I Love You” but instead the three cornerstones of every civilization, the mitochondria of the most defining emotions. They are – Beauty, Power and Money.

Considering the fact that we live in a world where we are taught virtues from the time we leave our prams, it is highly ironical that the virtues are not ably reflected or rather absorbed by our wisdom. Call it lack of egalitarianism on the part of God to spread wisdom equitably or sheer ignorance (deliberate or undeliberate is something we won’t deliberate on) on the part of few, but what becomes a muse for some of the world’s finest creations holds an equally potent capacity to open the doors of destruction for Satan to come and impart his blitzkrieg.

Beauty is one such potion that has inspired the most gifted artists to come up with their best works and at the same time has led barbarians to annihilate lives. Is it pure hedonism or sheer lack of character that allures people to physical beauty, making them nonchalant to everything else in the world?

What persuaded Dorian Gray to sell his soul just to retain his nonpareil beauty forever? Can we really blame Lord Henry that his immoral influence led to the change of heart in Dorian Gray? Or was it just his innate desire, concocted with deep insecurity, which came out under the veil of hedonistic pleasures to bring out his true side?

The truth as a matter of fact is, whether we like it or not, there is a part of us which falls into the trap of this black hole. We do discard all such conjectures with able assertiveness calling them “Mediocre thoughts”, but the fact remains that we are part of this loop as well. What else could possibly explain the fact that in every movie the hero falls for the most beautiful girl of the group a.k.a the heroine? Doers he ever make even a remote attempt to find out how the other girls of her group might be like? Does he even care about the fact that her friend might be a much better person than the protagonist? Doesn’t the adage proudly engraved in the “We-are-the-real-lovers-“ rosy Lalaland about “Love at first sight” actually corroborate this whole hypothesis? What else draws a person otherwise in the “love at first sight” case if not the other person’s beauty ?

We live in a world where our face acts as the medium of our endorsement. It is a harsh truth to accept but that’s how it is. Even if I move away from the realms of personal relationships and move to a ground that is portrayed to be highly organized and meticulous, the situation changes as much as a dog’s twisted tail. We are unfortunately reaching a stage where being presentable may not be presentable enough. It has become a stark reality to witness the multiplier effect of the X-factor, a highly adorned but rarely understood concept, around us. Looking good is fast becoming one of the prerequisites, and if it continues this way then we may not be far enough from the day where the entire concept of a geeky look may become obsolete. Although it may lead to celebrations in a school of thought who apostle the theory, but does that mean that someone like Mr. Kalam would actually have to go to a beauty salon before a missile launch? Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder they say, but what if the eye lashes become overcritical to lash everyone around.

Face is meant to be a reflection of our thoughts. It is meant to be a mirror which displays the mirage of our thoughts without any bias. It is a book that only the privileged can read to absorb the thoughts running in a person’s mind. Not everyone has the acumen to read a face and gauge the mood of a person(unless you are a clairvoyant or the other person is an over dramatized wannabe performer).

It is the same face which is one of the biggest motivators for vanity. Vanity is a trait we all have ingrained deeply in our DNA. It is highly unrealistic to expect a person not to like himself/herself. Even people who are suffering from low self esteem do have their moments when they admire themselves. We all have a balloon called ego which craves to be inflated with airs about it. Compliment and attention are the favourite travel companions of ego whenever it decides to visit Vanity land. It is an equally flummoxing yet realistic truth that there is something about being praised of one’s looks that instills an unparalleled pride in a person.

Now some may argue that the trait rests more predominantly in the fairer sex compared to the male counterparts. Maybe it does, but it is difficult to segregate. It is more than apt to accept the fact that men are equally if not more stuck in this whirlpool. Although we all love to use our defence mechanism of modesty to confirm first whether it was a genuine compliment or sarcastic mockery, there is a certain feel good thing associated with the entire phenomenon. Human race is fascinated with physical beauty and would continue to do so.

The World has seen Gods/ Goddesses who are embodiments of beauty. Aphrodite, Venus, Hathor and even Lakshmi. They are revered and considered to be highly powerful in their own rights. The modern day cosmetic surgeons and cosmetic good manufacturers do strive hard to see their name in the list, but the destination still seems away from them. Maybe they need better subjects to deal with (No pun intended).

Beauty is a circe that does allure a person towards it and some of them may be turned to swine later on. But this is not the real danger. The real danger lies in the fundamental problem we all have. We have to accept this reality and move out of the comfort zone of our hypocrisy.

There is nothing wrong in being enamoured by it, where things may go horribly wrong is when you start questioning and discarding other characteristic traits by keeping this as the ultimate cornerstone.

जायका मीठे का

2010-11-03T23:58:00.000+05:30

बात उन दिनों की है जनाब,
जब हम होते थे हर जशन के साथी|
खुशिओं के हर डाक के संग,
हमारी महक रौनक फैलाती|

पप्पू जब भी पास हुआ था,
शर्मा जी की हुई तरक्की,
इकबाल मियां ने पहली कार खरीदी,
या हुई थी जब मिश्रा जी की शादी पक्की|

जब गूंजी थी वो पहली किलकारी,
जब आँगन में फैला था हर्षौल्लास,
सबका मुह मीठा कराकर ही,
अपनी खुशियों का ज़ाहिर किया था एहसास|

बात उन दिनों की है जनाब,
जब मामूली दिन को हम उत्सव बनाते थे|
हम चखने चखाने में ही लेते थे आनंद,
किलो पाव की गिनती नहीं गिनाते थे|

जब माँ छुपाती थी हमको बच्चों से,
कभी डब्बों में कभी अलमारी के अन्दर,
सूंघ सूंघ के हर कोने पर,
सफल हो ही जाते थे नन्हे धुरंदर|

हमारे जायके के किस्से तो,
हर घर, हर गली में फैले ज़रूर है|
बच्चों के संग संग बड़ों के भी,
ललचाने के पल मशहूर है|

पर अब न जाने क्यों समय बदल चुका है,
पीढ़ियों का ये चक्र अपनी परिक्रमा चल चुका है|
अब मुह मीठा करने की बात पे ये आदम,
चोकोलेट से तुलना में लग चुका है|

कुछ कद्रदान अब भी है हमारे,
जो diabetes से डर कर नहीं बैठ जाते|
दूध संग जलेबी का स्वाद अब भी लेते है,
उसका प्रयोग सीधे होने के मुहावरे तक सीमित नहीं बनाते|

उत्सव के हर अवसर पर,
चांदी का वर्क हमारा गहना बना|
आज बनाने वाले ने ही ख़ुशी में कर दी मिलावट,
तो अब सवालों का उठना तो लाज़मी बना|

खबरों में हमारी चर्चा,
हमारे स्वाद की प्रशंसा में होती भली|
पर अब तो जनाब खबरें भी,
हमारी मिठास में कड़वाहट घोलती चली|

हर कोने से हम सब पर,
आक्रमण के तीर चले|
पर अब भी हमारे कुछ कद्रदान,
हमारी चाह में कई मील चले|

ये व्यथा नहीं उल्लास का समय है,
फिर बंध रहा है खुशियों का रंग|
बीते समय की मीठी यादें बटोरिये,
और सजाइए थाली में मीठे का संग|

घर पर सब मिलकर बनाएं,
या चखे हलवाई के हाथ का कमाल |
बात उन दिनों या इन दिनों की नहीं है जनाब,
ये तो बस संग मौज मनाने का है सवाल |

The first curve on the road to El Dorado

2010-11-02T19:41:00.000+05:30

“Life becomes a crisp toast if the thoughts are buttered properly”

Thoughts have the pleasure of relishing adventures that we could only wish for. They pack their bags and set on a journey to any corner of the world, enjoy uncanny swashbuckling experiences. They are mavericks in true sense of the word that love to explore things till infinity and beyond. But unfortunately for them, they have a mean step cousin, named concentration which imparts atrocity of dragging them back from their frenzy and incarcerating them in a prison meant to focus only on one thing. But it is actually not as bad as it sounds- the ones who manage to strike a chord between the two end up with the most melodious symphony of life. A college tries to create the same musical rhythm in one’s life so that thoughts and concentration complement each other instead of taking out daggers.

As I sip my coffee early on a Sunday morning looking at nature which tries to flaunt its bloom with all vanity- the birds singing their euphony and sun marching its way up in the sky set out on a mission. The gentle breeze for a change decides not to be a snob and bless everyone by flowing gently. The roads have their few moments of peace before vehicles start their rampage on its ribs. Watching this picturesque setup, I ruminate over my time spent so far at NMIMS doing MBA- the coveted course that I wanted to do since as long as I can remember. Now, that I’m on the hot seat immersed in the process- I’m filled with ambivalence mostly because I hardly get a chance to sit back and cogitate over how the salad days of this journey have been. So let us turn the clocks backwards for a while and rewind to June 2010-

The city of Mumbai-fast, busy, ruthless, cradle of self discovery, passionate, the city that never sleeps are just few of the qualifying words and phrases that adorns this city. At the cost of sounding filmy may I say like any other person, I came with my own aspirations here. When I got down the train, my first reaction was- God! What an avalanche of people. But as they say, love can come from the most unexpected of quarters. Before you get any ideas may I clarify that I didn’t see a curl of hair hiding a beautiful face and then there was the moment of ecstasy. By love, I mean what started as a rude shock became a source of penchant with time.

The first tryst in this new peregrination was the hostel. A new experience altogether for someone who had seen extreme levels of mollycoddling at grandparents place during graduation. At the time of bidding adieu, their concern was as if a camel has been transported from Thar desert to the Arctic Circle. Mom, being the sweetheart that moms are, started with the question about how are the roommates and how is the food. After round 1 of assurance, round 2 of reassurance till round thirty seven of more reassurance, was she satisfied that her poor kid would survive in this tyrannous world.

The scene on the first day of any academic year is a photographer’s delight. The countenance on each face has so many expressions that it would put any actor to shame. One can clearly see the ambivalence of excitement and pride of making it finally to the coveted place, but simultaneously one can see lines on the forehead reflecting the concern of what the journey ahead would hold in store. This concern is of course exacerbated by the induction session where a virtual visual of the journey ahead is run right in front of your eyes and you start thinking- Ahem Ahem, maybe I hurried into my decision. The early rounds of introductions, asking each other for their names and backgrounds and then asking them again because with so many people around you keep forgetting the names. So it may not be an exaggeration if one ends up asking the same person his name 5-6 times (Guys for some strange reason have Chacha Chaudhary’s memory when it comes to remembering girls’ names). One can also see guys trying to create the first mover advantage (marketing concepts can be taught much better outside the classroom) on the fairer sex and of course the girls love all the attention they get.

After the warm welcome, you are introduced to the concept of case study method, which schools of thoughts are still battling over and the breaking of Berlin wall over this still seems like a distant dream. As a student, you are flooded with cases left, right and centre and before you take your guard you find yourself sitting in the arena with 60 more gladiators. Every warrior takes his/her swords out and starts slaughtering everyone else to win “The Great Battle of Class Participation”. Gautam Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela would have fainted at this literal obnoxious slaughtering of their preachings.

The battleground is restricted to the class hours. Apart from that, it is wonderful to find people of different socio cultural backgrounds and experiences coming together and working on different projects. The initial phase for me was certainly a cultural shock when I was made to realize that drinking and smoking has somehow become a normal course of activity in the lives of people. It seems like I have been transported from my archaic world to the new age world in a matter of days. What started as a cultural shock is now alleviating as maybe a way of life. Words such as “smoking networks, delightfully high discussions” have crept their way into the vocabulary and one has to appreciate the fact that you may not do it, but there is no point in secluding yourself from the ones who do.

As coffee is on its way from the cup into my system, the thoughts keep wandering about these few months. There is a sudden rush of thoughts; the pictures coming in front of the eyes with every blink are faster than Rajnikant’s punches to fifty people at the same time. The sun rises further in the sky and I immerse further in my thoughts of flashback.

The first month is completely crazy where you are bombarded with ideas, opinions, viewpoints, the jargons reflective of a college’s tradition (Read: gas). Add to that multiple committees; first you feel that you would choose which one to join, only to realize later that you may not be chosen by any (Eventually one does end up in something). This bombardment of ideas was of course in concatenation with the usual mystery that surrounds accounting, the unimaginable purview of marketing which even fails the phrase that sky is the limit, the micro concepts of economics that even the biologists have declared them as unidentifiable species and the some-foreign-guy-gave-this-model concepts of HR. I think I started off by saying that this is what I wanted to do since as long as I remember. Ahem Ahem, wake up kid.
But to be honest, I won’t be a cynic here playing the devil’s advocate. It is this challenge every day that creates a vivid memory for you to share later. The sleepless nights, the emptying of coffee mugs again and again, racking all your brain nerves to understand and balance the assets and liabilities at least for once, to procrastinate first and then working like maniacs to meet the deadlines of an assignment, sitting with your group with the intent of a project meeting and ending up with tea, vada pav and a sandwich party( of course for some it ends with a certain cult place on the Irla Road- it’s the place that shall not be named but only revered).

One actually gets to feel like the poor pillow which people, for some strange reason, decide to use for a fight and it is being spanked from all quarters. It makes you tough, it makes you help rise to the occasion and if not the above two- it makes you console yourself everytime “It can’t get any worse than this”, only to be proved wrong again the very next day. For me, right from the moment the day starts with the customary music of the lift that every NM student worships even more than the NMIMS Anthem(I hope I’m not getting killed for this), to the time when you just can’t wait to crash into your bed but contain yourself saying that an hour more else the next day might turn catastrophic, each day here is a host to a new chapter of life- it is a tale that I’m sure we would all love to narrate wherever we go in future, it is an anecdote that has exuded spice in bland lifestyles, it is the flavor that would make the dish just about perfect for everyone to relish.

Tom Hanks said in Forest Gump –“Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get next.” Well over the past few months, I have agreed to this statement every single day. You just cannot predict what might come and stop you on your free ride down the expressway. Either one takes it in right spirit and gains the best out of things that come their way or spend their time cribbing over how life has been so cruel. The ones who do the former, needless to say, tread on the path of greatness.

The biggest lesson that NMIMS’s salad days have taught me is that I may not be the most knowledgeable guy, I may not be the most creative, I may not be the most gregarious one either but as long as I can be myself writing cheques that my body can cash and as long as I can hold my own, I have created an apt space for myself. The queen of hearts may be the best bet, but not drawing the queens on diamonds would be completely crazy.

A college is not only an institution where I become knowledgeable or more intelligent, it is the place I become wiser. It is the place where I get into self discovery, it is the place where I decide to face the world with an open mind and heart saying- “Here I am, prepared to take you on. Let the game begin.”
There is a silent hope that comes with every wish that the step cousins- thought and concentration do stay together and after these initial days for me in NMIMS, they are finally finding peace with one another and now becoming agreeable to stay in the same stable. I just hope that peace prevails.

The thoughts decide to set out on a new voyage now and I realize that my cup of coffee is finally empty again. Bother to pour in something?

pa'U'nchtantra

2010-07-25T17:53:00.000+05:30

"If you are going through hell, keep going" said Mr. Churchill. Yeah, easy for you to say, Mr. Churchill. I wonder if you kept the same spirit after you were ousted from power after the Second World War. I always had an issue with two categories of people- people who present an overly optimistic view of the world as if when you'd step out of your door,people would shower flowers on you sans the thorns, you open your mouth and the world would sit back and listen to the pearls of wisdom you've to offer and most importantly the fact that there are so many around you, who can never have enough of you irrespective of the way you are. Balderdash !!!

now comes the second category- the attention seeking, the melodramatic and full of theatrics people who keep cribbing about the fact that life has been so mean to them and how at every step they have only found debacle to grasp them tightly and smooch them so hard that they lose the will to stand up one more time like a gladiator and fight.

If you belong to either of the categories, I'd simply say- Wake up!! You've seen nothing. If anyone ever decides to live my life for a day would realize how condescending the world can be, how mean and brutal people are and how it feels to bear those disgusted looks of everyone at every moment of one's life. I'm the poor paunch, the belittled belly and the tortured tummy. Don't start thinking of more names now as if the three given already aren't demeaning enough. Now you listen to my story(Flaaaaaaaaasssssssssshhhhhhhhhhbbbbaaaaaackkkkkkk)

My inception is always an issue of high contention and constant altercation. I don't even know who exactly led to my birth- sometimes I'm attributed to brazen guzzling, sometimes to hereditary problems, sometimes to the lack of exercise and the self proclaimed intellectuals, for the lack of a better thing to do in life, use all their theories to obfuscate it further by mixing the theories.For them their theories might lead to laurels and patents, but they don't realize the excruciation they impart is inexcusably blatant. Imagine the jinx of one's life whose birth has been blemished by hypothetical theories. Can it get any worse? Of course it can- read on.

(Back to present day)
I always am the subject of prying eyes wherever I go. Its like a tradition, an unsaid ritual which makes the person I reside in highly embarrassed and he'd inflict tyrannous torture to obliterate me. I don't know if its a sadist pleasure of the human species that is satisfied with this, but Ab-crunchers??? I can't even imagine doing that to my step cousins- six pac or the newly born eight pac and size zero. Imagine someone sets you steady and then folds and unfolds you constantly until you get all dizzy, is it a sane treatment to anyone??? Talk of human rights!!!! What about ours??

Since the time these step cousins came up, life has become nothing short of HELL for me. Constant peer pressure, too high expectations to perform, constant evaluations and regular visits to my crematorium- the slimming centres, gym and health clubs is what my life has become a victim of. Even my social circle is diminishing at a staggering rate, and may reach extinction soon. Before I finish this autobiographical account, few of my distant relatives would have lost a couple of inches of their life. Please save us- only 14", 11" left.

Its not that life has always been that cruel on us- there were times when we were attributed to prosperity and people who gave us abodes were considered to belong to be coming from booming families. There are still a few proponents of this school of thought, and they are the ones who belong to a coterie of people with great clout, but the betrayal of one of the vanguards of this revolution cost us big time and our revolution started falling like a pack of cards. Adnan Sami down down !!!!

It is really surprising to see how people can be so nonchalant and disinterested in the plight of the lives that reside in me. How can they simply turn away their faces from this ghastly act of blotting out my tenants- carbs, fats and lots of sugars without even a proper rehabilitation program. That's a clear case of homicide especially considering the fact that the one who does it celebrates it as one of life's biggest achievements. I'm falling short of adjectives for such gory psyche of people, and they are the ones who talk of egalitarianism, CSR and what not. Height of hypocrisy!!

I've a humble request to all of you- even we've feelings, so next time you visit a gym please remember you are not only burning carbs and fats, you are burning out emotions and bringing an end to a civilization. This entire fad of size zero, six pacs, metro sexuality is preposterous and just a gimmick. You must take cue from the school of thought that we indeed are an indicator of prosperity. I want you all to introspect and confess to yourself- wasn't it pleasure of sumptuous food, wonderful laziness during early mornings that gave birth to us. We gave so much happiness to you even before we were born, please don't terminate us from the face of the world.

Oh God, I've to go. My boss is going for a gym session, so I may never come back again. Just remember my words- Make Life FULLfilling.

Unique 'eunuchs'

2010-05-06T18:32:00.000+05:30

Oh God, not again !! Why this restlessness, anxiety with a motley of evasion, unwanted tension whenever an eunuch comes across- this time in a local train in Mumbai.

Flashback- During every journey to Udaipur in train across Gujarat have I encountered an eunuch coming up asking for money. They are boisterous, loud, dressed in bright gaudy sarees animatedly clapping as though in a clamour procession. They come, make sure that no stone is left unturned to embarrass you- they'd pull your cheeks ,whistle, stroke your hair and make sure you give some breathing space to your pocket else the ignominy could get worse.

But I wonder why do we tend to get helpless when it comes to dealing with them? One shoos away beggars as though they don't exist, one feels compassion towards kids who beg, one feels sorry for the incapacitated who're forced to resort to ask for money to make both ends meet. But why does a eunuch not evoke any such feeling? Why are disgust, grimace, embarrassment, flummox the adjectives which come to my mind on any encounter with them? Am I being too cynical ? One may say so but every experience just reiterates this feeling.

Flipping pages of our history, its clearly elucidated that eunuchs were very important for the kings. They were given the responsibility of the security of the queen and her female friends. On our visit to Golconda fort, I remember the guide clearly telling that men were castrated to make them suitable for this job so that any kind of sexual advances towards the female presence in the palace can be put out of contention. So be it castrated men or transgenders, eunuchs had a lot to offer to the society. But why did it change with time? Their importance was no longer felt and they had to resort to begging, prostitution or dancing. The 21st century eunuch is hardly seen as an active member of the society. They are treated no better than beggars and somehow they haven't tried too hard to shed this image either. They crash on weddings, child births and other auspicious family occasions and demand for money. It is a highly held belief that they've occult powers and their blessings and curse both have tremendous power. So you may call it people succumbing to these beliefs or simply trying to evade the scene that they tend to create, they offer money and bid them good riddance.

Now a eunuch can either be a transgender or a castrated man. This avenue of quick money has made many men perfectly normal but short of money to dress like a eunuch and charge. They beg on traffic signals, trains or gate crash functions to earn this money. Its not the prerogative of eunuchs to beg but somehow the entry of normal men into this business has exacerbated the scenario. In a country where the voting rights to eunuchs was bestowed as late as 1994 and which claims to be the only country where the term still holds pertinence( rest all have switched over to LGBT or castrated men), we ought to do better to provide them an alternative.Its not asking for too much, is it?

Shabnam Mausi led the bandwagon when she became the first eunuch to be elected into a public office. She became an MLA in one of the constituencies in Madhya Pradesh. She tried to work on a lot of grounds; right from the emancipation of women to creating awareness about transgenders and HIV. But even she couldn't mobilize the issue of bringing human right laws for eunuchs in our country. They are still looked down upon as the third gender- "cursed for their sins of the past life" in the words of our antediluvian proponents of the society. They are living a deteriorated life both socially and economically and have to create a parallel world of their own. Maybe this is the reason why they behave the way they do. Maybe this is the reason why they choose to stick to begging and create ignominious situation for people as that may pacify the schadenfreude in them who wants to take the vengeance for this sorry life. One million is a huge number and can be a useful resource if proper programs are implemented. Why can't they have normal day jobs, normal work schedules, normal shopping experiences, normal outings without prying eyes??

SRK once said in an interview his dream role would be to play a eunuch on celluloid. Shabnam Mausi(movie) and Welcome to Sajjanpur did try to talk about transgender rights. Late Nirmal Pandey one an award for the best actress( Yes !!! actress) for his performance in Daayra. Yet cinema, considered a powerful medium, has shied away often to come out in open to support this cause. I've seen no govt. coming out with an agenda on this issue and I've slim hopes in the future as well. But its high time they stand on their feet as well without being myopic just because of the quick buck.

They can no more be reactive and expect things to change, they've to be proactive and earn their respect. I may have just touched the tip of the iceberg, but they have to make sure that they no more remain murky waters.

Let's Talk

2010-02-14T11:20:00.000+05:30

The Setup- An elliptical table conference. Was supposed to be round table, petty issues stretched too much made it this way. The office is the Home Ministry.

People- Home Minister, Chief Ministers, Naxal Leader.

Agenda- You have to be kidding me.

The Home Minister tried to make everyone feel at home. The sugarless biscuits made everyone feel otherwise. A late probe by the CBI revealed it was a mix of the Austerity Drive and high sugar price. Opposition Chief Ministers clamored taking out the blank protest banners hidden under their kurtas and wrote this agenda on it, UPA CM's blamed the EU and Australia for racial discrimination in exports of sugar, peon took a shot at the Ration shop retailer, others simply blamed fate for making them diabetic.

Home Secretary :- Ladies and Gentlemen, lets put the meeting to order (" To Disorder" is what he thinks in mind). Words like "Telangana, Vidarbha, Gorkhaland, bad tea, cobwebs in the room, my mistress better than yours" should be left to the informal post lunch forum. Sattar(70) Minute, sattar min hai tumhare paas. Shayad yeh.. tumhare zindagi ke sab se… khaas sattar minute.

( Jharkhand, Chattisgarh CM's couldn't hide the giggles- stare from the Home Minister)

Home Minister(referred to as Homey from now on):- So should we start with the Naxalite leader or would the CM's like to put a point first?

Andhra, Orissa, Jharkhand, MP, Chattisgarh jump into it simultaneously and the sound is something like this- My Andhra Pradesh/ screwed up Jharkhand/vandalized Chattisgarh / MP is responsible/ for Orissa's labour crisis.

Home Minister loses it. He stands up with grit and a lot of aggressive intent and says in his South Indian accent- Mujhe states ki naam na sunayie dethe hai, na dhikaie dete hai. Sirf ek mulk-ka-naam sunayie detha hai, I-N-D-I-A

( Gujarat joins the giggles with Chattisgarh and Jharkhand)

The NAXALITE leader was wondering why did his men have to die and kill when there were so many volunteers, he still stood up and said) - Mao Zedong once said.....(he was interrupted)

TN CM woke up, decided maybe there were media cameras around, so he ought to say something, says plight of Tamilians miserable in Sri Lanka.

Homey- Issue in next meeting

Maharashtra- Thackerays getting out of hand.

Homey- Next meeting.

Rajasthan- Gujjars threaten again.

Homey- Next meeting

Naxal Leader- Mao Zedong said....

Homey- Next meeting.

Karnataka- Sri Ram Sena has to be dealt with for beating women.

Homey- Next meeting.

Goa- More foreigners raped.

Homey:- next meeting.

Naxal Leader- Mao Zedong said....

Homey- Next meeting.

(West bengal and Kerala CM's whisper the wisdom to the Naxal leader's ears- " Try quoting Marx - worked for us always"!!!!

Naxal Leader- Kal Marx said....

Homey- Can't you think something of your own, its been 40 years since your fight started. You still quote the same old shit. Seems like a warm place with no memory.

Kerala and WB CM's giggle, whisper to the Naxal leader again- Can't believe you bought that. Noone ever listens to Communists in this country.

Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur, Sikkim go on plucking the rose petals kept on the table and keep mumbling- " We are in India, We are in China- We are in India, we are in China- We are in India, we are in China".

Homey- Can't we come to the agenda now?

Karnataka rises and says- Isn't it time for lunch now?

Home Secretary jumps into this mayhem and says- Please everyone focus on the agenda here. The country has their eyes set on us.

Everyone in chorus- Is it? Damn you planted cameras here??? How much did NDTV/Times Now/ CNN IBN/Doordarshan bribe you??? ( Like you believe the last one has enough to bribe)

Home Secy- No sir , I didn't mean literally.

UP - yeah... we hate Literature. We want no computers, we want no English. Pass on our budget and we shall leave. We've some statues to build you know.

The chaos continues. Homey decides to bring in some discipline. Rises up and says our police force is not competent enough to fight invasion.

J & K- Tell me that. I asked one of the personnel to shoo away the cat that stealthily came into my bedroom and he couldn't even do it. We need better security.

WB- We need reforms.

Uttarakhand- We need loan waiver.

Assam- We want higher NREGA share.

Gujarat- I want some more cookies please. My plate has been empty for long.

Homey loses all hope. All he could say is - Next Meeting !!!

U, Me Aur Cellphone

2010-02-09T19:44:00.000+05:30

Sitting in the bus I was looking around if I have any interesting companion as a co-traveller so that a filmy story's seeds may be laid. Lady Luck, who seems to be relishing playing the role of agony aunt on this front, decided the jinx should continue. So I rested back on the seat waiting for the "cleaner/driver/owner/whatever" he was guy to switch on a movie. In the meantime, the decibel levels took off from the launch pad all set to defy the law of physics that light travels faster than sound- it was the chattering of the fellow passengers. The competitiveness appeared as if they have appeard for a reality show- Clamour your way to glamour !!!

So my peace was deliberately trampled upon by these messengers of Satan who found it a defiance of morality to see someone at peace. I decided to scare them with a stare,but their appearence made me decide against it. The next plan of action was to join the bandwagon (ego boss even I wanted my shot to fame to win this nonexistent reality show). So the eyes wandered around to find if there was a soul willing to listen to my wisdom. But noone seemed interested. Vanity had worked hard to climb the stairs of a skyscraper and now it was thrown down from the terrace without slightest of compassion. Then I noticed where the root of the problem was- Vanity found a parachute, honour was resurrected, faith on humanity and its intelligence was restored. What kept the shout wasn't the clout of the fellow companions, they were all instead busy with themselves. The power lay in their hands- the duniya was literally in their mutthi- it was their cellphone.

Sehwag's mother succeeded in motivating him to win a match for the country using the cellphone, Rehman created a new age anthem for the mobiles. The world is not enough for the growing influence of cellphones. Coming back to the crime spot (where there was an attempt to kill my vanity), seeing almost everyone busy with their phones made me draw a mental blank page divided by an imaginary line to illustrate- Before and After. Let me show it to you-

(This is a hypothetical conversation. Any resemblance is purely coincidental)

Before

X:-Hello, My name is X. .
Y(wondering if X's parents didn't love him to keep such a name) .
- Hi there, I'm Y.. I'm an engineer/actor/lawyer/doctor/loser by profession.
What do you do?
X( making sure that he still has the upper hand):- I'm studying life!!!! .
Y thinks with such a name, was X really left with an option??
And the conversation takes off from there.

Now
X(on his phone) :- Hello, Haa this is X here. Can u listen to me?
Y(on her own phone):- Sweetheart I'm sick of listening to you all my life
X:- But I thought we had a deal
Y:- Either that bitch would live or me.
X:- This is extortion.
Y:- I call it emotion
( and the sound mixing continues much to the amusement and fun of onlookers, if there are any)

"Addiction is fatal, but so was monotony, right? So why not get addicted and die". The rod of power is in hands now (no pun intended). Cellphones have spread their empire from the Riches to the wretches. I wonder how this revolution has changed us so much that we just can't resist the temptation to keep our hands busy ( no pun again). Personal wishes have been replaced by texts, grammar has gone for a toss, people don't care to befriend co-passengers ( go back to the crime spot) and we've found a way to keep ourselves busy. This luxury of the past has become an amenity to stay connected. When I was a kid, parents were cautious even to hand me over a glass plate with the fear that I may break it, now parents don't mind handing over expensive cellphones. Change is sweet and delicious only if you are part of the effect cycle and not the necessity one.

I'm a victim myself of this addiction and I believe cellphones would stay- for geeks as a fascinating technology, for majority of people as a means to stay connected, for cynics as only commercial business and for those who don't know which bracket they belong to- for them cellphones would be a mode of amusing experiences.

आदि से अंत तक

2010-01-10T01:15:00.000+05:30

एक शब्द चल पड़ा है, उसी का ये प्रवाह है,
मिलता है उसे अनुरूप संग, यही रस का प्रभाव है|
अर्थ हो, अनर्थ हो, रहे ना कोई आसरा,
ये साज़ का सम्बन्ध है, ये मन का ही लगाव है|

हर चिंगारी का अंत निश्चित है,
अगर संग वायु का अभाव है|
पर अपने किनारे तक बढ़ते रहना ही,
सत्यकाम की दृढ़ता से परिपूर्ण नाव है|

शाश्वत नहीं होता है कुछ भी,
परिवर्तन सृष्टि का स्वाभाव है|
योद्धा रण से नहीं मन से है,
यही तो अविस्म्रणीय वेदों का सुझाव है|

वो सोच स्तम्भ बन सके नहीं,
जिसपे परिस्थितियों का दबाव है|
परिणाम का परिमाण करना,
धैर्यवान में जलती लौ की चाह है|

प्रतिस्पर्धा में प्रधान केवल,
विजय का ही भाव है|
जीत का ही हर तरफ वर्चस्व है,
हार तो सिर्फ एक चुभता हुआ घाव है|

कर्म के पथ पे तो,
बरसता ही पथराव है|
फिर भी अडिग चलने की चेष्ठा करना,
ये एक वीर का चुनाव है|

अमृत मंथन की लालसा में,
खोया सदियों का उन्माद है|
इसमें उलझे रहने से बेहतर तो,
विष पीने में ही प्रह्लाद है|

शब्दों की इस रचना की शक्ति का,
किसी को नहीं आभास है|
क्रांति नहीं पर सोच जीवित रहे,
बस इसी का ये छोटा सा प्रयास है|

Knock Knock...Anybody there???

2009-12-27T11:39:00.000+05:30

"Mom please purchase the cricket bat and I'll study properly and clean the room all week"
"Comeon u know that I share everything with you because you're my friend"
"Sweetheart it appears to me that you never pay attention to what I say"
"You're an adolescent, it doesnt mean that you know everything, you've to listen what the elders say"
" I've faced so many difficulties in life, God never listened to my prayers"
" The biggest failure of my life is that noone pays heed to what i say even in my own house"

Now they are different scenes in the play of a person's life, different acts that unfold one after the other but there is a nexus in these phases- aspiration for a listener to attend as to what we've to say. Every individual has a certain way of thinking and for him/her that thought process is distinctive from all the fellow beings, which automatically gives him/her the anxiety to share it with others. We're social beings and the social fabric has become so labyrinthine that the intermingling and interdependence has increased viz a viz the last generation. During their stint with society, the families used to be so big that it was a mini society in itself. People had way too many people around at home only to bother about others. But with migration and exposure to a wider world, society gained a more structured form and found its relevance. People found people they could relate to and talk to about what they feel, how they feel and why do they feel what they feel. It is part of the human nature that he is himself incapable of keeping everything within. Call it outsider's perspective, call it an open mind prepared for new ideas or call it a simple unburdening of thoughts, we've always looked forward for someone to share our plight with.

But as the need for an aggressive listener became stronger, so did the yardstick for him. This complaint kept exacerbating that there is noone who's actually willing to listen to all that we've to offer and say. There is a common chord that intersects which keeps saying "Nobody's listening". So as a kid my demand for a cricket bat or an extra chocolate is never thought of being catered to and my plea is never heard which makes me wonder why dont parents listen to me, after all I'm not a kid( which I eventually am at that stage).

Our voyage in the outside world begins and initially its the birds of the same feathers that flock together. We develop a rapport with like minded kids( criterion may be fav actors, fav cricketer or it may simply be the food in his/her lunchbox. We look out for refuge there and we set out with our long list of complaints about how the world is so mean to kids( Now it is a common syndrome- we conveniently choose the situations where we shrug away the idea of being a kid and the situations where the idea of being a kid comes as the only resort to evade a spanking, so we determine it as per our convenience as to whether we are little kids or not).

Even when we grow up, for many of us friends are the listeners we seek out for instead of parents. Be it the ideas that the young mind is bubbling with, the I-know-what-it takes-to-succeed thinking or the so called personal problems- ranging from post puberty hormonal overtime work or a spat with a girlfriend to the failure of finding a purpose in life , we're always on the lookout of someone to talk to. But the quench is never really satisfied maybe because almost everyone whom we want to talk to, is undergoing the same phase and wants to talk about his/her problems as well.So again the feeling reiterates that why isnt there anyone who's willing to listen to what I've to say.

A different scenario but suffering from the same syndrome is the relationship of a man and a woman( I restrict it to lovers and married couples here). They are fundamentally so different in everything that after the hunky dory phase of the relationship is passe, the time comes of building a sphere of compatibility, a domain of adjustments so to say. One of the prime facets of this is to listen to the partner.

Now men by default aren't great listeners and women have a knack of sharing what comes to their minds. Now this chasm can really deepen if not catered to quickly with a firm bridge to mellow down the temperaments. The failure to do so is what we witness in the form of common marriage counselling ,seven year itch or moving out of the relationship. There is a common complaint amongst the fairer sex that Men just dont listen and that puts a roadblock in the process of ameliorating compatibility. To put it in a nutshell, not finding a listener certainly spells doom's day even here.

It is found to be a common phenomena in social circles for people to go gaga about their kids. How often have we not witnessed in parties that men and women keep lionizing the laurels of their wards and the listeners just dont seem interested because they've a story to tell about their own child. So things like "Mere bete ka IIT mein admission hua" " meri beti ko job mein raise mila" or "humne toh keh diya ki US mein kuch saal hi rehna" are met with cold and indifferent reception.

The listener stays there out of courtesy, but the bodylanguage and eyes wandering elsewhere clearly resonte the please-complete-your-story-i've-one-of-mine-to-narrate-as-well message. So it becomes agonizing for parents as for them the kids at home dont listen to them out of pure resistance of adolescence, and in the social circle noone actually cares as to whether your ward has been there and done that.

A friend of mine was given this assignment to interview a group of corporate hochos to talk about their journey. What came as a rude shock to her and to me as well when she narrated the experience was people around their 40's pouring their hearts out in front of her(a student) describing the pages of their personal lives. Now what exactly must have led them to do it? They surely didnt expect a 21 year old to give them a solution to the crisis in their lives. Was it simply the solace of telling everything out to a complete stranger who wouldn't be judgemental or was it simply an irresistible outburst of what we perceive as mid life crisis?The outburst may be shocking but brings us back to the fundamental hypothesis- people want someone to listen to them.

But why do they need anyone else to do it? Are they too scared to talk to themselves( introspect)? Do they know that they may be in for a rude honest answer if the conversation is carried with oneself? Is it simply nothing but the fact that they are looking out for sympathy and no judgement because nothing else explains spilling the beans of your personal life to strangers. We do see people around us who love to talk and who if neglected or ignored for a while during a group meetup become restless and their bodylanguage tends to go completely haywire. They just cant have others not listening to them. Why is that exactly? Why so much anxiety to be heard? Maybe its just an avenue to bring something out of the system completely.

Maybe that explains aggressive listeners become friends fast with people. People tend to repel the ones who like to talk more about themselves in the first meet and prefer those who give the oppotunity for him to talk.

Leave aside humans, we constantly crib that even the Almighty doesnt listen to us and conveniently neglects what we really want. This quest for a listener is ubiquitous and no matter how much we deny it, we want it. Call it a syndrome, call it insecurity or call it a way of life, the bottom line is we all crave for listeners and love it even more when they echo what we say. Maybe we are not really looking for a mirror but just a karaoke!!! So the knocking on the doors is going to continue....Anybody there?

PAA

2009-11-18T19:28:00.001+05:30

"We don't see eye to eye on many things.But Dad, I come to believe that I got it in me to be somebody in this world. And it's not because I'm so different from you either. It's 'cause I'm the same. You know, I can be just as hardheaded and just as tough. I only hope I can be as good a man as you are." - October Sky

This line clearly epitomizes the terrains on which a father son relationship travels. It is probably the most intense, complex and subtle relationship in a man's life. The equation can never be expressed properly with the right adjectives because it has an uncanny enigma associated with it. From the time a little boy starts to understand the nuances of life, the first hero he envisages is his father. For a kid, everything that his father does,sets a benchmark that even his favorite actor can't emulate. Be it the style of amble, be it the way he talks, be it his style of reading newspaper or be it his demeanor with his office colleagues. How many of us haven't tried wearing the shoes of our father after he was back from office? How many of us haven't used his shaving brush to shave our then non-existent beards? How many of us haven't tried copying his signature( not necessary for forgery :P ) just to feel that sense of power? I can honestly confess here that for me, even his style of smoking was the best possible way one could smoke. There was a sense of amazing panache in everything a father did that its imitation gave a surreal satisfaction. For us at that age, he is the person we really want to be (immaterial of our minds vacillating to pursue everything from medicine to engineering to flying to cricket to even becoming an astronaut ).

As we grow, the respect and the awe never goes down, but the relationship transmogrifies to a more intense and mellowed level. The father, who has himself sailed in the same boat, understands exactly how the temperament of an adolescent boy works and he also understands the fact that if that is not kept in right check, it can succumb to nefarious influences. Now, here the chasm starts to deepen. There are myriad difference of opinions on the most trivial of issues as the boy is in an age where everything seems impeccable and accomplishable. The feeling complemented by a sudden rise of ego and an indefatigable spirit, when finds a resistive force in the form of his father's experience, doesn't try to cogitate over it but deviates to insurgency. What adds on to this conundrum is the stoic expression of emotions. On one hand, whereas the mothers(sweethearts that they are) have a conspicuous expression style, the fathers weigh their words on every occasion making sure that there isn't a deluge of emotions flowing. So your mother's ecstacy over any of your laurels would certainly be communicated to her friends in morning walks, kitty parties, over phone or office get-togethers. She'll prepare the best of delicacies to celebrate the occasion. Fathers on the other hand, will express their happiness over it but will simultaneously give you a cautionary message of not becoming complacent and to keep working hard as success is ephemeral. His discussion about your laurels with his colleagues would be centered around how can you improve on your current accomplishment and the entire conversation would be sans exaggerated encomium. So moms would be all smiling and ecstatic, hymning the tunes of " Arey mera beta, I'm so proud of you. We should thank God that you've achieved this fete. You worked so hard for this. Tell me what do you want now as a gift?".

Now fathers would watch all this histrionic tsunami of emotions("Khushi ke aansu") and when you look towards him with all the expectations of a song of eulogy, all you get is " Good Job son. Keep it Up". That's it? I mean seriously, that's it? Wasn't it to accomplish this fete that i was lambasted by you time and again for the lack of effort, and now all I get is a " Good Job". Well that's how a father- son relationship is!!!

But what is the reason behind this comport? The reason is pretty simple -He has been there and done that. He knows where can we get lost and hence he is our guiding light to make sure the limelight isn't headed towards the Road to Perdition. A father's sole intention is to be the avenue of reality check for his boy, he just cannot afford to get sentimental about his kid as he clearly understands the fact that a bit of toughness today is the only way the boy can graduate to a man. A classic line used by many fathers when we try to outsmart him and the connivance is caught- " Beta, Aakhirkaar main tera baap hoon". Point duly noted and appreciated boss.

For a guy, there can never be a more educative, informative or a more wise promulgation of ideas than there is discussing with his father. Right from discussion of world politics to how human psyche is, how one can be duped in life or how to make sure that productivity of work can be maximized, dads know it all. They really do. Now, its not a matter of education or literacy, its sheer experience of life that equips them to share these pearls of wisdom. Now I'm not of the opinion that fathers are always right, but they mostly are and their judgment rarely goes wrong, especially when it comes to gauging their son. How many times haven't your father posed a challenge in front of you and you took it as a man to man thing and over a period of time you realized - "Gosh!! He was again right. He knew i wont do it." They just know it, don't they? And if you spring in a surprise by proving them wrong, well his loss is still his victory. Integrity, Honesty, self respect, astute acumen, smartness, diligence, conduct we learn all these traits directly or indirectly from him. No wonder that we find the anecdotes of his college instances to be really fascinating. There is an inexplicable sense of pride when you come to know that your father actually slapped someone. A flurry of questions with a sense of disbelief comes to your mind and you are like - " Really? Why? When? To whom? What then? Oh My God?" and the last question comes in " Why do you ask me then to stay away from all this?". You are beaming with pride thinking -"That's my dad!!!"

A father son's relationship has a lot of depth in it. Now can a son and a father really be friends? I think people misunderstand a father who is friendly to a father becoming a friend. Both the phenomenon are clearly discrete. A father can be friendly to make sure you have a sense of comfort to promulgate your opinion and ideas, but he certainly is not a friend because there is always a sense of respect, awe and and even fear that persists, which is certainly essential.

You need a person whose thought at any juncture of your life, can make you think twice before you choose a wrong path. His Halo shines with you forever. He's not only your ATM to withdraw money from as and when required to fulfill our necessities and even luxuries, the real asset that a guy gets out of his father is his purview over the scheme of things.

There have been so many movies in the past based on a father son relationship that've tried to capture the panorama of this relation's roller coaster ride. Be it the warmth of the relationship in The Pursuit Of Happyness or be it the intensity in The Godafather and its Indian counterpart Sarkar series, father-son relationship has been captured emphatically. Who can forget the scene in Lakshya when Hrithik calls his father(Boman Irani) and apologizes for letting him down, and the way Boman Irani says that he's proud to have a son like him.Low on words and emotions, but high on expression!!! Be it the altercation in Shakti or be it the
any door's story in Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, there is high voltage, low resistance action involved in this relationship.

Sometimes it takes a road to perdition for the discovery of how much they care for each other, and sometimes it needs an adventure to find nemo ot discover how much they mean to each other. To put it in a nutshell the relationship doesnt rely too much on words- it is a relation of unsaid words, unexpressed emotions, and temperamental collisions.

Its very important to understand the fact that even though boys are meant to be close to their mothers(which they certainly are) because of the comfort, warmth, patient listening, quick melting of heart that they get. Fathers on the other hand are the source of strength. I bet that the most disturbing scene you can imagine in your life is your father in tears. Just imagine it and you feel a sudden excruciating gloom in your mind. This is just not meant to be, for us he is the source of power and seeing him down can be the most enervating thought.

This is the circle of life where the journey, from the time you start to learn walking holding his hands to the time you become the hands to support him, provides a meaning to your life. Just close your eyes and think of your father, you experience an uncanny power in yourself. Need I say anything more? Understated yet extraordinarily conspicuous is the journey of PAA and his son.

The Last Lap !!!!!

2009-11-12T19:39:00.000+05:30

"Come On, You're almost there........
Don't let go of it now........
You've worked so hard for this........
There is no one else who can do it.......
. You are meant for this.......
. Just push a little harder and the victory is yours........"

Welcome to the Last Lap!! After every possible endeavor has been done, after every stone has been turned, after every drop of sweat has been profusely spent and after a roller coaster ride of a big adrenaline rush- comes the last lap. There are so many sports where this last stage differentiates between "WHO IS" and WHO COULD'VE BEEN" .This difference, which is decided in split seconds at times, marks a clear distinction between the champion who takes it all and the runner up whose dead heat loss would haunt as a nightmare in the future. It is the stage that defines a gamut of traits for the road map of success immaterial of the goal one has chosen to pursue. This stage demands gruelling physical balnce and tremendous mental calmness, it demands proactive motivation and the optimism to be a finisher and not a choker. It demands self belief that can bog down the weight of expectations carried on the shoulders and it demands the mental toughness to still focus on the target inspite of all these things running in one's head to accomplish VICTORY. After all, who wont want to end up being the one to open the champagne's cork as a sign of pride and a symbol of supremacy? The winner gets the gold, everyone else simply live with the consolation.

The likes of Michael Schumacher, Lance Armstrong, Usain Bolt, Mohammad Ali, Sachin Tendulkar, Zinedine Zidane have been the legends who've faced the music of this gruelling stage for many years and they not only learnt to live with it, they made it dance to their own tunes. All these consummate legends share the trait of speed, agility, focus, diligence, power, toughness and dogged determination to make it through the last lap of their battle and emerge as victorious Spartans. Their examples reflect that one needs to be equipped with these essential traits to be the last man standing. But what if you don't have any of these traits and you're suffering from many ailments- mentally and physically and are left with no purpose in life. Even the other end of the victory post looks nebulous and you aren't even sure whether the destination is a sign of victory or defeat.

Welcome to the Last Lap!! Forget speed, forget proactive motivation, forget optimism, forget toughness and forget focus. Here you're now in the last lap of the circle of life. The last lap of a person's life is the absolute opposite of what a sport's last lap represents. After embarking a very long journey with myriad ups and downs,content or discontent, fulfillment or regret, laurels or ignominies, comfort or struggle, a person is left with the memories that provide him/her a window of retrospect to look back at the time spent. Its not that anything would be changed on looking back at the road travelled so far, but maybe it is the platform to move away from what might have been the cause of all problems- DENIAL!! Guilt and redemption are positive traits because they make a person move a step away from DENIAL and towards ACCEPTANCE.

Life is a great leveller and the best testimony to this facet comes in the dusk of life. Be it a hedonist who relished the cornucopian luxuries or a mendicant who always lived in a hand to mouth state in life, the last lap is a struggle for both.Just put yourself in the shoes of an 80 year old person who has lived a satisfactory life and has performed all the responsibilities expected by the society and commands the respect of the people who know him. But that was in the past, what next? Is comfort a sufficient substitute for purpose? Is existence good enough to make us forget about life? Imagine the struggle each day presents where one really has little to contribute or convey. What exacerbates the situation is the prevalence of various ailments. The lack of pupose is worsened by the prevalence of various problems such as vision or hearing impairment, dementia and a big list that i really dont want to get into. Picking only the normal vision and hearing impairments, imagine how difficult can life get when communication becomes difficult. Imagine the jolt to a person whose opinion has been sought after all through the life and now the person can't even be part of a normal conversation. Imagine looking around all day but getting nothing more than a hazy picture of what is around. Immobility, dependence and growing altercation with the family(just to fight with one's own frustration) are repercussions whose thought itself is pretty depressing. A person's prowess rises and sets like the sun and the dusk is really a difficult time to deal with even though the twilight may give sporadic reasons to celebrate.

This is the stage of life when a person transforms from a reader of spirituality to its aficionado. Maybe the process is a bit late in the day, but the little drops of tranquility that thinking about God, morals and virtues give them is the perfect way to sprinkle purpose. This is the stage where the grandchildren become their best friends and a small session of talk or a little laugh with them becomes the purpose to spend the remaining days. They look forward to these sessions and it is the time that makes them forget everything else.

This is the time when the mind transcends and there is an uncanny trance in their minds which is inscrutable for others. This last lap is diametrically opposite to the last lap we talked about earlier as here even the definition of victory isn't known. It might be a silent death for some without being any trouble to anyone, it may be trying to fulfill that one last wish that has been impending for long- the bucket list that was long forgotten. What lies beyond the final line is still an enigma for everyone, but maybe unraveling this mystery is what provides the long missing purpose in their lives.

Now I'm not here to question or empathize or educate anyone to work for ameliorating their plight. I'm no pedant. It is a rambling that came to my mind and I decided to put it in words. I don't expect anything out of others and I wont ask anyone to do anything. A sense has been gifted to everyone which works and if listened to properly, it directs in the right path. The last lap is an inevitable process of life and has to be dealt with. Change is a nature of life and one generation has to make way for the next one and if this is the way chosen for it, then let it be. Maybe a smile next time you see an old person might be the trick. After all, even this small gesture can give them a purpose to move on.

But there is one common aspect in both the last laps i mentioned- there is a persistent struggle and at the end of the day everyone does cross the finishing line. There is a similar perseverance and there is a similar patience. The victory doesn't matter in the latter case. A feeling of ACCEPTANCE is the perfect denouement to the scheme of things.

Anyhow is there still a last man standing????

Singing In The Rain

2009-10-04T20:08:00.000+05:30

An overcast sky gives people a perfect opportunity to roll up their sleeves and participate in a fantastic prediction game called -RAIN OR NO RAIN!!! Maybe a game not identified by people across the world but we in India just cannot resist the temptation to flaunt our expert opinion and astute acumen in predicting whether the overcast sky would eventually lead to precipitation of water or not. We seem to've an unbreakable bond with the rains. Many of us wait for the monsoon season and are joyous at its arrival. The farmers are happy as this is the Guardian Angel that make sure how well they are going to fare in the coming year. The rain isn't a mode of enjoyment for them, but a necessity.

The urban population's connect with the rain is not only on account of the necessity factor. Of course rains help in filling the water bodies that ensure the supply of our basic amenity of water consumption and blah blah blah blah... but i don't want to talk about the cliche serious stuff associated with rains. I mean come on guys, rains are supposedly a fun time right?? They evoke such a wide spectrum of emotions in people. There is such a wonderful essence in the air that fills the heart with unparalleled invigoration. Just recall the times back in school when it rained really heavily, you still were compelled to go to school and on going there you find out that the school has declared a holiday due to the heavy downpour. Visualize the happiness that your face exuded, wasn't there sheer ecstasy and a silent hope that it should rain like this each day so that you can come back home dancing?

Maybe the excitement wasn't because of the holiday, but the sheer unanticipated declaration made it super fun for us. I still cant stop smiling recalling the fact that i used to come back home and enunciate the entire course of events to my mother from the entrance of the home only. Mothers being the sweethearts that they are, not only made sure that she listened with intent the fable of her little boy as if he had just won a battle against dragons, but also simultaneously took a towel to make sure that the drenched hair is dried .(Now let me clarify here- we left home with the entire raincoat, but putting up that cap of the raincoat on the head??? No way.. that is just one of the step cousin sisters of the all so feminine scarf. Call it male ego, but i always hated to sport that and still swoop out of the home stealthily without it. I even hate that trouser of the raincoat. Its like posing like a pseudo stripper.) Watching the rain fall outside,sipping a cup of coffee along right now transports me back in time to those wonderful times.

When you peep out of the window to see the downpour it just gives such a calming effect. It gives an avenue to do so many things. You can call up a friend for a chitchat, you can sit with your family and fill the void of a long impending talk, go for a long drive, simply go out in the rain and drench yourself to take every worry out of the system,you can listen to some favorite tracks of yours and let the music amalgamate with the music of the rain to create a majestic effect, you can simply feast over pakoras, samosas or bhutta to add on to the spice of the ambience,you can try to imagine a scenario as to how wonderful it'd have been if you had a girlfriend to coochy coo with in the romantic ambience[:P], and if you already have one you can give a call to your love and sing her a romantic song and reiterate how beautiful she might look with her wet hair in the rain [:P]. The others can play a game of football or cricket with friends and come back home all muddy or simply sit quietly with a coffee mug in the hand and enjoy the rain. Just simply allow the rain to be the nexus between you and a long impending thing( it can simply be being with yourself). Now every person's association with the rains can be different and I'm sure everyone has an interesting story associated with it.

Even though i do crib sometimes when it rains on my way to some work and when it douses me completely(slight side effect of a two wheeler) but I have to admit that i love it thoroughly . If I'm coming back home from some place and then if its raining then mostly i avoid the raincoat much to the chagrin of the family members. I've been lambasted a lot over it, but I just cant let go of this habit. I mean how can i miss the fun of driving in the rain, singing songs(sometimes even to the top of my voice) while driving and enjoy my few moments without the cellphone(somehow it takes the rain to keep the phone away from me, need to get rid of this addiction). So even though the repercussions are well known, i still fancy soaking myself head to toe than just being a pseudo stripper covered head to toe who dries the raincoat after coming back home and neatly folds it after that to prepare it to fight against the next rainy escapade. Sorry just not me!!!

Even when its not the monsoon season and there is an unanticipated downpour you just feel like leaving everything aside and go about enjoying it. Your age is absolutely immaterial for you to relish this fantastic experience. You can be a child, no matter how old you are and allow the innocence to take over your personality for once when the rain gods smile.

Maybe it is the chance to remind you of going back to the basic,elementary style of return to simplicity. As it is very well said that " It is so simple to be happy, but it is so difficult to be simple" Here you get an opportunity to revisit both.

So next time when it rains- look at the spectacle, appreciate its beauty, understand its calmness, hum its symphony, feel its fragrance and sip a cup of coffee to capture a perfect moment. Go on ladies and gentleman, look into the sky and see what's coming for you. There is certainly a ray of hope and a drop of happiness. Both are priceless!!!

Heil the Maverick !!!

2009-09-20T22:24:00.000+05:30

"Is brahmaand ka ek ansh hai ye sansaar ye dharati ye dhara ye prithvi.
Isamein jivankarta paalankarta aur sangharkarta ko bhagvan ishwar aur parmaatma ya vishwatma kehate hain.
Par hamaari ye kahani us ishwar ya bhagvaan ki nahi is vishwa mein aayi huyi un aatmayon ki hai jo parmaatma ka ek ansh hain.
Aur wo ansh jivaatma ka roop lekar dharati par aata hai to manushya kehalaata hain."

But is it a Manushya whom we're talking about here??? Lets evaluate - He's the only guy i've met in person who can lose weight drastically and the unceasing process has become a liability now than an asset making him the perfect choice to play Christian Bale's part in hindi version of "The Machinist." He is one of the rarest species on this planet who doesnt like chocolates.

He is a phenomenal blabbering machine who can give Usain Bolt, Schumi or Lance Armstrong a run for their money in terms of speed, u just need to raise a controversial toast and then sit back and enjoy the show for the guy would take the conversation( maybe even a monologue) to a different terrain.

He has watched movies- left, right and centre and the plight now is that the entire world industry is finding it difficult to keep up pace with this consumer's requirements. He can learn the uncanniest of dialogues in movies and can use them in the most wierdest of situations to exude awe(tho disgust at times :P :D) amongst his listeners.There have been analogies in real life as well based on the reel life Maverick -Iceman, Vegetta- Kakarott and The Great Danton- The Professor to identify and appreciate not only his love for the movies, but the sheer living of onscreen feasts.

He enjoys quite a unique style of humour( Read:- Not funny :P) that pretty much leaves him in splits with the others left ruminating over how to get over it.

He is outrageously in love with the dubbed versions of South Indian Cinema with a special penchant for telugu cinema's demi gods Mega Star Chiranjeevi and Power Star Pawan Kalyan( pronounced as Pawn kalyan by this gentleman). He will repeat those stupid cheesy dubbed lines and go gaga for hours over how macho these action scenes are. In short his taste in movies covers the entire gamut from the ubiquitously renowned classics to the full-on mass appeal masala potboilers. Off late , the love for these masala movies has added a new dimension with mad recitation of the most preposterous( yet amazingly melodious) movie songs, a trait we've fallen prey to and even the streets of nagpur witnessed it when they were sung in loud cacophony by the two of us.

A person who does believe that Hitler was correct in many of his actions and also propogates him; his modern day heroes also include the likes of Nadal and Ganguly( ahem ahem.. for the latter). We seem to be always supporting the different guys, maybe reflective more of the characteristic traits. He loves the flamboyant and rebellious Nadal, Ganguly whereas my support lies with the more consummate artists Federer and Dravid. This has led to myriad discussions, criticisms and banter amongst us, of course this is just one of the issues amongst many.We have debated and literally fought over almost every issue on the planet and conclusive or inconclusive, this has led to fabulous value addition in ideas. One of the issues where we do mellow down is the entire issue of "Mythilogy and Idol Worship" !!!! That eases off the animosity of the conversation and brings a more subtle approach.

So ladies and Gentleman, he's a maverick to the core- the one who hates to follow the tested paths and wants to tread into alien territories( dont get into why, what, how). Makes tonnes of friends, keeps them, pampers them(girls take notice). He's quite a gentleman with the ladies and I've been lambasted by a common friend to learn this trait.

He's quite a charmer with the fairer sex and his boyish persona is quite popular amongst them and this has earned him quite a few admirers.

There have been many instances where he led from the front and did make an exciting journey. The Times CEB venture, his idea of the GD club, his fantastic service for FFC are just a few of the illustrations out of a list of many where this guy has never shied away from doing something different. As it is famously said that leadership qualities cant be inculcated but are present in you or not- this guy surely does have oodles of that. Confidence, spontaneity, powerhouse dynamism, bohemia are just few of the characteristic traits that define him. I see more paraphernalia being added in the future that would make the arsenel more ready to fight like a spartan against the mightiest of oppositions.

By the way he's very "helpful" as a person, he has been really helping to all of us since long. We all appreciate the fact as to how much helpful he has been. though he modestly refuses to acknowledge it, i use this platform to say this.. if there is just one word that defines Karan the person, it is - "HELPFUL". In the past four years, being friends wit him has also made me acquainted to one of the universal truths of life that -"Karan is always right". Its like a gospel that all of you must remember if you interact with him. No matter what the topic is, no matter how much you know about it, no matter if every other aspect condradicts this dictum, just remember this doctrine- 'Karan is always right". These are pearls of wisdom ladies and gentlemen, if you follow it, the chances of you getting successful exponentially rise.

A person who doesnt try to be moderate in his opinion about issues, a trait aptly reflected in his writing style. His blog www.maverick-kj.blogspot.com comes up with pertinent and thought provoking articles that do leave you with things to contemplate over for sure. It is ostensible in there that he not only thinks when he writes, he also feels for the issues. He believes in having this no holds bar thing in expression style and moderation is a sin for him.

Now coming to our friendship, its been quite a story. We are two different personalities altogether, sharing very limited characteristic traits(maybe none). We hardly talked in the first year of college and it actually took a group discussion club to bridge in the gap for madness to follow. Since then, there has been no looking back. Classic case of respecting the differences and appreciation of talent has been one of the cornerstones. Have been teams in various competitions and to good effect as well . THe KJ's have been quite an eventful duo so far.

Since the gentleman for whom this post is dedicated hates to read long blog entries, so I'd rather cut it short. On this day of his birthday in this very crucial year of life, I wish him the best of success. He dreams big, like the Karan Johar larger than life movies without throwing out RGV's realistic approach out of the window. That is a dynamite combo and m sure it'd take him places.

The world awaits to be conquered. This epitome of Corporate Social Professional would be a much sought after people in the times to come. Wishing you a gr8 life ahead. Let's all get together in wishing Maverick the best in life - Happy Birthday Pal !!!!

Utopia Or Dystopia?? Oh Darling, Yeh Hai India !!!

2009-07-14T10:47:00.000+05:30

The knowledge wave as described by Alvin Toffler is a testimony to the burgeoning information and intelligence around us. But it has its by product in the form of people having an opinion about everything(which i assume is their prerogative in a way). So we have the intelligentsia and the esoteric, always ready to pass critique on a gamut of issues, the most favorite of which is - Our country is heading towards murky waters. Now this intelligentsia is a smorgasbord of academicians,experts of varied professions; people who've been there and done that.I wonder that does experience breed pessimism and make people naysayer or is it just that the reality check has taught them to play it safe??Everyone's heart suggests that life is meant to be good to them, maybe their experience suggested otherwise.

Maybe this is the difference in the way a 21 yr old thinks and a person who has seen more of this world thinks.No doubt we have impending impediments to deal with, but the 21 yr old in me still sees light on the other side of the tunnel.

What we're talking about is neither Utopia nor Dystopia(if they can ever exist that is); what we talk about is India. "Koi desh perfect nahi hota, use perfect banaana padtaa hai."

The gravity doesnt lie in where we stand right now, but instead in where we're heading.I see us heading in the right direction, though the peregrination is slow.We've travelled from being called the land of snake charmers and rope tricks to being described as the digital housekeepers of the world(Still A parochial definition ).

We provide a service, the world wants what we have and they want the best. We're in business together,so lets stop getting judgemental about it. The world has become an inextricable knot where interdependence is indispensible.we are no more the electrons revolving around, instead we're part of the nucleus oozing out positive charge.

We're no more lackadaisical avoiding work surreptitiously wearing the cloak of socialism.The Graffiti has spelt the need of the hour- U want to subsist,then U got to deliver. THe change is conspicuous and the world is taking notice. Never before have Indian Professionals been so good at multitasking and never before have we seen the number of employment generators ameliorating at this rate( Read Rashmi bansal's "stay Hungry Stay Foolish"). I think we're heading towards the right balance of the bracket of people where they know what they want and since they are the prime movers of any society, i wont even bother about the nebulous ones.

We question the Govt's role in their policies. But when our Finance Minister gives a budget favoring the aam aadmi, the corporate half cries out loud for lack of reforms and the same happens vice versa when it is pro industry. I'd not like to blame the Government, if we ourselves are so manipulative(Jugaadu)that we find novel ways of mending the laws.
So if the govt. gives 50% grant to infrastructural projects concatenated by 20% by state govt., my city's municipal corporation fails to raise even 30% of the amount and the entire project of Urban Development is scrapped. Why should i blame the Govt. for that??

Our condition is not as bad as Gotham for something elemental to come up and rescue us;what we need is a cabal of people like Michael Mukherjee(Yuva) or Mohan Bhargava(Swades) to take up the mantle and drive the change. We've gentlemen like Arvind Kejriwal and Anand Kumar, seeing whom i dont consider my optimism as fatuous. Never before have i seen non-profit seeking ngo's in such a large number to serve for a purpose.The wheel is rolling for sure.

But like i mentioned,We're no Utopia.We still have people fighting to get their basic rights- a woman fighting for dignity after opting for a divorce,homosexuals fighting for dignity after the law against them has been revoked. For them jurisdication is just a part of the entire panorama; its the attitude of the ones around, that'd give them the confidence of being egalitarian.

We've the problem of the original termite of any system, THE MIDDLE MAN. This bridge between the Govt and the common man has myriad chinks and hence when funds want to cross this bridge, they succumb to the chinks falling straight into the ravine of Middle man's pockets.

This is precisely why i wont compare us to Japan or Germany who made progress like a juggernaut after being annihilated so brutally. Corruption persists there as well, the only difference is people there who ask for bribes do the needful after that. But we being what we are, we take bribes and still won't work.Proud to be a democracy!!!!

But i still see optimism at the end of the tunnel,i still envisage a new dawn at the horizon.I see the burgeoning Purchasing Power Parity of the middle class; who likes to spend the weekend in a mall,watch movie in a multiplex and enjoy a meal at a
fancy restaurant. This is a reflection that something positive has struck this land. I see class consciousness as a very positive facet which i believe would promote Darwin's postulates. We may still be hypocrites on many aspects:we still have inequality, we still have people below BPL starving to death, we still have farmers committing suicides,we still have domestic violence; but it was never prognosticated that the change would be made overnight, it was never prophesized that i'd wake up from a dream and i'd see that in tangibility. Reforms take time, they need dynamism, they need unity, they need cognizance.

But Maybe this is the difference in the way a 21 yr old thinks and a person who has seen more of this world thinks. I like to see the light at the end of the tunnel ,but the one who got a reality check would simply say " Goddamn!!! u first need to get out of the quagmire u're in,to reach there."

Maybe Syncretism of these ideas is the solution. Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what u're gonna get.The anomaly exists, but at the end of it all if you've earned it, u're going to savor the entire box of chocolates.

Love Don't Cost A Thing

2009-06-18T10:16:00.000+05:30

The chartbuster JLo song of the same title is certainly an oxymoron. Now i'm neither a love guru or an economist to be pedantic about either of the concepts - love and cost. And neither have i been there or done that to share a page out of my love life. But an apt functionality of my senses is a potent enough paraphernalia for me to have an opinion on this issue; lest not judgemental.

Love is one of the most overused yet one of the least understood concepts we come across. It makes an interesting discussion amongst all circles: age, sex, intelligence - no holds bar. Questions like what,why, how are often discussed; of course with the added punch of if's, but's, whether's, hence's and so's. People love to debate on it and since its not rocket science ( tho maybe a deeper quagmire), everyone has an opinion about it.

Now, does love really not cost a thing???

TAKE 1- Long lost are the days when a guy used to woo his lady by showing her the mirage of a dream castle and an assurance to bring down stars from the sky(cant believe the lady used to fall for it, but it didnt cost the guy anything). THey used to sit in some secluded corner in the soothing shade of a tree evading the scorching sun;with hawkers intermittently perturbing them with their unique marketing skills of selling chana Chor garam or ice candy (Poor guy has to buy one, maybe not out of concern for the lady;but to shoo away this watchdog).

By the way, we still have these hangout spots where couples coochy coo and the witnesses of their oozing affection frown. These lovers provide the best source of entertainment to the pedestrian miscreants, who've nothing better to do than tease them.Maybe not being the one with the lady, burns them up, and vengeance bursts out.

TAKE 2- Welcome to the new age, post liberalization youngistan which finds the former way of expressing love as earthbound. Opening up the economy has opened them up to an all new avenue to express love- commonly referred to as the DATING culture( "Seeing each other", "going out" are synonyms of the same phenomenon). The Gen X and now the Gen Y believe they are more pragmatic with relationships, since they give it more time before they could sing " Janam Janam ka Saath hai, Humara Tumhara, Humaara Tumhaara". Or instead it is "Tujhme rab dikhta hai" that goes better with the Youngistani love birds.

But, now this LOVE (if one can refer to it that ways) does cost a thing. Today's ladies would either kill or dump the guy, if he calls her to meet in an isolated corner of a garden to talk about how they are meant for one another in all their next lives ( rightly so i guess, even the sound of it is gross).
So, the dating joints have shifted from roadside lakeviews and parks to fancy restaurants, coffee shops,discs or lounges. Now here, there are two classifications-CHIVALRY and PRAGMATISM. The former category is the one where the guy is always expected to pay for the lady (STRIKE 1). It becomes a non negotiable agreement- THE GUY MUST PAY. And adding insult to injury is the the girl's PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS (SIZE 0 to be precise) which makes her order the whole caboodle, but she leaves most of it untouched. And not only is she cautious about her own figure,but she wants the guy to be meticulous about his physique as well; thus preventing him from hogging like a guzzler.

Now the PRAGMATICS- they pay for themselves, they make sure they order sensibly and finish it and thankfully here the girl'S obsession is in bearable limits. The gospel is "Khao or khane do: the central idea is to have a good time". But still, here as well, the moolah is the cynosure and does creep in as a major factor(thankfully the burden is shared).

The favorite kid of new age india- mobile phones are next in line. Now, people who are seeing each other, have found the perfect companion in this gadget to keep them connected 24*7. Be it In college, on their vehicles, in the bathroom, in the bedrooms(playing with the pillow), standing on the porch, walking on the terrace, climbing up the stairs, climbing down the stairs or while taking food (before swallowing, while swallowing and after swallowing), the love birds just cant have enough of each other. How much closer does it bring them is debatable, but it certainly brings the telecom companies closer to whopping moolah(Fancy Airtel crossing 100 million customer base;major chunk being youngsters). Feeling the ethical responsibility of being the facilitators of the conversations(balderdash actually !!!), these companies keep coming up with offers to lure the young minds and to keep the cash bells ringing for themselves. Now, here the love does cost them a hefty sum if not whopping (STRIKE-2) and of course the bible of love says- getting regular topups done for each other is an integral part of a strong relationship.

The elder sister of mobile revolution, INTERNET- is another avenue to achieve the same. Now, it isn't as brutal as the former because it comes under the cloak of the so called "Internet-Is-So-imporant-for-the-career" psyche and hence cushions the blow. But the social networking sites and the chatting IM's do cost a chunk of the time if not money; the height of preposterous activity being chatting and talking with the same person simultaneously.

The next in the list is -fuel(STRIKE-3). Now, for this there is no count at all. Meeting at diffent joints, taking her for a ride,taking her for shopping, taking her to a movie(Chivalrous- be ready to pay for the ticket as well), going 10 times around the girl's house are paragons of how stealethly love empties the pockets and one even loses count of it.

Moving on, we've the cornerstone and a prerequisite of any relationship- GIFTS(STRIKE-4). We've birthdays, first meeting anniversary (monthly that is),first date gift, first date anninversary gift,first movie anniversary gift, first kiss anniversary gift;the list is more than the count of your hair. Why i adore the Pragmatics is because they dont indulge in this futile ostantatious flaunting, which is supposedly an avenue to reiterate your belief in the relationship (GROW UP!!!!!).

Now comes the icing on the cake- the situation when the partner gets angry and stops talking (STRIKE-1,2,3,4 CONGLOMERATED).You're supposed to do all the above mentioned things to woo your partner, to make her take a way back into love and the expenses shoot up more than when the sensex hits the upper circuit. Like an old classic hindi song of the Amitabh starrer 'majboor' puts it - "Roothe Rab Ko manaana aasaan hai, roothe yaar ko manaana mushkil hai."

Now, the pragmatics being the sensible beings,are intelligent enough to find a way out of all the situations mentioned , so that its not only one out of them to bear the brunt. They are practical enough of not getting grandiloquent in the expenditure.Its the chivalrous group that suffers big time(unless the guy's dad is a multi millionaire). But doesn't it reflect a very sorry state that love somehow never stays the nub of the relationship and materialism takes over??

I always had a question lingering in my mind and there hasn't been a rational reasoning to quell my curiosity. Is there even one logical reason as to why the guy should pay mostly if he himself is dependent on his parents and takes money from them for varied reasons??

Now, i'm not against the concept of dating.I agree that ladies are Archangels who deserve all the mollycoddling, but when its done at the expense of not one's own hard earned money but that of one's parents', that's when i have an issue with it. And its the responsibility of both people involved, to take a cue from the Pragmatics. They need to understand that once they're in a position to be someone on their own, that's when the romantics can kick out the economics out of the window.

The patrons of love, who claim its only the other person's demeanor and assiduous deportment which matters to them, i ask the question that why then do we fall in love with equals or the more well off ones?? Why doesnt a guy or a girl who is mediocre in the basic parameters of the assessment we've inculcated, get a chance to portray his/her demeanor, his/her love?? how often do we care to even give a chance to take them into reckoning?? How often do we care to find his/her nature first and leave aside the conspicuously alluring facets??

I see we mostly ignore it. Lets face it, love is conditional (The Unconditional element sounds good only in silver jubilee blockbusters-but there also the hero falls in love with the leading lady only, never even bothers to find out that her friend may be a better person). We all are that ways, and i'm not asking one to change. Its perfectly acceptable that we all want the best for ourselves: the respective Greek Goddesses and Prince Charmings,we all want stability. But we refuse to accept it. We need to accept that here as well love comes at a cost; at an expense: the expense of a condition and hence is not as pristine as it is made out to be. So, let us be honest with ourselves for once and accept that we're proponents of conditional love. It is high time for us to face reality and stop propagating the spurious theory that "LOVE DONT COST A THING".

NOTE :- The grammatically correct usage is "Love doesn't" and not "Love don't". The usage here is just to correlate with the song. The author wont entertain allegations of misdirection [:P]

QUEUE SERA SERA

2009-06-11T13:10:00.000+05:30

I read an interesting quote sometime back which said "An Englishman, even if he is alone,forms an orderly queue of one". The quote though sarcastic, took me in a pensive mood to ruminate over the phenomenon of queues. Indians have an unbreakable nexus with queues, and not only have they learnt to live with it, but have found out ways to mitigate the pain of the stultifying process of waiting in a queue.

To be honest, its with the advent of education only that this QUEUE-LOROFORM is sprayed on us. I can still recall the sound of my teacher shouting at the top of her voice- "All the students go to the assembly in a straight line", " Hey you, walk properly in a queue", " Dont you have any discipline that you're walking waywardly??", and of course my personal favorite: The gospel of most teaching manuals- "Keep silence when you walk in a line". Oh God!! now that's callous. Its not an exaggeration but place yourself in the shoes of a young toddler of today; a toddler who's already engrossed in unravelling the mysteries of his/her lost teeth, who carries a bag that's double his/her own size,who cant figure out whether his/her english teacher is worse than the hindi one or is it the maths teacher who beats them hands down, who already has the onerous task of becoming a Tendulkar, Abdul Kalam and SRK(mind u all of them and not just one of them) in the future, who faces the diurnal conundrum of whether to resort to pokemon on tv or CounterStrike on the PC once back home after a long day in school, who has to settle for a mediocre kurkure packet when he/she is adamant to eat out at the new pizza outlet around the corner, who has to not only remember the latest chartbusters by heart but also maintain a staunch general awareness aptitude by reminiscing the show timings of Cartoon network,pogo, hungama, disney and god knows how many channels. Now isn't it unfair to expect from a little child, who's already preoccupied with so many grave obligations and has so much to discuss, to keep quiet in a queue and also to make sure that the movements are minimal. My sympathies to them. Wish this big bad world could understand their point of view for once.

So we become part of the queue movement since we learn to stand on our feet and the instances with the queues start queuing up. What starts as a discipline developing excercise, becomes an inevitable humdrum in our lives. For me, queues are synonymous to just one thing- a saturnine period of wait which just goes on and on and on.Its the same as how the long lost lovers in our hindi potboilers put it "Ek Ek pal sadiyon ki tarah lagta hai". Sorry to steal the thunder away from one of the most sought after lines of love birds, but it describes my predicament perfectly.

And the situation exacerbates for a lackadaisical ruminating person like me ( Ah!! forget the euphemism- i mean a lazy bum like me) who gets impatient on seeing a queue and the pain grows in direct proportion to the length of the queue. But as they say " The more one whines, the more ill luck shines". I've been part of this excruciating process quite a few times of late. But this is not about me only,i shouldn't be parochial.I'll try to give a general perception and will try hard not to let my personal grudge intervene(tho i may fail sporadically). people start the quest of queues right from the time of getting admission in a school, then to fill the fees, to be part of some fancy children's club because the neighbour's kid is part of it as well, then in college for every x, y and z reason. But the real winner are queues to get some document verified. For each document u need to be part of a queue, to get them photocopied u're part of a queue, to verify them you're again in a queue and i'm not even getting into the scenario where your request may be rejected at any of these places and you've to be part of it all over again. Phew!!!!

So be it banks, courts, RTO,bus stands,hospitals,temples, bill payments or movie tickets, we witness ourselves being part of a queue at some point or the other. The latest rage being the auditions of reality shows. Just to see thousands of people flocking up, standing one after the other, waiting for eternity until their chance comes,makes me fall in admiration of these brave souls who're ready to fight out heat, hunger,fatigue, boredom and sometimes obnoxious company. They have the audacity to come and stand a day before, just to make sure they are not in the nether half of the line. Kudos to these people, they deserve a medal of honour.

Fancy the gentleman here who has found a thing to cheer about even here.

The famous Mumbaikar spirit that the entire world talks about has this striking knack of forming queues. i was flabbergasted to see the way the mumbaikars arrange themselves in a queue anywhere, anytime, anyhow. Its a commendable trait where one can witness people conglomerating one after the other and they never even crib about it.

But queues do give us the opportunity of witnessing some really interesting people. We encounter a wide gamut of people of varied psyche, backgrounds and temperaments. While some are too engrossed with their mobile phones coochy cooing, some dont leave the chance to discuss the fallacies of the Political system or the underperformance of the cricket team, some keep losing temper intermittently to indulge in vituperation (#$%@^*$#@%) meant for the officials, while some get the solace of finally finding a listener and they dont hesitate in putting their hearts out. On many occasions, people gel so well in the ghastly waiting period, that they end up exchanging email id's ,contact no.s (the more ostentatious ones flaunt by asking directly - "Are u on orkut or facebook"??). Take that for human networking!!!! We hear jokes, we have guys who keep searching if there is a pretty face in the ladies line and we've people like me who just have one thought in the mind - "Mera number kab aayega"????

Like it or not, queues are an integral part of our lives, and no matter how tech savvy we get by making everything online; queues are here to stay, atleast for our generation. There is no denying the fact that it is a sign of discipline and of an organized setup.So either i keep cribbing about the sheer pain in the neck that this phenomenon is or i take a cue out of the books of the people who somehow manage to make the wait a fun process. I feel the solution may lie in me being less QUE(UE)RULOUS and envisaging the scenario to be on the other side of the queue i.e. being queued up for.

UNITED to stay DIVIDED

2009-05-28T14:01:00.000+05:30

"United to stay Divided" might sound as an oxymoron to many, but isn't paradox the most fitting word to describe the hypocrisy with which we spend our lives?? Philosophy(Theology in particular) has myriad works to boast of to proclaim the equality of men and the creation of an egalitarian society. The message has been straight and clear: human beings are all equal and they should pursue a symbiotic relationship. The Communists,atheists themselves, are the biggest exponents of egalitarianism (talk of paradox !!! ).

Since time immemorial, there has been division in the human society. The yardsticks have varied or rather unfortunately piled up in number to come up with a novel way each time to divide the species. Talking specifically of India, what started as four sects of society -Kshatriya, Brahmin, Vaishya and Sudra, has persisted with multitudinous more sub classifications to exacerbate the situation. Now , we're divided on the grounds of religion, caste, creed, colour,community, economic status,gender,class, geography,intelligence and what not. Its ostensible in a way, that a school of thought is devoted for this purpose only and have nothing better to do.

Reservation issue has been the most talked about topic in modern India and it is the only topic that the youths is , apart from cricket and movies. It has evoked a wide range of reactions in the past decade or two; seemingly a favorite darling of conferences and live debates. But, the issue is a classic paragon of how divided and shallow we're from within. When the entire political circle was united in dividing the country on the basis of social class (mind you not economic else that'd have debunked the real BPL figure much to the chagrin of the people in power), the opposing students or a paltry section of the Intelligentsia never resisted with a united uproar. The incidents of resistance were sporadic and imbued,it involved only the ones who had to bear the brunt immediately and thus the resistance fell like a pack of cards.It died down like our first Sepoy Mutiny in 1857 and for the same reason- intermittent and diffused renegade(Some people never learn from history!!). So the proponents of division were united and the apostles of unity were divided- a grim yet an inevitable cliche.

India has enticed many foreign invaders over centuries to commit blitzkrieg and vandalize us of our resources. A different aspect of this is that it has allowed India to be a potpourri of different religions and communities; which has ameliorated the ethnic fabric of the country but the friction has been tantamount as well. People have been divided on this ground for ages(the independence struggle being a slight exception; still the inception of Muslim League is a testimony to the fact), and the situation has aggravated in the last three decades where communal hatred has ripped apart the once proud standing secular fabric of the Indian Republic.

Communal extremism has seen its peak over the years and with a disguised cloak of fundamentalism, they've amassed people with themselves by shamming as the Evangelists of their rights. And we have no right to blame the authorities for it, because they are people like us and though its difficult to accept, but deep down we all want division in the society. We all are united to the T to promote division.

We've been born and brought up in an environment where circumstantially we do a lot of things that promote division. Like most of us believe in friendship among equals and this gospel has been preached to us since we're infants. Earlier in school, it's on the basis of intelligence that parents want their kids to be with the best or someone at par with their ward's intelligence and later the dogmas keep adding up.

Here's just a simple day to day situation which showcases an unusual way of division (many may frown over it).Fancy the situation that a girl meets with an accident, its very courteous of people around to spring into action like a lightening to make sure she's fine. But when its a guy to fall off his vehicle, the number of volunteers to help plummets by a surprisingly steep number; sometimes even touching the nil mark. Now, i'm not a chauvinist and this may seem as a paltry instance to mention, but this comes out of personal experience and what people around me have faced themselves and we all cant be wrong. It is certainly very important to be courteous to ladies, but the guys deserve some attention at least when in an excruciating situation. Maybe a less germane example to many, but it is veracious for sure.

If one looks within to introspect their own behaviour towards their servants, janitors, drivers or simply the less privileged; the picture becomes conspicuously clear. We all are the followers of a theory which we condemn ourselves. maybe its easier to digest and accept this harsh reality that we are hypocrites to the core. We all love to DIVIDE AND RULE (within our limited capabilities of course).

The entire phenomenon of Capitalism is a prima facie of inequality where in the world is divided on the basis of being rich or poor. It may again seem as a macabre belief, but i see less evil in it because they openly propagate what they do. There are no pretensions of being here for only the welfare of people. Instead they are more beneficial for the society as eventually their avarice for more is giving back more to the society( Read : The Invisible Hand). Thus avarice is a deadly sin, but put hypocrisy on the other side of the court and I'm sure it'd beat avarice to emerge as the undisputed winner in the game of "The Ultimate Sin".

Racial Discrimination is certainly the worst of it all. Even after the long fought battle against apartheid which led to a historic victory, even after realization of Martin Luther King's " I have a dream" with the appointment of US President Barrack Obama at the helm of affairs, racial discrimination persists. The headlines in the media "A black man becomes US President" itself is a quintessence of racism. We admit or not, racism exists ubiquitously, but thankfully the cognizance against it is on a high and we can hope that the menace would see its nemesis and meet an end soon.

Geographic discrimination is an absurd phenomenon;especially when its within the same country. And its preposterous when its done in a country like India which gives a fundamental right to its people to move freely across any part of the country and get employed anywhere at any place in the country. But, the ludicrous act is being done in a brazen manner: MNS's recent spree against north Indians and Shiv Sena's movement against South Indians in the 70's being the instances that come to the top of one's mind.

So it has been done in the past and it may persist in the future. We've been united to stay divided for long now and either we leave the dream of an egalitarian society or at least be honest enough to stop propagating it creating futile hope amongst people. I don't want to sound dystopian but lets face it, some dreams are just not meant to be realized. The reason is not because they are chimerical, but because we are just not ready to face the reality.

Wish Life had Background Music

2009-03-13T09:58:00.001+05:30

People have unsatiated needs and aspirations. Some of these aspirations, even though unrealistic, still stay with us as a wish which if fulfilled can add a tinge of uncanny flavour in our lives. I've always wondered how even small insignificant events are made breathtaking and admirable in movies and why the same exuberance is missing in our real lives. This void makes life mundane and run of the mill and somehow the daily course of events become inconsequential for us. We lose the panache of making each day special and bringing that distinct element which not only makes us feel good about ourselves but also about the world around us.

Going deep into the vacuum of this void made me realize how exciting and sanguine life would be, if we also have background music in our lives to reflect our capricious mood swings, to catch the essence of our emotion at every specific instant, to add a special flavour to our daily quotidian chores. Farah Khan gave a sarcastic yet a pleasant picture of this in her directorial debut "Main Hoon Na" where SRK has violins and saxophones played all around him whenever he encounters his gorgeous Chemistry teacher Sushmita Sen. He becomes all jovial and jocund on seeing her and the music plays a perfect apostle to his feel good demeanor.

Just reccall the scene of the cult Rocky movie series when Stallone sweats it out in a rigorous regimen to prepare for his boxing matches just to make sure he stays the last man standing. Now would those scenes be even half effective as they really were, if not for the epic "gonna fly now" theme or the "eye of the tiger" playing to showcase his journey from an underdog to a people's champion. The music exhilerates the audience and sets the adrenaline rushing through the body.

Another instance in the movie "The Pursuit of Happyness" when Will Smith finally becomes a stock broker and the way that moment has been captured with his narration "This part, this little part of my life is what i call as happiness" just leaves you spellbound. The music just creates the ambience to place us in his shoes and empathize with his plight.

The instances are many to illustrate. Fancy Tim Robbins' escape sequence in THe Shawshank Redemption or the preparation of Rocket by the Rocket boys in October Sky, the combat by Tom cruise and Val kIlmer in Top Gun or our desi post war redemption of King Asoka in the movie Asoka, the list goes on and each reiterates the fact that if we had background music in our lives, life would have been a far enriching experience and we wont take little moments for granted.

Presume a situation of a piece of music playing when you accomplish a laurel, when you make people around you proud, when you are frenzy and above this world. Imagine if there is a piece of music playing when your heart skips a beat on seeing that beautiful face whom you love and your smile doesnt need an instruction but comes straight from the heart. A euphony to reflect your desire to be with that person and making sure things just turn out perfect (Isnt it beautiful even imagining it, well atleast for me it is).

Imagine a piece of music that captivates the grim mood you might be in when things are adverse and you feel down and out, and then a motivating theme plays to pick you up from the precipice and reinstilling the confidence that you have it in you to win the world. I know it all sounds surreal and phantasmagoric, but wishes and aspirations dont think of pacifying the preconditions of tangible feasibility before they're set free to fly high. Some Birds aren't meant to be caged, they're just meant to be left in the open to find their own way towards their dreamland.

I give everyone a little work to do now. Just pick up one tune or song which you'll love to be the one that plays as a background score to your life's journey. I agree that one song might not correctly captivate the kernel of one's life, but we dont get everything we want now, do we???? atleast that'd make you rack your brain a bit more to come up with that perfect euphony.

If i have to pick one song to be played as a background score in my life, for me it has to be the "kal ho na ho" instrumental theme. It captures a wide gamut of emotions right from being happy, sad, pensive,romantic or feeling gregarious. I feel it provides the quintessence feel to the journey called life.But each mind has its own liking, so the choices may or rather should differ. But the bottom line remains the same, life is a gift and is meant to be enjoyed with or without music. So stay happy and make others happy and let the music play in your imagination. Trust me, things do get better.

Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, To Sur Bane Hamaara

2009-01-26T08:54:00.000+05:30

I was browsing through channels on tv giving the remote control a hard time by pressing the random channel numbers. The poor machine had to bear the brunt on its soft buttons which worsened with my growing frustration of not finding anything worthwhile to watch. In a way, I was strangling it hard as if it was part of the conspiracy- the conspiracy to deprive me of watching something entertaining or sensible on tv.

My grandfather suddenly came up and asked me to put Doordarshan as he wanted to listen to the President's address to the nation on the Republic Day's eve. As the last resort to entertainment also seemed to be vanishing, i half heartedly switched the channel to our very own( is it??? never mind) good old Doordarshan. The advertisements and the broadcast quality still appeared the same as it was 10 yrs back. I wondered that what could be the reason for this. It was like when others were queuing up for the tasty and sumptuous dishes of liberalization and globalization, Doordarshan might have been misled to queue up in some old ration shop to get dal and chawal.That's why they seemed dull and mundane as ever,refusing to change. Anyhow, i thought it might act as the right sleeping pill for me before i have to bear the President's speech(No offence, but i just find it as repetitive and predictable as Saas Bahu sagas).

I was lost in my thoughts when something came on television which took me back in time and not only did it instil nostalgia within me, but also pumped up my mood- It was the "Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, To Sur Bane Humara' song. Here was a song that i watched during my infant years when my rage for television was shaping up. So no matter how much cynical i sound about Doordarshan, it was my prima facie to the fascinating world of television.

Of course back then,i didnt understand the message the song gave( i didnt even bother much). For me the cynosure used to be the melody of the song and of course a few recognizable faces including Amitabh Bachchan, Jeetendra,Mithun Chakravorthy, Hema Malini, Sharmila Tagore, Kamal hassan and many others. I really didnt recognize exponents of other fields then, so seeing Big B hum "Mile sur mera Tumhara" made me hum with him, and i did it without fail as if it was some national responsibility placed on the tender shoulders of this young 4-5 year old.

But when i watched the video again now, surprisingly it was equally enchanting and winsome as it was back then. The melody was still euphonic, striking the right chord with the heart and the earlobes and auditory canal still made way for it to blend with all the senses. But I could appreciate the essence of the video much more now, as a 20 year old. It put forth such a beautiful message of Unity In Diversity in India; something which other countries can only envy or wonder about us. The Message of national integration was put up in such a simple yet a strong way, that it infuses a belonging to this great land.

One line "Mile Sur Mera Tumhara" being recited in 14 diffrent languages in their respective folk tunes; each reiterating the same fact- Lets all stand together forever and when "You" and "I" come together, "We" can bring a change. In the past few years, when communal and regional politics has taken over and there have been doubts over the secular fabric of Indian Union, this video not only comes as a fresh breather but also is a tight slap to the face of those who dont believe that India stands for much more than a segregated Union of states.

I had my eyes glued on this 6 minute video and I could actually recall the tune as the video kept unveiling from one frame to another; this simply showed the potent impact this had on a young mind who might have not understood the heart and soul of the song as a kid, but once he did, he could appreciate its substance much more.

There are myriad campaigns going on to lionize India in front of the world with Incredible India campaigns. Of course its important to showcase the technological developments we've made and to epitomize our improvement in all spheres. But i believe a campaign like this is a paragon of India and would stay that way forever, as this is something which gives us a distinctive identity not at par, but well above the rest. This is a song which takes us back to the Preamble of our Constitution which glorified India to be a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic. A country whose pillars of strength are Unity. Integrity and Fraternity.It reminds us, that this country truly is- Of the people, FOr the people and By the people.

And if you are not a person who'd go into the nitty gritties, take a look at it for sheer entertainment value. This video has the biggest names in the field of arts, entertainment and sports( all looking younger ) who have been a prime mover in their fields for the past few decades.

So all the YouTube buffs out there, maybe its time to see something different and worthwhile now. Just take a look at this video and you'll realize the mantle it carries, you'll realize what it symbolizes. And if you're anything like me, it will not only bring back fond memories within you, but also incorporate a sense of pride for your nation. It will leave a smile on your face and that's where the common nexus between entertainment and the nation lies. If both of them can leave a smile and a feel good sense within you, then I'm sure they are serving their purpose.

SO its time to feel good about your nation, and stop being cynical about it. Come on and lets all sing this together "Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, To sur Bane Humara".

THe Shawshank Redemption- A look within

2009-01-25T16:10:00.000+05:30

What's CINEMA? To me, cinema is a platform to see a reflection of me and my thoughts presented in a creative way. There are billions like me, who may think likewise. That's what makes the art of making movies a challenge and an equally exciting job.There are movies we just watch,enjoy and forget, some arent even worth wasting thoughts or words on, but some stay with us. Some force us to do something which we all hate in a way but if done with honesty transforms our lives-INTROSPECTION. Referring to "The Shawashank Redemption" only as a movie would be like to imagine a heart without a soul,a dawn without sunrise or a mind without thoughts.Its not just a movie, its an experience in itself. Its a kaleidoscope of the emotions that we feel and a true epitome of the power of hope in life.

Its not a regular run of the mill potboiler, or a candyfloss chick flick.Its a movie that poses a question; a question that's so strong that it rips through your heart and compels you to find an answer from deep down within yourself. A question about life, a question about hope, a question whether one should be docile and accept what's forced upon us or whether to fight back with persistance. Its a movie that highlights a different kind of EQ- a term i would like to refer as Endurance Quotient. How long can you go on taking the pain, how long can you keep the small ray of hope shining against the maelstrom of malafide, how long do you live a life of purpose before being a dead soul in an alive body. The answers to these lie in this magnum opus.

I'm not going to focus on the story of the movie. For me what i construed out of it and what i took as an experience is more important.The protagonist Andy Dufresne came out as a person who belonged to a rare species. THe characteristic traits he possessed are rarely seen in people, but the ones who've them incorporated in their DNA, turn out to be the ones whose life have substance and relevance. THe guy was convicted for a crime he never did(revealed later in the movie), he was forced to live amongst goons and murderers who were poles apart from his life of a hotshot banker, he was assaulted- mentally,physically and sexually.But he wasnt bogged down.His immaculate persistence and his belief in HOPE kept the fire in the belly going even though he stayed placid and rock solid on the outer facade.

He made friends with Red(Morgan Freeman:unparalleled as ever) and other prisoner mates and slowly but steadily instilled hope in them and gave them moments to cherish. Fancy the scene where he gets them all chilled beer by helping Captain Hadley with his finance conundrum, or the one where he plays a classic music piece on the loudspeaker for everyone to have that one moment of ecstasy in a life of mundane suffering. Be it efforts to get the library facilities improved or be it his attempts to get tommy to pass the exam, Andy came as a person of distinct patience and will.Someone who breaks the misconception that you need to be happy go lucky and all sanguine to be a people's person.His escape is a mark of excellence, as Morgan's voiceover puts it "He crawled through a river of shit and came out clean on the other side". Andy epitomizes a perfect example of someone who cant be confined in any form of the matter." Some birds aren't meant to be caged, their feathers are just too bright" .

Shawshank presents a very strong issue of being INSTITUTIONALIZED. The sequence when Brooks moves out after spending close to 50 yrs in the prison, the hardships he faces, the way he feels as a prisoner in a free world; the one who's expendible, one who has no purpose to wake up every morning. He finally succumbs to it and hangs himself. The sequence presents a grim yet a true picture of how one ,if forced to leave an accustomed zone; no matter how harsh it is,can fall like a pack of cards. They just cant get over the phobia of leaving their own little world of comfort, in short they get institutionalized.

Red faces the same imbroglio when set free, and he feels the same claustrophobia in the open spaces, the only difference is the ray of hope instilled in him by his friend Andy, not to give up. This little food for thought strengthens him to move on with a sense of purpose and to believe that 'Hope is not a dangerous thing'.

The last 15-20 minutes of the movie leave you spellbound. You just cant get over the experience you witness during this period. The brilliant escape of Andy from the prison, and the unveiling of his plan which took him 20 yrs to be implemented. It showcased the extreme levels of patience, endurance, power of being a sangfroid, and never say die attitude. These are some of the most powerful moments that cinema can ever offer.

The movie has spectacular performances, each frame outperforming the one before. But for me, its MOrgan Freeman's subtle performance that stands out. THe way during the entire movie, his voice over keeps the cadence flowing, is exemplary. It infused life into the movie that made it an unforgettable experience

THe Shawshank Redemption is a masterpiece and is a must watch.One gains a lot out of it apart from entertainment. And it gives us a sound advice that can be emulated throughtout our lives. So in times of despair,or in any situation of grim dilemma, just recall the message of the movie- "Fear sets you prisoner, Hope sets you free". You'll find the answer.

Motorcycle Diaries

2009-01-19T06:52:00.000+05:30

"When you ought to, you got to". That's how the attitude flows in people who make up their minds to break the monotony. Its about going that extra mile to kick that one negative thought out of your system, which has been impending the plans for so long. That plan can be anything- it can be either taking out time for what you love to do(reading, sketching, biking, adventure trips or simply taking time out for yourself cogitating and listening to soothing music piece of your favorite band or artist). The basic idea is to come out of the incarceration of being "THE VICTIM OF ROUTINE" and framing your mind to make the most of your time so that the day leaves you invigorated.

We, a bunch of friends, had long been thinking of picking up our bikes and hitting the road with vrooooom, unquestioning and relentless. All we wanted to do was to trust the road (who, as one of my friend rightly puts, is a gr8 friend) and our instincts to take us wherever we could...like a stream of water which flows in any direction without being biased or partisan about direction or purpose. We wanted to be the Beatniks who were all set to break the fetters that had clandestinely crept all over us. So it was high time that we put our minds on the offline mode, and let the heart ring and sing the tone that subconsciously we always wanted to hear.

But all said and done, the so called potent engineers that we are, we couldn't completely get over our psyche of meticulously planning things out. So we framed up the good old What's, Why's, How's,When's and Where's for ourselves so that we had, a broad idea of the course of things to do(thankfully we aren't the best engineers in the business, else we would have dug our own grave, falling into the trap of creating a blueprint for every hour, and creating a feedback mechanism to monitor if each blueprint's target was met or not; Gosh even describing it is a Killjoy).

The last couple of months were quite gruelling in its own way, for few of us. The anticipations, the hopes, the aspirations(maybe more of others than of ourselves, on some occasions) were all part and parcel of these testing times,wherein we were trying to give ourselves the cushion of a congenial ambience for the next phase of our careers. So irrespective of the results, we deserved to take some time out for ourselves; to connect with a different world, to stay away from cellphone(The toughest part!!!! God knows why???? ), and for once atleast to look within ourselves with our own eyes.

So We all hit the road as early as 7:15am in our cool attires; the so called biker's accoutrements,which gave us the feel that was the theme of the day; the " I DONT GIVE A DAMN" attitude. And we flagged off with a snapshot of these Beatniks who wanted nothing but a sense of freedom and an experience of rejuvention.I was the pillion rider in the first phase of our drive and that gave me a perfect opportunity to feel something which I may not be able to justify correctly in words. Its something which has to be felt when you're right up there with the sun slowly and steadily rising up from its harbour of horizon; its rays adorning the greenery and the refulgence of the light giving the bucolic fields and open lands a sparkle as if they are blooming with joy to welcome us as its guests. The early morning breeze,basking in on sun's comforting warmth, and the fragrance of the fresh air; all gave me a feel as if they always wanted to play hosts to us, but somehow for so long we have failed to get their message and have taken more pleasure in the confined arcades and inhalation of automobile emissions. I still wonder why is that, but some questions are better left unanswered.But one should experience this scenic beauty- it does bring in certain level of metamorphosis.

After vrooming through, cutting through the breeze and moving like waterjet from a cannon, some fellas felt to let not only the heart and mind relish all the fun, and give the stomach also a reason to smile. SO we dropped down to the pride of highways- one of the roadside dhabas to take a quick bite. I preferred to give myself CHai's double feast while the others were willing to not settle only for tea. So there was poha, munching with the tea(Some ppl just cant have one) and cold drinks for few. And once we were done with it, we were back to business... the road was calling again and we obliged. We drove then uptil our first destination- Lord Ganesha's temple at Adassa, stopping sporadically in between, to get ourselves clicked( I hope you understand the constant pressure these social networking sites have put on our shoulders; not uploading snaps timely is sinister here.... dont mind the exaggeration!!!!!).

Once we reached there, we were moved by the pious serenity and the soothing ataraxis which the place had to offer. Built on a height, it gave us a panoramic view of scenic beauty covering miles in its circumferance. We paid obeisance to the Almighty with the customary genuflect and kowtow,the idol of Lord Ganesha stood with magnificence and generosity for all His devotees. Then we walked around the vicinity to cherish the calmness and the peace that the place had to offer. In the meantime, we kept on clicking more and more snaps ( Its not always the pressure of the sites, we enjoy photography and adding on to the memoirs).We all cracked pj's, listened to songs, looked around from this height at the whole place around as if a king is overlooking his empire and when we had spent some quality time there, we thought it was time to take the peregrination to its next stage and its new destination.

So the bikes roared again out of their short slumber and then ignited the roads. The sun by now was climbing with cadence to accomplish its acme for the day, but it was kind enough not to impose its tyranny on us. THe breeze was still soothing and the open spaces was the icing. The trees by the roadside made it cooler and made driving a real pleasure (Note:-Confront Deforestation). We sped on pretty empty,smooth roads but never tried to overdo it, as for us driving was more a stressbuster than an avenue of flaunting an ostentatious guys' demeanor. We reached Jaamsaavli,a very sacred and consecrated holy place for the devotees of the God od Strength ,Lord Hanuman. The idol of the lord in sleeping posture is one of its kind and attracts myriad followers from every nook and corner. We paid obeisance to Him and saw people thronging in large numbers here. After prostrating in front of the Almighty, we stepped out of the temple, picked up the machines and were back on the road. Any outing for us would be incomplete without good food, so the next step was to take our lunch. So we stopped by at one of the dhabas. I wont get into the details of what we ate, we weren't brazen guzzlers but had a sumptuous meal to pump in energy into ourselves for the trip back home.

So here were seven guys graduating as men, 60 odd kilometres away from the city, shunning all worries, enjoying the colddrinks in the sun and with a more subtle though not philosophical thought that resonated with surpisingly the same frequency in each of our minds. It just said one thing 'Cheers to Life'.

I took on the driver's seat for the journey back home and a friend of ours gave us all apprehensive ones a taste of extreme biking, when we drove the machines to a hilltop(not very steep, yet not any less than any normal driver's nightmare) and we sat there; some of us still intrigued and curious about the pertinence of our so called adventure to the hilltop. But hey, didnt we start as Beatniks who were looking for a day different from others, and following the gut unquestioning and relentless. So this little escapade did add that right pinch of spice to our day.

On our way back home, when i was donning the driver's role with earphones plugged in, i actually felt fortunate that i was the pillion in the morning as the beauty was at its peak then. Now even though they still had volumes to offer, yet they succumbed to the might of the Sun which made them more servile than charming(still a far enchanting spectacle than city's rush which causes claustrophobia). Now with pleasant acoustical euphony making way through the earlobes into the auditory canal blended with the mood as if giving a testimony to the fantastic day , and with us speeding our way through, i could gauge why and how Carte Blanche can be such a wonderful stressbuster. We drove without break now, like men who were on a mission or rather men who finally got an opportunity to be themselves. we entered the city back, but far more rejuvenated, far more mellowed and far more exuberant.

we had our final hi-fives before we parted ways to our homes. I know it was a short stint, not more than a few hours. But i think it was worth it. We are looking for more such escapades as it gave us an opportunity to think for ourselves, feel for ourselves, do things for ourselves and most importantly be ourselves. Everyone should give themselves this luxury of feeling important in one's own eyes; its not vanity; its not narcissism;its just loving what you really are and not worrying about what others think u are.

Go on, love yourself and give hi-fives like us and subconsciously you'll cogitate with the same frequency, the same thought -" CHEERS TO LIFE"

The Argumentative DL victims

2008-09-12T16:45:00.000+05:30

This is a pretty childish attempt, but anyways it took its birth when I was sitting in class trying to study....so its pretty situational...God knows why m putting it here....neways happy reading....

Sitting in d class but lost somewhere else,
Thoughts vacillating like a clock's pendulum.
Pretending to look at what is being taught,
But actually addding lines to this poem.

Teachers speak something which i never hear,
The trauma i face is getting tougher ro bear.
I used to be a first bencher few months back,
But now d search is always for a place at the rear.

The lines written here make no real sense,
Dont blame me,its d subject that made me tense.
U might feel m one of those defiant kids,
Who wants to have fun at academical expense.

This is what many people construe,
But m sorry,i've a different point of view.
For me,the spring of thoughts is a roller coaster ride,
That opens my mind and makes its gamut wide.

This line of thought may have a pitfall,
'but that's what i like' is my answer to all.
The time doesnt fly by,instead it tends to crawl,
Gosh if not in DL,I would've been having a ball.

Ahaa!!finally the attendance time is striving near,
M full of ecstasy and overwhelmed with cheer.
This is the priceless moment i've been craving for,
So with the lecture,this stupid poem also ends here.

little drops of joy

2008-09-01T10:04:00.000+05:30

A new day started n d sun rose from horizon's palms
I woke up with an infant's smile,spreading across my arms.
Got up 4m bed,n the mirror reflected my smile,
A feel of pristine calmness occupied me that very while.

I picked up my coffee mug n stepped out to light,
A breeze of cool air passed on with a curious insight.
The look of d dew on the grass explained its plight ,
The worry that it wd soon succumb to the sun's might.

And i imagined the notion that if they had speech,
What would they convey or what might they preach?
Maybe a warm good morning or affection to each,
Or maybe to be our own self is what they wd teach.

I looked up and saw this lovely bird on the tree,
Expressing an unusual ecstacy and an uncanny spree.
It's like we spoke to each other without a single word,
And we both said something and a few things we heard.

Then i came in and got down with my mundane day,
Something i never cherished but never found another way.
Driven by compulsions of life, here i lay astray
Trying to paint life's canvas with no zest to potray.

But the thought of the dew and the breeze that flew,
The bird who always kept me waiting for something new.
These made me cherish the small rays of elation,
And taking me away 4m the moments that i should eschew.

These friends of mine expect nothing from me,
They dont want me to be someone i really can never be.
And this unusual bond connects us all in a knot,
Where we stay away from the pretentious worldly lot.

So each night when i go to bed,
I feel excited about the day to come,
Where we will all greet each other with a subtle warmth,
And a soothing smile as a token of welcome.

N the sun comes again emerging from horizon's palms,
And it always has a mate now to welcome it with open arms.
N my friends join me always to fly free this way,
And this little gesture every morning, makes my each day.

my first tryst with poetry

2008-08-28T13:46:00.000+05:30

When things dont work, n life becomes still,
Everything seems hazy and incomplete to you.
Its like climbing a hill which has no peak,
And like a lake that shows no reflection to view.

That's when you feel you're losing control,
And driving your life with hands tied up.
Even when you sit in a crowd of many,
Your eyes remain astray n mind is perturbed.

But does that mean that life has lost its quest,
Everything it offers is futile and not for the best.
Or is there still a glimmer of hope alive,
That can bring us in terms with life's each test.

When the chips are down,comes a guardian angel
As an opportunity or in the form of a person;
To invigorate the very purpose of life,
And derive positives from every inversion.

Life again regains it value n things seem germane,
Everything looks bucolic n there is nothing mundane.
You construe that lady luck has finally smiled on you,
And your future has tremendous happiness to contain.

But why do we wait for things to happen,
Why dont we get them done on our own.
Why dont we relish the spirit of life,
Instead of looking for a reason to lament and moan.

The answer lies within the realms of our soul,
That summarizes the question of life as a whole.
It just needs an honest introspection,
Not a dogmatic persuasion or a forced cajole.

So spread your arms and open your wings,
The journey called success has just begun.
Keep walking along the right path and direction,
N everything would lead you to your ultimate mission.

Why MBA????

2008-05-31T17:44:00.000+05:30

why mba?
Master Of Business Administration. Well the term brings about a wide spectrum of reactions.Oops is it not something every second guy i meet, keeps blabbering about? I guess it is.Well believe it or not, MBA is the in thing folks. Its got the punch,its got the respect,its got the glamour and its got the moolah. What else can you ask for. Well the answer is pretty simple - MORE.
ok enough of the Alice's wonderland talk, lets take a reality check. What is MBA and why is there so much hullabuloo over it in the entire student community, no matter which part of the country or the world you go. Well lets take each word of this crucial abbrevation individually. Business is a worldwide phenomenon where people enter into ventures to generate revenues, employment and satisfaction to each one connected with them. So the person getting into a business has a grave responsibility on him/her. Then comes the pivotal issue of administration- well its a paragon of responsibility where a person has to take care of every facet concerned with running a business- managing people, revenues, resources, market, and create the best possible scenario to run that business.Hmmmm....that sounds even more grave. But the best and the toughest part comes with the first word in this entire term i.e. "Master". The person needs to be a master of all that is expected to run a business and making it a point that the business runs effectively.To put forth in simple terms, thats the job of an MBA. As Management Guru Peter F. Drucker put it in a brilliant way," A manager needs to be efficient as well as effective. Efficiency is doing the right things and effectiveness means getting the right things done."
So ladies and gentleman, guys and dames,its not just about some honeymoon period of your life where you'd just get in,rack your brain for a while and an angel would come in front of you with a gift box carrying a whopping salary check. If that's what has been your idea of MBA till now, i'm sorry to do this but "Good Morning, wake up folks, the dreamy Lalaland station has gone by, welcome to reality junction." The point i'm trying to make is pretty simple and candid, MBA is about cutting off your rough edges to make you a diamond who is ready to take on the world by storm. Its a huge task and involves tremendous efforts and panache, but believe me guys the perks are worth the effort.
Enough of the scary stuff, let's now look at WHY MBA??? Exactly what lies in it which makes it a much sort after and lucrative career option??
with the increase in tooth sweating competition, it has become essential for every individual to inculcate some basic elementary qualities in himself/herself to work/compete with the best of the best in the corporate sector. MBA, as a course gives you a formal training and grooming module, which creates a sense of deja vu of the real world in your minds, thus preparing you for the kind of goody goody stuff in store for you ( Like you believe that????). Well some part of it is goody goody, so relax.
There are people with different aspirations, some are looking for a secure job with challenges at work place while some take it a step ahead to venture into the danger zone of entrepreneurship. TO put up an enterprise of one's own, having a winning idea that may be revolutionary in itself, is just a beginning. To bring out that idea in the real world, pursuing that venture and aspiring to gain revenues out of it requires brilliance in business aptitude as well. Now MBA gives you a platform to understand the nitty gritties of everything in nexus of business. Thus it opens up doors of a new world of opportunities, resources,challenges and obviously tremendous satisfaction.
Another important requirement at work places is the ability to make decisions- sometimes small ones, sometimes grave ones and sometimes revolutionary ones. Thus its mandatory for a person to be well versed with the pros and cons of the status quo, the ability to deal with people of varying IQ'S, temperaments and work capabilities. Now to make a decision taking all these scenarios together is no joke. Apart from inner strength, it requires sound knowledge to appraise the decision's gravity and then to come out with the most suitable alternative. That's precisely what i meant when stressed on the term "MASTER". MBA offers you the ambience and the required ammunition to become good enough to encounter and combat the enemies. As goes in the Stallone blockbuster Rocky series," Its something for which you need THE EYE OF THE TIGER and A BURNING HEART because believe me THERE IS NO EASY WAY OUT, so once your HEART'S ON FIRE just do one thing, GO FOR IT."
Getting down to the Indian scenario, India is in a condition where it requires more employment generators as compared to employment seekers.MBA offers you the arsenal to face the indispensible cruel times of entrepreurship. thus its the managers who're actually making this society a better place to live in by generating employment, optimum utilization of resources, making people work congenially in groups, and with these small battles, they help to win wars like unemployment, poverty, corruption and make the Indian economy strengthen the momentum it has picked up.
Another important topic that MBA deals with is that in this era of globalization where the world has become a small place, it has become an additional asset for a professional to have a good understanding of the global market, the global requirements and its solutions. Thus what we're looking at in the future is it more number of Indians global in stature, but local at heart. Now how does that sound....i'm sure alluring.
So to put it in a nutshell, mba may not give you the key to every lock, but it'd make you a good enough locksmith to have more keys for different locks. So what are you waiting for, you know the door, you knpow how to get the key, and with that key how to open the locks. So dont wait anymore and just MAKE THE MOVE.

Arvind Kejriwal- a guardian angel

2008-03-14T18:35:00.000+05:30

Voice of the unheard voices

India is a land which has given birth to many great people, legends in their own rights. There have been a rare breed of people who've proved their mettle in their respective areas of working and have touched the lives of many. We've had the likes of Bhagat Singhs, Gandhis, Nehrus, Sarabhais, Kalams, Ambanis, Premjis and the list goes on. But there are two genres of work whose heroes have been given larger than life images in our country- The Indian Film Industry and the cricket team. The likes of Bachchans, King Khans in cinema and Gavaskars, Kapil Devs, Tendulkars, Dravids and Dhonis have attained the status of demi Gods in our counntry. The pure mania that these two sectors evoke in the AAM AADMI is unparalleled and bound to only grow with time. Nothing wrong with it, people getting due recognition for the quality work they've put in is the richest dividends they can get back. This is something they deserve and have acquired with sheer hard work and dedication towards their work.
The problem comes when people refuse to look beyond these heroes. In such a big country, there are people who've made a big difference to all around them but still there names are obscure in the murky waters. Barring a few who bother to understand and appreciate the contributions of these unsung heroes, the majority of the population is still oblivious of their tremendous contribution. The picture looks more gloomy when we claim that 54% of our population is YOUNG INDIA who are ready to take on the world. But how do we expect to bring out a global change when we dont even recognize the contributions of these unsung national pictures. Its a pretty unfortunate situation and to be honest shameful on the part of us youngsters. But its never too late. We can still take the step, and i'm sure that would be the one in the right direction.
One such unsung hero is a gentleman called Arvind Kejriwal.Hearing the name for the first time????? Never mind, hope atleast now we'd be more concerned about the state of affairs around us. Well Arvind Kejriwal is a social activist and an instrumental figure in bringing about one of the biggest revolutions. He worked unceassingly to bring about greater transparency in Government's functionality and his constant efforts led to a big accomplishment- THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT. This right has actually given a lethal weapon in the hands of the AAM AADMI and has made the Government accountable to its people. Now any individual discontent with the working of the Government can ask WHAT? WHY? HOW? Is it not something we should all be proud of? I think it is. Arvind kejriwal made it a point that THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT is activated at the grass root level, because that's where corruption is at its worst form and poor illiterate people are unable to understand the malicious intent of the authorities. The result- predominant oppression, suppression of these people and the same status quo of these people over the years.
He graduated as a mechanical engineer from IIT Kharagpur in 1989, then he went about to join the prestigious civil services in the Indian Revenue Service in 1992. But what he saw there came as a rude shock to him. He was taken aback by the widely prevalent corruption and malpractices amongst the Government officials. When he came to terms to this unfortunate reality, he decided that things need to change and there has to be some ray of light somewhere to combat this darkness of mala fide activities. He started working on it and realized that the main reason for this corruption is basically accounted to the lack of transparency in the Government functionalities and policies. The Government was pretty active in framing laws but pretty lethargic when it came to implementing them. This weakness leveraged the uncanny miscreants to mould the law by their whims and fancies, as there was no stringent monitoring tool to keep track of their accountability towards their work. Arvind Kejriwal recognized the flaw and worked on ways to eradicate it. Even during his working years, he stood like a Rock Of Gibraltar between the miscreants and mischief.
He worked against the system from within the system for a while, but when he realized that his hands were tied down he made a brave decision of putting in his papers and taking the entire battle on his own shoulders. After that he went about devoting his full time to his mission work by becoming the founder of an NGO- PARIVARTAN. its a Delhi based citizens' movement trying to ensure a just, transparent, people friendly and accountable governance.
The journey to the right to information act has been an onerous one for Arvind kejriwal. But like Rome was not built in a day, his efforts took a lot of time to bear the fruits. He was a major warrior in bringing in a number of changes to increase the transparency in the Income Tax. TOgether with his colleague Aruna Roy and others, he started his vigorous campaign for the mission of his life- THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT. His vociferous efforts bore fruits in 2005 when Government passed this law in 2005. And he carried on his fight to create awareness about the RTI later on as well. This was the biggest challenge as has always been in India. So this guy made sure that people actually got what was promised to them.
His NGO has also been pivotal in the satyendra Dubey murder case and are leaving no stones unturned to get justice for the deceased's family. Thus, one point is quite clear, Arvind's life is an inspiration for the millions of young turks who dream to make it big in their lives.

He has got laurels at both national and international levels as a testimony to his spectacular work. He was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Emergent Leadership award in 2006 and was also awarded CNN-IBN Indian of the year for Public Services in 2006. Thus, the point i'm trying to raise is pretty straightforward. Let's now broaden our area of perception beyond the Dhonis and King Khans to understand and appreciate the contributions of such unsung heroes who've been instrumental in their contribution towards their country and their fellowmen. Let's salute these true Guardian Angels and pray that our land is bestowed by many such jewels.
Kudos to you Gentleman.

The Big Three-the dusk is still as far as horizon...

2007-12-12T21:53:00.000+05:30

march 2007:- Indian team left for cricket's biggest extravaganza THE WORLD CUP amongst all the expectations of a billion people & the hullabuloo created by the ever opportunistic media. The Indian demi Gods set asail on their voyage to cover that extra mile, which they were deprived of, in the land of Proteas in 2003.But it seemed that Lady Luck had different plans for them,and tyrannous ones for that matter.Indians were flabbergasted by the ever resellient Bangladesh in the opening encounter and could never recover from there.To the shock and dismay of the cricket fanatics back home,India was ousted in the preliminary stage itself and all hell broke loose on them.
The media,as expected, took a U-turn and used all its prowess to lambaste the Indian team.Now everything came under the scrutiny of prying eyes,let it be their
brand endorsements,discontent with the coach Greg Chappell or their public appearences,everything faced harsh opprobrium.and the scorn's lions share was faced by three GENTLEMEN,who've been stanchions of Indian cricket for more than a decade-the then indian skipper Rahul Dravid,master blaster Sachin Tendulkar and the prince of Kolkata Sourav Ganguly.
The so called experts of the game prognosticated that these three illustrious careers have arrived their dusk,and should call it a day. Be it any news channel,all you could see on the television was surveys,polls and analysis that endeavoured to put forth just one point- kick the big three out.
But,true to their nature, they stayed mellowed throughout this gruelling period and did what they've been doing stupendously for years-let their bats speak for them.
On the tour of England,India had a lot to prove.They were accountable to the hopes and aspirations of a billion people and also had to live up to their larger than life images.They did that in style and the real anchors of the victory were none other than, you know it,Dravid, Tendulkar and Ganguly. Their roles were even more pivotal this time around because India wasn't relying on them only for thair batting skills,but with the absence of a regular coach,they had to take up the responsibility of the path guiders to the young turks.India won the test series 1-0 and gave a tough fight in one dayers before losing out 3-4.But Indian team was on a roll throughout as it had already beaten South Africa as well to clinch a vital series.So in all,it was a successful tour for them.
The big three then made a bold and maybe a pragmatic decision of opting out of the 20-20 world cup.But as life is full of anomalies,India went on to do the unexpected-
They became the WORLD CHAMPIONS with a young side oozing with confidence and aggression.Again fortune wasn't on the big three's side and the only coveted title that was missing out of such sparkling careers,had eluded them again.And as the entire country was lost in the celebration with full fanfare,the unfortunate and silly question creeped up again-do the big three deserve their place in the side or is the squad is well off without them,as ostensible after the World Cup triumph.I state this unfortunate because all this hue and cry was made by people who had no idea about the nuances of the game.
During the 20-20 world cup,Rahul Dravid again made a decision that only he could make-after the success of English summer,when others would have cashed on the glory,he decided to step down as the skipper.But a thorough Gentleman that he is,he didn't get into the blame game and simply put it forth as what he considered as a slight dip in his form.But those who could read between the lines knew, that the reason was that he couldn't stand the status quo anymore which was taking the shape of a political arena.I mean the entire structure was a mess and the BCCI was running Indian Cricket as a school level team.They couldn't give the team a full time coach,the team manager changed after every tour,selection was getting biased,and even the brand endorsements of players was restricted.The irony of the situattion is,BCCI was more keen to counterfeit rebel league ICL with its own league IPL,instead of selecting a coach for the national team.Things couldn't have been more ludicrous. The whimsical selection commitee and the BCCI,took offence of Dravid's unexpected resignation and considered this as an obnoxious move.Now all they were looking for was, the correct oportunity to make him the scapegoat and the aussie tour of India gave just that. Dravid failed quite a few times and booooom,he was out.
All this was done to the guy called as THe Wall ,the rock of Gibraltar , Mr. Dependable , Mr.Consistent ,a real team man,most dedicated cricketer etc. All this was done to a guy who fought for Sehwag against all odds for almost six months,trusting his immaculate talent. All this was done to a guy who always performed any role offered without any comlaint and has been India's most consistent batsman in the last 5 years.All this was done to a guy whom the entire world considers as the Ideal Ambassador of cricket. But as they say, IT HAPPENS ONLY IN INDIA.
But a no-nonsense guy that Dravid is,he again didn't complain and kept working hard as ever.After scoring a double century and a century in the domestic circuit,Rahul Dravid has shown clear signs of the famous cricketing phrase-FORM IS TEMPORARY,CLASS IS PERMANENT.
Meanwhile,Sachin and Sourav have been going great guns with the spectacular run feast against arch rivals Pakistan in the home series and have invigorated the fact that their respective careers are far from over,and they've got a lot more to offer to Indian cricket.But if BCCI tries to show them the door to satisfy its own whims and fancies,it would be like getting Indian cricket to get out Hit Wicket.
As a die hard cricket fan,i simply want to say nothing surpasses the pleasure of watching Tendulkar's straight drive,Ganguly's hallmark cover drive and of course Dravid's rock solid technique.They're the golden trio of Indian cricket and bring with them all the traits that make cricket really - A GENTLEMEN'S GAME.

Krishnakant

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MARKETING MARKS NEW AGE CINEMA

2007-12-12T21:49:00.000+05:30

Cinema is a very important and indispensible part of Indian people's lives. For some, its just a source of entertainment, while for others its a reflection of our society and there are those as well for whom cinema is heaven and its actors, God's incarnation on planet earth. Barring cricket,if anything can confidently claim to bind the entire nation together in one bond,its our cinema. The laughter,sorrows,celebration,larger than life characters have become an integral aspect of our lives.Who can forget Gabbar's "kitney aadmi they" or DDLJ's "bade bade shehron me aisi chhoti chhoti baatein hoti rehti hai" or the new found national anthem "CHAK DE INDIA".Movies have been and will remain a powerful medium for people to have a roller coaster ride and to live in their dreams in tangibility within those three hours.

And such high aspirations associated with every movie makes the job of moviemakers even more difficult.The demand and supply theory every friday is accompanied with creative excellence as well,where the medium has to be utilized to the T to create an unparalleled product.But with changing times,the entire fabric of moviemaking has also undergone a mekeover.Now its not only a question of creative excellence or deep nuances of film making that make a movie successful.With whopping budgets and tooth sweating competition,movies have become brands within themselves. Those days are obsolete when a movie used to become a blockbuster by the word of mouth.Now if the producers rely only on that,they would be left with "no words in their mouth!!!!".So now its the pre friday efforts that decide the movies's fortunes rather than the post friday brilliance (although its not a sure shot formula,many've faltered miserably even after great previews). But its certainly a more safer option.

Now making a stupendous movie is just a part of the job,its also pivotal to emulate an important theory of brand shastra-bombard the brand's name in the consumer's mind.
That's why marketing in movies has gained paramount importance in the last few years.Producers are leaving no stones unturned to evoke curiosity before the movie's release and showcase their movies as a cornucopian experience.

All this starts with deciding the target audience for the movie.Strategies are formulated which would lure them to the movie theatres.This includes promotion of the movie with myriad promotions on mediums such as electronic media,print media, internet,radio(.....and if possible create controversies....road to sure shot good opening of the movie). The advertisements of the movie are in the form of promos which highlight the assets of the movie such as music,powerful dialogues.In short,the aim is to give the audience a small essence of the movie & to keep them craving for more.

But the innovative approach to marketing in movies is reinventing itself time and again.Merchandizing movies,launching exclusive movie products,association with brands,in movie advertising,and the latest trend of utilizing the idiot box by appearing on reality shows are the various avenues used in the brand promotion of the movie.With the constant modification in the marketing strategies,no producer can afford to remain oblivious of this pivotal phenomenon.

Ace director Rakesh Roshan really got the merchandize market kicking with his sci-fi alien flick " koi mil gaya " where the production house decided to introduce the alien character jaadoo's pencil boxes,stationary items and dolls.That really got along well with the kids who were the target audience for that movie,so this pre release marketing created ubiquitous curiosity and set the cash registers ringing.The same magic was recreated with his next release "KRRISH" , where krrish dolls and masks became a househeld rage.and again the movie became a blockbuster even though the critics lambasted the it.

Farhan Akhtar's DON also utilized the burgeoning mobile market with introduction of games on this platform,that again got down really well with the youth.THis once again justified marketing importance associated with movies.

But the behemoth battle was seen recently that eventually became the mother of all movie marketing battles-the battle between shahrukh khan's home production(red chillies entertainment) Om Shanti Om and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's SAAWARIYA(produced by hollywood bigwig Columbia Tristar).They utilized all possible avenues and mediums to promote their respective movies and spent staggering amounts to do only one thing- "outperform" each other and carve a niche for themselves within people's minds.While OSO kept a mind numbing RS 14 crores for brand related promotions, Saawariya had an additional advantage of the backing of one of the biggest global production houses,so they took up the challenge and set apart an amount of, hold your breath ,staggering 25 crores for brand promotion.Now that's a lot of moolah put at stake by both the movies.

While OSO collaborated with brands such as Nokia,Maybelline and Shopper's Stop for its promotion, Saawariya had Sony entertainment television and pantaloon retail as their partners.On television,stars of both movies appeared on rival musical reality shows(OSO in sa re ga ma pa and Saawariya in voice of india,OSO in nach baliye and Saawariya in jhalak dikhla ja and the list goes on...).

Thus there were fireworks all around before diwali itself and the when the movies released on nov 9th,OSO got people's admiration but Saawariya got rejected candidly due to lack of commercial value. Thus the aficionados of movies' theory came into action again- Script is the King and Audience is the God to decide the fate of the movie.

But nobody can anymore stay obscure to the ameliorating importance of marketing movies.This is quite ostensible with movies made by maverick and exceptionally talented directors such as Nagesh Kukunoor,whose movies are based on out of the box concepts and have gone down brilliantly both with critics and the audience.But still somewhere down the line,one feels that if his movies would have got the same promotion as,say a Karan Johar movie,then they would've been certain blockbusters. So envisaging all perspectives in mind,its quite clear that making a wonderful movie is the most important formula for success, but in the new age era it has become equally important that it has to be bombarded into people's mind and it should be endeavoured that the movie becomes not just a medium of entertainment for the audience,but an entire experience for them...a feel good one...so that the CINEMA-NIA continues forever in our country.

What the entire country looks out for in the future is a very famous phrase of Indian film industry - " THE SHOW MUST GO ON".

Krishnakant

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Government's LEFT RIGHT LEFT to the LEFT'S wishes

2007-12-12T21:36:00.000+05:30

OOps (CP) I did it again.....
It seems that now the Government would work based on the penchant of Left and they've started believing its their prerogative.Unfortunately,these people who consider themselves as the messiahs of common man's wishes haven't been able to tackle desi Waterloo in their own backyard-Nandigram which has become a rampaging catastrophe to common man's life.

The Communist Party of India has proved time and again that the Government has to run on their whims and fancies.The Indo-US nuclear deal,a hallmark moment for India,where India could work in collaboration with US to satisfy its plethora requirements that are bound to be encountered in the future was put to a standstill because of the Left's disapproval.To be honest,there is no respite to the Nuclear deal and the bottom line is,WE NEED IT,the sooner we realize it its better for us.The paradox is, people who've been pejorative towards it,many of them do not even know what does 123 agreement mean and why is it called so.This is the status quo of Indian Politics...that's how our chosen representatives work....it all presents a really sorry picture.

The aficionados who've the cognizance of the technical know-how to make a decision on this pivotal issue,including eminent scientists and army personnel,have all given a petition to the Govt. to go forth with the deal,and scrapping it would be a big blow to India's nuclear power aspirations. The supporters of the nuclear deal include former President and the people's President Dr.Abdul Kalam as well.Can you ask for a better reference to go ahead with the deal,......I DONT THINK SO. And the lame excuse that the CPI is putting to confront the deal is,that its vandalizing to the national interests and would act as a gateway for US to control Indian nuclear policies.The Government justified saying that the few polemical clauses would be negotiated upon,and the final draft of the deal would be framed only after the consent of the Parliament, but the Left is at its characteristic obstinate best.They've not even allowed the Govt to frame the deal's document with IAEA, later they did mellow down but still the Govt. is facing constant threats that support would be withdrawn,and the country might face mid term polls.
Now this made the Govt to restructure their policy and they prorogated the deal's execution so as to attain some time fo convincing their important allies and the Parliament regarding the gravity that the deal has for the nation.It hasn't gone well with Washington and Left hasn't become any lineant.They've been giving signs time and again that, DEAL ON-GOVERNMENT GONE. The opposition NDA have found this chinks in UPA's armour and are working constantly to rip off the ally.Thus the Government is marching to the tunes of US one hand,and the LEFT on the other,but the quandary is both are extreme tunes and this baritone is heading towards an unbearable cacophony.

Apart from this,the Left also poked its nose in the historic launch of a spy satellite built in collaboration with Israel. Again the satellite had paramount importance in the future of Indian space programme,but all the CPI was concerned about was -NO JOINT VENTURE WITH ISRAEL. Come on,would they always keep interfering in strategic development plans and irony is, they call themselves epitome of people's welfare-an oxymoron for sure.
They want the GDP to reach double figures,but mind you no FDI's should come in.Are we living in a fairytale that Lady luck would bestow pecuniary abundance to our people.Its as quixotic dream as sleeping with your eyes open.Without any foreign direct investments,do they think we would've accomplished even 9% GDP growth?? Nope....
And these guardian angels of common man haven't been able to do anything to stop making Nandigram turn into a cauldron of anarchy.Infact they've been the anchors of the entire pandemonium.Their feud with local people over the SEZ issue took an ugly direction,and a horrible one for that matter.the Government's people launched a rampage against the opposition Trinamool congress' people and faced counter attack,killing hundreds of innocent people in between. One coverage of CNN IBN where a citizen journalist,sent a video showing a man being shot dead when he was going home,sends a chill down the spine.How much more worse can the situation become in the future is for God to decide and Govt to implement.
Their reckless handling of the entire Tasleema Nasreen episode has again given air to the speculation on political gimmicks that are being played by them,without allowing a proper congenial solution to creep up.

So the equation is very simple,the Left is using the nuclear deal issue to ease off the pressure imposed on them by the Nandigram issue,and maybe have made up their mind to go for a general election so that the scenario might be a bit different and the Nandigram issue can be put under the wraps amidst all this. I think its high time, the Govenment stops being a punching bag and ceases to succumb to their pressure, instead retaliate the undue pressure by going forth with the nuclear deal,which the PM has so often been apostling in his public appearences and speeches.
So rather than worrying about the LEFT,the Government needs to do what's RIGHT.

Krishnakant

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