Deadly Poster

Ok; now two questions.
1) Deadly hit means one hit from the movie and we are Khatam aka Khallas aka dead?
2) Why do all Kannada actors carry a sword (or whatever that is) in the poster?

Balls on Walls

And thats the writing on this wall. If its still not clear, you have a picture of two balls with 'balls' written inside it. Now, get out of here! Balls to you!

Words of Nostalgia - Isthmus

My brother and I discuss various nonsensical topics through the day. Yesterday, one such conversation landed on the Panama Canal.

Let me do a trip down memory lane and see how we landed up discussing Panama Canal.

General talk about movies

à How mechanical movie watching these days are

à How much fun it was to go for movies in a HUGE hall (not the multiplex kinds) with our parents

à How treasured such instances were (as they were rare; you see not many movies to choose from in a small township in Kerala)

à The regional advertisements shown before the movie

à This absolutely hilarious advertisement about a cigarette brand called “Panama”

à Actual Panama Canal

So we were arguing if Panama Canal was in South America (to connect to Africa) or if it was in Africa (to connect to Asia). It was the former.

Reading more about it while waiting for our dosas, we hit upon this word called Isthmus.

Wow… now this word took me straight back into a Science textbook maybe in the 6^th Standard or something. I did a wiki search for Isthmus and came to understand how interesting this little piece of land is.

What equally dawned on me was the failure of my Science teacher then to make learning Isthmus interesting. She could have made the whole topic interesting by connecting it with Panama Canal (what with thousands of lives being lost during its making; accept it, kids love mysteries). But for my Science teacher then, Isthmus was a term which has to be defined. You remember it, and it will get you 2 marks in an exam.

Schooling I believe (and I think I’ve told this before), should essentially be a place for children to garner the interest in learning, but it always ends up being an exercise in existence.

Also, going by the title of this post, please do suggest other words that evoke such strong nostalgia.

The Fragrance Pouch

The sun was shining brightly through the window at my right. I couldn’t see it though, my eyes was tightly shut. Exhaustion is what I had been faced with for the last couple of days and my body ‘ably’ responded to it with continuous slumber and inactivity; especially during mornings. It was Tiesto again, through the progression for “Dance for Life”. I thought it will make a huge difference having something as pumpy as this track for your morning alarm. Well, it was a damn squib alrite. I think even psychedelic trance will sound like a classical raga at 6:30 in the morning. Maybe that’s why they play classical ragas in the morning; you know, you cant take it any step lower.

My suryanamaskara had always been of the utmost intimate kind. Sun though it seems all shiny and everything is not quite a morning person you know. So you see I prefer to share that relaxed attitude of the sun in the morning. I wonder why people go jogging and hit the gym in the morning. It has to be spent in peace with the Sun; sleeping. The warm rays of the sun gently running over your closed eyelids; its like the sun is consoling you or caressing you.

They say it’s the mood you wake up in that sets the tone for the day; but there is a catch there. The mood you wake up will always be grumpy. You cannot change that. God has made us all grumpy when we are awake. I mean there is bound to be a synchronization failure in some part of your body. Maybe your legs are working and your eyes fail you. Maybe your eyes are wide open but your body fail you. If everything is alright, your grit and determination fails you. So you see, there is very little chance that we can wake up and hit a six over cover which wins us the World Cup; wham! No way! So you have to control your body to remain in the state of sub consciousness, until gradually you are wakey wakey. So then you get up and hit the kinda music that peps you up. Oh you bet you will start dancing away to glory alright.

Well, that’s the morning you want. Don’t force yourself from bed. It doesn’t do you any good. Relax and take your time to get up; and when you are awake kick start the day with music; or crossword if that’s what interests you (YOU DORK!).

But many a times I have noticed that there are certain other aspects of the morning that really cranks you up. Its almost always that special someone. That bundle of already awake and kicking joy that just injects you the energy you need. I tend to call her (ok ok, or him) ‘The Fragrance Pouch’. You don’t know what a fragrance pouch is? Its that you know, pouch which has some powder or what not in it and it spreads this fragrance (if which you don’t read the label can be as good as jasmine or musk; really, doesn’t make much difference).

This particular person, or this fragrance pouch, is incredibly soft on the outside. If the pouch is besides you it’s the best thing ever. A few unlucky ones can also use the amenities of modern life like a cellphone by the bedside. Yes yes; the fragrance spreads in the form of audio waves as well. And when you get the fragrance inside you, it’s the best thing ever. You can feel the lifelessness inside you slowly boiling up into a warmth. The morning seem warm and bright and not the cold blue you were erstwhile used to. The fragrance pouch doesn’t just incite your sense of smell; it’s an all encompassing warmth that surrounds you. You hear that in that one extra cuckoo in the neighborhood cuckoo choir who seems to be giving her everything into the performance. You open the window and the Fragrance Pouch again conjures up her magic in the form of that small droplet of dew still on the window sill; and shining brightly thanks to Mr Sun. And when you finally get down to your music, you hear it as the extra hi-hat or crescendo that just takes it all to a higher level.

You might think all of it is not real and there is no such thing as a fragrance pouch; you know it’s a myth your mind is conjuring up. So what? Maybe that’s what mind is best doing. Conjure up certain myths that just makes your day seem brighter and a lot happier. I say give in to the Maya the world is and enjoy every moment of it. If you have a fragrance pouch; there is nothing better than it.

This little fragrance of a person can just brighten up your day. You feel that spring in your step and that lilt in your voice. Theres joy everywhere. A smile comes easily to you. You breathe, and you feel like you have inhaled one huge cylinder of perfumy life.

The Aura of a Leader - Shane Warne

As I write this down, one of the biggest spectacles we have witnessed in Indian Cricket , the Indian Premier League, has just drawn to a close. To be honest, I have never really enjoyed cricket. Cricket is a long game which gives lot of scope to correct errors in any aspect of the game. The smaller version of the game brought to light, how important it is to avoid mistakes and how easily the game gets away from your hand. It brought out a spirit that was necessary to win the game.

But, was this IPL just about cricket and entertainment? I would have said yes if it wasn’t for Rajasthan Royals. On paper, Rajasthan Royals is the weakest team in the league. They are the cheapest team; they don't have icon or star players and even their foreign players (except Graeme Smith) are either retired from international cricket or benchwarmers (Man of the series, Shane Watson) in their respective national sides. So what is the key factor that helped Rajasthan Royals succeed and that too in an awesomely convincing fashion, losing just 3 games one of which was inconsequential at the least.

In the end, it wasn’t technique, it wasn’t the millions spend on buying players, but it was getting the leader of the squad right, that became the key factor to Rajasthan Royals’ success in this tournament. Shane Warne was an all-in-one father figure, mentor, friend and motivator for the whole team; and it is a lesson for anyone leading a team.

Even before the tournament started, Shane Warne was studying his team. He prepared actual documents for each of his players underlining what their roles will be. Shane Watson who is not even in the national side, had a three point agenda with details on his fielding position and ways he should be motivating the other fielders. In a way, Shane Warne had a very thorough project plan in place.

Shane Warne, also reportedly hated Indian food and Indian climate when he toured here last with the Australian Team. But when he got the job of coaching an Indian regional side, he had to side with his differences. He started having Indian food, he started taking language classes and he made a huge effort to understand the ethos of leading an Indian side. This made sure that the local boys never feel alienated to him. More importantly they could easily warm up to him as a friend. Yusuf Pathan after the final match told the TV reporter that before he went in to bat he was very nervous and that it was talking to Shane Warne that helped him ease his nerve. Yusuf Pathan speaks next to no English. How did Shane Warne manage to have such a friendly relation with Yusuf when language was a huge barrier? That can be attributed only to the personality of Shane Warne who very successfully dissolved boundaries of nationalities to have a successful team.

Kamran Akmal, another player who speaks next to no English, was endearingly honest when he commented about Shane Warne as a captain. He was emphatic about the support Shane Warne provided to the youngsters. Shane Warne made everyone understand their capabilities. Though they were considered underdogs by the whole media, Shane Warne never let the team feel that way about themselves. The players refused to see themselves as underdogs even after repeated remarks by Ravi Shastri in the presentation ceremony. The mood was upbeat, and the air was of confidence; success is what happens when people start believing in themselves.

We have to open our eyes. To see that where we are right now, is not because of luck, its not chance either. We are all capable of doing something and that is exactly the reason why we are doing what we are asked to. But to haul it all up as a collective effort takes the vision, compassion and level headedness of a great leader. A great leader, as Shane Warne remarkably exhibited throughout this series, is not someone superior to you. A great leader is rather someone who helps you understand your abilities, instils in you a passion to win, and cheers you up even in the worst adversities. Shane Warne, I bow before thee for teaching us all a lesson or two in being a great leader.

The Baby Steps

I am here, in a room full of people from Media and Entertainment background. Its crowded and its loud; but is a welcome break from the dull drawl of the other office. Its a 3-day trial run my stint this one. If it succeeds, I really have no clue where to go from here. If it fails, well I'll try again I guess.

For now, there is nothing much I can relate to here. I moved from test scripts to tv scripts. I read the draft about 10 times and sent it to the guy. I am thinking its a hypothetical script; God forbid they come back to me saying they dont have the visuals I have written here.

I am at a loss on where they head for a dose of nicotine and caffeine, though most everyone seem to be hooked to that. For now the only freedom I enjoy here is, blogspot is not blocked. HAPPY BLOGGING TO MYSELF!

Bangalore Airport - The High Points

The tirade of the media against the new Bangalore Airport continues. The latest as I heard from a friend (reported in Deccan Chronicle) is that it puts IT companies in a situation because of the rather extended periods traveling to and from the new airport. The productivity of these companies are affected because the important visitors (read phirangs) have lesser time to get to their works. Yeah? Really?!?!?! I mean comeon, that doesn't make any sense. Someone who travels half way around the world cannot spare an hour and a half on a road commute to the city?

Another problem the Deccan Chronicle reportedly reported was the lack of hotels near the new airport. Give it some time; I am sure the hotels of all the major hoteliers will crop up around the Airport. It seems to me that the new paper Deccan Chronicle wants to jump into the readers' side from the very first edition. Nothing wrong there really, but make sure you place valid points on the table for a fair judgement.

The airport, from the time the location was decided, has been plagued by criticism. It becomes inconvenient for people to travel via air because of the distance. I personally don't catch a flight more than thrice a year. I use the airport road (now old airport road) once every day. The traffic in the inner ring road is the worst with one having to wait possibly 15 mins to get to the end of it. The closing down of the old airport has eased the traffic a lot. I didn't foresee this one, but the decrease in traffic in the airport road is really a huge help. I can save atleast 10 mins of commute thanks to this difference. Now if you do some simple maths, it is clear that the time expended commuting to the new airport is easily offset by the time saved on commute in the old airport road.

All these rather tangential benefits aside, I can simply say that I hated the old airport. It was small, dirty, ill managed and crowded. Dogs and a mob of taxi drivers and autorickshaw guys (who are ready to slit your throat if you refuse to pay the fortune they ask for) is not the first thing you want to see stepping off an airport. If this is the case for me, imagine what the condition of the tourists or IT company visitors be?

I haven't had a chance to visit the new airport to see how better it is from the old one; but for now, lets all just stop cribbing and enjoy a peaceful ride or drive through old (and definitely more peaceful) airport road.