Upcoming Blogs ....

It's been a long time since I posted anything... But that doesn't mean I have stopped writing..
I have written a crude draft of quite a few posts. It's just that it feels as if something is missing ...

Anyways, there will be a few of them in short while ...

1. The book MAXIMUM CITY ...
3. First Diwali at home after 6 years ...
4. Obama comes ...
5. Terror Attacks on Mumbai, 26/11.
6. Poems (Tentetive)
7. The drive on Mumbai Pune Expressway
8. Cousin's Engagement ...
9. A new way of life ...

And many more ....

Last fifteen Books I read ....

The most recent one is at number fifteen ......


1. Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15, 1844 – August 25, 1900) was a nineteenth-century German philosopher and classical philologist. He wrote critical texts on religion, morality, contemporary culture, philosophy, and science, using a distinctive German language style and displaying a fondness for metaphor and aphorism.
All in all, I started reading this book for only one reason: Jim Morrison was highly influenced by his writings.... But as I read along, I loved the way he blasts every convention out of the way; moral or philosophical. The book is a sequel to " Thus Spoke Zarathustra", which I intend to read pretty soon.

2. The Client by John Grisham
This was my first John Grisham book. Prior to reading, all I knew was that he wrote novels related to law ... He is one of the few writers quite a lot of whose books have been made into movies. After reading this, I got so taken by his style of setting thrillers in a legal backdrop (always in the state of Memphis) that I ended up reading back to back three of his novels ...

3. The Firm by John Grisham

4. The Chamber by John Grisham


5. God's Debris by Scott Adams
Now, I knew Scott Adams is a name quite familiar with people, even those who aren't avid book readers, because of an ensemble of toon characters from his strip DILBERT ...
Adams' fame as the author of the Dilbert comics made publishers wary of this new book without Dilbert, so they refused to publish. Adam went ahead and released it as an e-book. Word-of-mouth publicity then ensured it's quick release in hardcover format as well ....
It tells why would God want to live at all, if he is omnipotent and omnipresent ?
Thanks to boredom at office and Chetan, who gave me the eBook ...




6. The Religion War by Scott Adams
A sequel to the previous book, where the man carrying the parcel in God's Debris is now the Avatar ... A brilliantly simplistic view depicting a future clash of civilizations between Christians and Muslims ...

7. 3 Mistakes of my Life by Chetan Bhagat

Well, his 5 point someone has ensured that I will always read any of his books; and thanks to him, many first time readers are starting of with his works rather than Sidney Sheldon. His simle language, small size of the book and low price has ensured a niche market for him. As for the book; a major improvement over the last one, One night @ the Call Center.

8. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig

Now, this book was heavy stuff... I wanted to read it simply because there are always questions in any quiz related to this book (Quizzing is my part-time hobby as well)
It describes the two extremes in the kind of people around us ... perfectionists and believers in destiny ... all in the backdrop of a motorcycle ...

9. Jim Morrison: Life, Death, Legend by Stephen Davis

No words for this person. I mean, how could it be that such a vulnerable, clueless, self destructive person end up creating a persona that inspired many; and unleashed a phenomenon ...

His poems were way ahead of his time; he was the prominent catalyst of the counterculture of the 1960s and early 1970s in the United States; a reaction against the conservative government and social norms; further intensified by the Cold war and Vietnam. He was the icon of the confused and restless Baby Boomer generation ..

Just too sad that he died at 27 ...

10. Dragon Rising: An Inside Look at China Today by Jasper Becker

I picked up this one out of curiosity, not knowing the author either. I was attracted by two things; a dazzling array of glossy pictures from allover China and the publication by National Geographic. After reading it, I know of China, or rather, I understand the phenomenon called China much better now ... Qing Dynasty, Opium Wars, Chiang Kai Shek, The Great Leap from 1958 - 1962, Mao Zedong, Cultural Revolution, Deng Xiaoping, Tiananmen Square, SOEs, SEZs, China's military appetite, it's territoial claims from Vietman to Tibet ...

All in All, it made me glad I live in a shitty noisy clumsy democracy ... made me feel proud of India

11. Joker in the Pack : An Irreverent View of Life at IIMs by Neeraj Pahlajani (IIM B) and Ritesh Sharma (IIM L)

I read it when my roommate Nishant gave it to me; and later i learned from others that it was to IIMs what 5 point someone was to the IITs. Now, being an aspiring IIM student (this will be my 4th straight CAT), I had to read it .... to be succint, it was entertaining and enlightening. What goes inside one of the biggest educational brands acriss corporates.

12. The Black Cross by Greg Iles

I started reading it simply because I had no other book available. But it turned out to be quite an entertainer ... set in the backdrop of World War II in Germany, full of commando action, mass killing of Jews, Chemical weapons (Sarin and Soman), covert operations .... it's a good thriller.

13. It happened in India by Kishore Biyani
I've read plenty of stuff on retail , most notably being Made in America by Sam Walton and other stuff by Jack Trout; but India is India .... and that is what this book really brings to the table; that retaling in India is an alltogether new ball game. Also was nice to know about Kishore Biyani.

14. The McKinsey Way by Ethan M. Rasiel

McKinsey ... the name rings bells. Dream job out of colleges belong to this firm. McKinsy represents something for everyone; especially to every outsider aspiring to become a McKinsey insider...

A truely delightful account of what is done at McKinsey, How it is done at McKinsey and Why it is done at McKinsey .... full of real examples ...

15. Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
I am totally taken in by the Fantasy-Adventure genre. So, an ardent follower of Lord of the Ring and Harry Potter, I had to go for the 3rd offering of the Inheritance trilogy (not anymore, a fourth one will be coming). Maybe not in the same league as those mentioned above, but certainly engaging and worth reading. Basically, according to me, the very genre rocks !!!

Judgement !!!

Last Friday, something weird happened at the office. As I entered the lift to reach my floor, I was followed by a very obese guy. He must weigh around 100 kilos. And on top of that , his height was around 5'8" ... So, all in all he looked FAT. As he stepped in the elevator after me, the sweet recorded voice of some girl spoke, "Overload; someone please step out"
Now if the last person had been an average weighing guy, it would have been no issue. However, as that FAT guy stepped out, a roar of laughter echoed through the lift...
I can't forget the look in his eyes as the sliding lift doors closed.
It was as if he was pleading, "Dudes, I don't like being like this. At least show me the courtesy you would show to a fellow human being."
As I walked to my seat, I realised that he must have some hormonal imbalance issues, else it is hard to get so big purely on diet basis.
And there came the sudden rush of shame and guilt, coz I realised I was the among the ones who had laughed my ass out down there...
Hope I learn from this and never be this indecent again in future. It hurts when someone judges you based on your appearance, without knowing you...

Alive !!!

I was watching the movie "The Doors" yesterday. There's a scene where Val Kilmer (who portrays Jim Morrisson), drunk and high on Acid, stands on top of the car in the middle of a traffic jam and shouts, "All those out there who are alive raise their hands". Maybe JIM had a rare lucid moment in his madness.
Now, a drunken poetic baffoon delivering his line backed by Ray Manzarek's piano in the background takes you deep into yourself.
What kind of life do you want? Do you want it to be one on which a movie can be based, or a regular one. Do you want to change the world, or be a regular part of the changing world? Have you decided?Don't know? Judge by this. A real decision is measured by the fact that you've taken a new action. If there's no action, you haven't truly decided.
The state of our lives is nothing more than a reflection of the state of our mind. There's this cliche line I've read/heard so many times: Living is not the same as not dying.
Is there something missing? Emptiness is a symptom implying you are not living creatively. Do you have a goal? You either have no goal that is important enough to you, or you are not using your talents and efforts in a striving toward an important goal, or you are wasting your effort by striving in the wrong direction.
What we love we shall grow to resemble.
All we need to be clear about is what we want. How will we get it, when will we get it, what price will we have to pay for that? Will the thing really matter to us as and when we get it?If we bind ourselves with these doubts, we have no hope.

And that is one thing nobody can afford to loose... HOPE.

A CRUDE Reality...

Oil Prices at 135$ per Barrel. BPLC ready to ration fuel supply to it's retail outlets. Others likely to follow suit.
So dear fellow citizens, it's a distinct possibility now that you may drive your car to a nearby Gas station and see a signboard saying "Sorry, out of Gas".
That's precisely what happens to economies when crude prices surge... They run out of Gas.
Is it temporary? Nooooooooo...
Of course, maybe Nigerian trouble will get sorted; maybe Venezuela’s socialist liberator, Hugo Chávez will let Oil flow freely from the nationalized fields; maybe Putin's Gas Cartel materializes and Gas will take some burden off Gasoline; maybe "Evil Iran" will let pipelies to be laid; Maybe we'll all give up eating "Bhuttas" and "American Corns" and burn the ethanol produced by them instead; maybe Jatropha plant will rescue us; maybe KG basin...
Maybe, maybe, maybe...
Common, whom are we kidding? There are these two rising nations that are hogging oil just like anything, u know India and China.And 10 years from now, we'll have quite a lot of Africa and Latin America demanding their pound of flesh as well..
Saudi Reserves are headed downhill... So are from Mexican Gulf. So are from Texas.. The more is extracted now, the lesser overall recovery becomes. And African reserves are always bound to be affected by Geo-Politic; that translates to Uncertainity, irrespictive of prospective supply potential.
In short, nothing will keep oil prices down. Neither newer technologies, nor billions of dollars of investments, nor new geopolitical equations. Goldman Sacchs said oil can touch $200 per barrel. And worse, it'll stay there.
Then there's the hope of alternate technologies. Solar, Wind, Tidal, BioGas, BioFuel. Yeah, they're there, but realistically speaking, they demand too much time and resources and ROI is spread over a long long period of time. Also, they'll become sitting ducks withot government subsidies.
So what's the way out?
A PARADIGM SHIFT IN OUR LIFESTYLES.
That is the only way out. The only way out.
I read about some marketing survey long time back, probably done in UK. It said that people use vehicles and go out for four primary reasons:
1. to work

2. to Eat Out

3. to get entertained

4. to socialize

Future towns to be developed should have units consisting of these four parts, so that by default the distances reduce. Another option is clean, comfortable mass transport system.Further, India would do well to have bullet trains that run on electricity and cruise at 400+ kmph. They'll make air travel irrelevant in most cases .... Just think, overnight journey from Jammu to Kanyakumari... And with these crude prices, Low cost carriers will become history.

But these are all long term... what can be done now? I guess these options below look feasible:

1. Better roads:

According to the CIA World Factbook, India has 3.3 million kilometers of roads; the largest road network in the world (both paved and unpaved roads). Investment to make all these roads world class hovers around 3.5 lakh crores. India’s oil Pool deficit is Rs 80,000 crore annually. 3.5 lakh crores will be recovered in absolute terms in 6 years time, just because of better vehicle efficiency. This, keeping aside other abstract gains, like the spurt in demand for industries which supply raw material for road making, better purchasing power of millions because of the huge employment generation and the boost in economic activity owing to better connectivity.
2. Encourage use of waterways:

Transport through water has only one drawback. TIME. But fuel consumption in water transport is so miniscule compared to Surface / Air, that this has to be an option. Cost involved includes making and maintaining docks, and increased vigilance across water routes to check. This is less investment, and again, lots of job creation for unskilled sector.
The results of above two will be felt within 5 years. All that is needed is Political will. India is NOT short of funds. India is NOT short of Talent.

Let's face it. We cannot do without oil, it's just not possible. Oil does not mean only Diesel and Petrol. Crude gives soooo many petroleum products that are vital for industries like automobile, personal care products, construction material, petrochemical products, crucial medicine ingrediants... even the KG Basin Gas and a potential 1-2-3 agreement cannot help us stem this crisis.
Let us keep oil for the vital needs, and personal vehicles for infrequent use...
We have a collective responsibility of 1.1 billion people as a Nation. Nobody can shrug it off. NOBODY.

NICE GUY - WISE GUY

This is my first attempt at a short story. Everything is fictitious.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shishir Mehra lay limp, motionless. He had been so for a long time now. 8 months back, his 43 year old body had collapsed as he protested alongside others to save a park in the middle of Mumbai.He was in a coma for a week. Then, his mind woke up from it's slumber, but not fully. He had been paralyzed. He could only sense his body neck above, and with difficulty could move his left hand. His meager insurance ensured him a bed in a self help hospital wing. He had a bed by the side of a window. Sun shone on him every morning and presented him another day's time to kill. Nurse came and fed him, washed him, changed the clothes and bed sheets and went away. He tried talking to them, but soon realized that paralysis patients are treated as a nuisance. They don't get better, and they don't die soon. He had a family, but only for the sake of it. His parents had passed away few years back, both in their 80s. He was the youngest sibling among five. They had all been distanced from him, by circumstances, by time, by luck; in retrospect, by him. His wife divorced him pretty early, ostensibly because he was a bad parent, actually because he wasn't normal, had weird ideals, and had no ambitions... His son barely knew him. That kid never had a chance, as the “new dad” had lots and lots of money to buy good lawyers and buy new toys. Getting paralyzed is weird. You don't have a disease that damages your body, so you aren't actually dying. There's a fool's hope of getting better. You become completely dependent on others for everything. You can't move, and so, you want to talk. He had nobody to talk to.He tried reading, but it made his head hurt like hell. Noise made his head hurt. So no TV; No Songs. Consequently, he often got lost deep into his thoughts. Eventually, he began pondering over the questions he had been asked all his life... by well wishers, by not-so-well wishers, by family, by friends, by pseudo-friends.... why was he like this ? He was always so full of energy, so purposeful that he never had time to think over such things. It's bizarre thinking about your past life. One thought leads to another, which leads to many others, and each of them to many more. Within minutes the mind is a swamp, where images and thoughts criss-cross with lightening speed, until you get sick of it and let it go. But with only your head lolling around all day, you hardly have other options. He had always been a nice guy. A guy everyone liked. He was the apple of everyone's eyes. The most obedient and friendly boy in the neighborhood. He shared his Tiffin and toys with others. He gave his seat to others in the bus. He did small chores if any neighbor asked for. And he grew up exactly like that. He listened to everybody. He compromised with everyone. He always adjusted first, and the most. He never had a quarrel or a fight, because he let go and surrendered in hope of everlasting peace and harmony. He wanted peace of mind, and that is what eluded him most, as long as he lived. He never left anyone behind. He believed in consensus. He was gentle, caring, thoughtful and persuasive. His generosity was taken by all as his stupidity. His lack of will to stand and fight for his cause as his vulnerability. He wasn't dumb. He knew and understood everything. He knew what others were like. He knew what motivated them. He knew most around him better than they knew themselves. Yet he never took advantage of them. Never did he undermine them, or insult them, or stab them in the back. He always accommodated them. He persevered to make them all nice and happy. He sacrificed his own interests. Worst, he sacrificed his dignity. At some point, every nice guy realizes it... Nice guys finish last. Nobody gives a shit if you are nice. You are out of the frame as soon as you are out of sight. Period. He realized it as the enormity of his paralysis stroke began to dawn on him. He had never wronged anyone in his life. He had lived a pure life. He had actively worked for public causes. He never wronged anyone for his own beterment. He always let others have everything if it made them happy. What was his fault, that he had been reduced to this, and that people didn't care now that he lay there? Is it wrong to have ambitions that don't concern yourself? He always believed that he had been brought in this world for a greater cause, that he needed to think above personal interest and work for the society. God damn it! He was brilliant, wise and could have become the king of the world had he fought for himself and played by societies rules. What’s the point ??? Huh, what is the bloody point of all this? What did his life count for? All he needed now was some respect, some appreciation, some grateful acknowledgement... where were all of them, those nameless faces... for whom he had fought. Why didn't he feel good within, now as he was about to pass... why...Everything you do; everything you hear, every desire, every fear...Disgusting. Useless. Numb. He'd had enough. And so he was doing this. This was easy. He felt no pain. The paralyzed right hand wrist meant blood oozed out freely and he didn't feel a thing. Darkness took him slowly. And it was all over...

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Vivek Roy lay limp, motionless. He had been so for a long time now. 8 months back, his 43 year old body had collapsed as argued his division's case in front of the board of directors. He was in a coma for a week. Then, his mind woke up from its slumber, but not fully. He had been paralyzed. He could only sense his body neck above, and with difficulty could move his left hand. Being CFO of large Investment Bank's Indian operation meant he had no dearth of money. He had this private room here, with a lounge and a garden view from the porch. He had a complete support staff, and a team of high profile doctors. Sun shone on him every morning and presented him another day's time to kill. Nurse came and fed him, washed him, changed the clothes and bed sheets and went away. Even the bed sheets were louis vuitton. He tried talking to them, but soon realized it didn't matter. They talked only because he paid them well. He understood that paralysis patients are treated as a nuisance. They don't get better, and they don't die soon. But this thing worked out fine for these doctors and nurses. He had a family, but only for the sake of it. His parents had passed away when he was very young. He was the eldest sibling among five. He was brought up by his uncle, who made sure to taunt him at every juncture how he and his siblings were a huge huge burden. He did the chores during the day, and studied hard at night. He even mad each of his siblings study hard. He taught them the importance of having control, of slicing the largest portion of the pie, of not having to depend on anyone; by hook or by crook. They learned fast. Now they had all been distanced from him, by circumstances, by time, by luck; in retrospect, by him. His wife divorced him pretty early, ostensibly because he had an affair (which was true), actually because she was interested in his money, not him... His son barely knew him. That kid never had a chance, as the Court ruled that he was a bad influence as a parent, and even he didn't have time for the kid. Getting paralyzed is weird. You don't have a disease that damages your body, so you aren't actually dying. There's a fool's hope of getting better. You become completely dependent on others for everything. That is exactly he had been working all his life to prevent. Talking to nurses and doctors was irritating. He was tired of their fake smiles and plastic expressions. He tried reading, but it made his head hurt like hell. No Financial Times. No Wall Street journal. Even noise made his head hurt. So no TV; No News. Consequently, he often got lost deep into his thoughts. Eventually, he began pondering over the questions he had been asked all his life... by well wishers, by not-so-well wishers, by family, by friends, by pseudo-friends.... why was he like this ? He was always so full of energy, so purposeful that he never had time to think over such things. It's bizarre thinking about your past life. One thought leads to another, which leads to many others, and each of them to many more. Within minutes the mind is a swamp, where images and thoughts criss-cross with lightening speed, until you get sick of it and let it go. But with only your head lolling around all day, you hardly have other options. He had always been a wise guy. A guy everyone disliked, but couldn't do without. He was the stone in everyone's shoes, but nobody could afford to remove him. He had been viciously ambitious since always. He never shared; he always traded. Make an investment here, get barter there. That was his way of dealing with life. He wanted to provide himself with everything he hoped for. And he grew up exactly like that.He listened to everybody. He calculated all his moves. He compromised with nobody. He never adjusted. He never had a quarrel or a fight, as he never let things come to that. Pieces just fell in place for him as he planned, because he knew how to get under the skin of the people. He never wanted peace of mind, and it never eluded him. All he needed was a purpose to reach where he wanted to. He never carried dead weight. He thrashed all that stood in way. He made no bones about his ambition. He stepped over others. He lied, he cheated, he gained trust, and then backstabbed; and he rose. He converted his will into consensus. He was vicious, cruel, and fast.He fought like an animal. People said he would have been a great lawyer. But he knew that the true victories won by verbal battles belong to the corporate boardrooms, not in courts. He knew and understood everything. He knew what others were like. He knew what motivated them. He knew what they feared. He knew most around him better than they knew themselves. He always took advantage of them; undermined them, or insulted them; stab them in the back. He sacrificed his dignity. He sacrificed his ideals. But he gained more power.At some point, every wise guy realizes it... Nice guys finish last. Nobody gives a shit if you are nice. You are out of the frame as soon as you are out of sight. Period. He was born with that knowledge.But he also realized something as the enormity of his paralysis stroke began to dawn on him. Control through power lasts as long as you have the power. You are nothing, your standing is everything. You don't control the reigns, your position controls it. You don't matter, your money mattered/k. He wronged everyone in his life he had to. He had lived an impure life. He made other's lives a living hell to improve his marginally. What was his fault, that he had been reduced to this, and that people didn't care now that he lay there? Is it wrong to have ambitions that concern yourself? He always believed that he had been brought in this world for winning; that he needed to think only about personal interest above all. God damn it! He was brilliant, wise and could had become the king of his world... Then why was he seeing life as hapless as he was now? What’s the point??? Huh, what is the bloody point of all this? What did his life count for? That cash in his account, his portfolio, his empty penthouse in New York, London, Hong Kong and Singapore... All he needed now was some respect, some appreciation, some grateful acknowledgement, some moral support... Why didn't he feel good within, now as he was about to pass... why... Everything you do, everything you hear, every desire, every fear... After winning all way long, why do you end up loosing...Frustrating. Useless. Numb. He'd had enough. He had been so focused and sure all his life. He had to end it on his own terms. He was filled with hatred. He had made arrangements to destroy his wealth completely without benefiting anyone else. And so he was doing this. This was easy. He felt no pain. The right hand wrist meant blood oozed out freely and he didn't feel a thing. Darkness took him slowly. And it was all over...

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Problems !!! Doubts !!!

You wake up in the morning. Blurry vision slowly clears up as the eye adjusts to the light. You Strech. Senses become alert again.
Now, what's the first thought that comes to the mind, huh?

Wish I could have slept more.
Shit, another day.
Wow, it's a new day.

If you haven't thought about it ever, give it a thought, because this will give you a peep into how you actually feel about being alive. If you sit up sometime and consciously introspect, the mind will soon get cluttered, and the possibility of an answer will vanish.

We all have problems. They can be solved, either by hard work or by a stroke of luck. But the real trouble begins when you begin to have doubts. Yes, DOUBTS.

There, I don't know what to do with them. Doubts cannot be solved by LOGIC, never. They aren't like a math problem, where 2 + 2 equals 4.

I dont know from where doubts arise, no idea. Maybe it has to do something with the state of a person's self confidence. Maybe it stems from the realisation of the failures of the past. Maybe it mirrors the horrors of one's life, the stuff buried in the closet, which nobody knows, stuff even the person pretends never happened. These give rise to anxieties, insecurities.
That is the trouble. How can you tackle a problem when you don't understand how it originates!

Should I radically change everything? What if my best if not enough?

Only time will tell. Maybe the doubts will clear as I begin to understand their root. I hope they clear. After all, hope is dangerous, but it's a good thing. Maybe when I loose all hope, I'll find clarity and freedom.

A trip to Gurgaon...

THIS BLOG IS NOT MEANT TO BE UNDERSTOOD BY EVERYONE. STILL, YOU MAY READ IT AT YOUR OWN RISKS.

Life is busy. Too busy in fact. You go through the motions every day, until one day, you realize that you need a break. Leisure time is a privilege in today’s Dog-Eat-Dog world, and once you get it, you must ensure that it is well spent, so as to leave a pleasant mark on your memory, something which makes you smile when you recall it in times to come.

So, when I got a week long break from office, I wanted to make this time count for more. Being so far away from family isn’t easy, but it’s been more than six years on the trot for me now. First college, and now job. I reckon it was easier at college. I found a second family there, guys who were just as confused, as determined, as carefree, as passionate, and as ambitious as I was. Life was full of fun, endless discussions about future, full of dreams and delusions. It’s not the same with job. Yeah, two things make a world of difference: having money, and no Classes/Assignments/Professors. But there is no time. And there is something else as well, which not all of my friends will understand: being forced to start off from scratch with friendships, in a totally new city, with totally new responsibilities. With all these thoughts gripping my mind, I decided it was time to catch up with some of the college mates.

To cut a long story short, I juggled around with schedule, geographical location and closest friends, and Landed at the New Delhi Railway station on 1st Feb, 2008. Coming from Kolkata, where winter is an illusion, I landed in a city accustomed to chilly weather, on a day the Met Dept predicted to be the coldest in 72 years! I got the dose as I stepped out of the cozy Rajdhani AC coach onto the platform, with just a pullover between my skin and bone chilling wind outside (Now I understand how Harry feels near Dementors).

I made it to Dhaula Kua, where my dear friend A made me wait well over 50 minutes in front of the HP petrol pump, with no shade, no place to sit, and nothing to eat or drink. As he stepped out of B’s Hyundai Getz, his appearance knocked me off: He was wearing Specks, and his hairline had receded beyond redemption.

I came back to senses as he called out, “Aur Bhale, Bhoffa……”We drove to the ominous apartment, where power cuts had wrecked havoc in the lives of my dear friends. I had started to get out of touch with the India of Power Cuts, living in Salt Lake - Kolkata for 18 months now… exactly as I had forgotten about the winter season…

Next I saw TCS Gurgaon office. Nothing different from the Cognizant Kolkata office… except that the number of cars is far greater at Gurgaon. There I met B. Oh my Goodness, not a single bit of change in this guy, only the intensity of his manhoosiyat had increased many-fold. That look on his face, of being out of place all the time, of having the knowledge of being screwed at every possible juncture in life, the desperation, the depression, the frustration… and Hope, that the law of averages will somehow balance out. I also met C, who is now moving to Verizon, Hyderabad. Had lunch with A and C, as B had to WORK. Now, B working is a good enough joke in itself to sustain laughter for a decent duration of time. Anyway, it just felt like old days, talking to buddies who knew me, inside out… I ended up having a fine beer, Carlsberg, before making it back home.That evening, B pushed us to go to “Ministry of Sound”, 4 guys with a pass for 2… And the lack of passes can be attributed to the jerk that A is, fucking asshole, couldn’t take another Jack Daniel to get another pass… and that too when it was free. Finally, as we stepped out of the house, I met D. Dear old D, the same guy, albeit looked better getting off the Ford Icon. It was difficult to digest that the hardest working guy in the trio was the one who wouldn’t get out of bed even for lunch in college. Oh dear, the colors that life shows us…

Anyway, the evening sucked all-in-all, partly due to Delhi-NCR Traffic, and partly due to the fact that we missed some awesome LIVE Rock. We ended up at CRIMZON, where I had my first taste of J and B Rare… We dined, and whined, of all the things that we could think of… The kind of conversation that goes off well with Booze; question s whose answer should not be 42. I don’t know why, but everyone kept asking me why I had gone so quiet. I can’t rubbish what they say, coz they’ve seen enough of me to spot the difference. Just hope that they were NOT serious.

So, the evening wound up quite nicely, considering the disastrous start we had. We picked up a few more beers as we went back… Saw The Devil Wears Prada (again), and eventually slept, all curled up nearby…The Next morning, I woke up before all, checked mail, had tea and breakfast (made by Champu). Both A and D had to go to office, so, it was just me and B. We went out, had breakfast, picked up newspapers… and came back. Delhi Times had vindicated B’s stand, by mentioning the Ministry of Sound show on front page.

Blissfully, there was current at home, and we made the most of it, listening to Rock N Roll; another couple of Fosters disappeared. Eric Prydz: Proper education was played again and again. We laughed, pondered, worried, and ultimately dismissed our troubles, as we talked, and talked, and talked…It was Saturday, and I recommended American Gangster…

Now, these jerks had put off shifting their house till I came. So we rushed to meet the owner, signed the lease papers and all, checked out the new flat (big enough to sustain three Live-In relationships)

And then it happened: a phone conversation between B and E changed everything. Now, I’d heard of E before, and it turned out it would be just me and A at PVR… But fate had something else in store, and the evening turned out to be the best of the trip. As the events rapidly unfolded that evening, I wasn’t happy at all. B went out of the scene all of a sudden, and I thought, “It’s OK, let the frustoo have a go at the chance.” But as I found myself being wound up in the plan, for apparently no reason, I began pondering what was going through the mind of this idiot… was it going to be another evening of my so eagerly planned trip, that wouldn’t go as well as expected? The journey wasn't easy... Again stuck at a damn petrol pump, two days in a row… I even got soaked in rain, with A, waiting for the Radio cab... But it all fell in place eventually, and to miraculous perfection. D joined us midway, and we ended up meeting B, chatting with E (and F) at a CCD in Connaught Place. From there, we went to a place called Blues. Now before we entered, we had literally walked the whole bloody outer circle of CP, and I realized how hard it is to walk with girls. (They're too slow) But now the ordeal was over, and good times were about to start.

At BLUES: The experience was Magical. More booze, Rock n Roll, Good crowd, it all seemed too good to be true. Have you ever felt you were living a dream? If you can recall that, then perhaps you’ll understand what I mean. It felt like time had stopped, and I soaked every ounce of it. I don’t even remember B taking off to drop E (and F) back home, until we came out. The nearest experience I’ve had to it is from Some Place Else, Calcutta. Don’t know why it felt superior at Blues: was it the company, or the dull time that preceded it, or the fact that I was seeing for the first time my friends behaving like civilized gentlemen in front of girls.… I don’t have a damn clue, and I don’t care. It was good to be there. Wish I could write more about it… But it won’t be appropriate. Anyway, basically I'll go back there again and again...

So, as we returned home, happy and content, more booze followed, and some serious talk. The next morning was effectively dull. D took off to Jaipur pretty early, and I felt weird saying Goodbye to him. A, B and me had breakfast at Haldiram’s. Then Doordarshan followed. Yeah, shifting into a new house isn’t as easy as it sounds, and we found it out. By the time we finished, it was late afternoon, and we were exhausted. A movie seemed a good idea, consequently American Gangster happened, and I got my first taste of PVR. (Surprisingly, I’ve always somehow been to INOX, FAME and ADLABS, not PVR). Gem of a movie, time well spent. It was followed by a nice, old fashioned, greasy heavy dinner at Minar (again CP), and then the walk to the Railway Station.Goodbyes were said, and we parted.

I forgot my jacket behind… but it wasn’t until I slept in that AC coach that it dawned on me: When will I see them again?

Time had flown silently. What would I remember of this weekend in years to come? The appearance of A, the freaking cold weather, or D pleading to B to treat his Ford Icon with some respect, or the line by E, “I remember D, he checked my Orkut profile”, or the SMS that A received, ”Tussi jaa rahe ho, tussi na jao..”, or that I so narrowly missed taking a bath so many times, or that they kept picking on me saying “Why had I gone so quiet”, or the song “sabse peechhe ham khade…”

I guess only time will tell. The pic at the very start is a blog in itself, but some wise guy said "A picture is worth a thousand words", so that will be all. I deliberately wrote this blog after a few days, so that I would write about only the important moments, hoping the not-so-important memories will fade out. And it’s ironic how vividly I remember each and everything. So much so, that I ended up writing a fully fledged memoir of my trip, resulting in an insanely long blog. Maybe I’ll realize in due course of time why these memories stuck in my mind. Thanks guys, A, B, Dfor making that weekend worth recalling for the rest of my life. And thank you for bearing with me and reading this long long long account…

There's always tomorrow

It happens sometimes. The simplest of experiences make your mind swirl with things totally alien to the situation. That day was no different. The sun rose in the east, Team India lost another match. I was driving at a leisure speed, good old rock music blaring from the speakers of my car. I laid back on the seat, the left hand dangling down lifelessly, the right one barely hung on the driving wheel. It was a real nice road, with tall shady trees on both sides, and a lake on my left, with the golden rays from the Sun piercing the leaves and shining on me.

I just looked down by the side, at the ground below. It went under the wheels so quickly. I don’t know how long I watched the ground, rolling under the wheels. Sounds mundane? Well, didn't feel so at all. It felt strangely serene.

Then I slowly came out of my trance. I looked around and realized I'd covered up quite some distance.And then it hit me. The painful analogy. I live every day, looking at things around me as I looked at the ground below while driving. Everything seems regular and nice and settled. Life is more or less peaceful. But then something always comes along, and breaks that trance.And it ain't a good feeling at all.

Suddenly I realize how far I've come. How much time has passed... How much is still left to be done. I've got to keep the promises I made to myself, to my family, my friends... I dreamed of a perfect life, and I’m nowhere close to living it. It hurts. And eventually, the feeling of being lost somewhere takes over. I moan, I despise, I introspect, and I may even indulge in self pity. I dwell on all the wrong decisions I took, on every opportunity lost, on every instant I held back because of fear or laziness. I feel how I’ve let everybody down, including me. I curse myself, convinced that there can be no tomorrow for me.

Then the sun goes down, and I fall in my bed, trying to sleep, but scared, of all the things, things I don't even know.And then sleep takes over. I can't say whether I squirm in my sleep over it, but the agony ends there.

The next morning is again a Good morning. I return back to my trance. And life is back on track again. Sounds familiar to you? If yes, then I'm afraid I've broken your trance. But don't worry, as tomorrow will be a new day.

JODHAA AKBAR

Hail the power of media. Such a huge hype was created prior to release. Ashutosh Gowariker's film, Hrithik-Aish together again after Dhoom-2, historical epic blah blah blah... I don’t how this happened, but the praise showered on this movie by critics is almost unanimous...

First things first...
Indian courts have ruled that film is NOT historically accurate. They have directed Ashutosh Gowariker to mention that it is a work of fiction in a disclaimer, that historical accuracy is not the primary aim of this movie. Jodhaa is not even mentioned in writing until 1800s. Two prominent works of Mughal writing give it a complete skip; Akbarnama (a biography of Akbar commissioned by Akbar himself) and Tuzk-e-Jahangiri (the autobiography of Jahangir). Maybe the name of Akbar's wife was kept out of the Mughal records deliberately because the Islamic clergy and the Mughal populace could not come to terms with the future Mughal emperor being the son of a Hindu woman, but no concrete evidence is available.

Anyways, to hell with history, the whole plot was solid movie material. And the final product leaves much to be desired. Gowariker has no excuse... He had the budget, the best of stars, and AR Rahman. The movie bluntly reminded me of the "Law-of-diminishing-returns"; in a production system with fixed and variable inputs, beyond some point, each additional unit of variable input yields less and less additional output. So, analogy says every extra minute beyond say 2 hr yields lesser enjoyment than the previous one.

Jodhaa Akbar displays parallel themes - the political saga and the romance between the royal couple. It is also obvious that the romance is the prime focus of the narrative. Lots and Lots of undue screen presence has been given to Hrithik-Aishwarya, to develop the chemistry between them, to show how Jodhaa's initial hatred turns to curiosity, and finally to respect and love.

This is where Ashutosh Gowariker primarily went wrong. By treating the complex political scenarios as a sub-plot, he weakened the script. How could he forget that it was a romance catapulted by politics? Better scenes in the movie are political, well scripted, well shot and well acted by good character artists. An imaginative intertwining of this political romance would have only strengthened the movie.
Sadly, the political plots are an undercurrent, and do little to assist the romantic wave. It all ends up being mostly a mundane romance and a dissatisfying display of politics, detached from each other.

The war scenes

Now this is a bit unfair to the director, but I can't help it. I have seen wars in Hollywood epics like Lord of the Ring, Troy, 300 and Gladiator. By those standards, the scenes fall woefully short of expectations. They are predictable and repetitive. Definitely colossal improvisation over any Bollywood stuffhitherto, but lagging far behind Hollywood. I wish more of the Rs 40 crore spent was diverted from the songs to better shooting of the war scenes. I don't understand, if Gowariker used wide lens cameras to amplify the look of his sets, why not try and do the same in war shots, at least the army size should look intimidating.
The one-on-one fights were far better executed, looked classy and well supported by the background score. The climax fight reminds of the fight between Brad Pitt - Eric Bana in Troy. The scene where Hrithik controls a wild elephant is also well shot.

The music is good, but hardly up to AR Rahman standard... We’ve had much better from both AR Rehman’s musical sensibilities and Javed Akhtar’s pen and imagination. Just compare the music of Lagaan and Swadesh with Jodhaa Akbar, and it'll become clear. Songs like "Man mohana" and "Khwaja mere Khwaja" were so damn boring... Gowariker should have taken a leaf out of "Life in a Metro", where the songs came in small parts, all at an apt time in the story. They supported the script. Here, it was nothing short of torture. I feel only Jashn-e-Baharaa stands out, both melody wise as well as picturization. Azeem-O-Shaan Shahenshah sounds good, and does justice to the persona of Jalaaluddin Mohammed Akbar. But it should have been used solely as a background score, rather than a full fledged song for better effect.

The script has its own glitches as well. Akbar becoming a people's king with just one act of kindness is unconvincing. Character of Maham Anga and Soojamal need more screen space. The assassination attempt an Akbar is so unimaginative. The silly made-up custom of having to recognize your wife from scores of women... shit man, what utter rubbish... what a waste of time.

So, what is good about this movie? Well, we haven't watched anything so opulent, so magnificent in a long, long time on the Hindi screen. Bhansali's Saawariya was grotesque, and the film that comes closest to match the look of Jodhaa Akbar is Devdas. It cannot be compared to MUGHAL-E-AZAM. Unlike previous period films, Urdu and Hindi have been well used, especially in the political sequences. Amitabh Bachhan does a fine job as the narrator.

But the film is carried literally by the leading couple, Hrithik and Aish, who sizzle and dazzle on the screen, basking under the magnificent sets. The strength of the movie lies in the unconventional nature of the romance, where the princess is reduced to being a political pawn. The undercurrent of religious tussle betweenJodhaa and Akbar is well scripted. The film talks about Secularism and good governance. Hrithik fits the role of an Emperor like nobody else could have. He looks imposing, Royal and Kingly. Same goes for Ash. She looks ethereal, classy and gracious.

The sad aspect is that Ashutosh Gowariker gave up his individuality. The movie reminds us of others; the sets of Bhansali, The melodrama of Johar-Yashraj banner. Ashutosh Gowariker's strength is his narration of a story, which suffered at the expense of the show of grandeur.

It requires courage and foresight, with patience to attempt a movie like JODHAAA AKBAR; the belief to attempt a historical when historicals are considered an absolute no-no in the industry. Hats off to the director for that. But he fell in love with his own creation – the movie could easily have been made 40 – 45 minutes shorter. It would also make better business sense as well, directly translating to more shows per day.

I wish we could have a fast forward option in an INOX or a PVR, because that is what this film demands. It’s difficult to sit for 3:20 hrs to watch this film, where at least 4 – 5 times you feel like “why is this scene here”. I read in an article that this movie should be titled “Jodhaa AkBORE”. But again, you’ll miss the look of the film on a small screen at home.
The movie will become a hit... Star power of the leading pair will ensure it. Also, for the folks unaware of western movies, the war scenes would look awesome.
I’m really hope that this movie will spark some interest among us about our own history, about the dynasties which unified us into one nation, from the Mauryas , Guptas to Mughals. The success of Jodha Akbar will pave way for further period films, as Krrish will do for superhero movies. It’ll at least spare us from the likes of Welcome and Saawariya to some extent in future.

PS:
I bet a well made Spoof of this movie would be a better watch than the original.

Rambo aka Stallone

Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone is responsible for creating two characters who have become a part of the culture throughout the world: Rocky Balboa, the no-name boxer who overcame all odds to become a champion, and John Rambo, the courageous soldier who specialized in violent rescues and revenge. A dramatic actor and one of greatest action stars of all time, Stallone enjoyed phenomenal popularity and was the biggest movie star in the world with the Rocky and Rambo franchises during the 1980s.

Sylvester Stallone is a living legend, an international icon of machismo (through Rambo franchise) and a never say die fighter (through Rocky franchise). Rambo was a kind of no-nonsense James Bond, a very different kind of one-man-army, although equally effective. Rambo franchise brought guerrilla warfare to the forefront of cinema throughout the world. The name has become an eponym for a tactic of military aggression and extreme violence.

Rambo (The fourth in Rambo franchise) is exactly what you expect it to be. John Rambo is back, albeit this time fighting on his own conviction. And Stallone does exactly to the character which he did so successfully in the earlier three movies - Show the human side of John Rambo, despite him being a furious killing machine (as envisaged by the creator of the character David Morrell in his novel First Blood)

As for the latest Rambo, John is aged, living quitely, alone, but is not at peace with himself. He is shown in the film unable to come to terms with his owm grotesque existence. Anyway, John looks damn good ( Hats off to Stallone for maintaining the physique at an age of 61).

He drops off some Colorado based Missionaries off the coast of troubled war zone, and goes back to find and rescue them when the father of a girl comes asking him of their whereabouts.

The movie disappointed me in some cases. The fact that no country was involved took the intensity out of the fights (something which can only be felt when nationalist cause is present). In most part, Rambo doesn't even fight with local rebels (a trademark of Rambo franchise hitertho), but with a group of hired mercenaries.

Overall, it's a very short movie, with hardly any story plot. It gives a couple of lines which could become cult feature of the Rambo franchise...

"Killing is just as easy as breathing"

"Live for nothing, or die for something"

Stallone actually got in touch with United Nations to zero in on the location of his story. Some place where human rights violation, civil war, poverty, hunger and disease prevail, and more importantly - a place about which the world doesn't care to know. He got his answer - BURMA.

"Black Hawk Down" and "Hotel Rwanda" brought the world's attention towards the Somalian war and the Rwandan Genocide respectively. I hope RAMBO does something similar for Burma.

So, go on and watch the movie, especially on the big screen... it's worth your time. It's the last chance to see Rambo in action, to give a farewell to a cinematic icon.

I also found few facts about Stallone:

1. Stallone made the city of Philadelphia an international tourist attraction with the Rocky Steps. His incredible popularity there has led to a statue of his Rocky character being placed permanently near the Philadelphia Museum of Art as a cultural landmark.

2. Birth complications caused partial paralysis in parts of Stallone's face, resulting in his signature slurred speech and drooping lower lip.

3. Stallone made his film debut with the lead in a 1970 hardcore pornographic film, Party at Kitty and Stud's. He was paid US$200 for two days work. The movie was edited and released later on to cash in on Stallone's fame. These releases were re-packaged under the names of Italian Stallion (taken from Stallone's nickname and a line from the film) and Cocky (a pun on Rocky).

4. Rocky was nominated for 10 Academy Awards in all, including Best Actor for Stallone himself.

5. The Rocky and Rambo franchises at the end of the decade of 80s were billion dollar franchises internationally.

6. The original Rocky was the most profitable entry of the series, with a budget of US$1.2 million, grossing US$117.1 million.

Crash Crash Crash !!!

Capital markets without losses is like religion without hell

Ouch !!! It hurt us bad, I mean , all of us.

There were an unprecedented abundance of ambulances on the road. ICUs were filled with patients complaining chest pain, and ECGs were running all around.Few people were arrested on charges of attempted suicide, trying to jump from a building. And to nobody's surprise, the building housed offices of several brokers. Telephone networks faced congestion...

Now Now Now, I don't know if any of it is true. These are all rumors I heard throughout the day, as our markets slipped, and kept on slipping. This was the first time I saw everyone in office (I mean everyone) clicking ferociously, again and again, just to check the current status. Still, I got a sense of deja vu, and realised this kind of maniac clicking happens everytime India plays cricket, where everyone wants to know the score.

I could sense the gloom spreading around. Nothing seemed right. Lunch tasted worse. Coffee wasn't hot enough. Presentations and demos went bad, and people left early.

Even the unceremonious ousting of Ganguly (and Dravid) from ODI squad touring Australia wasn't discussed, and take my word on this, you have to be in Calcutta for a while to understand the importance of it.

So, how the hell did this happen?

It all started with the outbreak of subprime mortgage crisis in US.
As US economy has been on an upswing for several years in a row, banks were giving large sums as loans to risky consumers (Lower credit score), charging them higher interest rates. The consumers paid the EMIs in a booming ecomomy, banks got richer by higher rates they charged on loans, and everything was hunky dory.
But as consumer sentiment lowered, with other troubles like unemployment and inflation surfacing, recession started to set in. The risky consumers now began defaulting on their loans, and banks got the authority to sell off the client's assets. But there was a simultaneous recession in US housing market as well, and so property valuations plummeted. This made balance sheets of most US Financial giants go RED. Deep RED, in fact. (Remember the fourth-quarte Citigroup Loss of $9.83 billion !!!)

But how the hell does this affect the whole world ???

There are two reasons:

1. The US Consumer has driven the global economy for quite some time now. But with the dollar falling, so much excess liquidity in the markets, it was only a matter of time before US consumer went bust.

2. The Banks in US traded the securities against loans throughout the world. These loans included the ones which are now the core of the US subprime crisis. Hence, the ramifications around the globe.



George Bush's plan for "direct and rapid relief " for the battered U.S. consumer arrived after the bloodbath in US markets; the price tag = US $ 150-billion through tax cuts. It has been greeted with a large dose of skepticism. Why this kind of a bailout in a free market economy? After all, borrowers weren't forced at gunpoint to take out loans they couldn't afford and lenders weren't obliged to lend to borrowers they knew couldn't afford it. It was greed all along, and now theey are paying the price. In that case, why should investors, future homeowners and potentially taxpayers pay for this sheer unadulterated greed on both sides, through higher costs and interest rates? And anyway, after this much shit, do they expect the US consumer will spend all the extra money from lower taxes on buying stuff rather than saving it???

BACK TO INDIA
Mayhem broke in India as it did everywhere else. But another problem is lurking behind the scenes as this storm takes it's toll.

A free fall in shares wiped off the combined market cap, of all the companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), to the tune of a staggering Rs 6.7 lakh crore on Monday. While the Sensex has nosedived over 3,000 points in the past week, the consistent fall has seen an erosion of nearly Rs 12 lakh crore in Mcap to Rs 59.4 lakh crore during the period. It had taken almost three months to generate this amount of wealth in the market.

FLASHBACK
In July 2006, the National Stock Exchange had issued a circular to brokers asking them to submit an auditor’s certificate on the ownership of the shares pledged by them with the exchange. The policy was essentially to ensure that brokers do not misuse the funds of their clients.

BACK TO THE FUTURE
As markets plunged on Monday, brokers panicked and started pledging shares of their clients with the exchanges, in order to meet their own margin requirements. Now, this is in violation of NSE norms, which state that a broker cannot pledge share of his client with the exchange, without the client’s consent.The standard procedure states that Investors have to deposit margin money with their brokers before placing an order to buy or sell shares. The amount of margin to be paid depends on the value of the transaction. The investor can fund the margin requirement through a combination of cash, bank guarantee and shares. It is up to the broker as what percentage of the margin funds he would be comfortable accepting in the form of shares.The fall in the last two sessions has been particularly severe, and there are fears that quite a few clients may default on their commitments to the brokers. This in turn, could spell for the trouble for the broker as he/she has to make the pay-in to the exchanges even before he encashes his clients cheque. Now as these brokers default on their commitments, these shares will be liquidated by the exchange. But these are client's shares, brokers can't do this; its illegal.

So, when this dust settles, there will be another crisis to sort out. SEBI has its hands full, especially after athe whole P-Note saga in past few months. Everyone knows this is short term, and we'll be back on track within 3 - 4 months.


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With this blog I have completed my half century. Yeah, 50 posts.

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My tryst with the Gym...

It's been over a month now ... I have been going to GYM. Yeah.

So, why am I even writing about this?

I had been feeling uncomfortable about the fact for quite some time that all I do nowadays is sit and work. Sometimes, days pass at a strech without me breaking sweat. I've never liked this.
Gym as an option cropped periodically in my head.

Why did I finally do it? Simply because I always wanted to do it, but was always lazy enough to give it a pass.

But circumstances change everything.

About a month ago, I desperately needed a break from my routine life, and that is perhaps the only reason I went to the gym.

I've learned few interesting things first hand. Once you doll out the obscene amount of money, you kick your lazy demons aside. So guys, if you want to go to gym and have some motivation, try this philosophy; paisaa fek, tamaashaa dekh.

Once you go, the environment tells you how inadequate your body is; how self damaging your lifestyle is. You can actually feel that enthu building. It depends from person to person how long this enthu lasts. I’ve personally seen the duration last from a few minutes to weeks among individuals. There is only one way to find out. Do It.

So, after one month, what is the change in my life ???

1. I've gained weight. And more importantly, I've gained it the right way. It's all muscle, no fat.

2. The Beer belly is smaller now (maybe coz I'm drinking less as well).

3. I have become diet conscious; I make it a point never to miss breakfast, and to eat fruits and salad compulsarily everyday.

4. There is still no visible change in my body, but I can feel the muscles tightening up.

5. I don't go out on weekdays after office now. It's office, followed by Gym, and then I'm home. It has become a pain in the ass of some of my good collegues with whom I loitered aimlessly in malls etc untill about a month ago.

6. I unknowingly speak in terms of protein, fat, carbohydrate, cholestrol (As pointed out by my friends)

7. I've find it very interesting to hold conversation with other GYM guys regarding exercises, schedules, etc, and these conversations strech far too long.

All in all, I love it. It has been a forced change in my life, but I'm glad that I forced it on to myself.

So, I say, please try the gym, at least for a month. Have this experience - it's unique.

PS:
My next mission is to start learning Guitar seriously (Haven't started yet). Hope it happens soon...

End Of Day

I worked all day, sorting some mess
Not knowing what am I working for,
Tired, mundane, Bored, Clueless,
I don't even get drunk anymore,

Lying on my couch,
I stare in silent dark,
Is there something I can vouch,
Where I can leave a mark,

Another day has gone by,
Death is nearer now,
The feel of dying, and being dead,
Is closer to me somehow,

Why? why this indifference?
Dear God, why this infinite tolerence?
Why do I wear this apathetic lense
Where's the desire to cross the fence?

Somehow sleep engulfs me,
I pass in a slumber,
Alice is in wonderland,
I'm waiting for my number,

Is this the way a day should end,
Is this the way our desires blend,
Stop, and take a closer look,
Coz there're always things to mend.

Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost...

I was just chatting yesterday with some friends, and somehow the flow of talk got diverted to celebrating festivles outside home. We were all just recalling our Diwali experiences of 2007. They were all surprised as I told them that this would be my 6th straight Diwali outside home.
As I pondered , I found a couple of things that I am most likely to remember in years to come about this Diwali. Maybe the fact that we had to cook our own meal late night because the cook refused to come at the 11th hour, and it was too late to check out any restaurant/home delivery (we made an almost edible pasta).

But definitely the next thing on the list would be the movie 'Om Shanti Om'. I'm not even going to discuss the much touted 'Battle at the box office' between OSO and Saawariya, simply because I don't like Bhansaali's movies (His love stories are such a drag on my psyche... BLACK was good; HDDCS had Aishwarya looking stunning, and a brilliant performance by Ajay Devgan.)

Anyway, we booked tickets for Saturday 10th Nov in advance and went in to see the movie... Now, I knew beforehand what this movie would be like. But still I decided to give it a try, because no matter how much disgust I feel for typical Bollywood movies, with OSO I felt that a phenomenon was unfolding around me. And I didn't want to miss being a part of a phenomenon.

And now as I look back, I feel I did the right thing. Why? Not because the movie was any better than what I expected it to be. But there were several things that will make me recall the experience in years to come...

First of all, the MARKETING. I mean, simply WOW !!! I have never ever seen any Bollywood movie being promoted so aggressively. For about a month or so prior to the release, OSO was omnipresent. It all started with SRK's 6 packs. It was for all to see that they were not as good as they can get (Remember the Spartans in 300??), and were a result of extreme diet control. But hell, who cared... It was the King of Bollywood, and everyone went nuts. SRk levereged his presence at the T20 matches, and team India chipped in by bringing home the World Cup. OSO team was everywhere. Sometimes I feel that even the Dhoni-Deepika connect was a publicity stunt.

This promotional blitzkrieg is a harbinger of things to come, and how mega bucks are changing the rules of the game in Bollywood, primarily along western cinema's lines.

Then therer was the music... Vishal-Shekhar did a splendid job, churning out beautiful melodies, and even pulling an ace with Dard-E-Disco to complement SRK's 6 packs.

Next, was the dazzling debutant Depika Padukone. She looked stunning in the movie, and made the movie worth watching.

Another pleasant surprise was the willingness of Bollywood stars to laugh at themselves (Barring Manoj Kumar, Of Course). In fact, the script has an element of Spoof in the first half. The brilliantly scripted cameo's by Akshay Kumar, Hrithik Roshan, Bappi Lahiri, Shabana Aazmi, Abhishek and Amitabh Bachhan were worth a laugh. Even SRK made a fool of himself, through his typical Raj-Rahul roles. Also the Rajnikanth style "Anna-Rasscalaa" scene deserves a mention.

The coming together of 31 stars for one song was also something new. Of course, it included duds like Tushar Kapoor, Zayed Khan and Dino Moria, and there was absence of Aamir-Amitabh-Abhishek-Kareena-Aishwarya, but still it felt nice to see so many of them together, especially the veterans like Dharmendra, Jeetendra and Mithun doing their trademark dance steps. It must be the contacts of SRK and Farha Khan that got them together. Or was it fear and apprehension that united them, as the rival release Saawariya was a Hollywood backed project (Sony Pictures).

Today's movie goers have a pretty easy access to world class cinema, from Hollywood to Latin America to France to Hong Kong. We are well acquainted with world classics like Casablanca, Schindler's list, Godfather and so on. I have been part of the group which unabashedly criticise Bollywood for it's idiotic stuff.
OSO's entire first half provided glimpses of idiotic Bollywood cliche, like the unnecessary song and dance sequences, the height of melodrama, the unprofessionalism industry survived for so many decades and utter insult of any attempt by the ordiance to use his brain and apply logic. However, the portrayal helped me change my perception a bit. It made me appreciate the journey of Bollywood as an industry. It dawned on me that precisely because Bollywood stuck to it's formula, catered to mass appeal and not to intellegestia, it wasn't crushed by Hollywood like it has happened everywhere else. Arjun Rampal even tells his movie director in OSO, "Picture chalaani hai to ek Manmohan Desai angle bhi rakhna".
I understood that local movie industry thrives on local culture. Bollywood imitated our culture of festivals, song-and-dance, extravagant portrayal of emotions, and stunts defying all laws of physics. It made extravagant movies for the poor, malnourished, depressed, disillusioned and illiterate India, and so it survived and grew. It grew on this ridicule. It became strong. And now, as it is poised for the next big leap we can already see the changes. Last year we had character artists give us movies like "Pyar ke side effects" and "Khosla Ka Ghosla". This year we saw big Bollywood stars taking the leap: Abhishek Bachchan in GURU, Shahrukh in CHAK DE, and Aamir in TAARE ZAMEEN PAR... and Hrithik-Aishwarya are coming this year in JODHA-AKBAR.

All said and done, the movie was a staunch breed which is getting extinct in Bollywood; a complete paisa wasool masala movie. I liked one scene in particular... when SRK is drunk, giving his speech with a beer bottle in hand... and that line which will be remembered in years to come... The line which truly reflects the gist of the philosophy of an average Indian, despite differences in region or religion...

"Hamari zindagi me bhi hamaari filmo ki tarah aakhir tak sab kuchh theek thaak ho hi jaata hai... Aur agar theek na ho, to matlab Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost..."