MTV Roadies vs [V] India's Hottest

It's 8 pm on Saturday. On the two big music channels of India, there's anything 'but' music.

On [V] India's Hottest 3 guys and 3 girls are on display. In the 'packaging' byte the guy is only shirtless. The girl, in a red bikini and a lot of suntan oil looks like she is auditioning for a low budget porn film. She has extra red lipstick, and she's making those kind of faces while some liquid rolls off her mouth.

You get the picture.

Okay, that's only a 1 minute segment, now the judges are asking her a few questions. She is asked to dance. The dress is shiny and poured on but hey, it's only 6 inches above her knees...

On the neighbouring channel, MTV, a bunch of boys have stripped down to their underwear. One of them is rather paunchy and is trying to cover up by folding his arms around his stomach.

And in this 'undress' mode, they are answering G K questions. Like which real life hockey player was the role of Shah rukh Khan modelled on, in Chak de India. Blank faces, mostly. Are they clueless or just concentrating on keeping their stomachs sucked in?

The show, incidentally is MTV Roadies 5.0. And I see very little 'road' on the show. It's a reality show, Survivor style.

Anyhow, the point is India seems to have moved into another zone. A few years ago, when MTV Grind was telecast late in the night I wondered, when will people in India ever agree to wear short, tight clothes and get themselves filmed for national TV?

I think that day is not too far off now...

And no, I am not making any kind of value judgement here. It's more about changing values.

So far, doing something to 'get ahead' has been acceptable. Girls will wear bikinis for a 'Get Gorgeous' kind of contest because they want to become models and that's part of the deal. India's Hottest promises Rs 5 lakhs to the winner and possibly a career in glamour.

Roadies is kind of pointless in that sense. The winner is doing it mainly for the experience, and the possibility of winning money. Only Rannvijay from Roadies 1 went on to become an MTV VJ. Winners in the last 3 years had their 15 minutes of fame and faded into obscurity.

And for those 15 minutes they are willing to shed their inhibitions and their underwear. The irony is that if you ask a junior to do this kind of thing in college, it's called 'ragging' and you could go to jail.

But all's fair in historical love stories, and reality television!

Jodhaa Akbar - 4.5 stars

Who knows if there was ever a 'Malika-e-Hindustan' called Jodha. Whether she was Akbar's wife or Jehangir's.

All we know is Akbar was a relatively benevolent Mughal emperor who married a few Rajput princesses. And picking up that thread Ashutosh Gowariker and scriptwriter Haidar Ali have spun a eyeball-popping epic love story.

Sure, it's long. It's melodramatic. It's totally filmi. But unlike Asoka, where I wanted to walk out of the theatre in the interval, Jodha Akbar holds your interest. And that is chiefly because of two reasons:

a) Hrithik Roshan: No idea what Akbar looked like but Hrithik carries the role on his sinewy shoulders with amazing strength and style. He is regal and yet human. No other actor could have done justice!

b) Aishwarya Rai: Extremely beautiful, graceful and also convincing (in her last few films it's evident - acting karni aa gayee hai). The role she plays is a little 'too good to be true'. I mean a princess who is an expert in sword fighting, who places two conditions before the Emperor of India prior to marrying him, and cooks better than the palace bawarchis.

Guess they had superwomen in the medeival ages as well...

And ultimately this is one of the underlying themes of the film: the Empowered Woman.(Do not read on, as there are some spoilers. However it's hardly a 'suspense' film so what does it matter :)

Starting from the name of the film where 'Jodhaa' precedes Akbar, the Rajput princess is shown to be a lady with a mind of her own. Of course, Akbar is depicted as far more noble than he must have been in reality. Would the 'Emperor of India' really say ok, I won't consummate this marriage until I have 'won your heart'?

And there's absolutely no mention of the famed harem of wives and concubines. It's as if Akbar is a modern day lover with modern day values. Chalo chhodo, picture hai. The idea that 'shaadi karke aapne mera fateh kiya hai, magar dil nahin jeeta' is interesting.

Then there is a scene where Jodhaa is standing at the window and a bare chested Akbar is doing sword practice. His body is absolutely magnificent and Jodhaa is obviously feeling the heat. The idea that a woman also needs to be 'turned on' is kind of radical. Not only for those times but even today, for many in our country!

The other recurring theme is Hindus and Muslims co-existing in peace. And especially in the context of the Muslim being 'ruler'. The reason Akbar agrees to marry Jodhaa is political - he thinks it will make him more accepted as 'Indian'. He also agrees to two conditions put by her prior to the marriage:

a) 'I will remain a Hindu and retain my rehan, sehan and other cultural traditions. I will not be forcibly converted.'

b) 'I will be allowed to have a small temple in my mahal in the Mughal palace'.

Again yeh real life mein nahin hua. The Rajput princess Akbar is known to have married was called Marium uz Zamani after she became his wife.

However in the context of the movie, it's all quite believable. The entire 'Akbar as tolerant emperor' is brought out through Jodhaa. There's none of the stuff we learnt in history books - Din e elahi, Tansen, Birbal etc.

The fact that Jodhaa 'feels married' only when Akbar applies sindoor to her forehead raises an important point: you can attempt to convert a person in the external sense but not from deep within. Hence you may as well let her be...

Lastly the photography, the sets, the costumes and the overall canvas painted by the creators of the film is compelling in its grandeur. You finally feel okay - Bollywood can do it all as well (or even better!) than Hollywood. The Azeem o Shaan Shehenshah song and the battle scenes have sooo many extras you wonder how hey must have managed it all!

And hence for the scale, the style and the sheer poetry of the film I give it 4.5 stars. By the way, in my book, that means the film is 90% perfect - despite the length and the Troy-inspired climax.

I can't understand the likes of Khalid Mohamed who has given it a rotten '2 star' rating in today's HT. You can almost see him smirking as he asks: "Is Jodhaa Akbar a romantic dopiaza or Mughal history biryani"?

Khalidbhai, it's just entertainment. Aap aisi picture bana ke dikhao, phir baat kariye!

The only problem is: when will Jodhaa Akbar hit multiplexes? Both Adlabs and Cinemax have boycotted it so far...

Update: Check out another interesting review of Jodhaa Akbar on Club JAM.

Finding your inner receptionist

Week after week Lucy Kellaway writes on work and life for the Financial Times and she does it with a rare insight and humour. Her latest column 'Happiness is finding your inner receptionist' is another amazing read. And it set me thinking.

Lucy writes about a friend who's held a succession of powerful jobs in the media. On the cusp of 50, she decided to become a receptionist. Yes, a receptionist. And, she is happy.

Writes Lucy: What impressed me most about her satisfaction was how it contrasted with the dissatisfaction of almost all my other contemporaries. One word describes how most of us in our late 40s are coping with far more interesting jobs: badly.

In varying measures we are susceptible to boredom, fear, exhaustion and frustration. We've all been working for an eternity as it is, but we now realise we'll have to go on working until we are 70 at least and so there is still a long way to go. In all it is not pretty. We feel we ought to leap, but don't how and don't know which way to go.

Actually, all around me there are people feeling like this. And they're not just in their late 40s. They're in their 30s, or even 20s. Show me more than 2 out of 10 folks truly happy in their current jobs!

Quoting a Harvard Business Review article, Lucy notes: The rest of us are falling for the most common misapprehension of mid-career crisis - which is to think this is the beginning of the end. Instead the magazine insists that we have more opportunities than we used to...

Hearteningly, the HBR reminds us that even though some doors may be closed at 50, in reality there weren't so many open ones at 25. This is a truth that we tend to forget: most people are in a rut from the start, blindly pursuing careers with no idea of what the other options were.

Lucy admits that when she was in her 20s she didn't feel that she was deciding rationally between hundreds of possibilities.

I was simply trying to do what I thought was expected of me, and what my friends were doing. My motivation was to do it better than a tiny handful of people I considered to be my rivals.

Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

I'm not saying you need to go and become a receptionist asap. The point to note is that with time priorities change. The very high bar we set for ourselves gets lowered. Life becomes more about the journey than the destination.

But it happens when it happens. Meanwhile, keep smiling as you stay miserable!

Why do we blog?

Last week I conducted a 'blogging workshop' at IIIT Hyderabad. My second such workshop - the first being at IIT Kharagpur last year.

Each time I was wondering: kya karoon. Should I treat it like a 'creative writing' workshop? Or like a seminar - repare a ppt on blogging and bombard the audience with my gyaan and fundas for half an hour?

As it turned out, we ended up having an interactive session both times. At IIIT we had a computer with a net connection hooked up to a projector and so we viewed and reviewed the blogs of anyone and everyone who wanted feedback.

First of all, I think blogs fall in two categories:
a) Personal: something you write for yourself. Like a personal diary, a collection of random thoughts or observations about specific people and events in your life.

You may like to keep this completely private or share it with some of your friends. In any case, the subject matter would not be of interest to the general public.

b) General: something you write which you want to build readership for. This is a one-person magazine which may contain personal opinion (any good blog does!) but on subjects of interest to people other than your friends.

Of course I believe that even such a blog must essentially be written for yourself. Not for a potential audience. Because only when you are true to that spirit will you attract an audience in the first place.

But is life really that compartmentalised?

X has a personal blog and is so 'not bothered' about traffic that he does not even host a sitemeter. But certain posts he does want a wider audience for. "Should I start a separate blog for that?"

My pov: That makes sense and I see many people with multiple blogs. But can you really manage it? Judging by the frequency of posting most people find it difficult to maintain even one. So I for one would not advise!

Y has blogging for a while but stopped a few months ago because he got bored of it."I keep repeating myself.. the topics.. even the phrases I use. So what's the point?"

My pov: Y happened to be a very talented writer. Actually he struck me as one of those super-intelligent guys who could probably do one or the other thing very easily. And hence, it's not even a case of writer's block. He just finds blogging is no longer fun and neither a challenge.

So no big deal - stop blogging! It's not a baby you have to be responsible for, your whole life.

Z posts short stories on his blog but only one every few months. "I want them to be perfect.. so I keep working at it."

My pov: The quest for perfection is pointless! And more so on a blog. Better post something half baked than keep a perenially cold oven.

Ultimately blogging is not a popularity contest. So please, if you're on a campus where 'everyone has a blog' don't fret about why you aren't getting enough visitors or comments.

Blog because something inside you needs to be put into words. Yes, you can format it a little better, tag it, spread links and all that jazz. But ultimately it's all about love.

Do you love to blog?

Wanted: freelance web designer

This is for a personal project, a static low budget website which needs to be created in the next 3 days. If interested, drop me a line at rashmi_b at yahoo.com.

Speaking of freelance projects I am looking for someone with experience of designing book covers as well.

The party ends?

ET reports: This may literally be a bolt from Big Blue! IBM is learnt to have delivered the pink slip to a sizeable chunk of its entry-level trainee programmers (ELTPs) across major offices in India.

Most of these ELTPs, who were engineering graduates, had put in nearly a year and were working in numerous technology practice groups under IBM India’s global delivery business.

Wonder whether this news is sending a chill down the spines of engineering students about to graduate. I've also heard of TCS showing the door to trainees who failed to clear the test after the training period.

IT companies are still recruiting in large numbers from engineering campuses. In the top end colleges like NITs they don't even have interviews, just a written test to clear. A significant number of people who join are doing so because:
a) I need one job in hand... but will keep looking for something better
b) Need a place to park for 2 years as I prepare for CAT/ GRE
c) No interest in core branch, would rather join software where work is white-collar and jahaan foreign jaane ka chance hai.

Which is all fine but now these folks will have to make more efforts to better acquaint themselves with coding and what not. Because companies are getting more stringent on the performance criteria.

What's intriguing is that companies get stringent only when times get slightly tough. With software margins being affected by the strengthening rupee, they are looking for ways to shave costs. In any time, good or bad, it's hardly advisable to keep people who don't meet your standards after training. But when there's a boom, you just sigh 'shortage of talent' and look the other way.

As far as students go, I think this is a positive thing. At least a few will think twice before taking jobs they don't want in the first place. And if they do join they will have a little less attitude and possibly learn more in whatever time they spend in IT.

As techie MS Vivek Chaitanya commented on the Jobokplease blog:

Due to competition, companies are campus recruiting students in 3rd year, 2nd sem itself. This is inducing recklessness in the students and slowing down their studies for in their final year. So there is no guarantee that the potential of the student at the time of campus recruitment is same as the potential once he finally comes out of his/her studies.

What say you, engineering junta?

Coffee to bahana hai

I bumped into a friend who has just joined a mobile start up company at Barista in Phoenix Mills. "Aajkal yehi mera office hai," he grinned.

"Hmm.. investors ko bataana padega aap unke kitne paise roz coffee peene mein waste karte ho..."

He replied, only half in jest, "Rs 500 a day is a steal. When our office across the street gets ready we'll be shelling out Rs 1.75 lakhs a month on rent alone!"

Point to hai. Reminds me of the scene during the earlier dotcom boom when junta had made the Oberoi lobby and coffee shop their adda-cum-office. Paanch saal mein kuch progress hua hai: cheaper coffee and data modem cards to access internet anywhere. In the near future we'll see more of public wifi access.

Current hotspots for startup types include:
Just Around the Corner, Bandra
lobby of Marriott hotel
And in Bangalore, the Leela coffee shop

If you know of more, kindly enlighten.

Of course, coffee shops are not just the preserves of recently-quit-job-looking-for-VC types. There are many other species, and in fact each location has its own peculiar set of customers.

Barista Chembur: popular with MLM (multi-level marketing types). They make snazzy presentations which promise anyone can make 3 crores in 2 years if they work hard enough and get enough other idiots to join.

Barista & CCD Lokhandwala: The preferred hangout spot of filmi and TV wannabes. I suppose they actually hang out here waiting to catch the eye of some hotshot director, or at the very least Ekta Kapoor's casting crew.

Barista, Colaba (near Regal cinema): Always full of backpackers - has it got a mention in Lonely Planet yet? Possible description: 'A place where you can rest your dusty feet and use the free loo, for the price of one black coffee'.

At all Baristas, everywhere: Arranged marriage 'interviews': ladkas and ladkis who've located each other at shaadi.com. Remember Konkona meeting Irfan Khan in Life in a Metro?

Of course usually there are parents and sometimes even extended family in tow. After a few pleasantries they move six tables away and give the boy and girl a chance to 'talk in private'.

Kuch nahin jama to you don't need to feel like a loser. It was just a casual meeting at a coffee shop!

Previous posts on coffee shops:
Coffee shop cribs
Barista bik gaya

Wherever I go...

'Sexiest Indian Women' follow. Before you jump to the wrong conclusion, let me explain.



I first noticed the Adword link on my blog.





Then it popped up in Facebook






And every now and then I see it on Club JAM.

I understand the importance of pageviews but does CNN IBN need to do this? Apparently, yes.

Incidentally, the link takes you to a slideshow of Indian actresses... technically the 'sexiest Indian women'. Very normal pictures compiled from here and there - not what the folks who clicked the link were expecting!


Speaking of which you don't expect to see Barkha Dutt on screen when a huge branding of Network 18 clearly proclaims who's paid a bomb to take over the TVs at Mumbai and Delhi airports.

Pic taken last month @ the Mumbai airport

Jassuben Jayantilal Joshi ki Joint Family

Finally, someone has realised the true potential of the Great Indian Joint Family on television.

JJJJF is everything Kyunki Saas Bhi promised to be, until it embraced the evil-vamp-with-designer-bindi vs sweet-sweet-bahu-with-sizable-sindoor formmula. I've seen 3-4 episodes of Jassuben so far and it's as Indian as a drama can get, yet fresh and different.

Haven't figured out exactly how who is related to whom but there's a lady called Jassuben (a younger and less dukhi version of Baa) and her half a dozen sons, their wives and kids.

The characters are unique and have certain recurring dialogues and mannerisms, but they aren't caricatures. For example Chandu, the eldest son, keeps sneaking off to smoke on the terrace and thinks that's his little secret. The real secret is that everyone knows but pretends not to. Meanwhile young Chirag's problem in life is,"Mujh se to koi poochta hi nahin" - no one asks my opinion on anything!

It's soapy yet humorous at the same time, which is an amazing feat. And only Aatish Kapadia and Jamnadas Mathejia of Hats Off productions could have pulled it off. In case you can't place them, they're the guys behind the best comedy show on TV in recent times 'Sarabhai vs Sarabhai' . And the loud but watchable 'Instant Khichdi'.

This production team's khaasiyat is that the characters always come across as slightly exaggerated but real. You know for sure there is someone like that in this world - possibly even in your family.

All their shows feature some 'bhola bhaala duffer' type - Roshesh in Sarabhai, Supriya Pathak in the Khichdi series. And there is always a strong woman at the helm of things.

JJJJF is set in Junagadh and the series kicked off with grandson Pinakin eloping with the neighbourhood farsanwala's daughter Nandini. The fun part is they are really so young and innocent. At one point they stand on a bridge and shout with glee, "Hum bhaag gaye.. hum sachmuch bhaag gaye".

Of course they are tracked down to a hotel and taken home before anything 'anarth' could happen. But there's no moral science dialogue. Logic, reason and gentle persuasion are the weapons of choice. And the result is tragi-comic.

When Jassuben asks Pinakin how he was planning to support Nandini he says,"Main apna jacket bech deta".

"Magar usse to ek hafte ka hi kaam hota - phir?" she presses.

"Mere paas teen teen jackets hain," he replies confidently. Even his plaintive main uske bina jee nahin sakta does not sound filmi.

There is conflict between family members but it is not the drumrolls. camera pans back and forth three times variety.

So as Pinakin finger-combs his hair in front of the mirror his dad Chandu growls:"Yeh baal banaa rahe ho ya bigaad rahe ho?". In defiance he messes it up even more.

Pinakin's mother Pushpa is a long suffering soul who is well meaning but can never be perfect enough for her overbearing husband. She actually wears mismatched polka dot blouses with dowdy, downmarket saris, quite unlike the perfectly togged out women in Balaji soaps.

I think the show will definitely catch on and knock out a saas-bahu serial or two out of the market. That's strike two for NDTV Imagine. The other show on their channel which I think really stands out is Saroj Khan's Nachle Ve.

Promos for 'Ek Packet Ummeed' and 'Radha ki betiyaan kuch kar dikhaengee' also seem promising. They have that 'solid stories about real people' appeal, and visibly superior acting talent.

It remains to be seen whether all this will persuade people to pay extra for NDTV Imagine as and when they decide to encrypt the channel... But I do appreciate they are trying to be different and succeeding to some extent.

The other unknown: are viewers truly ready to move on from the Ekta Kapoor era? Only time and TRPs will tell...!

Congratulations, ISB

ISB Hyderabad has been ranked # 20 among top 100 bschools in the world by the Financial Times.

Naturally, ISB students and alumni are elated while all iim egroups have been buzzing since the news broke last night with the question: "Why are we missing??"

Before I answer that question let me put down a few things about the ISB campus which impressed me when I visited it last month:

a) A high degree of enthusiasm, efficiency and commitment among the faculty and the administration. At IIMs you notice these traits among individuals, not the institute as a whole.

b) Impeccable and international standards in terms of infrastructure and maintenance. Everything is shiny, new and working!

I have already mentioned what I thought of IIM Calcutta. On a recent visit to IIM A I took a quick round of the campus and it's in need of a lot of repair and overhaul.

Of course those buildings are 40 years old so wear and tear is inevitable. But what's the excuse for general untidiness? This junk lying underneath my old dorm D5 has been there quite a while. I remember it from my visit a year before! Maybe this kind of thing has no impact on rankings but it reflects a chalta hai attitude and that translates elsewhere...

c) Amazing facilities for the MDP participants. The catering and housekeeping for the MDP centre as well as student housing and cafetarias is handled by Sarovar hotels.

The experience of staying in KLMDC at IIM A by contrast is.. sad. No reason why they cannot outsource the same! PGP students of course can't ask for the same pampering, given the far lower fee structure.

d) The international faculty ISB attracts is mind blowing. I would love to take courses with some of those profs!

Many of the ISB visiting faculty is ex-IIM. Would they be open to teaching for a few weeks at our institute? I am sure they would. But we can never sort our the whole issue of how much to pay, who will pay and most importantly convince the profs on campus this is not an indictment of their abilities. That truly, there is much for both sides to gain from each other!

e) There is a very organised effort on the part of ISB to keep in touch with its alumni, in the way an HBS or Wharton does.

No doubt IIMs also keep in touch but the effort is not spearheaded by full fledged professionals and treated as a revenue centre.

And well, I could go on but coming back to the FT ranking. I say: Well done ISB! I hold the institute in very high regard. The really commendable thing is the speed at which they've got here - it's been just 6 years!

But to get back and answer the original question: where are the IIMs? Let's first take a closer look at the FT ranking.

FT's ranking is based on:
- Weighted salary
- % salary increased before and after MBA
- Employment (% of students who found employment within 3 months of graduating)
- Research

There are other parameters but that's over 50% of the weightage.

Now open this webpage and click on each column. You will find that:

Weighted salary: ISB has the HIGHEST weighted salary among ALL bschools in the world: $169,355. The figure is calculated taking purchasing power parity into account and I surmise it's extrapolated from the average salary which ISB grads got in 2007.

Incidentally, the use of PPP salaries by FT is the main reason why 11 of the top 20 are now from outside the US.

% increase: ISB students got a 129% salary increase after graduating placing them at # 14 on this parameter.

Employment: ISB ranks # 1 on the 'employment' parameter with 100% of its students getting jobs within 3 months of graduating

Research: ISB ranks # 88 our of 100 bschools when it comes to research (calculated as the no of papers faculty published in 40 odd international academic and practicioner journals).

Wonderful. I am not sure if IIMs participated in this exercise at all. But if they were to, let's see how an IIM Ahmedabad would score on all these points
.
- The average Indian salary @ IIM A in 2007 was Rs 13.6 lakhs. Using the ISB formula (their average domestic salary was Rs 15 lakhs in 2007), the PPP weighted salary of IIM A grads translates into around $154,627.

Taking into account the average US dollar salary at IIM A in 2007 was $115,300 (accepted by 63 students out of the total 224 who took placement) the combined average PPP weighted salary would be in the region of $143,000. Placing IIM A at a respectable # 14 out of 100 on the salary front.

And so on. IIMs would rank equally high on 'employment' and salary increase, and possibly around the same in research.

It's just that nobody at IIM probably took the trouble to submit the info in the required format... Wonder if we even track data like % increase in salary before and after the MBA!

I feel a sense of deja vu, because I noted this exactly 2 years ago, when the Economist rated IIMA # 69 our of 100 bschools. With a more careful submission of data we could have ranked far higher.

The point I am making is not about who's superior. ISB is likely score higher than IIMs in areas like diversity, for example while IIMs will rate higher on the 'value for money' parameter.

It's not about 'winning' or 'losing' but making an honest attempt to compete at the highest level of the game.

The folks at ISB are obviously far more motivated to make the best efforts to score well in ranking exercises, especially by reputed agencies and publications. Whereas the IIMs are full of people who cannot even decide if rankings are important or not.

When we get ranked high, everyone is happy. When we don't, we say rankings don't matter instead of:
a) taking it as constructive criticism
b) examining the fine print in rankings and creating a strategy to improve our performance.

And that sums up the difference between IIMs and the ISB. Why we need to take the FT ranking seriously, whether we believe in rankings or do not.

We need the spirit of private enterprise at the IIMs - the desire to be the best, and be seen as the best. It's a classic case of the 'boiling frog' except the water is not yet so hot that we can't summon all our strength and jump out.

Update: As I was posting this a student @ the IIMA campus tells me the reason we don't feature at all is that we did not meet FT's qualifying criteria. Only bschools accredited by AACSB, Amba or Equis were considered.

IIM A is currently being reviewed by Equis and all I can say is: abhi tak hum kyun so rahe thhe? Well, better late than never. Hope we take it up as a challenge and make it to the top 10 next year!

Jobwise - I

Some recent posts by me on the JobOkplease blog which you may have missed:

Civil Engineers in demand

Dr Nivedita's HR solutions

Making grads employment ready

BPOs hire counsellors

P.S. If you have jobs for students/ fresh grads - whether part time, full time or for summer, you can post them at jobokplease free of cost!

Update on NDTV Imagine

I saw NDTV Imagine last night - it's available as part of the existing package on Tata Sky for now. But it is a huge, huge disappointment.

The 'Shava shava' show being advertised all over town is faltu. A bunch of semi-known TV stars are competing as singers. Kind of like a Nach Baliye with vocal chords. Karan Johar and Simi Garewal are the judges.

Even my 8 year old daughter, who loves all singing related shows is unwilling to watch. She thinks they are all besura.

As for Ramayana... it makes me shudder. First of all the show seems to be shot with yellow filter paper on the camera lens. The TV screen looks an orangey-yellow throughout.

The actors are the usual can-barely-act types stolen from K serial sets. The characterisation is weird. Kaikeyi is giggling like a schoolgirl as Manthara fills her ears with poison... The idea is to show she wasn't all that 'evil' but surely she could do it with more dignity.

All three queens are overly dressed, overly made-up. There is no power in the dialogue or presentation. It's melodrama and song sequences all the way.

Reviving the Ramayan was a great idea but the execution totally sucks.

The one silver lining in this cloud is Nachle Ve - a show where Saroj Khan teaches absolute novices how to dance. This, I think, will find an audience. Saroj ji is practical but makes the show interesting with her comments and observations - mostly on mistakes students are making on the show. But from time to time she addreses the home audience and even throws in asides on the stars who cannot dance to save their life - like Sunny paaji and Sanjay Dutt.

The show I caught, Saroj ji was teaching you how to do the 'Choli ke peechche' dance. And with her instructions it actually seems doable... :)

Chalo, ek show mein NDTV Imagine ne kuch imagination to dikhayi!

NDTV Imagine

A remake of Ramayan is a better flagship show to have than yet another K soap. (Although the actors playing Ram and Sita look like they escaped from one of those sets...)

But the big question is: who is going to call their cable operator - or Tata Sky - and beg for this new channel?

And that goes for all other channels which are asking us to pay extra. NDTV Good Times, for example. It was ok to watch when free to air. But certainly not compelling enough to get me to pick up the phone and command Tata Sky: "I want this!"

And it's not the money - we spend 40 bucks for a coffee at CCD - but inertia. A book I'd reviewed for Businessworld a couple of months ago clearly demonstrated the power of the 'default' option.

The US has a perennial shortage of organ donors while the French have no such problem. Are the French more generous, or more moral? No, the simple explanation is that in France, Austria and Hungary everyone is a potential donor unless they opt out. In the US you have to opt to be a donor.

Similarly to expect us to opt in to watch your channel is not going to work... Unless it's for cricket!

Imagine what will happen when the TRPs come in...

Bollywood 'rocks' India

What happens when a Bollywood star picks up a guitar? He becomes a 'rock star'.

Saif Ali Khan plays with Parikrama and Strings tonight in Mumbai. This is part of a series of concerts sponsored by Seagram's Royal Stag (a brand which Saif endorses).

Now Saif claims the guitar has always been his passion - with some practice I am sure he can pull off a few numbers on stage. Whatever he lacks in guitar technique he'll make up in histrionics and stage presence. Aur poora band bhi to hai back up ke liye.

But undoubtedly there will be a bigger crowd than what you generally see at rock shows. For two reasons:

a) Far greater PR & publicity. The 'Saif is a rockstar' story is splashed across every Sunday paper.

b) Aam junta which has no interest in rock music will land up to see a Bollywood star in action. Of course how much of loud English music, drums and bass guitar they can actually take is a big question mark.

'Rock' has had a pretty rocky existence in India. It's perceived to be a cool thing to do in college - form a band with a few friends. Buy expensive equipment (if your folks can afford it), else spend time moaning about your lack of it. Spend your evenings disturbing numbers ofIron Maiden/ Sepultura/ 'Whatever Metal Band Is In Fashion'.

The more ambitious ones play at a few college festivals. The most ambitious continue to play even as they move out of college. But it's tough. Band members come and go. Rock may be a 'passion' but it's not a livelihood. There just aren't enough folks who will pay to come and listen to you.

The college festival circuit is your only steady source of income. But 80% of the junta sits at fests these days is comfortably numb to rock. They're present because hamare college mein koi show ho raha hai. The question on their minds half an hour into the concert: "Yaar koi film song bajega ya nahin?"

Rock music and musicians still stand for something cool. It's just their noisy and unmelodious music we can't stand.

Most of the talented bands realised they were fighting a losing battle and simply switched - to Bollywood. But in doing so they brought fresh life and energy into the medium. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Vishal-Shekhar are two examples of rock-bred musicians impacting Bollywood with their unique style and sound.

Parikrama remained the Last Man Standing. Of all the bands born in the early to mid 90s they are the only ones who resisted and persisted with 'pure rock'. Forget ollywood, unlike Euphoria they refused to sing even in Hindi. And not for lack of offers. It was just against their principles.

Ironically, the same band is now elevating its crowd pulling capacity with the help of a Bollywood star...

The fact is Bollywood sells but 'rock' is cool. Marrying the two is a master stunt and good for all concerned: bands, star, sponsor. But will it leave any long-term effect on the popularity of rock as a genre? I doubt it.

The future lies elsewhere. I attended a Sonu Nigam concert last week and was surprised at his energy and stage presence. Maine socha tha aath dus aache gaane gayega, what we experienced however was an electrifying concert.

Sonu belted out most of his popular songs, but each zara hat ke from the recorded version. He jumped up and down the stage, charging up the audience to sing, scream, clap along (had it been an open air ground there would have been dancing as well!)

Along with Sonu, eight very talented musicians played live on stage. There was also a bunch of back up dancers. But the overall effect was not 'Bollywood nite'.

If rock is about energy, about passion and complete audience involvement - this was it!

Of course Sonu has tried - and failed - at becoming a star (independent of playback singing) in the past. His non film albums just did not click, the videos in particular were laughable. He came across as a wannabe in a leather jacket. But he has got his act together (in more ways than one) and I think guys like him are going to be the real 'rock stars' of India.

However it will be a long time before they are larger-than-life enough to have roadside taporis wearing their t shirts!

Bill mein kuch kaala hai

My latest Vodafone bill says I need topay 25 bucks for 2 downloads:

a) Callertune from Onmobile - Rs 15

b) Wallpaper from Hungama - Rs 10

Exact download dates and times have been given. Which is great except that I have not made these downloads. I've had the same caller tune - 'California Dreaming' for many months now. And neither am I into wallpapers!

Did I accidentally click on a link in one of the many spam messages sent by the operator? Nope..I simply delete those messages.

Now I can call Vodafone and waste 10 minutes complaining about this, no guarantee they will agree it's an error

So I leave it. And if millions of subscribers like me do the same, imagine how much the cellphone company, and these other companies make? 'Value added service' - to them, for sure!

P.S. This is not the first time it's happened and I'm sure it won't be the last...

Mayawati ke mukh se

In a new spiffy hairdo and pink salwar kameez Mayawati celebrated her heppi budday yesterday. And she declared that U.P. should actually be divided into 3 smaller states - Poorvanchal, Bundelkhand and western UP.

I am quite impressed. Dekhiye teen states honge to Mayawatiji can only be CM of any one, right? So it's a very farsighted and statesman (or stateswoman) like thing to say.

Actually matlab clear hai. Mayawati aims to be India's Prime Minister someday soon... And when she does fulfil that dream (I suspect she will!), Jan 15 will definitely be dclared a national holiday!

Resolve and it will happen!

It's the 16th day of the New Year and by now you've definitely broken those New Year resolutions. If you've made any in the first place..

What is it about new year resolutions anyway? Why are they something we undertake with teeth gritted. A burden to be lifted, against our will.

Lose weight
Give up smoking
Study harder

Wahi ghise pite resolutions which we know won't last beyond a day and a half. Because in our heart we we really don't want to see them come true.

Making these resolutions work involves pain and sacrifice. By making a resolution - only to quickly break it - we play a little game with ourselves. "See I tried... It's just too hard. Heh heh." And your neighbour nods, in agreement. Chalo effort to kiya. Agle saal dekhte hain.

Well, here's what I propose instead. Resolve to do something, one thing, you really really have always wanted. Let it be something outlandish. Or something small but significant. The important thing is, it should be a heartfelt desire.

Here's what I told myself I would do in 2007: visit 20 'new' places.
As in places I had never been to before.

The thought just popped into my head and somehow it seemed significant. I said, "Chalo dekhte hain". It's not like I specifically plotted and planned to achieve my target. Much of it just happened.

Here's my list (in order of visit)
1. Kodaikanal: This was on New Year day 2007. The decision to visit was an impulsive one. People moan about how commercialised 'hill stations' are these days but we really enjoyed Kodai. Cycling around the periphery of the lake on rented bikes was the most memorable part of the trip. Some other impressions captured here.

2. Bhubaneshwar: This was on the invitation of XIM Bhubaneshwar. That XIMB makes it to the 'top ranking schools list' is impressive considering the locational disadvantage. The ticket I travelled on (Indian) was apallingly expensive - close to 20,000 bucks. Utne mein to aadmi Singapore return aa jata hai!

Several IT companies seemed to be setting up training and work centres in the city. But given its small town feel I wonder how many imports would like to live there - in the long term.

3. Puri was... an experience in itself. We happened to visit on Makar Sankranti day and it felt like being in a rush hour local. While it is a temple of great significance, you can't help feeling its upkeep could be far better!

4. Konark - magnificent, marvellous, many many other superlatives. Like Ellora, makes you proud to be part of this ancient civilisation.

5. Kharagpur - was on the invitation of IIT KGP. The oldest IIT in India, it's also the most quaint in the sense that Kharagpur remains a one-horse town. The 'restaurant' the workshop organisers took us to in the evening does not even have a name... It's just called 'The restaurant'!

6. Jamshedpur - This was just an impulse trip - my cousin lives here. Jamshedpur is truly a utopia. A city which spoils you for life, if you happen to stay in the TISCO part of it (where my jijaji works).

Also popped by to have a quick look at XLRI. The convocation had just concluded the day before and first years were busy with exams. But I did manage to meet Prof Madhukar Shukla who is as interesting as his blog :)

7. Roorkee - was invited to IIT Roorkee as judge of a Mock Parliament. The Roorkee campus, built during British times is certainly the most beautiful of all IITs I have seen so far (and I have seen all except for Kanpur and Gauhati). The 'main building' distinctly reminds you of the White House.

The less said about Mock Parliament the better . Poor speaking ability, cut and paste powerpoint presentations and terrible, absolutely juvenile cooked-up-the-night-before ideas on how to build the 'India of my dreams'. With a couple of honourable exceptions. The organisers made a sincere effort but... participants ne aisi ki taisi kar di.

8. Rishikesh - But happily, the IIT Roorkee trip led me to visit this amazing town which is only 2 hours away by road. I landed up in the hippie part of Rishikesh (Laxman jhoola) since I referred to the internet and most travel reviews online are written by foreign visitors.

Anyhow I stayed at a very clean and hospitable ashram type place for 200 bucks a day. I felt a bit uncomfortable as a single woman traveller when I checked in but no problems at all after that.

On the first nite I walked down to the Ram jhoola side where they have a very uplifting evening aarti on the banks of the Ganga. While walking back to the Laxman jhoola side there was this long maybe half a km stretch where there were no street lights. And I had no torch. For a few minutes my dil went dhak dhak, especially when someone would approach from the other side.

But then something happened. There was a sense of calm. Navigating my way only by moonlight seemed natural and I felt at that moment there are only good people in this world. Mujhe kuch nahin ho sakta.

9. Shivpuri - This is where you go from Rishikesh, to begin the river rafting adventure. Which I wrote about in detail at the time!

10. Hardwar - A city with its own unique character. A lot cleaner than I expected. But nothing to beat Rishikesh.

11. Hoshiarpur - this was to visit a cousin. Nothing noteworthy about the town except that as you drive down you realise how prosperous Punjab is. Like most parts of semi urban India I have observed through the window of a car there are tons of signboards for coaching classes ('learn English', 'crack JEE'). But here you'll also see lots of signs proclaiming 'visa', 'passport', 'immigration'.

The NRI heart may long for Yash Chopra style sarson ke khet but the Punjab da puttar will trade in his lassi for yoghurt thank you!

12. Naldehra - Simla - overcommercialised and overrun by tourists from the Punjab and saddi Dilli. But it remains one of my favourite places. This time, we went some kms outside Simla to Naldehra, which is known for its high altitude gold course - the oldest in India. It was built in the days of the British, by Lord Curzon who literally fell in love with the location.

We stayed in a stunning Himachal Tourism log hut ('hut' is the wrong word, it had 2 bedrooms, a kitchen and a spacious living room :) Really comfortable and great value for money. Walking down to the restaurant 1/2 a km away was quite an expedition - they provide room service and come huffing and puffing up there with all the food you can eat and then some.

You can also stay at 'Chalets' but it is way way more expensive and does not give u that 'living in a jungle' feeling.

13. However if I were to recall the single most memorable place I visited in the last year, it was Tattapani. This is a 2 hr drive from Naldehra and famous for its hot springs. You drive down from Naldehra - which is at a height - into a valley. The landscape is quite surreal and there's hardly any traffic.

Few tourists go there anymore. The HP tourism bath houses were washed away in floods a few years ago. And since a dam is coming up here in the near future they are not being rebuilt.

Driving down to Tattapani I saw this most amazing butterfly! And the springs were also an experience. They gush out from the riverbank but the water is so hot it can scald you. So you have to position yourself carefully at a place where the springwater mixes with the ice cold waters from the raging Sutlej river.

The whole place has that typical sulphur smell. Sit there for a while, you definitely feel relaxed and healthier. Kuch to hai paani mein!
We also ate the most amazing alu-gobi at this tiny hotel and were amused to see so many of these plants freely growing on the roadside...

14. Srirangpatna - This was a trip we took to Bangalore on a supposedly cheap ticket. After the ticket had to be rescheduled twice it turned out to be damn expensive! But the fun Nivedita had on this visit made it worth it.

After some 25 years I visited Lalbagh and was amazed at how beautiful it is. Some of the trees there are simply amazing. Whatever Bangaloreans might feel, they really do live in a Garden City! Just that they probably never take out the time to visit such places :)

We also went to Mysore and on the way stopped at Srirangpatna, the former capital of Tipu Sultan. There is a very interesting temple here called Ranganathswamy - if you do visit, hire a guide as he would explain the significance of various things.

And there is the Ranganthittu bird sanctuary nearby which is also worth visiting. Although we didn't see any notable birds (that requires time and patience!) it is very serene and just the variety of trees is amazing.

15. Surat - was on the invitation of NIT students. It's a peculiar town, obviously a lot of money here. So you see bizarre sights like a mini Eiffel tower and ads for dandiya in 'comfort of air conditioned stadium'. I tell you! The speed and efficiency with which the city recovered from the manmade flood of 2006 is also worth noting.

Another thing I learnt on this trip is that Mumbai to Surat can take upto 6 hours.. if you happen to book yourself on the wrong train :(

16. Aurangabad & 17. Ellora, I've already written about.

18. Varanasi - I went for my niece's wedding but saath saath mein punya bhi kamaya. With a bunch of my uncles and aunts I took a dip in the holy Ganges (when I smsed my friend Piyul she was aghast!) But no, there were no dead bodies floating by and the water was very very clean. Of course we hired a boat and took our dip quite far away from the official bathing ghats.

But I realised that this holy dip is all about the piety in your heart. Mujh mein pehle nahi thi, ab kuch jagi hai. At a younger age I would have found Varanasi ghastly. Now, when I see the chaos, the flowersellers, teawallahs, beggars there seems to be a message. Yeh sab maya hai. There is something more, something beyond.

Some of us have to experience life in this way, in this lifetime...

19. Hyderabad & 20. Secunderabad. You may say it's cheating to put these as 2 separate cities but hey. On the one hand I visited the TIFR Balloon facility on the outskirts of Secunderabad (and by outskirts I really mean outskirts!).

My dad has spent about a month of his life for the past 40 years sending up experimental hot air balloons from this very place. So it was wonderful to see it (not an actual balloon take-off but the process of the balloon being designed, the labs and so on). The ingenuity of Indian science is truly amazing and deserves a series of separate posts!

On the other side I visited ISB in Gachibowli - that too I will write about in greater detail shortly. Nivedita accompanied me on this trip so we did all the touristy stuff as well - Charminar, Salarjung museum, Golconda fort.

The museum is the most interesting one I have seen in India, you can spend several hours there though we had only two. The sound & light show @ Golconda was impressive but the dhakka mukki at the ticket counter for tickets had to be seen to be believed. Complete and utter mismanagement!

So there you have it: 20 'new' places in 1 year. I learnt a few things about myself. I used to think I was a 'beach' person but I realise that mountains make me feel at peace.

I was never a temple person. But I visited more temples in the last 1 year (four in Varanasi alone!) and I with a new awakening and interest. In fact, in Rishikesh I decided I am going to do the char dham yatra... this year!

And I think many short trips are as much - or more fun - than one long vacation.

So that's the saga of 2007. 2008? Another year, another desire, another story... Why don't you script one for yourself and at the end of the year, we compare notes?

"We all change for the one we love"

A dad shares his teenager's love of music by sharing her headphone

A wife is seen holding a pair of golf clubs...

And an elderly South Indian lady is learning Punjabi to welcome her daughter in law.

"We all change for the people we love" is quite an endearing campaign (esp the TV spot). "Wahi muskuraaate chehre aur kuch nayi technology" is the promise of Canara bank and I like both the message and the execution. Much more relevant than SBI.

Now let's just hope they deliver on the hi-tech bit. Wonder if every branch really looks as glitzy as the one they show in the advert!

Actually the ad set me thinking on the whole premise of 'changing for the people we love'. The key thing is it has to come from within. But even then...

The dad wants to get closer to his daughter, the wife wishes to share her husband's world. It's one thing to make a gesture to show hey, I care about what's going on with you. And another to change the core of your being.

Would the mom in law throw away her saris and wear only salwar kameez? Or the wife accompany the husband to every game of golf? Imagine the dad scrapping his daughter every day on orkut..

Ridiculous, extreme and unnecessary, isn't it?

Except that we end up doing this in real life, especially when the loved one is a romantic partner/ spouse.

I hang out with his friends.

We only cook what he likes.

I don't wear pink because he says it does not suit me.

We change little by little but it all adds up. You make a million small changes or 'adjustments' as they say and poof! Your own identity gets completely lost.

Now I am sure that men who also make a lot of changes but I still think women make more. In fact, many women believe that it is their primary role and responsibility to 'keep the peace' in the house. And if keeping that peace means I have to 'change myself' to theek hai na. Usme kaun si badi baat hai?

Take the case of Kristin Richard, Lance Armstrong's ex wife. She related a story on the Oprah Winfrey show that struck a chord with women all over the world.

You and Lance looked like you had it all," said Winfrey, noting that Richard was swept off her feet by the stellar athlete, married him, had three children quickly and moved to the French Riviera. Richard, however, said that her role was strictly to cheer on Armstrong, prompting Winfrey to advise women not to make the same mistake.

Of course Kristin chose to adopt this role...

"It wasn't Lance saying, 'You should be like this' or 'Do this.' It wasn't him making a mandate and me being a mouse. It was me trying to emulate whatever I thought would be the perfect wife or the perfect mother," said Richard, promoting an article she's written for the April Glamour magazine titled "What I Wish I Had Known About Marriage."

"We think we're trying to please somebody for the sake of our marriage, but then if you ask Lance today if he appreciated that, I think he would probably say, 'Well, that wasn't the woman that I fell in love with,'" added Richard.

Although what Kristin says is true, many of us expect do our partners to change and don't hesitate to say so. 'If you love me why can't you blah blah blah?' So it's not always heartfelt and voluntary...

Kristin adds that she surrendered her job, her dog, as well as her independence when she married Lance. She also admitted to being blinded by the huge diamond ring he gave her when they got engaged...

The moral of the story is if you are really turned on by golf, sure - take up those clubs. Otherwise just don't nag and spoil the pleasure he gets in playing the sport. Use that time to pursue something that you really like.

You gotta spend time together but also give each other some space! And this applies to all you boyfriend-girlfriend types as well.

Fevicol ka jod wood ke liye chalta hai, human beings ke liye nahin.

Halla Bol - 4 stars

Everything in this movie is something you've seen before. Yet the way it's all come together is so powerful that you don't really mind it.

Yep, I just saw the late nite show. Read the rest of my review here (scroll down a bit!)

Do you lust after your bai?

I haven't been blogging much and it's not because of journeys within or around the place (which I shall post about shortly!)

The thing is I am working on this book project and it takes a lot of energy, both mental and physical. Writing a book is different from writing a blog, or a magazine piece. A book has to have cohesion of thought and attitude.

It's taken quite a few drafts for me to reach a point where I feel satisfied with the way it's shaping up. And oh, that's just chapter one.

Result of all this maatha pachchi is: no blogging. Not because there weren't things I'd like to write about but because I need to take a break from the screen and keyboard...

And yes, since I am working from home for this month this break generally means I swicth on the television. Which is how I came across this incredible new song with a great beat: "Aye Hip Hopper". The video instantly catches your attention - there's a guy sitting in a bathtub while a girl who is a bit oddly dressed in a t-shirt and bindi is washing his hair.

The lyrics go like this:
Aye heep hopper mujhe pyaar to aye heep hopper
Meri pyaar ki duniya mein ... meri love ki duniya mein, ek pappi do na sir

Then the hip hopper goes..
Kya tu pak rahi hai
Kaise tap rahi hai
Khopdi pak rahi hai
Ruk ruk ruk
Baksheesh bhi diya hai
Bonus bhi diya hai
chahiye tujhko kya hai
Phut phut phut

In case you haven't guessed by now, the girl is a servant in the house ('tere ghar mein bartan shartan maanjti hu barabar') and I guess that bathtub scene is a censored version of the fantasies many guys play out in their minds.

The 'heep hopper' now despairs:
Maybe but she's hot like Rekha..
But she ain't gonna find my favour...
How can I'm a star hip hopper..
She's my bai, just a part time naukar

I think some folks will find the whole song, lyrics and especially the picturisation 'offensive'. But I think here's a very original and perceptive artist. And this is what hip-hop is all about isn't it? A class struggle.

Now had the guy been groping the girl it would really have been gross. But here it's the girl who's trying to seduce the guy. And that turns the maalik exploiting naukraani scenario totally on its head!

The 'heep hop' singer is Ishq Bector and I think he will go far. Listen to the song here. The female voice is Sunidhi Chauhan.

According to his website, Ishq is born & raised in Winnipeg, Canada, but has made Mumbai his second home. Certified in Chinese Medicine with his forte in Acupuncture, this multi-talented Gemini followed his first passion in life, music. And lots more blah blah blah.

I think he's talented and the music is spunky. Another single 'Daaku Daddy' is about a girl who is grounded by her dad because he finds out about her boyfriend. And so he's the 'daaku daddy', like Gabbar Singh.

The album 'Daaku Daddy' has been released in India by Times Music. I don't know how much it will sell in this age of free downloads but maybe he'll make money giving concerts and scoring Bollywood music!

A journey within - I

I haven't been updating this blog that often. And the reason isn't work pressures or blog-fatigue. There are enough interesting things to write about - from the new Flying machine ad (isn't it a decade too late to be inspired by The Matrix?) to the Indian School of Business (Yes, I came, I saw and I am impressed!)

All that and more in due time. But as the year draws to a close and reams of newsprint are devoted to 'best of 2007 lists', I find myself in a more reflective mood. This year, for me, has been a journey... but an inward one.

And although I rarely get personal on this blog I feel the need to share this experience. So many of us, outwardly qualified, content and cruising through life are actually restless and raging inside. For no apparent reason.

Some say this is the scourge of modern life. That may well be the truth. But there are deeper and more eternal truths which I, a born skeptic, stumbled upon. And if it happened to me, it could happen to you too.

So bear with me, as I deviate into unusual territory. This is a 5 part series. If you choose to follow it, keep an open and inquiring mind. Let the journey begin..

A journey within - I
It is a mildly chilly March morning. I am at the German cafe in Rishikesh, a quaint little place which serves fantastic fluffy brown bread and coffee. And offers a great view of the Lakshman Jhula bridge.

I am the only Indian at the cafe. This is white-man-seeking-salvation haven. Elderly English ladies, youngish European lads. Most are sipping honey lemon water and discussing their progress on the path of yoga. They've been here months - some even years - and long after it was truly fashionable to be a hippie.

My mind says they're escapists - floating through life on the strength of a favourable exchange rate. But my heart feels otherwise. They could just as well be lying on a beach in Goa sipping tequilas. But they're here, on some kind of quest.

Clean as it is, there are flies buzzing around the place. Some make a landing on the honey-and-lemon-sippers legs. No one reacts. It's like this is a most natural and beautiful thing. Human beings, flies - they co exist in peace and harmony. I can't help but wonder: Are flies in Rishikesh different from flies elsewhere in the world?

Or is it just that these people are so much at peace - with themselves, and the world - that the fly ceases to bother?

And keeping with the metaphor of the fly, is it possible to be so much at peace with yourself that these 'flies' - the many irritants buzzing around in our day to day life - cease to bother??

The answer, I have discovered is 'yes'. Unlikely as it sounds at first, this is possible. And we don't need to be in Rishikesh to achieve this state (although it's certainly a very beautiful place and I would not mind spending a few months conducting lemon, honey and fly experiments @ the German Cafe in particular).

In fact, to the majority of Indians the idea of leaving home, family, job and all worldly commitments to someday achieve 'enlightenment' is laughable. Which is why an entire generation of spiritual teachers have taken it upon themsleves to create programs that fit into our world. And happen at our doorstep.

From Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to Swami Sukhbodananda, we have a wide variety of 3-5 day 'courses' designed to make us introspect, and to learn some simple techniques of meditation. The program you choose to take up generally depends on who you encounter that persuades you to 'give it a try'.

And so it was that I joined the 'Art of Living' basic course close to 5 years ago. Did it change my life? Well... it could have. I went into the course a complete non-believer and came out thinking, "haan isme kuch hai". The main takeaway from Art of Living is the 'sudarshan kriya' - a breathing technique which allows you to get into a meditative state.

The first time I did the sudarashan kriya I felt hot and feverish. Like something yuck was being released from inside me. Apparently this happens to many people.

Besides sudarshan kriya, the 'Art of Living' (aka AOL) is full of mini sermons, exercises and platitudes. But, it works. That bit reminded me of ERI (Exploring Roles and Identities) which we went through as second year students at IIMA. Taking time out of your daily routine to introspect and connect with your fellow human beings is always a cathartic experience.

The trouble is, it does not take long to get swept away by the torrent of day to day life once again. Of course, you are supposed to keep doing the kriya - and for a while I did. Then one morning you wake up late and skip, ditto the next day. And poof! You fall out of the habit and gradually forget usme koi faayda bhi tha.

The good people @ Art of Living will contact you from time to time and say,"Come for a refresher course (free of cost)... Come for satsang." But somehow I never did. So I can say the 'Art of Living' failed me... but the truth is that I failed 'Art of Living'.

The trouble is, a part of me just did not believe that this breathing in and out, shallow breaths, fast breaths, ujaya breaths etc can really make a difference.

Exactly 4 years after AOL I joined Isha Yoga. The truth is I had no idea what 'Isha Yoga' was. I was going through some inner turmoil and during this period I happened to see a poster for Isha Yoga stuck on a tree near my house. The introductory session was at 6 pm, not far away. It was 5minutes to six and for reasons I cannot fathom I rushed there.

I thought they would be teaching some yoga poses and possibly, that would be good for stress relief. Turns out Isha Yoga is very similar to Art of Living. Much of the course is talking, introspecting, fables, exercises. And of course they teach you a breathing technique called 'Shambhavi Mahamudra'.

Although in action it is different from sudarshan kriya, the ultimate result is the same. By focussing on one's breath through a precise sequence of events, you are able to rid your mind of all its chatter. And that, is a state of pure bliss.

Isha Yoga worked wonders for me. This does not mean it is 'better' than Art of Living. It is a little different in that it is more intense (they actually ask you to do 'homework' each day!). The Isha yoga 'Inner Engineering' program involves greater number of hours, and also explains some of the science behind what still sounded like spiritual mumbo-jumbo to the skeptic in me.

Lastly, they actually put up a projector and screen bits of discourses by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, the force behind Isha Yoga and a rather charismatic personality.

However the real difference lay not in the courses, but in the person who took experienced them at two different times. Perhaps AOL was a preparation - it opened my mind to possibilities but I did not have the commitment to follow through and make it happen.

I entered Isha Yoga also without any expectations of radical or dramatic changes. And I continued to be a skeptic. But half way through the person who could not sit still in one position for more than 5 minutes began to experience physical and mental calm.

After the 'initiation', the yuck feeling which I first became conscious of during Art of Living, left me permanently. I can't describe how or what happened. All I knew was if doing this shambhavi maha mudra every morning can keep me at peace, I am going to do it.

And so I completed the 21 days of the Isha Yoga kriya. And I continue to practice it at least 5 times a week. I can feel a real difference. My mind is free of nnecessary thoughts and worries. And I don't get that easily irritated by flies - real or metaphorical.

You can choose any of these paths - or some other. The important thing, however, is to figure out what works for you and then commit yourself to doing the daily pranayam or 'kriya'. If it does not work for you, the reasons are within.

You could be closed and skeptical, or just plain lazy. Life chal rahi hai, your 15 minutes of extra sleep each morning are more important.

But it will happen, in time, if you need it and want it badly enough. So keep an open mind, keep exploring. Keep swatting those flies... Until one day, you decide, "That's enough!"

Note: I have the highest regard for Sri Sri and the Art of Living program. Please treat this as a deeply personal observation and not a declaration that 'Isha Yoga is superior'. You are welcome to share your own experience here, but let's not get into debating and defending :)

Welcome to Club JAM

A decade before the term 'UGC' came into currency, JAM magazine had done just that -powered itself on user generated content. In its very first issue in August 1995, JAM had instituted the concept of student reporters and writers (also known as JBCs or JAM Bureau Chiefs).

These young people - their thoughts, ideas and energy form the core of the JAM spirit. Guided and mentored by the editorial team, we've seen a few generations of young people pass through our portals (a 'generation' in youth terms is roughly 3 years :) And so many of them left their unique imprint on the minds and hearts of our readers.

Over the years, the volume of contributions and contributors has grown. And the cycle of news has changed. JAM remains a fortnightly print magazine but a lot happens every day, every hour and we have struggled for some time with how to let the energy and content of the JAM junta flow online smoothly.

We did not wish to be a me-too of an orkut or facebook. At the same time we want to empower the JAM community to network. To express themselves dynamically and in real time on a JAM-centric online creative platform.

After much thought, trial and error we have launched Club JAM (http://clubjam.jammag.com). This is a space where jammers that has all the cool stuff you see on any social network but it's also a space for creative expression in all forms. Articles, photos, videos, discussions, forums - and much more to come.

The site is currently in beta and has 400 + members since its launch on Dec 1 2007. On Jan 1 we will migrate the 35,000 existing members of jammag.com to Club JAM as well. The best of Club JAM will be published in JAM - the print magazine as well.

I invite you to come, experience and participate in this online experiment. Especially the many, many of you who write to me everyday expressing an interest in 'writing for JAM'. I am no longer the 'gatekeeper' - the power is in your hands.

Hope to see on Club JAM. Join the party :)

MBA ki amar kahani

The MBA is more than a degree – it’s the last refuge of the studious, the seeker and the scoundrel. A tongue in cheek look at why the MBA is here to stay.

(written late one night under the influence of Maggi noodles - which kept me alive in my MBA days)

Mere paas gaadi hai, bangla hai, daulat hai, shohrat hai… tumhare paas kya hai?
Abhi toh kuch nahin… par main MBA ki taiyyari kar raha hoon!

Two hundred and thirty thousand young men and women with stars in their eyes and hope in their hearts gave the CAT – or the Common Admission Test – for entry to the IIMs and assorted other MBA institutes in the year 2007. And there will be more next year. Because the MBA is no longer a degree, it’s a declaration.

What you declare depends on where you do the MBA from. There’s first and foremost the guys (and a few – way too few - gals) who get into the ‘best’ institutions. And they enter the program with the “King of the World” declaration.

Hello fatcats from London, Paris and New York. I‘ve just cleared the most difficult exam in the world to get here… Come get me!

As urban legend has it, an IIM degree is the gateway to a life of cash, caviar and oops! I’m vegetarian, could I have more cash instead, please? The trouble is not everyone can get into an IIM (and not everyone who does gets the caviar!) but as they say, “Aim for the sky and you’ll fall on a jumbo jet… circling Mumbai airport.”

So we have a host of young people joining business schools which are waiting to land at “We have arrived” airport. And theirs is a “Smell the coffee” declaration.

”Look at us – we’re no less than those IIM grads. Heck, we work harder and smarter, just give us a chance to prove it.”

Lehman. McKinsey – are you listening? Evidently, not yet but this bunch is snapping up a whole lot of plum posts which the IIM types see as prunes. And the aroma of that coffee - it’s getting stronger.

Now the next lot also aimed for the sky but ended up on the terrace of an under construction building. Plenty of those, these days, by guys who’ve just had terrific IPOs. Everything’s swanky here – good to look at, feels great to be here. Of course, we all agree it’s overpriced but do we have a choice?

Na huh. Need house, will buy. Need employee, will employ. Retail, banking, insurance, IT, BPOs – these sectors need hands and legs with a moderate amount of brains to match. And not in the dozens but hundreds. Thousands, actually.

So they swoop down on the ‘Jhumritalaiyya’ variety of MBA colleges and recruit large numbers. Yes, if nothing else these graduates ‘look like MBAs’. They carry laptops, wear formals, carry pink papers under the elbow and generally look self important. Just the kind of firepower needed to subdue the hapless consumer into signing on for ULIPs, NFOs and other acronyms which easily roll off the MBA tongue. Assuring him a generous slice of your ‘better tomorrow’.

Last but not the least come the ‘MBA as timepass’ variety. Of course, all education can be said to be a form of timepass – but who’s actually awake to notice? Nevertheless the MBA program now attracts the unlikeliest of species. For example, girls who have no ambition or intention of climbing the corporate ladder. Or running a business.

These are girls who simply wish to get married.

The catch is that “acche ladke padhi likhi ladki chahte hain”. And these days, Home Science does not qualify. As more and more boys from bijness families take up the MBA – at Indian institute for people with money (with sham entrance exam) or Australian business school for people with money (with sham entrance exam but dollar pricing), the girls are following suit.

As doctor once married doctor, MBA now marries MBA. A quick scan of the Sunday matrimonials reveals how the once revered MA has fallen out of favour. It’s now about MBA and LPA (lakhs per annum). Working for a year or two after graduation is encouraged. How many will continue building their careers after marriage depends on DRA (Dulhe Raja’s Attitude).

Phir bhi, progress hi to hai. Once upon a time thousands of young people struggled for a few hundred seats in the administrative service. The majority eked out a life after the dream faded away. Now thousands struggle for a few hundred seats in the most prestigious bschools. But the rest have a chance to start somewhere – even if at the bottom of a rickety ladder.

With hard work and a bit of luck, all these MBAs will climb upwards. They will grow the economy, and grow with it as well. “Do we need to pay 22 year olds 25,000 a month just because they can now use Powerpoint,” is a question the Older Generation often ponders. The answer is, not really.

But in a world where no one has the time or the energy to sift through hundreds of carbon copied, error-ridden-despite-being-spellchecked resumes, we’d rather take our chances with the ‘MBA”.

The MBA is a necessity because our education system is in shambles. Young minds go through conveyor belt colleges and come out unchallenged, underconfident and not even used to the idea of ‘working hard’.

In India, business school is the ultimate ‘finishing school’ – it finishes up the work 15-16 years of previous education was supposed to. MBA courses are all modelled along ‘boot camp’. Projects, presentations, surprise tests, case studies, all night study sessions – this is the stuff of the average student’s worst nightmare. But ultimately, the badge every MBA proudly wears.

And for this alone, HR managers will tolerate the jargon, the attitude, the insouciance of the ‘is this what I did an MBA for’ MBA.

Speaking of finishing school, the MBA – from the student point of view – is crossing the final finish line of education. There’s nothing more you can do beyond this to ‘better your prospects’. Escape from a boring job into something glamorous (or at least better paid!). The MBA is like “Incredible India” advertisements. The brochure can sometimes be more attractive than the actual sights.

And yet, you crave that experience. Happily, it no longer matters how old or young, smart or dumb, rich or poor you are. There is an ‘MBA’ for everyone. 1 year executive programs, 2 year distance learning MBAs, 3 year part time course. Qualifications which would earlier fall under the uncool sounding ‘vocational’ now attract tons of students by renaming themselves as ‘MBAs’.

So you have MBA (Retail), MBA (Insurance), MBA (Telemarketing). The last one is a figment of my imagination but I wouldn’t be surprised to see such a course in the market very soon…

In the ultimate analysis, ‘MBA’ is whatever you make it to be. Or whatever you make of it. The MBA is here to stay, until another degree which captures the imagination of our people comes along. That could take a while.

And hey, we just might subvert it and convert it. “Let them eat cake… and let us all do MBAs.” Amen.

Heh he heh
In the hit movie ‘Partner’ Govinda plays an ‘IIM Ahmedabad graduate’. Now many IIM grads are nerds who have no idea how to woo a girl. But a salary of Rs 30,000 a month at age 30? Tauba tauba.

Surprising the IIM types did not take out a morcha to the scriptwriter’s house, sue the producer for maligning the fair name of IIM A, and start an e-petition imploring the all television anchors who need a ‘Question of the Day’ to take notice. Guess they were too busy with placements…

The wonder of Ellora

This is a panoramic view of the Kailasa temple at Ellora. To take this picture you have to climb up a pagdandi and huff and puff your way up - not many visitors do. But the effort is worth it.

And all I could think, from up there, was wow! Which ancient genuises whittled down an entire mountain to create this... and how?? Much is said and written about the pyramids and the Taj Mahal. Those are amazing feats in engineering and architecture but at the end of the day they were built bottom up.

Which is difficult but not impossible.

How do you humble a mountain into submission with a mere hammer and chisel? Even if you have several hundred years at your disposal?? "Shayad unke paas chemicals thhe... to loosen the stone," was the explanation from one local. Phir bhi.

And all said and done, we've heard of Ajanta-Ellora but they just haven't got the hype they deserve. The Kailasa temple is a 'world heritage site' but how many of us living in Mumbai have visited it? Or plan to, in the near future? I for one experienced it for the very first time a couple of days ago. And not because I had planned a trip as a tourist.

Kuch aur kaam se gaye thhe - khaali time mila so sightseeing par nikal gaye. And I simply couldn't believe my ignorance. I mean I vaguely knew Ajanta mein paintings hain, but had little clue about Ellora. Maybe we read it in our history textbooks but I had long forgotten the details.

Despite it being December - peak season for tourism - there were not that many visitors. Among foreigners, mainly Japanese, all with guides and taking the tour in the most systematic way possible.

The Indians generally wandered from one cave to the next (there are 34 in all - Buddhist, Hindu and Jain). None of them had guides (the standard rate being a steep Rs 450 as against an entry ticket of Rs 10). And of course, the ASI or government or whoever is responsible has not bothered to even put up signs outside the caves, explaining their significance. "Ek number (first cave) par board laga hai... uske baad pata nahin, baaki chhod diya," shrugged one of the 'caretakers'.

These are the guys who take care to switch on a flashlight and point out sculptures to foreign tourists so they can take snapshots with fancy cameras, flash et al. Which is explicitly prohibited!

The one thing I must commend ASI or whoever is in charge for is the fact that the caves are very clean. No garbage lying around, no paan stains, no urine ki smell. I guess we Indians are pious but certainly vigilance also plays a role.

Speaking of Indian tourists sights like this one really pained me. This guy was typical of the bhartiya sightseeing party. The kind who go from cave to cave amusing themselves with how much 'echo' they could generate. There was a huge bunch of schoolkids also doing the same thing but you can forgive the bachchas. The glee of bunking school for 'picnic' is something we've all experienced. Although I am sure if someone took the trouble of bringing history alive for those kids, they would be most receptive.

Then again, it's the overall chalta hai attitude we have towards our own culture. And I am no one to point fingers. Just that I was overawed, not just by the sight but the energy that vibrates at this place. The ancient wisdom that went into its creation. And the devotion to a divine power which made it possible

I will be back one of these days (there was no time to visit Ajanta!) and I hope you guys put this on your must-see list as well. Wonder if National Geographic or Discovery have made a documentary feature on Ajanta-Ellora... would love to see it.

And finally, no piece about the attractions in and around Aurangabad would be complete without a mention of the 'non-attraction' - 'Bibi ka Maqbara' also known as the poor man's Taj Mahal. Built by Prince Azam Shah, son of Emperor Aurangzeb, in the late 17th century as a loving tribute to his mother.

It has none of the grandeur or the romance of the Taj. It's a soulless, bonsai version of the original - a futile and boring me-too!