A Big round of applause for...Applause

                Now this might really be a strange topic to talk about but have you ever wondered how contagious clapping, applause, big hand is?

                No matter how exciting, entertaining, yawing, boring, torturing the setting is, it only takes one to start a movement…the crusade to applause!! It not only makes the excited ones to join the crusade but even the ones who are ‘on the border’-the ones who are still deciding if it is worth spending the energy to move their arms. They join in the band wagon rather reluctantly, but that doesn’t matter because just as when people become public, the claps become applause!!

                Becoming the part of the applause movement, is the classic example of herd mentality. But whatever case it may be, as humans we have learned to convey our heartfelt (well, most of the times) appreciation in form of claps. So what is the history of applause? (Relax, I know I have a little too much time on hand, so no need to smile, grin or smirk :) ). The story goes something like this…during the declining period of Roman Empire, the Roman emperor made plans to meet with the Barbarian king. To intimidate the king, the emperor couldn’t lean on the thin Roman army, so he turned to a group of non-army men. They were ordered to make noise by clapping of hands. Well, the clapping exercise didn’t bring any relief to the wounds of a bleeding empire but it gave the human society the gift of ‘applause’.

                Human beings have come a long way from thunderous clapping for acclamation to tweeting & likeing for commendation. But even in the current environment of f-friends and e-groups where tags and share has become the way of life, nothing comes close to the Big round of applause. The magic of obedient, polite, enthusiastic, tepid, thunderous, sympathetic and sometimes ironic applause is simply amazing.

                So guys lesson of the day, join the campaign of applause whenever and wherever possible and once in a while try to start the crusade, I am sure the fellow clappers will join. For nothing binds us human more than the Big round of Applause.

They story of Applause was adopted from  http://www.theatlantic.com

The Dreamer- Dhirajlal Hirachand Ambani

                              “Think Big, Think Fast And Think Ahead. Ideas are no one’s monopoly”.

                What bonds Indians together besides cricket is there admiration for the Ambani family, more specifically, the late founder of the Reliance empire, Mr. Dhirubhai Ambani. The classic rags to riches story of Dhirubhai have become mythical. ‘Tata-Birla’ has always been synonyms with wealth and power in India. Thanks to Dhirubhai’s enormous success, Tata-Birla became ‘Tata-Birla- Ambani’. Colloquially it came to be known as TBA.

                Dhirubhai Ambani was an establishment- a spectacle of our times who influenced the psyche and life of millions of Indians. There have been countless articles, white papers, books, blogs and documentaries about Dhirbhai Ambani’s vision, his business acumen, his boldness, and also some criticisms of manipulating the system. A popular joke was making rounds during Dhirubhai era which started with a question: Which is the most powerful political party in India? Answer: the Reliance Party of India. Well, if you think about it, this was his flair. Dhirubhai was, after all, as much a product of his times as he was one who recognized and exploited the opportunities those times offered. He astutely understood the Indian political and bureaucratic system and navigated the power corridors to his advantage. He had a unique ability to manage the system.

                Dhirubhai (and now his son, Mukesh) will always be blamed for meddling politics with business but was he really to be blamed for country’s ineffectual government and bureaucracy? I think India’s bureaucracy and political system is a level playing field for all other industrialists. They all play the system in their own capacity.

                I have been an avid admirer of Dhirubhai Ambani (and Mukesh). Being an outsider to the Bombay club, his success has always drawn controversies. I won't pass any judgment on him as I will be too biased. But if you ask me, Dhirubhai was the biggest dreamer the country had since our first PM Jawaharlal Nehru. Praising Dhirubhai doesn’t mean that other industrialists during that era weren’t successful. Rahul Bajaj, RP Goenka, Ratan Tata, AV Birla, BM Khaitan to name a few, all excelled in their respective fields. But Dhirajlal Hirachand Ambani was the first generation entrepreneur, with no family name to lean upon. We can’t say the same for the above great individuals.

                The most important thing Dhirubhai did was that he lived his dreams. His great achievement was that he showed an aam admi (average Indian) what was possible. Coming from a moderate background, with no professional degree and no family capital, he achieved what the then establishments in conjunction with the Sahibs of New Delhi could not- he built a futuristic, lucrative, global enterprise…in India.

Rain!! Rain!!

 

                When was the last time you intentionally got wet in rain? When was the last time you actually enjoyed the rain while getting drenched? When was the last time you relished those wet moments? Being a grownup has many advantages, but when did we become so uptight that we couldn’t truly experience the rain anymore?

                Rain!! Rain!! You see some with a blissful smile, some with that lost silly grin and some with that wistful look…Of all the great things I adore about America and AmericansJ, One thing I don’t comprehend is how ‘rain’ is not relished, in fact it’s loathed upon. People complain about it ruining the summer.  It’s true that during the sunny days when sun is shining bright, we are all energized by its warmth and promise of outdoor activities. We soak up heavy doses of Vitamin-D during these splendid sunny days. We get a little hyper thinking of all the things we can do. Sun is our good friend, it energizes us…it motivates us. Sun, makes us Do More!!

But does this make rain appalling?

                When I tell people that I love sky filled with grey clouds and rainy weather, they look at me, puzzled. They don’t usually ask me why, they just say, “huh”. It’s been a while for me, but the fun of getting drenched in the first rain of the season is simply mesmerizing. I love the sound of heavy rain, how it makes everything smell earthy and fresh. I don’t ever want Ashvy to learn the song, “Rain, rain, go away” alas it’s too lateL. She is with the ‘Sun Loving and Rain Loathing’ majority. Rain never makes me gloomy, or ruins my plans, or spoils my day. In fact the one time I enjoy traffic is during the rain. Rain is just plain childhood fun at any age. If you think about it, Rain can be an energizer and motivator because Rain makes you live in the moment. It inspires you to seat back and relax. Rain makes you Do Less!!

                Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet. Enjoy the cycle of Nature for if it wasn’t for rain, we won’t appreciate the Sunny days either. So the next time when it rains, rather than running for cover or cursing, take a second glance. Watch the rain, Smell the freshness of air, Listen to the sound and Appreciate the Moment.

"This is India. This happens”

…and then there was one more!!

                This time it is the world’s most famous and the richest cricket league, the Indian Premier league-IPL. Although I am sure IPL lovers across the world knew that there was a parallel universe of match fixing aligned to the glamorous cricket matches. Players and executives use to participate in match fixing when they played for their country so it is no surprise that they will get involved in this reprehensible activity when they are literally playing for money.

                Jawaharlal Nehru once said “Merely shouting from the house tops that everybody is corrupt creates an atmosphere of corruption. People feel they are in a climate of corruption and they get corrupted themselves.” The words seem particularly apt for today’s Facebook & twitter era. Patriotism these days is defined by ones tweets and Facebook status.

                I am all for freedom of speech. And social networking sites have done an astounding job to give voice to the people who were lost in the bureaucratic democracy. But social media is not a magic bullet. Let us not exaggerate its power, especially when it is still in its infancy, in most of the developing economies, where literacy is low and corruption has become the fact of the day to day lives.  

                Social media outpouring should be followed up by an offline action- such as a change in the law, or the prosecution of a guilty party. Then only social media campaigns can truly become a foundation for a better future and a corruption free society. Until then it will only be a hot button issue for a couple of days and weeks until a new scandal emerges.  

                "This is India. This happens” said one of the fans of IPL. Is this the society we want to build for our children’s? Social change is tough to achieve, particularly when it involves something like corruption, so deeply ingrained in our political and social society.

Gridlock in Garden State

                Where do you think is the most expensive piece of land?

                No, it’s not the principality of Monaco nor it is the Fifth Avenue in the New York city, it is our very own Garden State Parkway during the traffic jam (which is almost every day), located in the great state of New Jersey. In other expensive locals the demand for the real estate is based on square footage, but on GSP it’s based on inches. That’s right. People will roll over some one, literally, to get that ‘extra inch’. Misery loves Company- nothing proves it better than the drivers on GSP forming the endless traffic jams. The pained expressions of the obsessed drivers who never record a smile other than the maniacal grin, as if saying to the fellow drivers, “Welcome to Hell”!!

                We all studied during our elementary school days that Human is a Social animal. Well, you arrive on GSP and there is nothing social about this animal. It’s the jungle out there- Everyone for themselves. It truly is the survival of the fittest. Civility dies when you enter these gates of hell. Actually it’s worse than Hell, simply because you ‘pay’ to enter this hell!!

                Irrespective of whether you are a right-lane leisurely driver, a center-lane observer of the posted speed limit or a left-lane speed demon, any progress you made driving the way you do, will be annihilated as you approach congestion (nicer way to define a traffic jam).

                Congestion because of construction activity is painful, but understandable. It creates a hope that someday, in near future the ‘improvements’ will lead to the soothing of the traffic. But we all know that’s just a hallucination. Congestion because of Rubbernecking is just pathetic. It’s the cruelest form of psychological torture. Rubbernecking becomes beyond obnoxious when the driver poses a danger for others, either by slowing way down or by swerving because they aren’t watching the freaking road.

                What is Rubbernecking?  Remember the last time you were stuck in traffic, only to find after an eternity of inching along that the reason of the traffic jam wasn’t the minor fender bender but the curious drivers slowing down and craning their neck to witness anything gory. It’s maddening to realize that the whole delay resulted from one driver after the other slowing down to take a good look.

                I comprehend when something out of the ordinary happens that people are inclined to look. I get that, I do it myself, but not while driving. Rubbernecking to the point of slowing to a crawl during rush hour is just ridiculous.

                I am sure the story of traffic jams is all too well known to many of us, but the congestion on GSP is just a cut above.

 

Lamhe (Moments)...A Classic!!

                It has been called a ‘Gem’, a ‘cult favorite’, a ‘master piece’, ‘well ahead of its times’, ‘its creator’s favorite creation’ and my favorite, an ‘Over looked Classic’. That’s right cinema lovers- it’s none other than my all-time favorite…Lamhe!!

                An unapologetic member of the fad, who very passionately believe, that this is one of the Classics of the Indian cinema.  Can’t believe it’s been almost twenty years since its release. I have seen it so many times that I have lost the count. It remains the most bold and uncompromising love story ever made in India and hence it was deemed too contemporary for the average cine goers. No wonder its box office collection didn’t match its artistic potential. 

                Lamhe…moments, is the story of Kuwarji aka Viren who spends his whole adult life hoarding the few moments he had spent with Pallavi during his youth. It’s the story about Pooja, Pallavi AND Siddharth’s daughter, who threatens to do the same with the few moments she had spent with her Kuwarji, after her parent’s death. Hers was the love that knew no barriers. Even the knowledge of her Kuwarji's repressed passion for her deceased mother did not act as a deterrent. For Viren, too, the initial shock of discovering an unconventional emotion was gradually replaced by reflection and self-discovery.

                There comes a work of art in a career of every artist, which stands above all others. The one that is celebrated as the zenith of his/her artistry. The apex to which all that preceded it has led, and against which all that follows will forever be compared. Lamhe is the zenith, the apex, the pinnacle of all the artists that were associated with it. Be it the lead pair of Anil Kapoor & Sridevi or the supporting cast of Waheeda Rehman, Anupam Kher & Dippy Sagoo*. They all excelled in their performance. Including, Honey Irani- the story writer, Manmohan Singh- the cinematographer, the legendary pair of music directors- Shivkumar Sharma & Hariprased Chaurasia and the great director- Yash Chopra.

                Lamhe stands the test of times and continues to be mind-blowingly awesome. There are great many jewels in the treasure box called Hindi Cinema, but none more splendid, more wondrous, more stunning or more painful than Lamhe.

Weekend is upon us and you guys know what to do!!

*Intentionally left out the ‘only mistake’ of Lamhe- Dipak ‘Mr.Vimal’ Malhotra.

A Legacy of ‘Silence’

                 Twenty something years ago, India's finance minister delivered a startlingly bold budget to the nation with the memorable words- "No power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come". The idea he was advancing was that of the liberalization of the Indian economy, and the reforms he ushered in proved almost revolutionary, lifting many of the controls of the license-Raj and transforming India's pitiful Hindu rate of growth from below 3% to a galloping, 8% plus in the coming decades.

                Today, that finance minister, now Prime Minister Stands on a crossroads of indecision and trepidation amid policy paralysis, while corrupt colleagues allegedly make off with the nation's silver.

                In a nation where politics is dominated by all sorts of undesirable elements, he is known and perceived to be a man of impeccable integrity. I have always believed that Dr. Manmohan Singh will be viewed by the history as the most influential man in the history of Independent India. But lately his legacy is on the lines. His silence- a mutual answer to all the questions, has shuddered the nation.

                It is true Dr. Singh; silence is the best answer to the stupid political squabble. Perhaps, there is some honor in not responding to each and every politically motivated accusation. However was it okay to remain quite when an Indian businessman was caught stashing Rs.35K crore (almost $8B), and the Supreme Court reprimanded your government for not interrogating the prime accuse? Was the silence golden when during the Commonwealth Games scam, CBI charged your own party man and the Chairman of the Organizing Committee as the mastermind behind the whole scandal? Should you also remain quite on the 2G scam when the trail of corruption not only involved dirty politicians from your coalition but also bureaucrats, corporate personalities, media persons and lobbyists? I guess it was better to remain quite, than respond to the letter from the outgoing Army Chief, about how our defense procurement procedures are being mired in bureaucracy and corruption!

                Dr. Singh, I am in no position to question your integrity or intentions, but should we just close our eyes when the International media, day in & day out, publish a cover story on India’s ‘new corruption scandal’?  Should we cover our ears when multinational corporations blame India’s bureaucracy and ethics of our leaders?

                I have said it before and will say it again- I still believe that you are not unethical. Period. However, at this juncture of your term, it’s not integrity that we seek from you- it is the courage of being a leader. It will be naïve to think that you will wipe out corruption, but at the very least, let justice be delivered when corruption is exposed. I know it’s a little late but I beg you, open your eyes and look around at the desolation, the politicians have caused under your leadership. Your nation, our nation, my nation is being raped by this filthy, low class creatures. Bit by bit they are selling the soul of our nation to the highest bidder…each passing day.

The time for silence is over. The time for words is also over. It is time for action.

(Thank you for the inspiration, N. Vaise)