A Restless Comma,

Antardwand - Dialogue within

2010-11-12T16:56:00.000+05:30

फिल्म मेकर हूँ, फिल्मों का निर्माता

फिल्मों से जीवन दर्शाता

कॉलेज में प्यार करे, उन जोड़ो को मिलवाता

कभी माँ मरी हो किसी की, उस बेटे को इंसाफ़ दिलाता

हर इंसान के अंदर का, देखो मैं हीरो दिखाता,

तू सपनो में रहने वाले, जीवन सच से क्या हैं नाता

वो खा रहे पैसे सारे, भूका नंगा यहाँ बिलबिलता

हो रहे यहा क़त्ल-ए-आम, तू विदेश में गाने गाता

चुप बैठ कर देख रहा तू, तेरे बाप का क्या हैं जाता,

हैं दम फ़िल्मो से जगा जोश, शिव टांडव हो, दुर्गा हो चंडी,

वरना झूठ बोल रहा तू पाखंडी, इस रंगमंच का तू शिकंडी

एक पेड़ हुआ करता था यहा पर

2010-06-29T11:14:00.000+05:30

एक पेड़ हुआ करता था यहा पर

डाली डाली क़िस्सा था,

हर पत्ता किरदार था

सर्द गरम या हो बारिश

हर चर्चा मज़ेदार था

कभी डाली रोती पत्तो के आँसू

और यूँ पतझड़ आ जाता था

हर टहनी जब खिल कर हस्ती

मानो बसंत छा जाता था

देखे उसने कई ज़माने

हर दशक का दर्शक था

माटी ईंट और पत्थर

अब सिमेंट का जंगल था

जिसको दी थी उसने छाया

आज वो इसका भक्षक था

अब रहा ना वो पेड़ यहा पर

अब तो वो सिर्फ़ लकड़ा था

जिस पर बैठा इंसान हैं

उस कुर्सी का हिस्सा था

एक पेड़ हुआ करता था यहा पर

डाली डाली क़िस्सा था...

Blast from the Past continues

2010-06-17T13:32:00.000+05:30

More blast from the past. I had this urge for creative musings some 10 years back when i was in my 3rd week stay in USA.
It is not at all relevant or significance or will not even make a change in your life. No divine luck will dawn upon you. Neither you will attain salvation reading this. Having eloquently desribed the purpose of it above. Please read on.
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Hi folks,

Its been long time since I wrote..what rot..wrote,kapda aur makaan, but I was really very busy...there comes all the brickbats... but I did miss you all... what no bouquets... oh you caught me this time... howzzat !! thought for writing for so long but when I now sit down to write..I am lost..know not what to write...but phir bhi, read on...

Life in Raleigh, that cannot be describe in one word..
People do ask me how do I feel in america.. (yeah, I am a celebrity..I do miss my fans and I dont have a fan in my home..) well, I do not know about that, its a mix bag.. at times, the feeling is exhilarating and at times frustrating, so nothing has changed, except for the ambience, I mean, the surroundings are different, from India to US but goals and work has not changed, I am still working hard, though its really hard to work at times,  I still sleep at odd hours, and during even hours, oh..forget it...

I am scared at times for I cannot foresee the future, what it holds, and I am optimistic at times, that whatever it holds, it holds for good. I get apprehensive and pensive with no funding and aid...but I am ecstatic at least I dont have AIDS... I feel nostalgic and home sick at times..but then remember the times when I used to feel sick at home.. I feel isolated with my best friends not around and I miss them all but then there are times when I feel lucky that I can give some of the people a miss.. I get nightmares that everything is gonna fall apart but I dream that world is gonna be a better place..(altruism,nah..just plain me ...)


So this is really me, I am an ABCD, american based confused desi and I was no better in india where I was a NRI,not required indian, so what has changed, the change is gradual, I am realising my responsibilities, and also realising how to avoid them... though it may take some time to change my perspective... the truth I am not at the center of the world and world does not revolve around me is a revelation... but the Narcissus within me is still alive..no wonder I have so many mirrors in my house...

Life is cold and warm at the same time, its funny and tragic, caring and supporting but also a strict task master... may be life contradicts itself.. even I feel contradiction is my best friend.. its always like these, if there is a Yin then Yang will be somewhere nearby.. a day always follow the night.. good times are right behind the bad.. may be there is Hope, tomorrow is another day !!

If you understood what I wrote please explain it to me, for I could not,  I just wrote, Dil Se..

A little bit of Zen, a little bit of sin

2010-06-17T13:15:00.000+05:30

Again, blast from the past...few thoughts on Asoka (2001). This was written in November, 2001. The title comes from the quote used by Santosh Sivan, director of Asoka.

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Much has been said about asoka. Its been panned to glory. The movie most of us love to hate. I too have my 2 cents on this movie.

Asoka, the movie is an experience. Its been bad for many and some of us have enjoyed it. I fall in the later category. I agree with the makers that Asoka the movie is "a little bit of zen and a little bit of sin". India knows who was Ashoka, the emperor. He was the brightest star in indian history. Asoka, the movie does not give a damn about the obvious instead it dwelves into asoka,the man. The man before destiny made him ashoka, the great. Here lies the greatness and the pitfall of the movie. It tries to understand the psyche of the neglected son of Bindusara who adores his mother. Who wants that his mother gets her due as the wife of bindusara and not his dasi. (watch for Asoka's expression when the king does not reward him after his triumph of Takshila)

One of the key scene is when a Buddhist monk tells Asoka that his destiny transcends that of an emperor. His destiny is that of a traveller when he completes his journey. Here is the soul of the movie. It tries to follow the journey of Asoka who does not know where he is heading. And if you dont know where are you heading, no direction is wrong.

What made Asoka transform into how we now him is the crux of the movie. He lost the love of his mother and the girl he loved (this is where folk stories come into picture). How many of us when we lose the things we love react, we become cynical and either we become depressed or we become angry. Asoka was a warrior,he chose to become angry. He became avenging and scheming king who did not fear death. (Another thing that i like were the dialogues instead of monologues, they were short, sweet and simple). Killing his brothers he says "Can i be allowed to be the king now?", a touch of sarcasm, a macabre humor.

The highlight of the movie is the post-war scene when Asoka is looking for Kaurwaki, its a magic scene. Its twilight and sun and the moon and the stars shining, as if nature is looking forward to the history that is being created. Asoka sees the death, the gory, the sadness and he sees Love, he sees Kaurwaki and dead Arya. Life comes full circle, the journey is completed. Asoka is a changed man. Movie ends, History begins.

Yuhin Chala chal

2010-06-17T13:01:00.000+05:30

I had penned the following sometime in 2008. Reproduced in 2010. Hope you would like it.

तू परवाज़ भर, परवाह ना कर

अंबर पर चल, गिरने से ना डर

पाएगा ज़मीन गिरकर भी अगर

बन जा वो ज़ररा तू फलक से उपर

काँटे की वफ़ा, फूलों का दगा,

राहों पर ना कर इसकी परवाह,

चलता ही चल, रुकना ना ज़रा,

तू खुद को खुद का यार बना

मिल जाएँगे तुझे हसीन मंज़र

जो ढूंढेगा उनको अपने अंदर,

रोता हैं क्या, बैठा हैं क्यूँ

चल फिर से उठ और जी जान लगा

पूछेगा तुझे एक दिन वो खुदा

हो जाएगा जब दुनिया से जुदा

पाया हैं क्या खोया हैं क्या

कैसा रहा सफ़र तेरा

मक़सद तेरा वो पूरा हुआ

जो कर गुज़ारा जो करने चला

- विशेष अग्रवाल

! Swan Song

2010-01-23T11:34:00.000+05:30

As the Blog name suggest, it was indeed a lazy period of almost 9 months. Call it gestation period or whatever floats your boat.

So I kick-start the another season of blogging with my 1-min Short made for PasssionForCinema.com 1-min Film Festival.

The name is Swan Song though this post is definitely not that post.

Do let me know your views.

My first post at PFC

2009-04-04T20:00:00.001+05:30

Yipee! I got my first post at PassionForCinema published. Its such a great high.
You can read it at
http://passionforcinema.com/heartbreaking-account-of-the-journey-of-lifetime/

I recommend that you read it at PFC. There are many better posts than this one. You won't be disappointed. But again, I am reproducing over here with some minor changes (I am embedding the video instead of giving the link)

Thanks,

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Heartbreaking account of the journey of lifetime

This post was long due. Seriously. I had been on a trip. Without Ecstasy or LSD. Before you start thinking of directing me to some Anonymous group, allow me to explain what I have been upto.

Or lets do it my way. Flash back to December 2008. On a tiny corner of the last page of Ahmedabad Times I see this Ad. It begged to stay inconspicuous (that's the only grudge I have with the Ad). Luck by Chance, my Lady Luck aka my Taani parnter aka my lovely wife Tina (There Is No Alternative..well thats a story for some other time :-)) saw it. So did I eventually. I was excited. Now, this Ad was not like those that had some Fraanship Clubs which are out to fleece imbecile guys on testosterone overdose. Hook(er), Line and Single and ultimately Sinker. This was different.

I called up the number they had provided, asked for the details, gave mine in return. The voice on the other side promised me to reply on the mail-ji. Pleased with the response, I waited. Never before I would refresh Mail-G client so frequently. Don't know that pissed off Google or what, I got no reply that day. The night was long (duh, it was winter) which did not matter as I slept peacefully.

The next morning, Bhor bhai, Panchi Jaage aur Jaag Utha Insaan. I called the number again just to confirm whether they had got my right email ID or some body else was benefitting on my behalf. My doubts were unfounded as the details were right there on top of my mail box. It co-incided with my state of my mind. I was on top. Top of the world, you sneaky perverts. Get out. Now came the part which had to come. Should I take the pluncge or should I not. No rose petals nipped, no coins to be tossed. It was a simple problem of analyzing the probability using the Gausian curve and then eliminating the choice which I never wanted to take at first place. The answer was right there. Its the question that drives us crazy, my friend Neo would feel. In neo-Bodhi Gaya enlightening moment, I said: Yes, I can.

With the details in my hand, I felt like a man. Baba, with other stuff also I have felt like a man. But this one is for family reading so no Dada Kondke baazi here. I met him and paid the amount. The man was portly but had tons of energy. We got talking till the next prospective and petite young thing came by. I took leave and also some gyaan on that day.

The D-day came. January 20th,2009. I was waiting for PYT. She never showed up. I felt like I was dumped. I called my wife. She promised to stick around with me still. That was close. Luckily, that man did show up. That man, He is Mr Pankaj Roy. He was meant to be our course co-ordinator. Yes, Mere dost, I had joined a course on film-making. Courtesy Institute of Moving Images. The course was short-term also suitable for people who were like in Ghajini mode lest they forget why they were here.

Day 1 was introduction also it was the day of introspection. Why am I here? I was asked so were others. It was not meant to question whether we made a mistake being there or regret shelling out nine grand. It was meant to know what your true calling was. Like my friend Neo said, Its the question that drives us crazy. I mumbled some words. Words that I felt and meant.

What followed in this journey for the next 11 days (spread across 6 weeks) was nothing short of magical. ThodaPyaar, Thoda Magic. Love fostered at home. Magic and learning happened in class rooms. The classes began at 5:30 in the evening and lasted till almost midnight, way beyond their end time of 9 PM. One madness survived the other. Marriage and Movie making. We talked, discussed, ranted about ideas and concepts and plots and scripts. There was training on know-how about the Camera and angles, image size. Hands-on experience with camera. We learnt about scripts, different stages of script writing. About direction and production, about planning and editing and then some.

But I learnt something way beyond that. I learnt discipline, I discovered myself. I learned that hamari filmo ki tarah hamari life mein bhi dukaandaari nahi honi chahiye. You have to have passion in life. Passionate about movies. Passionate about everything you do. You have to give unconditionally to a movie, to life and then let magic take over. Jaadu wahi jo sir chhad kar bole.

Pankaj Sir, hats off to you Dada, you changed so many lives. you took classes for 7 hours continuously without getting tired or showing any signs of exhaustion. He enthralled us, entertained us and yes, we learnt along the way. Learning was never so much fun.

I made few movies during the course and in the course of making another one. Will leave you one of my short that I made as part of the course work. The assignment was to make a 3-minute observational movie which depicts an activity from start to end. I talk to a street side painter and took lot of convincing for him to star and paint a sketch on camera.

By the way, there was nothing like heart breaking actually. Or there was. When the classes ended. The journey came to an end. For me, it just had begun.

AIFF 2009 Promo Video

2009-04-03T22:01:00.000+05:30

More dope on AIFF 2009.

Ajitpal Singh has made a stunning video for the promo.

YouTube wallah can watch it over here.

Or you can watch it below (Courtesy: Vimeo)

Ahmedabad International Film Festival Official Promo from Ajitpal Singh on Vimeo.

AIFF 2009

2009-04-03T21:51:00.000+05:30

Ahmedabad is famous for few things. Textile mills, in an era lost. Stock brokers and traders in this era. Also, famous for its typical Amdavadi mentality :-)

Time has come to add, to borrow a cliche, an another feather in its Topi. The Ahmedabad International Film Festival 2009. I went and met the organizers (Shiladitya - the main guy and Ajit heading Programming) and they are gung-ho about it. This is what the organizer have to say.

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http://www.aifilmfest.com

We’re pleased to announce to you the Ahmedabad International Film Festival presented by FulMarxx Integrated Filmed Entertainment Company based in Ahmedabad.

Aimed at providing a platform to showcase the works of upcoming filmmakers from India and across the world, we started as an exclusive short films festival and are now venturing into an international film festival in Ahmedabad.

We are ambitious about our foray into cinema and have worked dedicatedly for the past two years to tab the market for short films and in return find an audience for new filmmakers. We aim at making this festival an annual feature in Ahmedabad on the lines of the festivals held in various cities world over. We can’t achieve this feat without the encouragement and support of institutes and individuals like you.

The major attractions include:

- Best of World Cinema | in association with NDTV Lumiere
- Best of Berlinale | Berlin International Film Festival
- Best of Tampere Film Festival, Finland
- Best of Children’s Films
- Cinema of Gujarat
- Short Films Competitive
- Feature Films Competitive
- We Care HIV+ | in association with AIESEC
- Theatre by Cyrus Dastur and Tom Alter
- Coffee Table Book Launch
- Short Films Bazaar
- Special Golf Sessions for Juries and Guests
- Heritage Walk of Ahmedabad

We are looking at an audience of diverse interests within the gamut of filmmaking- established and upcoming filmmakers, art connoisseurs, artists, film buyers and enthusiasts and the decision makers of the global filmmaking trends, not to forget the paparazzi. However, we do not intend to be blinded by the flash lights. True to our roots, our commitment remains to bring the magic of cinema and storytelling to the daily viewer.

Veer Rasa

2009-04-03T21:35:00.000+05:30

After a long time, I get to hear a song with Veer Rasa in it.

The lyrics are reproduced over here, the song can be heard somewhere on this desert of world wide web.

Yeah, the movie is Gulaal.

Aarambh hai prachand,

Bole mastako ke jhund,

Aaj jung ki ghadi ki tum guhar do ( 2 times)

Aan baan shaan ya ki jaan ka ho daan,

Aaj ek dhanush ke baan pe utaar do,

Aarambh hai prachand…

Mann kare so praan de,

Jo mann kare so praan le,

Wahi to ek sarv shaktimaan hai

Krishna ki pukaar hai yeh

Bhagwat ka saar hai,

Ki yudh hi to veer ka pramaan hai,

Kauravo ki bheed ho ya

Pandavo ka need ho,

Jo lad saka hai wo hi to mahaan hai,

Jeet ki hawas nahi,

Kisi pe koi vash nahi,

Kya zindagi hai thokaro pe maar do,

Maut anth hai nahi to

Maut se bhi kyu dare?

Yeh jaake aasmaan mein dahaad do,

Aarambh hai prachand,

Bole mastako ke jhund,

Aaj jung ki ghadi ki tum guhar do

Aan baan shaan ya ki jaan ka ho daan,

Aaj ek dhanush ke baan pe utaar do,

Aarambh hai prachand…

Ho daya ka bhaav ya ki shaurya ka chunaav,

Ya ki haar ka wo ghaav tum yeh soch lo

Ya ki poore bhaal par jala rahe vijay ka laal,

Laal yeh gulaal, tum yeh soch lo,

Rang kesari ho ya mridang kesari ho ya ki,

Kesari ho laal tum yeh soch lo..

Jis kavi ki kalpana mein

Zindagi ho prem geet,

Uss kavi ko aaj tum nakaar do,

Bheegti nasso mein aaj,

phoolti rago mein aaj,

Aaj aag ki lapat ka tum baghaar do,

Aarambh hai prachand,

Bole mastako ke jhund,

Aaj jung ki ghadi ki tum guhar do

Aan baan shaan ya ki jaan ka ho daan,

Aaj ek dhanush ke baarn pe utaar do,

Aarambh hai prachand- ( 3 times)

Achieve

2009-03-21T22:58:00.000+05:30

"You can achieve anything you want,

If you don't mind who gets the credit."

Who comes up with this stuff? Well, the answer is: Not one but six people. All separated within six degress, I am sure.

Unbelievable stuff, I mean whom do I give credit for this quote.

1. You can accomplish much if you don't care who gets the credit.
     Ronald Reagan

2. There is no end to what you can accomplish if (or when) you don't care who gets the credit.
     Florence Luscomb

3. There is no limit to the good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit.
    General George C. Marshall

4. There's no limit to what a man can achieve, if he doesn't care who gets the credit.
     Laing Burns, Jr.

5. It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.
    Harry S. Truman

6. It is amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit.
   John Wooden

My Movie List -I

2008-12-18T16:41:00.001+05:30

I really wanted to talk about movies that I had liked in past six months or more but never got time. These also include movies that were made ages ago but I never saw them. Most of them merit an individual post. Don't know if that will happen in this lifetime. And you can blame that on hours that I spend watching movies.

Anyways, these are the movies that I would recommend, in no particular order.

1. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

2. Gone Baby Gone

3. There will be Blood

4. No country for Old men

5. The Constant Gardener

6. Sin City

7. V for Vendetta

8. Freedom Writers

9. Wall.E

10. Ratatouille

11. Iron Man

12. City of God

13. The Motorcyles Diaries

14. The Inside Man

15. Aamir

16. A Wednesday

17. Haasil

18. Cindrella Man

19. The Dark Knight

20. Get Smart

21. 21

22. Cars

23. Little Miss Sunshine

24. Rock On!

25. Welcome to Sajjanpur !

26. Jaane tu ya Jaane na..

27. Wall Street

28. The Untouchables

29. Heat

30. The Bourne Ultimatum

Mera Joota Hain...

2008-12-18T16:29:00.001+05:30

Iraaqi.

Its a plane, Its a bird, No, its a shoe!

The pen is mightier than the sword. But the shoe is mightier than a pen.

A journalist in Iraq did not beat around the bush but beat the Bush with his Hush Puppies.

I hope this act is contagious and like bird flu flies into our country.

Hazaaro neta aise, har neta pe yeh joote nikle,

Bahut nikle yeh joote, magar phir bhi unka na dum nikle!

As they say to begin a journey of thousands miles, you need your shoes.

The greatest job on this earth...

2008-12-07T15:00:00.000+05:30

For you, what is THE job on this earth?

In Google ? Intel ? Microsoft? IAS officer?

Doctor? Lawyer? Filmstar? Politician?

The one that pays well ? Lot of perks, recognitions? Job satisfaction, travelling aroun the world etc? You may find answers in unexpected places.

On 26th November, also working were the hotel staff at Taj or Oberoi, the measly paid Railway Policemen or almost at minimum wage paid train annoucners at CST.

Michael Pollack describes his experience with hospitality of Taj on that day. Do read it just in case you happen to visit Taj any time in future.

And if you happen to catch a local train at CST, Vishnu Zende and Jillu Yadav may also help you.

Now coming back to your job, there is only person who can make it the greatest job on this earth. You. Don't tell me you were suprised with the answer. Oh c'mon.

Animal farm of India.

2008-12-05T23:56:00.000+05:30

After terror, it was followed by horror which bordered on ridicule and insanity. Its like bander ke haath mein talwaar! The only difference is there are 540+ monkeys and a stray dog.

RR Patil saab feels that he is SRK and he pays a price for his delusion. Bade desh mein ek aur chhota haadsa ho gaya!

Vilas Rao goes a step further and says "Wah Taj" with his filmi-son and RGV. RGV ki Aag burnt him too.

Naqvi can only see the powder and lipstick. When will he be shown the stick?

While Achutanandan picks up a dog fight. I think the Dhobi just found his new kutta.

Modi bashes up Karkare when he was alive and then Modi-fies his stand to pay his respect and 1 crore to Karkare's widow.

Sharmila Thackeray sends SMSes that all the martyrs were Marathi Manoos. I guess she must have been tempted to blame the Northies this time too.

Last heard, there is infighting now after new CM of Maharashtra is chosen.

But don't worry, Shivraj Patil was changing his bandhgala when all of these happened. Luckily, his mouth is bandh too. For good now.

Funny, these are our leaders. Funnier, we chose them. Funniest, most of us didn't, we did not vote, right.

United in '03

2008-12-05T15:13:00.000+05:30

I had written the draft around first week of August, 2008. Thought would add more to it. But don't feel like doing anymore. So I let it be. The only question is whether we will be united in '08 to fight our war?

7th August, 2008

The end credits start rolling. I continue staring at the screen. No one survived the crash on that day. United 93 flight "terminates" on HBO. In the other room, its another world. Mom and Dad share a joke. He chuckles, she laughs. The world is back to normal.

I am thousand of miles away today. That day, I was few hundred miles away. A sense of grief, triumph, and relief interject each other. I may never know what made the passengers do the inevitable. I may never know how would I respond to such situation.

Change. Its time.

2008-12-05T12:29:00.000+05:30

"How did it come to this?"

"So much death. What can men do against such reckless hate?"

- Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

"We should bomb Pakistan"

" We need a dictator"

"We should encounter all the so-called politicians and leaders"

"India is not safe, me off to some other better country"

These were all knee-jerk reactions. Reactions and not responses. Its been more than a week since the attack on Bombay. The anger has been given words, the hate against hate been expressed. Now, the real ordeal begins.

I have been introspecting. I want things to change, for better. I want to be an agent of change (not a Ray-ban wearing Agent Change, Mr Anderson!). Lighting candles, taking out protest march and voicing the angst is good. I am not denying that. It shows solidarity, it shows I care.

Then what? How do I make myself accountable for the change? I want to internalize the process of this change.

I have decided on 2-point steps that I want to follow now in my daily dealings.

1. F**k Mediocrity. The M word should not be my way of life.

2. Stay above board every time.

If I can get these right, I think it will be a good start. Rest, they will say in future, is history.

Reminds me of a sher that sums up my thoughts.

Khudi ko kar buland itna,

ki har taqdeer likhne se pehle,

Khuda khud bande se yeh puche,

bata teri raza kya hain!

Doing

2008-08-20T03:55:00.000+05:30

When was the last time you did something for the first time?
Today. Last week. Last year.

What are you waiting for?
Next day or next life.

Carter Coaching Classes

2008-06-18T16:40:00.000+05:30

I teach Jholi Gola aka Basket Ball for you Hindi impaired imbeciles. I make you sign contracts (in triplicate, if you are in India). I also make you quote poetry and force you to have a high GPA. For this I get nothing, no Oscar, no award, in my Jholi. Not even Angelina Jolie. Next movie or next life, Amen.

I am Samuel son of Jack and though I am father of one of the players in the movie, thats no feather in my topi. Cos I don't wear any. The birds of same feather flock together in pubs, streets and do drugs. I am here to stop them so that they don't die of bandook ki goli. No Homicide, only suicides. Play gola. Run with Lola. Run you will for I will make you run for the entire running length of the film. Its a moving picture, you idiot.

Because the players are bursting with hormones, I teach them the moves of the game and codeword them after my non-existent sisters. The scum bags, they let run their fantasies wild courting the gola and yell for my sisters during the game. So much for winning. No Sir, its not only about winning. You gotta have a good GPA, remember. All play, no classes and lo, Jack (not my father) is benched till he has good grades. Fair trade, no. This Pappu has to pass his tests before he passes the ball.

Y'all dogs, if you wanna learn from me, you go watch Coach Carter. I bet you if you are disappointed then its 100 suicides for me.

Before I call it quits, I leave you with "Our deepest fear"

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Cinema Paradiso

2008-06-18T16:02:00.000+05:30

Trust Ambani to think BIG. After BIG Entertainment, BIG Music, they come up with BIG FLIX. Those who have tasted blood in celluloid with Blockbuster stores know what I am talking about. A DVD/VCD rental service, with an online, phone and SMS feature to order for free pick-up and drop facilities with no due dates. Matra rupaye 299 mein ! I can avail original DVDs rather than pirated ones available at the local DVD store. Whoopee !!!!

"A small step by Ambani, A giant leap for my kind"
I know this was bad. But its way better than Ravi "Lalit Modi is Moses" Shastri. For a movie buff like me this is God sent. For that I will definitely watch Bhakta Prahlada in orignal as my obeisance.

As far as my experience, it has been satisfying apart from a little clunky website. That's nitpicking, I know. If you are residing in any of the cities that has BIG FLIX stores, I strong recommend that you go for it. Its show time, folks.

The seamstress

2008-06-09T12:44:00.000+05:30

A veil of the beauty, the cloth had hubris,
With the cursed wind the fortress breached,
Scarred by the evil eye, the beauty laid,
She took respite in the raging blade,
One drop at a time, the shine is replaced.
One tear at a time, the cloth disgraced.

The cloth is weary and torn in grief
The blood, sharpened by knife, is relieved
One stain at a time she washes
One sin at a time she cleanses

One stitch at a time, the seamstress weaves
One wound at a time, she heals

Statue-tory warning

2008-06-04T14:20:00.000+05:30

Mayawati wants it big. Yes, its statue time in Mayan civilization. Mayawati wants her bigger than Kanshi Ram. In a fleeting moment of englightenment, she did not like herself and her expressions molded in metal.

And maya-nagari Mumbai wants Shivaji's statue bigger than that one in Chennai for the other Shivaji "Mind-it" Rajnikanth. Sorry, it wants bigger than that of Statue of Liberty. What difference does it make.

The pigeons are one happy lot, though. At least somebody will benefit. But what if they complain: Bhala mera putla uske putle se chhota kaise ?

In other story, petrol goes high by Rs 5 and diesel by Rs 3. That still does not explain low traffic on my blog. It crawls.

IPL notes

2008-05-30T10:51:00.000+05:30

Now that IPL is getting over with only knock-out matches remaining, I had few things to talk about.

1. After more than dozen league matches where each team plays against all the other teams, it does not make sense to have semi-finals.

Imagine, in a freak game today, Rajasthan Royals loses to Delhi Daredevils in the first semi-final. They have won convincingly against all the other teams barring 3 loses. It would be a real let-down if they don't play in finals.

Yes, semi-final knock-outs add that extra drama and spice to the tournament. It seems very unfair if the best team of the league loses out because of a bad day.

2. The finals should be best of three matches instead of one. One at home, one away and third at a neutral ground. Sort of a level playing field. Again the same theory applies that the team should get a chance to claw back in. One bad day should not be a decider for such tournament.

3. With no semi-final rounds and each league match is important. There should be spare days for matches that were abandoned because of Lord Indra's whim. I am not saying that the next day should be kept free which may be improbable with such a busy schedule. After every leg of the league, there can be a week or half off where those matches that were abandoned can be played.

Look what happened with Mumbai Indians (14 points), Delhi Daredevils (15 points) and Kolkata Knight riders (13 points). If KKR vs DD matched had not washed out and if KKR had won, there would have been a 3-way tie between above teams ! So much fun.

All in all, it has been a satisfactory tournament. Going with the performance, Rajasthan Royals should win. But its not over till the last ball is bowled. Cricket is suppose to be a game of uncertainties. So expect some surprise.

Chala Murari Hero Banne!

2008-05-29T22:37:00.000+05:30

So what's happens when Om Prakash Makhija gets a chance to be Om Kapoor[1] ?
He overacts to the hilt as if there is no tomorrow.

That's what I did when I was part of a TV quiz show based on Bollywood aptly titled Bollywood Ka Boss. It's hosted by Boman Irani.

Did I win and was the hero or I just ended up being the guy in a suit in fourth row behind the star ? You will know in the 12th part of the following video. To use a cliche, it does not matter. I used 39 seconds of fame out of my quota of 15 minutes.

Watch out in this video where Boman introduces all of us.

All the parts are available at following links.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6
Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12

[1] - Om Prakash is a junior artiste (also known as bhai log in slang) and Om Kapoor is a super star in Om Shanti Om.

Tale of Indian cities

2008-05-29T14:51:00.000+05:30

Paul Graham in his latest essay begins with "Great cities attract ambitious people".

You always need a tipping point for anything to get effective, be a philosophy, a style statement or a revolution. Cities help in building a critical mass of people. and that critical mass acts as a tipping point.

Do Indian cities attract ambitious people. Do they have the right critical mass.

I am sure Bombay used to do. People coming from UP, Bihar, Punjab, from everywhere to become Bollywood stars. Or more enterprising lot from Gujarat or Marwar riding their luck on Dalal street. Sadly, Mumbai attracts hooligans. Holy Guns! From Maximum city to minimum tolerance.

Bangalore attracts cheer leadars. Yeah, it still has a high influx of every one and anyone who wants to ride the IT wave. Does it really attract the most ambitious technologists.

Ahmedabad, my home town, attracts all the Schumachers and Raikkonnens with license to kill. Of course,you have to drive on the wrong side (i.e. the correct side in US) to really reach your final destination. Lan(e)s are for computer networks. You see, Ahmedabad is closer to Amrika than anywhere else.

So who does your city attracts ?

On a side note, the more I travel the more I see that cities in India are losing their individuality. All the buildings look the same wherever I go. The clothes that people wear or their life style is not very different from city to city. There is no differentiation left. I don't know if that is something to worry or cheer about that finally India is becoming a homogeneous country.

Chak De! revisited

2008-05-22T11:06:00.000+05:30

When you are the brand ambassador for mobile services company as well as company that makes handsets, the benefits are many including a very very long text messaging service feature available to you for free.

And what do you do with it is send a very very long text message.
So that the rest of us can read that very very long text message.

Read SRK's SMS to his Kolkata Knight Riders team after all the controversies and losses.

"Story time boys... I told you if you keep losing you have to bear with my long, boring msgs.... This is your punishment.... Many times I have made movies which don’t do well.... When I’m doing them, of course, I don’t know they won’t do well.... The story is written by somebody else and I just do my bit as an actor. But I have a way of dealing with flop stories..., I try my best to keep my character in the film at a level that it makes a failed story also special for me...."

“I enjoy the work.... I make jokes about the failure.... And, of course, feel awful about it too.... So, right now, all of us have become part of a failed script... A bad IPL script.... Let’s try and keep our characters worthy of still looking back at this story and remembering it as a special story becos we all worked very hard at this....

“So, chin up and don’t spoil yr character in the next two games.... Let’s go out with a bang and not a whimper.... In films, we say u r only as good as yr last film.... So let’s make the whole world know how good we r in the last (maybe not) two games...

“Also, do ignore all this bit about Dada, me and John having issues.... It’s a normal thing in the world.... People like to hit you when u r down.... So, we will be hit.... No stress.... It will make us stronger.... The only way to avoid this is to win.... That’s one of the reasons why everybody likes to be a winner....

“On the other hand, the beauty of failure is that it brings people together.... So, let’s stick this out together.... You know me well enuff to know I am not the kind of owner who has issues with the team ’cos of losses... I am too much of a sport myself to get beaten by defeats.... Like you guys are.... Like Dada and John....

“I am still trying to understand the code of conduct expected of me at the matches of the IPL.... ICC... Etc.... After I understand it, I will decide whether to accept it or not.... Till such time, I will be with you guys at the hotel... in the meetings etc., but won’t come for the matches.... So, please don’t ever feel it is anything to do with us as a team....

“I am as dedicated to my Knights as I am to my kids.... Only, I won’t be coming to the class room till the headmaster’s rules are understood by me.... I am a bit anti-Establishment kind of a guy, so I apologise for this quirk to u all.... So, head’s up.... Have a good match and let’s make 200 runs tomorrow.... This 150 seems to not work any more....

“We have nothing to lose now, except our character.... Let’s not lose that.... Lov... SRK.

A prayer

2008-05-22T10:40:00.000+05:30

Nasrun min Allahi wa fathun qareeb
Help from God and victory is close!

- As Saff Sura 61:13, Quran

The Insignificant period

2008-05-09T11:31:00.000+05:30

Eons ago SUN systems proclaimed that "We are the dot in .com" which has got nothing to do with this post. Except for the fact this post talks about the dots in Gmail.

As per this entry @ Gmail Blog, the dots are insignificant in Google's grand scheme of user ids. For this periodic loss, Google gets benevolent and allows extra pluses in your identity. It all evens out in Googlic form of justice. World is not fair, they are +f.a.i.r. And lovely, no!

For some body like Mallika Sherawat has ID say google.mallika@gmail.com, it can also be represented as go.ogle.mallika+just+dont+tell+your+girlfriend@gmail.com

So much fun this is.

Making of a Prophet

2008-05-08T15:52:00.000+05:30

by Bertrand Russell.

"Ignore fact and reason, live entirely in the world of your own fantastic and myth-producing passions; do this whole-heartedly and with conviction, and you will become one of the prophets of your age."

Did Raj Thackeray read it, I wonder.

I found the essay via PickTheBrain blog. Do visit the site. It has got some real good articles on self-improvement. No, I am not kidding, really.

Cricket De Grace!

2008-05-08T14:23:00.000+05:30

Why Dravid is not held equally responsible ?
Those who are following IPL know what I am talking about.

I don't think any body is following Bangalore Royal Challengers. Nobody is after them even in the points table.

Mallya sacked Charu Sharma for the poor performance of BRC. Dravid and Sharma chose the right people albeit for a wrong occasion. He could not sack the best looking guy in his team as the team plays like they are modeling for the Kingfisher calendar. Sunil Joshi was found doshi of being incapable to do that either.

Same goes for Ganguly. You cannot touch Ganguly in Kolkata Knight Riders who pisses off the other team by coming late on the pitch. And pisses off his players by not able to bat, field or bowl. Some would wish that he would be late enough to skip the game

Moving to our very own Re-Lax-Man. As per the grapevine, some body in his team went a la Bhajji and hit him hard so that he sits out for the rest of the matches. Everyone claimed it to be an accident including Bhajji. The same day Deccan Chargers won against Chennai Superkings.

The Master Blaster is in pain. He is hit where it hurts the most. Silly, he is losing out on the moolah of 40 million rupees. Though he was lucky that he was spared the wrath and with the Sardar gone, the team is now a-sardar (effective) and on a remarkable turnaround course.

That IPL is a ring circus camouflaged as war zone is a foregone conclusion. Now who concluded that, you may say. Yo Einstein, it's me! Koi Shaque.

The collateral damage has been the best four Indian batsmen. Its no surprise that their respective teams are in the bottom half of the points table. More importantly, in a way it was not entirely of their own making or was it. Being an Icon has its price, sometimes it brings the end quicker. Just like a T20 match.

Q and its A

2008-04-29T15:47:00.000+05:30

What should I do with my life ?
Most of the time, it ends up being a rhetoric.

Po Bronson in his book tries to make the question accountable and appealing. I am mid-way reading it. I strongly recommend it.

There is no (f)art of living pravachan or self-madad techniques. It is definitely not a Chicken Soup for Soul where alls-well-that-ends-well. Mere dost, picture is always baaki in most of the stories in the book.

The stories vary from poignant to mundane to inspirational. It is not a step-by-step guide to find yourself. It is more of a snapshot of a phase in life of people who really asked the question. Many are still searching for an answer.

The answer is somewhere within. Sometimes, it takes a lifetime to search over there.
That, mere yaar, is the gist of life. To ask the question for which you can spend your entire life looking for an answer.

Winning colors

2008-04-29T10:41:00.000+05:30

My friend, Umang, tells me the success behind Chennai Super Kings uninterrupted winning run in IPL. Its the color of their kit and attire.

Any team that wears similar colors as Australian cricket team, wins. Different hue is acceptable :-)

I think it is substantiated by the fact that Mumbai Indians wear blue, what Indian national team wears (though not the same shade of blue). They have lost all their four matches.

The start-up

2008-04-28T14:58:00.000+05:30

Life is like a start-up. You start off with something in mind but end up doing something totally different as the market (read life) dictates.

I had a plan, a perfect model for my life which was suppose to reveal on its own. As a kid, wanted to be in army and then wanted to be an electronics engineer with a short spell in the middle where I wanted to be a chemical engineer and eventually ended up doing electrical engineering. Then wanted to study but worked for some time. But then I did study computer engineering with seed funding from my family.

Followed my heart to do nothing and did precisely just that. Finally started working for reasons best known to me (or not) and then went on to join a start-up for again the same reasons as above.

I am slowly inching my way from red to black. The RoI is still to be recovered and break even is far off. When will I make it to getting listed in the history remains to be seen. Because it was never a question of whether I will but when.

Cheer-Haran

2008-04-25T15:59:00.000+05:30

It was expected. So it happened. Nobody is surprised.

The cheerleaders in IPL were seen by one and all. Some wanted to see them again. Some said it was enough. They wanted newer cheerleaders. Mumbai Moral Sena raised a pertinent question "With Mumbai males not performing when it matters most (on the cricket field, I mean), who needs cheerleaders anyways?"

They got support from unexpected quarters. Shaheed Afridi and Shotgun Sinha. Though Afridi loves to play with the ball, of cricket obviously, he feels that he is distracted by the other balls...oops..balle balle dance of the cheerleaders. He comes early and then gets off..err..gets out sooner.

Sinha with neither age nor power and not even Pawar on his side has been reduced from Shotgun to firing blanks. He claimed that T20 and cheerleaders will eventually reduce the game to "Toss Toss". Regretfully, he did not mention what is being tossed around. The prospects do look inviting, if he spoke about his own fantasy and of other guys.

All this outbursts took place in the middle of bowling change when the zealous Set MAX instead of showing cheerleaders switched to Vodafone ka kutta running after the bus. What an anti-climax, yaar, causing utmost pain and trauma to many. No hard feelings there, buddy and yeah, it's a dog's life at the end of it.

Yeh IPL ka cricket hain bhidu

2008-04-24T16:48:00.000+05:30

Crowds booing "Sreesanth Hai Hai". This could have happened anywhere but in India. Till last Monday.

Then it happened in Jaipur. The reason: Sreesanth gave that stare to a batsman and tried to sledge. The batsmen was Kamran Akmal! See in another context, the Jaipur crowd jeering an Indian bowler cos he took panga with a Pakistani batsman. What would have been unimaginable, just occurred. Akmal plays for Rajasthan Royals in IPL and Sreesanth for Kings XI Punjab.

It has happened before too.
The Eden crowd erupts in joy when Laxman, who made magnificent 281 on the same ground years ago, gets out.
Ponting rushing to Ishant Sharma, when the latter is walking back to his run-up, to advise how to bowl against Symonds.

As Dravid said "It's really unusual to come to Bombay, hit a four and see nobody clapping for you." The Mumbai spectators went "Sanath, Sanath" ala "Sachin, Sachin" style.

So barriers are breaking at international level and new divisions are being made at regional level. As long as those divisions confine to cricket, no harm in celebrating the sixes of Hussey off Pathan or the fall of Dravid.

I am hoping that we start taking pride in our local teams as much as we take "pride" in our national team. IPL may just be that catalyst.

Nayar say Nehra Again

2008-04-24T11:11:00.000+05:30

On Wednesday 23rd April in Chennai, Abhishek Nayar came into bat when 99 runs were required of 42 balls. He came, he saw, he played. He brought the score to 8 runs in 2 balls with able support from Harbhajan.
Still Mumbai Indians lost to Chennai Superkings with 6 runs. A great nail-biting finish (though I personally did not indulge in that activity). Such fun.

Joginder Sharma gets all the accolades but I say, he is one helluva lucky chap. In T20 final, Misbah played that audacious shot off Sharma and gave a simple catch to Aakashwani-listening-Sreesanth. Last night, Nayar took a single run on a no-ball and gave strike to Nehra. Nehra who? Aashish Nehra whose claim to fame is that six wicket haul against England in 2003 World Cup and series of injuries later on. That strike ruined all the chances Mumbai Indians had of winning the match.

McCullumed!

2008-04-24T11:06:00.000+05:30

Long after your hi-tech jobs got Banglored, Bangalore Royal Challengers got McCullumed in the first league match against the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Brendon McCullum scored 158 runs in 73 balls laced with 10 fours and 13 sixes. He is already famous in India with his heroics and another such innings from him will make him a superstar in India. Otherwise, he may end up just one innings wonder (as far as India & IPL is concerned).

There is always a difference between a Kumar Gaurav and Hrithik Roshan.

SRK vs SRK

2008-04-23T11:30:00.000+05:30

This is not a remake of Kramer vs Kramer. SRK's new game "Kya Aap Paanchvi Paas Se Tez hain ?" show begins in the middle of the successful IPL.

The show is an Indianized version of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? I have seen few episodes on YouTube of the Fox Show and it does seem very very interesting. I think the success of the show depends a lot on the contestant. I don't know if the Indian contestant will open so easily in front of the camera.

With IPL hogging all the TRPs and especially the Kolkata Knight Riders matches leading from the front, will SRK's new show give fight to IPL?

The quiz show begins on Friday 25th April 8 PM Star Plus.
Catch the teaser below

Making of the stars

2008-04-23T11:20:00.000+05:30

Ashoke Dindha, Wriddhiman Saha, Karan Goel, Salunkhe, Jadeja, Shikhar Dhawan etc
I am not talking about my friend list on Orkut. Neither it is the reunion list of my college.

These are the performers of IPL who were unknown till last week and budding stars this week. Who says IPL is about only money and razzle dazzle, the cheer leaders and Bollywood?

Its exciting to watch the keeper Saha take a dive for a catch on his wrong side or Virat Kohli pouncing on the ball with an eye of a tiger. Ravindra Jadeja hitting boundaries to Brett Lee in a cliff hanger of a match.

Imagine the exposure the young promising talent will get just by being in the same dressing room with the likes of Lee, Symonds, McCullum, Warne and vice versa. May be next time, Symmo will know exactly what Bhajji said! Ek bandar, IPL ke andar. Alrite, this monkey business is no more p(h)unny. So I will stop right here.

The Maa and The Baap

2008-04-23T11:14:00.000+05:30

So it has begun. Its almost a week since it started. Its huge if the reports and feedback has to be believed.

Yeah, I am talking about the Manoranjan ka Baap and the Mother of all Reality TV in India.
Indian Premier League.

So far the matches have been exciting barring one or two of them. Expect lot many posts on IPL in the coming weeks.

I am leaving you with few videos for promotion of IPL.
The first one is "inspired" from NBA promotional video but I like the lyrics of the former so its cool with me.

The second one is Bollywood-ish promo which is howlarious !!!!

A curious incident of the dog in the night time

2008-03-28T14:48:00.000+05:30

A dog is man's best friend but not when he is in an aircraft ready for take-off.

According to CNN-IBN, an aircraft came to halt because of a dog.
With a "spiritual" co-incidence, the Kingfisher plan hit a Black Dog.

It seems the dog took fancy to the aircraft and wanted to relieve himself.
Why nobody mentions about the fate of the dog. Where is Maneka Gandhi?

Train the pilots for Indian conditions, will you ? They should take a cue from US Air force which is devising a Flight Simulator using traffic data from Indian roads. Alrite, I made this one up. But think about it.

As Forrest Grrrrump would say life is a dog! You never know which aircraft will come and hit you.
That's all I have to say about that.

Treadmill

2008-03-27T18:47:00.000+05:30

Life feels like a treadmill.
I keep running faster and faster to stay where I am.
I need to find the stop button to slow down, step back and re-assess.

Have you felt like that ever? Do you know where your stop button is?

Amar Akbar Anthony

2008-03-20T10:42:00.000+05:30

Manmohan Desai will be proud of Friday the 21st.
Its Idd, Good Friday and Holi on the same day.

School and college students will be cussing. They lost out on 2 holidays.

Idd Mubarak and Happy Holi !!!!!!!
Amen.

A Letter

2008-03-14T14:37:00.000+05:30

He will have to learn, I know, that all men are not just and are not true.

But teach him if you can, the wonder of books.. but also give him quiet time to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun and flowers on a green hillside.

In school, teach him it is far more honorable to fall than to cheat.....

Teach to have faith in his own ideas, even if everyone tells him he is wrong.

Teach him to be gentle with gentlepeople and tough with the tough.

Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when everyone getting on the bandwagon...

Teach him to listen to all men; but teach him also to filter all he hears on a screen of truth, and take only the good that comes through.

Teach him, if you can, how to laugh when he is sad...

Teach him there is no shame in tears.

Teach him to scoff at cynics and to be beware of too much sweetness..

Teach him to sell his brawn and brain to highest bidders, but never to put a price on his heart and soul.

Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob.. and stand and fight if thinks he is right.

Treat him gently, but do not cuddle him, because only the test of fire makes fine steel.

Let him have the courage to be impatient..

Let him have the patience to be brave.

Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself, because then he will have faith in humankind.

This is a big order, but see what you can do. . He is such a fine little fellow my son!

- Abe Lincoln in a letter to his son's teacher

Rules of Innovation

2008-03-12T14:28:00.000+05:30

No surprise that innovation rules coming from Google.
What surprises me that I found this on Rediff !

My favourite bit:

After September 11, one of our researchers, Krishna Bharat, would go to 10 or 15 news sites each day looking for information about the case. And he thought, Why don't I write a program to do this? So Krishna, who's an expert in artificial intelligence, used a Web crawler to cluster articles." "He later emailed it around the company. My office mate and I got it, and we were like, 'This isn't just a cool little tool for Krishna. We could add more sources and build this into a great product.' That's how Google News came about.

India Calling

2008-02-04T13:37:00.000+05:30

Why nobody in India is really listening....

The first 50 posts

2007-12-12T13:28:00.000+05:30

Yipee, this is my 50th post on this blog. I never doubted that I will reach here one day.

And what better way than this delicious correspondence between a customer and Amazon customer service to rejoice !

(Link via Seth Godin's blog)

Half Life

2007-12-04T14:19:00.000+05:30

The day I was born, the night sang four songs.
Of life, of love, of joy and mourn,
In two I slept and two I remember
Life was about sorrow, pain and anger

The cup half filled with grief and misery
The other half, I never knew the mystery
Years turned into wrinkles on the face
I wishfully inching towards my grave
Hollow promises that I could not keep
A ray of hope is all I seek

Then came the night in my slumber,
I heard about love and its wonder,
Soon life found its unshackled mirth,
Its a new half-life for all its worth.

Alchemist Revisited

2007-12-04T10:59:00.000+05:30

My current favorite these days:

Badi shiddaat se maine jisko paane ki koshish ki,

Har zarre ne mujhe usse milane ki saazish ki,

- Om Shanti Om (2007)

This Diwali...

2007-11-09T01:05:00.000+05:30

Think about the dreams you had...
Think about what are you doing about them...

For those who have given up on their dreams,
And those who are still after them...

Just would say one thing:

Picture abhi baaki hain mere dost..

Picture abhi baaki hain...

Have a healthy, fantastic, prosperous, fun-filled Diwali.

Google Nukes!

2007-11-06T13:46:00.000+05:30

Google News thinks nukes are for entertainment. Kissinger is also optimistic about it, it seems.

Team India - Part II

2007-11-01T13:27:00.000+05:30

The editorial in ToI Why we sizzle in T20 mentions:

" T20 is a game of individual cameos and history is proof how good the Indians are at such performances. What has been the bane of Indian cricket for years — it is replete with instances of individual brilliance rather than team efforts — is now proving of value in the new format."

It substantiates what I had written in my earlier post about playing as a team.

Team India ?

2007-10-31T22:58:00.000+05:30

Note: This was written before Chak De! phenomenon hit Indian sports scene. Though much has still remain the same.

I sometimes wonder that why we (the Indians I mean) are not able to pull off grand feats more regularly. Why we don't have a Golden Gate or Hoover Dam or other such megastructures. The last great thing we build was the Taj[1].

Or take for that matter why there has not been any killer-apps[2] from India in this last decade. Or why we are so lousy in our day to day life when it comes to traffic management or project management.

I have this theory which tries to explain some of the reasons. I think an average Indian does not play team sports, much less understand it. By team sports, I mean where team work is the essential component for excellence such as football, hockey and basketball. For me, there is a cricket team but it still is a limited team sport. On more days, we win because of individual brilliance. Also, the interaction at physical level is very minimal. Its more of an elitist game. Its not as raw as football or hockey where the players not only interact as cohesive force but also have lot of physical proximity. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not trying to propagate an alternate life style or sexual culture. Its just that cricket does not break the divide of untouchability (metaphorically speaking) between players as good as the aforementioned sports.

Indians have excelled in chess. We have made some mark in tennis and badminton and squash. Yes, we used to excel in hockey too. So somewhere we had understood the concept of team only to lose it again.

But my contention is not of the national representation in these sports but at a more individual level. At school or college, most of the kids play cricket. Some of them play other individual sports. Very few play football or hockey. Fewer follow these games.

Blame it on limited resources such as grounds, infrastructure and fundings or just the mind-set. Even in cricket, fielding is boring, it's the batting that is the most glamorous thing. That's were you get recognition, that's where the moolah is.

So what are the consequences, I see that we are not great team players. We don't understand the importance of delegating responsibilities. Of letting the other guy score the goal if I make the right pass. We don't really learn the idea of bigger picture. Because, we are marred by proving our own capabilities even at the cost of the team. On a macro-level, our projects do not complete in time or never complete most of the times. The word quality - it does not apply to us. We don't respect other person's space because me and the other person is never a team. It's always us and them.

Now, I am not suggesting that team sports is a panacea to all the things but certainly, it's certainly a step forward for creating a sense of pursuing common goals and building communities.

[1] The Taj has ended up in the New 7 wonders of the World. The organization which initiated this IMHO-futile exercise is down with huge losses that it's not doing anything for the great Taj but yeah, we won. Yipeee ! Well, that's another story which does not need to be told.
[2] I think writing software or a new chip design requires very strong teamwork. Especially, in these times. No one person can now a days come up with an outstanding product alone.

Breaking News!

2007-10-27T01:06:00.000+05:30

Almost a decade ago, a movie tried to show mirror to the news TV channels. Not surprisingly, it bombed. Sometimes real life stalks reel life that its scary.

1. The chain smokers are protesting against "No Smoking"[1].
2. The PROs are complaining against "Laaga Chunri Mein Daag"
3. Somebody is investigating whether Indian team insulted the Indian Flag.
4. Tech Mahindra has come up with a "decent" dress code for its employees.
5. Gujarat government ordered for blank out of few news channel.
6. Principal of Mumbai college stopped some hundred students because they were dressed. Inappropiately, I must add. There is no nude college anywhere (?).
7. "Dharma" director fought against the adharm done to her by Eklavya. In a twist to the story, it was Eklavya who was wronged in Mahabharata.

So what does it tell you ?
(a) The electronic media is screwing up big time by promoting these stories as mainstream news. Some of them may merit a coverage but with relevance. In the past, it has gone more bizarre. In the process our judicial and news effectiveness graphs take a dip.
(b) The truth is out, we are a bunch of intolerant losers and not those oh-so-gentle-and-warm-ever-smiling-indians that has been projected by the world along with stories of snake-charmers and elephants.
(c) The future looks scarier. There is a progressive rise in the level of in-tolerance and mob mentality. Those who make it to the TV circus are the ones who are heard and seen and talked about. Especially, if you are looking to make your point and whatever that may be.

[1] - I could not get source on the web for this one. I saw it on some news programme.

The Abyss

2007-10-26T10:51:00.000+05:30

The abyss is so crowded
No more can the spirit fall
In the light of the moon
The shadow of the vulture
Man has become
What he ought to destroy
Angels stoop and cry despair
Wings are broken not to restore
The flight to glory a distant dream
Eyes that saw are lying asleep

Chemical Locha

2007-10-25T22:07:00.000+05:30

The nuclear deal is no big deal. Thanks to leftist coolants. Its no more a deal. Almost, unless there is some fission in the Communists and some isotopic Commies have fusion with the PM. Which in all Gaussian probability is zilch.

Here is where I don't understand the equation: With no great knowledge of nuclear science and political science, I can understand it makes lot of sense to go and sign the N-deal which gives India an alternate sources of energy. With minimal support, Indian has build reactors and done its nuclear tests which is commendable and now when we are on a verge of growing exponentially and energy is one of the needs that will be cornerstone of India's success. So what are these 40-50 babus are seeing that I am missing. The Red Flag Party is known for making this government red-faced. Its really ironic that CPI, CPM can see through the Himalaya and speak what China s but for US, they have created a Great Wall. I mean how can 40-50 people hold 1 billion for ransom.

Koi to chemical locha hain, Bapu. But you know what, this is my gut feeling in writing, the nuclear deal will happen, I don't know how. Its a mystery.

5 point someone's time-table

2007-10-24T22:55:00.000+05:30

Is time a man-made dimension ? A figment of our imagination. A concept that was created to help us lead our lives in an orderly fashion. For me, it is enough to drive me crazy. So what have I been doing all these months. Let me surmise in 5 bullets as to what have I done:

Well, its been 3 and half months since I joined a start-up (sic). That keeps me busy for 1/3 of the day.
Read iWoz, iCon, Founders @ Work, Freakonomics, half-way through Getting Things Done.
Watched Chak De! India, Identity, Shattered Glass, Dhamaal, Chashm-e-Baddoor, Jaane bhi do Yaaron! and of course T20 world cup (no, its not 20th sequel of The Terminator but just as action-packed)
Trying to go to gym. Nothing to do with some six-pack abs inspiration. I have been trying for past 4 months.
For the rest, I have to really think hard as to what I am doing. I really don't know, I have to think hard and I don't have the energy left to think. No more a thinking man. Never was, for some. That does not change a thing, even a wee bit.But, its just that I have been busy, really busy doing something or the other though no way to show any tangible outcome. Messed up time-management or my watch stopped.

So there, most of them merit a post, at least. Hopefully, I will get 100 % coverage in coming days.

Random seed

2007-10-24T22:53:00.000+05:30

A plant in a pot finding its roots,
I will grow, will I bloom ?
Cherish for the soil of my land,
Where I will wither away in glory.

Just do it!

2007-07-01T11:03:00.000+05:30

Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it.

Mahatma Gandhi

The man certainly knew the pulse of the nation. The man knows how to express.
What more reason does one need to do what is right. The fact that it is right thing to do is good enough reason to do it.

The Uncrowning Glory!

2007-06-24T12:28:00.000+05:30

So I don't know what is the big fuss about Taj. That people are going crazy or at least driving me crazy to vote for it as one of the seven wonders of the world.

How will my vote help ? I know the cliched answer, every vote counts.
But counts for what?
Will it make Agra a more tourist friendly place?
Will it make the Taj less prone to pollutants?
The only wonder I wonder about is how will it benefit with Taj being in the seven wonders of the world?
If I don't vote for Taj does it make it less beautiful?
Why do we associate cricket, or Oscars and now Taj with patriotism? Does it make me less patriotic (sic) if I don't vote for Taj.

For me, the beauty of Taj does not lie that it made into the list. Its beauty lies in full glory on a full moon or in break of dawn when the sun rises. Its beautiful when millions of Indians have hummed odes to Taj in Bollywood movies. Its beautiful when it brings the sense of awe and an insipiring smile on a face. Nevermind, all the hardships one faces because of the administrations.

I don't need the voting - the eight blunder of the world. Your seven blunder list may vary.
I don't need any third party list to say Arre Huzoor Wah Taj boliye !

But those who are still adamant or are keen on "voting" you can vote for Taj here. I am not voting for sure. If Taj loses by a vote, you know who was not patriotic enough.

Also, you can vote for Indion Idol or Voice of India or comedy Circus or Sa Re Ga Ma Pa if you are suffering from CVS (Compulsory Voting Syndrome). Alas, you can not vote for the President of India ! Sorry, tough luck.

NBA - Nation Bachao Aandolan

2007-06-24T09:38:00.000+05:30

I have a new president nominee to save the nation, Mr Aamir Khan. He already has shown signs of revolutionizing the constitution. Last week, he went ahead and added one more basic right for every Indian.

Every Indian should own a DVD of Lagaan.

So now, Roti, Kapda aur Lagaan is the new mantra.

He has good credentials, He is a farmer by birth. No, I did not mean that he is dipping his samosas in Kissan ketchup but he is a Kisaan. Jai Lagaan, Jai Kisaan.

He can also fight corruption by bumping off politicians, does it rang any bell ?
Dam(n) it, he can also go and sit with NBA. Though his height may limit him from playing basketball.

And if he wins, expect a new hair-style[1] from him after the trend-setting Dr Kalam's curls which incidentally inspired another Khan in Tere Naam[2].

But wait, Mr Khan is known for disappearing from the public eye for years if he has no movie to release, so there may be a case where we don't see our president for next 5 years. Wish we can say the same for our other politicians !

If there is no other benefit than at least he won't be veiled in purdah whenever we get his glimpse.

The signs are too visible and he does make a very good candidate. Mr Aamir Khan is the right choice, Baby ! A-ha. After all, Jo Jeeta Wahi Sikandar.

Though my only concern is, does every Indian need to buy a DVD player too ?

[1] - He is going bald in his forthcoming movie oops..movieee I mean. Thanks Himesh !
[2] - I made this strand of connection between Salman Khan and Dr Kalam.

The turning of Dr. Seuss in his grave !

2007-06-02T12:26:00.000+05:30

Was writing another cheesy rhyme,
Just stopped short of committing the crime,
What is the purpose of writing a verse ?
When it does not make any sense or worse,
It exposes my idiocy, and proves that I am no good,
So I will delete this piece. Yes, I better should.
But, for a moment, let it see the light of the day,
The comments are open, have your say !

Vent of Paint-up emotions

2007-05-14T15:20:00.000+05:30

So this MSU Fine Arts fracas is going real crazy. Chandramohan won a stay of 5 days in jail and still counting. Courtesy BJP and VHP. The PVC[1] and VC[2] have suspended the dean[3]. They have also closed the exhibition. I think they were not invited to open the exhibition at the first place, that's what got them angry. Cos they could not light the lamp, they are adding fuel to the fire.

Somewhere else in India, there is an all-India protest about the whole issue. I wonder why Ahmedabad is not there in the picture.

Also, somewhere else Maneka Gandhi has gone all-human. She is trying to save the human creative aspect. Christ ! What will happen to all the animals. I guess human is an animal too, and some animals are more equal than the others.

If this thing interested you, you can go and visit this blog. You can also leave your signature over here to show that you care.

[1] - Trivia : PVC is used for foot-wear sole.
[2] - Trivia : VC stands for Vice - chancellor. Vice means bad habits.
[3] - Trivia : Dean, in Hindi, means helpless or something like that. You get the drift.

Hurt of a Nation

2007-05-10T16:36:00.000+05:30

The people are so touchy these days. They are so sensitive and emotional.

So one BJP leader gets hurt by the painting of Lalit Kala Akademi award winner and a student in MSU Fine Arts. Some MLA in Maharashtra is hurt that Buddha is in the bathroom. Of Rakhi Sawant, no less to get things straight. How dare one put God and Rakhi Sawant in the same room? Have pity on God, at least.

It wasn't only the Big Brother who felt the heat for the most famous lip-lock in the Indian history since Vatsayan days which happened between a Buddha follower and apni Shilpa. Ek Gere aadmi ke saath...Iissssh ! And damn, one will be hurt when somebody Murthy decides that its OK to play the music of the anthem rather than singing it hoarsely. What would happen to so many budding Himeshes who thought Murthy was their Indian Idol ? How dumb Murthy was that he did not know that even a mute person has to compulsorily sing the anthem to show that she cares for the country ?

Of course, Mr Satya Paul did not know that Pallu of the saree can only have the Indian flag not the knee-jerk creativity he showed. How dare he ? To give the credit, he made sure that if not India then some other nation would have got offended with all flag saree for Ms Noodle Straps. 2 minutes it took for her getting vocally flogged. Set. Max. Go. But some people never learn so Ms Bedi goes a step back this time and puts a tatoo of a Sikh symbol on her back. How regressive ! Kuch to sikho Ms Bedi. You should have taken the thing up front instead. How spine less of you to enrage someone's feeling back-to-back.

So it continues, these people are working harder so that the rest of us can express our sentiments and emotions. Who says that world is being indifferent and zombie-like ? Now, I am hurt too. Let me sulk. Not in the corner, Right in front of the world. I want my 15 minutes of shame.

Majority

2007-05-10T16:32:00.000+05:30

A majority of us feel that murder, loot, rape, arson are wrong.
A majority of us think that honesty, integrity, following the rules are right.
A majority of us do not commit the above crimes.
A majority of us do not do the right thing.

You don't need a majority to do the right thing.
But you need a majority to decide, to concur on the wrong.
The majority says that it is wrong. The One asks what is right ?

Dream On.....

2007-05-08T14:16:00.000+05:30

When chips are down, the stakes are high,
When the heart that bleeds, the thoughts that cry,
The eyes are listless, the lips are dry,
When hope glows, doubts that sigh,
The If, the but, the how and the why,
Something says that its worth the try,
Its ok to fall when you dream for the sky.

The state machine of the mind

2007-05-06T11:59:00.000+05:30

Mann apne ko kuch halka paaye....
Jaise kandho par rakha bojh hat jaaye...
Jaise bhola sa bachpan phir se aaye...
Jaise barson mein koi Ganga nahaaye....

There are few gems that beautifully describe what I feel some time or the other.
The one above fits the bill today.

The Caucus

2007-05-01T15:41:00.000+05:30

A latest addition to the blogosphere. My manager and mentor and friend Rahul has started his blog.
His first post tackles the pertinent issues related to the job world.

I have added the link in my "Friends who write" widget. Also, you can directly go to his blog The Caucus.

On job, my take is jobs don't have future, people do. I did not make this one. Wish I had.

I hope he keeps writing frequently.

Missing in Action ?

2007-04-26T20:24:00.000+05:30

Summer is here. The days are getting longer. But I still don't find enough time to complete my things. That was my excuse for not writing since long. To quote SRK, "I am running 2 days behind in my life". Well, in my case, it will be weeks.

So far, work is keeping me busy. Also, we started off with volleyball tournament at my work place.
Lately, I have been busy with the blog and the website for the tournament.

We won our first match. It was relief more than anything after being "minnows" in the last tournament where we were beaten left, right and center.

Do visit the blog and the website.

Vote Populi

2007-04-04T18:19:00.000+05:30

I can't be blogging right now. I am voting for Sanjaya if the following theory is to be believed.

American Idol: Are Indian call centers skewing the vote ?

Indians are known for voting the worst of the lot. Always.
Take the case of the MLAs and MPs, the BCCI selectors voting for the Indian Cricket team (alright, this one was below the belt, I apologize), the indian franchise of the "Idol" or who can forget the desi version with Qazi Tauqeer winning Fame Gurukul. Gasp.
Now you know now why Shilpa won the Big Brother, for that matter.

Folks, this is just the beginning, after the "Idol' we may even vote for the next President. No not of India, we want Amitabh to be the president of US of A.
USA - The Uttam State of Amitabh or Allahabad, worse Amar. Take your pick and call me.
Though the lines are busy as I am voting for Sanjaya.

Google goes the old-fashioned way

2007-04-03T13:44:00.000+05:30

with Gmail Paper.

Now, nature is also a call away with Google TiSP without seeking absence from the digital world.

Learn more about them over here !

All in the day

2007-04-03T13:19:00.000+05:30

The other day, I went to Crosswords and bought Po Bronson's Why do I love these people ? (The name may sound cheesy, but the book is not. More on the book some time later.) When I came out of the book store, a 5 or 6 year old kid stopped my way.

Saahab, Can I polish these shoes.

These were suedes, I told him, the usual polish wax won't work on these shoes. Never to give up so easily, he said at least I can get them brushed. Somehow I relented, one of the reason that I attribute is, he did not try emotional black mail on me but only sold his skills.

How much will it cost ?
Pay as per your will.
5 is good ?
Haan.
If I get the shoe box, I can carry all the wax and brush along with me and earn more money. It will cost 120 rupees.
What's your name ?
Vijay
Ok ? You work in this area all the time?
Haan.
Where is the shop that sells the shoe-box?
Its near the railway station.
Vijay, not today, but one of these days, I will buy it for you.

**********************************

While driving back to office, a van with school kids over took me. While it was beside my two-wheeler, someone threw out a stone. No,that was just for the effect, in fact, it was a ball made out of crumpled paper. It was enough to startle me and break my reverie. I was suppose to take the next left and I was thinking I should go and yell at the kid. The van raced ahead and one head poked out of the window and looked at me. Was it guilt or was it relief that he did not get caught ?. I am not a good face reader. I took my left turn.

**********************************

It's worse than Sahara in Ahmedabad this summer. Though I have never been to Sahara, neither have I travelled with Air Sahara but that's beside the point. The point is, it's worse than Sahara in Ahmedabad.
So at work-place we had a power cut. May be due to over-load or may be somebody tired of working tripped the circuit-breaker but that's beside the point. The point is, there was a power cut.

Few of my co-workers and me landed up in the lounge and we were cribbing about the Great Indian Robbery where 1 billion were robbed of their cricket dream and some more nationalistic issues that may or may not have included Rakhi Sawant. Suddenly, the Sage spoke : "You know, the best thing we can do right now is to serve chilled water to those people out there". Everyone looked at the direction that he was indicating. Now, we are on the 4th floor and we have long corridors with glass windows on one side and halls having Dilbert-ish cubicles on the other side. The corridor broadens up near the lounge where we have couches. So the view through the glass windows had the top floor of a building being brought down by few labourers.

There was a silence that lasted a second longer. I said
We do not have enough water to serve them.
We can buy a 20-liter bottle.
Another period of silence.

Do you really want to do it.
Actually, no, the building seems far. And we will have to take it to the top floor.
Umm ok.

A customary silence where the intention was acknowledged.
We revert to pressing national issues which at that moment of time required our undivided attention.

**********************************

Remember why he died....

2007-03-26T23:57:00.000+05:30

Is it a new beginning, I wonder ( I am not talking about cricket, not yet.) Or is it a continuum of the last year's legal break through in Jessica Lal's case. Some sixteen months ago, he was murdered by the oil mafia and today the district court ordered death penalty for the prime accused and life-terms for the rest of the accomplices.

But its not over till its over. Its too early to celebrate justice. This is just the district court, the defendants will go to High Court or may be till Supreme court. The public memory is too short, the vision is short-sighted. Its not about one killer. Its about the fight against crime. The idea is to keep the momentum going against the culprits. The key is to never let go hope. Like in another case, the verdict is still open on Satyendra Dubey's murder trial.

Its about remembering why Manjunath died [1].

On this, I urge you to read this wonderful essay "The Banality of Heroism" via Guy Kawasaki's post.

[1] The statement is inspired from a quote in the movie "300".

Cricket Google(y)

2007-03-19T23:32:00.000+05:30

Follow this link. A concise page for the cricket buffs. Very Googlish. Thanks to Om Malik's daily blog.

I have also added in my Live Wire link list.

Who ? India ? Ha-ah !

2007-03-19T12:23:00.000+05:30

As Indian love numbers and calculations, we have got ourselves into situation where an Einstein or a Ramanujan will thrive. Instead of playing with ball and the bat, we now have to deal with statistics and permutations and combinations. The way Bangladeshi iceberg rocked the Indian titanic (to borrow the cliche, its just a tip of the iceberg) I wouldn't be surprise that Bangla tigers upset the Lankans. (Well, I hope they do that, for India's sake.).

India, umm, I think we have an outside chance to claw our way back into Super 8. The best and the only thing that India can do is to beat the hell out of Lankans and Bermuda. Keeping my fingers crossed and hopes high. To give a positive spin, if Indians are good enough to claim the cup, then they should be able to come out of this precarious situation.

Well, I don't think only Sehwag is the match ka mujrim[1], but the guy does not get it, does he ? With his form as dead as the willow itself, why do we have him in the team ? Pathan can bat better than him and you know what, he can bowl too. I am sure the Indian think-(s)tank knows better than me, but Sachin should open for India instead of getting strait-jacketed at No. 4.

Lastly, the so-called fans of Indian cricket team vandalizing Dhoni's house in Ranchi and claiming that they have been betrayed, it's so sick that it's amusing. I think the Indian cricket team should stop playing for such lunatics[2]. No doubt, my mom had predicted the bad things happens when one just plays and does not study. Imagine Dhoni going into Silicon Valley and screwing up one of the projects, at least his house would have been safe.

In the other group, the Pakis have lost it completely. This must be one of the most humiliating exits for them in the recent tournaments. They not only lost the race for the World Cup but the cricket fraternity lost Woolmer. He died apparently in mysterious circumstances lending fuel to many conspiracy theories. For his sake, Pakistan should win their last group match.

[1] A very pathetic and puking coverage by Star News.
[2] Don't ask me how can they play only for true fans and not for the rest. It was just a rant.

The Punter-Man

2007-03-14T14:28:00.001+05:30

It happened yesterday again, I predicted Pakistan are going to win the opener against the Windies. And as usual, the predictions were wrong. Actually, I see a trend in these.
Lets take a step back, I predicted France are going to win the FIFA'06 and yeah they were winning till a bald man ended up being a bull in the china shop. His maata was never raazi for this behaviour.

I wonder what does Sehwag's maata would say now, beta, have some milk instead of andaa...
Andaa matlab Virendra Sehwag, or is it Virendra "anda" Sehwag ?

And yeah, before France lost out in the final, many teams fell pray to my innocuous predictions. Of course, the only man who could resist the wrath of my prediction is a certain Mr Federer. (Just for the record, I did not know he was playing in the Pacific Life Open that he lost).

I have also a very consitent track record when India went to the carribeans and to SA last year. Whenever I said let there be a win, It was a win alright but for the other team.

So there, next time if you want to bet your money, you know whom to ask.

An insect called cricket

2007-03-14T14:23:00.000+05:30

Yeah, cricket is a kida which is going to bite the blue billion for next one month at least and we are going to nibble our way to super 8 for sure.[1][2][3]
Don't know about the semis and the World Cup swansong of the awesome foursome.

Google came out with Cricket World Cup logo. Nike came out with a $99 (I am freakin' speechless) t-shirt. What were they thinking ?

Ladega toh Jeetega, is the new Pepsi Ad. Lame. Starts off nicely, then chugs down dead slow on the tracks. (Literally !). The bit that stands out - Sehwag getting almost lynched in the ad. Was it reality TV, I wonder ?

(On a side note, Coke has an equally lousy ad with Aamir Khan but its got nothing to do with cricket except Aamir played in Awwal Number (a must-watch) and Lagaan).

Yeah, just noticed Harsha Bhogle in one of the songs in the forthcoming flick "Hat Trick". He was with Nana Patekar, Danny, Paresh Rawal. What do I say more ?

[1] A 'word' from geeks, they love 'bites' and 'nibbles'.
[2] Hopefully reaching super 8 should not be difficult. Its Bermuda that is scaring me.
[3] Finally, I did my first footnote. Yipee !.

Just watch it....

2007-03-02T23:10:00.000+05:30

Loved the new Nike ad. Expectedly, it rocks ! Nike aur pooch pooch !

I think its a first for them with the cricket theme in India.
At least some activity in the media associated with the World cup.
I am surprised that no theme song or other ads have been unleashed in the Indian media yet.
Where are Pepsi and Coke ? Buried deep inside the earth with pesticides.

Boringly, the news channels keep harping on the jaded song,
"Sunoh gaur se duniya waalon....."
Nobody is listening, yaar. Its old and dead and I want a new anthem.
And no, I don't want those patriotic jingoistic songs which make cricket look more like crusader's war rather than game about the spirit of human triumph.

Nobody listens when I say ....... Cos I don't say it loud enough. Or everybody is shouting themselves hoarse....

Bura na mano !

2007-03-02T23:08:00.000+05:30

Its Holi-day. Its on Sunday.Damn, and my next day-off is on 15th August. Thats too far.
Happy Holi to all !
Play safe, no balloons, and use you-know-what. I meant Gulal, you sick perverted minds.

After all these years.....

2007-03-02T22:56:00.000+05:30

Finally, The Departed is released in my gaon. May be I will go and watch it sometime next week.

Somebody had the courtesy to remember Scorsese this Oscars. After all these years.
I think something similar will happen with Sachin Tendulkar.
Arre nahi, he won't get the Oscars for Boost ad.
May be, he will get the most coveted cup of all. May be.

The new Crorepati

2007-03-02T22:41:00.000+05:30

I think the new KBC is super cool. SRK is doing a fantastic job. He is being flippant, witty, smart ass, goofy, charming and a good host all in one. Loved the episode with the Gujju cool dude from Vapi and the more recent one, the nerdy contestant from Baroda. He kind of reminds me of my cousin (and not because he won a lot of money). It was funny expression when he took the barfi. Well, on barfi, a honourable mention on few good things one sacrifices to remain a mere mortal. Its a matter of different posting which I will duly write in my own sweet time.

For those who have not seen the promotional song video, you can watch it here !
O & M did a fantastic job with the teaser videos and the punch line:
Kuch sawaal zindagi badal sakte hain ? Aapki zindagi kis sawaal se badlegi ?

I don't know who did it for KBC 2. The ummeed se dugna tag line was quite catchy too.

Umm...Err...Well...

2006-11-25T11:28:00.000+05:30

Ah, the pressures of maintaining a blog.

When every word is devoured by the DEL key and every click is on the CANCEL button, how then a mere mortal like me take out his not-so-expressive-but-compelling rantings in the big bad digital world.

I try writing, I retry, I ignore and then I abort. Sounds familiar, eh ? This time, I publish this as it is.

Retried, Ignored but eventually Published. R.I.P.

i,Con !

2006-09-27T13:48:00.000+05:30

Nah, I am not talking about Steve Jobs or his book.

But of the man who has been conning the west for good amount of time. His book is out there on the shelf.

Ambrish opines about Musharraf's book. It is not a review per se but makes an interesting observation about that Mushy does not know that his target audience.

Who am I ?

2006-09-17T10:58:00.000+05:30

Who am I ?

The question that everyone wants answer of but I guess, very select few know the answer. Its the question that makes people go around the world and makes them do things that they feel will give them some iota of information about themselves.

Who am I ? I think therefore I am.

What I think ? I think myself to be a winner. I am a winner. I think I am a loser. I am a loser.

The mind plays trick on itself. Who is the mind trying to fool? Its playing games with itself and its fun. Let me join the fun.

Who am I ? I am the mind, and I am the body - the physical manifestation of the mind. Both complement each other.

Without the body, mind cannot see the effect of its trick and enjoy the show. Without the mind, its no show. And as the adage says, the show must go on and there is nothing like show business.

Who am I ? I am the show, I am the audience.

I am the joke and I am the joker. The world is a 24/7 live channel where everyone is playing a character, a character not of his own making but of his own willing.

This is madness, this is the world, this is life.

Who am i ? I am a mask of expression through which world expects me to show its own emotions.

I am the mirror where the world sees itself and sometimes laugh, sometimes cry, sometimes gets angry, or may be a little wild.

Who am I ? I am the best, I am the worst.

I form my own limits and rules which I try to break to achieve something and the same limit I don't want to cross at all cost so that I don’t destroy my creation.

Who am I ? I am the truth, I am the believer. I seek truth about my own existence, I believe somebody's vision about the existence of the world.

I am the day and the night, two sides of the same coin. The Yin and the Yang.

I am the statement and the contradiction.

I am the confusion and the clarity in the confusion.

Who am I ? The quest continues...

God is in Kuala Lumpur !

2006-09-16T13:45:00.000+05:30

He came. He played. He conquered. India still lost due to draconian Duckworth(less) / Lewis rule.
A terrific 141 and yeah, he played right through the innings, albeit only for the second time in his 364 innings.

Harsha Bhogle in his column for Indian Express writes

He wanted to play this game far more than we wanted him to. This excitement, 18 years into his profession, separates him from those that, some days, look upon playing cricket as a job.

Today, He faces McGrath. Truly a contest that was long over due, the last time India played Australia was 2 years ago.

McGrath may think otherwise, but my 2 cents, Indians can expect a real treat !

On a side note, my friend Raoul talks about his (mis)-adventures on the green field. Though he still did not write whether his side won or lost. Or it does not matter.

Knock ! Knock ! Who is it ?

2006-09-10T20:09:00.000+05:30

DON!!!

The wait gets over on 20th October, 2006.

Though one of my favourite dialogues is not in the movie:

"Us diary mein ek dhaadi waale ka bhi naam tha"

Razors are cheap these days.

Adventures on a Saturday Night !

2006-09-10T09:07:00.000+05:30

All you sneaky perverts who think that I will write here about my love life, can go take a hike here. For the rest who are still around, I am talking about a show that I attended this saturday.

"If you have no great plans for the Saturday Night, please visit the Annual day celebrations of Visamo Kids", a non-verbatim gist of the mail I received on Friday. Normally, I am not the one who goes for any celebrations except of my dear and near ones ( geographically speaking). But this was different, not only because of who wrote this mail but also somewhere I blinked that I am going to have good fun. And of course, being in Gujarat, we value freedom a lot. Anything that is free is always welcomed and this being a free entry show was just an icing on the cake. So off went Tina and me to Tagore Hall.

Let me not go on to write an "aankho dekha haal" account cos in this case, seeing is believing. So what was it all about, Visamo kids foundation is about few children who have got everything in them to be a success except the opportunities. The organization tries to prepare them for such opportunties. And what these children have.... a dyslexic kid playing the protagonist in a drama on Lord Krishna or an amazing performance of Rajasthani folk dance that truly deserves an encore. Though my vote for the best act goes to the terrific foot tapping instrumental rendition of Tu hi meri shab hain.

The kids are bright and smart, and I am very sure that they will go on achieving much more. But these are just 40 kids. I am sure there are many more such talented prodigies all around India who are waiting for their Visamo Kids foundation. If they don't, we (the society) will suffer as much as they do.

I am not saying that do something about it as a charitable cause. Because to have a better society is not charity but a way of life.

Finally, I saw .....

2006-09-02T15:30:00.000+05:30

KANK.

I found it entertaining but the pop-corn sucked big time.
Wait, did I say other way round. Umm, nope, the statement holds.

If I feel I may write more but if I feel I may not write at all. Such is life.

Teachers' Day

2006-09-02T15:23:00.000+05:30

For 5th September "Teachers' Day", we are trying something new at my work place. Any employee can give a Thank You card to whomsoever she thinks she has learnt from. (Grammar has never been my strong point. So no Thank You for my English teacher :-) )

I know I will be giving many such cards. Work is fun, though I still hate Mondays and yeah, the weekend is never long enough.

All Those Who Wander Are Not Lost....

2006-08-30T13:51:00.000+05:30

Or they say in Hindi:

Laut ke buddhu ghar ko aaye

After months of ennui and trying out different names for my blog, I return to this blog address for good.

Few of my exploits:
Crab Mentality
Life Universe & Everything
Same Difference (This poor thing never saw the light of the day... R.I.P. )

Alrite, I know me not that creative but who says blogging is being all creative.
As one mobile serivces company urges "Express Yourself"

I may be changing the look and feel of this blog but trying to get the contents going for this blog.

Till then,
Have fun,

The Lone Warrior....

2005-11-26T17:22:00.000+05:30

Another incident of courage. Another incident of shame.

Shanmugam Manjunath, IIM alumni, working with IOC was brutally murdered for exposing the Oil Mafia in U.P. More can be read here and how world is reacting. In 2003, Satyendra Dubey was killed for the same reason, this time for corruption in Prime Minister's Rs 50,000 crore highway project.

The only silver lining that I want to see is, may be our education system has not yet let us down. These two martyrs were from the two of the most elite institutes, Dubey was from IIT. I really believe somewhere there the value system is still intact.

Somewhere I feel, is it worth it ? Why would one put his life in the line of fire ? Will things ever change ? Is this fight worth ?

I do not have all the answers, but I quote Samwise in LOTR , "There is so much good in this world, and it is worth fighting for..."

Finally, the D-Day....

2005-11-26T15:54:00.000+05:30

It's never too late to do the right thing, I guess. Today, I reinitiate my blogging skills. I had created a blog many months ago, but it died a natural death.

One thing that I learnt, that there is never a perfect start.
Start from wherever you are, with whatever you have.

With this, I begin again....