‘3 Idiots’ is a good movie; in fact a smart movie.
This movie is an attempt to relate to the mind set of current middle income group and literate class.
This class have been busy in the pursuit of achieving and reaching the higher strata of the society. Houses are bought; movies costing some Rs. 250 are seen because the Middle class can afford it now.
Academic prowess and economic freedom has taken our country to a different level for first time since independence.
Please rest assured Mr. Khan, your movie is being appreciated but do not the attempt to preach. We are no welfare state; as for the middle class, academic is the ticket to economic freedom.
Certain classes or communities, that have faced problems in achieving academic prowess since times immemorial, will take your attempt as self liberating.
Good comedy, excellent actors and current burning issue with excellent marketing are wrapped and bundled up for people to wake up at 6.30 in the morning with chai and biscuits. Sheer brilliance, Mr. Khan!
Take the core from Ayn Rand, indulge in system bashing, drape it with Archie, Reggie, Veronica scenario and there, you have a blockbuster!
We can do with more 3Is, and there is nothing wrong in making a smart movie backed by excellent marketing.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Paa
Paa, the movie was great. I even dare to say, I liked it better than ' the curious case of Benjamin Button'.
There never should be any comparison as there is nothing to compare between the two.
Amitabh might end up getting the best Child Artist of the Year Award from one of the dozen or so award ceremony which is there every 6 month.
Vidya Balan, she is a sheer delight to watch. Every Iyer with Kerala background I have come across is claiming her to be from their nadu. Just the other day, my friend Venkat claimed she is from Trissur and Ramchandran (pronounced Ramendran) claimed her to be from Palghat. This, of course, when implied ' she is from their own village' of their town or city also means, they are related.
This happens to most of the celebrities of Kerala.
The role of Vidya Balan is pure fiction. Hot, witty, practical bold, very adjustable, not demanding, no pressure on the guy of her life, daughter of a very understanding mother, good doctor, great mother and so on and on In real life, guys will agree that if we have more of such women, one need not look for any marriage counsellor, stay late in the office late or hit the bar for the occasional drink or two.
Survey conducted in Matunga, Chembur, New Mumbai and Dombivli states that 96.6% of those who have seen Taare Zameen Par and Paa, heard about Dyslexia and Progeria for the first time. This includes good percentage of doctors and medical students.
I saw trailer of a movie starring Himesh Reshamya and I wondered whether that movie was about cold and influenza.
There never should be any comparison as there is nothing to compare between the two.
Amitabh might end up getting the best Child Artist of the Year Award from one of the dozen or so award ceremony which is there every 6 month.
Vidya Balan, she is a sheer delight to watch. Every Iyer with Kerala background I have come across is claiming her to be from their nadu. Just the other day, my friend Venkat claimed she is from Trissur and Ramchandran (pronounced Ramendran) claimed her to be from Palghat. This, of course, when implied ' she is from their own village' of their town or city also means, they are related.
This happens to most of the celebrities of Kerala.
The role of Vidya Balan is pure fiction. Hot, witty, practical bold, very adjustable, not demanding, no pressure on the guy of her life, daughter of a very understanding mother, good doctor, great mother and so on and on In real life, guys will agree that if we have more of such women, one need not look for any marriage counsellor, stay late in the office late or hit the bar for the occasional drink or two.
Survey conducted in Matunga, Chembur, New Mumbai and Dombivli states that 96.6% of those who have seen Taare Zameen Par and Paa, heard about Dyslexia and Progeria for the first time. This includes good percentage of doctors and medical students.
I saw trailer of a movie starring Himesh Reshamya and I wondered whether that movie was about cold and influenza.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
MNC/PVT Banking Con
Not long ago, a wise guy in my department of sales advised me, “Consultants are guys who look at your watch and tell you what the time is.” This was during one of those meetings held in my MNC to achieve ISO and quality policy certification.
In such meetings, the consultant individually asked us our job profile, how we go about doing our job, the process, etc. On the last day, he gave us an excellent presentation on how we should be doing our job which sounded very professional and impressive. Of course, we were all given a neat folder with lot of charts and jargons. After a year or so, I read it one evening and realized that it actually is what we had told the consultant in the first place on the first day.
How well do we know our bank is what I am trying to cover in this blog of mine. Actually we do not know them at all. Banking in India and elsewhere is a nice con. Bankers make money because people do not know and trust each other, i.e. you have excess money and I am in need. You deposit the money, get some measly 8% with lot of stars and I pay some 14 % and give collateral which is 2.5 times the loan amount. My calculator is throwing a margin of some 75% or so earned by our bank with our money.
Recently, my accountant who commutes from Kalyan and my Peon from a chawl in Mulund, decided they should own a house of their own. As such they are paying rent which is more than the EMI as per the calculations given in website of various bank.
MBA Marketing Managers of Kotak Mahindra and Standard Chartered, who tried for over 6 months to make an inroad to my cabin to get our account, turned away my peon and the accountant for housing loan. The reason give is “policy matter” which negates sanction of any loan to people who reside beyond Thane. This is ridiculous as I know for sure many of the employees from these banks hail from Dombivli and Nala sopara.
NPA amongst housing loan from areas beyond Thane is less than 1%. I am sure there should be some law against this practice of KM and SC for discriminatory attitude they have against people residing beyond Thane.
I am closing my account with Standard Chartered bank and Kotak Mahindra. They are not bankers, they are plain money lenders. I will go to them when I want because, I know they will give, when they know for sure that they will make money and it makes business sense to them. I don’t have to have a relationship with them. Yeah, the guys, who are in regular touch with my staff including this peon and the accountant, are designated as ‘Relationship Managers’.
In such meetings, the consultant individually asked us our job profile, how we go about doing our job, the process, etc. On the last day, he gave us an excellent presentation on how we should be doing our job which sounded very professional and impressive. Of course, we were all given a neat folder with lot of charts and jargons. After a year or so, I read it one evening and realized that it actually is what we had told the consultant in the first place on the first day.
How well do we know our bank is what I am trying to cover in this blog of mine. Actually we do not know them at all. Banking in India and elsewhere is a nice con. Bankers make money because people do not know and trust each other, i.e. you have excess money and I am in need. You deposit the money, get some measly 8% with lot of stars and I pay some 14 % and give collateral which is 2.5 times the loan amount. My calculator is throwing a margin of some 75% or so earned by our bank with our money.
Recently, my accountant who commutes from Kalyan and my Peon from a chawl in Mulund, decided they should own a house of their own. As such they are paying rent which is more than the EMI as per the calculations given in website of various bank.
MBA Marketing Managers of Kotak Mahindra and Standard Chartered, who tried for over 6 months to make an inroad to my cabin to get our account, turned away my peon and the accountant for housing loan. The reason give is “policy matter” which negates sanction of any loan to people who reside beyond Thane. This is ridiculous as I know for sure many of the employees from these banks hail from Dombivli and Nala sopara.
NPA amongst housing loan from areas beyond Thane is less than 1%. I am sure there should be some law against this practice of KM and SC for discriminatory attitude they have against people residing beyond Thane.
I am closing my account with Standard Chartered bank and Kotak Mahindra. They are not bankers, they are plain money lenders. I will go to them when I want because, I know they will give, when they know for sure that they will make money and it makes business sense to them. I don’t have to have a relationship with them. Yeah, the guys, who are in regular touch with my staff including this peon and the accountant, are designated as ‘Relationship Managers’.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Cricket and IPL
I have been quite regular watching IPL matches which starts at 4 pm in office and the second one which is at 8 pm. A lot happened in or did not happened in last 40 odd days which has helped Mr. Mody big time to make it a success?
when there is no call for business, no meetings of any significance, this match at 4 pm did help. when people were around in the office, all I had to do with go to rediff and kept clicking on refresh button for the latest score. Before I know, it was 7pm and time to go home to catch up another. When the marketing people were out on a call ( hopefully), I did switch on my new LCD tv in my cabin.
My friendly competitor who keeps coming to see me, claims plasma is better. I told him i have that at home. that put to rest the argument of which is better.
Coming to plasma and LCD, trust me it is painful decision to make, whichever you go for,well, actually the decision is taken for you by the salesman and that depends on their margin and what is in ready stock. Neighbor and that wise cousin will claim the other one is better.
My friend from Durban, actually told me recession has hit them so much that people throng to the stadium when the matches are there to escape from NO work.
I luv to see IPL and its popularity when South Africa is back to business in full swing. But then, India shoud be back to big time danda pani too.
IPL reminds me of my cricket playing days. The arena is perhaps bit smaller. The game was played between two buildings. Boundries were defined, 20 meters. No sixes, it was known more as sixers' then. In fact, batsman was declared out ( expression then and now is the same of disgust)if the ball is lifted over the boundry. meaning.. jump over the wall of the next building to pick up the ball.
We were more technical than IPL players of today. We all mastered the art of not hitting the window panes which was almost in the gap of 1 meter from first floor to 3rd floor from short midwicket to long on and gully to long off. In the eventuality of any of the players miscued a hit and break the window glass, the problems to follow were aplenty. No games for next 4 days, till one ramu or subbbu braves that aunty who will be furious.
I always wondered why is that the boy of that house is always missing in the very game the window glass of that house gets broken. May be theory of relativity... We used to use simpler words then, plain panvathi.
Matches were played for much bigger stakes... Pride. girls next door, uncles and aunties were our spectators. Disputes were settled by uncles for run outs and LBW. The problems of LBW became so enormous that most of the matches played in Mumbai between the buildings and in gullies decided to do away with LBW.
We played 10 over match, under arm on weekdays and over arm on holidays. Overarm is played more seriously as some office goers in late 20s and mid 30s known for big hitting will be around and teenagers were very keen to impress them. These office goers when they do not fair well, will say the standard,... it has been a long time... you know..I used to think, danda udayana, chup chap reh.
Kya life tha, 4pm School bell will ring, I used to make it home by 4.15pm and our IPL then used to start by 4.40pm. If I had not changed to civil dress and played cricket wearing school uniform, solid thrashing was in order followed by tiffin and bashan.
Modi just stole our script of life during school days.
when there is no call for business, no meetings of any significance, this match at 4 pm did help. when people were around in the office, all I had to do with go to rediff and kept clicking on refresh button for the latest score. Before I know, it was 7pm and time to go home to catch up another. When the marketing people were out on a call ( hopefully), I did switch on my new LCD tv in my cabin.
My friendly competitor who keeps coming to see me, claims plasma is better. I told him i have that at home. that put to rest the argument of which is better.
Coming to plasma and LCD, trust me it is painful decision to make, whichever you go for,well, actually the decision is taken for you by the salesman and that depends on their margin and what is in ready stock. Neighbor and that wise cousin will claim the other one is better.
My friend from Durban, actually told me recession has hit them so much that people throng to the stadium when the matches are there to escape from NO work.
I luv to see IPL and its popularity when South Africa is back to business in full swing. But then, India shoud be back to big time danda pani too.
IPL reminds me of my cricket playing days. The arena is perhaps bit smaller. The game was played between two buildings. Boundries were defined, 20 meters. No sixes, it was known more as sixers' then. In fact, batsman was declared out ( expression then and now is the same of disgust)if the ball is lifted over the boundry. meaning.. jump over the wall of the next building to pick up the ball.
We were more technical than IPL players of today. We all mastered the art of not hitting the window panes which was almost in the gap of 1 meter from first floor to 3rd floor from short midwicket to long on and gully to long off. In the eventuality of any of the players miscued a hit and break the window glass, the problems to follow were aplenty. No games for next 4 days, till one ramu or subbbu braves that aunty who will be furious.
I always wondered why is that the boy of that house is always missing in the very game the window glass of that house gets broken. May be theory of relativity... We used to use simpler words then, plain panvathi.
Matches were played for much bigger stakes... Pride. girls next door, uncles and aunties were our spectators. Disputes were settled by uncles for run outs and LBW. The problems of LBW became so enormous that most of the matches played in Mumbai between the buildings and in gullies decided to do away with LBW.
We played 10 over match, under arm on weekdays and over arm on holidays. Overarm is played more seriously as some office goers in late 20s and mid 30s known for big hitting will be around and teenagers were very keen to impress them. These office goers when they do not fair well, will say the standard,... it has been a long time... you know..I used to think, danda udayana, chup chap reh.
Kya life tha, 4pm School bell will ring, I used to make it home by 4.15pm and our IPL then used to start by 4.40pm. If I had not changed to civil dress and played cricket wearing school uniform, solid thrashing was in order followed by tiffin and bashan.
Modi just stole our script of life during school days.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
me shivaji rao bhosle boltoi.....
what a movie!! it will be wrong to say this movie is for the maharashtrians. well it is for any indian, any middle class people who have forgotten their values, their self esteem and pride.
i ended up seeing this movie mainly because my daughter, kavita insisted on it.
i actually did my part of promoting the movie by sending sms' to some 50 odd maharastrians known to me.
people actually dont forget their values, it is the price which they pay to hold it dearly.
people do not actually forgo their self esteem, it is the challenge of holding it which makes them falter
the director whoever is one smart alec. he knows well the maharashtrians sense of pride or the lack of it with few. He knows that ghatis as he challenges them, however affluent they are refuse to be anything but middle class. it is a kind of comfort they enjoy being part of a bigger group.
Mahesh manjarekar, just rocked. I believe the director gave him his script and a good bottle of deshi or scotch. Mahesh just went about it naturally. It showed in the movie his intensity with red shot eyes, fluffy with hangover but witty as any drunk would be.
Sachin Khedekar portrayed the typical guy next door excellently and couldn't have done it any better. The rest of the members in his family in the movie just lived their role. I guess nothing needs to be said more.
I believe a movie is great when after several years we remember the cast, their dialogue and every scene etched on to our memory. Sholay is one in my view and this movie another. nobody can forget, chachi or asrani or jagdeep in Sholay, despite their limited role that they had. Similarly, this movie was carried not only by the main cast but also by the sidies.
My rating is 6 stars.
For a change this movie was also presented well and for the first time an english sub title. it went well with madrasi ghati like me, who are 4th generation here in amchi mumbai.
i ended up seeing this movie mainly because my daughter, kavita insisted on it.
i actually did my part of promoting the movie by sending sms' to some 50 odd maharastrians known to me.
people actually dont forget their values, it is the price which they pay to hold it dearly.
people do not actually forgo their self esteem, it is the challenge of holding it which makes them falter
the director whoever is one smart alec. he knows well the maharashtrians sense of pride or the lack of it with few. He knows that ghatis as he challenges them, however affluent they are refuse to be anything but middle class. it is a kind of comfort they enjoy being part of a bigger group.
Mahesh manjarekar, just rocked. I believe the director gave him his script and a good bottle of deshi or scotch. Mahesh just went about it naturally. It showed in the movie his intensity with red shot eyes, fluffy with hangover but witty as any drunk would be.
Sachin Khedekar portrayed the typical guy next door excellently and couldn't have done it any better. The rest of the members in his family in the movie just lived their role. I guess nothing needs to be said more.
I believe a movie is great when after several years we remember the cast, their dialogue and every scene etched on to our memory. Sholay is one in my view and this movie another. nobody can forget, chachi or asrani or jagdeep in Sholay, despite their limited role that they had. Similarly, this movie was carried not only by the main cast but also by the sidies.
My rating is 6 stars.
For a change this movie was also presented well and for the first time an english sub title. it went well with madrasi ghati like me, who are 4th generation here in amchi mumbai.
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