Chanakya

Many years back, when the cable TV did not exist, and I was very young... I really enjoyed watching 'Chanakya' on Doordarshan. I dont think it made much sense to me, but the look and feel of historic India fascinated me! It continues to fascinate me!

So, yesterday, I hired a VCD of the first two episodes of 'Chanakya'. I did not know that I would sit and watch both the episodes at one stretch. I did.

I am bowled over by the intensity of the film. It is really exciting to witness life as it would have existed hundereds of years ago. Life in Patliputra, the capital of a relatively prosperous Magadh. During the day, the streets are busy with people, horses and maybe an odd 'high profile' chariot. One man sits between perhaps a dozen pots of water, near the gates of the walled city, and serves water to the passers by - noble men and the ordinary people - all alike!

Maybe somethings never change, so just like we have a corrupted political scenario today, we have a corrupted political scenario in Patliputra. Maha Mantri, who lives in a very simple and very believable big house (with regards to the standards set by Mahabharata etc), stands for the good. The King lives in a 'not so fancy' palace, and thankfully without some "dumb looking and completeley oblivious of whats happening around" sepoys. He's corrupt, and he has the support of most of the other mantri's. Then there is Acharya Chanak, who heads one of the gurukuls. He supports Maha Mantri. One of his students is Vishnugupt (and perhaps his son too). Vishnugupt will go on to be known as 'Chanakya'.

Unlike most of the programs that we have on television these days, the language is not flowery and the clothes are not flashy! 'Chanakya' is real and indulging!

Hats off to Dr Chandraprakash and all others who have made this masterpiece!

Ratatouille

Amongst the numerous ways that are available to kill people, one that law doesn't disapprove of... is to bore people to death. And some people, by the virtue of their designation in an organization, assume the license to kill people with their boring blabber!

Now, no one is born boring; it's a skill aquired somewhere on the way. It usually happens sometime after the successful transformation of a person from a human being to a rat. Rats, they race. They scurry on that one line and all they see is one rat before them and two rats behind them. It's like you got the whole room to dance, and you try to 'balance walk' on a stupid line that Mr MNC makes you think - exists.



Hit your head hard against a wall and you will have a big swollen lump on your forehead, thats growth for rats! Rats remain boring rats in the name of growth. They stay rats and they spread the plague. Humans have to be really careful, not to catch the disease.

Rats are easy to smell spot. They make rotten cliche statements, they are predictable and they fart awful jokes. The two rats, behind the rat who cracks this joke, laugh on the joke. The smell would smother human beings... but some are blessed! They smile, serve and survive! :-)

All that said, humans learn from rats. We learn what to do and also what not to do! I learn commitment. And I learn... to not walk, the dance of my life!!

Management Sutra

Everyday we have a team stand-up meeting. The agenda is to discuss what each one of us is upto. The idea perhaps is to ensure that each indivisual works to his full potential, and the meetings are quite effective in achieving this purpose.

What suffers in the process, is the "team". The indivisual shadows grow tall and the "team" in these indivisuals takes a backseat.

These meetings have to be task oriented and not indivisual oriented and then the "team" comes to life! And when the T.E.A.M comes to life - Together Everyone Achieves More!

How Stupid ?

I dont write very frequently...even though I want to. When I do sit down to write sometimes, I dont know what to write. And thats simply because I am somewhat stupid! (Adding a somewhat, because a plain stupid sounds somewhat rude!)

Now, I am not here to publish a book on philosophy, but, somehow I am always striving to write philosophy! Even when I know, how futile is philosophy! I have decided, I would just come here and write anything that comes to my mind. Even if its gibberish! So many good things happen all the time, they are worthy of a record here on this blog. Dear blog, and dear good and bad events, and dear good and bad people, I promise...I will pen you down more often! :-)

the big fat indian wedding - the important story

In between all the fun and frolic and chaos, two people get tied to each other. And the tying up cascades to atleast their immediate family. Life would never be the same again.

It is the beginning of a new family, the life ahead is full of possibilities. The possibilities could have been simply amazing. But, as is the nature of human mind, nothing is left to simplicity. To add to the complexity, what lies ahead is unknown. More for the bride.

But, we are men and women of courage, and quite prepared to face the future akimbo. The bride's mind has been conditioned to be married from the day she took birth on this planet.

God bless everyone getting married!

the big fat indian wedding - the fun story

Crazy competitions between the 'ladki waale' and the 'ladke wale', they can be fun!

The groom rides down to the shaadi on his rented white ghodi (well, not really a ride), the incessant dancing around him goes on...and goes on...and goes on, and the groom sits there straddling his horse (he has no option). And then someone from the 'ladki wale' decides that enough is enough and the bride's brothers are motioned to go and get their jeeja down. And here begins the first conflict...the 'ladke wale' wont let that happen so easily. After a dance or two, they agree and the shaadi proceeds to 'Milani'.

Milani is fun. The corresponding relatives from both sides meet and put garland's around each other's neck. By, corresponding relatives I mean...ladki ka bhai...ladke ka bhai, ladki ka chacha, ladke ka chacha and so on... . When the milani happens, both the parties try to get the other one off their feet by lifting them in air...and whoever succeeds, wins!

Phew! There's another hurdle before the groom can walk in to the wedding hall...and this is the biggest one. His own 'sali's'. Or the bride's sisters. They simply demand money to let him in, and what follows is bargainings and negotiations and crazy comments and jokes...

Thats not the end, the ladki waale prowl the shaadi campus all the time, finding ways to trouble the ladke wale. And they steal the groom's shoes, and pin him when the phera's are happening...and what not!

I wonder...Aho!!

the big fat indian wedding - the sad story

Yes, its an overused stale title, but there's nothing new happening on the 'dilli ki shaadi' front, that could motivate a new title!

The bride's parents, they have lived their lives for this day. Some are lucky and they have accumulated enough money to host this shameless event, some are not and they would take loans or sell their big houses and move into smaller ones and host this shameless night! The shameless night; when they would stand proud, dressed in exhorbitant clothing and jewellery, their faces gleaming with make up worth thousands of rupees. Their lips curled in a relentless smile, and their heads full of painfully relentless thoughts!

The 'rishtedars' are dogs. Well dressed and well decorated dogs though! They have an opinion about everything and it is cumpolsary for them to express it. They are full of advices, of should's and of should not's, of complaints, of hippocracy. They are more often than not - empty of useful action.

The bride, she looks pretty. Overloaded. But pretty! Guess, you have to be a bride to really know more.

The groom is a poor fellow. Dressed in the most expensive suit in town, he can't show it to anybody. It's all hidden under his money mala's. Forget about the suit, the money he spent at beauty parlour is a waste too. No one can see his face either.

But all that is only a small part of the extravaganza!