Things I'll take back from XL - 2

Quite accustomed to the long queues of the bureaucracy that a govt. college (I was in NITK) brings, I was actually shocked, even scared, by the free ride that registration in XL was. For all you know, I could not be Puneet Aggarwal and still be completing the two years in here. And that my friend is the freedom that XL accords you with – of doing anything as long as you deem it right; if you are ready to bear first, the costs and then, the consequences of what you do, no one here is gonna tell you what and what not to do. An independent life, devoid of any rules but your own is not one that less responsible people can handle. That is the true test of a manager and that, thankfully, I passed. So, responsibility that comes with being free is the second thing I’ll take away from XL.

Things I'll take back from XL - 1

From today I wud try to post one new post every two-three days till the day I leave... all about something in XLRI that I’ll take with me... will try to keep it chronological...

I was travelling alone from home (Bellary) to XLRI, Jamshedpur. Apparently that was new for ‘freshers’ who were generally dropped off by parents but then, I was always an independent child. There was anticipation and even an iota of neophobia. As I reached platform number 19 of the Howrah station, that neophobia seemed to melt a little. I saw another family which was going to XL to drop off a classmate. As I boarded the train, Steel Express, that neophobia was all but gone as I realised, where I go, I’ll never be far from an XLer. There were so many of my to-be batch-mates on that train. One family, on realising I was travelling alone talked to me through the journey to Jampot and I realised how big getting into XL was. And that, though we curse the location, the journey from Cal to Tata ensures we all travel together, wherever we go, whatever we do. And that is the first memory of XL that I shall carry with me... Of being close to friends even in a completely new city...

The Mercenary

He was just ten – a toddler in his world full of soldiers – tin soldiers with a metal head and a hollow chest. He was no 10 – for he could carry weights much larger – of those hammers, belts and arrows – all together. He was just ten – he mistook the ticking mechanical sound from those tin soldiers to be a heart-beat. He was no ten – for he could do tasks others twice his size couldn’t – fighting a lone losing battle for example. Not just a battle – but one that was never his own; One that he chose to fight because the king was weak – too weak to even acknowledge his presence – or when he did – follow it up with further battles.

And just like that, after the battle was won – litres of his blood spilt – he walked on – to the next battlefield. And just like that, if the battle was lost, he vowed to come back – never any taller – never any stronger – Just in his battered state – to avenge the defeat – to bring glory to a gory king who never knew he existed. The king – the dear loved king who he idolised – the one with those green eyes which saw everything green – green, not as the expanse of grass before him – but the barren battlefield – greened by the impure blood of the other tin soldiers.

And just like that he fought on – and on – and on – swords flung at him from all sides – including his 'own side'. His own side – or the one he thought was his own – for he never had a side of his own – and also, always did. Every time he turned – whichever way he turned – his back felt a sharp sting – from the hammers, belts and arrows – the sting he was no stranger to – a seasoned hard-bound bag of sand – who ruffled every time it was hit – ruffled to the core – and in no time – reformed to get ready for more. And his king looked on – at times sending a bludgeon to the weak spot – the tender spot – ensuring he was seasoned fully.

Could he run away from battle – but run from which battle – and go where? Back to the loins he came from – to the place he was born – born to fight – or so he thought – thoughts of a warrior –here to please and appease – just waiting for one strong paw of the beasts to pin him down – the thought of being the gladiator – when in fact all he was – was an expendable, replaceable – but always available – a mercenary.

PP

Every Child is Special - Proved

I've been so bitten by the Aamir Khan movie bug that I think about a of lot of them these days... One of those thoughtful moments, I happened to be reading Wiki entry on "Interesting Numbers". I just thought, Aamir's statement in Taare Zameen Par could also be proved, and logically, using this paradox... :)

Aamir says, "Every Child is Special."

Let us prove this using the method of contradiction. Assume that not every child is special. That means the set of all children can be divided into "special" and "not special" children. Assume this set is mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive. Now not special is akin to saying there is nothing unique in the child as Aamir believes every child has something unique in him and is thus, "Special". Let us consider this set of "not special" children. Arrange them in order of height.

Now we find that in the set there is a child who is the tallest. That is something unique. The Tallest "Not Special" child. so we should remove him from the "Not Special" set and add him to the other set.

Now from the remaining, we arrange them in order of their ages. There is an eldest child. He'll be the first "Not Special" child to become an adult. Now that is something special. Let us transfer him too.

Going in the above way, we'll be left with one child who is "Not Special". He's the only "Not Special" child. That is really unique and special.

Q.E.D: Every Child is SPECIAL :)

Jinhe Naaz hai Hind Par woh Kahaan hai!!!

It was the alumni home-coming for the batch of 1984 that I heard this song for the first time. It caught me by the throat and refused to let go for the moment – but as with a lot of other things, the song went to a corner of my memory and never resurfaced; till yesterday. Suddenly I wanted to listen to the “emotionally charged song that Bodhi Tree played” and I’ve listened to that song ever since.

The lyrics – powerful and charged brings back memories of those newspaper articles we read some years back and quite conveniently, though unfortunately, forgot. As with every new thing I read about, I googled the mentions in the song – and came across the incidents and how we have really forgotten those who take pride in being what they are – and are today in the same state as the martyrs who are remembered on the one day of the year.

Bilqis Rasool, the gangrape victim of the infamous aftermath of the Godhra carnage. Satyendra Dubey, the whistleblower, the IIT alumni who decided the pride of the nation – the GQ project – could not be handled by incapable local goons, wrote to the PMO about irregularities and ultimately paid with his life for this expose. Manjunath, the IIM-Lucknow alumni, who was brutally murdered in Lahimpur Kheri by the oil mafia for his action against adulteration. The last mention was of Navleen Kumar, an unknown social activist in the Nallasopara region of Mahrashtra who raised her voice against large scale land acquisition found herself on the wrong side of the local MLA.

I’ll copy here the lyrics (downloaded) as I want every person reading my blog to at least know the power of a well-written song and the emotions that it can charge with respect to being a proud Indian. And if possible, take cue as to what being an Indian means... Rabbi, I bow to thee...

Mera naam Bilqis Yakub Rasool
Mujhse hui bas ek hi bhool
Ki jab dhhundhhte thhe vo Ram ko
To maen kharhi thhi rah mein

Pehle ek ne puchha na mujhe kuchh pata thha
Dujey ko bhi mera yehi javab thha
Fir itno ne puchha ki mera ab saval hai ki

Jinhe naaz hai hind par vo kahan the
Jinhe naaz hai vo kahan hain

Mera naam shriman Satyendra Dubey
Jo kehna thha vo keh chukey
Ab parhey hain rah mein
Dil mein liye ik goli

Bas itna kasur ki hamne likha thha
Vo sach jo har kisi ki zuban thha
Par sach yahan ho jatey hain zahriley

Jinhe naaz hai hind par vo kahan the
Jinhe naaz hai vo kahan hain

Mujhe kehte hain anna Manjunath
Maine dekhi bhatakti ek laash
Zamir ki beech sarhak Lakhimpur Kherhi

Adarsh phasan jahan naaron mein
Aur chor bharey darbaron mein
Vahan maut akhlaq ki hai ik khabar baasi

Jinhe naaz hai hind par vo kahan hain
Jinhe naaz hai vo kahan hain

Mazha nau aahe Navleen Kumar
Unnees june unnees var
Unnees unnees unnees unnees
Unnees baar

Unnees unnees unnees unnees
Unnees unnees unnees unnees
Unnees unnees unnees unnees
Unnees vaar

Looto dehaat kholo bazaar
Nallasopara aur Virar
Chheeno zameen hamse hamein
Bhejo pataal

Jinhe naaz hai hind par vo kahan hain
Jinhe naaz hai vo kahan hain

Creating a "Top-10" for Dummies

This has been inspired by a recent "Top-10" which ranked engineering colleges

1. Take up a topic that everyone would be interested in. When it’s the month of May, everybody in India is interested in knowing which the best college in India for every stream is. If it’s November (or Mar-Apr), everyone wants to know which the Best B-School in India is. So when its spring, the magazine might come up with, “Top-10 Flowers” in India or when its Diwali time – “The Top-10 Crackers”...
   
2. Create an “exhaustive” list of parameters on which the object can be judged. So if it’s a flower, my criterion are:
   
   • Its colour
     
   • Durability
     
   • Ease of growth
     
   • For the sake of completeness, its ability to attract the other sex
   • And its acceptability in Indian Temples
     
3. Categorise the object that is being ranked. For flowers, categorise it as flowers that can be used to decorate the house, that can be used to appease a roothi hui girl friend and those that can be used in bouquets for giving to the winners of the survey.
4. Create a fundoo sounding methodology. Just note that the following words and terms should appear at least once. Expert, detailed, analysis, survey, representative, statistical, large (wide) sample, ranking, stakeholders, perspectives, review.
5. Shuffle the known best (Like the IIM-A in B-Schools, 6 IITs in technical institutes, AIIMS in medicine) and award them the top ranks. Throw in the lesser considered ones (NITs in engineering; Other IIMs, XLRI, SPJIMR, MDI etc in B-Schools) to complete the top ten. If you want to make it look even more authentic, remove one of the top from the top and declare that the 'top' refused to participate in the survey and hence is not ranked.
6. Throw in a few comments from one of the “stakeholders” stating why the best is the best. Throw in an interview with the head of the best and a few more from people below him in the hierarchy.
7. Importantly, throw in a few statistics which no one can confirm. Ex: While number of petals in roses averaged 57, the number of petals in marigold averaged 123. The trend is expected to improve in the current season due to the influx of Sodiumbenzonitropantonate.
8. Throw in a few “interesting” points. Interestingly, sabsebadafool is the only flower that is found in Jhumri Talaiya that found its way into the top ten.
9. Call one of the later ones in the rankings a “surprise” package who is making its “re-entry” after a gap of 6 years. Cite one reason why that could be. Ex: The Hibiscus finds itself back in the top ten after a gap of 6 years because Ms. Sonia Gandhi has decided to cover her garden with different varieties of Hibiscus.
10. Conclude with a few generic statements which can apply to anything. The atmosphere has a huge impact on the quality and in the coming days, with increasing disturbances, can deteriorate.
    

And Lo! You have your first top-10. Go publish it. If the first step is right, I’m sure you will receive sufficient readership and with it, possibly, big moolah.

PP

Review: 3 Idiots

I do not like to like posting movie reviews, but this one deserves it.

Spoiler alert: Though I have tried to not describe the story, there might be a few hints and glimpses.

It didn’t start off very well – the unpleasing butts stared into our faces – literally. Then there was a shock – again, literally – and the fun express took speed. Through the brilliance of the antics of Rancho and the troubles and dilemmas of Raju and Farhan, the movie entwines a beautiful story which every one of us will relate to. The humour though, is not without some heart-wrenching scenes – like dealing with a successful suicide attempt of a student. Midway I realised, I was just another “gadha”. But I take the insult sportingly and shall not sue Vidhu Vinod Chopra :P. The ending was slightly pushing the funda of “All izz Well” too far but then, a little over-optimism never hurts a fun-living moviegoer. :)

The songs, barring one, are well placed and do not really annoy the viewer with a break in the story. In fact, the songs quite run in the background of the story without affecting it. The music is lively and forceful when required. It’s been long since we had a non-Rahman good sound track – this sure fits the bill. Jaane Nahi was my favourite though All izz Well shall very soon become an anthem... Sonu Nigam's typical stamp on the vocals is all pervasive...

The let-down that Avatar 3D was – was more than made up by the 3 Idiots. Aamir, is his usual entertaining self. Kareena is not the slim-trim hot babe as in Tashan – but no less attractive. Madhavan looks kinda old for a 22yr old but gels well with Aamir. Sharman Joshi plays his role to perfection - his potrayal of the cash-crunched youth with the burden of an ailing family and a young sister does touch a chord. Boman Irani is good in his Hitler-Einstein hybrid look. Omi Vaidya (Chatur Ramalingam) is brilliant in his expressions and to me, created few of the the most comic scenes of the movie with his “humko hindi nahi aata, tum kidhar jaati” style. Rajkumar Hirani may not have created yet another Munnabhai but Rancho would come quite close in appeal.

This movie, not quite the same tone as TZP, carries a very strong message indeed. I now see ViruS in every institution that I’ve studied so far (Oh, I met one Rancho too). I see how murders are committed everywhere not because of the pressure on the windpipe but way above – right in the head (I’ve known one murder committed – a budding artist who was forced to do his masters in engineering). Most movies quite spoil the fun of the book – this movie makes me wanna read Five-Point-Someone again though the author and the director have denied direct inspirations.

Aal izz Well....!!!

Ok I dunno where to start – the interesting and entertaining day or the very interesting but not so entertaining night...

I’d rather start with the wonderful Christmas that we had... It all started two days back when one of my dear friends suggested another friend that we should go to Kolkata for a movie on Christmas. We booked online – and early morning today, we were on our way to Kolkata. Nice warm weather from the chills of Jamshedpur – a literal warm welcome :)

The taxiwala though was not so warm – after going 28 km in the taxi – where he first feigned taking us to Science City – passed it without asking if we were getting down – then took us to the “bypass” to South City. We saw the turn to Salt Lake City but didn’t say anything as we were new to Kolkata and thought probably it was just round the corner. When after turning many corners and reaching 25 km on the meter, the South City Mall didn’t arrive – we decided to take the matters into our hands and asked the locals about its location – and surprise – the taxi wala asks for “Sowl City” and then suddenly turns the taxi around to say – “Oh I took one wrong turn. We’ll be there in two mins” when we were in fact on the right path (finally). We corrected him and soon, we were at South City mall and with a lot of help from the local bystanders, we managed to get the taxi off with a fare of Rs. 100. So basically we went to science city – then salt lake city – then a fictitious “Sowl City” and then finally our destination. I thought, not for the last time in the day, “Aal izz Well”...

While one friend visited her relatives who stayed close by, we had a subway – which tasted as it always does across anywhere in India – Good. Then just as we reached the Fame entrance we realised, the speedy ticket counter for online bookers was not as speedy. It took us a good 20 mins into the movie “Avatar 3D” before we could get in but finally we did and again I thought, “Bhaiya Aal izz Well”...

The movie had stunning VFX but nothing so great about the storyline... James Cameron kinda let me down. But then, the effects and the 3D made it worth the money. We came out and clicked pics around the many X-Mas trees decorated there. And again I thought, “Chachu, All izz Well”...

After a refreshing giant Pepsi, we 4 idiots entered “3 Idiots”. I shall leave the review for another post but rest assured, we came out laughing and thoroughly satisfied, thinking, once again, “Bhaiya Aal izz Well”...

I decided, it was Christmas, and while my friends enjoyed a plate of spicy and mouthwatering pani puri, I had to give Father Christmas’s gift to the person who is behind most joys in XL and with me in most sorrows at XL. Suddenly realisation dawned on me – I didn’t have my credit card!!! Did I lose it somewhere? Where? I remained calm and checked my bag – called up my friends to check. Thankfully it was in the camera pouch. Once again, the thought came to my mind – “Murgi, Aal izz well” :)

We rushed through the Kolkata traffic to reach the station only to discover that our train was delayed by 8 hours!!! We didn’t want to spend the night on the Kolkata station. Decided we had to bypass rules and go through touts and get ourselves on the next train going to Tata. Got booking via the inside route – with a ticket premium of more than 100% over the cost – but at least better than waiting on the platform. Yet again, “Bakre, Aal izz Well”...

The train journey was scary to say the least. We were completely unprepared for the cold. No blankets. Sweatshirts that could cover us through the evening chill in Jamshedpur but surely not the biting cold of the moving train. And surprisingly enough, I was the most comfortable amongst my friends. In a close huddle, we derived as much body heat from each other as possible and reached – rather, made it – to Tatanagar. God bless Indian Railways and the coffee guy on the platform. The auto ride back was where I realised why the winter takes its toll in the North India. Even when laden with light armour of a hooded sweatshirt, my hands had gone numb – actually numb. I could only imagine what the destitute across the northern plains would do when they ran out of firewood. Thankfully, I reached the campus, alive; turned on the kettle and put my digits – almost at the breaking point – in the warm water. Blood rushed back through the digital systems and now again, “Bhaiya, Aal izz Well”...

Overall a great Christmas outing... Merry Christmas...

P.S: No disrespect to Kolkata-waalon - but tourists to Kolkata, please beware of the cheating Kolkata Taxis. Take the pre-paid and you will sing, "Aal izz Well"... :)

New Internal Security Ministry...

Chidambaram proposed a new “Internal Security Ministry” today... This sure signals that all is not well in India. Why would the home minister want to offload a part of his portfolio? Does this indicate that the internal security matters have become so grave that the Home Ministry is not able to handle it?

Even if they do create a new ministry, what matters is that the ministry is headed by an able administrator and not someone like Shivraj Patil. Or is it Shivraj Patil, who has been kept on the sidelines for quite sometime now wants to come back to mainstream ministry, this move is being made. Since the Home portfolio is firmly kept away from him, he wants a part of it. if not the whole. Gives the tainted record of the Congress on these matters, it would not be too surprising... After all, the person who could not run the home ministry was being proposed at one time for the post of the President of India... this is way smaller...!!!

Cameron's new AVATAR

Long back I had talked about how there was an unnecessary (my opinion) controversy created whenever there was a Hindi movie inspired by and English/other language movie. The recent controversy regarding the ‘Return of James Cameron’ movie AVATAR has just vindicated my stand that each director was different and each movie was different. While Avatar might be inspired from a book, picturization of a book in the modern sci-fi day cinema is not the easiest of tasks and James Cameron must be lauded for that. James Cameron has been one of my favourite directors and no controversy regarding “plagiarism” will take that away from him. As he says in one of his hit movies through Arnie’s dialogue, he’ll be back... I just hope the movie is as good, if not better, than the trailers...
PP