Top 12 from the year!

I started this blog on 11th January 2005. I just wanted to write, write arbit stuff. My first ever post - Agriculture in India: Road to future? - was a rather serious one. I was reading various documents regarding Indian economy and stuff for my upcoming IIM interviews and it all got rubbed to my blog. Once I got started I wrote almost about everything - economics, politics, films, humor, satire, cribs, etc. As the year ends in another week, I thought it'll be a good time to look back and select some of the better ones that I wrote and showcase them here. Actually, I got this idea from Creative Generalist's blog. Do read his list (but only after mine ;-)), there are some absolute gems there.

Why 12? I actually wanted to have top 10 sorts, but in the end I liked 12 and thought dropping anyone of these wouldn't be fair. So 12 :-). I'm not into tagging and stuff, but just to put the idea in fellow bloggers' minds - select your favorite posts and list them!

Here it goes -

1. Job Motivation - A satire on the mundane intricacies of the boring office life of a software engineer.
   
2. Gym Mis(s)adventures - A humorous misadventure, totally fictitious!
   
3. So, What are your hobbies? - Do we really need one?
   
4. Eminem meets Udham Singh - Two of the greats of our time :)
5. Business Plans - I'm still looking out for VCs.
   
6. My Baby - Yes, it happened!
   
7. Carobaar - Ratan Tata's 1 lakh car cometh.
   
8. Glamourizing the Gutter - Sick of gangster movies? Read on!
   
9. Software Engineer and CAT - A parody of Somebody to Love - Don't you want to take the CAT?
   
10. Planet of Eves - Females ruling the earth - rosy notion? Not really!
    
11. Stand Up Comedy & Follow up - My attempt at stand up comedy.
12. Suicide at IITB, Update I & Update II - A misfortunate incident which created a big buzz in the campus & in the blogsphere among alumni.
    

Yeh Bandar to Pyar ka Bandar hai

Remaking classics is always a gamble. While the film-makers get an already proven script and can build on that using the latest technology, it's likely that the audience is much more "educated" now. Godzilla dealt with this by moulding the story to match the likings of the contemporary audience. The result - a fast paced entertaining movie. No Oscar material though, entertaining nonetheless. The makers of King Kong has dealt with the classic a bit more sacrosanctly. Times of India has rated it 4.5/5, so naturally my expectations from the movie were really high. The movie couldn't live up to my expectations.

The problem with the film is - its too long in the beginning. Once the hero - Kong the Gorilla - makes his entry, the movie gets paced, rather hurried, but before that there is too much of a buildup. It made the movie a good three hour long affair! They could very well have saved some time.

Some of the scenes are superbly crafted, but for an audience fed up on Jurassic Parks & Godzillas and much better informed about Dinosaurs & all than those from 1933 - the story goes a little overboard at times. The scene involving creepers gets a bit too gross and could've been handled better. Infact, the entire notion of the Skull Island stands on pretty flimsy grounds. But then, its a classic from 1933 and I can imagine how this stuff would've thrilled the moviegoers of that time (just like Jurassic Park thrilled me when I was 12 years old).

The makers must be complimented for superb work done with graphics & sets. They have taken all the pains to recreate the street scene & the Skull Island and of course the mighty ape. All the actors fit perfectly into their roles. Most of the screen time is claimed by Watts, who is looking beautiful as ever (Infact she is looking more-n-more like Nicole Kidman with every movie). The emotive scenes are handled very carefully, specially the way Kong reacts after the fight with Dinosaurs. The end, which is of course tragic, connects well with the viewers.

In the end, I'd say don't miss this movie for you'll miss the surreal world created by Peter Jackson, but don't go expecting a Sci-Fi. Its a fantasy thriller and thrill it will!

My rating - 3/5

The "Hemant Birje" Connection.

For the last two days my blog has attracted a little more than usual traffic. Reason - Hemant Birje apparently molested some aspirant actresses. I quote from the linked article -

Actor Hemant Birje (41), who is best known for the film Tarzan, tried to molest an actress and her friends at Lokhandwala in Andheri yesterday. However, unlike in most movies, the brave women chased the villain away. The four women pounced on Birje. When the actor tried to flee, the women pelted him and his friend with stones.

Can't make the connection? Actually, I mentioned Birje in one post sometime back in the context of "Indian Super Heroes". Birje, a B-grade movie actor for all of his career, is most famous for his role in Tarzan opposite Kimi Katker. I've had the good fortune to watch the movie but even if many haven't watched it, they would have watched one famous clip of it surely ("Tarzan, Oh my Tarzan" was one melodious song in the film, if it rings a bell).

So, when news channels flashed this news regarding Birje on 21st, many poorly informed netizens couldn't recollect who the heck this Birje was. They kneeled to the Google God asking for Birje's image. Many of them landed on my blog page, since it was the number three page in the results! Another moment of glory for my blog - to be linked with the great Tarzan of Bollywood. I hope my blog didn't disappoint the truth seekers. Still, to remove any miniscule chance I'm linking to the poster of Tarzan, showing Birje in all of his jungle glory - here it is. Another close up shot from the poster of "Mardangi". Savour your eyes on this King of the jungle.

Kahani Poori Filmi Hai

One Night @ the Call Center: A Book Review

This is the latest book by Chetan Bhagat, whose last book - Five Point Someone - was an instant hit among the youth. If the initial sale is any indicator, this one too can cash in good money. But I doubt if it'll reach the heights of its predecessor. It's mainly cashing in the good rapport Bhagat made among youth after his last book; with time it'll run out of gas.

It might not turn out to be a "contemporary classic" but this book is surely enticing. Once you pick it up, you can't put it down, it captures the reader in it's twists & turns. The writer has thought enough to put all the masalas to keep reader bound. I'm told they are making a movie on this book. I'd say once the movie is out it'll be very hard to guess which came out first among the book & the movie; the entire book is so filmi. To start with, the central character, Shyam, is our typical underdog hero. He might remind you of Amol Palekar in Chhoti Si Baat. You will also find a saas-bahu drama, casting couch, an angry young man, old parents-young daughter-in-law angle, heartburns, NRI groom, extra-marital, pre-marital, divorced parents - covered the entire Bollywood infact. And to top it all, in the end the author has put a rather out of the world twist to ensure a happy ending.

The book is about six people who work at a Gurgaon call center. Although it's about just one night, but using dialogues & flashbacks details about their lives are provided. All of them are painfully distressed & depressed with their lives & most of the pages cover this despair in details. While its not a typical Bollywoodish "..and they lived happily ever after" ending, its not really very far from it. The book leaves a bit of depressing aftertaste. Imagine reading 250 pages about their despair & then in 20 pages it evaporates - who'd buy it? Bhagat has done good research about call centers and tried well to connect with the youth. He has used his professional experience too to make it authentic (and he has vented his anger on one of his old bosses too ;-)).I'm sure almost everyone would find something in the book to relate with. But at times he appears to be trying a tad too hard. The Bollywood effect is evident on almost every page of the book.

In the end, I'd say read the book if you can lay your hands on it. Better borrow than buy, but even if you buy it you won't regret spending just 95/- on it. Another option is to wait for the film, its surely gonna be full of masala :-).

A Nosey Problem

*sigh* .. I never had any fractures or any surgery, which isn't very rare I suppose. But I liked it this way. I came very close to breaking my jaw when during one trek near Kalyan when I slipped at one waterfall and fell chin-first on a stone. It would not be wrong to say that I was a little disappointed when after all the efforts I put in convincing the IIT hospital doctor to get an X-Ray, no cracks were discovered. I still bear a one-inch-long scar on my chin, which narrates a rather more glamourous story. Now it seems I might lose the distinction soon. My nose has a deviated septum, which is how doctors describe a deviated central partition of the nose. Ever since I can remember I used to get my nose blocked everytime the temperature dropped. So this time it wasn't a surprize, but this time it didn't get better for over a month. And boy, is it irritating! I don't like to breath from my mouth & breathing from a clogged nose is too much of effort. All inhalers & balms have failed and I can't even sleep properly. The oxygen intake has dropped I guess, because I feel drowsy all day & keep yawning (and I thought my impression on my boss can't get any worse :-).

Factually speaking, 80 percent of all nasal septums are off-center. A "deviated septum" occurs when the septum is severely shifted away from the midline. Septoplasty is the surgical process the doctors recommend for deviated septum patients. Today when I went to the doctor he made such a pitying face ("Beta, tu to gaya" look) while breaking this news to me that I'm a tad concerned about it! I need to hear from someone who has undergone this surgery and need to learn a bit more about it. But first of all, I need to get my medical insurance policy from my company!

Watched Bluff Master tonight. It's good for one time watching - buy-see-forget. Basically, even if you don't have very strong story and concept, a lot of difference can be made by some crisp dialogues and this movie has it's moments. So I would say go watch it and let me know if the ending reminded you of The Game.

I can't understand why Bollywood is so ga-ga over these conman movies all of a sudden. We've had Bunty aur Babli, Chocolate, Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena and now Bluff Master, all in the year 2005. It's not the first time conman has sizzled the silver screen, the Big B has many conman movies to his name but this theme was lost somewhere among the candy-floss romance & Dharmendra style violence during the 80's.

My favorite conman movie would be Catch Me If You Can. What made it all the more exciting was the fact that it was based on the life of a real conman! While India too have its very own Natwar Lals & Shobhrajs, sadly most of the inspiration Bollywood takes comes from the West.

P.S. - If you too took the Color Quiz and were impressed by their analysis, may be you should read about the Forer Effect.

The Color Quiz.

Romil mailed me about this exciting plug-in for Firefox - Stumble Upon. It lets you "channelsurf" the best-reviewed sites on the web. It is a collaborative surfing tool for browsing, reviewing and sharing great sites with like-minded people. This helps you find interesting webpages you wouldn't think to search for.

Thanks to it, I landed on The ColorQuiz page. Results follow, point to note - "Although the results are accurate to a high degree, they should not be taken as a diagnosis.".. Alright!

Varun's Existing Situation
Readily participates in things that provide excitement or stimulation. Wants to feel exhilarated.

Varun's Stress Sources
Wishes to be independent, unhampered, and free from any limitation or restriction, other than those which he imposes of himself or by his own choice and decision.

Varun's Restrained Characteristics
Believes that he is not receiving his share--that he is neither properly understood or adequately appreciated. Feels that he is being compelled to conform, and close relationships leave him without any sense of emotional involvement.

Very exacting in the standards he applies to his choice of a partner and seeking a rather unrealistic perfection in his sex life.

Varun's Desired Objective
Unwilling to participate and wishes to avoid all forms of stimulation. Has had to put up with too much of a tiring or exhausting nature and now desires protection and noninvolvement

Varun's Actual Problem
Fears that his independence will be threatened or severely restricted unless he protects himself from outside influence. Does not want to be bothered.

More Updates: Suicide at IITB

Since I was out of the town for about a week, I could not update this space with latest info. First, Sharmila replied to my email -

..meanwhile i'd like to assure you that there is a healthy discussion on among the faculty about all the is wrong and should be put right about the B. tech course. if you and other alumni have suggestions based both on your stay here and perhaps in other institutes/universities which you have found (more) conducive, do send them along. i promise to circulate them. and perhaps somethng will come of it all.
sharmila

It's very encouraging that contrary to initial reports, IIT authorities are giving this issue the due attention. In the comments section of my post an anonymous (appears to be a IITB punter) poster has posted excerpts from dean's email to students. Presenting the same here (emphasis mine) -

It is obvious that a lot of people have raised a number of issues relating to the sad end of a young life. I wish to make it abundantly clear that if there was one "authority" who had to be responsible for communicating the news of Vijay's death to students, it was me alone. It would be wrong to blame anyone else. However, there were a number of compelling reasons as to why it was not done right away: 1. My own feeling was that with exams on, it was not proper to disturb students who were anyway going through a low then. I saw that abundantly on the night of 16th, both in the hospital and later at the Hostel. Just ask what his wing people went through. Adding more to that list was undesirable. 2. Vijay's father wanted a bare minimum of his friends to know and to be there. He did not want any news being made of this event at any cost. So the question of posting till Saturday morning did not arise; that is when they left for Vizag. 3. Between Thursday evening and Sunday morning, mothers of atleast three IIT students called and after seeking details and also expressing their concerns on what needs to change, told me to keep it low and make sure that their wards are least pained by the happenings in their neighborhood. This echoed with my own thoughts and made it easy for me to think that I was doing the right thing. 4. We have never had a system or protocol on communicating such matters, trust me this experience on what the students really desire, and a need to end rumour-mongering now tells me that even a two-line note on the event would have been fine. As for reports appearing in the media, some statements are true and some "edited" or even made up to create more hype. Nobody wants to talk to them when going through this kind of a phase. While I was reluctant to speak to them, the PRO's office told me that the death being in student space, I should talk to them just so that "no comments" does not add more dimensions to their attempts in making the news more sensational. It was never my intent that students learn more through the media than a direct reporting from someone within the system. In fact, on Monday morning, Vijay's father called and I had to convince him that inspite of best efforts to keep it down, the press had done the damage. If you feel that these are excuses and question my motives, then I have nothing more to add. If you believe the above reasons, but feel that my judgement was bad, one can still debate on how to change things for the better. This is a serious incident, I do not think anyone in the Institute wanted to sweep it under the rug. In fact, after the semester begins in January 2006, there will be a review of how we can try and hopefully avert or prevent such tragedies, to the best we can.

The role of media has been outright horrid, especially ToI who didn't stop short of distorting facts and creating unwarranted hype causing pain to both IIT and relatives of the deceased. Nikhil Jha, who is a current student has already written about how far from truth the ToI article was. Now Dean's mail too tells us how irresponsibly press treated this issue.

The same anonymous poster has posted another excerpt from an intranet newsgroup thread (Sadly, that forum isn't accessible to outsiders).

At the end of Third year summer, the student had a CPI of 4.05 and had a backlog of eight courses having earned six FR grades and dropped two courses. Number of FF grades were quite a few and he had been clearing them in summer every year. Till recently, he had picked up XX grades in two laboratory courses (ME --118 and EP-213) which he subsequently cleared. Before the endsem began he was awarded one XX grade in a Departmental course." Hope that helps you to see that assumptions don't help you much, however convenient they may be and however heroic your stand may look.

As it suggests, Nakula's academic records were actually at the bottom of the class, so XXs probably can't be the prime reason. Some are suggesting that the reasons might not be academic at all. Whatever be the reasons, the deceased soul can't be brought back. But the review of the current system is definitely a positive out of this tragic incident and it should not stop.