The IPL Mela

People have drawn out their Pen, vented out their spleen, keyed in millions of letters condemning the authorities, management and players for this year’s IPL fiasco.

My little observations….. Mixed and dazed one at that

Sreeshant, no money found in his possession. Police with their team of detectives found that he has shopped in Diesel for few lacs. He was found with 3 girls in his car.

Very very bad indeed…… this is ultimate scandal

News Media came out with a scoop of Sreeshant, Ankit talking to each other with a girl in the hotel passage with shopping bag in their hands….. this is absolutely nonsense… they should not be allowed to get away with this.

20 lacs recovered…….. this is huge hard cash. 3G and coal gate, there were no cash found. .2G no proof, people are only ranting and raving… ask Sibal. Zero Loss

Guru and Srinivasan, how can anyone suspect any ulterior motive…. Check out tikka in Srini’s forehead…. Moreoever he is a tambram….. Guru is just a misguided youngster. He did not kill 5 people sleeping in the pavements or shoot some ducks…. Please spare him…

Make betting legal to pave way for call center companies to flourish. … can’t wait for a call on a Monday morning…. “good morning, sir appko betting ke bare mein jankari chhaihe” we are 100% subsidiary of CITI Bank”

The suspicion on Chandila or Ankit happened, when they rushed out of their dug out in a frenzy with great excitement, after the final ball was bowled in few of their matches. They did this when actually their team had lost. They are just upcoming cricketers …. The learning curve is steep.

“TWO SIDES OF A PAGE” 1ST side written by just pass Raju , 2nd side by Natarajan V. CEO

 “TWO SIDES OF A PAGE”  1^ST side written by just pass Raju , 2nd side by Natarajan V. CEO

Long ago, one Chithappa (uncle) made a statement amidst jaw dropping relatives that every coin has two sides. It made a lasting impression on me being the first English proverb which made sense to me without checking with Balu, who was then the ‘good in english’ in the family.

This blog is titled such that every experience of today makes me go back in a flash to some incidence of the past which just whizzes past me. 

This blog will outline incidences of today and how I relate with that of yesteryears.

Page 1

Got up in the morning, shrugged out with a pang of regret that no tennis today. .. It is not possible, anyways as I have to drop mother to Airport.

My note book is in tatters, the brown cover has come out, stuffed everything to my khaki bag, it is 8.40 already, mother has again wrapped 3 chappathis with baji in the middle in a eversilver dabba.....8.50 I go past the tennis court in Indian Gymkhana... uncles in white and white play tennis and in between break will have idly wada or uppma in canteen. Wondered kya life hai.... it is indeed nice to be pasia walla. Feeling thirsty, would the mali in the gymkhana   allow me to have water from the cooler or shoo me away like yesterday.  I had my sweet revenge, when I threw big stone on the left side shutter which is always closed.  I am sure he will not remember me.... no soul around the cooler, had a quick fill of the glass and gulped it down and ran. Days first sense of achievement!

MY CORRUPTION TRAIL...................FROM 15 YEARS TO NOW..

In 70’s ...  I was 15 or 16 years old.

My folks asked me to get tickets from VT station for vacationing in South during summer holidays. I went to VT station and saw some 500 odd people standing in queue already at 5.am. I was perplexed and one guy approached me to assist me in jumping the queue for Rs. 20/=. I paid and I was taken inside the office and I got the tickets for my folks. I was patted on my back for being Smart boy.  I talked about it to some 10 odd friends of mine who in turn learned what to do in similar conditions. I am sure each of them would have talked to 10 others on how to be a Smart Kid.

In 80s... in my 20s

I got my driving licence from RTO for 2 wheelers by paying Rs. 50/= without having to go through any test. I now became a Smart Alec/Chap

In 90s... in my 30s..

Being a sales guy, I had to travel on a drop of a hat notice and would get into reserved compartment with an ordinary ticket. Smooth talk with the TC who would act difficult initially and would finally allot me a berth over some consideration..... My management could always rely on me to travel anytime anywhere.... I became a Smart cookie/ GO GETTER.

In 2000s....

My consignments were not cleared on time. Customs authorities’ create some problem or the other. Clearing agent asked my approval to spend Pepsi money to make this faster. I agreed... I am now a seasoned businessman, who knows how to do “Dhanda”.

In 2011.

I AM NOW 49 YEARS AND FEEL SO ORDINARY  FOR HAVING PLAYED A PART FOR WHAT COMMON CITIZENS LIKE ME HAVE DRIVEN THIS COUNTRY TO. WELL,  I AM YET TO HAVE ANY INTERACTION WITH ANY POLITICIANS TO HIDE BEHIND THEIR CORRUPT DEEDS.

I AM  GUILTY AND ASHAMED FOR WHAT I HAVE BECOME.... I AM WILLING TO CHANGE AND WILL DO MY BEST... thanks to ANNA

70s movie.Yaadon ki Bharat

This morning I saw Yaadon ki bharaat about for 10 minutes. It was gripping, funny, serious, had a turning point and a high-drama climax all put together. 

The scene was the last song of family re-union with Tariq holding the guitar stem so tight with a clenched fist in one hand and slapping thundering riffs with the other.  The scene depicting Dharmendra holding on to the pillar with his face getting distorted with all sorts of emotions - crying in grief and smiling in happiness is kind of cemented in our memory. Arora, the second brother, running towards his bro with over-exaggerated strides is one scene which used to bring tears to warring brothers in a chawl.

Ajith always suited and with glares which could pass today as the latest style was just classy. I was told, he was particular about the dress code for his side kicks too.

Most hilarious is when dhammu and his side kick call on all the shoe shops to find out who has bought a pair of shoes with size 8 for right and 9 for left.  I used to wonder then,  Ajith being so rich he could actually buy a pair each of 8 and 9. I got a sharp rap on my head from someone for being stupid. 

I am sure

Please do not be surprised if we are requested by Indo-Japanese  Association guys to adopt a small family from Japan for a period of 6 months to 1 year .

I will not be surprised if few good Samaritans from Colaba, Kemps corner,  Juhu,  Defence Colony or Whitefield or Nungkambakkam elitists accept it as well.

I am sure these elitists would also extend this favour to Bangladeshi or Assamese families, who go through some sort of natural calamity almost every 2^nd year.

 I am glad to see involvement and intellectual participation with news channels beaming miseries which engulf Japan today. 

I feel sorry for Earthquake and Tsunami affected Japanese people that they had to through these sufferings and turmoil.

I am glad that Indian Government despatched blankets and other aids to Japan. This is right and anything we can do to reduce the suffering of humankind is just fine. Our Government is known to think beyond border for sure.

I am glad our Government did all possible to people in Leh & Ladakh who had a similar fate due to landslide.

I am glad that our Government has done whatever is possible for Kargil War affected families (forget Adarsh scam)

One needs to check though, but I am sure our Government did provide a house for the displaced families of our fellow Southies who were devastated by Tsunami a few years ago

I am pretty sure that our Government did give blankets to thousands of people living in the pavements in North during winter

I am very sure that our Government does have plans for several towns and villages which look as if Tsunami has struck them just yesterday.

I don’t know when I last undertook a local train journey in Mumbai.  I guess there was this one time when I had to go to a bank in Masjid some 4 years ago and before that in 1999.

We tend to be critical for no reason and I started believing local trains are not for me anymore. Well, one thing for sure, nobody cares from railways...
Local Trains of Mumbai carry some few millions everyday from places as far as Virar, CBD Belapur, Kalyan and Badlapur. I am insignificant and I really am no one to say anything about service/standard and my likes and dislikes about railways. Business guys, executives, staff and students travel at a cost which perhaps is the lowest in the world and they reach on time.

 What I experienced was fantastic. Platforms are clean, Train bogey or wagons are mighty impressive and punctual to the nearest minute. I travelled Dadar/Vasai/Dadar which I believe should be 140 km. I spent Rs. 220/=.  When I embarked on my journey, I had an outlook as if I am doing a favour to Railways by travelling. When I reached home, I was humbled by sheer experience and in my mind did a small calculation and realized that I have saved close to Rs. 600/= and not to mention no risk and no stress of driving.

 Few stray of thoughts as I was looking around with sheer admiration with the progress, all over.
1)      Builder make mega mega bucks: provide residential accommodation in extended Mumbai  towns, very conveniently assuring “ just 5 or 10 minutes from station”.... what does the railways get, more passengers and more strain on capacity... using railway’s goodwill for their business!!!
 2)      Most abused phrase is ‘there are scope for improvements in service’ they have to do this... and that.. What about scope of improvements amongst people... they continue to place their legs on empty seat in the front, spit and stain the corners of platform which is cleaned twice a day.
3)      I shudder to think of the statistics and logistics of number of train, number of passengers, technical trouble shooting, rail roko etc. We all work somewhere, run a department or execute some functions... I can only say this, Hats off to operational and support staff of Indian Railways
4)      A fellow passenger was complete with latest mobile and MAC laptop and was working with total dedication.  I thought I was stupid to  drive 140 km and listen to some atrocious music in FM

 As to whether I did have vada pav in Dadar Station, NO.... Vada might be of same quality as before, but cautious part in me in me prevailed. I guess I will overcome this too, in next 2/ 3 journeys.   I saw  a guy with a bag pack about 22 years old, hogging vada pav and holding Energy drink in another hand.  I just couldn't stop envying him. Somehow, I could just script what he will do in the evening, weekend and his rigorous thinking on how to achieve his career objectives........I just saw myself in him

no new year's day.......

We are just about a couple of months away to group sms all in our prized list of contacts. Happy New Year.  We are just a month away perhaps to plan out painstakingly where the hell we go out during New Year eve and sport a right social image of ourselves.

To me till date, I can recall only 3 or 4 new year party which was different otherwise it is the same old thing,  Earliest, I recall was  riding with Venkat to Gateaway in Yezdi in my early teenage years, drinking to the brim  and coming back at 3am. We danced to the tune of music blaring ‘i want to take you to ... funky town.... this is all I could follow.... rest was all noise to my ears.

Had a couple of Catholic friends, who would pronounce ...aks me to say ask me and would mumble man, whath a parthy we had man.... the only time we used to think of these bums were during xmas and new year.

Never understood, why it was such  a big deal for these  native east Indian guys to claim they are Goans when only time they have gone there was during a college picnic to sing ‘brown girl in the ring...’ But certain Fernandes’, note not Fernandez’ prefer to say they are from Mangalore.. It was never from Mysore or Karnataka. Mysore just became a city from a state with one headline in morning newspaper.  No morcha, no lochas.... they were too busy forwarding Bio data through a friend for job in  Bombay /Muscat or Kuwait.

I remember visiting a college mate named Rodrigues... he was called Rudy of course. . I saw only Pink in their house. Lady of the house had worn a pink skirt with polka dots,  the curtains were pink with big flowers, Rudy’s sis ( remember it is never sister those days) in a pink mini skirt with a frilled blouse with pink flowers again.  When introduced, she flashed her eyes and gave a coy smile ... before you could work out a smart thing to say, she would leave with her boyfriend Tony for a party, who is invariably the best friend of Cousin Martin. Party I realized later on is to go to neighbouring building terrace. Guys from that building would visit this building of Rudy. Man of the house, Rudy’s dad was on his own world, in a vest and Indian Bermudas, drunk. 

Life just drifted from one cricket series to another, it was Gavaskar and Vishwanath in 70s to 80s, Kapil and Shastri in 80s to 90s.  I don’t need to name the God who played cricket and brought smile to us often from 90s till date.

Coming to films during these period, for me,  it was  Amit in 70s, Amitabh in 80s to 90s, AB in 90s onwards till date.

Our fight for livelihood, recognition and achievement has been a continuous process from 70s till date.. I thank these sporting legends and artist for giving us great joy during our journey from school days to college days to Aura.

MGR to Rajni in Aurora

I am not too sure whether my excitement is to see the Endhiren the movie or to see a tamil movie in Aurora.

It seems just like the other day when Aurora was showing MGRs  Kavel Karen, rickshakaren, vetaikaran...from 12 to 3, 3 to 6, 6 to 9 and 9 to 12.  Not to disappoint the Malayalee crowd, on Sunday 9 to 12noon the classic and serioust flick of Madhu/Prem Nazir / Sathyen will be shown.

For SIES student from tamil division, I always used to wonder why is that Malayalam movies have the same cast movie after movies. It was like a family of 15 odd people moving around as a troupe to act in some 100 movies.

Usually the well behaved Kerala crowd will be followed by a frenzy crowd after a blaring alarm bell would make a dash for gate which will be manned by a hapless guard, who will eventually leave his post to a much tougher looking local dharavi born bouncer.

 Bouncer will also have business interest of being the inside man for the touts sellingtickets in black. The tout is   a woman with  50 odd tickets rolled and hidden in her no look (can’t look) area.

Promoting a movie is not recent a phenomena, MGR and Shivaji, used their massive fan base to just do this 30 years ago.

The purist would like to sincerely see the photo posters of the existing movie neatly displayed on the left side of the entrance and to the right would be the ‘coming attraction’  Claims and prediction whether the movie will run for 15 weeks or 25 weeks will be made then.

Cat calls followed by roaring laughter and reprimanding by a serious movie buff will be followed by a nice live fight.  It will be over in 5 minutes and they will continue to enjoy the movie being seated in the adjacent rows. When the show gets over, both will do their best to avoid each other but will loudly ask engaiya avan... The proud lady from his family would say .... vittu thallu ya....

With all these happenings, Aurora was the place to be with family for movie watching

It is sad to hear that this could well be the last movie of Rajni and Last movie to be shown in Aurora.

Chennai Super King.... ku whistle podu...Rajni will b probably be the last Super King from Tollywood.

CWG

Enough is written and televised about CWG fiasco. Let the world know what we have ignored for long in our own back yard.

It shames us because hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals are visiting for CWG in Delhi. Otherwise, it is fine. Toilets in Government hospital, hotels, and restaurant have been dirty. Why even public toilet in any railway station in India is dirty. We mutter few words, put handkerchief on our face as we enter this toilet and after 5 or 10 minutes it is not a problem anymore.

Our Politicians are dirty, our civic administration guys are dirty, and our cops are dirty. We see filth everywhere, so much so that we all are convinced in our lifetime nothing is going to change. We all get exasperated and think nothing will change in this life time. Actually even this thought is not right and actually dirty.

Dharavi and its filth have been there for more than 40/50 years. It has not bothered us so far, lot many taxis carrying foreign passengers have crossed by this area. Why so much ruckus now for CWG? I am glad though. Let something shame politicians and administrators.

Lalit is making money, or is it some politician or is it some money bag with a shady background converting his black to white or white to black. Who cares, I am absolutely sure none of the 50000 guys who were in the stadium or few 1000s who were in various cinema halls watching the match or countless millions glued to TV munching bajias and kurkure in the comfort of their home.

We have heard and seen the frenzy of soccer, American football or baseball and NBA in Europe and US.

I am just thinking about what is in store for us in India . Just to think, 600 plus millions, following a sport with passion that is unmatched for involvement or for sheer number. They are consumers too. Suddenly, US of A and Europe look downsized compared to India in the business of Sports. China do not count. They may have some guys winning in gymnast or badminton or TT.. But to drive the entire nation with a sport, MR. Modi has done it.

My customers in the business of printing Plastic cards got IPL business, my cousin running a leading retail chain is all smiles and informs me about fantastic footfall in the mall. Printers all over India are running 3 shifts.. Ad and creative agencies, signage companies are recruiting people left, right to keep up with the sudden surge in demand.

Okay, there are corrupt people around, they just don’t matter now. Ancillary industries like above are doing business which is 100 times more than all these franchisees put together. In my business I do involve touts at times, teek hai na,,, there are some politicians in this business of IPL too.
Forget all charges against Modi.. Just handover COMMONWEALTH GAME management to him and see what he can do for us. If he is making some 100 Million dollar in the process, so be it..

What we can do without amidst the entire melee is when a player of Tendulkar’s stature not coming clean when he took the catch of Dravid which he would know for sure that it bounced off the ground. Come to think of it, these two icons have fought together many a battle standing up to each other.. Sorry, Mr. Tendulkar, maybe I am from old school of thoughts, this is just not done.

"3" Idiots

‘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 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.

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.

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’.

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.

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.

naan south indian

It has been a long time... some stray thoughts of madness..

Jab we met

is my movie of the year. It is such a beautiful movie that I thought that the director wanted to make a movie but instead without realizing started enjoying himself. I keep reminding myself that I should always enjoy my work and not drag my feet through the day. Nowadays, I have stopped reminding myself that, it has become a way of life.

Shivaji... absolute fab of a movie The movie.. totally without any connection, says a lot about tamilians.

Shankars, subbus, and venkats or vichus with a mind of their own, tend to be loud amongst the crowd of north indians or goras to make their presence felt.

Their humors are never subtle, it is always meant to make a person laugh heartily. If we like a place, it is the most Wonderful place, if we like a foodl, it is fantastic; if we like our boss, he is the best da; if he is isnt then he is the lousiest da. It is always their point of VIEW

But then we are like that only. I always wondered why this compulsion to live and be in a way which is politically correct in others point of view.

Shankars, subbus and venkats are a minority amongst the tamilians.. some 5 odd per cent. Rest 90 per cent are the politically correct ' Aiyam Iyer'... screaming out to the world that we have brains to...

type out correctly a two page letter without any mistake, which now is
write out a program without any mistake...

make a proclamation that ... In India the way to do business is..........
make a statement that, the management is unable to understand his views ... Ha Happy that a foreigner some 15 years younger based in delhi or US is able to...

make a solomn declaration that only he or she can manage the department if given the Charge..

some 10 or 15 years ago, my biggest fear or rather hope that i dont get a south indian boss, who has started out as a steno but has worked (?) his to way to the top. Top means some 223 odd guys between him and the guy who has put in the money. By top, what I mean is vishwanathan or narayanan has conveyed to the society and his relatives that HE is The Head of the Dept., nothing moves without his knowledge in his company. Actually, a nice man to report to... but kithna lecture, kithna gyan, bardash nahi kar sakta..

Shivaji is a nice movie for we south indians. Such movies fight the demons for us, which we conveniently do not wish to....

Do you know our film makers have more IQ than any leading industrialist listed in NYSE..

Jaane tu..... people in 40s liked it because, they wanted to live like that.... but could never. When it comes to their kids, No way, they should focus on their studies.......

I am happy for aaj ka southy college going kids, they live like ..... pappu dance nahi...

Hyderabad

Traveled to Hyderabad for a day and a half. My observation about my traveland stay in this city spanning last 20 years or so.

1980
Traveled by Luxury bus( sic), high pitched volume of TV withVCP ( VHS ),hoping, praying that I will have a nice frill sitting next to me and that I can spin out a yarn about my corporate life, my disc life, my plans as to how I am going to take over companies etc. etc. I end up having one Ramulu or Hanumantha Rao, who will out snore the volume of TV blaring Mr.Natwarlal.

My mother would insist that I carry water bottle, idly with mulugapudi.Vazhi la laam chapdade
City was dusty and dirty, looked like our Sewri or Masjid Bunder. There were huge posters of NTR and few others who all looked alike, bada badagaal, big thick mooch, hair set like nest.

1985
Traveled by 2nd AC, would have told my folks at home that I am going by2nd AC may be 20 times before I embarked on my train journey. Hoping for agreat crowd was thoroughly disappointed to see guys in 40s and 50s, oildripping from their head, opened their tiffen carrier and much to my anguish, paraded their chicken biryani, the stench remained in the cabin till I alighted from the train some 30 hours later. The guys were shopkeeper, who keeps visiting Bombay to buy 'ready made dress'( this term is made in India)

The city was dustier and dirtier. People had developed natural aggression in their speech. I guess, the people of this city were coming to terms with themselves. People then were in great hurry to prove they are no less than chennai and Mumbai wallahas.

1990
Hmm. I flew by Indian Airlines, Middle Aged wonders wrapped around in sarees thinking they are queen of Sheba came in the form of air hostess, heavily painted to cover dark circles around their eyes. Acknowledged only1st class passengers in 40s because they are ' regular' ( which got changed to frequent flyer in 5 years)

Mr. Rao's and Reddy's, in jeans and checkered shirts were around in plenty but they were in their late 20s, on their way back from US of A, just finished a massive project involving software, which I later learned was nothing more than glorified typing job on a 486 PC.

1995
Traveled by Jet, Raos and reddy's were in jeans with designer 'T'shirt, mainly crocodile, laud, heavily accented with their family this time, kids were made to talk so that other passengers can make out that they are actually naturalized Americans, Mrs. Raos and Reddyes were clad in jeans with Kurta, big pottus, mangal shutras paraded and all that 'screaming that though they are settled in US of A, they still are very much Indians. Bislery water was in place. Very Imp.City had no time for guys from Mumbai. They wanted only Delhi dandewallasand phirangi for business. Mumbai guys who used to be their sir ka taaj,whose company was insisted upon till late night, have become a pain fortheir socializing in the evening/late night hours. Actually, My cousin has come from US of A. Sorry dont mind, ha! SIR. ( take a walk, I always wanted to be left alone with my book and my choice of channel).
CITY teek hai, thoda kuch teekh hua. Little cleaner. Better shops andrestaurant. Localites still the same. I used to call it a city ofrickshaws then.

2000Traveled by Jet, this time on a business class ( actually economy was not available). Had a German for a company, my counterpart from my head office. For a typical German that he was, talked about machinery and business throughout 1 hour journey. Did not notice anything about airhostess or fellow passengers.
City was showing signs of changing. People in the city look different, I could see a sign of urgency in all. Lot to be done. Most of them were polite. I was greeted well wherever I went. City surely had changed then I found only young crowd everywhere.

2005/6
WOW Fantastic. Forget about flight. The road from airport to Hotel...fantastic. There were more luxury cars in the city roads. Guys and girls alike look as if they have just spent fortune on themselves from the nearby parlor. Hair well done up, Skin well toned. Designer cloths and all. Looking cool. Nothing heavy. Hey this city has changed alright.

They don't want to impress anyone. City and people here are naturally impressive. Lakhs of girls and boys, work in BPO, IT cos, NOT interested to go abroad. They say it is cool to be here.

Infrastructure at its best and this is only the beginning. 5 years from now, when I go, trust me I will have only great things to say. All this possible with efforts of one politician. Just imagine our country with all 500 MPS and 30 CMs doing their job well.

1966-1970

I was living in Bhandup and shifted to Matunga my family house since 40s. I found myself suddenly amidst lot of strangers. Comfort of known people was taken away, admitted to a school which closely resembled a wedding hall, kalyana mandapam to be more precise. I thought this is one big hall and I have lot of relatives, all tamil speaking people. Teachers many of them, whom by mistake I addressed as Mami. I can’t recall, though whether I got a spanking for that. lunch much to my horror was 3 chappathis folded to precision with potato bhaji rightly centered. This made the centre chappati soiled, which I always threw away, much to disgust of my ‘amma’, nirupa roy of our house. The lunch was to be taken in assembly hall. After the lunch break, the hall would look a mess, few students everyday will have a fall slipping on a banana peel or thayir chadam. I still remember khaki clad man, thick mustache would single handedly clean the floor for PT period to start after 1 hour.

My building was full of people who were speaking strange tongue, which I later came to know as Gujarati, Marathi, Konkani, malayalese, kutchees, etc. Guys would pick up fights with me for reasons well known to them I was too proud to talk about it to my folks at home. I was wonderstruck, hating, why I was taken away from Bhandup.

My call for recognition came, when I pulled up a guy for harassing my kid sister. I fought a bitter battle with one Suresh , my good friend for years to follow. Fight then was actually holding each other by neck and roll on the floor till one of the two got tired or got separated by some elder. Boys would discuss in detail, who won or lost. The next day we got together to play showing no signs or knowledge of the fight previous day. My parents for years told me don't get into fight with marathi and gujarathis. I never understood why those days. They were synonymous for being mighty and moneyed, respectively. ( know something, we guys of 77 helped our parents in getting over that ' alien feeling' of mumbai.

I got the due recognition from guys of the gullee, got included in the gang, played cricket , for good 6 months taken as kutcha limbu. My most humiliating experience then and my ambition was to get promoted to pukka limbu group.

My idea of Bambai was the world I was exposed to. All the doors in my floor of my building was always open. We could hide in anyone’s house, if we were playing hide and seek, or thappo or chor police. If any door was closed, we used to actually lock it knock on the door/ring the bell and run away.

My neighbor would bring in dal/kadai in exchange for sambhar/khootu or rasam.
This was a daily ordeal. The pretext was Raju ( my house name) ko acchha lagega. In fact, I never liked the garlic. My bro used to relish it. Our Konkani neighbor not to be undone would bring some thing which we used to religiously put it in the bin. Gosh it used to stink. Best kept secret for years.

Please be explicit in telling me if this is boring. I would write about life of 70s in my next mail, if you guys want me to continue. Such bolu tho, I am writing all those meaningless stuff which were hidden and waiting to be unraveled from some part of my brain.