DON 2 : First Look, first feel

I watch few movies at theatre. Don 2 was always on the list. Who would skip the escapades of Don as “Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahi…NAMUMKIN HAI…he he he he” ? It began with an expected scene..lots of big goons planning some mischief…here the mission was to kill DON.

I don’t know if its a major disparity in the Amitabh flick and Shahrukh’s versions are that new DON is always on the hit list of criminals, rather than insipid POLICE. The ploy of DON to reach the weaknesses of his enemy is beautifully unfolded. Too many exotic locations give it a feel of BOND movie, only certain shocking elements like a plastic item number by Ayesha, legal actions defying logic, an unnecessary skin show by Roma (Interpol) and an unreasonable love chemistry between the ‘Dog’ and his ‘wild cat’ author fails to understand.

It is certain that the brand DON is here to stay…to be seen is if Farhan gives next movie the name of DON 3 or doesn’t include DON in it. Shahrukh has exceeded limits in acting prowess, fight sequences and justified his not so muscular physique by getting beaten up by Vardhan and more particularly, Jabbar. DON feels more like a Chacha Chowdhury who has the power to pre-empt next multiple moves of his enemies.

Coming to the escapades, all were detailed and kept us glued to the screen. Author missed the connecting points of first one to an extent as 2-3 worried people were arguing nearby to get their seats sorted out. It was a jail break scene where DON and Vardhan flee on a medical van. It was a quick execution, but believable as all tactics were aptly displayed.

Determined to tackle the topmost authority gunning for his head, DON joined hands with Vardhan to reveal proof of a criminal conspiracy by a top bank (read Europe Central Bank) executive. Now this proof had the powers to bargain for blueprint of the Central Bank where Euro plates were kept in a ‘Only RAJNI can break it’ vault under extremely tight security. EURO plates are the impression of currency EURO which is on the verge of extinction these days. DON thought that he will mint billions of EUROs for himself using those plates.

As an initial threat of spoiling the party, Ayesha and Hrithik Roshan went to a charity raiser. Mr. Diwan (VP of that Bank) was the guest of honour. A salsa was on, where backless Ayesha offered to dance with Diwan. Predict wat next – Ya the Agneepath pair completed a beautiful SALSA. Roma felt like she knew him and went searching frenetically. Her objective of life has always been to catch DON..isn’t it. HR was actually DON in a mask. He he.

Stunned by the video clip from a cellphone skillfully kept in his pocket by Ayesha, Mr. Banker talks to his boss and contracts Jabbar to kill DON. How foolish na ? What followed was a hilarious sequence where DON just treated Jabbar like a ‘machchar’ and double contracted to work for his team. Jabbar had taken 2.5 million euros as advance from the Banker. Don offered him 15 million EUROs.

All the plans laid out, entered Sameer (Mr. Kunal Kapoor of RDB fame). Ofcourse he seemed a hacker from outset. It was strange to see the respect he offered DON, calling him sir a number of times. DON asked him to mastermind the security breach and controlling of automated equipments inside the bank. All was set for the loot.

Again, the plan seemed very thoughtful. All activities which seemed spontaneous, were actually planned out by DON and Sameer. This computer guy na, I tell you – he impressed DON with his hacking skills. Any Tom Dick or Harry could predict that Vardhan will act smart later. He did. But God aka Sameer had all the controls with him. He switched off the electricity using his computer and DON was swooooooooosh. Then to our surprise Roma and the police is waiting for DON at the exit route. Sameer had betrayed(not really).

Vardhan and Jabbar are inside the bank and they don’t have the exit route (It was not shared to them ..he he). So they threaten to kill hostages (some 20-25 videshis) one by one. Only DON can get to them as he knows the exit route (how silly ?). You know what he demands from police for this philanthropic work ? An immunity from all criminal cases against himJ. Diwan talks to him and signs the deal. (How could he ? He is just a banker). Roma decides to go with DON and have some romantic moments. Her boyfriend (new actor) makes a mockery of himself by threatening DON. Wearing bulletproof jackets; all head for this precious bank. DON shows his concern for Roma by saving her time and again. Once bomb diffusion expert is dead, he himself diffuses a bomb in time (so talented)J.

Meanwhile Vardhan hears an explosion in the security room and is wearied of DON’s presence. He threatens to kill hostages if DON does not show up. Wat now ? Ya, DON comes and with him, Roma. Oh! those last moments with him.

A little bit drama, but yes – as per script – Roma is injured, DON survives, Vardhan goes back to jail, Jabbar is killed by DON. Bank manager dies when a bomb explodes in his car. The plates …well they have to be with DON ….and his two young partners…Sameer and Ayesha.

Shahrukh has carried the role with conviction and covered the shortcomings with his fantastic presence. DON has always been smarter than the rest, be it Amitabh or him. Role of Vardhan is once again to share the screenspace with DON, as the character of Boman has to be sufficiently utilized. Priyanka has some fighting sequence to impress viewers. She was not required to do any item number as it eroded her character in mindspace. Lara as Ayesha could have been replaced by any young female actor. Kunal looked like he was short of offers and took DON to register in our memories. And yes, as Shahrukh gets older..Hrithik looks fitting into DON’s shoes.

The DRAMA of CRISIS!!

If the first crisis was not enough, in came the second one. But this was not a fresh one, in fact the ‘beginning of the end’ courtesy Mr. Jhunjhunwala of first crisis. The bailouts, the easings are showing their side effects. It looked similar to a disease which was not strived to be cured, in fact it looked like the doctor kept the patient comfortably on respirator till his condition worsened.

Quantitative Easing – the word draws attention but it’s simply fusion of fresh money into the US market by selling government bonds. QE1 and QE2 tried to elongate the sluggish economy on respirator. Heart rate showed improvement for a while and people rejoiced that the disease is over. As long as the patient’s treatment(US economy) was funded by the wily zamindar(China), patient hoped for a recovery.

But the deteriorating mechanism was not helped by the employed population. The very factor that make US happening – extraordinary care of it’s citizens has instilled an idea into it’s working class. An idea that we are privileged to be here, we are not going to compete with people from emerging economies. We do best whatever we do. This attitude justifies the numero uno position US has been precariously holding onto somehow. But the writing is clear on the wall. They may not be able to sustain it. They should not for the benefit of THE WORLD. Whenever US is in trouble, it seems the world is about to end. Such centralization points to the feeling that we all are subjects of a single patriarch.

Going back to the patient analogy, he is showing no urgency in exercising his moving parts. High unemployment rate suggest that US has hardly been vigilant about it’s own intra-structure. Why US citizens are not preferred for jobs ? What extra they demand as compared to their peers? Why Indians and Chinese are hired by US companies ? If the patient is happy by borrowing help from more active patients then God knows how long he’ll live. Interestingly, this situation arises when people are staring down at the end of their life.

As I write this, QE3 will be ready for launch. It will be interesting to see how long this will go on. For sure, US government debt will increase beyond limitations. Credit rating may come down to A+. More mayhem is possible at the Wall Street and emerging markets. FIIs, the overseas investors are credited with driving the Indian Stock exchange. Its during these crisis, they ‘astoundingly’ decide to withdraw funds from India to save their face in their origins. We all agree that there is a lot of cushion for growth in India. Had Indian investors been intelligent enough to park their funds in equity, these situations would have been avoided to some extent. But the saving habits have denied that decoupling. Saving is understood by many as the money lying idle in CASA bank accounts. Of course, that’s true. Then you ask yourself if you need that fund in near future. The answer is – NO, I don’t think so. So what am I getting with this money ? A 4% annualized return!!! HAPPY ??? If you believe that you will earn more in future, then believe that the companies will do better. There is SCOPE in India for growth in MULTIPLES. Who will drive that ? COMPANIES…GOOD COMPANIES. How to identify them ? See past numbers…Profit Margin, Sales Growth, ROE. Should I become it’s shareholder ? Analyze the industry sector, EPS, see if it’s undervalued (P/E). Buy CHEAP, sell EXPENSIVE – a basic principle taught in NURSERY. Read management discussion in annual reports to get an idea about it’s future plans.

In fact, investment in equities (for sufficient time period, diversified portfolio) is saving in stricter sense which also gives higher average returns. But the drama of a collapse, the panic created especially to trigger downward run has prevented many to show the courage to invest when the bear is in motion. It’s only when the bear stops and FIIs come over again, the Indian investor feels comfortable to enter.

This attitude demands change, if we expect to be self-sufficient in any time horizon. These external forces can’t be dismissed, but their powers can be tamed if we understand the market. Speculation or intra day traders are also the culprit when it comes to misleading genuine investors. Relying purely on the technical analysis is not recommended for people who aim to ‘SAVE’ money through investment in equity.

ANNA and BEYOND!!

As this 'Lokpal Bill' movement continues, I have a feeling that it will fail. My experience comes from previous protests I have participated in. There were similar issues we were fighting against. But those at the helm of affairs exercised great restraint in catering to any demands. All they came up was 'GLOBAL' gyaan session. I am sure Prime Minister is doing the same in his speech at IIM Calcutta.

Actually this movement was necessary to test the intolerance of 'WE, THE PEOPLE' against corruption. The idea of Lokpal doesn't seem feasible to me as it forms a parallel body to CVC and may lead to confusion of authority. I believe it tries to prevent corruption, not cure it. There is a big question mark over the selection of right individuals under Lokpal ambit. Whenever there are people involved, corruption sneaks through. Like Mahatma Gandhi led the movement with his team, hoping that they will take care of India; Anna is doing the same. But there is no guarantee that the functioning will be as desired in long term.

Further, if there are so many 'honest' people in India; there is a better solution which will work for atleast 5 years. Let TEAM ANNA form a political party and run it 'corrupt-free'. As far as funding for functioning and mobilization is concerned, we are there to help them. If we can follow them in Ramlila ground, we can surely give financial assistance in hope of an end to corruption. I am sure if SOUL is left in INDIA, they will win many seats in next Lok Sabha elections. They will get many intelligent fellows for support; who will devise high tech ways for promotion. Things will work out in the right direction.

Eradication of CORRUPTION is a long term exercise. First we have to move ahead of those people who are involved in corruption and holds comfortable position either as ministers or beaureaucrats. It will be foolish to think that PARLIAMENT will pass a law which threatens to jail majority of it's members. It will not be passed. Even if it will be, there will be sufficient loopholes. Result - a BIG ZERO after all these protests.

So the bottomline is - this movement should give birth to a political party with a mission to give India a 'CORRUPT FREE' environment.

To Pratigya, with love

She's not my girlfriend, nor is it one sided love. Pratigya is the mother of five children - Neev, Swashakti, Swatchatha, Jagruti and Suraksha.

These babies are created with planning and capital during incubation. Supplement it with contents, targets, service by volunteers and other important stakeholders - babies were born on 13th November 2010.

I am talking about seeding the idea when the foundation is conceptualized, nourishing it to grow healthy and then monitoring it till it matures.

Pratigya is a social initiative taken by one of the premier B-schools in India ( and one of the fastest growing B-school in the world! ) I am talking about IMT Ghaziabad.

Neev is what it name means; foundation. Establish a base for right education of the less privileged child. A team of students proceeded to nearby schools and interacted with students of class-IV and class-V. During the visit, they found out that the basic level of understanding was quite sub standard. Apart from study, there was little to look out for these children. There is a plan to nourish their future in sports and studies by providing them with the infrastructure and training at a better frequency.

Swashakti is targeted to encourage women entrepreneurship in groups. Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) joined hands with volunteers to manage a women group in preparing delicious pickles and market them. Similar activities have been managed by MADF (Make A Difference Foundation) where female inmates of Dasna jail prepare fancy candles and diyas for Diwali decorations.

Swatchatha is a cleanliness drive which was carried out at places like India Gate and Nehru Place in Delhi. It was an effort to sensitize people about an individual's responsibility to the area he lives in. Students recognized the thankless job of the cleaning staff by felicitating them.

Suraksha was all about spreading awareness about traffic rules and reminding busy commuters about little precautions we tend to forget. Students holding placards utilized the red lights at major chowks in Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad to spread the word. Some even pointed out to the car owners to fasten their seatbelts.

Jagruti was the campaign in Central mall at Gurgaon, Pacific Mall at Ghaziabad and another one at Noida. It's agenda was to highlight the issue of corruption in our professional lives and reiterate some energy conservation tips.

Why Facebook ?

Many will detest this note, because it's antithetical to the concept of 'Facebooking'. Status updates and more recently notes have engulfed the interests of all and sundry. My love with facebook started with some desired and strange applications like predictions, lover of the day, friend of the day, ideal job et al. These applications asked some questions and popped the results. Even if there was no connection, I thought I've achieved something. I'm sure same is the case with others. People feel happy if they see something extraordinarily nice about themselves. For me, it was a confidence booster. It's hard to acknowledge though. It also works as a proxy if not enough friends are online and thus keeps us busy.

To increase the networks of friends, Facebook suggests names randomly. Mind which feels hesitation in requesting friendship, thought of loosening the shackles gradually. FB is preferred over Orkut because FB is a broadcast network unlike Orkut which came across as a point to point connection. The more friends you have, the more people you reach out to. Wall updates can be seen on all friends' news board. Orkut implied a concept of scribbling on the other person's scrapbook.

The habit of lingering on this social network is effectuated by the lack of result oriented work and worthy substitutes. I don't know about other B schools, but this one is surely hooked on to FB. People release unique status updates and there you see a series of likes and comments within no time. This brings us to analyze the dearth of student activities which has propelled deviation on to the web world. As common in every B school, student managed clubs and committees are active in the college. But most prefer to ignore them due to reasons best known to them. Academics as usual, attract little attention. Credit must be given to high frequency of exams which resist us to delve deeper into understanding of the subjects. We tend to behave like machines. Input -> Process -> Output with least retention. This is what I feel, respect to those who have managed to learn regularly.

By garnering applauds on writing a witty remark or by creating a thought provoking video/pic; we feel belongingness to the FB world. This world is 'real like' but not real. After all, nothing has replaced the intricacy of analog human interaction. Try executing a project without meeting a single time and you would know. We are still bound to excel using age old methods of convincing naysayers through table discussions and spoken presentations. Hooking on to FB undermines our focus on the what should be the strength of a modern day manager. Plain confidence does not make up for paucity of facts and analysis.

How to use FB to one's advantage ? I've tried few things. During the summer break, games like Scrabble kept me indulged. I hope I've improved my vocabulary to some extent(God knows!). Creating pages and raising support for causes justifies our passion. 'It's my Earth' page was created as part of a contest organized by one of the IIMs. I'd decided to continue with the initiative, though it demanded only one investment - time. Lots of friends have accepted it. Thanks folks! The idea was to change the way our mind thinks about the environment. Believe me, I can't tolerate wastage of electricity now.

Ecoball

Good to see Netherlands and then Germany making it to the final four. By the time you would be reading it, Spain shall make it too. But I could not find justification in supporting any of them. All throw their hearts out in the field, only to lose or win by some chancy goals. The truth is, I hardly know more than one player from every team and have not followed the club football ever.

So I thought and came to a conclusion : It'll be better off for the world if an European nation wins the cup. Put the economist's eye and you will be happy to agree.

The Euro crisis driven by mammoth Sovereign debts of many EEC members is looming large. Investors have started washing their hands off Euro. It's falling wrt. Dollar and other currencies and thus, the costs of repayments are getting higher. This discomfort is supposed to be healed by implementing austerity measures and rolling back of govt. stimulus. But the conditions have not improved with close to 20 percent unemployed population in many countries. The squeezing of money will actually affect demand adversely. A long recession resulting from deflation seems a possibility.

If any of the three wins the world cup, things can be lot optimistic. More so Spain, which is reeling under the Fiscal deficit of 11.4 percent needs spirited hope and actions. Needless to say that a Football world cup win in a sports crazy nation usher in a grand celebration lasting weeks.

Lets be hopeful that it will provide a much needed cushion to the treasury and more time to think. As we all know that

- Lots of beers will be boozed

- Festive occasion will grace population

- Families will spend on entertainment

which will generate taxes for the exchequers and income for people.

Crisis in Europe will affect developing world (say, India) adversely as exports will go down due to shrinkage of demands. Contrarily, imports will increase as the European currency will be relatively cheaper. Thus domestic production will suffer high competition due to technological imbalance. Moreover, lower interest rates in European countries will attract ECBs from corporate world. Indian banking system will be pressurised to compromise. Sub prime crisis in America may have not shown it's direct effects in India, but it has unsettled the public.

When debts range in thousands of billions of dollars, a world cup win will hardly titillate the foundation. But, the motivational self-esteem oozing out from the mega achievement shall inspire politicians, bureaucrats and the 'aam aadmi'. They'll be expected to act in their country's utmost interests.

Loss of words

It was final year of PGDM (Finance) for them at The Management Institute, Bagiazad. New batch had joined in and the B-school was back in life! Jatin and Romin were in pensive mood, sitting in the mess during the dinner hour. Gulping down the Chinese food and updating themselves with score of the WC football match, both went for puff...followed by a walk around the park.

Jatin says, "I remember last year I was mad about blogging. The creativity enthused by the marketing classes and insightful case studies spurred me to write. I had participated in blogging contests centering on different marketing themes. Building on it, I diversified to write about other issues. The craziness was such that I dared to start new blogsites for operations, economics, finance and even word of the day. Many people often ridiculed the exercise. You, who's as passionate towards blogging had been there to contribute. It's soooo enthralling. It was another matter that the warning bells rang soon. I was found wanting on the basic knowledge of Finance and thus, turned my interest towards it. It was proven by track record that I liked numbers. But, I believe a lot of effort from my family was the driver."

Jatin turns philosophical, "Now I am into the sea of Finance, swimming among the numbers and trying to form a life boat out of them. It's not easy since they are attached with the mesmerising formulas, which in turn are to be explored deep into the sea. Finding the roots is the key. Thus, the need to learn 'YOGA' to stop breath for a substantial time and dip in. Ha! Ha! No joke! Try it and you can feel the difference."

Romin feels weird to link Finance and yoga. He enjoys his sutta and adds his own piece, "Brain has transformed into a calculative mood with adherence to all the constraints. Interaction with people has decreased considerably. Life seems to be coming a full circle and the true self is now back. The PGDM programme is a sort of change management for me. I have been a recluse for large part of my academic career. The idea here was to open up and express myself to people. Be a known person, that is. The main difficulty arises when the socialization gets into the psyche and I deviate from studies. It happened here too and I had to change back to what I was good at. Understand the concept better than anyone else...deep down. It involves a lot of mental exersion. Something like forgetting the world when you and your book are together."

He concludes, "Look at the way Marketing guys spend their 24 hours. They read one book and write answers for 3 subjects. And we, immersed in books all the time. Finance and Marketing are two different sides of a same coin. People who are equally good in both of them can be considered Geniuses."

10 things I've learnt during the first year of PGDM

1. Don't go for CGPA, you will learn more and feel better. Remember 3 Idiots! Go for the excellence, not success.

2. Don't think about placements, prepare yourself to understand management.

3. Be passionate towards your course, irrespective of what the world thinks.

4. Use laptop only when necessary. Make an entertainment window for FB, youtube, movies etc. It's very difficult to resist in high speed internet facility!

5. If you become part of any club/committee, show (by your work) that you run it.

6. Those who become NCCs (No Clubs and Committees), need not get disheartened. NCCs are the most creative people in the campus.

7. Beware of the socialization virus. It will kill your time.

8. Read books at Library. It will enhance your ROI.

9. Respect the faculty and do interact with them. They are expert in their field.

10. Follow your hobbies and play outdoor Games.

Dasvidaniya

In this box I feel like king

Going outside is so nuking

Cocooned life is all we yearn

Which bring mirth followed by burn

Yes, I came here to learn

No no no, first must 'unlearn'

New words, new phrase; lots of hoopla

'Per se' most popular; English oo-la-la

B.Tech. already, now go for MBA

Trend must be followed, O you CFA

Me too me too, lets catch them all

If all are equal, who among many a(ll) ?

Future is on the line, one must fight

Bullshit the ethics, that silly 'right'

My mind so busy, so disturbed now

Bewildered, happy and sad mow

Why so serious, the joker asks

Is it the disappointment at the lass :-)

Well well well, being single hurts

Does it mean being more free sucks ?

One year gone, 50 percent manager!

Asked the green field, preserved by the gardener

Eyes relieved, after hard work at laptop

The lifeline at office and killer at health cop

Trees & plants I love u all

U give me joy and I run(away) without call

God so kind, I have some alternatives

This crazy man looking for superlatives

10 things to do before I leave mine

Are they easy, absolutely defined ?

Search for the answers keepin stakeholders in mind

This is a Cricket game, team not 'I' find...

Bored u a lot, many would agree

My first attempt, care not a degree

Confluence needs YOU!

Hi,

We need YOUR contribution to confluence. It can be any original work, ranging from writeup to sketches, video, photos etc. conveying some message. Not for wholly entertainment purpose!

Confluence is different from other blogs because it's a mix of thoughts emanating from different minds. Rahul and I were ensuring continuous updation till date. But now, we need others to join us.

Interested people can email their gmail ID to me at 'ishanrohit@gmail.com' for author rights.

Avatar and it's after effects

Damn! Here comes the destroyer of a beautiful planet. The fliers in their helicopters and electronic gadgets, robots beatified with bullets and explosives. Out here to destroy the tribal dwelling, established under a giant tree. Ecology is perfectly in equilibrium with the cool balance of birth and death of organisms. But, selfish motives must be sufficed. Humans are at it to seize the place, which could be beneficial to them.

This is the background of Avatar, the film. Well, the freshness is the love between the human mind and the indigenous lady. The result was satisfying, the nature taking on the artificial power. I can foresee the same happening out here. Slowly and acceleratingly, we are heading towards hard times. The times of shortages, scarcities, extinction to hound us. Till we reach dangerously close to the unexpected, we will keep holding our stand. Similar to the military in the film.

These days, the Save Tiger campaign has gain foothold. From 50,000 and prided as National animal of India, they are reduced to a paltry 1411 this date. People will keep killing them and selling their skins for hefty amount. Why should they worry ? The other person must! I am fan of this attitude here.

Right from the childhood, we study some useful lessons regarding the moral behavior, duties of a citizen and try to apply that in our lives. Then we see someone we respect and look forward to, lacking in this sense of conduct and wonder who’s right. We consult our elders and friends. Based on our understanding, this is the time when we may switch our stand and learn to live by the ‘practical world’.

It depends on the life at one’s place and surroundings, surely. Nobody wants to wait in a queue for long hours and miss important tasks. Thus, some may deviate and they feel they are justified in their actions. Similarly, in all the environmentally hazardous activities, we feel we are doing what we are ought to do. The purpose is to enjoy a cool life with our family and whatever way we can suffice our needs, is welcome.

The big picture is blurred. We never care to adjust it’s focus. If we wait and think, the competitive world will run over us and we’ll be left behind. That’s the case with India, a highly dense country. So what happens, everybody’s conscience is active, but most advocate it for their dear ones. No accusations, I am the culprit too.

Social networks help us realize our ‘Positive’ side. There is nothing like social expectancy pressure, the force to engage in causes which are socially desirable. As we are vast in numbers and variety, we discuss and collaborate on some meaningful work, beside fun filled activities. The twitters and facebooks’ popularity have instigated in youth’s memory, the basic do’s and don’ts to give back their bit to the society. This is what I believe, and those who don’t actually don’t realize that they also believe it. J

To the spirit of love

It's my Earth

Ethics ? My foot !

I suppose Newton gave theory of relative motion. We used to create a lot of buzz over it in our engineering preparations’ days. If I am not wrong (Hail Rubics Rostrum!) this theory concerns about the differences observed when two objects are moving in different frames of references, with different speeds. If you are present in the same frame of reference in which motion is occurring; its calm state for you. It will appear stationary if you are sitting in the backseat of a Honda CIVIC sport blazing through the highway, your eyes closed and soft music entering through your ears to create the euphoria. If you are standing by the roadside waiting for a lift, the same car is a rash speeding object (Of course it won’t stop unless you are a lady!). What is the frame of reference in ethics? Its your emotions and feelings related to a particular case. If the case have happened to you as an unjust treatment, you tend to show the associated revengeful response as a green signal. So you can’t judge the wrong part in it. It’s impossible to gather and get convinced about the inappropriateness of your mis-step. Only, when an unrelated, unbiased, unaffected feeling challenges your conscience, there is a discomfort rising within. You slowly begin to lose your sleep and want to see the light, the solution.

A frame of reference sits in the human mind. We can refer to multiple frame of references too. We have capabilities, but we cherish hiding them under emotions, nonchalance acting as mini-skirts. Some people do realize the right way of doing things, but what if its wrong according to their surroundings. The office they work in, the sabzi mandi they buy groceries, the queue they stand for depositing their bills or for buying rail tickets are some examples. We abhor unjust practices, but what do we really do when it comes to us ? Are we always preferring to go by the rule book, or allowing occasional deviations because “Sab karte hain”. If I give honest opinion, even I am guilty in some cases. Though many times, I resist the temptation. Not having the resilience to stand against the crowd, I become the spectator (if not part) of the game. Few days ago, one of my friends spoke to me. He was pitying for me as I had refused to prompt answers (and ask for similar favors) in quizzes. People had made team and they were collaborating to get good marks. So my efforts were ‘waste’ as per his judgment. Maybe for records I would agree. But the positivity generated by the clearheaded approach will certainly be the torch bearer for future successes. This is what I believe and beliefs are imprinted by experiences.

What about the system ? Honest approach takes years while money infusion is treated as characteristics of ‘smart’ people. They get work done easily, through the back door perhaps. For everything to work normally, it will take time. It will be large enough to breed discomfort to echelons, but quite relaxing for a majority. As India has a vast population but limited resources, everyone dreams to enjoy monetary benefits. To the people, a ‘nazrana’ is a gift for some consideration. A consideration which, for them is trivial. Only a bypass does not amount to crime. Somebody has to come by the way, so why not 'that' gentleman! The ‘nazrana’ may be distributed from ‘bade sahib’ down to the ‘chapraasi’. Everybody has a share, so this is an unofficial conduit to follow for ‘special’ cases. There is no point in denying that which sector is most corrupt. We all are corrupt, happily. The amazing thing is we don’t acknowledge that, or we feel happy about it.

I know there’s no use writing all this stuff. It will not bring any change. But to our moral sense if we can award a honest human; life will be on a smoother ride. Then one can always enjoy listening to the music, relaxing in his home (if not the car!).

About actors

Amir Khan was my favorite actor. Yes, 'was' till I watched 3 idiots. The process started with Lagaan. Then DCH, Fanna, TZP, Ghajini and finally 3i followed. These films were among the biggest blockbusters of the year they were released. They lived up to the hype created by the media and promoters. All were so different, depicted different storylines with good camera work and music. Then why so unusual ?

There lies the reason. In all these films, amir's character was so powerful. It had a larger than life image. In Fanna, he was an impostor, a terrorist on a mission and a passionate lover at the same time. In Lagaan, he had the courage and talent to take on the Englishmen. He was the best player of all; a leader, a good bowler and batsman too. In Ghajini he prepared a masculine structure to support his macho and confused character. Again, in TZP he was an artist, a model teacher and by chance suffered from dyslexia in his childhood. The limit crossed in 3i. Mr. Rancho was intelligent, extrovert, naughty and a topper too. He ended up becoming a scientist.

It's not that I am envious of these unique characters potrayed by him. AK has been my favorite so much that he adorns my mobile screen in his Ghajiini look till date. Today, I know not why, my mind reminded me of actors like SRK and Amitabh Bachchan. I remembered their classic performances and yes, I found them better than AK. Their characters are not so powerful, they are like u and me. That is the true test of potrayal. Without any support of external appearances, extraordinary talent; they have lived their roles pretty well. Amir Sir was always looking for a larger than life script (read role) for himself.

How to change ?

We are fault ridden beings. Claimed one of the best philosophers of all times. We all know our weaknesses. ( or do we not ?) But what is it that we are unable to break the shackles, come out of it. Emotions, the word commonly countered in such situations! It simply does not allow us to change, change for the better. Thus, we are stereotyped by our personality types, which keep reminding us of our traits.

Is it tough to change ? Our childhood memories, some of which has formed deep imprints on our psyche refuse to die down. Maybe, obviously, we dread a particular behaviour because of the "horrifying" experiences in the past. The past encumbers our childhood, when we were nascent enough to take certain things seriously. The reactions of elders to our childishness might have prompted such behaviour.

World has so many extroverts and so few introverts! People who talk less and think more are introverts. As I anticipate, introverts are people who think ahead of their age. Right from the kindergarten days, they do not find activities of their fellow beings exciting enough. They are bored of it. They want to do what their immediate elders do. But they are not supposed to do that. Result, if they approach out of curiosity to 'higher' people, they are unacceptable. People usually take them with a pinch of a salt, until they persist to prove themselves. Sadly, not all can hold that courage, some need help from others. They hesitate to express their intentions, knowing that they will not be understood.

Thus, they keep concentrating on areas where they are supposed to do well. In the meantime, they feel that they are not enjoying life. Their unhappiness in completing those expected chores is highlighted when they distance themselves from people. The search for loneliness where they can 'invent' something is always there. If they are unable to accomplish so, they get angry at hindrances. Again, people find this unnatural. Unnatural it is, because they were not allowed to do things which they could have done. Their mind process tells them things which they are unable to explain to their friends. Often, introverts result in excelling in arts, music and literature. These fields provide a platform to invent, to keep growing and not reaching the end.

When I happened to pursue PGDM (accidently, I must say), I was told a manager must have an extroverted personality to leverage maximum benefits. Well, it sounds reasonable. So what if I am not an extrovert ? I do not talk to people spontaneously. I need a reason to be a first mover. What to do ? Am I in the wrong place ?

Geo Marketing : Relevance in today's world!

I have a problem. I want to create a furniture shop in Delhi. Delhi is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest metropolis by population in India. It has more than 12.25 million inhabitants and 15.9 million residents in the National Capital Region.

Where should I choose the location of my shop ? Which location will be least distance from the supplier's office ? Where could I get enough customers to buy furnitures from me ? Do they have the purchasing power to buy expensive furniture ? Are people willing to travel large distance for buying furniture ? Are the surrounding shops selling same stuff ? Will it be better if I plan my shop near newly constructed societies/homes ?

Answering these questions will involve lots of research work. Collection of customer related data involving demographic and socio-economic details is required. Maybe, it can involve going door-to-door to survey residents and hope they answer correctly. It will involve time and hence will be an expensive proposition. Suppose, I get the results with me. Now what ? I have the analysis in the tabular format. What if, I change it into visual expression. Yes, I create a digital map of Delhi and superimpose the customer data. I get the type of purchasing patterns, the region-wise distribution of customers over the map. Hence, I can easily make out the regions in Delhi where customers are spending most on furniture over the years. Of course, use of software and important details like location of customer drives the results. Over the digital map, I can approximate the street location which can be the most 'valueable' for me.

This was a case of application of Geo-Marketing to the catchment area identification, proper demographic analysis and socio-economic analysis. As a general term, Geomarketing is the integration of Geographical intelligence into all marketing aspects including sales and distribution. See telecom industry, where players are constantly reducing their margins to retain customers. How can they earn profits with decreasing ARPUs (Average Revenue per User)? Certainly, they bank on Value Added Services which can be different for each circles of their operations. Players present in the South, need to analyze customer data accordingly and relate to the local connect to increase belongingness. They can use Geo-marketing methods to filter their customers, create optimized promotional campaigns and save redundant costs.

Cycle again; with a difference

I knew it!

Guys, can't help it! I knew today was the all important cricket match between India and Australia. But, driven by my past experiences I had stopped taking cricket matches seriously. Umpteenth time I have witnessed India losing from a winning position. The heartache has been that the margin of runs were in single digits. The heart attack has been that Australia has the feat of defeating India in close encounters most number of times. Do you know that they defeated us by 1 run in WC 1987 and WC 1992 ?

Today's match was a cult classic. 351 to chase, no motivation to watch second innings for me. Previous memories still afresh! I have hardly missed a match from 1993 till 2006. It was then that a phenomenon called Dhoni gripped the nervous strings all by himself and began to steer us to victory all by himself. He was instrumental in instilling that 'go for kill' attitude in the team. He took burden from Sachin's shoulders and soon we could see a transformation in the side.

The Dhoni bubble burst aided by the non-stop play schedule. Fantastic players like Yuvraj and Raina hogged the limelight. But still, none of them had the spark to carry the team to victory single-handedly. I know many will object, but I have seen these players perishing on the doorsteps of victory when the onus was exclusively on them. The master blaster Sachin has always asserted the vintage class supremacy time and again. Dhoni though, has come close to matching the tag of 'One Man Army'.

It was one such day, when Tendulkar again, decided to make this match his own. He played straight drive, pull, chip, square-cut, flick and that 'running down the crease inside out' shot. Everything was going right. The God had revisited. He completed the century and pursued for another. It was time for dinner.

The Mess, a packed house accommodating 300 people at once. Two 29 inch flat TVs on two sides. Hardly a spare seat to sit. The crowd howling "Sachin... Sachin...." at every ball. The old phenomena was back. Spectacular shots delivering boundaries at astoundingly quick intervals is no mean task. Ricky Ponting could be seen crouching on his knees, helpless in front of 'God'. We know God helps those who helps themselves. Yes, the team was required to steer itself towards the target. Sachin left the 22 yards, may be a rush of blood instigated by the power play enforced him. By then, he had scored 175 odd runs. What more do one expect ?

There were 4 wickets left and 19 runs to score off 17 balls. But the old disease grappled our batsmen and we lost it by 3 runs. The match was memorable because it livened up memories of the 'old' Tendulkar though the unchanging habit of losing close matches did hurt.

USP of IMT - Hats off to Students!

As expected, Students came out on top. A strangely mischievous strength of 420 X 2. Add to them the Executive students, and you get a thousand plus managers waiting to explode and drive the world.

This year, around 85% students have at least 12 months of prior work experience. Most of them are from IT background. The fact that they have risked their job to study for 2 years in this serene environment, surely raises motivation levels. Students make it obvious to follow all subjects closely, actively participating in class discussions and events. Many of them enter clubs and communities to get a taste of the power bestowed on them. They learn how to manage logistics, approach corporates, make their work count. The fact that all of them can't be accommodated, leaves room for innovative adventures.

Many would be astound to hear such glorious words about themselves. I wanted to take it optimistically, but there are always two sides of a coin. A general perception rules that having tasted the work culture, a U turn to college life is tedious. Add to it cash crunch and you visit a novel situation. But IMT culture expedites the familiarity process.

A new view of Management is to chill out during two years. Learn something you missed out on all previous years. See how you can manage stress and be happy. Understand and pick the right opportunities and follow your heart closely, in whatever you do.