My Take

Customer Service !

2011-11-19T23:06:00.000+05:30

This is a mail exchange between a frustrated Vodafone customer and the mobile company who has cut her services for not paying her bill in time , despite several reminders . Both have valid complaints about each other . Can they sort it out or are they headed towards separation ? Read on to find out ...

From: Vodafone(previously Hutch,previously Orange)
Sent: Friday, October 08, 2010 4:19 PM
To: MR
Subject: Dear customer

Dear Vodafone customer ,
You have been our most loyal customer over the past year . Thank you for finally paying your bill . This issue had even our VP worried … our sales team was also not meeting our targets . Finally you have set all our fears at rest . We were worried that you might have moved to some other service provider .

We are sorry for cutting the outgoing on your phone . Also we regret the inconvenience caused by our website … we will surely work to get that fixed … lest that hampers your bill paying process in the future . Thank you once again for your selfless act .

Yours truly bugged ,
Vodafone Limited

From: MR
Sent: Friday, October 08, 2010 4:29 PM
To: CustomerCare@vodafone.com
Subject: RE: Dear customer

Dear Vodafone Limited,
Firstly thank you for hiring customer service executives with the worst English in the world. I often get confused if they want me to pay my bill or take some pill.

As for your website, building rocket ships are easier than getting your website to actually respond to a simple query. FYI. Kotak and Bank of Maharashtra are respected banks and I urge you to consider accept bill payments made from either banks.

Kindly inform your V.P that even moving on to Uninor seems like a tempting offer.

Yours truly frustrated,
Ex-Customer

From: Vodafone(previously Hutch,previously Orange)
Sent: Friday, October 08, 2010 4:19 PM
To: MR
Subject: Dear customer

Dear Customer ,
The problem is that we have many esteemed customers just like you who don find time to pay bills . Without payment we are going bankrupt and actaully did not have money to pay customer care executives . So we had to hire some monkeys to do the job in their place . So the service has depreciated a bit . But it wouldn't have happened if you people weren't so forgetful in the first place.

Nor do we have money to hire a website designer . Actually our site is pretty good we think . It even sends auto-generated mails . this itself is an auto-generated mail still it is so personalized ... imagine !

Unninor can't do this can it ?

Yours smugly ,
Vodafone

From: MR
Sent: Friday, October 08, 2010 4:29 PM
To: CustomerCare@vodafone.com
Subject: RE: Dear customer

Dear Vodafone,
Shove it !

Yours lack-of-sensible-words-ly,
Ex-Ex-customer

From: Vodafone(previously Hutch,previously Orange)
Sent: Friday, October 08, 2010 4:19 PM
To: MR
Subject: Dear customer

Dear Customer ,
We understand you are a bit agitated . But even if you are our ex or our current , you can never break up with us ..
Coz wherever you go the network follows

Your truly ,
Vodafone

The things I should have done

2011-08-28T22:54:00.003+05:30

This blog was never meant to be personal , rather an exhibition of my writing . But my best writing has been inspired by my life , so I can't help but put this song down .

The things I should have done

You told me why didn't I learn singing
I answered that it was tough
You asked me why I didn't learn driving
I said cycling was enough

You told me I should have picked it up
Given that I had time
You said that I was lazy
Not learning all this was a crime

But the truth is sweetheart
I didn't do many things that I should have
If I had a chance I'd do it again
I didn't do the things I could have
If I had a chance I'd do it differently

And now its too late for me
To say the things I might have said
Its too late for me to start over
Now my life is made

If I had a chance I'd do it over
Tell you how pretty you look
I'd take your hand and make promises
That's a chance I would have took

But I Backed out when it mattered
Developed cold feet and I froze
I was afraid of looking like a fool
It doesn't matter now I suppose

Everything happened for the better
Now you're happy and you're rich
You seemed to have moved on alright
But there's just one small glitch

I still get dreams about those times
Dreams of times to be
The future If I had taken the plunge
The future with you and me

City of Joy

2011-05-15T18:11:00.004+05:30

The ousting of The Left will have repurcussions ...

As Manoj Bajpayee said in Rajneeti ,
"Jawab milega. Karara jawab milega "(sinister tone)

Yes , The Left have left.

Mamta is in the house. What about the worker unions,State controlled autos and buses . Will Tata come back to Singur ?

There was an article in TOI some seven years ago during the time the BJP were ousted from power at the Centre. It said that "the incumbent always loses in an election." Because unless they have some sort of monopoly, public dissatisfaction is enough for them to lose their gadda. But The Left(yes with a capital The) were the incubent for 30 years . Still they were stuck to their gadda

Great ad for fevicol . But didi's dhakka is more than fevicol ka jod . Didi has checked in . When will we see Dada check in ? Time to make Saurav the Prince of Calcutta ...

See he's so happy with the result .

Beauty and the Beast

2011-05-14T15:35:00.005+05:30

Today's society is obsessed with looking good .

We are a culture which worships models of size zero proportions . Suddenly , intelligent men and women have become slaves to the advertising world , and our sense of beauty has become as skin deep and as superficial as Paris Hilton.

A malaise has started a fashion race , like the arms race . In which people try to outdo each other with frenetic desperation to look better , to dress trendily and be seen in the 'in' places wit the 'in ' people . The Royal Wedding is watched for tips on how to look good ,rather look royal. Tom Cruise and Katie Holme's five yeard old daughter Suri ahs been named as one of the 50 most glamourous women by a leading magazine, and the Kardarshians are looking smashing as usual . That malaise is the Beast of advertising.

Everyone knows adverts are made for money . Plain and simple .They have to sell the product to you , whichever way they can , and if that means making you feel inadequate with yourself , so be it . Earlier , adverts were all about trying to convince you why their product is useful for you and how their product is better than others on the market . Then it progressed to convincing you that you needed their product , giving rise to the rampant consumerism we see today .

Most of the things we buy today are really things we can do without , but ads have made us feel that life is incomplete without them . Now comes , the final turn of the beast , where it is sending us the message that not only do we need that fairness cream , cologne , deo , hairgel or moisturizer , if we don't use it we will become uncool and Get left behind .

What they are really selling is coolness , bottled and branded .

Ads not only sell a product , but also a concept . They try to market a lifestyle which entails use of their peripheralnia . The sad thing is the wrong ideas they plant . The beauty creams ads try to make the viewer insecure about their own looks , even if there is nothing really wrong with them , and send out the ultimatum ' good isn't good enough : if you don't appear drop dead gorgeous , prepare to be left out ' . So we are bombarded with images of models with perfect ten figures and faces to match , all withe the intention of making the viewers feel like losers . Smart , good loking and otherwise self assured women have their confidence pricked , if not broken , by this media barrage . Also gone are the times when we spoke about tall, dark and handsome . Now its all about tall, fair and handsome .

Every girl is made to feel insecure , especially the younger age group , for whom it is an age where their self image is moulded . Boys too are prey to this media blitzgreik and our entire teen generation now has body-image issues . Every minor blemish is played up and these products feed upon their insecurity and their natural desire to be desirable and cool .

Ads also use a carrot and stick approach . On one side they advocate a lifestyle and high yardsticks of looks and dressing , which will make us desirable and on the other send out the silent mesage of what will appen if we don't comply . Remember the ads which shows the boys family going to the prospective brides home ( a well known scene to us in reel and real life ) . The girl is rejected for no apparent reason and is left dejected .Then she 'chances' upon ths fairness cream and voila !
Withing months she is in hot demand ... and they live happily ever after . While this not just regressive , it also shows societies obsession with complexion .
Another ad . The girls practices hard for a dance competition , but despite her best efforts ,she gets rejected . Then upon using one these creams (powder/lotion whatever take your pick ) she dazzles on the dance floor and wins the first prize !
In another , a young woman tries out for a rj spot but the judges dont find her good enough .Then the familiar 'before after ' story and she becomes a rj ( tv reporter , singer again take your pick )

What the hell does looks have to do with becoming an radio jockey ! And what about the notion that looks are what it takes to win te dance contest , skill and practice be damned....
Similarly for men , we have the guy who offers the rose to the girl but she throws it away ...then comes the Jeckyl and Hyde transformation and soon the same guy becomes a smouldering Casanova . I could go on and on . All thse ads play upon our fear of rejection .

Lets grow up and learn to appreciate inner beauty and the other qualities we have . Because there are other things to life and our talents mean a lot to smart people , while those who can't see them are just jerks . Not everyone is as shallow as a puddle , so we needn't fear rejection .... and those who are shallow , well we should reject them first ! End this obsession and realize that the truth about beauty is ugly .

Best films in tinsel town

2011-05-04T22:24:00.001+05:30

Best films of 2009/2010 :

1.Dev D : Anurag Kashyap's masterful remix of the Indian classic , it became a cult legend . Its dialogues , cinematography , songs and its psychedelic sometimes moody , sometimes cheerful drama was superb .

2.Kaminey : Vishal Tarantino ... sorry Bharadwaj gave another hit . Classy , suave and action packed .

3.Three Idiots : Smoothest film of the year , though in many parts unoriginal . Hirani's movie on three bungling engineers - misfits took the box office by storm with its hilarious antics and touching lessons .

4.Luck By Chance : Super . Excellent storyline , great acting and terrific moral " you make your own luck " . Zoya Akhtar makes a great debut .

5.Billu : Emotional , funny and endearing . Irfan Khan as the barber who gets sudden celebrity status in his small village stands out .

6.Gulaal : Great film set in rural India .

7.Ishqiya : Mahem , two thieves and a wicked woman :) wickedly delightful

8. Love,Sex and Dhoka : Very very realistic and very very original

9. Paatshaala : A truly great film on the state of today's schools

10. Rocket Singh : Ranbir Kapoor becomes a very unlikely hero

Time for change

2010-02-03T00:00:00.000+05:30

We envy the west ! We want to be like them , and we want to go there .

But have we ever tried finding the reasons for their power and prosperity ? Everybody is over the moon over Obama , saying that if we had a leader like him , our country would not be stuck in a rut . But we don't realize that it is not America's good luck that they get such fantastic leaders , they make their own luck.

Barack Obama reflects the people who have elected him . Decisive , responsible and not afraid to take harsh steps ( will stress on this in a later blogs ) . We envy Americans ! But its not because of superior resources or more money or better governance that they win the war . Its really down to the small things . As an example , there no police force , no coast guard is undermanned because citizens , common people like you and me , volunteer to fill the posts when there is a shortage .
It doesn't pay much , its not glamourous and it doesn't require much training to patrol a coast guard boat either . So they step up and take charge !

Because there patriotism is cool . " Serve and protect " .... using this tag line the US police force and FBI has attracted the best of talent for decades .
To be a marine , to work in the police , to serve and protect is a very coveted thing there . Its very cool . Little kids , when asked what they want to be when they grow up say " I want to be a fireman ! Its very heroic " .
Yeah , and look at us . Our firemen are grossly understaffed too . Our idea of heroism is to sit behind a desk and give analysis of everything . Armchair experts . We are sooo good at finding fault in others works , finding lapses in the system
Here young men and women want to protect and serve ..... another country .

Being a cop is cool there and considered a very respectable job . Here it's all about money , forget about pride and patriotism . Not that raking in moolah is wrong , but shudn't give something back to the society too ? However small that contribution may be , it still counts.

The armed forces and firemen and martyred cops don't want your thanks any more than they require the crocodile tears of the politicians . They have done what they did for honor , for the nation and because they have a deep underlying sense of duty .... that's why they joined this very profession anyway ( we look down upon their jobs so much , we say callously they joined because they can't do anything else , we're the worthy ones since we have the plum jobs).
It s not because of that . Its because they care , about people other than themselves . They don't judge respectability by their car or pin code , but by their service . they don't want your thanks , they don't want to be applauded publicly because they DON'T WORK FOR CREDIT . If they did they would have joined a mnc .
All they want is support when they ask for help from the people and from the government , they wan you to help them help you by following rules and they need our support when they are being castigated by scum for doing their duty ( why din't anyone raise our voice when Karkare was called a " anti national " by mr. modi for his malegaon investigations )

" sir , sirf sabashi se to peth nahi bharta " .
Jawans have said this time and again , but this time lets pay attention . We have no right to salute them if we do precious little otherwise .

So lets not waste money on sms , lets do something that will count . Lets put our money where our mouth is . All those things you say you want to improve , don't depend on the government , take matter into your own hand . Lets start this fund , lets also form a group of volunteers to fight the shortage of people .Lets encourage people, young and old to join the civil services and take up government jobs . Why demand from others when we can do these things ourselves ( however small ) .
Or do you still want to say :
"Its not my job "
"Its too undignified for me to serve ".

A small step in the right direction will make India as self sufficient and capable as any western country . Then , in a country full of Barack Obamas , finding one to be the prime minister won't be that difficult . Then it'll be the turn of others to envy us .

ps . 30 Jan was martyrs day , when Gandhiji was assassinated . He envisioned India as a self sufficient country , Indian people proud of their heritage . This post is dedicated to him .

My take

2010-01-23T19:24:00.003+05:30

"Every time I try to leave , they pull me right back in ” .

Yeah , just can’ t get away from writing . However hard I try to leave , it doesn’t leave me . Its way of expressing myself , and this blog is just that … an expression of thoughts and my creativity without any inhibitions . Without really thinking . There is no place for diplomacy .

I'm back blogging after March 2009 , well thats when I joined my job . Now I'm ready to roll again . ps. my take will get its webite soon , with forums , joint blogging and polls . Should be online soon .

Pretty satisfying to be back . I can only quote George Castanza

I am out there Jerry , and I am loving it !

Crouching Tiger , Hidden Dragon

2010-01-23T19:11:00.007+05:30

Like 2009 , I begin 2010 with a tale on celebrities . Or one celebrity , in this case . The celeb who for all practical purposes , doesn't act like a celeb .

He was never in the news , never caught drunk or rowdy , and describes himself and his wife as a 'boring couple ' . Until his brand new SUV and his brand image all came crashing down . Tiger Woods . The first sporting billionaire . I don't much about golf , but people who do subscribe to the fact that he was a golfing genius . He had a squeaky clean image , and was the brand ambassador of several companies . Tag Heur , Accenture , Gillete to name his endorsements . His popularity was terrific and he was a role model to many . Then came the scandal and the Tiger was meowing . Tiger had more than 14 mistresses in his career , and cheated on his wife Eleen on his worldwide travels . Basketball players do it , footballers do it , rugby players do it , why should golfers be left behind . So what if it shouldn't be a 'contact sport ' , Golf is where the birdies are .

The incredible temerity by which Tiger carried out his flings , hiding it from the media , and maintaining his squeaky clean image is magical .

The golfer , after all is human . His persona made by brand managers . There was a notion that people at the top of their sport are as humble and clean as they are talented . They serve as role models and the reporters make them supermen .

Take a look at the facts :

1. Kobe Bryant has to face a court case for adultery and pleaded guilty .
2. Marion Jones , the ever smiling role model for athletes and multiple gold medal winner pleaded guilty to doping charges .
3. Michael Schumacer accused of deliberately crashing his car into rivals to win races .
4. Andre Agassi confessed to drug-taking in his career .
5.Maradona's took drugs and scored his most famous goal with his hand .
6.Shane Warne failed drugs tests , was involved in numerous extra-marital affairs and was involved in match fixing .
7.Mike Tyson bit off his opponents ears to win his match .

This just proves , sporting heroes are just that ... sporting heroes . They are not supermen .

They don't live perfect lives and always do the right thing . The advertisements don't give the true picture .
They are good at their sports , much better than others . But all of them have countless failures which are never televised . They fail driving tests , exams and relationships .

I guess " just another day for a tiger " isn't what it used to be .

Locking up the sun

2009-03-24T14:54:00.005+05:30

They're locking up the sun, the light of reason gone,
'N hope has been successfully undone
The question's burning on, where is it coming from,
No One seems to know the monster born

It's a bad trip on a sinking ship, when no one seems responsible
Scapegoat to rock the boat, yeah, we need someone expendable
Volunteers to face the fears, can we be sensible
Find a way to break the fall, find out the cure for all

Is there a hero somewhere, someone who appears and saves the day
Someone who holds out a hand and turns back time
Is there a hero somewhere, someone who will never walk away
Who doesn't turn a blind eye to a crime

They're locking up the sun, they have their chosen one
You know this time they'll make him play along
They're taking to the arms, the fathers and the sons
There's nowhere left to run and hide

Is there a hero somewhere, someone who appears and saves the day
Someone who holds out a hand and turns back time
Is there a hero somewhere, someone who will never walk away
Who doesn't turn a blind eye to a crime
And in the emptiness, there's a solution
Just look within yourself for absolution

- Poets of the Fall

It has happened before , it has happened again now . You would think that they would learn and not make the same mistakes .

Yet the recession is upon us and to the common man , the evidence is there that there were enough signs , yet the powers that be did nothing to stop it . They have been guilty of ignoring the truth , ignoring wisdom in their greed .

Economists have pointed out that the financial system were well aware of a bubble building up in the property sector , the financial rating bodies did nothing , the regulatory bodies did nothing , the federal bank did nothing . The prices were allowed to rise without any justification or any backing , loans were doled out to those with weak or dubious financial backing and the ocean of credit began to grow . Americans were living it up on borrowed money .

The whole asset jugernaut was a mirage since all the property and assets were on borrowed money .The banks were getting rich based on securities and mortages which were never going to be repaid . The houses they held as security would not sell for sixpence . Yet they kept inflating the prices and kept getting their commisions ... because it suited them too . They were after all getting rich on the fat commissions .

The regulations were there , the rules were in place . Just that the regulators were asleep . The financial advisers realized that the whole financial system , getting big and flying high was just a mansion built on a foundation of quicksand . They however let the bubble grow ... as it would be preferable to let it grow and artificially boost the economy and then clean up the mess when it burst . And burst it did .... the whle house fell like a pack of cards , the mansion sunk into the quicksand , taking the Asian markets along with it . Jobs dissipated , the loaners defaulted and the bank were unable to repay their customers .

The whole notion of a bank as a place which keeps your money safe and can repay it on demand was shaken . The reckless investments were after all with the common man's money . The honest taxpayer lost all his savings . All this had a ripple effect , and even as Freddie Mac and Leamen Brothers and Bank of America were reduced to rubble , the aftershocks were felt in places as far away as Shanghai and Bangalore .

What is the point of reiterating this sad history , which all of you must know by now . Its this , that we didn't learn the lessons of the past . Or chose to ignore them . What faith will people have in the banking system if they cant give what is its minimum requirement ... security for peoples hard earned money, their pensions their retirement funds ? What is the use of regulations if the regulators are asleep ? What is the benefit of education if there are no jobs ?

Why must honest , hard working people suffer because of the greed of a few ?

It all comes down to greed . The head honchos , the financial whiz kids , the ones sitting in plush Wall Street offices didn't lose a dime . They just made a profit . They always profit that is the beauty of capitalism . The rich always get richer , no matter what . They weren't playing with their own money after all , but with the people's .

We have been locking up the sun for a long time . This excellent song by Poets of the Fall has the metaphor of the sun being a symbol of knowledge and courage , and by ' locking it up ' we are resorting willfully to cowardice . We are putting the world in darkness . Its a simple case of truth against lies and we are locking up the truth the heroic and the righteous .

We are resorting to petty excuses and trying to find scapegoats for putting all the blame . We pretend that by change of regime in US we will have a solution to all our problems , but no leaders a miracle worker . " Locking up the sun .... they have their chosen one ... you know this time they'll make him play along . " We see in our offices , our colleges , where lies and politics rule . The truth is shut out by the majority , as the majority alwasy wins , no matter the merit of their argument . The voice of truth is drowned in the loud roar of lies

Whoever wins the most votes wins . Whoever who is the most popular makes decisions . But life isn't a popularity contest . But its is said if you whisper the truth no one will hear you , but if you shout out a lie , everyone pays attention . Why do people give so much credence to those who are popular , those who can speak eloquently, those who carry themselves well . Or those with many friends/hanger-ons ? Doesnt the merit of the argument count ? Why isnt the merit of an speech or article judged ? If someone is suported by a large crowd does it mean he/she is right . Democracy is a flawed concept .... the majority can decide what is right or wrong , but it doesnt change right to wrong .

The recession is spinning out of control , inflation is rising . But the most terrible is that the common man is becoming more insensitive and selfish by the day .

It's a bad trip on a sinking ship, when no one seems responsible
Scapegoat to rock the boat, yeah, we need someone expendable
Volunteers to face the fears, can we be sensible
Find a way to break the fall, find out the cure for all

We certainly need a hero . Not just volunteers who take the blame and expendable scapegoats . The financers of te bank are going to be taxed 90% in order to restore the economy and punish the guilty according to a newspaper report . But the Ceos have got a pay rise and the top management of a huge multinational investemnt bank have recently furnised their offices with plush interiors . Thats the sad point about capitalism ... you can never hold anyone responsible and you cannot make them give back their ill gotten gains .

We need to look beyond narrow interests . If the education system is not set right , if the financial system does not become as reliable and more importantly honest , if jobs are not available soon then we are headed for bleak times . We need a hero to turn the tide .

Breaking Bonds

2009-03-04T02:07:00.017+05:30

In our lives , times come when we have to move on .

Leave things behind . Accept change and loneliness . Accept separation .

Times come when we have to leave behind the things we have been holding on to the closest . People , places and groups that helped us find ourselves , and had become part of our identity . Activities we enjoyed so much it defined who we are , and helped enrich our lives . Yet now we have to give them up and move away .

Breaking bonds is hard . No one can teach us how to do it . Or say anything that makes us feel better . Because when people leave especially , they leave behind a big space in their lives .The place in our hearts and minds which they used to occupy is now empty . Desolate . Forlorn .

Soon, new people will come in and take their places . make us laugh , joke and talk and add new experiences . But can people who once held an important position in our lives ever be replaced . Are they truly gone ? It is my observation that friends are never replaced , nor forgotten . Not just friends , but acquaintances whom we once knew , shared things in common with and learnt from leave behind an imprint on us . They give us something to take away . Every person we meet contributes something to who we are .

My understanding is that who we are , is defined by the people we know . Though everyone has individual traits and personalities , all our personalities are shaped by friends , enemies and neutrals . They add a layer on top of our individuality ,and make us who we are , our convictions , our character and talents .

It is hard breaking a bond . As hard as making one , but when a level of emotional attachment is reached , it becomes especially hard to ' move on ' . The two people involved both trust each other and respect each other , and even make sacrifices for each other .

But not all relationships come under the purview of friendship . Neither can we give all bonds a name . Strange , unspoken yet beautiful bonds exist between people which are hard for others to understand . Sometimes ,they themselves cannot define what they have, nor can they give a name to the relationship . Often , love takes the form of an unexpected string tying two people together very much unlike each other.

Sometimes some relationships have an expiry date . Not in a negative sense , but in a beautiful sense . They are meant to end at some time , which makes it all the more beautiful . It is the parting which defines the relationship ..... the parting which gives it meaning and essence . We appreciate things only when they are gone , we understand the value of someone only when we are separated from them .

Indeed it is a travesty of life ..... we are able to gave name to many relationships , and value them only years after they have ended . The impact a person has on our lives is felt many years later . That does not necessarily mean we have to seek him / her out and try to rediscover that spark or thank them . Like a good story is given shape by an ending ,life's joys are given meaning by how they unfold . Sometimes ,people give us their greatest gifts in parting and often the sacrifice of letting people go adds greater value to the friendship

Holding onto people in our lives does nobody a favour .... letting go adds more meaning and value to an already good relationship . And quite often separation can do wonders for close friends or for love . It is said ' absence makes the heart grow fonder ' . And quite often the biggest gift you can give someone is to not be selfish ... if someone has to go faraway to pursue a dream job or try something new or maybe just be by themselves , be it brother , spouse or best friend .... we can prove our bond to them by breaking it unselfishly . By putting their interests in front of ours

What happens often is that we hold some person dear to us , but they themselves do not share the same esteem . We may have only a limited position in their lives .. they may not appreciate us fully , and the scope of friendship may be much lesser than what we want it to be . Neither do they make an effort to reach out to us , or to prevent the two of you from falling apart . The best thing to do , in such a case , is to let go .... for this will only make the bond more special and we will have higher self esteem . We have played an important role in their life , and they may understand its importance later , but now we have given them all we can so lets make way . So they can move ahead . Lets not spoil our contribution by lingering orby expecting in return .
" I dint mean to drag it on / Just don't want to let you go / don't
want you to face this world alone ... "

Finally , those whom we hold close to us are never really gone. The relationship lives on , and better have a happy memory a relationship which was good and mutually satisfying and ended amicably rather than a relationship which was good but became sour because it dragged on . Knowing when to leave is also an art . I am of that opinion that , we have friends in our life who respect us and are close to us ; others whom we may like but for them we have only a limited utility . Which ends when a certain activity , or phase ends and they are not interested in carrying it forward . So it is like a stage play where they have given you a role to play in their lives .... so play it as well as you can . And then leave gracefully . It is their mistake and loss , yours too , but you must take it in your stride .

But for those who have to part due to circumstance , I say , nothing really is lost .
---->Their words still impact us and make us do things as they would have wanted it to be done
----> we try to live upto their expectations in our endeavours
----> when we are down , they seem to be offering encouragement and support .
They really haven't gone .

" Even though the distance may now seem to be so far
Deep inside , I know you are ...

Never gone , never far
In my heart is where you are
Always close , every day
Every step along the way "

-Backstreet Boys

Marketing Fundas

2009-03-01T21:58:00.003+05:30

A Professor at one of the IIM's was explaining marketing concepts to the Students:

1. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: "I am very rich. Marry me!"
- That's Direct Marketing

2. You're at a party with a bunch of friends and see a gorgeous girl. One of your friends goes up to her and pointing at you says: "He's very rich. Marry him."
- That's Advertising

3. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and get her telephone number. The next day, you call and say: "Hi, I'm very rich. Marry me.
- That's Telemarketing

4. You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. You get up and straighten your tie, you walk up to her and pour her a drink, you open the door (of the car) for her, pick up her bag after she drops it, offer her ride and then say:
" By the way, I'm rich. Will you marry me?"
- That's Public Relations

5. You're at a party and see a gorgeous girl. She walks up to you and
says: You are very rich! Can you marry ! me?"
- That's Brand Recognition

6. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say:
I am very rich. Marry me!" She gives you a nice hard slap on your face
- That's Customer Feedback

7. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say:
"I am very rich. Marry me!" And she introduces you to her husband. - That's demand and supply gap

8. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and before you say anything, another person come and tell her: "I'm rich.. Will you marry me?" and she goes with him
- That's competition eating into your market share

9. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and before you say: "I'm rich, Marry me!" your wife arrives.
- That's restriction for entering new markets

Bollywood's best

2009-02-26T22:03:00.008+05:30

As promised in my earlier post , I have come up with a list of my favourite Bollywood films in recent years . There have been many potboilers and many money spinners , but this list contains the films which I think should have been sent to the Oscars as foreign language film . Style without substance doesn't please the Academy , so I think most filmakers should revise their works rather than complaining that judges are biased . Its more a case of grapes are sour , since our films leave a lot to be desired for the discerning film watcher . The films sent to the Oscars after Lagaan as our official entry have been Paheli (!) , Eklavya (!!) , Devdas (!!!) and Shwaas .

Did they really expect to get nominated with them ? The only film good enough in that list was Rang De Basanti , which had an excellent premise , was simple , well directed and had good performances and music , but lost track in the middle . where it lost out was the editing , which led to the film dragging on the middle with the flashback scenes of Bhagat Singh . It came to life again with the death of the character played by Madhavan , and was good from there on . Good first and last one thirds , very enjoyable , but needed more finishing touches ; the whole Bhagat Singh metaphor could have been left out . The message of an enraged and dissillusioned youth taking on the sytem is pure and simple . And we can relate to it , the people uprising against the goverment , shaken out of their slumber by the death of a close friend due to the callousness of the government . The youth who live to enjoy life ( Kunal Kapoor , Amir Khan , Sharman Joshi , Soha Ali Khan et al ) are shaken out of their reverie and decide to take up cudges against corruption . The message is that if people are shaken up , the masses can influence the country . Something similar to what we saw during the recent cande light vigil at the Taj and the human chains , a angry democracy demanding answers .

So I have taken the liberty of compiling a list of films from India that I admire personally and would have had a good chance of being nominated atleast . This , needless to say , is also a list of " Modern Bollywood films you must watch " . The list is subjective , please comment and feel free to disagree . It is in order of their quality .

1. Dor
Nagesh Kukunoor's tale of a wife trying to desperately save her husbands life . After an Indian worker is wrongly convicted of a co-wrokers death in the Gulf and sentenced to death , it is upto his wife ( Gul Panag ) to save him . The only way she knows is to escape from her strict Rajasthani home and try to find the wife of the murdered worker and try to convince her to pardon her husband . A touching tale set in the desert follows which leads her to find the other wife ( Ayesha Takia ) . strong performances , dignified and undersated from both the female leads and a wonderful story .

2. Lakshya
Farhan Akhtar's second film and his best one till date , the story of a young man who has no goal in life other than trivial pirusits , and how he finds his lakshya ( goal ) . From the laid back townships of Delhi to the icy glaciers of Siachen , a carefree young man( Hrithik Roshan ) seems to find pride in his work and rediscovers love ( Preity Zinta ) , at 10,000 feet . Patriotism set against a brilliant mountain background and clear blue skies , this is one of the best films ever .

3 . Rang De Basanti
I have already talked about this film . With an ensemble cast , Rakesh Mehra pits the the youth against the ennui of the political sytem ; it urges the present generation to find patriotism and act against corrupt politicians .

4. Ab Tak Chappan
Quite different from the others in this list , this has to be one of the most chilling films in India . Superbly crafted and goes at a frenetic pace , it traces the journey of a police sharpshooter ( Nana Patekar ) as he deals with the pressure of curbing the underworld . He is brilliant as Sadhu Yadav , the encounter specalist who advocated keeping morals aside in order to fight crime ; eliminate gangsters rather than letting them get away . His apprentice does not understand him , but slowly begins to see Sadhu's dedication and the fact that this is a war , and survival the key .

5. Chak De India
One of the most isnpirational fims I have seen . Unpretentious , it tells the story of a disgraced hockey coach (Kabir Khan ) trying to bring glory to his country . For that he must goad a team of talented but unmotivated girls to reach higher goals. He sets about his mission of binding this disjoint bunch into a cohesive team ,and learn sporting spirit . His aim ... winning the hockey world Cup . He has to fight the beaurocratic officials who do not believe in is team as well as teach his players the virtues of being unselfish .

6. Dil Chahta Hain
The urban classic of three friends ( Saif , Akshaye Khanna , Amir Khan ) forming an inseperable bond after a trip to Goa .

7. Ahista Ahista
A highly underated film , it is an honest and touching account of a chance meeting between strangers ( Abhay Deol and Soha Ali ) and their fates being mixed . Simple romantic tale which sees Abhay reprising another wonderful , off beat role .

8. Tare Zameen Par
Amir directs and acts and helps an autisic boy discover his own niche in an insesitive world .

9. Swades
A brilliant film of idealism . A NRI returns to his country , answering her call (pukar ) and rediscovers what he had left behind .

10 . Rock On !
A band deals with ego clashes and failures . Several years after breaking up they come across each other and their common passion for music is reignited . Prachi Desai is the perfect catalyst , bringing her husband ( Farhan Akhtar ) together with his old bandmates . Great acting and crips editing . Very similar to Lords of Dogtown .

11. Gandhi My Father
Excellent film portraying Gandhiji's tumultous relationship with his son Harilal , played by Akshaye Khanna .

12 . Iqbal
A drunken ex-cricketer ( Naseerudin Shah ) helps a deaf and dumb boy ( Shreyas Talpade ) acomplish his dreams agaisnt all odds , going against his fathers wishes and becoming a criketer .

13 . Yuva
Vivek Oberoi , Ajay Devgan , Abhishek Bachhan . This film can be watched many times yet you will never tire of it .

14 . Amir
Shot with hand held cameras and with just one main protagonist ( Rajeev Khandelwal ) , the direction and suspensful storyline helps this low budget film make the list .

15 . Apharan
One of the most wonderful films I have seen , it shows the moral issues bearing down on a young man looking for a job ( Ajay Devgan ) who takes to crime in order to set right the wrongs society has inflicted upon him . Torn between the idealism of his proffesor father and the influential mafia lord ( Nana Patekar ) who takes him under his wing , he slowly spirals into a life of hate and revenge . The film shows the abduction racket in Bihar and features a terrific performance from Nana Patekar as the mafia don Tabrez Alam , a figure as chilling as Sadhu Yadav

I think the list should also include films like Shwaas , which tells of a grandfathers tale to show his grandkid the world before the latter loses his eyes in an operation ( a Marathi film ) . And many others , but I havent seen them . Also worthies to include in the list are Fanaa , A Wednesday and Gaddar . I have also not included comedies , because I feel they should be rated seperately . Your comments are most welcome .

Boulevard of my Broken Dreams

2009-02-20T22:44:00.018+05:30

" Dreams Die Hard " .

All of us had dreams . At some point or another . To do things which we wanted to , as opposed to the things we had to . I have heard the saying " Do the things you like , and like the things you do " . I accept the sense in it , but I feel somewhere my life has gone offtrack .

Because for how long I don't remember I have just been trying to like things I am doing , while the first part of doing things that I like are a distant memory . And yes , unlike most , I have the courage to admit it .

Careers often come to a standstill despite our best efforts , our friends forget us , carefuly planned entreprenual ventures fail .... but that's part of life ! And what we imagined and planned for may be brought crashing down .

All of you must have heard some of these lines at some stage or another , and felt your life toppling like a house of cards .

" No , I can't "
" I'm sorry you dint make it "
" Better luck next time "
" I know you worked really hard for this but ... "

Often things happen for a reason . We receive much more than we expected , and sometimes less so its all part of life. And what we think of as a compromise is in fact a better choice . And we are left feeling truly pleased that thing worked out for the best . Thousands in this country hope to be a cricketer . When I was pursuing my twelfth standard , I used to have to travel at 6 : 30 in the morning for coaching in the vacations . Like thousands others who undertook similar or even longer trips ..... because what we had in common was a dream ... to be an engineer . In order for this dream to be reality , to be able to get a good college , me and multitudes like me undertook this voyage early morning .

Yet when I look back now , I feel that the dream was never going to be achieved by everyone , and by some only to a certain extent . Some would get the best , some good , others not so good . Yet the relentless pursuit of success continued . But my point is this : while passing Dadar ( in central Mumbai ) every morning around 7 I would spot Shivaji Maidan , where hundreds of young cricketers would be getting ready or already starting their practice . Small kids , all in smart cricket gear and whites , would trudge along the maidan even as the sun slowly made its way upwards on the horizon , casting a golden glow on the majestic Shivaji Maidan . Some kids would carry bats as big as they were , their own height being so small but they ran , fielded and bowled as if their life depended on it . In fact even as Shivaji Maidan neared , I would see throngs of young hopefuls , walking on the streets towards the park in full apparel .

It is indeed a travesty of life ... I and those cricketers both had a dream .I could see it in their eyes , as sleepy as mine at early morning . I could see it in their gait as they walked with exuberance and hope , knocking stumps into the pitch and putting up nets . Even as the sun was barely visible on the horizon . But soon the greyish blue tinge of dawn was replaced by a golden aura . And Shivaji Maidan , and I'm sure Oval Maidan , Azad Maidan Wankhede stadium , Brabourne stadium would have similar scenes , a sea of white , the sound of bat hitting ball , the shouts of the players all in the magnificent May morning .They too had a dream had a difficult as mine .... to wear the ocean blue jersey of India one day and walk out at an international stadium .

Or why would a kids aged 7-12 or teenagers be up so early with such incredible zest and determination .The dreams of my lot was quite different from that group but the metaphor was striking ( I unlike the cricketers did not see the morning for a month ) . Both the groups were making journeys and the similarity was superb ... same determination and same hope . Just 15 men pull on the India jersey every year , and just one or two new players make their debut . Yet the joy and financial satisfaction when you walk out in front of a packed stadium at theMCG , Indians cheering your name , tricolours waving help me understand why those kids did it . And still do today I'm sure . But I still think of them , even though this was quite a few years back . How many of them have made the first class level by now , I wonder . How many have given up ? Will any one of them be handed the India cap by Dhoni , or will I know their name in the near future .

I have finished my engineering , but my toil and the cricketer's toil continues . The dream lives on . But dreams are cut short very soon , my mature self says . Just one delivery is all it takes to get a batsman out . A bad bounce , a great catch , a vicious delivery is all it takes . A slightly mistimed shot or a nervous bowling spell at a selection trail leads to immediate dropping . And them wait till next years trials . From U-17 to U-19 to club cricket to Ranji Trophy .

Just maybe the selectors will pick you for an ODI . The you can only hope that you take any chance that come s your way . Yet the dream is so strong , people persist . I faced similar situations throughout my career : bad bounce , unlucky to be the one to get the unplayable ball , journalist writing you off , all have parallels in academics .

One mistake in an exam paper may mean the end of your dream . A wrong correction on part of your board , as common as wrong umpiring decisions will relegate you to a lower college . It doesn't have to be much , a few 4-5 marks should suffice to destroy all your preparation . You might have got an edge , but the umpire gives you lbw .Thats it for that year .

Both me and the cricketer continue dreaming and trying .Because we have to . I am disillusioned to an extent ... I feel for those young boys too ... Thousands of net sessions bought to nought by one raised finger . I take a philosophical view of it now , as I'm sure those nameless batsmen must be doing . Dreams are meant to be broken .For new dreams to be formed . And sometimes the 'dream 'isn't so great at all , the journey was what made it satisfying . And I accept that not everyone can make it big . Not everyone can be Dhoni . Not everyone can do the things they wanted to when they were younger , not evryone is lucky in love . Others have to live with heartbreak .

I walk this empty street
On the boulevard of broken dreams
Where the city sleeps
And I'm the only one , I walk alone ...
- Green Day

We build our lives on top of our broken dreams . And be more successful and happier in the process .

Oscar buzz

2009-02-19T16:36:00.014+05:30

Recently , there was this hue and cry over why Tare Zameen Par did not get an Oscar nomination . We hear the same hue and cry every year when Oscar season starts . The complaints from the Indian film industry grew louder after Lagaan got nominated and Bollywood though they were now on the global stage .

Lagaan was a film that the international audiences understood and identified with . It went well with the image of India being a post colonial country striving to find its feet . The famous Goliath versus David tussle where the underdog nation overthrows their mighty imperial rulers . Using an innovative strategy of a cricket game . The metaphor is cool , because in the real freedom struggle too , we got rid of the Brits with unconventional strategies - spreading news of planned revolts through poems , militants disguised as fakirs and then of course the very unique civil disobedience and satyagraha . Of course , the world loves underdogs .

The weak who take up the challenge of their subjugators . The villagers of Ramgarh became the slumdogs of Mumbai eight years on , but the formula remains the same . Reckless risks taken by a villager who takes an impossible bet to beat the British at the game that they invented , and by a ' call- centre assistant ' lad who dares to win a million mean for the more educated . Bollywood bigwigs have said that the film has to be about poor India , not India shining to win an Oscar , but they couldn't be more wrong . These two films are more about the weak standing up to the big bully , using innovative techniques rather than poor vs rich .

The fact is that people appreciate rags to riches stories and tales of bravery . In recent times , there have been hardly an Hollywood worthy - movies made in India . With the Oscars coming up , there is a lot of buzz as to who the winner will be . I haven't seen any of the nominated films save Slumdog Millionaire , but am eagerly waiting for the release of films like Milk, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button , Doubt , Frost / Nixon , Revolutionary Road and The Reader . Our filmmakers should look to them for inspiration as also recent previous nominees and winners .

Year Winner
1999 American Beauty
2000 Gladiator
2001 A Beautiful Mind
2002 Chicago
2003 The Return of the King
2004 Million Dollar Baby
2005 Crash
2006 The Departed
2007 No Country for Old Men

Most of us are familiar with the earlier winners . Yet I think the best ones on the list arethe most recent ones . ' The Departed ' a stunning mafia vs the law movie , which is a remake of ' Infernal Affairs ' . Brilliant direction , it features two spies : a cop gone undercover as a mafia-man ( DiCaprio ) and a mafia man inside the cops as a detective ( Damon ) . Martin Scorsese's direction ,wonderful dialogue and suspense , added with Alec Baldwin , Jack Nicholson , Mark Wahlberg et al makes it a must watch .

Recently had a chance to see last years winner ' No Country for Old Men ' directed by the Cohen Brothers . A crime drama set in the deserts near the USA - Mexico border it tells of a drug deal gone wrong, and a ranger( Josh Brolin ) finding million dollars of cash in a suitcase on the scene . He takes it and runs ,only to find himself hunted by a psychotic killer . Spanish actor Javier Bardem plays the killer and bounty hunter in one of the most chilling roles ever . The film is a must watch because of the direction and well paced , superbly shot movie . The only drawback is that there seems to be no clear moral of the story . It is based on the book by McCormack by the sae name , and it has no stars . The movie has its fair share of critics too , but not me .

Bardem plays one of the most haunting villains ever , for which he won best supporting actor award . Quite similar to Heath Ledger's villainous turn in The Dark Knight which may well win him the same award this time around . Brolin is also in with a shot for best supporting actor for Milk . Funny how the same set of actors are featured in Oscar nominated films . Prime example is DiCaprio ( Titanic , Departed , Revolutionary Road) . I will be coming up with a list of my favourite Bollywood movies in terms of real cinematic quality soon .

V-day special

2009-02-16T02:05:00.009+05:30

Love in the age of the IPod .... romance in the times of the Blackberry .

Kind of different from the good old days ( I don't mean the sixties or seventies , I don't know anything about them ! ) . I mean the good ol ' ninties , the age of Archies cards and moral policing .

Now with technology taking over , people make cyber - connections online . Much more convenient and hassle free . Easy to make , easy to break . Just a matter of changing a status message nowadays . Subtle glances and confused smiles gave way to sms , pokes and smileys . Suddenly , you've got mail was more than just a movie ... the line was of more significance to a lot more pople than just Meg Ryan . Cyber relation ships became the in - thing , safer in a way , and the participants could easily remain in their safety zone as per their convenience .

The anonymity given by the internet was liberating , the impersonal nature empowering . Online , you could be anyone . You could have a cool name like Megha Ryan or Raks ( for Rakesh ) . Social introverts found their comfort zone . It was easy to decide what to share or what not , and easy to get out of no-hope situations . Earlier , finding a way to end a boring cofee date early needed some ingenuity . Now all it needs is a click . Behind our screens , seperated by cyberspace , we have more time and liesure to decide . Comitment is no issue really , because for one , the definition of friend has widened . Most 'friend ' lists contain people from casual aquaintances , your boss , your doctor's dispenser and even outright enemies .

Secondly , commitment doesnt mean a thing because people take things in their stride much more easily nowadays . So its really a case of trial and error , before we meet the right person . With the help of our gadgets . And if there is error , just delete ! John Mayer broke up with Jennifer Aniston with a sms ( this was a month ago , now they are back together again ) . So the process is really fast and convenient nowadays .

Then the irritating tendancy of people to post every minute development of their life on their status updates , is annoying sometimes and sometimes amusing .
" Got a card , dont like the colour " . ( why don't u call a press conference )
" Someone help me make a poem for my gf !" ( kaam dhanda nahi hain naa apneko )
"I have two dates on v-day ... hehe haha " ( Man , you should get the Nobel Prize you are so great ) ,
" Got hitched finally " ( Good for u , now atleast u wont post more updates )
" Got dumped " ( Aaargh ! )

Whew ... love suddenly has found a fertile ground to blossom in the internet and facebook . I am not saying that it is not a much faster and simpler process . Its like the show " Meet or Delete " . A few clicks of a button is all it takes to lay out the life of a prospective partner in front of you : biodata , photos , job , ex-crushes , likes - dislikes can be perused . Then moving onto the next profile again takes a few clicks . Also , geographical distance does not matter in this age , since London is just next door now ( depending on the speed of your net connection lol ) . You can take your pick from the entire globe now , so no need to restrict urself to your college campus , or suburban hangout spot . It has helped to maintain long distant relationships too , thanks to Skype , and now career and relationships can both prosper at the same time .

Sample this . ( I read this in the newspaper ) This Valentines Day there were some funny sms doing the round . " To all my couple friends , happy Valentines Day . To all my single friends , happy Independence Day ! " A guy sent a blank sms to his software engineer fiance . Then he sent her another sms saying " You fill up this blank space in my life . You auto -complete me " . The height of techno-bable era !

And the era of long winding , deep meaning poems is long gone . 'ILike you ' should be a new feature for the Ipod .And if you'r not on talking terms with your partner after a fight maybe , you can log onto Gsulk .

Truly funny . Also a public interest announcement , sponsored by no one in particular . Please go easy on the status updates and photo - shoots demonstrating your undying love . Its all nice and touching and we are genuinely interested in your lives upto a point , but after that it becomes a bit in-your-face types . I have no problems being single ( I can take a lie detector test to prove that ) , but I dont like it when people show off anything for that matter . Also all the people wanting to 'add me ' on so many sites , please come to terms with the fact they dont pay you for every friend you add , or every person you cyber stalk .

Everyone is technology savy nowadays , and its so hard to catch up . If your feeling left out after all this techie gizmo speak and you belong to the Windows 98(!) era then don't fret . If you feel you're gettin left behind in the quest for love because you can't come to grips with the pokes and scraps and adds , then just delete your sorrows because Ihave a message for you : " Bttr l8 thn nvr , u cn lrn frm wikipedia about all d terms . So bye b4 u get a chance 2 frk out , tho I rckn ull be 5n " .

And if it doesnt work out and you still dont get the intricacies , just change your profile status to " Its complicated " .

Of non state actors and global visas

2009-01-28T16:37:00.008+05:30

So what are non - state actors ?
Will someone please enlighten me.
Are they people who aren't citizens of any country ?

This is a fascinating concept which I always wanted to happen. Where it is possible for a person to be not part of any county , but a global citizen . Like that term . I always wanted to be a global citizen.Not a national of India , UK or France , but with a passport saying " XYZ , Occupation:engineer , Citizen : Earth " . That would be cool right .To call yourself the citizen of Earth and be able to travel anywhere in the world with just one passport .... . The travel junkies amongst you all are already getting excited I see.

But my proposal has many merits and is not just with the aim of boosting tourism . It is to stop countries from blaming one another for mishaps , fake currency , smuggling of contraband and terrorism.Also it would stop Pakistan from saying , " we wont hand over suspected terrorists to you because they are our citizens , so only we have a right over them " .Pakistan has always been in a state of denial and self - delusion . It has deluded itself that it is poor because of India , though the fact is that they spend so much money to fight India there is nothing left for itself . If stopped buying expensive weapons of Mass destruction and sponsoring terrorism , just to harm India , they would have lots of money left .
It also fools itself , and tries to fool others that India is a regional hegemon ( hegemon is a country in a region more powerful than others , which is aggressive and has imperialistic tendencies and wants to subjugate its neighbours ) . Its paranoia is unfounded for India has never been the aggressor , nor is it aggressive by nature ( we are too buy fighting ourselves )
But their lies have gone to such an extent that they have become ludicrous . Denying that the arrested militant Kasab is from Pakistan and they know nothing of him is hilarious . They might have well denied that he is a militant at all , that he had no hand in 26/11 , it was all the work of 'Indian agents ' . Going to the extent of calling him a 'non -state actor ' ,shocking the world with their bravado .

Lol . It would have been funny had it not been tragic. It would have been easier to admit the fact that yes , all the militants are from Pakistan their training was on their soil , and admit that yes , large parts of Pakistan are out of the governments control .But that would mean losing face and admitting that India were right . They would rather cut off their own nose to spite India's face .

Recently , the Pakistani stand up comedians of the Indian Comedy Circus were sent back to Pakistan . my take is , send them back , but send over Gillani and Zardari instead to fill in.They certainly have a unique brand of humour . Non state actors indeed !

The only actors I see are the Pakistan high command , who have done a wonderful piece of acting ever since 26/11 . Such brilliant acting , that it deserves an award ! Their dialogue delivery has been crisp and memorable (" we offer full cooperation ") , their emotions heartfelt (" we must set up a joint intelligence machinery " ) and wonderfully convincing (" Pakistan too are the victims of terrorism " ) It would have been believable hadn't we known better .

Pranab Mukherjee retorted to their bluff by saying " who are these non state actors ? Where are they coming from . Do they come from the moon ? Or from some other planet .... "

Interesting of how entire training camps and other such subversive activity centres can be carried out by the 'actors ' loaning the land from a legitimate state and taking control. A large region in Pakistan is now under control of fugitives/ISI/army ( all in cahoots u see )so that large portion is free for all wannabe militants where you can teach & preach . And the best location if anyone wants to learn how to carry out anti India , anti -West activities .
So you see the non - state part of it , since it does not belong to a legitimate country , no rules apply to it . As for the acting we have seen such a wonderful acting class put up by them , it has been Golden Globe worthy . Best piece of political dramatisation since William Jefferson Clinton's famous denials .

So , to return to my original suggestion , let us have one global passport . So no country can shield fugitives and underworld dons . and any country would have the permssion to go into another and investigate crimes which affect it . Since the accused belong to every country , it is answerable to the laws of every country . No diplomatic immunity for anyone ! US does that anyway , when US citizens are affected the FBI just goes into any country they please , investigate , make arrests andd come back . See the case where they whisked away the fisherwoman from Mumbai in the investigations for 26/11 to US and got her back safe and sound . Immigration laws dont apply to them !

We are the ones whose hands are tied as Pakistan make merry over their international borders . Its a case of mera citizen , tera citizen . They want Malegaon blast accused to be handed over to them , though it has nothing to do with them .

But with a global visa , there will be no need for extradition and diplomatic redtape . It will be like George W. Bush said " we will smoke them out of their holes " . Then the arm of the law will become really long .

Slumdog Millionaire

2009-01-23T20:40:00.004+05:30

Recently watched the Golden Globe nominated " Slumdog Millionaire". I was totally left in awe by the beauty and simplicity of the movie . Its potrayal of poverty and the hard life in liberalised India was touching , yet not negative . It never seems to be a story of suffering , but about love and optism . The two young kids , Salim and Jamal find hope and fun in their hopeless and hard life . All througout their struggles ,they frolick and joke around , finding joy in the small things.

The beauty lies in the bravery of two young children facing the harsh realities of life on the streets . Very Shantaram-like , it also draws inspiration from Satyajit Ray movies which told very great tales set against the backdrop of poverty . the important point to note is that poverty itself is not the focus of Sayajit Ray , but it is merely an element of the story . Human virtues are the essence in them .

Similarly , for the two street urchins ,the quest for a better life is their main goal , and the movie never tries to draw attention to poverty , slums , exploitation of street children nor does it portray India in a negative light , as many Indian film critics have complained . Slums are like the elephant in the drawing room which no one wants to talk about , but only with acceptance of India's majority can we make progress . Also the message of the film is unbridled optism , it is not a documentary on India's slums ,it is a love story of two ordinary people with modest means . People we can relate to . Very unlike Karan Johar type lofty romances set in London , Australia or United States . It is a down to earth , very believable love story in which the two lovers , Javed and Latika and Javed's juvenile elder brother Salim face great obstacles in order to unite and have a settled life .

Javed does not serenade Latika in front of the pyramids , like Akshay Kumar did with Katrina Kaif , nor is Javed the son of a rich industrialist father with untold millions , called as Raj/Rahul/Prem . He has a rather unglamorous name of Javed Mallik , mother killed in riots , and works as a chaiwallah in a call centre .
He has neither money nor prospects , his elder brother is a small time thug . The duo ran away from a orphanage that was actaully a front for a begging gang , leaving Latika behind at the orphanage . But a determined Javed returns to Mumbai desperate to find her . His efforts and turbulent leads him to appear on the quiz show " Who wants to be a millionaire " , as a last ditch attempt to convince Lattika to run away with him .

As I said characters we can relate to . No phoney love stories , the boy meets girl , love at first sight , their entire courtship is in exotic locales near Sydney Harbour and they live happily ever after . Nor are the protagonists loaded with cash , so falling in love is all they have to do in life !
Here the three orphans have to earn a livelihood by hook and mostly by crook . Nor will there be a lavish wedding a la Sooraj Barjayta .
Jamal has a 1000 dollar note , which he gives to a blind urchin who used to beg with him a decade before , because as he says later " I didn't do it for the money " .

So even thoug he wins big on the quiz show , the inspector who arrests him for cheating admits that Jamal doesnt care about money , which makes it more intriguing and implausible he cheated . It seems to be pure luck , or as they say , destiny ....

Our Bollywood bigwigs have gone up in arms , saying that films should focus on developed India not slums because it gives a wrong image of India to the west .
Wrong image ! a huge population , atleast 30 % live in slums and a majority of our children live on the streets with no education , meagre livelihood and no prospects better than being a chaiwallah like Jamal . So isnt it fair that 30 % of the films should be devoted to their lives , to the aam admi , to the middle class . Well not even 1% films talk about them . Slum Dog is the first film in years with unglamorous , down to earth backdrop . That too it is a Holywood film !!

If Bollywood would have its way it would make the West believe that all indians live outside India , In london , Sydney and San Franscisco ! Amitabh Bacchan has spoken out against SLUM DOG in his blog saying that every country in the world has an ugly underbelly . Mr Bachhan ,it's true that all countries have an underbelly and the film itself does not dispute that . nor is it somehow trying to pretend that Inda is the only country afflicted by poverty . So what's wrong in showing it as it is ?

Whats wrong in showing the love story of a chaiwallah ? The story of street urchins trying to make it big ? About clearing the perception that all indians are like NRI's shown in Karan Johar movies for whom life is one big holiday ! The real India is in our country not with the NRI's .A real depiction without song and dance routines and lavish weddings would be good once in a while . As to the critics , well most of them are Bollywood film buffs who are fed on a staple diet of Karzz , Chandni Chowk to China and Golmaal so real cinema is undisgestibe to their palattes . They were the ones saying Om Shanti Om should be sent to the oscars last year . Well !

So their expert opinions dont count for much . As for Shahrukh Khan who turned down a role in the film , he would rather win another Filmfare award than a Golden Globe , so I forgive him . I forgive Mr.Bacchan too , after doing Aag he fails to distinguish between good and bad cinema . Other countries have an underbelly too , but they don't hide it like we do . Mr Bacchan has actually been described in te film as a huge superstar ( Jamal watched his movies in a ramshakle theatre and fights to get his autograph ) and is described by Jamal as the most famous man in India .

In retrospect , it is sad that it took a foreigner to show us the real India . we are too vain to admit our faults and to watch unpretentious movies . Our fare is more fantasy than Harry Potter , more like the paan we take after a meal . Satyajit Ray and Nagesh Kukonoor are some of the directors who in recent times have tried to give us real meal isntead of paan .
But time and again its the west which comes to help us discover ourselves . like Gregory Robersts . Like Domique Lapieere and Larry Collins with City of Joy and Freedom at Midnight . glimpse into the real India . Two famous Indian novels , The Namesake and Mistress of Spices have been made into Hollywood films ( and good ones too ) , but dear old Bollywood is too highbrow to touch them . Water , made by Canadian Deepa Mehta , shot in Varanasi was Canadas official entry to the Oscars and was released in our country only after it got nominated there .

So I would like to thank Danny Boyle for bring us into the limelight
Kudos to the actors : Dev Patel , the main protagonist .
Frieda Pinto , the Mumbai based actress .
Anil Kappoor , the quiz show host .
Irfan Khan , the police inspector . Irfan seems to be a regular in Hollywood after his role in The Mighty Heart and a sterling lead performance in The Namesake .
Finally , kudos to A.R. Rehman .
Jai ho !

Lara Croft's new mission !

2009-01-15T00:02:00.001+05:30

2009 is the year of celebs being in the news. Not just celebs , but celeb couples . There is one couple to whom I would like to dedicate an entire blog post and that is of course , Brangelina .

Quite a few of us have heard the joke " What is the height of laziness ? Answer : Adoption " .

Well our very own Brangelina seem to be on an adopting spree for the last few years and earlier this month adopted their fourth child from Ethiopia ! Seems like the dynamic duo of femme fatale Angelina Jolie and hottest hunk on the planet Brad Pitt are trying to solve the problem of world poverty all by themselves !

They now have an assorted clan of Nigerian , Etiopian and Somali kids all whisked away by madame Lara Croft , with families of the children complaining that they had been taken away forcibly by the celebrity duo . Most of those orphans had existing family members who did not want to part with them . Even the courts and media might have questioned whether Brangelina would be able to help the kids adjust to their new lifestyle . However , A list celebrities can get away with anything they fancy , to the hell with the debate " do the kids want to be adopted ? "
Anyway , their oldest kid Shiah Novel is already in the limelight , and soon the whole brood will have to live with the unwanted pressures of being 'celebrity ' kids . Beverly Hills is a different world than Africa , and now another adoption has taken place , one must really question the rationale of allowing more such adoption/ abductions .

The kids will find it hard to find an identity of themselves , and one does not really know how good the parenting skills of Brangelina is . Jolie had a controversial career , with drugs an flops playing a big role in her earlier life , then shot to fame as Lara Croft .

More recently , her film 'The Mighty Heart' about the slaying of British journalist Daniel Pearl got into trouble in India . It seems her crew and bodyguards held an entire school in Mumbai hostage till her shooting got done . Her bouncers pushed and shoved the (legitimate ) parents of the kids , who could not fetch their children as the shooting got delayed and were treated to racist taunts from the bouncers . Too bad for her , as later she and Brad had to publicly apologise . If they can't respect other cultures and look down upon Indians and other Third World People then can we expect that her adopted kids will be allowed to rein their true African identity , or will they metamorphose into Hollywood kids . I doubt if they can keep in touch with their roots since Brangelina , like most of the Western World don't seem think much about other parts of this planet . So, expect more baby- shopping in this year . ( No wonder the second Lara Croft film was called 'The Cradle of Life') .

The latest Jolie film I watched was Wanted , a futuristic film about assassins who can bend bullets . Typical Jolie action - flick . About Pitt , well theres not much to say except he keeps getting into the List of Top Ten Hot Males , every year . He's over forty now , and its a surprise that the younger lot don't give him more competition . Not bad considering he started his career as a waiter / bouncer in a pub .

He has topped the poll many times and it seems like forty plus folks like him and George Clooney , never seem to lose their appeal . After the hits 'Seven Years in Tibet ' and 'Troy' , Pitt has starred in ' Ocean's ... ' trilogy along with Clooney , a multistarrer cult hit trilogy on a a gang of robbers . Hugh Jackman , the much more low profile actor ,won the award this year , and is officially First Citizen on Planet Male . Other worthies include Johhny Depp and Matt Dammon , but Jackman truly deserves this award and also acting accolades which have eluded this rugged Australian actor for many years despite his talent . With his 'Australia' proving to be a big hit and 'Wolverine ' coming up , he has slowly made his way into the vaunted A - list . but he is much more conventional and controversy free than of course the Pitts .

Brangelina met on the sets of 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith ' and their romance started even as Brad was still married to Jennifer 'Rachel' Anniston . After a divorce , Pitts parents disowning him , a few adoptions , Jen calling Jolie a 'home breaker ' , and some more adoptions , we have now a happily married couple . Now everytime they travel , the whole continent of Africa shakes in trepidation . Not that I have something against adoption, in fact it is a very good reply to both poverty and over population . Closer to home , Sushmita Sen has chosen to adopt and we wish more film starts would do the same .

Maybe they want to win the Nobel Peace Prize . The recent film 'Slum Dog Millionaire ' which swept the Golden Globe awards , focuses on slum children in India . The cast had started an initiative for the education of the underprivileged kids , and aimed to spread awareness about tier lives in the media . Through small camps , they teach a group of kids and also provide basic facilities which is what Mr. and Mrs. Pitt/Smith should try and do if they really want to help instead of adopting random babies and taking them away from their families .

When a cast member of 'Slumdog Millionaire 'was asked if he though would these camps be enough to educate them and give them a Chance of a better life , he quipped ' we'll try to spread awareness through the media and hold as many camps as possible , and we'll let Brangelina adopt the rest !" :) .

Gone to the dogs !

2009-01-02T18:32:00.001+05:30

The dog is certainly the most maligned creature of 2008.
Followed closely by the monkey ( any reference to any cricketer, alive or dead, is purely coincidental ).

The country has gone to the dogs, literally!
This observation would not be out of place after last month’s fracas between the Kerala CM and the father of the martyred Major Unnikrishnan. It seems that the ‘Honorable’ CM said that if it weren’t the home of a martyr, even a dog wouldn’t visit Unnikrishnan’s house. Sad state of affairs …. Soldiers killed in the line of duty don’t get Respect even after death , with politicos considering themselves above all reproach and they can get away by saying anything. In the list of callous statements he beats worties like :
R.R. Patil ( " bade bade shehero main .... " )
Queen Mary Antoinette ( " if they don't have bread , let them eat cake .... ")

So, the cm has insulted both the martyr and that faithful creature, dog , by this barb. I don’t think man’s best friend is so lowly that it needs to be dragged into every insult. Dogs are more faithful than humans, especially CM’s who Don’t mind biting the very hand that feeds them.

That’s what this neta has done , for it is the brave commandos like Unnikrishnan that provides security to the netas . Not to mention selflessly fight terrorists and the like to protect businessman, politicians and other VIPs as in the recent attacks . The huge security cover that the Cm enjoys is all made up of NSG men , and they are the reason that he sleep soundly at night . And tours any place he wants without worrying about snipers.

No wonder when the Cm came to apologize to the martyrs father later, with his entourage, Unnikrishnan senior retorted “Get out you dogs!” That would be of course high praise for the Cm for he does not deserve to be called as man’s best friend , he seems like the (common) man’s worst enemy .They are more reliable and brave than the netas who make some promise then forget it when elected. On the other hand dogs serve their masters faithfully for years, without expecting reward. Maybe the dogs Would make better leaders.
Indeed, our armed forces and security personnel lead a dog’s life, with their meager pay and no job security with political interference in promotions and being shunted about according to their masters fancy. No respect either , after they die , from the very ones they tirelessly protect.

I think now all the commandos and security personnel should refuse to guard that guy and that he be protected by a team of …… dogs! Yes, since he prefers them instead. Though even the dogs would refuse to guard him.

Nine simple rules

2008-12-26T23:31:00.001+05:30

If you’re born an Indian , life is just about a few things.
It’s true for all Indians right from Kashmir to Kanyakumari from Goa to Gangtok. The Indian, very simply put, has his life decided for him by others. Many of the things, even before he is born .

You see, life for an Indian is all about the nine simple rules.

1. Basic necessities –the roti , kapda and makan . We don't look beyond it sometimes.

2. Social acceptance - even more important than roti , kapda and the makan
The Indian is in a continuous, never ending battle to prove himself to others

3. A life of denial and escapism – no Indian has an accurate estimate of himself and each one sees the world by his or her set of magic glasses

4. A never ending struggle to better his position - yeah, a very fundamental law – the Indian is never satisfied

5. An insatiable need to know about the public and private life of his immediate passengers in his community - called the law of entropy

6. A very interesting facet –the pressure on him to perform in any place always increases, never decreases - called the law of enthalpy

7. The law of relativity (apologies to Herr Einstein) - the Indian is subject to double Standards throughout his life.
His performance and failure is always relative, to others and also determined by the very very disparate range of yardsticks used by those judging him.

8. Building from points 4 and 7 comes the law of equal inequalities. It states that no one is equal in India since the concept of equality doesn’t exist.
Every Indian considers himself superior in talent and aptitude and inferior in treatment to any other Indian. Fellowship is impossible since we are always envying each other thus another person having equal status is impossible.
Thus it follows the Indian is dissatisfied – because there ALWAYS someone better than him , there has to be.

9. The last and the best the law of hypocrisy - the religion we follow above all others. “I am the best and I set my own rules, but the rules don’t apply to me."
We are shameless when it comes down to us, we would sell our souls when push comes to shove but the other times, we are busy pontificating. Here everybody is holier than thou.

The laws are pretty clear for most of us. The struggle for social acceptance and adherence to norms is something we would all identify with, since India after all is the country of sati, child marriage and other plagues which only rigid societal control can bring about. In our land, we eat our dinner by our neighbor’s wishes. Career choices, relationships issues, we always have the big brother (and sister, and aunt and neighbor) watching over us with an ever ready stream of disapproval.

This is noteworthy because in no other country does societal pressure play such a big role , not even in the conservative gulf, in Indonesia or the very strict Malaysia . In USA/Europe nobody gives a damn what their neighbor thinks , and more importantly , neighbors don’t bother in the first place . Minding ones own business is a matter of etiquette and prying into another’s affairs is a big no-no . But here we listen to what other have to say, even those with no remote connection to us and no authority and to return the favor, we poke our noses everywhere to.
This is of course the famous law of entropy, rule 5. (Entropy refers to the information content of a system in thermodynamics)

We want to know whose earning how much , who has which car , why didn’t Mr. X go to office that day , why wasn’t Ms. Y seen at that particular party and so on ad infinitum. In the west such special attention is reserved only for celebs.But here evrybody is a paparrazo , and information is exchanged at the speed of light .

The law of enthalpy (Enthalpy is the heat of a body in thermodynamics) is applicable to anyone who isn’t born with a silver spoon in their mouth, a la Ambani Birla or the offspring of a film star. If you are an average Indian like me, then chances are you feel the heat (enthalpy) all the time. we are under pressure from before we are born for our parents dada/dadi have earmarked us for a bright future , a big in a line of their choice and lots of dream and expectations to fulfill . Every time one is met , another crops up . Hazaron khwaishien aisi!

The burgeoning boat of expectations. The bar is so high, even Yelena ishinbieva can’t reach it.So as a result we are never satisfied (law 4) because of the constant comparisons with our next door folks, our best friends, that girl in class who gets more. Whew! The leading health problem in India is acidity and stomach ulcers which is no surprise given the amount of stress (all self imposed of course, ) and jealousy we go through.

Rat race? Well, even rats have better self esteem. We just don’t know to be happy and satisfied. The more we have , the more we want, like the many headed monster which regrows heads when you cut them off .

Once we buy a house, a big relief, but then relief gives away to hassle of maintaining the house . Once the neigbour renovates we must renovate too !

Got a new PC? Not satisfied. Now we must get the peripherals.

And even if some us like me are satisfied, others don’t let us be. Pathetic, ambition less loser is what we become. Setting standards too low I sometimes feel that taking a penalty stroke in a World Cup Final with my team 5-4 down is less pressure.

The other laws are self explanatory. Will write some posts elaborating on some of these laws soon.
Do write in with your comments and tell me what you think.

Journeyman

2008-12-25T23:25:00.002+05:30

I'm walking down this lonely road
without the one i truly love
I try to let my heart go
but i'm afraid it might get stuck
attached to the one thing
thats kept it one piece
so now you're the only one
who can put me at ease

my frustrations on the loose now
and everyone feels this pain
regret is of no use now
cause this aint no more a game
So tell me why did I
have to take the tougher route
was it cause of my ego
or cause i had something to prove

looking for a purpose
i feels there's no other way
have to cut this string now
though i want to stay

(chorus)
tell me why did I choose this lane now
that took me so far from you
was it just my ego
or did i have something to prove

I keep wandering around with my life
wondering what is next
i look at all the stop signs
they make me think again
i try so hard to cope up
should i rest and head away
journeyman they call me
coz i chose the road of thorns
riding away from solace
can't stay in one place
I ride from nite to morn

my frustrations on the loose now
without you its not the same
regret is of no use now
coz this aint no more a game

(repeat chorus)

mystery you try to unravel
can't let my heart go
why must i travel ....

riding away from solace
i'm not the staying kind
can't forget your pretty face
you almost made me change my mind
but as always i revert to type
tell myself it's not my life...

This is another of my latest efforts
The tune roughly resembles " Here without you " by 3 doors down . it took me some time to work on this one .
so do send in your comments and help me improve my style .

Last Man Standing

2008-12-25T22:57:00.000+05:30

don't want to pass the buck
to some other man down the line
can't live with that guilt
coz if only i can do the job then so be it

i can't stand .... to bask in the triumph of someone
why be the moon when you can be the sun
reflected glory is not for me
i would rather be an unsung hero
than a footnote in history
its not my time .....

the parody of lies
the satire of greed
puts me down
despair all around
but i wont go down
into the night...
wont say goodbye

(chorus)
not gonna fade away
into the night
won't say goodbye
i would rather stay
throw away all my life
with a roll of the dice
than say goodbye

its hard to flow against the tide
you wish i had stepped back
but that's not me ....
i just won't wilt
can't live with that guilt
i don't want a throne of lies
into the night...
wont say goodbye

it would be easier
to walk out of that door
and care no more
it would be easier
to be oblivious to the pain
got nothing to gain
deflect the blame
but i won't turn my back
oh no ....
that's not my way
doesn't take much to walk away
its not my time .......

(repeat chorus)

As you may know , I am a budding songwriter . If you din't no big deal , just sample this lyric and I would be grateful for your comments . esp if some of you write songs yourself .
The song has a simple tune , though haven't finalised the title . Adios and Merry Christmas to everyone .

Let the (blame ) games begin

2008-12-03T23:25:00.002+05:30

So everybody is busy blaming everyone else . Police blaming intelligence , intelligence blaming police , politicians blaming media and yes , every Indian citizen worth his /her salt blaming the politicians .

The blame game is our national pastime , our national sport is throwing mud at others .
All that happens is that everyone gets dirty .
A real mud-wrestling match , where everyone tries to appear holier than thou . Thats all fine , I say . We jump on our cricketers when they lose , our filmmakers when they produce flops , we blame our children / parents / colleagues / classmates and anybody and everybody we get . We blame them for what is essentially our mistake .

Anyways that's not my concern . What gets my goat is when people blame our leaders .

We see everybody jumping on the bandwagon , for their spot of neta-bashing . Its like the circus where you get tho throw balloons at the clown and get points for it . The television channels are doing it . We are doing it and enjoying ourselves thoroughly . Curse them , laugh on them , make a mockery of them ......... HELLO ! Whom are you cursing , mocking and demeaning but yourself !

WHERE WERE YOU ON ELECTION DAY ?

Yeah , thats right . Strikes you now doesn't it . We got the leaders we deserve . The people whom your mocking are the ones you elected . Or the ones you let get elected ! You stood by and let them waltz away to New Delhi .
When you shout and ask " where were the leaders at this time of crisis ? where the hell were the nsg commandos . why wasn't the security warning heeded ? "

What were we doing when some people actually took the time to go out in the hot sun and vote . Its a cumbersome process , thats true . You have to stand in a huge line . All those small symbols come up on that ballot paper . Then you get your hand smeared with ink .
Were we shopping ? Suffering from a party hangover . At work ?
Watching television , wondering why the channels keep showing endless discussion over political issues , election campaigns and dumb election talk . We probably switched to something more interesting , like an RGV movie for instance ( yeah the same guy whom we're furious at now )

So, are we still complaining and blaming the netas ? Coz the other five fingers are pointing back at you . This might be a tragedy , but then you and I stood by and let it happen . So lets not take the moral high ground here .

Now you'll say that you din't wan't to vote , because no leader is worthy . Really ? how do we know ?
Do we follow the elections closely ? Know the names of their parties and their different ideologies . Atleast some of our politicians ? Surely all of them can't be bad ( and all of them aren't , i can tell you that . But how would we know ?)

YET WE KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT THE US PRESIDENT ELECTIONS !!
REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRATS , BIDEN,PALIN,MC'CAIN THE WHOLE LOT .

We can list all the 51 states of USA and in which state Mc 'cains leading and which ones went to obama . We know what their prime election issues are . We even care !

Raw isn't it . Hurts from inside . We say we have a right to shout , to vilify our forces , our cops , our lazy (did you say lazy ? ) netas . You do . But rights are given along with duties . But we dint do our DUTY . Yeah , voting is a duty if you dint know . Its our service to the nation . But we dont understand the word . When we offer a bribe , evade taxes , look down upon another community and in a lot of ways , we dont do our duty . All these are listed in the constitution as our service to the nation .

But we don't remember that , we only recall the part about fundamental rights , especially the " freedom of speech part " .
We are experts at shooting from the lip . TALK is the only things that cheap in India .

But im sure we'll come up with an excuse . Had an important job to do , couldn't waste time in voting .
Did i hear someone say only politicians give excuses ?!
lk advani and rajnath singh havent't attended the all-party terror meet because they were busy campaigning and the the news -ppl jump on them for giving a flimsy premise . I forgive them !

Surely we had better tv programmes to watch those three months when the news channels were full of election issues and how each party proposed to deal with them . Cudnt be less bothered , huh .
So why are we watching the news now ? It doesnt effect us , does it . So change the channel .

Or does it .... maybe we're genuinely bothered this time . Thats good . So lets do something.
There are lots of issues , get involved with them . Make a small change . Stop the passing the buck culture and the attitude of " hum , kya kar sakte hain . we are helpless . Its not in our hands . "

Stop whining that we don't have good leaders . look at USA . look at the leader they have got !
Barack Obama , the leader of the free world . Sounds good doesnt it . But it dint happen by magic . People get what they deserve . Americans are a conscentious , patriotic bunch . They will do anything to get the best leadership .
Because they want the best and are willing to sacrifice for it . They dont whine . You wont hear an American say " IT'S NOT MY RESPONSIBILITY "
He say's that he'll be booted out . Industry or government job . But we say this every week at work , in college , when were small we are taught how to get out of unglamorous jobs and shirk responsibility . Its our inborn talent .

Take a first step , dont't criticise public figures , give contructive criticism . In the next elections , go and vote .( you can stand in line for a an essel world ride , you can stand in line for this ) . And that ink-marks is not just an ink-mark , it is a symbol that YOU ARE INDIAN and that you have done your duty . You have earned your right to criticise . You care .
Vande Mataram .

Forward this post to as many people as you can . Look inwards and act , the smallest acts will help . Signing off for now .