Moksh Juneja

New Gmail - Interface - Jarring

2011-11-06T22:28:00.000-08:00

What I really liked?
The new themes which are nice and soothing.

What I really didnt like? Actually what i hated?
The white background is jarring in my eyes, even reducing the intensity of the light on the screen of the laptop.

Please change the jarring white interface!!

Peepli Live and Jan Lokpal Bill

2011-08-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

Watched Peepli Live, it is the right time to watch it right now, to refresh our memory in the wake of Jan Lokpal Bill. We are getting statements from Anna and his supporters but no one is making statements with a strong personality and backbone on the issue from the opposition and the government.

Is there a nexus between some media and some politicians? Even if there was the nexus would surely be broken down with this Anna Hazare moment.

What I really liked about the moment it is NOT restricted to
* any geography
* any religion
* any caste
* any occupation / profession
Every one is participating.

Anna the Catalyst
Anna as an individual love thy smiley personality. But we needed someone as the catalyst to raise the issue of corruption and Anna was there during the beginning of this year and now again in August and given the government enough time to release the bill and make it become an act.

The future:
* With the moment that is arising, the Jan Lokpal Bill will be passed, plus or minus certain aspects. Parallel system is set up and at least there would not be any corruption in the parallel system for some time until people find loopholes in them, too.

* Anna Hazare launches his own political party and passes on the baton to another younger potential - Shri Shri Ravi Shankar, Kiran Bedia, Kejriwal, et al

* Media - becomes more conscious about issues to deal rather than selling what sells

* Social Media - would be credited partially, for the adding fuel to the fire , that is adding the online support to the issue.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon review

2011-06-28T13:22:00.000-07:00

The whole month of June starving myself not to watch any movie, till July 1, 2011 and watch Transformers and a whole host of movies. It was all worth it. The action is super awesome no denying that. Megan Fox was dearly missed. Rosie with no background of acting clearly, proved no background of acting. There was just no Chemistry between Shia and Rosie s actors, they were like lab rats put in a movie together and was told to act - Action.

Decepticons vs. Autobots and Humans
Just truly love the fight sequences. Killing of human begins by decepticons was not bloody and gory and they would just sublime to thin air. What i missed in the Autobots is the more human emotions and Bubble Bee was not so bubbly. There was this whole sequence of a building toppling, people hanging in mid-air, was good, but it did not still bring on the edge of my seat. Shockwave, the Decepticon is to watch out for. Free fall in the heart of the city is worth all the money of the ticket.

Story
This story had some depth, unlike the predecessors. But only those who had some exposure to the cartoons as well as the comics or even the toys. If not, just enjoy the graphics. For others, it is just another Aliens movie that it would keep reminding you off - District 9, the Tom Cruise movie - War of the Worlds. All those theories about the space are being highlighted. You know the good guys are going to win, but still the build up towards ultimate was just about decent. It was a surprise and very interesting to see John Malkovich in the movie.

For all the movie lovers,
Transformers: Dark of the Moon - Not to be missed cause of
Action
+ Autobots
+ Decepticons
+ Free Fall
+ John Malkovich
+ and more fight between giant robots
Enjoy!

Being on the Lalbaugh Flyover

2011-06-16T03:04:00.000-07:00

Being on the Lalbaugh flyover.... was a complete driving experience. From Chembur one gets Sion, Sion Hospital, Kings Circle, Dadar and now Lalbuagh Flyover. Its brilliant!! But i think the biggest problem is even after spending such a hefty amount of our own money! The planners of this bridge have clearly overlooked the choker clocks of traffic that they have created. These guys either,
* they do not drive
* they are blind in having no sense of traffic, or
* have never heard blaring being bajaoed.
Anyone would have clearly seen these problems and would have recommended solutions.

But no, untill people do not have problems, they do not complain, they do not escalate issues. Problem will not be resolved!!

Hatred for Women car drivers surmounts

2011-05-05T10:25:00.001-07:00

The usual driving style
* Checking mails on Blackberry
* Talking on the other phone via bluetooth connected to the deck
* testing the three pin car charger to test charging the laptop (sadly didnt work)
* thinking about things
* the only thing that i was not doing was, not eating

Suddenly, in no moving traffic my car gets hit by another car from behind. After moving for sometime, realised that the other car was being driven by a lady. Suddenly all the anger went for a toss. Now what to say.

But like any other ghati, stopped the car in the middle of all the traffic and honking from all over the place. Walked to the car behind me. Checked my car, yes, there is a scratch and then there was nothing remotely on the car.

The conversation goes like this
Lady pulls down the window
M: Are you alright? (in total sarcastic tone)
Lady completely missed the intonation and ...
Lady: I am sorry (as if i was going to slap or her something)
M: it's ok, but are you alright? (this time was being genuine)
Lady: Yes

I move out of the situation. Without realizing that I did receive enough shock to my back and the jolt did leave an impact to my back. Had to leave office and cancel the rest of the meetings in the second half to visit the doctor.

Hoping to be alright, tomorrow, but then need to visit the doctor all over again. Problems never come singly, they always come in battalions, women battalions on Mumbai roads are surely to stay away from.

Foursquare Day

2011-04-13T04:56:00.000-07:00

Keeping the modesty away, I was the first to organize the Foursquare Day, last year at Candies, Pali Hill. Of course the date remains constant April 16 = 4/16 = Four Square.

It was a complete random exercise of listing the 4sq day event in Mumbai on meetup.com. Spread the word across to friends on twitter and facebook. Within a couple of hours there were at least 15 who had accept the invitation. WOW! For one, not many people knew foursquare.com, and second not many people knew about the 4sq day, either.

What it meant for us, an individual, was that we were getting a platform to know if our friends were at the same venue, did we check-in together. Did we just miss some our friends who were also shopping at the same mall, etc. it brings in the online-offline experience together. Not only that there are stores and retail outlets that actually giving special offers and discounts to Mayors and other regulars. What really comes in handy is the tips feature where a someone has left a tip as to what is good eat at a particular restaurant, this really helps not only in getting the best order but also showing-off to the present companions.

Foursquare Day becomes special cause the World becomes the Venue. Nice!! One of the bigger reasons why a person from foursquare check-in to the venue is to get the “4sq day badge”. Oh yes, other the website being geo-location tracking checking helpful device, it is also a game where the maximum will reach to the weekly leaderboard and also gain awesome badges in his regular mundane or adventure journey.

Foursquare Day is special this year cause the Mumbaikars, are going to come together to celebrate across Mumbai from town to suburbs. Date is fixed, the time a person walk in at any time and be part of the event and leave as and when he or she pleases.

The first stop is at 1500hrs at Nehru Planetarium, to catch the show the one hour show, hopefully English and we all get an opportunity to Check in to outer space.

A line up activities at 1630hrs at the Race Course:
- Catch the races + Farmer’s Market
- Play the real Foursquare Game
- Badge Showoff & Secrets to earning badges
- [Unconfirmed] Surprise + Kinect gaming!!
- 1st round of official goodies & giveaways

2000hrs we head towards POST EVENT party in Bandra (via BWSL)
- Swarm hop to Mumbai Times Cafe > Den / WTF
- 2nd round of official goodies & giveaways
It’s not just Mumbai, who is celebrating the 4sq day, there are other Indian cities Pune, Delhi who are planning to do the same.

Tips for the 4sq day,
• Keep the phone batteries charged, it will surely be getting over even before the party ends
• Better still, carry the charger along with you
• Carry your camera, this would be once a year opportunity to click the best pictures of all the people who you would meet online
• Get your energetic self out on the Saturday in the Mumbai heat, you would not regret it

National Mocktail - culinary experience

2011-04-03T11:43:00.000-07:00

With all the cricket euphoria around, everyone not being able to work. My mind was working on how will I pass my time, while match becomes boring between the first 10 overs and the last 10 overs. Voila - practice culinary skills to my overly enthusiastic captive audience.

Match was not so bad between the first 10 overs and the last 10 overs cause I was busy preparing for the personal momentous occasion - making of the National Mocktail. Day before the discussions started as to how we can get the Green, White, Orange and dash of Blue colors. Green was fairly easy cause, I had tried making Mojito, but turned to be nice decent cool summer Minty Ice Crushed Khus with a dash of lime. Problem of the Color green was solved. Confidence in making the drink was building up.

White was even easier with not much effort in it, put scope of Vanila Ice Cream. The blue was an issue, cause other brinjal, there was nothing else blue that was coming to my mind. Then I remembered there has to be a blue syrup cause of Blue Curacao - the cocktail with Vodka. The edible Blue syrup would be symbolic to the color of Ashok Chakra in national flag. Had to go a purchase the whole bottle just for this drink, i do not know, if i will be using it for any such experiments.

Orange either we were thinking red - Rose Syrup or it was more to do with Mangola. Somehow both the options did not get well response, even after suggesting. Either it was Daksh or Mom who suggested to use Tang. There it was. Woke up early in the morning, placed all the required elements together. First to start with was the Green color. 7UP was mixed with Mint and a whole lot of Khus in a mixer that woke every one up. Before the the mix was poured in the glasses that carefully selected for the occasion. The rim of the glasses were placed in salt, to give the Bloody Mary effect. Poured the first colour in all separate glasses to freeze it.

Afternoon, once Sri Lanka had just started to bat, orange color was made, this time it was Tang, mint and 7UP all mixed was again kept in deep freeze. Just before dinner and before Gautam was about to make his century, Ice cream was added in the Frozen Green Ice and then topped with the Blue Syrup. Orange Color was added. Then there was the National Mocktail created at the eve of Indian Cricket history was being created.

Better for the drink, every one took a second helping of the ice cream, till the Green Ice gola had not melted and the Salt on the rim was just about enough, i think next time, if there is any, Rock Salt would do a better trick.

Immortals of Meluha

2011-02-17T03:59:00.000-08:00

It was like reading the Lord Shiva story in modern day. I just felt it was too cheeky to use abusive language for something like Lord Shiva, but at the same time it is in trends to the time if people having a conversation today.

It does give insight into the life and the mini stories that I have heard from my grandmother and also sharing the morals after every two chapters to the story. There are people just popping into the story to give guidance. Does this happen in real life, it only happens in mythological stories, where people are seeking a direction, but not answers.

If we are seeking answers, but we never ask the right question. In the end, saying that we didn't have enough information to build in the question. What gets screwed even more is that one thinks that he is the right person to seek guidance from, then there is a stab in the back with a Trishul, itself. At least there were some morals to the whole story. We need to save your back as much as running forward with the flow.

On the book again, there should have been a little more substance in bringing the religious element, but should the book bring in the religion in me, NO. What it becomes is just another story of a protagonist trying to fight over good over bad, bringing in ups and downs in his life, love affair, low on confidence, put on a pedestal and he wins and then start questioning himself, was it all worth it? The only difference being that is set a backdrop of some Meluhan kingdom, which will remind you of Lord of the Rings minus the gruesome battle scenes.

But I like the Lord Shiva smoking marijuana, questioning personality. Will surely try read more about him at some point of my life, when the religion in me gets some Jagruti. This book are a little whopped facts, even if it s mythical. Lord Shiva did not exist before Ram, this may be an assumption by the author. But in this case, it is the other way round, cause in Ramayan, Ram prays to Shiva in Rameshwaram. A whole place dedicated to the dedication of the Lord himself.

Simply, put very mixed bag of emotions, post reading the book.

Official Site: Shiva Trilogy

DNA gives up on Editorial Page

2011-02-05T00:59:00.000-08:00

If anyone has given CAT, CET or any other competitive exam, the first thing that teachers, lecturers at the preparatory classes ask, "do you read the editorial page?". Of course make some students complete feel like losers that they missed out on so much analysis, opinion, views and difficult English words.

What are the possible advantages of reading an Editorial?
1. People actually form an opinion which is based on credible research
2. The issue or the news gets a extra mileage with the analysis what went right, what went wrong
3. Students if they read the editorials on daily basis, their reading English Comprehension improves

But do the students read so much, specially in the age of Twitter and SMS language. Do have dedicated attention to 250 - 300 word piece divided in the two paragraphs with no images, no jokes, difficult words. No student would have ever read it until they were introduced to the editorial or forced to read it.

People who recommend reading editorial do they read it themselves. The answer is for sure 'NO'. Cause the editorial most of the times are on current issues and by the time the if they read editorial they have already formed their basis and opinions about the issue.

Are people actually seeking opinions on current issues? No. People are seeking opinions on what laptop buy? which phone to buy? which is better application, they are actually seeking reviews backed by experience than editorial backed credibility.

The decision for DNA to take bold step forward of removing the editorial section Source is for sure bold but not drastic. PREDICTION: Would other newspapers follow suit, The Hindu would be last newspaper to remove the editorial section. While Times of India will covert all their editorial either to blogs or columns and of course page Ads, on the editorial page, too!

In a classroom
Teacher: How many of you read editorial?
7 students raise their hands
Teacher: How many of you read editorial today (it was a SUNDAY)
1 student raise his hand
Moral: Don't show off to impress your teacher

FACT: Editorials never published on SUNDAY

127 hours - Make notes, share them

2011-01-26T10:32:00.000-08:00

I love the movies with numbers - 300, 10000 BC, and 127 Hours. Even in Bollywood - i kind of admit that i actually liked Taxi No. 9211 with fast pace that it was made.

On the movie,
The whole reaction after reading the review was it would be depressing and one man stuck in one place for 127 hours. Just the thought made me feel claustrophobic, the same feeling i had while watching Colin Ferrel starring Phone Booth. Even bigger ****up was that i actually read the review as to what will be happening shown in the movie - WHY?

To admit,
The movie does make me you uncomfortable and makes you feel the pain, emotions, that the protagonist is going through, but never claustrophobic. It was the sheer brilliance of screenplay writers where they used to take you through what was actually going in the mind of the Aron Ralston - which was typically back and forth from his life.

A very typical to Danny Boyle Oscar Winning movie Slumdog Millionaire, where the movie moves from Present to Past - in a chronological order. Awesome treatment to movie, the only difference he brings in the movie was premonition, which comes true.

A inspiration
The movie does bring a lot of inspiration, specially towards a lot of things that one is neglecting and there is flashback of their own episodes - with parents, with friends, with lovers.

Don't Lose it
Even though, you are stuck, James Franco who is playing Aron just doesn't loose the humour or the good faith that he will be free, where he is also taping himself and does a split personality act. The reason for me to believe this are actually two - one Aron must be having a great discipline to survive the ordeal and two given the situation, he would not be thinking straight.

Observation, correct me, if wrong
The number of times F*** is said in the movie, are equal to the number of times the sentences that he actually occurs. If F*** is not considered has a complete sentence.

Learning
Make notes, share those notes to each and loved one, who subconsciously help you in achieving them - Aron learnt this the hard way.

Received my Last JAM copy, today

2010-12-07T03:48:00.000-08:00

It is really sad to know that the environment is changing and all of us need to start adapting sooner or later, and Now that JAM mag of the Print copy shuts down (Link). reminds of Change and the Spencer Johnson book. But then my first ever book review was published in JAM was the spoof on this book - I moved your Cheese. Image, and it actually give me confidence that I could write.

Then, when i went to Pune, I was part of the Pune team who was giving the regular updates from the happenings of Pune (image). But I was reporting more about SIMC, than Pune, that was the world at that time. If you are unable to see my name on the image, don't fret, it must got cropped out.

But now that I read that they would be stop the print, but focus on online (ref), as the person who has spent time reading online, figuratively and actually. There are already too many people who trying to get the 10 seconds of time spent on their website, interact, talk, chat, update, tweet, and every possible way laptop, mobile, smart phone, tablet, PC, and still try and keep the privacy of the individual intact. I feel that it would be difficult, but not impossible for JAMmag.com to actually kick some ass.

... and it is today that I received my (probably) the last copy of JAM , will cherish it.

Surf while flying - What happens next?

2010-12-05T21:01:00.000-08:00

Based on the story titled "Now, log on and surf the Web in the skies!..." for sure there will be another set of nuisances that the flight attendant will have to suffer.

* Gujarati uncle talking to loudly on his smart phone connect via skype and trying to close the deal

* Children playing the latest dishum-dishum games on their newly acquired tablet and creating chaos in the cabin

* Cabin Crew requesting all passengers personally, begging and with strict warning that they will be thrown out of the moving aircraft if they dont switch their wi-fi connected gadgets off

* The products that are being bid on-air will have an opportunity to do price comparisons, if the bid will be worthwhile are not

* Privacy of the air hostess will be at stake, cause after reading and listening to the announcement, they will be surely be checked out on their Facebook, twitter profiles. If their photos are in public domain, only imagination can run wild, where will they morphed and uploaded.

Write Click - event by Word Jockey and Avignyata Inc.

2010-11-01T06:03:00.000-07:00

NewTwitter - My First view, My first review

2010-10-06T18:47:00.000-07:00

I love the functionality, but at the same time, the first look is a little complex with an overload of information on my screen. We need to add some form of filters to the same. The multimedia opening of the window on the right hand side is quiet sleek and smooth, hope it does not require too much internet bandwith to open.

Even after using so many twitter based applications, will I still log on to twitter.com, is a question mark. But at the same time, if i am getting tweetdeck-like evolving features then probably, yes. But then, twitter.com has become much - much bigger then giving some bug-fix updates.

What about handling multiple accounts - that is a feature we should all be using cause that will help the evolving twitter user.

Once twppl start using this, they will get used to it >> like every other new interface that has been built in the social media websites.

There is nothing Rajnikanth cant do - Robot

2010-10-02T12:56:00.000-07:00

Getting the tickets for the movie - Robot, standing in the Que for the movie. The last movie that went house full and i was not able to get the movie tickets, don't even remember. After reading House Full for the show, still standing in the line, i give the call to the person sitting in the box office, we exchanged numbers, during one of my innumerable visits to the cinema house. He assures he will give me the tickets, then the fear sets in that we will be giving the last row seats. Yes he did, last row seats from the back and not from the screen.

I have not seen many Rajnikanth movies, the last movie that remember watching was Hum starring Amithabh Bachchan. Of course, Tamil is not first language, Now i feel that i have lost out a lot of time not watching his movies.

With though all with the dubbing entertaining hassles in Hindi for the movie, the special effects actually made up if there is anything wrong in the movie. Rajnikanth, will surely handle it and he does best. Rajnikanth, who is actually 60 plus years old has played three different characters - the scientist Mr. Vasi, who creates the Robot, Chitti and the evil robot, Chitti again and then 1000 Chitti's in the movie. One question that arises, for which character was Rajnikanth paid and if it was for all 1000s of character, then he should be beating Warren Buffet, this year.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, is plastic, this is something that we have heard, read, blogged, tweeted a zillion times, except Guru, probably. But this time this quality actually suited her since she was there to sing and dance with the Robot for most of the songs. Complete 10/10 for casting for this role, if there is a sequel for Robot, please call it Female Robot, and you know who is best suited for the role.

for this movie, we waited till the of the Credits in hope to see locations of the songs which was a beautiful cinematography, which was missed and references like the one on Wikipedia pages. Let me add the following:

Movies
* Mask - the scene where he has innumerable guns
* Matrix Revolutions - Mr. Smith and his clones
* Men In Black - slimy gooey, alien living in the suers
* Mummy - dress worn by Aishwarya
* Salt - Angelina jumping on a truck trailer
* Transformers - just that you have a large giant robot
* Jurassic Park - the dinosaur chasing the cars, unable to catch it
* Bicentennial Man - where Robin Williams wants to get feelings
* I am Legend - all the droids looked liked the extras from the movie
* Terminator - red eye popping out
* Charlie and Chocolate Factory - the hardworking Rajnikanth clones reminded off the Oompas - Loopas
* The evil Rajnikanth resembles the good Kamal Hasan in Indian
* Star Wars - Princess Liea's attire; R2d2, C3PO
* Flubber - where the scientist neglects his relationship
* Golmal - Ajay Devgan making an entry into the movie on two bikes, cars

Cartoon
* Power Rangers - a complete dress code of the extras

Music Videos
* Janet Jackson in the video Scream
* Fergie - Black Eyed Peas - from the hair style to style of vocals, complete
* Madonna - Aishwarya Rai wearing a modest corset

... and the list continues ...

Music - The lyrics have been butchered and completely lost in translation from Tamil to Hindi and we had a hearty laugh on them. The lyricist, after much research should have added some form sense in the

Being Rajnikanth, who has completely surpasses his acting skills and combining the same with the technical team is phenomenal. The list SFX, 2D, Special effects teams that were working on this movie was phenomenal.

Wait till the end of the last action sequence that is completely original. The movie is a complete Indian Sci-fi which Indian directors are scared to make. It also raises pertinent issues in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, do we need to droids with feelings and reasoning capabilities. This movie other being huge commercial success, it should be one of the entries into Oscars in the Foreign Language category - A complete entertainer.

orkut will die

2010-07-30T08:14:00.000-07:00

Orkut became a target for negative stories which catalyzed the website into banning from offices as well as parents not wanting their children to be a part of the social networking site. Fradulent activities also came into light where the users started misusing the social features provided by Orkut to their advantage, specially when it became a numbers game, of how many friends, how many scraps, how many... and bots took over it as a spam engine.

Google themselves keep evolving new Beta products since Orkut, Google Me, Google Social, Google Profiles, this can surely confuse the individual as to which Google profile is most important for his social networking needs online. Orkut did set the trend of social networking in India, and now, there are rediff Pages, ibibo, desimartini following it. There is a strong possibility of consolidation and revamp, where Google's Orkut could take the lead and combine all the best features and more importantly look into features of privacy, interactivity and a large database of users.

Orkut would not die so soon, cause still there are huge communities of database which are available there. Orkut would either remain dormant with the user base until or unless it brings in a complete new set of user friendly features.

Sapling Project on June 6, 2010

2010-05-29T00:45:00.000-07:00

If someone asked me "If i have met Superman?". I would be saying, I have met two Superman's Satish Vijaykumar and Ranjeet Walunj. The are trying to save the world in their own little way - Sapling Project. At least it was little, when the idea germinated. it was geographically restricted to Mumbai, alone. now it has grown to other cities Chennai, Bangalore, Calcutta, Delhi & Pune.

I was wholly participating the first ever Sapling Project. The whole idea of creating a more greener environment and giving access, information to individuals and they can actually do their bit by planting these trees in their own home, office, neighborhood - was simple, brilliant and impactful.

While talking to Satish or Ranjeet, he pointed out that he just wanted to have better environment for his daughter, we have no rights in spoiling the environment for them. That is touching, and he hands me over the sapling, explaining me why the selected sapling of Ashoka and Neem. How the each and every part the Neem tree is actually beneficial to in overcoming diseases to flora, fauna and humans.

For every tree that is cut in the name of development, we need to plant at least 15 trees. During Bejing Olympics, there planted 1 crore trees all around the city. Mumbai has some 17.5 lakh cities. These are some figures that I had read earlier. We need to do something about it.

Go and participate, in The Sapling Project is about planting and distributing saplings, free of cost to one and all in different parts of our country. You can support the cause by paying for these saplings, you could be the Superman, too!!

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

2010-05-28T21:40:00.001-07:00

traveler and thinker

Ask me anything

Humble Request - Dont Cut Trees in Chembur

2010-05-26T03:12:00.000-07:00

With respect to your article in Times of India today , I really do not want these trees to be cut. The whole charm of living in Chembur will go away. We should be able to prune these trees, and let them live. Chembur is supposedly the greener of the suburbs in Mumbai.

With already blaming the global warming for the rise in temperatures and the erratic and top of that, cut down trees at the local level, this is completely shameful. We need to put together some alternative that can stop the nightmare of cutting down trees in Chembur.

There has to be a better solution, which does not cut into the modernization and the development monorail is also intact. Specially, since the moving the project to some other location would definitely not make sense, but cutting the trees is surely not a solution. There has to be a better way.

Avignyata Inc. in Business Standard

2010-05-24T21:02:00.000-07:00

Avignyata Inc. in Business Standard and the afaqs.

Facebook Privacy is becoming a bigger issue as the number of people accessing Facebook keeps increasing. With the sudden deluge of options in privacy settings. i feel it would be either people do not read the setting page any more or after reading they would not use Facebook any more.

If you are on a social networking site and sharing your daily routine what you are eating, when you are sleeping (social capital) and what makes you the best candidate in the your selected field for your career - intellectual capital. You have accepted in the terms and conditions that the social networking site or a website can use this data for their advantage and show you the advertisement based on your liking or mentioning of a particular cuisine or place of interest or hobbies.

At the same time, you need to careful as to what content you are uploading on any website, derogatory towards you or any other brand. If the brand finds out, they may be able to do a quick fix to your problem. If you want to be hired by the brand, and if they see you complaining about the problem, then you better not send in your resume there.

Local Chembur NBA champinships - HOOPLA!!

2010-05-23T03:41:00.000-07:00

for the last one week, having been a witness to some awesome live basketball at the local level in the very own chembur ground Gandhi Maidan.

The best part we cheered the local players with their name and the reciprocated with a good game and a cheering smile. The bad part we could not replay the live action, but this is alright.

Thanks to my sister to introduce the local tournament to me, who also plays the game and was part of the team to be the runner up of the tournament. Some more pics from mobile phone on Flickr#1 and Flickr#2.

What we need do here is
first of all encourage ourselves to take up a sport individually, not give up, at all, on it! this should be something beyond the regular gymming.

Parents should encourage their children to take up a sport. Schools and Colleges should provide facilities at the same time have the over all growth of children.

Offices should have inter-office championships which will surely help in team building exercises. Corporates should be able to sponsor and support the games not only at international levels (& Cricket in particularly) and even local levels, cause the gems are there who actually need the support, financially then anyone else. These are the same gems who give up the sport with complete discouragement from the authorities. These can be also be given the perspective of social responsibility.

So rather than blaming the government, what we should be doing is we should bring up these stars in the limelight through the efforts and bring it to their notice.

While i am typing and i am actually reinforcing the same thoughts in my mind to actually be the change, if i want to see the change.

Avignyata Inc. in BizXchange

2010-05-20T04:50:00.000-07:00

Avignyata Inc. in BizXchange a nice story on how Avignyata Inc. was conceptualized and started in the field of social media marketing in 2009.

Just an addition to this story, we have been in the field of social media marketing even before someone actually heard of this term in the global sense, since 2007. At that time we had not still given the company an entity, even though we found some place to work, that is other than coffee shops. Venue courtesy: goes to Papaji who initially had this idea that we were creating scams like the Nigerian post scam. But once he was convinced that this was the upcoming chapter in marketing textbooks.

When one becomes too social, online?

2010-05-18T01:51:00.000-07:00

I love the social media, but then there are some perils of being in this space. I started my office sitting coffee shops, when potential clients used to ask me, where is my office, I used to be "I have branches spread across Mumbai, where would you like to meet?".

At coffee shops, favourite past times is drinking coffee, reading, working, avoiding eavesdropping on conversations, observing human behavior not to the extent of ogling at them, its just not in built-in into the personality and of course starting conversation with a complete stranger.

At this very day, I was busy in my favourite table overlooking the door, when a girl wearing formal clothes walks in and smiles at me and moves to her table where another a guy sitting in tie, strike a serious conversation overlooking a laptop.
Unable to concentrate, the smile got me thinking, who is she?

Is she from Twitter? There is a quiet a population of the opposite sex on twitter. Some of them, I do know them personally and have had the opportunity to meet them in the offline world through a number of tweet ups. She cannot be a mutual follower from Twitter.

Is she from Facebook? I do not suffer from attention seeking syndrome by adding friends of friends of friends on Facebook, could she possibly know me through the six degrees of separation through one of the common friends. Ruled this one out cause I do create the lists to manage the Facebook friend list, with the erstwhile photographic memory had completely ruled out this option.

Next suspect of the social circle was Orkut? But then I myself have been very less active and at last count remember that most of my friends had already graduated to Facebook, so she could not be from this popular Google owned social networking site.

Beyond Social Media,
For a second I did think she could be one of my students who was dressed in formals to come and give an interview, but then this was not an alternative because I get smileys in their examination papers and she would surely said, “Hi, Sir”.

Could she be from the Alma Mater, I have studied in three different schools, one boy school, one millitary and one co-education, if she was from my school, I would completely failed to recognize her. Two different colleges to complete my graduation and PG, but most of the consequence bearing and influential colleagues who studied with me would already be on Facebook.

After all this,
Ordering a muffin to drown my thoughts I gave up and hoping that after her meeting she would re-introduce herself and she did... but then too pre-occupied with my work and muffin, did not realize when she was gone.

Who is Moksh Juneja?

2010-05-17T04:59:00.000-07:00

This is not the first time that someone has asked me this question.

First time - May 1997
I was standing outside Khalsa College for submitting the application for Eleventh Standard, hoping to do my science in junior college. Khalsa college would have worked being a Punjabi, even though not knowing a single word of the language. As usual, like everyone else we get into conversation as to how much one scored in the tenth standard? Which college they might just end up in? We struck a conversation with two girls in front of me, after the usual embarrassing questions of tenth standard marks.

Girl #1: Where do you live?
Me: Atur Park
Girl #2: "ABC" My best friend lives there
Me: oh yes, i used to play cricket with him
Girl #1: So you would know Moksh, also?

...

After this incident, I have made it a point to consciously introduce myself. Even before knowing that there is actually a common element of conversation that can be struck.

---

Today - May 2010
Randomly someone added me on Gtalk, as usual being courteous accepted the invitation. Caveat: I do not like to chat the only reason being that you need to respond immediately and you can not have more than one line of conversation. I get a chat alert, "moksh, kaisa hai?".

With knowing she is looking for Moksh, but not the one she is chatting with. To add to the list of surprises, she is asking questions about Deepti and then politely i had to ask her which Deepti, she was talking about.

Within the conversation, i wanted to know who could the other Moksh Juneja be who will surely kill my search rankings, someday. I asked some more questions on the other "moksh juneja". Immediately she asked "are you flirting with me?" My reply to her, "sorry you added me and i was trying to hlp you"

---
that was the day, and this is day, today! This question has asked by in-the-making religious guru or a potential job interview, they have all received the answers, they wanted hear? Ideally, i should be asking this for some self - introspection - "Who is Moksh Juneja?" What are his achievements? What are his capabilities?

Back Up Plan

2010-05-16T21:25:00.000-07:00

Did i enjoy this movie! If it was not for J Lo, i don't think, so! But there were some scenes clearly could have been avoided in the movie, it completely grossed me out. The story is simple romantic comedy (kind of) where J Lo after not being able to find the right guy and in a hurry to have a family. She decides to have a family through artificial insemination, that is when the right guy (Alex O'Loughlin) comes by. Then the story follows, like any other romantic movie.

Only if this was Bollywood movie, the story would have surely had a happy ending. But with a little twist where the J Lo by the end of the movie would be delighted to know that the actual sperm donor is Alex O'Loughlin, himself, the right guy that she was always looking for.

Overall, its just ok movie, can be avoided and watched on satellite television with advertisements as an entertainment factor. The only thing, that came to know from this movie was that there are Indians make a mark on the Hollywood circuit - Noureen DeWulf, being the latest, where she plays the J Lo's friend. With a surname like DeWulf, she can always be mistaken for a foreigner than an Indian.

Remember Me!!

2010-05-13T21:51:00.000-07:00

I really wanted to watch a movie, and was hoping that there would be a preview shows for Back Up plan, but then... I love my friends and brother, specially because they know no chocolate, no SMS jokes could cheer me up, so they all recommend to go and watch a movie...

Ended up reaching at Mulund in 45 mins, it generally takes 15 minutes. We asked for the tickets of Remember Me and we were told that the movie is starting late cause the prints had not reached.

Anyway, we bought the tickets and the movie had a jerky start and we waited for half an hour and when we sat down there were only 8 people including two of us to watch the movie.

Remember me is a line of complicated characters that have been played out decently well Robert Pattison, of Twilight fame, having a indifference of his work-obsessed, filthy rich, Wall Street lawyer father (Pierce Brosnan). Robert Pattison, Twilight fame, with his dreamy look, can also do the serious scenes brilliantly, but then when you ask him to smile and then he looks scary. The Twilight stills rubs off on him.

Emilie de Ravin does some justice to the role having a past with traumatic life experience, there is a low chance of getting back to life in a more spirited manner. She does bring in more complications with her relationship, on screen, with Robert and their history and involvement intensifies the drama, even better.

There is always a turning point in your life. It could be happy or sad, most of the times it is sad that brings out a complete transformation in your personality. If you want to see the change, you not only need believe in it, but also be the change. The moral from the movie hits a big emotional high specially with the backdrop of the recent event in American history.

Overall, a nice drama!!

It's a Wonderful Afterlife

2010-05-10T04:47:00.000-07:00

Let me start with the end, which is the end credits Stayin Alive with Punjabi Remixed and the bloopers in the movie that are running with it. Its like two best worlds coming together!! Only Bally Sagoo could have pulled this off!!

The other thing that was newly introduced to was the Ganja pakoras in the movie, who comes with this? How do you make it? Can Sanjeev Kapoor or Karen Anand help in creating this? Only in the Undercover Book of Cooking.

I really like Gurinder Chaddha movies since Bend It like Beckham, the whole Punjabi touch to the movie that she gets, the wedding season and the all the food that comes with it which is like what Punjabis die for (or work for). In this movie, you had all the elements put in place, you have good music, wedding, punjabi style the whole NRI culture based out of London. The other added elements that make it a dark comedy, but surely not scary.

Overall with all the elements are placed the only thing is it NOT a typical romance film with some really funny moments.

The Coin Auction!!

2010-04-26T11:40:00.000-07:00

I have only seen auctions in the movies, the remember Laurel and Hardy bidding against each other for a grandfather clock that they did not want. It i thought that was funny, but in real life, when some one actually raised his hand to scratch his head, the conveyor of the auction actually requested not to make any sudden movements, cause that would be counted as a bid.

Here I was visiting Numismatics Exhibition cum sale organized by Todywalla Auctions. While i was a witness to a whole bunch of people who are trying to haggle around with their valuable wears of stamps, coins, foreign currency notes and some even bought old antiques, medals and souvenirs. It was nothing less than a market, but the only discussion was how valuable was the coin? There were some people sitting with a magnifying glass trying to gauge the authenticity of the era that the coin belonged to, there were who were comparing to published books and then there were many others who asked for "1/2 Rupee side facing King Edward, 1939, Calcutta Mint" and then me who was completely enamored by the whole scene of they way people collect coins, stamps and more so preserve them. They were some rare coins that have been kept in sealed air tight plastic customized bags. So much care, people take!!

Coming back to the auction, it was being held in Tejpal Hall which is actually a place where theater artists perform. As usually, there are not many car parking areas near by. There is a canteen also provided for popcorn and refreshments. As an audience you need to be very mum cause this is a theater, but in the case of auction people were chatting, discussing, or working on laptops, cross referencing the values of the coins on eBay, before making his bid. Then there was one guy who was actually talking on the phone and was stopped by the usher, then again conveyor butt in saying that this is an auction, one can speak on the phone. (TwitPic)

After going through all the stalls and wanting to buy everything, but of course neither the wallet nor the brains wanted anything, confused even further, what to buy. So after the third round, i ended buying notes of countries like Zaire, Zambia, Trinidad and Tobago. The other exciting was meeting Dinesh Modi, who is actually the the guy responsible for donating half his collection to a museum of Mumbai University and initiating the a course in Numismatics under the same Bachelor of Arts. Overall, awesome experience, and i was glad that Daksh could also join me, to witness this auction all live.

Book Review: 34 Bubblegums and Candies - Preeti Shenoy

2010-04-23T00:07:00.000-07:00

When I was first introduced to Preeti Shenoy was at an event in Bloggers event in Pune. I am not the one who makes the first impression, the last impression. But in her case, was an exception. She came out as a humble, down to earth, her simplicity in her conversation. Her blog was character in written language. This was 2008.

When she announced that she is releasing her book, it was one of the time that year, i knew the author and the book. Post the announcement I had gone Crossword, Oxford, but did not get the book from there. Just a few days back i was at Odyssey and made a promise to myself, not buy any book at all, till i finish all the back log of books. Then i chanced upon this 34 Bubblegums and Candies, at last. Now i have the copy, so some day, once i meet her again, will get a signed copy from her.

While reading 34 Bubblegums and Candies, at first i was very intrigued by title itself. But that I called I could clarify earlier on the phone, one of the conversations that i had with her. But it still intrigues me. When you reading these stories it is like you are reading Reader's Digest, but I could connect with all these stories, because of similar experiences, simplicity of language, have met the author, read her blog and most of all the emotional connect that she brings about the all the characters.

This is one of the very few books, that actually read in a one complete go, with only one pee break between. The 34 stories that Preeti shares of her life and why she actually starts writing the book is also very inspirational. The book is preachy at all, but it does make a point which leaved an an indefinable mark on the reader.

The few take aways that I have from the book is that to try an be a Radiators to as many people as possible and convert the Drains to know what i am talking about turn to chapter. Like all motivation books, that inspire starting with Robin Sharma, and others, they all the say the same thing without any discrimination of age, sex, religion or any other barriers - Believe and you shall achieve. And i completely loved the categories for gift suggestions for women - Romantic, Just good friends, experience. In this book, i realized one the biggest advantages of listening is that, you dont have to answer questions on yourself or all those embarrassing moments and in another story Coffee beans beat carrots and eggs. This paragraph is all lucidly put from the stories that was shared you need to read the book, to know why am i saying all this!!

UPDATE: Now, there is also announcement of her next book, which I am looking forward to buying it!! Here

Nine Months Ago - Manish Gupta

2010-04-22T04:43:00.000-07:00

Just finished reading just fiction book "Nine Months Ago" by Manish Gupta. What intrigues me is that why all the IITs become authors get to write books and what happened to all those who were studying literature, English. You know i think these guys have some exciting times, and the guys who are actually studying they get so involved in the depth analysis of each character, they forget to experience life.

On the book, it is the life and times of an IITian - the ups and downs in his life, getting in and out of love, their (anti) loving interactions with their professors and the normal complains on the number of women at IIT. What i liked in the book was it breaks the monotony of reading from being the normal paragraph driven to more conversations. The conversations drive from philosophy of love, sex, studies and masti. One would have all the right reasons to do a wrong thing, but will not go ahead and do the right thing - this is my summation of the character. But we needed some more detailing on the characters.

At one point of time, it become difficult to realize which lady was the leading protagonist after because they were just too many jumps within the chapters, it was like reading Eric Segal's Doctors for the first time, where you had to go back to the previous chapter on the character to read what happened to him. If you want to go back to your college, see what masti, you have missed if you have not lived in a hostel. Just want to connect back to your college days or college buddies, after reading this book, you would want to do that.

"A PARENT'S NOTE TO A TEACHER" - Anonymous

2010-04-18T21:38:00.000-07:00

No, this is not my poem at all, but then, this something that i wish was written to me as a teacher. At the same time, I also want to thank and present this poem to all my teachers and being an inspiration to me. Even though i have graduated, you do pick my call, give me a good listen, scold me and bring me back to what you think is best for me.

I am no way saying that i am successful, but to reach where I am, I would not know what I would be without each one of you!! You know that you are the ones who keep pushing me, getting the best out of me, thank god, you are not grading me, and giving me marks. But testing me everyday, so that every day is a rich learning experience.

As a teacher, wish I could impact the lives of my students, as you have made an impact on mine.

"A PARENT'S NOTE TO A TEACHER" - Anonymous

I'm the voice of a grateful parent
whose child was in your class...
the one who needed help to find his way
You've been a special blessing
as you helped my child succeed
and I'm thankful for the part you had to play
You gave him so much more
than just the lessons in the books
you gave him wings...so he could learn to fly
You ignited a flame within his soul
a passion to learn and grow...
to never give up and always be willing to try
Your encouragement inspired him
and your kindness was so real
but the thing that thrills my heart the most is this...
By building his self-confidence
you changed his life this year
he believes in himself...and a brighter future is his!

How to train the Dragon?

2010-04-17T13:06:00.000-07:00

No this is not a Bruce Lee movie, So after no contemplation of what so ever, bought the tickets "How to train a Dragon?" and entered the theatre, thinking what am i doing watching a late night show which is an animated movie.

Now, I have no regrets of watching this movie, but it got me thinking that it wasn't a Disney Pixar collaboration. (Tweet) First think that actually struck me was the heavy Scottish voice of Gerard Butler in the form of Viking King brings all the flashes of 300 and more was to actually be able to recognize his voice. Tweet.

Then as the story progresses about how the young one is actually getting trained to kill a dragon, since he is leader's son the pressure on him to learn the trade or occupational hazard is even more. But he has his own ways of doing things which are not stupid, but crazy enough for others to follow.

Completely fell in love with Night Fury (Toothless) dragon, it reminded me of the Dog (Flkor) in Never Ending Story the only difference being that this dragon could not talk. How you fall in love with your pet dog, cat, fish, turtle, in similar way the protagonist Hiccup's pet is the most dangerous Night Fury. Only wish I had one.

What you should watch the movie for is the sleekness of action in animation; the expressions of the dragon and of course the human beings. The whole background of Viking Era. But more than anything else which has opened my eyes on the various conflicts one has to endure himself to actually survive and do the right thing even though the whole society may be against you.

Like the boy, has this whole feeling of to kill the most dangerous dragon and make his dad proud but he doesn't and there are better ways of solving the issues than fights. There is always an underlying, hidden, larger reason as to why people or in this case even dragons behave for what they were doing? Only if one understands what is going wrong in a larger perspective than only things can rectified or seeking for a possible solution, that is why i even loved the name Hiccup as the choice of name for the protagonist.

FourSquare Day Mumbai #4sqday

2010-04-16T13:20:00.000-07:00

Here we were a bunch of people in Mumbai, but people joined us from as far as Hyderabad and Bangalore, glad that they could make it at the Candies, which was the venue selected, after much deliberation.

for the uninitiated, why did we meet today, and what was all the Fousquare noise, all about since four-squared equals 16, it would be great to check into Foursquare on the 4th 16th of the year, otherwise known as 4 / 16 or April 16th should be given the FourSquare Day, to know more about this.

We had a whole lot of people who joined us from Twitter, they were some of us who were not even on FourSquare showed a lot of interest as to what FourSquare, in some cases we demonstrated and gave up and another cases, we actually were discussing as to how FourSqaure will boon a stalker. There were some people who were not even on Twitter and still they wanted to know what was this whole event all about.

There were garlands and a crown ready for the mayors of their respective places, it was dark enough to take pictures, but we managed some, once @annkur came by. Garlands were basically for the guys who are the mayors and the crown was for the women who were the mayors of their respective places.

As usual, there was a lot of chatter, chatter, glad it was a Friday, we got a whole place that was fixed on for us and we had enough room and not very crammed in out sitting arrangement. There was of course, the usual leg-pulling, the usual encouraging others to participate.

After a round of introductions, The discussions were as vast as iPad, cycling, being eco friendly, Blackberry, iPhone, we sang for @yearning4d_sky as it was her birthday and then the discussion took an ugly route towards the the stink that coming and we were discussing if it was toxic, or some disinfectant, thank God, for nobody pointing out at each other. There were some people kind of to actually demonstrate other as to how to use FourSquare.

We had a an amazing bunch of people
@sumants
@pragni
@parmeshs
@ideasmithy
@pradx
@b50
@vineetrajan
@lavinm
@sandeepohri
@yearning4d_sky
@prsng
@Netra
@krist0ph3r
@annkur
@aalaap
@manan
@blueocean85
@shadez
@lezdah
@rsbisht
@shiladitya
@nikster007

We had people who did remote "check in" and there were some people who wanted to do "check in" from different cities, but didn't. We were all who checked in were all given the FourSquare Badge, check this.

We did have a lot floating crowd. At one point of time, we would at least 30+ plus and with more than 12 check ins, so for a first ever Foursquare meet with less than two days to actually inform everyone and some last cancellations and confirmations, i think we had a good turnout.

Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish - Rashmi Bansal

2010-04-08T02:42:00.000-07:00

The other day i read a statement saying, "go meet a entrepreneur and he will change your mind for being one!" So untrue, when you read the 25 real life stories that makes one think these are the same qualities in me, this is one quality missing in me, and need to work on it. Story telling is a mix n match of interview, first hand encounter and giving a second hand success story that everyone can relate to.

Every story gives you a perspective and if that entrepreneurial streak to just become alive. Few qualities that I think are most important is
1. if someone is telling you, what a stupid idea, just go ahead and prove him wrong
2. just be passionate about what you are doing
3. spread this passion, in your family first, they are the ones who will support all those weird ideas
4. don't be afraid to fail
5. failure is the only thing that teaches you
6. don't blame anyone, anything, any circumstance for your failure, but yourself
7. success is boring, one had already figured it out
8. try and get people with opposite perspective but the same passion to work with
9. argue, but not fight
10. have a clear focus what one wants to achieve
11. share this focus
12. don't be scared to try something new
13. know when to get out

Dont be foolish enough not to pick up this book, if you want to be inspired and have that entrepreneurial idea and streak and you want to jump into it. Rashmi, thank you for writing this book.

Learning through Butterflies and Berries

2010-04-06T10:24:00.000-07:00

Given my background as a visiting faculty with Colleges in Mumbai Univeristy and SNDT University, teaching the subject of public relations to the Bachelor in Management Studies (BMS) students in their second year. What intrigues me more is not that students are using Blackberry for socialising but given the first opportunity will even interact with the teachers.

As a habit, before i start my lectures i put the mobile phone on silent and this time, when i entered the class, the students saw the new BB and i thought they wanted to see the instrument and i was in no mood to show off and that too to students. Being a BB novice, to understand what they were doing, they wanted to add me on the group chats, send me broadcast messages, scan the QR barcode and chat with me at times of trouble like one day before the exams.

Specially, when they started studying, BB didnt stop pinging, with messages like
* "give us some important questions"
* "do we need to learn the whole portion?"
* "is it going to be a difficult question paper?"

the few questions i actually answered and didnt dodge were the relevant questions like solving doubts that i was actually replying back too. Doubts would only crop once the students have read, studied or in many cases mugged up.

What inspired me to share my experience as a faculty was the article in Hindustan Times Link on the Blackberry Brigade. It does give an perspective BB being a very professional mobile phone, students are lapping towards it, and probably that is why the BB is not Black anymore.

Media Mantras - S.N.D.T. Women's University

2010-03-22T05:25:00.000-07:00

A very interesting that I was moderating a session at S.N.D.T. Women's University on "Internet: Reaching out to the world virtually". This session was part of Media Mantras where they had other sessions on Journalism, Television, Films and the internet. Media Mantras was an event by Students of Post Graduation Diploma in Communication & Media. In my sessions, there were panelists that were present had their experience in Social Media and the everyone had their share of good experience in Social Media. (Link)

Reaching out to the world was restricted to Social Media and not whole of internet. While introducing Social Media, I gave them what internet marketing is not and shared with them the myths of digital marketing. (Link)

First Speaker was Jason Menezes from WAT Consult, what I liked his speech was that he shared was that how he jumped into social media from starting a balooning company in India. This is what social media is all about, specially when you have diverse background of people coming together on one single platform with one single cause.

Next Speaker was Bhavna Giani from Walnut Digital, with her rich online advertising background she brought in a completely different perspective to digital media marketing, where she highlighted the effectiveness of virals interactive advertisements. This is when my point re-emphasized on not just using one medium or tool to reach out to the relevant target audience, but using a combination of the most cost effective tools, depending one's budget.

Jayesh Veralkar from Sony Music bought his experience from the client side and how an agency works hand in hand to reach to the common marketing objectives and the most important in digital marketing being interactivity through rate, rank, and recommend.

Joel Pannikot from Athena India was one the most important perspectives of connections online and how they can be used effectively. One of the slides that was the most effective and had an impact on me too was the fact that 30 years ago, there was competition, but now not only there is competition with a larger population but also the same skill set. Here, we can only bring in more employable, when we have become multi-skill sets. Post his session, i realized how important it is to have a technical as well as managerial skill set to be successful, but at the same time you need to be seen as someone giving something back to the society.

Overall, loved the experience of being part of moderating the panel gaining some new, different perspectives to digital marketing on communication, collaboration, multimedia and at the same time bringing in entertainment through interactivity.

Alice in Wonderland

2010-03-12T23:03:00.000-08:00

I was hoping to be impressed with the Johnny Depp. But then you had other other plans to impress the viewers with all the 3D. Why is it such a big thing, is something i am unable to fathom.

It was way to dark for a fairy tale, thanks to Tim Burton! At the same time, the movie was really imaginative for a imaginative story like Alice in Wonderland, thanks to Tim Burton! Either you like it or you dont, it is a fascinating.

Coming back to Johnny Depp, the whole anxiety and build up to see Johnny Depp was killing, but then when see him the excitement is completely thrilling, but as the movie progresses, there is something missing this time.

There is a mention of Dodo and can be seen hanging around the movie, but there is no significance in the story, which is very unlike the book.

Overall, was not very impressed with the movie.

on my way to Mysore

2010-03-04T22:39:00.000-08:00

Running short of time, Devraj recommended that head towards the Mysore Palace. Since they have very strict timelines and restrictions for entry of tourists. It sounded i was late for business meeting of some kind.

Finding the palace was not difficult cause it is in the central of Mysore City. Before reaching there the only place I stopped was The St. Philomena's Church to pray, to admire the place, but then once you have seen the churches of Goa, this was just another church for you.

Mysore Palace
Mysore Palace is huge and is still owned by the Prince who is part of the Dynasty even living today. The place is valued at Rs. 15000 billion that was the guide claimed it to be. The priceless possession of the palace converted museum is Gold throne which is used during procession during Dussera is on display. Beyond this, people needs to understand the kings were lavish enough to bring in things from England, Manchester and many other places across the world, few of them were gifts, most of them were brought to "show off" including the tiles and fans of main wedding room in the palace.

Then i inquired if this place is still for hire for weddings, guide enlightened me about the 2 Bollywood Rajesh Khanna starring movies, one Kannada movie and one television serial of Sword of Tipu Sultan being shot at palace. But that didnt answer my question, so i asked him again, then he said, "the Rajah lives behind the palace, you can go and request him, he will give it to you."

You are not allowed any photography in the interiors of the palace and your camera and even your cell phone can be confiscated. But here my guide was like you can pay the man Rs. 100/- as bribe and take one picture of the Diwane-e-Khas which is a room has gold pillars and very ornamental design meant for very private audience of the King. Of course, i didnt pay the bribe, neither i got my picture. You will not miss the well designed bronze cats that are there just outside the palace, you are able to see every muscle of the cat, it would surely scare people away, if it was alive!

The other incident is of the horse ride carriage that takes you around the whole palace and again the whole place has been full of touts, here the Horse ride carriage charges Rs. 100 for and drops you somewhere half way, i paid Rs. 20 bucks and then ran away from there. The Hindi that people spoke here was very similar to Hindi being spoken at Hyderabad. Hope I am not generalizing.

Being new to the Mysore, driving all alone, with no directions of the city and trying to reach the Mysore Zoo. I make an entry into No Entry, immediately stopped by the police. I purposely only talk in Hindi and then was taken to the main traffic police cop. he said the fine is Rs. 300/- and then conversation is as follows.

Police Man: You entering, no entry, fine Rs. 300/-
Me: new to the city, let me go!
Police Man: So rules, are rules, fine Rs. 300/-
Me: i am tourist here, why fine me!
Police Man: You traveling alone?
Me: Yes!
Police Man: Where are you coming from?
Me: Bangalore
Police Man: Where is your gao (village)?
Me: Mumbai (smiling cause Mumbai is everything but a village)
Police Man: Where is Family?
Me: Mumbai
Police Man: Are you married?
Me: no! (where did that question come from)
Me: People alone cant travel in Mysore? (irritated, now)
Police Man: You entered in No Entry, you pay Rs.100 and i will let you go
Me: Done give me receipt, and take Rs. 100/-

Mysore Zoo
Then taking the right turn, i reached Mysore Zoo and even before buying the ticket to enter in I asked if there was a White Peacock in the zoo or else i will give skip to the zoo and the lady on the counter confirmed there was a White Peacock in the zoo.

One look at the giraffe, and i thought why the hell do they put statues in at the entrance, why cant you have live animals. Then the giraffe started moving to eat some twigs. I was like Oh My God, its alive! (Picture) Next stop, the bird cages, and that is when i saw the White Peacock trying to impress the Peahen, all dancing like the rains would hit the water starved Mysore. (Picture). Peacocks are call Peafowls, now for obvious reasons. The other thing here i realized that all the male species are really good looking, except in human beings!

What i also loved was the White Tiger, which i completely fell in love. (Picture) Imagine both these animals are a rare species with genetic defect in them. Both being Albino! Both only found in India. Even though there were in cages, i was not upset cause i know they were well kept cause there is an attached veterinarian hospital.

The zoo is so massive it has all kinds of animals, reptiles, birds, etc. you need at least good 3 hours patiently to go through the whole zoo. Have been to Jijamata Udayan in Mumbai and they way the animals kept in the zoo are pathetic and animals are also lethargic. But here, the best time to actually visit is around 4 that is the feeding time of most of the animals. This place is very well kept, maintained and most animals are active.

I also liked the idea of going to "Adopt the Animal", where one can adopt any and every animal, but each animal has a rate card. An a small bird, a parrot adoption rate for a period of one year is Rs. 550/- but for an Elephant is Rs. One lakh plus for the whole year. Self - financing concept for the zoo and relying on the government funds is a better money raising system. At the same time, acknowledging the person who is supporting the animal.

Chamundi Hills
Drive upto Chamundi Hills visit to the temples, again was bound by the time i had to reach the temple. Once i reached, i was informed that it would take another hour for the temple to open. The whole view was so breathtaking of Mysore City with salad based behl that i was eating on top of the hill, completely lost track of time. The hill drive back and forth to the temple was super awesome was thinking, only if i was on a cycle. (Picture)

By the time i got out of the city, it was past 9, 15 kms away from the city i decided to stay around Mysore or else i was planning to drive ahead! Anyway, living in a cottage over the weekday, checking in late, promised to leave early next day, no luggage only pay for dinner, the cost of the cottage was slashed by Rs. 1000/- Short, Sweet Stay at Monrach Hotel, cottage to all to myself was wee bit expensive but was luxurious with a bath tub, which didnt work, and hot shower started only after i packed my bags to leave.

First Stop - Tipu Sultan's Srirangapatna

2010-03-04T03:10:00.000-08:00

After a long drive with two breaks in between

First Break at Channapatna to buy ingeniously built wooden toys that make a lot of noise and have lunch at Kamat Upachar, one should go and try out the Kannada recipes that they serve, it simple, less spicy and very tasty.

Second Break at Mandya for Sugar Cane Juice, which did not taste any different than the sugarcane juice in Maharashtra.

Then i reach at Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace, which is now a huge garden, I hired a guide - Devraj. As we enter there huge pigeon holes (Picture). Devraj had some interesting trivia to share here. He said because of internet, the pigeons that were used to deliver mail was stopped some seven years back in Orissa that means the were still being used.

Interesting fact about the Summer Palace, it is not a regular palace made of huge boulders, brick and mortar. It is made of wood and bamboo to keep this place cool from the Deccan heat. There is whole museum where you will get stories on Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan of friendship and betrayal, glory and defeat, war and love and the way we can learn from their mistakes (only if we tried). It is nice well maintained garden, where one can actually play a good round of Frisbee match.

In the Museum, there is a picture of Mysore, Srirangapatna and Bangalore and back then Bangalore was a village; Mysore was the city and Srirangapatna was the hill station. Presently, which is ironical to even believe in this! There are well painted walls, where in the the fours wars that were fought by Tipu Sultan have been portrayed. The depiction that i will never forget was Nizam of Hyderabad supported Tipu Sultan is his battle against Britishers in the first two wars but then he withdrew his support. He was depicted as the cow and then the pig. Knowing how scared are the animals in the Musilm community, this depiction does create an impact on my mind. Depiction of Tipu Sultan, himself as bald guy with a short stature but very commanding and powerful. The height, i think is the key to great prowess, You have Gandhi, Hitler, Napoleon all had very short height.

Next Stop, Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple and here i just made it on time to see the temple cause all Gods also take a break for lunch at 1330hrs which gets extended upto 1600hrs. Didnt know that the temple authorities were that strict. But then when you enter the temple which was 9th century reclining Lord Vishnu statue with a calming facial expression. After such a divine intervention, the time just stood by, until the pandit told me that it is time to leave.

Trivia about Srirangapatna is that it is an inland island. An island that is made of a consequence of the three rivers that passes by Kaveri, Triveni and Loakpavani. That is where the next stop - the Sangam of the three rivers. Small boat ride in a Korakal or tokri as the locals say. (Picture).

Another observation was that the temple were built by the Hindu Kings and not every far away there is also a mosque, like what we have read in our history books Hindu-Muslim fights. Tipu Sultan believed in harmony between religions.

The tombs of Tipu Sultan and his parents are present story. This is when i actually understood there is a way identify the tombs of male and female, too!! But there is very sinking feeling looking at these tombs. I was also told about that the actual tombs lie in beneath the earth and these tombs are kept above the earth to attract tourists. I didnt even feel like taking any pictures! (Picture)

Overall, experience at Srirangapatna was I loved the whole experience of hiring a guide for the whole city, he had a lot of stories to tell about each place. So if anyone is traveling alone or with someone or with a group, then he should for sure hire guide for the whole city of Srirangapatna.

View Bangalore - Mysore - Mumbai trip in a larger map

Take on Down South - Bangalore traffic!!

2010-03-03T14:21:00.000-08:00

Bangalore traffic isnt that bad! When you stay somewhere and you listen to friends and abide by what they say is a good thing, but then when you actually experience it, it does not seem so bad. Specially when you were warned about the realities of life, or in this case the realities of Bangalore traffic.

When you are used to driving in Mumbai in the peak hours; in the hot, sweaty afternoons, when you are driving in the new city with no geographical sense of the city there are just two different things. Even if you are turning in the wrong direction, you stop at the corner and ask the traffic cops for directions, they will surely leave you. But this didnt work in Mysore, and that's a different story.

Woke up at 630am in the morning to leave the big city for Mysore on my adventures alone! But then i was sneezing, head was spinning and there was a thought to cancel the whole unplanned trip! But then by 9, when my friend said she was leaving for office and was thinking what i would be doing all alone at home. I announced with a lot of effort that i would also be leaving. My friend gave me the directions and I set out at 930am that is after waiting for the traffic to settle down in Bangalore. The traffic wasnt that bad!!

How I got the car is a story in itself?

How i got the car to travel?

2010-03-03T02:54:00.000-08:00

It was my friend's friend's sister's car which was parked at her in-laws place. It was took at least one and half day to actually think this over myself. But then it takes a lot of courage to go to some one else's house whom you are even remotely disconnected even via the six degrees.

My another friend's husband who knows Bangalore and understands the Kannada (local language) takes the directions, explains it to my friend, so then we can go and get the car.

Just when I was about to ring the bell, I tell my friend that it is a bad idea to get her along. The door opens, and a uncle type 55+, more salt than pepper hair, sounds like a person who has been retired from the military and has been upset about something for the last 100 years.

After the brief exchange of pleasantry, he starts asking interrogating about my well being, and then my friends. More questions directed towards my friend, than me, i was feeling left out that i was the person that he should be asking questions, too! He was asking basic questions of job interview, that is before the interview goes into the technical knowledge comprehension stage. What you do? Where you live? Do you like what you do? How does it work for you? Who do you live with it?

Anyway, only after my friend, established that she is married, from Bangalore, only accompanied me to get the car and not traveling with me anywhere and does not believe in infidelity. He was happy to give me the car keys and offered us water with Kaju Katli.

Teen Patti - Why people will not play to watch?

2010-02-28T07:08:00.000-08:00

Teen Patti The movie is not exactly a copy of 21, but the whole concept is. But it is fascinating to watch Mr. Amithabh Bachchan doing a performance and still cant believe that he can slip in his acting. For one, he started slouching so badly that you actually know that he is not just upset but he has a very bad body posture. The name of Mr. Bachchan's character is Venkat Subramanium in the movie, he has accent of a South Indian, is a a few scenes, everywhere else, he is himself. How can the director not notice this? How can Amithabh Bachchan even go ahead with something like this?

Ben Kingsley, there isnt much of the role other than the hype of Ben Kingsley working and speaking Hindi, which probably is not even his voice and badly dubbed. The other question that is hasnt Sir Ben Kingsley seen 21, even before signing up for this movie. Why waste time on this movie?

As for the other characters and new comers, other than R. Madhavan, none of them had a very memorable role, and in front of Mr. Bachchan, dont think they would have been able to do any better to be over his shadow and his performance. But if one sees, Jackie Shroff, Ajay Devgan, Shakti Kapoor, Sanjay Manjrekar, they had very small roles, but a quiet impactful, specially in front of Mr. Bachchan.

Why the movie will not work for one, there is a card game involved, which either people play with bidis or with high value money and people who are planning to watch this movie will never feel satisfied neither they get to learn new tricks or learn how to count the cards and play bet on probability of winning only. In simple terms, it is a card game and not cricket.

The other reason why this wont work, is occupation of the the protagonist is a teacher and not some glamorous occupation that people would like to aspire to be. Teaching is never ever will be seen as a glamorous occupation in the Indian context, and just in case, if someone tried doing it, then like the good ole crab story, those guys will be pulled down. In the story, a teacher getting involved with gambling are poles apart, which is very difficult to accept it cause not because of some self righteousness but teachers are just too poorly paid. (I know)

The concept is new for the Bollywood industry, if you have not seen the Kevin Spacey starring 21, which was even better that you might just like the movie cause of Amithabh Bachchan's mild eccentric role or you might be like why was this movie made? But one thing for sure Mr. Bachchan should choose the character roles and now only aim for an Oscar and receive one, before he starts creating his "Bucket List".

Princess and the Frog

2010-02-28T06:32:00.000-08:00

Had a nice sweet time watching "Princess and the Frog". I was actually dragged into watching the movie cause my little cousin said while sobbing, "my plan to watch this movie has been canceled three times, please take me to watch this movie".

After watching the movie, i was like it isnt so bad, as i was expecting it to be. It is Diney movie (Link) at the end of the day, but still not Pixar. The whole story is pretty well done, when children still live in fairy tales. Girls are seeking for their Prince Charming but he aint there, exactly.

Some of the characters that you will love is other than the lead charcater are the Louis the alligator who loves playing the Trumpet and he is very good at it. There is of course an Indian connection of Prince Naveen from Maldonia, only wish they would have said Prince Naveen from Delhi.

Fascinating thing is the complete twist in the tale where the after the kiss, the human turns into the frog, unlike the fairy tale it self. Mam Odie is also a very brilliant character and they way she tries to explain things, but then Tiana is too focused on just one thing and she misses out everything else. "alomost there" is a song that really rings a bell for me which should at least be heard by others too... it is like after all that we keep running for, we ignore the most are our family and others.

There were English captions in the movie, i dont remember when there were english captions for any movie. It is actually distracting, if it isnt a foreign language movie. Animation is not that great, specially the Tiana, the female frog she just looks blank and expressionless sometimes. Both overall the story is enjoyable for both child and adults, alike.

BlogCamp Mumbai - February 2010

2010-02-22T05:59:00.000-08:00

Would love to thank all our sponsors. ACM Team - Gaurav, Adil and team were instrumental in the logistics as well as getting us the venue. Microsoft Hardware which had dedicated room for the bloggers to enjoy a game of Xbox which i completely sucked at! ... and the events blogging partner was Indiblogger.

As the un-organizer of BlogCamp Mumbai,
I loved being a part of it! Everyone in the team is very supportive. We do have our set of fights, challenges and all that problems when people work in groups. But then when one says that it is for a better good for a long term, everyone starts rethinking and starts putting their heads together. What I feel we don’t need anyone from outside to come and change things and give in a new perspective. There is always one person or the other who would pull each other’s leg, and bring in the new perspective. We challenge each other, we criticize each other for the better good of the whole community.

@NETra: we may call her Queen of NETworking, but her experience brings in more advantages in solving stereotypical situations and her impatience helps in making quick decisions. Only if our courts law courts could understand this behaviour

@annkur: Ankur brings in all the coordination, execution and analysis to the table that is required to solve the problems. It is so evident that he actually absorbs intellectually by making each decision that he and/or we make together.

@skyn3t: Neeraj is quieter of the lot, where none of us have to worry about a thing, once told him; until he brings to our notice that there is something that is not working or of potential problems. If there are any challenges, then brings in the options of solutions.

@ideasmithy: was officially bought in the later stages of the BlogCamp and her area of expertise of bringing in the right content, to the right audience and the connect between the content to the audience is completely seamless.

And @mokshjuneja ____

As the un-participant of BlogCamp Mumbai,
I love the whole sessions that would were completely unplanned, unstructured, unorganized, it is a surprise for me, too!! It is a pleasure to meet so many different people from different walks of life with completely different background, it just opens up new vistas of thinking and potential collaboration. Just completely love and endorse the White Board Wiki style!!

On BlogCamp Mumbai January 2010,
Some of the sessions that I was able to sit and listen to them!
Ideasmithy started of her presentation on blogging and my take away was that if one blogger gets invited to contribute to a group blog that is something someone has achieved in blogging. Of course, a book being published is the ultimate success. Kalyan who was blogs about food, recipes and other things under the sun, had a good way of presenting his experience, which is very much style of blogging.

Then there were a whole lot of issues, causes that were discussed. Sanjukta started with Bell Bajao campaign and the way they have used social media. Meetu took a few minutes to highlight about a lady, Dr. Major Ritu Biyani, who traveled with her daughter to create awareness about breast cancer and requested for ideas to help her raise funds and raise awareness and all the attentive listeners at the BlogCamp woke up from their slumber with some brilliant, wacko, and implementable ideas. We had a quick presentation by Satish and Ranjeet on Sapling Project that they have conceptualized and trying to make a difference to the world in their own little way. They are Supermans who dont wear the underwear outside like the original one.

Giving a break from the issues and cause related marketing was Annkur and Shaun who gave an image of ergonomics which very difficult to fade away. We had @Hardik (who was a surprise element, to see him there) giving us the Windows Live Writer demonstration. Then we had a question and answer session with a gaming blogger, Raj where he did answer a couple of questions on gaming, giving a few tips here and there, his blogs are on cookery and gaming. But he was more gaming than talking in the next room where the Microsoft Xbox was kept. Then I was running, helter-skelter, talking, commenting, conversations on the go, while lunching, while compering, while eating, while listening, while even being silent, with expressions of being bored and try enthuse some fun elements in the BlogCamp… thank god, no one was actually spamming in reality.

Ending with some spontaneous questions on the bloggers and their sessions was an idea that actually worked and people were actually looking forward to those questions. Bloggers who could not make it, other than intellectually stimulating sessions, you missed the discussions over Pav Bhaji during. Hope to see all next time, all over again!

To know what what you guys missed at BlogCamp, check out these pictures by Ranjit, Preshit and me.

Whats been Buzz-ing on Google Buzz - First Impression, initial reaction!

2010-02-10T11:19:00.000-08:00

At first impression, it seems like the Wave has actually become easier to use. Intelligent thing is that it is being used one of the popular email service providers - Gmail. But before start with the potential issues...

Exciting stuff on Google Buzz
* GeoTagging feature built in Buzz for mobile users, competition to Foursquare
* Buzz has a better compatibility on the iPhone
* Seems easier to update and tag people, specially for Twitter users
* Brings Friendfeed features of aggregating, which is good
* It is a Google product, it comes with a lot of excitement

If you have not still received your Buzz invite, its okay because
* still not ready for BlackBerry but expected
* but for people who have a hard time understanding email, this is going to make them more averse technology
* Aggregation is limited to Google Products, plus Twitter and Flickr. Know for a fact if it takes off, then it would include the others RSS feeds!
* So many times Buzz-ing in the mail will actually make the person shift out of communicating with so many people and getting their updates.
* With so many updates, it would be like "i missed so much" or "need to switch off, before i start any work"

Only if they can have the Google Reader feeds officially linked in to Gmail, this would be something.

Looking forward to the recommended buzz would it be actually helpful or would it be annoying, will it be able to compete with the Amazon recommendations!

The Long Tail - Chris Anderson

2010-02-09T07:05:00.001-08:00

Mass of Niches
Mass of Niches has always exited, but the cost of reaching out to them was very high. But there was no way to fulfill these demands, wants or even wishes, but with the advent of the internet, not only it helped in reducing costs on reduction, but making it even more experiential, before making a purchasing decision. There would be the next generation of Mass Personalization.

Long Tail = Choice + Niche + Economical
Long Tail is clearly giving the choice to the niches and still be economical. The choice limitation is not restricted to the colors that are available, but the colors that would match with the wall colors in my room or kitchen, depending on the product that I will buy.

Long Tail also helps in Democratize Production toolmakers, producers; Democratize Distribution aggregators and Connect Supply and Demand, filters.

The Long Tail encourages new Producers
Clicking a picture from a phone and then uploading it to a public domain for everyone to see would have never been thought out, some 75 to 100 years back. Producing images, reworking on the images, producing videos, editing them, publishing stories are actually the new producers who have been given an out let showcase their talent. You do not have to be a author, no more to write. You can be a banker, to write, just select the right niche.
The other side is Producerism where producer to consumerism where the consumer are participating in developing a product, recommending new features.

The Long Tail aggregates
Google is one of the best aggregators, it aggregates content to exactly what we are seeking. Amazon, not only gives us what we seek, but also recommends what we might just like – this is (aggregation)10. Google AdSense works on something very similar. Wikipedia is an aggregator right, but that search is just the beginning and not the end of the search.

Long Tail bridges the gap between content provider and supplier
Do not blame the internet for cutting down on jobs, but the blame the internet for making more calculative and faster decisions. The way the choices are working is today I need to buy a new mobile phone. I would search online, go to tech forums, ask my friends on Facebook and Twitter, call my friend who is more smarter than me in this subject, talk to dad, ask my brother, check out other phones in stores and then go to the shop that gives the best deal; this shop could possibly be the corner shop next to my house. For one reason, in the near future, for immediate gratification on problems arising on the phone, he would give immediate service.

Pro-Am era
Era of Pro-Am that is Professionals and Amateurs work together for the better good, humanity, happiness, gratification, but may not always be money as the key motivator. Best example is SETI@home (Search of Extraterrestrial Intelligence at home).

Dewey Decimal System
If you go to the local bookstore, the owner already knows which book is kept where. If you go to the library, you have the Dewey Decimal System which is very biased to religion (didn’t know about this till read about it). This is the most systematic way to keep books. It is universally accepted, so with the same decimal you can check out the same section of books, but in a different library. But books are not written in a stereotypical way anymore. Like Long Tail, would fall under Management, Business, technology sections, where does one fit this book, this becomes shortcoming to this system.

Architecture of Participation
As a communication expert, you should check the complexity of communication that is evolving on Architecture of Participation. Economical digital distribution has two effects clear effects on the Log Tail. It widens the field of customers and shortens the search time. If marketers have myopic insights into consumer behavior which might just lead into “Everyone wants to be a star” and “Everyone’s in it for the money”.

News vs. Blogs
News will be taking a hit and a beating, if they do not start adopting to user generated platforms. Blogs will surely flourish not just because it is user generated, but also it builds the niche. But both will survive.

Ishiqiya - Kar-liya

2010-02-06T12:12:00.000-08:00

Vidya Balan was the vamp in the movie. The amount of news that she did not want to use the abusive language, that was disappointing. Was not expecting Bandit Queen, but bit more from what was publicized. This was decent acting, than the more glamorised roles (like Hey Baby), she was true to this role.

Arshad Warsi was good to see him in different role, beyond Circuit. He was the comic relief in the movie. Naseeruddin Shah, the whole engima of acting was somewhere missing or i must have missed it. For Shah, particularly it was not Arshad or Vidya were stealing the show away from him. It was not impactful.

The backdrop in the movie set, reminds of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. If you make the lead protagonist, wear cowboys hats and have them ride horses, it would give the same appeal. As well as the background score was very typical western movie and then there was "Dil to bacha hai"

What I also liked in the movie was that it was Gulzar Saheb who had given a break to Vishal Bharadwaj as the music director for Maachis and now he has teamed up with Gulzar Saheb for this movie for the lyrics that is "world comes full circle".

Overall, this is surely a one time watch, Vishal Bharadwaj has given much better movies like Omkara with similar backdrop and Maqbool.

Shahrukh Khan dont release My Name is Khan

2010-02-04T21:23:00.000-08:00

Shahrukh Khan even though i dont like you too much!

If I were you. I would not release "My Name is Khan" in Mumbai and the whole of Maharashtra and let your fans and other movie industry people decide what to do with Shiv Sena. You need to take this extreme step not because there has been a pressure from the Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackrey and his other followers, but you should take this step because that is surely going hit on their incomes and monies through the entertainment taxes.

Anyway, Shiv Sena is doing all this cause they are not in power, they are not in the media and they want to be in the media and they want to be back in power. They need to understand that these are "Divide and Rule" tactics are as old as the Britishers in India, we have learned from our history.

They need to prove themselves with good work, not with maara maari and calling all the shots bans and bandhs that will just make the the ruling party even more stronger, even though they work or they dont.

If they continue to do things as destructive and not being constructive they will go to oblivion without one noticing. So any more Bandha, bans and anything else will have the whole tribe against them, I know a few Marathis who completely disagree with his ideology. The Shiv People Sanjay Raut, Editor, of Saamna did not convincing enough to what they were doing was right.

Mumbai is meant for all, and it cant be broken into pieces based on Hamara Mumbai or Aamchi Mumbai!

Bombay Elecktric Project

2010-01-31T22:05:00.000-08:00

Had a very interesting evening thanks to @ideasmithy for inviting me for the Bombay Electrik Project evening at Cafe Goa.

A brief on the Bombay Elektrik Project is an initiative that promotes cutting-edge artistes and provides them a platform they deserve. This evening there were artistes and more so there were a lot of bunch of people (audience) who enjoy niche music who had particularly come for the performance and then there were other people who had come in for the food. In the picture, Scott playing on the Guitar

Then there are other events which are i plan to attend some day, "Krack you up"

Phir Mile out of Sur

2010-01-27T05:03:00.000-08:00

Mile Sur I remember it was like completely glued to the TV, trying to get a glimpse of all the corners of India, in less than 3 minutes and at the same time taking a break from watching Mahabharat and then asking parents, grandparents and everyone around who are these people singing with such passion, nationality spirit and patriotism.

Now, is the time of Phir Mile Sur, it is the most apt thing for today's generation (that partly includes me) where everything is "I" being egoistic, being narcissist and even the gadget starts with iPod, iTouch, iPad. Every artist, gets his space in the most sought after patriotic song, sings his way, like Aamir goes out of Sur, don't get the Aati Kya Khandala tune, Shahrukh Khan cant get over his style welcoming life with open hands. The only graceful amongst all the actors was Amithabh Bachchan, but it i would have known about the end product, then would have refused to be a part of it.

Get the rock element in, that is a very THIS generation, but do not miss out getting the people together. Rather giving space, keeping it simple, it became lengthy and i completely lost interest in the song. Salman Khan singing with sign language with children was a nice gesture, but he could easily worn the T-shirt.

The whole aspect getting the sports people involved and are only three recent Olympic medalist was brilliant and that was the time, when felt a little proud that it was sport which went beyond cricket. Even Baichun Bhutia was there.

There were Santoor players, Aman and Ayaan playing, Zakir Hussain Shivamani Shankar, Eshaan and Loy doing their best; there were the singers representation, but then you completely missed out on Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosale.

You had all the elements well placed, but the whole sense of a feeling that "I am proud to be an Indian" was completely missed out.

Eric Segal - RIP

2010-01-20T21:35:00.000-08:00

Love Story was one of the first books I read and the first line of the book still holds with me strongly (not verbatim) "what happens, once your loved one dies". Eric Segal's book was first one Romantic-Tragedy book that i read and quiet touched but more so was impressed with his simple but heart felt writing style.

I always thought you were some Punjabi Indian based somewhere in the USA, when i first finished reading the book Love Story. This was because there was a Sehgal Aunty who use to live very close to our house, but then it dawned on me that you are no way connected to India, once i started reading your other books, The Class, Doctors, and Prizes.

On Oliver Story, it wasnt something that was missing for Oliver from Love Story, i think you needed to complete the character there it was a awesome green color cover book for us to read. Man, Woman and Child was a story where Jugal Hansraj, Urmila Mantodkar as a child artists in a movie Masoom and Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi in the lead and the Lakdi ki katti all time favourite children's song. Only Love, didnt leave much of an impact, good read till it lasted.

If there is anyone who can pass on the batton from you it would Nicholas Sparks, his are the only books "A walk to remember" and "Message in a bottle" which comes close to your style of writing.

You were the only author that I have finished reading most of your fiction works. May you rest in peace.

Worm in steamed rice

2010-01-10T11:22:00.000-08:00

This was in Mulund at R City Mall, where even PVR Cinemas is also located. So like any other day, we watch a movie then we hang around in the mall and then proceed towards a eating joint. Generally I love having the vegetarian cheese frankie, but that god forsaken day, wanted to have something different.

Different it was! all of us friends, sitting on a circular table. After much contemplation, we ordered mocktails and food. Finished with some drinks and then when the waiter starts serving rice, friend next to me relaises that there is something from the ordinary resting with my rice.

A Maggot!

Now this is the conversation with the manager!!

Me: Please call the manager!
Manager: We are sorry, please allow me get you something else
Friend #1: i think we should just leave
Manager: The whole meal is complimentary
Friend #2: isn't it the same kitchen, i dont think we should stick around any more
Friend #3: Most of us are vegetarian, we dont eat non-veg at all, i think we should leave

I was just enjoying the conversation!!

Manager: This happens sometimes

Me: Let me take a picture

By the time i could reach out for mobile phone and take a picture, the manager swoops in and picks up the plate and leaves - rudeness at the helm! Retrospect: what else he would have done!

We all left the place amused, dejected, hungry but not angry.

----

Then we end up in another restaurant, not as posh as the earlier one, when we sit down there dead cockroach resting in one corner. Anyway, to find a cockroach in a corner is better than finding a worm in a plate, is still better. Glad it was not half a worm that would nauseating.

Day filled with insects!!

Sherlock Holmes

2010-01-09T14:14:00.000-08:00

I loved Sherlock Holmes, while watching the movie i was thinking what happened to those days when i was reading Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Famous Five and watching Karamchand and Byomkesh Bakshi. I just hope this trend of detective solving comes back in both books as well as movies. At least no more reading of someone else's imagination.

Coming back to the movie, Sherlock Holmes and the way was set in the Victorian London scenario, when the London bridge was being built was simply brilliant and just lives up the whole mood. I felt Robert Downey, Jr. played Sherlock Holmes to perfection and played the the character as i had imagined the pipe detective to be. On the other hand, Dr. Watson (Jude Law) was the personality of getting irritated with Sherlock but still sticking around was simply brilliant and it showed. Not that i have read many Sherlock Holmes stories but then the female lead characters were not given that much importance as much it has been given the movie.

Staring with the opening sequence and till the end credits, the move just completely grips you. I didnt feel like going out and getting popcorn for myself or anyone. The whole story, the characters, the action, the solving the case, the deductive thinking and the end with the beginning of the new case of simply complete. Just go and watch!

... and the end credits and the song The Dubliners-Rocky Road to Dublin in the back ground score is also completely foot tapping

Shahrukh Khan (SRK) on twitter

2010-01-04T07:40:00.000-08:00

Mr. Shahrukh Khan has a long way to go on twitter with his profile @iamsrk for one it is still not a verified account. We gave him a benefit of doubt of not knowing all the features and the profile being only two days old. First thing that he needs to do is get a display picture on twitter and stop blaming his injury for all that he not doing.

He will surely be using this new form of medium in the best interests of promoting the movie My Name is Khan, than anything else. He needs to start interacting with twppl via twitter than anything else, that would be true SRK on twitter or this account would be as usual as many other fake twitter accounts of Shahrukh Khan.

For sure, now all the ranking for the normal highly influential twitterati will start falling because of @iamsrk will take top ranking position on twitter. He will be surely the butt of all jokes for sometime and hope he does and if they dont then they surely should start making fun of the poor guys who has not had a release for the last one year, since Billu.

As for celebrities on twitter, now they kill the whole aspect of interaction that we has twitter people use to love. They would a massive fan (read: twitter) following and will not follow back, will interact, will upload any twitpics, will not comment on other people's tweets.

One benefit to twitter is more SRK followers will join in, the flip side to the coin is they will create the account have only one tweet, only one follower, no following. Every redundant followers for both SRK, and twitter.

With this graph, I put SRK in Early Majority, even though he claims to be Xbox and gaming freak, but for us Innovators we need to go to next best thing foursquare.com.

Theory about Abhishek Bachchan! AB Jr. + Stubble = Hit Movie

2009-12-27T04:47:00.000-08:00

Theory about Abhishek Bachchan

When ever he has a stubble in any movie, that movie does pretty well.

Given the list of all the movies that he has performed my favourites are Guru, Sarkar, Sarkar Raaj, Naach, and Yuva. Others i have seen, these are the best!! The other thing common between him and these movies are the stubble that he wears. Debatable could be Naach in my choice of movies, the exception would be Refugee the JP Dutta movie, that was the first movie, should let it pass. Then there are the other set movies, where he has the stubble, they were a super hit movies like Bluffmaster...

and Delhi - 6...

These are the movies you do for entertainment but the earlier list of movies are the ones where the actor as completely stood out, where Abhishek has been beyond Abhishek himself.

The only movie that I really wanted to watch was Antar Mahal, but either the shows were only the afternoon or were beyond the normal traveling civilization to reach to watch a movie in the traffucked roads of Mumbai.

Anyway, the stubble works for most of your movies, continue with it!!

Avatar - Recreating Abyss in Space

2009-12-17T12:46:00.000-08:00

Avatar with all technology, animation, 3D, or 3D Fusion Camera system that you see in the movie is awesomely and technically very sound movie and there are no two ways about it. He has done it before with Abyss, Aliens, Terminator, and Titanic. Awesome, beautiful visuals, with the 3D, you could actually feel that the fireflies, were just above your head or the ashes were falling on you. We fell in love with Pandora, we fell in love with a Na'vi tribe.

One of the first gentle visuals of the movie are a jellyfish structured floating in the crisp air of Pandora. This jellyfish took me to Abyss, like i have this one earlier. Couldnt have forgotten this movie at all, one of my first movie in Sterling and was feeling cold not only because of the air conditioner, but also the all the visuals were under water.

Having the infrastructure and the time in place, the first half of the movie keeps showing the different parts of the world of Pandora, huge and massive trees, flying mountains, again we go back to the visual elements, post which where is the story in the movie? Story has all the elements of climate change, love story, terrorism, forbidden love, out-of-the-world action, betrayal, but where is the Cameroon punch? I was shifting in my chair, looking around , just to realise that there were three people sitting beside me, who never came back, after the interval was over. There were just too many cuts / jumps in the movie, and one could easily realise this, hope this in only in the Indian version.

The creatures in the movie are again awesome, DireHorse, a horse with six legs and Banshee the flying dragon type of monster, which can only be tamed by confronting it. The cast was good, Sam Warrington did a decent job as the Avatar, than himself. Sigourney Weaver looked old, and there is gujarati scientist working for the AVATAR program Dr. Max Patel. Favourite character is the Colonel Miles Quaritch, the main antagonist.

Overall, visuals are brilliant, worth an Oscar, but the story was completely a miss!!

AVATAR: Movie Trailer

Rocket Singh - Sales man of the Year - must for startups

2009-12-13T13:14:00.000-08:00

Rocket Singh - Sales man of the Year - would surely be an inspiration for all start ups or looking for their own little thing to do must for start ups. Let me give a little bit of the story where Ranbir Kapoor starts his own little company and gets all the ingredients right from his existing company. The only driving factor is honesty and being a people's person. Just because he is the hero of the movie, doesnt mean that he gets all the things right and being served in a silver plate. I even liked the whole idea where you have the protagonist has shades of grey in him, he is now perfect a "just pass" in his organization.

Like Ranbir Kapoor in a role as Sardarji, liked his matching pagdis (turbans) and ties. But his dialogue was very far away from that of a surd. Shazahn Padamsee should have got a much better, meatier role than this one for her debut, it was not at all impactful. The other characters like Gauhar Khan was fairly good, the only person giving some authenticity to punjabi culture, with his voice, dialogues, love and affection.

I was looking forward to Pocket mein rocket song, but then all the songs were quiet well woven into the movie, and there was no dream sequence where the character break into a song. But there were no songs and still the movie is a little less than 3 hours.

I can clearly see a potential of a number of sequels, post this movie. The potential movie titles

Rocket Singh 2 - Entrepreneur of the year

or Management approach
* Rocket Singh 2 - Production Manager of the year
* Rocket Singh 2 - Marketing Manager of the year
* Rocket Singh 2 - Financial Manager of the year

or
Rocket Singh 2 - Detective of the year

Startup Saturday - Moderating panel on "Digital Marketing for startups"

2009-12-13T03:49:00.001-08:00

Startup Saturday by HeadStart- Moderating panel on "Digital Marketing for start ups". It was a pleasure moderating the panel. The panelists were:

* Vikramjit Roy, Marketing Head at Mumbai Mantra, Ex- Sony Pictures
* Pawan Deokule, B2, Product Manager, Internet and Mobile Marketing, ICICI Bank
* Rajiv Dingra, Founder, Editor of WATBlog

What I loved in the panel was the selection of the panelists, where Rajiv Dingra was giving answers on every execution level and would bring in the challenges that one faces in implementing Digital Marketing.

Pawan Deokule was one of the quieter of the panelists, spoken to only when spoken, the questions were directed to him. What he said was more on a strategic level, where he has been through all the advantages Digital Marketing, implemented them and had more to say in on how one can evangelise digital marketing in their startups.

Vikramjit Roy, was prepared to share his experiences in the field of marketing and how he has implemented the digital marketing and how it fits in the Integrated marketing communication. He was had a more holistic approach to the Digital Marketing.

Then, there was me, anticipating what the panelists would be ready with, still need a strong introduction to Digital Marketing, which would stand out and not explain what is Digtial Marketing? What it encompasses like Search Engine Optimizastion (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Social Media Marketing (SMM), Social Media Optimization (SMO), Facebook Apllication, Website Development, etc. Below is my presentation on the "13 Myths on Digital Marketing".

Digital Marketing - Myths and Drivers

Twilight: New Moon review

2009-12-10T12:58:00.000-08:00

When you have friends who have all the Stephenie Meyer's books at least once, and before the release of the movie the race is to finish the book once more. This is time you get dragged into watching Twilight Series - Second edition - New Moon. Even though you know, you are not going to be spooked, scared or traumatized by blood sucking vampires or bad smelly mutts werewolves. If it was true, i would not be watching scary movies in dark theatres.

Jacob who is running after shirtless and gets converted into super awesome werewolf, this is the only time i love the this movie, when i see werewolves, but after sometime, it reminds me of Remus Lupin from Harry Potter series. The story very complicated (pun intended) it is a choice between a werewolf and a vampire for the poor always dreamy looking and dreaming (Isa)Bella. The werewolf fight sequences have a nice CG effects being used, but then this is not an action movie, it a romantic movie of forbidden love.

On Edward, the vampire boyfriend, his appearance on the screen, i was always standing there, but you just notice my presence with the expressionless (read as stylish) look. On Bella, why is she so serious, she just doesnt smile in the movie, she can sit hours while a guy is fixing a motorcycle, months brooding or thinking over lost forbidden love. Whne the next comes along she has am awesome rebound relationship erupting only to realise that he is also not a normal human being. At the same time, you may be able to relate the feelings, but never the situations in your real life. At that very moment i was enjoying my caramel popcorn.

If you want to impress your girlfriend, then take her for this movie, there is something about this movie, story, novel that makes them start thinking and if you make them watch this movie, they will be yours in the forbidden love. But remember, this is not a children's movie no more, the audience have widened to even grandmothers. The violins in the soundtrack does spook you, but then they are there to bring in more dramatics in already abrupt jumping of scenes and countries, the soundtrack is pretty well done and and supports the cinematography.

If this movie was released in India, then all our Khans would be shirtless pack of wolves, since all the Khans (Aamir Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan) + Shahid Kapoor + Emran Hashmi are planning to 4 to 6 to 8 to 10 abs. The pack of people are only 5 people, nor more required, there. The movie forgets to establish all the pack of wolves carefully in the movie.

Tiger Woods - Crisis Case Study Brewing

2009-12-07T23:31:00.000-08:00

Tiger Woods story would surely go down as case study in bad celebrity management.

Story so far: Source: Wikipedia Tiger Woods meets with a car accident, right next to his house. In his statement, he makes sure other than talking about his health, he praises his wife. This is where, he makes his first mistake. Then you had the tabloids going crazy with the allegedly seeking confirmation on the other affairs. Timesonline and Google Source.

Rather than having a problem with a breach in privacy, he should have been forthcoming to make sense for the brand Tiger Woods where other brands like Accenture, Nike and others are backing on him.

He should made a statement which would not have build up on any rumours, if they are rumours and the time of making the statement should have been much earlier. It took him 5 days to make a statement on his current event. Source on his blog.

What he should be doing his to keep posting regular updates on his website and communicate with the media at least once in three days, if not daily or else this would become a could public crisis case study.

If he doesnt kill these rumours, he might just put a black mark on his career and too that has nothing to do with performance. Specially at that time, when he is one of the cleanest sport-persons, not just cleanest golfers.

Worse scenario for Tiger Woods is the list endorsements being canceled or canned. But that surely may not happen, if he can come back with more powerful drive or win on the golf course itself.

Cloudy with a chance of meatballs

2009-12-05T10:01:00.000-08:00

Love the whole wild, weird imagination of having fast food falling out of the sky, that would solve the half the world's problems. But then it is still an imagination. Simply, the the story of Cloudy with a chance of meatballs is a scientist solves world's hunger problem, and the food starts falling from the sky, only to realise that things are not going as planned.

It is a very well written movie, well done animation, even thought it would have been Pixar's idea at first, but then it isn't. Love the characters, all big eyed, there are some with no eyes, but then only at the time of surprise their eyes would be popping out. Love the father-son relationship, it is not saying I told you so. Even enjoyed the sarcasm towards consuming fast food as to how it would lead to health problems. So, there is nothing called fast food.

Love the way, the wild scientist works towards developing new inventions and his style of approach to an experiment as well as to a relationship is similar. A step-by-step approach.

Update: It got me thinking, if this movie had a Indian touch to the whole idea or was being developed by an Indian, then we would have every favourite local snack falling out of the sky in every Indian city, at first this would solve all our hunger problems, then it would make us more lethargic and fat. We should elaborate on "every favourite local snack falling out of the sky", it would idlis and appams in Chennai, Vada Pav in Mumbai, Lassi in The Punjab, Ras Gulas in Kolkata and we can continue with the lists.

It is nice movie, so even though you must have missed the movie in theatre, you can always catch it on DVD.

Paa - brilliant movie, but there is something missing

2009-12-04T12:49:00.000-08:00

Amithabh Bachchan is flawless acting in Paa. But why make him look like extra terrestrial. There was a point in the movie where there were explaining the disease that his character is suffering - Progeria. In the movie itself, when the doctor is explaining, none of the images depicted them as abnormal heads. The children just looked old, why does fiction take undue advantage of medical science.

Sr. Bachchan who plays the character called Auro, I would not be surprised, if we have dolls being sold in Shoppers Stop, Big Bazaar, very soon. But one thing for sure, whenever Auro is in front of the screen, he just lightens up the moment.

This movie it seems like Bachchan Sr. is passing the baton to Bachchan Jr. It is high time, he does that. There is no competition amongst each other, but then there are a only a very few movies of AB Baby that are actually good. Naach, Guru, Sarkar, Sarkar Raaj and now this. Abhishek Bachchan is good political MP; no, this is not an oxymoron, it is the character. To that extent that you can actually see his voter's mark on his middle finger in the movie.

Simple Story. The 12/13/14 year old child suffers from Progeria and the disease brings the parent together. Three different occasions, when the age of Auro has been mentioned differently by different characters. One sincere request, stop comparing the movie to Benjamin Button, it is not! It was actually Robin Williams who was suffering the same disease in the movie Jack. It is not actually the original concept. The execution there are just too many cuts, that too very fast ones. The cuts becomes irritating towards the end. (Reference to Jack on IMDB)

Songs are well intertwined and the lyrics bring an amazing soothing effect to the whole scene, last time this feeling seeped into the heart, mind, body and soul, during Taare Zameen Par. Hichki, Hichki and Mere Paa is simple and nice and my favourites.

The movie has its moments, but it just doesnt make you cry. The performance reminds you of Amitabh Bachchan in Black, but then that it was different, that was acting. In Black, when he was smiling, you were laughing, when he was upset, everyone in the theatre had tears in their eyes. Here, he just falls a little short of the getting the audience moved.

The other characters that needs mention is bum, grandmother to Auro played by Arundhati Nag (theatre personality, wife of Anant Nag). She was simply level headed, strong character. She was when faced with moral questions, she would be you take a stand, and you will have my support - that was brilliant. At the same time, the relationship between Paresh Rawal (Dad to Amol Atre) and Abhishek Bachchan does not come out that impactful. But individually there were sound.

Google being subtly being endorsed by Auro. (Tweet)

Public Relations angle to the story, creative people need to stop treating like media as "Jo bolo ge, wo lekhe gi, nahi tu paisa tu hai hee". It isnt like this always, please do not under-estimate the media as your pawn. The movie does bring out the current affairs element in the movie through redevelopment issues and media being used to create a hype on this.

In short, it is a complete worth it paisa wasool movie for Amithabh BAchchan. I would like to highlight, even though Auro is cute it is not for the kid viewing at the same time.

De Dana Dan - laugh when the crowd laughs, or be left out

2009-11-27T13:03:00.000-08:00

Akshay Kumar if he starts making any more faces then, he can well be named the Indian Jim Carrey, specially the Masked version. Suniel Shetty and Sameera Reddy are a perfect match, well built, rounded, grounded, have the accent, both come from down South; why didnt someone think of them earlier. On Katrina, i believe movies are being re-scripted and the dialogues are re-written and probably even the locations are more foreign or foreigner dominated once this lady signs on (also observed in Ajab Prem Ki..)

The story like any typical Priyadarshan movie the comedy ones (Hungama, Hulchul, Hera Pheri) where you know due to a lot of confusion there will be a lot of commotion because of lack of communication between all the characters. Ok, this is the same Priyadarshan who has also made the Kala Pani and other award winning movies. But then coming back to his comedy version, its starts with two characters Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty and then the girlfriends are introduced Katrina Kaif and Sameera Reddy respectively. Then parents and some bosses, killers, dancers, hookers, waiters, and the list will continue... are brought into the picture. Then there is lot of money at stake, there is a kidnapping, and then all are put together all under one roof the Pan Pacific Hotel in Singapore. 1000 times they should the name of the Hotel where they were staying, how can one forget?

I am glad that there are so many actors in the movie, so Akshay doesnt dominate the screen so much. The other Johnny Lever who tries to play a hitman; Rajpal Yadav who is a corrupt waiter; Manoj Joshi - father of the bride; Neha Dhupia hot headed hooker, who cares only about the money - these actors are quiet commendable. Paresh Rawal is wasted in the movie.

Once in the movie, sometimes you feel it becomes a drag; sometimes you feel too many songs. This one for sure you feel that you have not understood a joke even though the whole crowd in the theatre is laughing, dont despair their are intellectual capabilities do not match with yours.

This is not a spoiler but in the climax scene you have digitally (badly) done; water rushing across all the hallways in the hotel. Very similar to the Titanic one, dont even bother thinking how it happened. In the process, the audience is left confused yet again> Will the actors drown in them, will swim they in it, will they have funny slides made out of it, or what? cause the whole place is filled with water rushing and very bad extras reacting scared, but you can see through them that there is no water in front of them.

Just too many songs thrown in, for no apparent reason. Conversation between director (Dir) and song composer (SC). Of course this is fictional.
SC: we have made 8 songs and 4 more with remixes, so that other DJs cant remix are songs
Dir: I had asked for only 4 songs, Will ask the producer not pay you any money for wasting your time and creative copying juices
SC: I dint waste much time, i had seen the underground scene in UK, that is where i got inspired for the remixes
Dir: so?
SC: So, now you need to use it.

After a few beers, vodkas, mixing all the drinks at the nearest dance bar to Andheri, Mumbai
Dir: Fine, if you convince Rani to dance to your number, right now, i will picturise all your songs, and put you one too
SC draws attention of voluminous aunty looking Rani, as if he was calling out for a waiter
... and the SC had some magic in his words... there are all the songs in the movie. My favourite song is Paisa, it has right Punjabi beats to jump and have right thump to groove and sway in the music. It is no thanks to Pritam, but thanks to Usher in this case.

I can only say confused, go watch it, dont have any expectations, laugh when the crowd laughs, or you will left out on the joke.

Those Small Lil Things in Life and Love - Rahul Saini

2009-11-26T13:00:00.000-08:00

I picked up this book, just by chance at the Ahmedabad railway station. I like these kind of books cause there are light reading, there are situations you can relate to. The new breed of authors Chetan Bhagat and Tushar Raheja and many more, will never be a classic, but will be entertaining.

Author Rahul Saini introduces Raj who gifts his girlfriend a soap and then also introduces all the women in the life of Raj unlike Khuswant Singh's In the Company of Women. Raj's love (read as mostly infatuation) story starts when he was in pre-school, and continues through out school, college, and then work with different women in a very Bollywood-ish style. He works as a architect where is always in the company of women, not like he flirting with them, but he is always surrounded with them for friendship and emotional support.

Raj elucidates his relationship about the 8 women in his life and you can pick up any chapter out of random and start with any one. Please note, the grammar, style of writing, for emphasis using ALL CAPS. Thank God, for not using abusive language or mom had done the proof reading and she ordered the author, "beta, the 'f' word is not necessary here; please delete it, right now".

With this book and many other Indian authors to name a few Abhijit Bhaduri, Meenakshi Reddy, Tushar Raheja, Roma Bansal, Karan Bajaj they are writing interesting books to read and surely a morale booster to a lot of Indian born writers, publishers are also showing interest in the new style of writing, the pricing of the books are also not very expensive, and they make good airport (train/bus) reading and sometimes even good discussions. The best part is a lot of younger generation even though having multiple entertainment options (also read time wasters) will inculcate and develop a habit of reading.

Next Step for for these established authors is to start writing scripts or adapt their books for movies, give expert views on global phenomena effecting every Indian, leave the black leather comfortable job and start writing regular columns in the newspapers.

Someday, to write my own book!! Have a few ideas, anyone open to discussion??

Ninja Assassin - awesome, but mindless action

2009-11-26T12:03:00.000-08:00

Before I enter the theatre I pray and hope that Ninja Assassin is a path breaking movie. (Tweet). Once the movie starts you see a whole lot of Ninjas, whole lot of fighting, whole lot of weapons and ammunition flying in the air, and a sweet heart filled story of revenge between all the fight sequences.

Once you go and watch this movie, you will have flashes of all those Chinese movies, where father or teacher is murdered and then the son or the pupil is preparing himself to avenge the death. The sweet revenge where people would only learn kung-fu, takenwondu, jujutsu and any other martial arts form only to kill the killer. And yes, this story line is nothing different.

The only better part to the movie is the fighting environment that is created and simulated, the last battle where the house is under fire and the protagonist Raizu (played by Rock Star Rain) is fighting his master and you can see burnt ash as well as slightly lit paper all flying around while they are at fight. The weapons and use of special effects to that extent that you would feel the camera is slower to capture moment of the fights, this is also brilliantly done. (Tweet)

At the same time, the choreography of the fight sequence is also very predictable. You have the blood and gore all splattered around and sometimes the blood would be come up as a shower from someone's body. WoH! too much blood for one day, the movie not recommended for pathologists and vampires, it may be a huge turn-on for them.

At the end of all the violence, it is something that one as already seen before in Kill Bill, 300, and many others where you see people getting sliced, diced, beheaded, dismembered, and bodies being halved. The whole thing seems so perfect for an action mindless game on X-box than anything else.

For a story level, one thing that i disliked the most if that teacher would attack from behind and now that is something that is never taught in martial arts form, it is either you face your worse fears or runaway to put an army together and challenge them. No one fights here for honour or nobility but only for revenge.

If this movie released in Hindi adaptation to this, the lead should be played by Shahid Kapoor, he has the hairstyle, he has the looks with no expressions, sometimes and now he is ready to show off his six pack abs, cause Raizu just doesnt like wearing shirt, he likes to fight topless.

2 States - the story of my marriage - Chetan Bhagat

2009-11-25T12:57:00.000-08:00

Dear Mr. Chetan Bhagat

Another Bollywood movie in the making
Two States is a story between a couple Ananya and Krish, who meet in college, the reputed IIM-A, and take their relationship forward even though there are from two separate worlds, two different cultures, two different states, and of course two families, dont think they wanted to relaise in the end they are brother and sister, that would be a story. Actually, the story is as to how the convince their parents to get them married happily, leaving differences aside. very Bollywoodish! You have stopped writing for writing sake, you writing the novels as scripts, dont you deny, Mr Author?

I still like Five Point Someone. It is very easily to relate to the characters that you portray in your books, you see them in trains, you see them in metros, you see them bargaining for vegetables at the local vendor. Except for the fact you bought GOD in One Night @ the Call Centre, was way over board. Your first book gets reflected so very strongly in this, you have made a whole story revolving around it. Last book i remember where same character was repeated was Robert Langdon in Angels and Demons and then in Da Vinci Code. Also, this time you didnt bring in the God element, but to play Safe - a Guruji.

Punjabi vs. Madrasi
I like and dislike the whole North Indian vs. South Indian divide. I like it because it brings in the humour element and very stereotypical characters specially the pubjabi fat, health conscious aunites and at the same time South Indian food. The story lacked the in-depth elements that focused on highlighting the cultures and the differences, but then i believe you must have been told by the publisher / editor / whom so ever, please keep the story below 250 pages, we are not planning to sell the book for more than Rs. 95 wonly. Why was there a hurry to finish the story. I actually skipped a lot of the elements, while reading the book, like i already knew it.

Love Story and delayed marriage
They fell in love way to fast, they got successful careers. On the career end, that is when i started liking the Punjabi mother the most. Her son IIT and IIM graduate and working for a MNC company called Citibank feels upset and she suggests that leave that job, till then i will speak to the Manager of Canara Bank, which is next door.

Love is fast in this movie; oops novel. But then it takes them one and half years to get the things sorted out between their parents and there are no fights between the couple and just basic arguments between them which are solved more amicably and with complete maturity, totally unbelievable. Once, everyone is happy, you take another 4 to 5 months to actually get the date of marriage.

Dedication and possible sequels
I also liked the part in the beginning where you dedicate the book to your in-laws and then you make a very careful, diplomatic acknowledgment to all those Punjabis and Madrasis. Glad you didnt take digs at Marathis, or even better still you didnt fall in love with a Martathi girls or the sales of the pirated copies of the book would be higher and it would be one of the banned book. This should clearly give an idea as to what would be the sequel to this book - 2 States - Second story - Gujarati marrying an Assamese. You are lucky at present India has 28 states and 7 Union Territories (Ref), you are a banker, you do the permutation and combination of the number of sequels that one can write.

With fast paced novel, missing north and south elements, 70-yr old Guruji, whooped time-lines, multiple unnecessary brand mentions (my favourite: Citi never sleeps, only makes customers weep) and predictable sub-plots it still makes the pleasant read.

Your reader,

Christmas Carol

2009-11-23T14:01:00.000-08:00

I just cant see any horror movies. The closest that i have enjoyed a ghost movie is Ghost-Busters. The Patrick Swazye Ghost movies was watched only on cable, never in theatre. This movie is not a horror movie, but there were ghosts and very ugly looking characters and very scary ghosts specially, when you see the Disney tag name.

Jim Carrey is awesome best, but then you cant just make the man do all the characters in a movie, give others a chance. He is good and he plays the 60 year + Uncle Scrooge the character from the Charles Dicken's novel who hunches, walks with a walking stick, but then falls from a whirlwind and topples onto a huge flight of stairs and is being chased by demented Ghost of Christmas yet to come and still manages to stand, which all is very commendable and entertaining. With a performance and the central character so strong, the other characters automatically are away from the limelight.

With Christmas Carol, now Jim Carrey does a second movie where the protagonist hates Christmas, the other movie being How the Grinch stole the Christmas?. One question that I have in mind does Jim Carrey hate or love the spirit of Christmas?

The graphics was over - powering and 2D was very effective, specially because the story is based in the winters in London and then you have snow flakes landing in front of your eyes and the visual seems like snow flakes might just be falling in front of you.

Overall, if you have scared of horror movies, then be prepared to be spooked a bit. Visually, a very entertaining movie.

Tum Kabhi Boodhi Mat Hona

2009-11-22T20:32:00.000-08:00

The last time i was reading Hindi poetry was to give my Hindi elementary exams. The poems and poets that i fairly remember are Sukh-Dukh by Sumitra Nandan Pant and Agneepath by Dr. Harivnashrai Bachchan. My favourite part in the poems sections were the Dohas that we had to actually by-heart and then vomit it out to for the exams. Dohas are the two line couplets where in the first line, you would have the obvious written and then in the second it would be compared to the life in very simple terms. The most popular or he ones that we had to study were Rahim and Kabir. One of the most memorable Rahim doha that i remember and continue to follow is

रहिमिन देखी बडेंन को, लगो न दिज्ये दर,
जहा काम आवे सुई, क्या करे तलवार.

All this was more of a nostalgia that brought in my book that i currently finished reading as well was present for the book launch. The book titled is "Tum Kabhi Boodhi Mat Hona" by Mukesh Anand. Where the poems are written in such simplicity that it brings out the most complex issues in subtle manner and makes you think.

What I liked in the book the most is that, after reading a stanza, momentarily use to forget the rest of the poem which us still unread and use to start aligning that whole stanza with part of my life, where they would be flashes of people, places or situations that I have been. Never had this effect earlier, after reading any book, cause you just keep on visualizing how the story would unfold, once you read prose or any fiction.

Will not deny that all the poems had that effect, but most of them did, cause there are sometimes you are unable to relate to that experience that the poet mentions, since you have never been into one. But most of the times, the poems are dealing with current issues that we all feel for.

Favorite section in the book is what is called Mukhdas (मुखड़े) where this section is similar to Dohas the form poetry that I love. Amongst my favourite is

अपनी ख़ामोशी का हासिल
उनको बता देना
जिन जज्बातों को पनाह
न दे सको
उन्हें मेरा पता देना

... and there more like these in the book. At the book launch, i got my first autographed book my the poet himself. Always had the impression that poets are very serious, dukhi and sad. This impression was formed because the Pyassa, what else could have been. Mukesh Anand turns out to be a little different, where he accepts life in its hostility as well as its humility and that is what it reflects even in his poems. He jokes too and sometimes has not one but two punch lines in his jokes!!

Book Launch images here. There was Anurag Kashyap, who had done the launch.

The One Minute Manager - Book Review

2009-11-21T04:19:00.000-08:00

The One Minute Manager written by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson is one of the simplest ways to explain on how to plan, organize and reward people. It is not just applicable in large multinational corporations, but also in our daily lives.

If you have a father who likes to keep talking some sense into you, or you teacher who keeps motivating you to study or a boss who keeps telling you to do things in a right manner or a guru who tried to give you a spiritual path of enlightenment (or Moksh); then next one and half hour when you would be reading this book, you will all start realizing that the book just keep emphasizing all those points that have been told to you earlier in more structured manner.

The style of writing the book is to elucidate all the management concepts in the that one has studied and rephasizing on the importance of Goal Setting; giving individuals the opportunity to make their own decisions and reward them for it and repimanding behaviour and not people, if the deviate away from the objective or are unable to achieve it. Simple style of writing makes the concepts very easily understood and it makes you think, if you have diverted away from your path or no. It is inspiration, which will last for sometime, or untill you re-read it or read something else.

In the most simple terms, the three things that the book tells you is that
* Set your goals
* Reward people
* Reprimand people

On Manipulation
Hey, now that does not tell you everything about the book. You can still go ahead and read it. One of my question on manipulation got answered, after reading the book. Always thought that as public relations consultants we manipulate people emotions into achieving desirable goals for the orgnizations that we work for. My take from the book on manipulation is that if we inform everyone of our intentions and the objectives of the organization, then we would not manipulating them or making them think in terms of that we are using them. Manipulation is not just what organization decides to tell his employees and or hides from them, it is also which makes them think as what they want to achieve from the organization.

Question answered
Question that remains answered from the book is that on the concept of reprimanding people, it says that you do not target the people, you target their behaviour. That is something one will definately be very difficult to achieve cause your biases towards a person will surely creep in and the book subtly states that you would want to hold back shouting and getting back at people in more aggressive tone. Again, this also very difficult to achieve, even though knowing and understanding people, if they dont shout at you, they would surely be sarcastic about it.

Book easily available at all book stores at Rs. 125, you dont even wish to buy the pirated version of this book. Read it, get inspired and use the learning cause If you dont blow your own horn; someone else will use it as a spittoon.

a Ballad: Event forecasted with college friends

2009-11-20T05:36:00.000-08:00

of courses... the names can be guessed, but for the time being they have been beeped!!

Ris like a good boy, reaches on time,
gives a call to Rah,
abuses him @#!@#!@#!@@@!##
of course he has not arrived on time.

Ris sees Roo and her husband
Ris says Roo, "you have become fairer"
Husband, "!@#!@#!," of course he says all this in his mind
Husband actually says, "she uses fair and lovely".

Har after landing from Antarctica
the flight was diverted there
She is all jet lag and she needs water to get drunk

Ami walks in with Tis
announces that we are leaving in 10 minutes
Tis asks whats for food
Tis eats, Ami looks
cause he has planned his dinner somewhere else

Walks in Moksh,
no reactions,
Rah quietly keeps his glasses away
Ris looks on, says "Hi!"
thinks loudly that others can hear, he said he is not coming on time

Shw is standing behind
steals the thunder away from Moksh
Moksh doesnt care, he is happy with the food around him
Shw gives a hug to Roo
Roo says, she has put on weight"

Ami and Tis leave

Jha gives a call to Shw she is not coming
Hima gives a cal to Rah and Ris, he is not coming
they both tried, they still are trying,
but they dont get to to see each other

Kurban - scientific miracles and Movie Review

2009-11-19T13:22:00.001-08:00

Kurban pe koi mat hona Kurban. Its not that bad, you can go watch the movie and if you think its not going to be worth the money, then you can watch it in Single Screen theatres - Paisa Vasool!!

Scientific Miracles in the movie:
* Scientific Miracle in the movie, even thought you cant see the bump that Kareena Kapoor is pregnant, we are able to see the ultrasonography of the child.
*There is plane blast which is of course done digitally, but then we do not get to see the flying debris, anywhere in the movie.
* An individual person can always remember a 10 digit mobile number, even if the person has randomly met or spoken only once on the phone.
* Everyone dies in one bullet, but only the actor-hero of the movie, after 3 bullets is still alive for 15 minutes

In a few lines, Kareena Kapoor (Avantika) and Saif Ali Khan (Ishaan) are teachers. She is a professor in United States. She was here in India, cause her dad had a stroke. But later in and then flies out to the USA. Saif tags along with her. Just too realise that Saif is actually part of a terrorist group that is conspiring to blow up the city. The movie that comes to the mind is Fanaa and New York.

The movie takes its own sweet time and has its own pace. Sometimes, there is strong feeling of moving out of the theatre cause it is slow. But then, you also have the Kareena Kapoor who other than looking pretty, has not substance in her role. Her face is looking bigger or was it camera trick.

Saif Ali Khan has done a better role in the Sriram Raghavan's movie Ek Hasina Thi and of course Omkara, there he was convinced us on the playing negative characters with complete ease. He slips here. For some particular reason, Vivek Oberoi had a good acting and lived in his character, with this movie, he surely be getting some push in his career.

Lesser mortals in the movie
Kirron Kher is an Afgani in the movie, her dialect an as Afgani trails away while she having the conversation. She was good in the climax scene of the movie. Om Puri was wasted in the movie, he should have had a much more impactful role. Others are not worth mentioning.

If hockey got a boost from Chak De India, dont see teaching getting a boost in this case. But for one, you dont always have hot teachers in the staff room, cuddling or couching cooing. That is something I have to still see as a student or as a teacher.

This is a good song and even the opening credits, though very long was well done!! Enjoy!!

2012 - amazing special effects. Mayan? Chindia saves the world

2009-11-13T13:37:00.000-08:00

I was totally kicked about watching 2012; any disaster movie, is my favourite. This movie did not disappoint, specially with the visual effects. But the story line was a little non-convincing for the actor John Cusack always as a close shave with death and survives, the other reason was there is only a mention of the Mayan Prophecy.

As we all know it, the world is coming to an end, and how will one survive. The best part to this is that the prediction was made by an Indian played by Jimmy Mistry. This was the opening scene in the movie, of course India, didnt look like India in the movie. The other thought that i had was, would it be possible for the movie to customise the story for each country.

Other than John Cusack, there could have been a better and known actors and more believable and achievable storyline. Not like the one, when all the buildings are falling down, airport runaways going down, water is rising, volcanoes are erupting, earthquake is highest on the righter scale; the hero always is the one who is unhurt, unscathed. The other side of the story has to how mankind survives is because of a country called China, this is enough of the movie given away. You have both Indian and China, being mentioned in the movie - India discovers, China invents, Chindia saves the world.

If you are special effect crazy, looking forward to Armageddon, this movie would not disappoint you.

Why are cyclones named after women? #phyan

2009-11-11T00:37:00.000-08:00

Story Behind naming cyclones

During World War II, tropical cyclones were informally given women's names by US Army Air Corp and Navy meteorologists (after their girlfriends or wives) who were monitoring and forecasting tropical cyclones over the Pacific. From 1950 to 1952, tropical cyclones of the North Atlantic Ocean were identified by the phonetic alphabet (Able-Baker-Charlie-etc.), but in 1953 the US Weather Bureau switched to women's names. (Source)

On Cyclone naming, All the names have already been pre-decided by the MET departments of the world, in our case India Meteorological Department. On Cylone Phyan, even though it has not originated from Myanmar, it still gets the Myanmar name. The next cyclones to be hit would be named Jal, Leher, Megh, Sagar, Vayu. Very clearly, like everything else (including cricket and detines) cyclone names are fixed.

What to dont do when Cyclone hits you,
* Dont stand under a ceiling fan, it might fall on you
* Dont stand under a tree, it will come alive for sure
* Dont make any panic calls, it is because of you the network gets jammed
* Dont send 'n' number of SOS SMS, other people are also stuck in the predicament
* If at home, or cozy office or funrniture store; when the strong wind blows cover yourself with pillows and bed sheets to reduce the physical injury remind dont suffocate yourself
* If hurricane is likely to cross on your journey way , take shelter in a safe place, do check for perverts and Micheal Jackson look-a-likes there.
* Once you are in a safe place, dont try and take advantage of the host, if there is no host, then rob the place.

Guys, please take care, you have someone waiting for you at home, dont be a superman, you dont wear your underwear outside. Be Safe!

Phyan is a woman's name!

Ajab Prem ki Ghazab Kahani - Movie Review

2009-11-05T12:52:00.000-08:00

It would be exactly two years for Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor on November 9, 2009, when they were launched in Saawariya - hated by many, loved by few.

But now for Ranbir Kapoor, his fourth movie Ajab Prem ki Gahzab Kahani, is a fun movie, but very silly, remind you of Salman-Aamir starer Andaz Apna Apna. You might just want to go for the movie, for the heck of it and Ranbir Kapoor. He is no different in his acting, he is the same like a Happy Singh in all his other movies and somewhere in the movie he realises there is a life, too. Ranbir needs to get out of his Happy Singh kind of roles and start doing method or character acting, that will be the platform where he will be tested. Surely, he should pass it, as he has charishma. When you watch movie of him, you see his father, his grandfather also in him - that is his style, dialogue, mannerism - he needs to get his individuality the character roles will give him that.

On Katrina Kaif, still liked her in Boom (if anybody has seen that) and better still Sarkar, she didnt have much dialogues, all were in English, then. Anyway, this movie she has considerably improved or has the dubbing industry matured. Still feel Wake Up, Sid was better and it has something to do with the co-stars in this case - Konkona Sen Sharma. For this movie, the setting in Goa, Katrina being Cristian was like story was written for her.

On the movie, it is a movie revolving around Happy-go-lucky Prem (Ranbir Kapoor) who tries helping people around him, but falls in love with Jenny (Katrina Kaif) and then there is new sub-plots and new characters thrown in to make the movie 3 hours with an interval in between. When you hear the character name like Jenny there are flashes of Forrest Gump running or Amitabh Bachchan talking to himself in front of the mirror in Amar, Akbar, Anthony but not Katrina. Ajab Prem.... Very simply - funny love story, you can watch it with your family.

On the choice of locations was brilliant, Ooty, Connor, Goa; even better part to this is, they had taken all the popular junta places, which one could identify with. I for one, could recognize the places, even Istanbul of course through images of what i have seen of that place.

On Rajkumar Santoshi, when you see the action sequence he has his typical fight sequence very similar unchanged to Andaz Apna Apna. But suddenly he makes Ranbir Kapoor fly sometimes in the movie, "bhai hero hai, jaisse director bolega, waise karega". So, now he was more influenced by Matrix, even though the Andaz Apna Apna was released way earlier than Matrix.

Attending Wedding with a diference

2009-10-31T23:34:00.000-07:00

A wedding happens for most people, once in a lifetime. One has seen people getting married while scuba-diving or bungy jumping. There was a more weird one, when someone got married in a loo. I did read about these stories in newspapers. But then, like the Punjabis do, they want to spend more than they can afford and show off, all that they have.

All of us want all of us to remember the way one gets married. Here, we received an invitation from our family friends in Ahmedabad. My father and traveled to Kailash Mansarovar with him. Now, after a litlle more than 10 years, he invited our family to attend his daughter's ring ceremony.

When we received the invitation, it had all the elements of date, venue, and most important "do not get gifts" notice. But was most exciting was to receive a letter with in the card. The letter states that there would be a blood donation camp that would be held at the same time and venue as the ring ceremony. Yes, you heard me right, Blood Donation on the same say as your ring ceremony.

Once at the event, we saw two sets people, one who were there for merriment and fun and there were others who were lying down on hospital beds donating blood. No, this is not a seen from the Twilight or New Moon. But this surely can bring in new sub-plot in the story. This room with hospital beds and blood bottles was specially created in the hotel premises by the family with help Red Cross.

More on this story in Ahedabad edition of Times of India (here)

India Post Contest - "Gandhiji writes a Postcard"

2009-10-16T06:13:00.000-07:00

A contest being conducted by the Indian Post. All details here. This will surely inculcate a habit of writing letters. Don't to get to excited with the proposition of the contest cause this meant only for Children.

Wish Indian Post could come up with more innovative ideas on contests which are more global in nature, specially when the prizes are an Ipod, Laptop, digital camera. These are actually a pull.

At least something, better than nothing, the competition entry fees is only Rs. 10/-

All the best!!

Wake up Sid!!

2009-10-04T11:20:00.000-07:00

What i loved most in the movie - Wake up Sid, not every one is perfect, there cannot be pure good, pure bad people, it has its own shade of grey, that is what Sid the character is all about. Then, once you realise this, you go out and try and find what you love doing, and do that. Everything else will fall in place.

Sid, everyone from family to friends want Siddharth Mehra to do something constructive in life and earn some self - respect and of course money. He has no plans and take life as it comes. Aisha (played by Konkona Sen Sharma), who on the other hand has planned very meticulously, what she wants. I believe that because of Konkona's performance Ranbir's performance was complimentary, rather than other way around. Was it just that Aisha was a much stronger character in the movie.

The credit should go to the director to a very large extent, to make one realise, what he is worth does need to go Kargil like Lakshya or Goa like Dil Chahta Hai. You would surprised that once you realise what you want, it was just next door. Loved the way, the house where Konkona stays and they way everything in the studio apartment has been placed - the books (choice of books), the artefacts, the show pieces. The house had no bed, but a bedding that was on the floor. It reminded me of my house in Pune. That's another story.

And I just love the music, every well written and woven into the movie, specially "Iktara" that for sure Favourite song, too!!

Towards, the end of the movie, you keep thinking did you like the movie, didnt you like the movie. But then the movie is inspiring in work, in love, in relationship.

Learning Public Relations from Mahatma Gandhi

2009-10-02T11:24:00.000-07:00

I was reading the book - My experiments with Truth written by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, popularly called as Mahatma Gandhi. We all have some good, bad, and ugly ideas about this man, whom we believe has given us the freedom from the Britishers. The reason why I picked his book, not to prove him or his philosophy, why we love to hate; but what made Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi and he propagated his views and consequentially learning Public Relations from Mahatma Gandhi.

1. Using Influencers
The way Gandhiji used to work was that he would identify the Sarpanch (administrative head) of a village or a person that would believe in his actions and start preaching and making him practice the simple, ideal way of Gandhian philosophy.

The other approach would be to start a communication with the other known people through the work that they have been conducting, he would write to them constantly via letters or wire them via telegraph.

2. Using Letters to the Editors
Gandhi would send across letters to the various editors of publications informing them about the development of the movement that he was participating or leading in. Specially the two movements that he was actively paticipating - the Champaran movement to save the indigo plantations and the other one was the Kheda Satyagrha - mill workers union. Kheda had got a better mileage in the newspapers because of its proximity to the city; of the involvement of people and people wanted to know as to what can Gandhi do about this.

3. Actions speaking louder than words
The Dandi march or the Salt Satyagraha is the fine example of newspapers including the media based in the U.S.A. writing about it. There were journalists who would send wire via telegraph to inform and update to the development of the movement.

4. Opinionated articles in newspapers
Simply, this means to propagate the philosophy of Gandhian values and the Satyagrah he started writing articles in the newspapers, i believe that was not his intention, but to inform the media but the values that bound a an individual to the growth of intelligence - mental, emotional, and spiritual.

5. Editing newspapers
Gandhi being Gandhi, he was given the opportunity to edit two publications "Young India" and "NavaJivan" (New Life), but then he gave up on this activity because he wanted to concentrate on the work that he was doing. When he was in South Africa, he was editing "Indian Opinion".

6. Books authored
Other than the autobiography, there were books that were written by him on various pressing topics like untouchablilty and other topics like diets and one can improve and live a simple and healthy life.

Advertising
Oh yes, he advertised also, but this initiative was very prevalent for his work in South Africa than in India. He had his own little press machine where he would cyclostyle the pamphlet and then also distribute these pamphlets.

Resources he used
1. Books
The first ever case that he got in South Africa was on accounts and he knew zilch about accounts, so he actually bought books on basic accounting, before he could give his opinion and fight for the case.

2. Experts in that subject
When he wanted to remain a vegetarian and not budge from the vow that he had given to his mother, he used books as his source of survival and then he got in touch with the authors of these books for clarifications and practice.

3. Network
His network was far and wide cause of his international exposure. He had studied in United Kingdom, practiced law in South Africa. He did not despise the Britishers, but the law that they were enforcing on the Indians is what he was fighting for. This being the reason, he also had admirers and followers who were Britishers.

... and his influencers
Gokhale
When he decided to be part of the struggle moment, he approached Gokhale and he respected his judegement ever over his in all the matters and he looked up to him as a mentor and a guide. Gokhale was the influence on the freedom movement

Leo Tolstoy was the influence on his Gandhian philosophies of truth, non-violence, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak on Swaraj, Rabindranath Tagore and Sir Phirozeshah Mehta on the law and many actually before him and during his time (including a servant) who shaped his thinking on the basic Gandhian philosophy elements Simplicity, Faith, Non-violence, Swaraj (Freedom), Bhramacharya, and Truth.

An example of communication would be his letter to Adolf Hitler - two extremes in their own right, but one thing common between them is the aggressiveness and passion that drove to what they believed was right. This letter is in three parts that has been framed and kept in the Sabarmati Ashram.

Letter in 1/3
Letter in 2/3
Letter in 3/3

---
If someone is planning to pick up this book to read, do two things:
1. pick up the the book by Navjivan Press it costs Rs. 30; the other publisher costs more than Rs. 200+
2. Have a basic knowledge of the Indian History, since the autobiography was written sometime before 1945, the events have not been explained.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona! Juan Antonio - an inspiration

2009-09-27T14:14:00.000-07:00

This is one of those movies Vicky Cristina Barcelona, that i go and watch without any review reading or asking around how is the movie? To my surprise i see Woody Allen as the director, i was like this would be an interesting and complicated storyline.

Th only thing that i love in the movie are the characters.
First character Juan Antonio (played by Javier Bardem). Ina nutshell, very commendable about his character is that he manages to bed three women, spent time with them, get attacked by one of them, without any guilt or malice. He uses the language as an amazing form of lost in translation excuse to be with all of them. for all the Guys out there, Juan's character is ultimate balance between women-sex-life-creativity.

The other characters are also good in this movie, specially the one played by Pen%C3%A9lope_Cruz Maria Elena, she is hyperventilating and just about either kill someone or herself for an obscure reason that will build in her mind. There is this scene where she actually goes through Cristina's baggage just to know, if she had any intentions of killing her. This is of course my favorite sequence from the movie. Cristina (played by Scarlett Johansson) is an eccentric and ready to for an adventure even in an relationship. Then there is Vicky played by Rebecca Hall, who thinks she knows what she wants. But then at Barcelona where she come to spend her summer vacation with Vicky, things go in a way, that not what they seem like.

This movie, still has its own scenic beauty of Barcelona, it has its own ups and downs in the movie, and gets you thinking as to why would someone want to get oneself so involved that is unable to focus on other things. I love the end to the movie, of course you need to watch the movie to understand the complexities that one goes through being in multiple relationships and still manages to survive.

CNBC Experience - Avignyata Inc. on Enterprise Inc.

2009-09-21T01:42:00.000-07:00

I am big movie buff also love animated movies... movies; movies have had a huge influence on me... and this actually helped in being an entrepreneur and have been a part and parcel of my life... Godfather... and Gandhi. Pinky and the brain. OMG! I had to actually memorise all this!

I actually forgot that i needed to prepare myself, but then we had the Arun and Praveen who were very cooperative and full of patience who actually took me through. This was featured on CNBC a show on and for entrepreneurs. I so feel like a start up right now. I think I might just be doing something right for these guys to be featured on national leading news channel.

We had an awesome support and complete support from my brother. He is doing all the running around.. while i was being nervously been interviewed, being shot, being recorded.

Up, Up and Away

2009-09-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

What i most loved in the movie Up, is that, when ever the couple was free, they would hold hands and sit in front of each other in comfortable sofas and be reading. This something which is very doable, but then in today's generation with multiple channels of entertainment who would be holding hands watching cinema, television, surfing the net, playing farmville, tweeting, talking on cell phone, SMS, MMS, and many more ways, but not reading or writing letters.

Loved the eccentric Carl Fredricksen 80 year old uncle type of character, even at this age he has dreams that are unfulfilled and he wants to achieve them. Complete Kudos to Edward Asner for his voice for this character. Carl is actually an inspiration.

You cannot write a review without mentioning Disney and Pixar together for this one. It is complete full of colors, simple and nice storyline, amazing characters and a whole lot of dogs and hot air balloons, what am i talking about? Go, watch it!

Twestival - Twitter + Festvial - tweet for acause

2009-09-13T21:38:00.000-07:00

What is Twestival?
A Twestival or Twitter-Festival is a global series of events organized by volunteers around the world under short timescales, which bring people offline for a great cause.

At Mumbai, we were @netra, @tarunchandel, @monikkinom and myself @mokshjuneja. We all had spoken to @andreaclear supporting the NGO that she been volunteering with Help A child.

Once the NGO has been decided, we were hunting for the venue, we had our own little challenges of where to have the Twestival, Mumbai. Should it be Colaba? Bandra? Andheri? or since the Aperitweat was part of, do we have the twiiteratti gather in Chembur? Fortunately for all us, it was in Bandra and still Tarun and i took at least 2 hours to reach the venue that day. Cause has the good book says, men wont stop to ask for directions. I add, specially the man who is driving. that very day I was driving.

Anyway, we reached and we were excited to handover the T-Shirts to Andrea, who was planning to auction them at the venue. Now, the T-shirt design logo which was very commendable was done by @shawnlewis and of course at no cost, but for the love of the cause. You can always approach for more similar designs, but dont know if we all will be able to convince him to do at no cost.

My learning for the evening i soon realised was that always keep the party, tweet ups, blog camps, and any other internet event as unstructured as possible. The event in itself will unfold in a structured manner, but dont plan too much, plan on the spot. We had planned a at least 5 different games, but we were able to only play Housie that evening cause we cant make all the creative, enthusiastic, energetic people have a sit down dinner. Nah!! that is not what they were there for! We finished one Housie and I became the Unofficial sutradhar or Master of Ceremonies (MC) to give in the introduction what Twestival is for the lesser known muggles, then Andrea came into the bring some peace to the crowd to explain to what cause are we fighting for. While conducting Housie, i must have been abused by one and all for getting the right numbers according to their lucky tickets.

Of course, then we had a little dance session, which extended and became a huge gala event. Then there were the others believed in resurrecting the worst possible Bollywood songs standing just outside the Cafe Goa to sing loudly. None of them drunk or puking, everyone knows, how to handle their drink!

All the images of people - at the Twestival - Here are pics & links of #mumtwestival : @mayank http://bit.ly/13056d @BewdaBawa http://is.gd/3bzy5 @annkur http://bit.ly/K7F6T @rajc http://bit.ly/C4AuP and myself @Mokshjuneja http://bit.ly/x8HpH

The whole Twestival would not have been possible with out the help of all the sponsors. Here is a twist too? It is not just the Big sponsors Shoppers Stop, Tata Docomo, Cadbury Bourville who we all are very glad to have been present there, but individuals like Sandeep Bali, Meeta Kabra, Musicmanmihir and OnlyGizmos who made a difference to the whole Twestival. Even i was thinking of sporing something that can be exciting and at the same time fun. My idea was to take one person out to Ghatkopar Khao Gali for one of the 26 Masala Dosas, one Dabeli and as dessert and igloo shaped ice candy (gola). There is always a next time...

Thanks to all :)

Saving the Damsel - Good deed of the day!

2009-09-06T05:26:00.000-07:00

What do you do when you see someone driving on a flat tyre. You wave at the person, then suddenly you realise that there is woman driver, of you are alarmed by the beauty behind the wheels. My brother was the person to realise that there is a flat tyre in the right back wheel of Red Getz. of course, we waved, we honked to get the driver's attention to slow down, but then she was listening to loud Punjabi music. (Punjabi - she told me that later).

Before any more calamities should occur cause of a flat tyre like skidding on wet highways or something else, so we overtook the car and then directed her to park the car on the side. I got off my car and went to her car like a good Samaritan to inform her that she has been driving on a flat tyre. Immediately she responded by saying, "Oh, thats why the car was not picking up speed".

I thought i was done, but then i asked her a million dollar question, "if she knew how to change the tyre?" and even before she could answer the question with a blank look, I requested her to open the car luggage carrier to remove the spare tyre. There i got changing the tyre, by that time i told my brother to go proceed to office.

that is the Good deed of the day! but then the story does not finish there.

The lady insists that she drops me to my office, and that is the least that she can do sicne I had helped her. She takes a less crowded road. Just to know that it was a private road, she shows her pass to enter, and then the watchmen asks for my pass and of course i didnt have any, so she zoomed pass the security guards, by that we reached the exit on the other side, security guards were waiting for us. Smart security guards they had already radio-ed the message keep a track of this car!

After much trying to convince security guards, we gave up and then we went via the more crowded streets, she dropped me off at the office and since then no contact.

At the end of the day, i was happy to that I was able help someone out who was stranded in the middle of the road. To end, one of my favourite section in Reader's Digest - ALL IN A DAY'S WORK!!

Avatar - sneak peak!

2009-08-31T13:08:00.000-07:00

With Avatar, what surprises me is that James Cameron came up with the idea of Avatar immediately after he finished filming Titanic that is approximately 12 to 14 years ago. However he couldn't make Avatar since the technology that fuels it did not exist at that time.

I was witness to the 20 minute footage of the preview. The footage takes viewers to the planet Pandora, where an ex-Marine (actor Sam Worthington) is among a group of humans who have their brains linked to cloned versions of a native species in order to safely explore the spectacular environment. Sigourney Weaver plays a botanist overseeing the exploration. She, too, embodies an avatar based on the tall, lithe, tailed, blue humanoid species that populates the planet.

Sam Worthington's new blue colored Avatar meets with an enormous hammerhead dinosaur with a plume of multicolored spikes on its face and the snarling tiger-like creature that scares it away.Next scene is entering into jungle which blue and dark and then you can see a glimmer of hope with awesome colorful flowers and petals, fireflies that you feel if you raise your hand to reach out to them, you might just be able to touch them.

What a loved in the movie was that the whole experience was beyond imagination. It was unlike a movie watching experience where you are just wearing the 3D glasses, but here you can feel as if you are a part of the briefing session where the troop is getting briefed and part of the fight and you could just go on and on, but then one as to watch it to fully experience it.

With this James Cameron would be outdoing himself. After Avatar, what would he be creating...

QuickGun Murugun - I Say!!

2009-08-29T04:11:00.000-07:00

Pay Attention, I say! After a long drought in the film industry, finally the movie lovers have some entertainment lined up for them. Quickgun Murugun played by the veteran actor Dr. Rajendra Prasad (don’t be mistaken with the name, he is not the President of India!) is a cowboy who sets out to save the planet. The movie displays an age old fight between the good, the bad and the ugly, but with a lot of humour, action, romance and in a nutshell total entertainment.

The movie opens with a scene of the protagonist, Quickgun Murugun being killed by baddie Rice Plate Reddy, played by yet another south superstar Nasser. The movie begins. Quickgun is escorted by the Yamaraj to Yamalok. Well these days Yamalok has also become ‘dead’ busy. With tones of people waiting in queues, some to register for Moksha while others awaited punishment for their sins. Quickgun requests C.Gupta (that is an abbreviation for Chitragupta, I say!) to send him back to Earth as he had some unfinished business. Chitragupta played decently well by apna Vinay Pathak finds his reasoning strong enough to be sent back. A new Quickgun with supernatural powers reappears like Terminator at Gateway of India.

Now his search begins for Rice plate Reddy. Guess how he finds him. Well Google has answers to all life’s questions. Yes, you guessed it right by now that he googles it and learns about the evil plans of Rice Plate Reddy. And of course Quickgun’s guiding light is his dead girlfriend played by Lola Kutty. I wish her role was more elaborate. Nonetheless she was at her best in the brief appearances that she made. Watch out for the song sequence between Quick Gun Murugun and Lola Kutty. It is hilarious!

Reddy’s character is par excellence. You must have not seen a villain with that degree of professionalism. He displays a unique style of firing his employees (which you must watch in the movie). He dreams of opening a chain of hotels which is a dosa served with beef and convert all vegetarians into non-vegetarians. All his attempts fail for finding a perfect recipe for dosa. Finally a MBA graduate does it. Rowdy MBA with his wit and ‘rowdy’ MBA lessons finds a solution to Reddy’s grave problem.

The action begins once Quickgun meets the most important aid of Reddy, Mango Dolly played by Rambha. Of course, a little predictable, that she falls in love with the naïve, chivalrous Quickgun Murugun. She decides to help Quickgun in his fight against Reddy.

The action scenes between Quickgun Murugun and Rowdy MBA are worth watching. The backdrop of the sequence is our Mumbai traffic. The one liners by Rowdy MBA and Quickgun are rib tickling. Also the climax is quite witty with Quick Gun taking an avatar of a God with eight hands to kill wicked Reddy. You need to see it, to believe it.

Quite an entertaining movie with amusing dialogues, loads of creativity and masala. It is certainly not one of those clichéd spoofs. So watch out for this riot of laughter!

Yo Joe! Go G.I. Joe!

2009-08-20T11:34:00.000-07:00

What you should be going for in the movie - G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is the total mindless actions pack chase sequences, this is something I loved in the movie.

1. there is whole dodging highly explosive missiles with somersaults like the sequence in Transformers.

2. I love the scene two men (Rip Cord and Duke) in heavy armored suits are actually running across the streets of France and with smoothness and complete agility to save the city. In the same chase, there was Scarlet who had super-human skills of rising bike, specially for a girl, you need to watch this to believe it.

This was somewhat better than the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, cause at least this movie did not randomly bring robots or characters, with out giving them introduction. Even the way flashback is created for each character, not necessarily for all of them.

I liked the character Rip Cord the most because he was a comic relief. Snake Eyes looks more black than white in the character, was it because of the costume. Anyway, true identity was never revealed neither you could, but he was never so muscular. Now, what i missed in the movie, and love to see, if the plan a sequel, prequel, postquel and what ever they G.I's want to call it, are the

They need to shout "Yo Joe" at least 10-15 times in the movie. You need to bring in more characters from the G.I. Team is Dusty, Short-Fuse (he was also a comic relief in the TV series), Ghung- Ho, Shipwreak and Cobra team is Suit dressed Tomax and Xamot. Please see the whole list of characters, here.

You need to show how Zartan is scared of the sun and what you missed out in the movie was that Zartan is actually a master of disguise and you missed that out, hope you give Aronld Vosloo enough space in the movie. He is favourite since the Mummy days. Brenden Fraiser was a complete surprise to be seen in the movie,

Dennis Quiad as General Hawk was too docile and not authoritative enough. The last movie that comes to my mind with Dennis Quaid is Vantage Point, in that movie you had Said who was the enemy in the movie and now he is the accomplice in this movie. Welcome to the movie world.

The movie with the G.I. Joe mission and purpose: to defend human freedom against Cobra, a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world.

The movie also misses the the theme song of TV series at least should make one peppy one. What about the public service announcements that were made at the end of each show. Last fight scene would be Destro running away, saying that, we will get you next time.

Please! Please! get all these elements in the next G.I. Joe movie.

trip to Bhatsa Lake and Bhatsa Dam

2009-08-19T04:34:00.000-07:00

Bhatsa Lake is one of the many lakes that provides us Mumbaikar (or better still Bombayites) with pure and fresh water.

Out of the blue, I discovered this place, the reason behind it was that we didnt want to do another round of trekking on hills, but something different this time. We ventured out towards Thane, of course before that did a little Google Search on the lake and dam and not much was discovered on the internet. Surprisingly! Even Google Maps has gone wrong in this case, since places Bhatsa Lake, just below Tansa Lake. In reality it across some 15-20 kms away from each other on either side of National Highway, find below the right direction to

View Bhatsa Lake and Bhatsa Dam in a larger map

Even Google is not perfect. But anyway, hope they correct it, post this blog post. Learning: sometimes - we can just go and out explore, there are so many things that we miss out.

Once we were there, we tried to go up to the dam, but once we reached the Batsa dam, we were told that we need to get a pass from below the village, like how much it would have made a difference, if you can just make the pass near the gate itself, and if you see anyone with a threat to blow up the dam, then dont give him a pass. But dont cause inconvenience, neither were we in the mood to discuss nor break heads over pass at the dam! But then we were to enamoured with the upside down rainbow that we saw here... blame it on Global Warming or just God was painting upside down!

Really Good Cycle ride - What i loved about this place is the whole approach road to this place once we leave the is superbly awesome if you have your bicycles, once you enter in the national highway to reach the Batsa Dam and then. It would nice, easy uphill and then downhill ride to lake.

Then we found enough of a secluded place very close the dam, where a river was flowing, so this was great place cause there was no one around, it was just four of us and the nature. The only thing that we were missing was garam garam pakodas and cutting chai, at the same time, there was no one to even serve that.

More pictures of this beautiful - out of the world - but not every far from Mumbai - on Facebook

Faun hai ye Kaminey?

2009-08-17T10:56:00.000-07:00

Loved the way the whole movie is paced out. Like the whole twins meeting and fighting sequence, you surely like to believe there are two Shahid's, pretty well done. Piggy Chops is also just fine, she did what director (Vishal) asked her to do.

What i miss out in the movie is why did Vishal choose Ram aur Shyam, twin story, you already know half the story in the first ten minutes of the movie and then you hope that the treatment of the end actually betters towards the end. I would not say disappointing, but it does not live up to the hype.

Scene #1 When you hear the name of the movie or your mom says i want watch Kaminey, immediately she adds on to say cause of Vishal Bharadawaj,

Scene #2 at the box office counter "two Kaminey dena", normally this would be a request at the ticket counter for buying the tickets to the movie.

But then it is hilarious and it only lasts till you watch the movie. When you have a movie title like this one, you actually expect at least one villain to stand out, and hare you have too many villains, then you loose the story in building character for each one. Amol Gupte who plays Bhope typically stands out and makes the villain look crazy enough to start admiring the actor, but then others fail to reach there.

Coming back to the twins, i like the character of Shahid both Guddu and Charlie to stand out, like the dialogue in the movie, "Ek Haqlata hai, Doosra (f)Totla hai." In English, "one stammers, the other lisps". This actually makes them stand apart.

The songs are good, and will be played at all shaadis and Bollywood Nights at discs for quiet sometime except for the NGO song Fatak. Loved the song on the Dhan te Nan, thanks to Vishal for this. But then once you see the whole song and not one minute MTV style, you want to close your eyes with jarring lights coming from the screen. Is this the new 3D?

We get the point of emphasis of repeating one scene two times, but more than two times, you can actually make the movie 20 minutes shorter, if you delete all those repeat scenes for emphasis.

Vishal, loved the music of Maachis, loved Omkara and Maqbool, please continue with this, and dont go Ram Gopal Verma style, look at him right now, where he is?

Mumbai Wall Project, Mahim, Mumbai

2009-08-15T13:13:00.000-07:00

They way i saw things here. Was at first, will i be able to paint... and then of course. Nisha and Nitya were very encouraging enough to continue to spoil one of the city walls that they had got permission from the BMC.

Anyway, i said to myself, i must be doing something good, they were not actually being sarcastic about it. So I continued. While taking breaks, came across a whole lot of wall paintings starting from the just after the Mahim Station main gate. On the various wall painting, i realized that the street children and dwellers that had painted wall had a lot of Black, brown and darker shades, while the ones that we were painting were message oriented and more florescent.

The other thing that I observed was that there was a cross section of people who joined in the wall painting there were students of Arts, professionals, entrepreneurs, street children, personnel from the BMC and families who joined in. There was actually no age barrier, any sort of restrictions to the art form or the creativity that you have, the only thing that one needs to do is be present and paint a wall. Simple! :-)

We were provided with the paints, thanks to the BMC, never thought i would say this. Really thanks for supporting this event.

What also works best is Coldplay while painting. Of course, there was a lot commotion of people walking by, people shouting, cars honking, cars screeching (cause they were shocked what we were doing), street children running helter skelter with brushes and paints. To sush all these noises, we need some music around and Coldplay did the trick.

Two complete the two trees where in was initiated by Nisha and Nitya, there were other people who joined in. Another major portion was completed by Vidula. Rehab, Mahafreed, did one or two leaves, then there was this family of three who joined in, there there was some street children, and there was BMC Volunteers. Everyone was asking me, if they could join in, my answer was, just pick up the brush, there were just too many leaves and none in green. Thanks to all.

We had the little twitter thing going on too, i want to avoid saying tweet up, cause it was not. We had Rehab, Aditya (he cam all the way form Pune, Reena, Alpana had their own creation. Mahafreed was not on a holiday, but working even on Independence Day. Priyanka was also present for her painting, didnt get much time to interact with her. Ideasmithy came in late and made all of us work with her wall background (she will kill me, for making statements like this one), but then after we left she had her own creation. All of us were too tired to stick around, even though, she insisted. Glad we didn't, one picture below is of her creation. Below is the creation of the Fantastic Four @rehabc @adityab @vagrantseeker @spitphyre

Ideasmithy's creation (downloaded without permission from twitpic)

For the whole set of photos taken from my cell phone, cause me Digital camera gave up on me - Album on Facebook

The Facebook group is Wall Painting

Visit to Bhaja Caves

2009-08-03T03:52:00.000-07:00

Bhaja Caves are Buddhist caves with rock cut architecture which was used by travelers crossing the Deccan region, who started their journey from Arabian Sea. This surely must be a luxury to stay in this particular cave cause this one even had beds, which were also cut from the rocks.

There was this stupa which is a very common feature amongst all Buddhist rock cut caves in India. Can make this claim since, have visited or better to say trekked Elephanta Caves, Karla Caves, Kanheri Caves, Pandav Caves in Nashik, Ajanta, and Ellora Caves all of them have this stupa structure as the distinguishing and common feature. and of course all of them also the modern day Romeo - Juliet's names carved on them.

On the trek, after reaching half the trek Mom was a little tired. At first, she didnt want to trek at all, but then i believe looking at the picturesque view at a little higher altitude. She changed her mind. Little later, she said that she will sit here and see the breathtaking lush green view.

Another that is very peculiar to this cave is that there are at least 9 stupas which are put together in one cave, have not being able to understand the purpose of the same, but they surely looked pretty together. It was even difficult to take a picture of the all the nine stupas.

The below is video of the train which is passing a phatak (train crossing) in a village railway station called Malawali (hoping the spelling is right). The tracks so spread out that you can barely see the where the train is coming from... and where it ends. In the video, you can just see it passing..

Location: Karli, near Lonavala, Maharashtra

Link to more photos on Facebook album.

Love Aaj Kal - Saif is too much, but bearable; Deepika - very heavy Marathi accent

2009-07-31T12:12:00.000-07:00

Love Aaj Kal

If you own a production house and its your first movie from the production house, even closer relatives (here Bebo) have already declared the movie big blockbuster. Then you are the only person to be seen in very scene of the movie. Very common feature for all the Khans (Shahrukh Khan, Aamir Khan and this one too).

Saif Ali Khan gives you glimpses of very character he has played earlier. Without giving away much of the suspense, his acting and expression as an actor are much better in the Saradarji character - Veer than the ultra-modern dude - Jai. He can not speak Pubjabi as the younger Veer to save life (literally). That's brings to a similar point when ever Deepika (Meera) speaks in English it is perfect; when ever she speaks in Hindi, immaterial in London or Delhi she has a very heavy Marathi accent. Interestingly, she has one or two lines of really intense emotional dialogues where then we start to burst out laughing.

Most of the times Jai has been talking monologues even though the other character is in front of him and he just cant stop talking, but at the same time, he says what he wants to say but cant believe that he actually said that. Then he goes back on what he said and knows for a fact there will always be a chance. Confused, go watch the movie - it is interesting enough to be entertained, feel good about it and then forget about it.

Rishi Kapoor, (the elder Veer) in the movie. He never surprises me with his performance. He has the maturity and and he has the right attitude, right expressions, the right dialogues, the right accent of the Punjabi where ever emphasis is required. He is the right person best suited for this role. no questions here at all.

Rahul Khanna, I just feel bad for him that he does not get the girl cause he did not produce the movie. Once he starts producing the movie, he will get the girl at the end of the movie.

The songs, being a Punjabi, I love the songs. Only wish he had used some of the old songs specially when the movie goes in flashback that would have been cooler. During the shaadi scenes he could have used the popular Punjabi shaadi songs. Anyway, the mix of the songs is also not bad, would surely be playing for quiet sometime in discs for sure - *twist* and *Aahun Aahun*; on the slower version *Dooriyan* is nice soothing moment song. Link of Dooriya promo on Youtube.

What I loved in the movie the similarities and parallel stories that are happening between 1965 and 2009, starting with structure similarity between Delhi and London and the emotional similarity between the couples. The Being Cyrus look of Saif Ali Khan, Saif Ali Khan having black coffee (me too switching to black coffee - Americano cause cheaper and gives a kick just with the aroma of coffee). Deepika looking pretty until she opens her mouth speak Hindi in Marathi accent. Rishi Kapoor totally awesome.

The other thing that I loved in the movie is that the movie would be liked by both elders as well as youngsters alike.

Theatrical Trailer (Love Aaj Kal)
.

Transformers need some more transformation!!

2009-07-18T03:57:00.000-07:00

I was more than excited to watch the Transformers.. bought the paid preview tickets, within half an hour into the movie.. the movie stalled and we were given our money back, after that went on Monday night to watch the whole movie, again!

When we went the second time to watch the movie, at this time, it was not so exciting as it was watching the first Transformers. Here they were just too many robots without any introductions. They was too much time given for the vehicles to get converted to autobots. As for the villain robots, they didnt take so much time to convert themselves. Too much time was given Megan Fox to look pretty, too!!

Anyway, i watched movie and then tried forgetting about it, that's it. It was not that great a movie as i thought it would be. What to watch out in the movie is Optimus Prime!!

The other thing that i like is the action sequence in the Deserts, there is something about the director and the desert sequence, since even the last time, when eh was working on this movie, his opening sequence was in the desert. It just reminds me of one of my favourite movie Mummy.

Coming back to Optimus Prime, he is the heart and soul of the movie, at least that i what i want to believe, but then you have the human characters Shia LeBouf. How does he get all these roles - Transformers, Indiana Jones, all big budget movies.

I love Magatron, too. Like this blog post, you like something about the movie, it must be the characters, robots, blast sequence, or you might just hate something in the movie - very predictable story - that is what Transformers #2 is all about- leaves you confusing?

Check out The Great Driving Challenge !!

2009-07-10T12:21:00.001-07:00

Hi I am inviting you to become a fan on the application page and cast your vote in support. You can visit my application page by clicking on this link here. Cast your vote and also become a fan. Our Application Organizers Mitsubishi Cedia Sports The Great Driving Challenge Powered by Zigwheels. PS. If you have any problems casting your vote or signing up as a fan, just drop us an email to gdsupport@greatdrivingchallenge.com

Proposing Proposal

2009-07-07T22:57:00.000-07:00

The Proposal has Sandra Bullock (Margret) has the laugh without the grunt and as the subtler version of Miranda Pristley from Devil wears Prada. Ryan Reynolds (Andrew), last seen in Wolverine, now he is the boss's (Sandra Bullock) assistant/executive. Some how Margret puts it together that Andrew and they are getting married, to save Magret from getting deported to Canada.

That's the proposal, what happens next in the movie is actually quiet predictable, but i like the way the story unfolds in the beautiful Sitca, Alaska. Even though they are not trying to be funny, but the whole situation and they land themselves into is awkward a first, funny for all of us. Since it is specially based in Alaska, it just seems to be perfect setting for a fantasy and romantic world. But none the less, the timing of the dialgues between Andrew and Margret are comical and well written.

Betty White who plays Andrew's eccentric, but loving grandmother takes the cake, specially with her dancing in the middle of the woods, or dancing with the stripper. She is purely brilliant and has her own extreme ways of resolving conflicts, which is hilarious. There is also Andrew's parents who underplayed in the movie. There is Andrew's story is comfortably on the not highlighted.

Its worth the watch, at the end of the day, its a nice "chick flick".

National Anthem that motivates

2009-07-04T03:21:00.001-07:00

National Anthem that I love watching is the Siachen Glacier, I felt proud about it. I have seen four variations of the national anthem being played in theaters before start of the movies.

First one being the the animated waving of the national flag, where in have seen people walking past by running to their seats, as if the seats will run away from them.

Second one is the two leading singers - Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosale singing the anthem in the most melodious fashion, but still are unable capture the essence of national integration.

Third version is that of group of singers singing the anthem while giving their close-up smiles. Here they have grabbed their attention not because of the anthem but because we want to recognise Renuka Shane, and many others specially from the Marathi movies and theater personalities. Here, we start to think, I have seen him/her in this serial or in that movie, and the whole of aura of the anthem that these personalities are trying to create goes drown the drain.

The latest edition of the national anthem is the best one cause the visuals have the power to capture the essence of being Indian, even the kids who are too small to understand what whole catchy music stands for, are quiet glued to visual depiction of soldiers holding the national flag and sub-zeros temperatures.

One thing very commendable in the fact you can be creative and still feel proud to be an Indian, looking at these soldiers, it gives a sense of pride, accomplishment, a motivation to do something for the nation.

How many times, have heard in your life, saying, the "Our national anthem rocks"!! We try and reach early, so that we dont miss the national anthem.

Kambakht Ishq - You can avoid!

2009-07-03T09:03:00.000-07:00

Kambakht Ishq we were pretty disappointed at first, not getting the paid preview tickets for this movie. But then we were returning the 3D glasses after watching Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. There was this guy who was inquiring if there were people who would want to watch the movie, we said, "we are here".

We went to drop our cousins, then came back for the second movie back-2-back, but once the movie started we just discussing all the line of Hollywood movies that are lined up in the movie - Stallone, Denise Richards and Brenden Routh.

Let me start saying what i liked in the movie - this song

Om Mangalam - (Reprised) Kambakkht Ishq 2009 New&Full Video

and the extras behind Kareena Kapoor (Bebo) and Akshay Kumar in every song.

Akshay Kumar previous movie Singh is King is much better than this movie. Akshay Kumar please get back to the Khiladi mode or get into the mode the reel son of Amithabh Bachchan.

Kareena Kapoor is way toooo loud in the movie, i do not know was it for emphasis or was the acoustics in the new theater Fun Cinemas in Chembur. At the same time, if you want to see whats "in" fashion, you need to check out the outfits that Kareena Kapoor is wearing. If the clothes were any shorter, then this movie would have been given a "A" grade certification. Talking about the much hyped swimsuit sequence of Kareena Kapoor, yeah, swimsuit was good, but it was not that great on her.

From the Hollywood brigade there is Sylvester Stallone, Denise Richards, Branden Routh, i think all of them are wasted to some extent, they should have be given some more meaty role. Starting with Brenden, Akshay is his body double, the first action sequence is the only one that might be original. Then, there is Stallone who has just his presence

Then there are these action sequences that are have used the sets of Beverly Hills Cop III starring Eddie Murphy and Waterworld starring Kevin Costner.

Beverly Hills Cop III

Waterworld

If we want to watch the swimsuit models, i will still prefer going back to watching Baywatch, but a whole, movie where all of the extras wearing swimsuits. Someone must be having a very hard time to choose two different swimsuits, which cannot repeated in very scene. That would be the worlds best and worst job to do, specially if you are suffering from amnesia.

Aftab Shivdasani, Amrita Arora get overshadowed with loudness of Akshay and Kareena. Javed Jaffey is also there in the movie as a Sindhi Mr. Keswani, was hoping that he might save the day with another act like Crocodile Dundee in Salaam Namaste. Like most of the scenes end very abruptly.

If this is an entry of Hollywood stars in Bollywood movies then for a fact then we can surely see a trend of Johnny Depp fighting a battle with Aamir Khan, then Depp loosing the battle; Megan Fox and Frieda Pinto setting a ramp walk on fire, then Frieda taking the crown away. Or the movie producers will make two version of movies, one for the Indian audience where the Indian actor wins and the other one for the global audience where the Hollywood actor wins, that would be ultimate movie customization, based on bias.

Ice Age 3 - Buck rocks, Peaches is Cute, Scrat has found love

2009-07-03T07:08:00.000-07:00

Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs - what i like in the movie is the new character Buck (voice by Simon Pegg), slightly crazed weasel. He is like this small creature who is going to take over the largest dinosaur called Rudy, (a white Baryonyx that is the world’s biggest carnivorous dinosaur),oh yes bigger than Tyrannosaurus Rex. He is this miniature Rambo fighting in the jungle who knows hot to protect himself and the people around him. The characters' attitude is again awesome and he says that you have rules in the jungle, and the first rule is to "Listen to Buck".

Ice Age 3 - The Names Buck - The best home videos are here

The story of Ice Age 3 is about being a part of the family, in their case is being part of a herd that stays together, lives together and then has a brilliant adventure together in protecting each other. Ellie (voice by Queen Latifah) and Manny (voice by Ray Romano). are having a baby and Manny has baby proofed nature. There is this potion of jungle where he has removed all the pointy objects, covered all the twigs with snow balls that it does not hurt the baby. At the same time, Sid (voice by John Leguizamo) and Deigo (voice by Denis Leary) are feeling left out from the herd, that is normal.

The adventures start when Sid finds the dinosaur eggs and the hatch to know that they are the eggs of T-Rex, Sid tries to make the hardcore carnivores get converted to become vegetarian, but in vain. Then, one the Mom T-Rex arrives, she takes the three babies and Sid to whole new world where the Dinosaurs are still not completely extinct. This where they meet Buck.

My favorite sequence from the movie is the chase when Buck is flying one of the bird like dinosaurs to save Sid from falling into the lava waterfall and is being chased by even more vicious bird like dinosaurs who are trying to attack them (Buck, Crash, Eddy) in an aerial combat. You need to watch it to believe it. This is the favorite animation sequence.

Scrat, has new thing to seek other than the Acorn, this time it is Scratteeeee. She is seductive, beautiful, battering her eyelids to gain attention of Scrat only to get to the acorn. In the end, they play this song with the credits which was again, super awesome and there is Sid in a very funny dance moves...

Ice Age 3 - Walk the Dinosaur - Celebrity bloopers here

Sid, Manny, Ellie, Deigo, Crash and Eddie are their usual self. The new entry into their heard if Peaches who is most adorable baby, why the name peaches is story in the story. Hoping to see Ice Age 4, if there is any...

Bandra Worli Sea Link opening

2009-07-02T04:02:00.000-07:00

A night before the opening of the Bandra Worli Sea Link. The scheduled time to open the Bandra Worli Sea Link was 12 midnight, but then they opened it the next day morning.

We tried reaching the much awaited opening of Bandra Worli Sea Link, didnt believe that we were the only crazy people to be waiting first inline to pass through the Sea Link.

But as Providence would have planned, the policeman who was fingering his nose, irritatedly shouted at our car "pude jaa" and he politely in Marathi (ironical) said, the bridge will be opening at 7 in the morning.

I would say that we reached the entrance on time very easily cause the traffic was building up, but we did manage to reach the entrance from the Bandra side at 10 minutes to 12 (midnight), but then once we took a U-Turn we were pleasantly surprised that we were not the only crazy people in Mumbai who wanted a free ride over the Bandra Worli Sea Link.

Update: all the five free days, it was crazy to go on the bridge, but the best time to be on the bridge was anytime between 2 to 5 in the morning. it was a smooth sailing.

Update: the toll charges for the car is Rs. 50 per trip (for a car). They are smart with smart cards, specially because mind the words the charge is for per trip rather than per day.

Hangover on Hangover!!

2009-06-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

Just imagine, you go out with friends, drink couple of beers and you let the cops catch you for drunk driving, put you in jail, then you are Scott free the next day and your licensed is revoked from 2 months. That would be all!

Hangover, there is a different story, these wake up just to realize that they just do not remember what they missed as part of the whole enjoyment experience. Its like you enjoy yourself so much that you dont have a recollection of what happened a night before, how is that possible. If you guys are unable to understand this, you need to go and watch the movie for

* you can play around with celebrated boxer "Mike Tyson" in real life on reel life. (This must be his first movie appearance.)

* you can actually steal a full grown pet tiger, when you are drunk

* you can actually get married the night before and have a 4 month old baby in the same night

* you have no recollection of your missing friend

* you kidnap drug lord and get bashed by his goons without knowing the reasons

* you can actually win money in Blackjacks and have forgotten where you have kept it

* you are jailed

these are just some of the things that these people do, when they are drunk and have a amazing Hangover.

You need to watch the move for Zach, he is my favourite character in the movie, who is completely zonked, very focused on what wants in his life - dope and win money on blackjack. His humour is crude and enjoyable.

Bolt - Rhino is the Zen Master

2009-06-26T13:36:00.000-07:00

A super hero is unleashed in town. No it is not Batman, Spiderman or Wolverine; it is Bolt – a new canine creation from the house of Walt Disney. “Dog is a Man’s best friend” has been aptly shown in this 3-D animated movie Bolt. It stars names like John Travolta (voice for Bolt) which was quiet surprising to hear such a young voice and Miley Cyrus (voice for Penny), the voice had its impact of being 'the person' for the dog - Bolt. Like every other Disney movie this movie too scores high in its animation of course, awesome story line, cute humour and endearing characters.

Bolt in the movie is made to believe that he has super powers and his aim is to save his person ‘Penny’ from the green eyed evil Dr. Calico. But destiny had some other plans and Bolt escapes from his reel world in search of Penny who according to him has been kidnapped by Dr. Calico. In his quest to save Penny he meets an alley cat Mittens (voice by Susie Essman) who loves to bully the pigeons and Bolt’s ardent fan Rhino (voice by Mark Walton), who by the way is a hamster.

The camaraderie between the three is splendid and absolutely fun to watch. Mittens like a good friend gives realty check to Bolt and Rhino with his zealous spirit makes Bolt believe that nothing his impossible and always cheer him up. Don’t miss watching the pigeons. They are quick, intelligent and enterprising. I loved the performance of Rhino. He was simply awesome, no actually beyond awesome, he was beawesome!! Rhino is this little hamster who believes in Bolt, the superdog, more than than Bolt believes in himself and he is the Zen master to motivate him to bring him back to life... he loves the SuperBark, and i love it too!!!

Bolt - Movie Trailer

All in all, Bolt is a great movie of courage, loyalty, friendship and the power of love. The message is positive and the hero comes out on top. Great family movie!