Phir Mile Sur: The Common Man’s Magic is missing

Although I spent the Republic day humming ‘Mile Sur Mera Tumhara’ for greater part of the day (as Zoom TV released the new avatar of Mile Sur Mera Tumhara), the connection was not instant. The new version propelled me to watch the older version on You Tube and fondly appreciate the early makers.

There are a host of subtle and significant changes that the present creators have done supposedly to be in sync with the present generation. This compels me to write this blog in support of pseudo national anthem of my childhood years. Why I didn’t like the recent version is because:

• I hated the liberal dose of bollywood stars and near stars – musicians and directors (are these the two major clans depicting achievement in life?). To add to the grief, the extensive close-ups are annoying. Shahrukh representing a baazigar emoticon or Ranbir seemingly humming a love song at a waterfall nearby; in his own complete solace. There were stars last time around as well but they were real. No close –ups, no glamour, adequate glitz and some real connection.

• Differentiation doesn’t mean excellence. Why remix to such greater extent that the originality gets shaked-up. Intermittent drifting from the original tune takes away the charm; at least for me.

• All this would have been still good if we would have felt a connection. All the stars sprinkled only with a few sportsmen and artists do not make up India. Where is the common man whom I never recognized but felt close-by. Where is that ‘mahaut’ riding the elephant in Kerala waters or the fisherman, content with the daily catch? Perhaps they are more marginalized now than they were 20 years back.

• Above all, where is the spirit of unity in diversity that ‘my’ older version so beautifully represented? I distinctly remember the ‘mashaal’ being carried on and everyone coming together at the sea shore, notwithstanding their differences but rising above for the cause of the nation. This time around, they came, they sang in solace and left. That’s the new ‘Phir Mile Sur’.

Few of my friends may comment – ‘Grow up, it’s a virtual world and everyone is connected.’ A few others may comment that I have ‘grown up’ and not in sync with changing times. Perhaps they are right or perhaps we are more networked but less connected now than we were couple of decades back.

Do watch the older version one last time on YouTube…

0-10 of my New Year resolutions

My last week’s Christmas blog helped me reconnect with many friends. So, I thought why not a New Year blog to share my New Year resolutions. In hope of reconnecting with many more, here are my resolutions for the year apart from writing 100 blog entries this year (last year I did just 20)

0 – Zero cigarettes: After a long year and a half hiatus, I succumbed to the butt yet again. Not this year as I continue to strive for a smoke free life.
Zero Speculation: Markets may have gone up like forest fire, there are always more losers than gainers. Say NO to speculation.
1 – Complete my ‘one’ book so what if I am an idiot.
2 – Complete two certification courses. Did you ask which certifications? Well, there is a year to decide.
3 – Three compulsory vacations and that too not among the hills. Huh! Quite a task.
4 – Enhance all four (for family members) life and health policies so that every New Year is better than the previous one
5 – Purchase my five dream gadgets a) Power packed Laptop b) Handy cam to cover impending vacations c) PS 3 for the player in me d) Kindle for the voracious reader and e) I Phone as soon as I get successful in destroying my current mobile
6 – Reduce six kgs. of my weight; all the more better if the entire six kgs. gets reduced from my waist
7 – Seven hours of charity. Number is unimportant, intention is not.
8 – Eight percent easy home loan from SBI. My cash flow model suggests lakhs of savings.
9 – Nine months to fatherhood – well perhaps…consensus is required!
10 – Read at least ten books in the year. It is not easy. You bet me!
If you have managed to read till here, I wish you and your family a safe, prosperous and happy new year. God Bless!

Why am I celebrating Christmas Today?

Have I been excited about the holiday season? Definitely yes…Has it been because of Christmas? Perhaps No…Do I celebrate Christmas? No…Do I know why is it celebrated? Perhaps Yes…Have I been turning Santa for a few special ones? Yes…

I have been thinking of these questions for some time now. Why am I celebrating Christmas? Why am I wishing Christmas to few and all, to colleagues, to drivers, to shopkeepers, to my wife and to my parents? Why I like getting snapped up in that little red and white santa cap? Why is my mother preparing the grand six egg cake today? Why do we have little Christmas trees all over the house? Why am I rhyming ‘jingle bells’ to my little niece? In a manner, I am celebrating…I am celebrating the spirit of Christmas. What’s the reason then? Why?

Is it because it’s truly a global festival; celebrated by majority of inhabitants of planet earth and I would like to be a partner in their joy? Perhaps not…Is it because that Indians by nature love chaos, love being boisterous and always search for a reason for celebration; no matter whatever be the occasion? Or is it a phenomenon being experienced only in select cities with higher per capita income? Perhaps…

I pondered and pondered and then celebrated. The reason most likely exists in the idea of India. The idea that binds us all together and wants us to celebrate happy times and share not so happy ones. This idea of a secular society which is expanding to every nook and corner of the world is the reason why I am celebrating Christmas; with the same vigour that I would celebrate Diwali. The idea is paying off. The idea of India that our leaders dreamt off is yielding results and I feel good just like you all.

A free day comes with all its thoughts which I scribbled right away as below:

Just when the little roadside boy needs a sweater,
Just when the impish child turns pale with hunger,
Just when the unreachable school needs a teacher,
Just when the patient needs clean drinking water,
Just when the farmer desires little drops of rain,
Just when small businesses look for making some gain,
Just when a martyrs’ hope of peace remain,
Just when the hatred rules …we need you again,
O Jesus! We need you again.

After reading this, my good old friend Jolly is going to say that ‘He is Everywhere’ and we just need to be true to ourselves. And I agree…
Merry Christmas to you All My Friends

Tantalizingly Close: An Idiot

I now feel like an idiot. When I succumbed to slumber last night, I felt irritated, anxious and praying. Before I continue further to my state of mind, I need to recommend Times of India’s Crest Edition and Mint’s Lounge Edition. They are now on my Saturday definite reads list.

So why am I feeling the way I am? Well, I read Raju Hirani’s interview in one of those newspapers and tell you what …it did not read nice.

Hirani showcased his style of film making and how important the message and plot are for his ventures. As I read on, I really liked the idea he worked on during Munnabhai MBBS and Lage Raho Munnabhai. In the first venture, he wanted to present as to how doctors can be more compassionate while in the second he wanted to peel the make-up off citizens who abuse Gandhi about his brand of nation (un)building but do not stand a chance when prodded further on their thinking. I appreciate Hirani’s work and went on reading further. I felt good from within.

Then I read about his new film – 3 Idiots. Loosely based on Chetan Bhagat’s ‘Five Point Someone’, Hirani explained how he has developed the screenplay. He explained how five point was just a slice of life and how he developed the ‘plot’ which is inherently the heart in the art of movie making. I felt nicer as Hirani went further to drop in a few hints on the storyline. But my heart tanked as I further read Hirani’s words – ‘So the story is about three guys in Delhi IIT who are not so interested in studies. The film has two time spans – what happened to the three protagonists after they left. Two go in search of the third. At the centre of it is the love story…’ I confess that my book also has two time spans separated by a decade, is about close friends, is about search, has a decade old love story…and what not. I felt cheated as I read Hirani’s words time and again. The motivation to continue writing further ( I am three chapters old out of possible eight) died down and ebbed away as I had small blasts of interrupted sleeps.

Self-motivation is one of most important aspects in any work one pursues. I am learning this fine art these days and it took me good ten hours to re-motivate myself. I still have keyboard with me and I have planned to tweak the storyline if Hirani wants to follow me. My plot - Still a Love story, still some search, still about college but still not that way…

I am still motivated to complete the book…no matter how long it takes and so what if the manuscript keeps residing on the hard disk for time unknown. This will just be for my friends who will read a chapter or two on some lazy Saturday evening.

P.S. While I am eager to watch this movie next weekend, I just hope Boman Irani’s character doesn’t resemble the character ‘TARANA’ of my book (Mr. T.A. Rana who is not a professor...but a lawyer L)

An Irrelevant Para from my book

Patrons of beer would not care about the weather. They won’t make way for a warmer drink even if the nature conjures upon a dreary mix of chilled gusty wind and a steady continual rain. Thus, Ashish and Khushwant took lively steps to reach out for their ‘drink of choice’ at the Mansions Tavern; a popular hang-out zone on the Pulteney Street – 10 minutes’ walk from their present place of presence. Khushwant had become an admirer of famous Cooper’s Australian ale – a hearty, robust and fruity drink which matched his temperament. Ashish’s taste had matured over the years as he was now more picky in selecting stuffs that impacted his life. He preferred lager beer for its characteristically smooth, elegant, crisp, and clean flavour. It’s amazing how people finally find out alcohol that matches their properties.

Introducing Deepak Sikdar

Over the past few months, Deepak Sikdar, CEO of People Network had not slept a wink. The Network’s flagship channel, TopNews, was continuously witnessing a decline in viewership. For his news channel, the day-to-day costs were still higher than day-to-day revenues. This meant that his harsh steps on reducing headcount, cutting free meals and pruning discretionary expenditure had not yielded desired results. Till last year, advertisers from sectors such as automobiles, financial services and real estate gobbled-up the prime-time news slot. This was not the case anymore; more so these advertisers wanted TopNews to extend the credit period from three months to six months. Today, he had just closed a chicken and egg situation. He had reneged on a 25 crores placement deal with cable operators’ association. As these cable operators will now downgrade TopNews’ frequency, the channel’s reach will become increasingly limited thus impacting the ad-revenues. Tough times call for tough measures...
Deepak’s main concern though was not surviving but leading. He had repeatedly got the news calls wrong. He never expected that Obama’s swearing-in ceremony would be a big hit. He took news feeds from agencies rather than sending a foreign correspondent. His big bet on the Indian Premier League’s coverage proved a damp squib. This South African Safari proved a bit too costly. In the just concluded Indian General Elections, the channel conducted exit polls in only a few important states. Further it tied-up with regional channels for live feeds instead of sending its own team. The channel turned out to be the Joker in the Great Indian Circus as poor and inadequate coverage made it slip on the TRP charts. Deepak always believed that identifying a potentially inflationary event and providing quality coverage before the competitors results in market leadership. His bets have gone wrong this year and he was pondering over the happenings over the world for which his channel should provide wide coverage; though keeping the purse strings intact.
In an expansive corner office with a backside view of the Arabian Sea, Deepak pressed the intercom button to call his personal assistant. Surbhi came in faster than the speed of Deepak’s thought. Who would not like to wrap-up the day faster for a monsoon prone Mumbai evening.
‘Surbhi, Call Aparna and ask her to report to duty. She has to cover the protests’ dictated Deepak while inhaling a good amount of tangy nicotine in a single breath. He was the only person in the office who was allowed to smoke in his room; after all for Board of Directors, he was still their best bet.
‘But Deepak, it was only today that she left for her week-long honeymoon. Won’t it be improper? ’ asked Surbhi softly as if trying to instil a sense of decision making. ‘I would give her a long break later. She has to cover these protests. This racism has suddenly become a hot potato and anyhow I am not asking her to come back’ Deepak reacted coldly. Surbhi plucked the curls off her eyes as she hesitantly dialled Aparna at Dresddom Hotel in Adelaide. She never wanted to make the connection. She understood the dreams that go into making for such an occasion. Deepak never bothered.

Pre-read - Novel Excerpt

It has been long since I shared an excerpt from my rather snail paced book writing. Have a read and do let me know your suggestions.
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“Hey Ashu,
3 more sapphire profiles. You have to choose one of them.
Dad
P.S. Take care of your health. It’s getting colder in Australia”
Ashish reluctantly yet engagingly browsed through the profiles of Shweta, Megha and Diana. As usual, all the profiles followed the same old order – age, caste and ever fascinating ‘height’ of the would-be bride. He wondered why the names of most of the girls ended with an ‘a’ and sounded so similar. He wanted someone refreshing as Café Boston’s XXX to extinguish his old flame. He was also disquieted that a senior lawyer like his dad was usually checking matrimonial sites during the working hours of the bar association.
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