Aparna Sen Live

 It was the launch of a book about her. I only know her through the film 36 Chowringhee Lane, that she directed- it was produced by Shashi Kapoor (how that happened was a good story). I was very impressed at the time. The three major actors led by Jennifer Kapoor were excellent. I did find Chowringhee Lane recently, but not no. 36. Anyway, it was an engaging conversation with the author Suman Ghosh and another actor Anjan Dutt who tended to speak out of turn,, and a lot more than necessary. She is 80, but looked around 60.

Anyway, my respect for Tolly Club went up- after a debate earlier, and now this.. organised by their Library, it seems.

Kantara- The Prequel- Review

 I was really impressed with the first one I saw. This one is worth a watch, and if you haven't seen the first, might interest you more.

The novelty of the theme was better in the first. Now, you are already familiar with the setting. Surprises are fewer.

Natural scenes were more in the first, and special effects came in shorter bursts. More effective.

Fight scenes galore in this one- after a while, they seem repetitive.

Some scenes are really well done, and keep the interest.

There's a twist late in the film, which was good.

Rishabh Shetty needs to be commended. Acting is credible. 

PS: The story reminded me a bit of Sangeet Maanapmaan, a Marathi film based on a play- a musical.

Diwali Chronicles

 No match for Chronicles of Narnia. But significant for us. Spent a few days in Hyderabad with my sister, BIL and niece. Highlights were a meeting with Pratima for a biryani as planned, and a couple of outings for lunch (at Peshawar with a friend), and dinner. Also a lot of biryani at home too. 

And celebrated Bhaubeej/Bhaidooj. 

Soda swag, before Biryani at Peshawar, Lakdi ka pul.

Nawabi style. Chai with Pratima.

Seven Wonderful People

 Apart from parents and close family, that is. Cannot be restricted to a number like 7, but here is a small attempt.

Alok Srivastava- a classmate from engineering, also a friend, philosopher and guide who inveigled me into going for a Ph.D. in the U.S. Helped my brother and me settle in, and improve our research skills. He is no more, but his memory lives on.

Mangala, a senior cousin, who had a family of musicians, husband and two daughters. They were all very hospitable, and I stayed with them multiple times at Mumbai. She was an enthusiastic traveler, and came to visit us in Clemson, USA too.. all 4 of them.

Saumya Sharma, who was my Academic Associate at IIM Indore, and helped a lot with anything I tried- downloading Youtube videos or grading some exams, and so on. Cheerful, and still in touch. 

Gadgil/ Vijayakumar/ Dhanapal- We played a lot of Golf together, and therefore the clubbing -pun intended! Great guys, and we bonded over 18 plus one holes. I had my first Hole-in-one at Kodaikanal in their company. Inspiring!

Jogeswari- My student from KIAMS, Harihar who topped her batch of 2001, worked in Google, and went on to her current stint at Golftripz as a Director. A loyal friend. we meet up whenever we can, after all these years.

Savitha, also from KIAMS, a batch senior to Jogi (above). Varied HR stints in multiple companies and one of her own, a foodie and winey (!). Had many good times when we met.

Jayant, a cousin's husband, and a man who stood by his values. His involvement in Hindi films ranged from screenplays (Benaam) to film production (Ankahee). Hosted us at Shrivardhan for many New Year get-togethers in the late 90s. Lost him a couple of years ago, but his wife (my cousin) and her family- daughter, grandson continue to party whenever possible. She's also an actress, in serials and plays. 

Comedy From Hollywood

 It came in different sizes and shapes. But enjoyable nevertheless.

Silent Movie by Mel Brooks was my first intro to his films.. later saw many more. A combo of slapstick and intellectual stuff.

Woody Allen's brand of comedy was different- philosophical, about neurosis in New York, some bold themes..

The Naked Gun was very funny, starring Leslie Nielsen.

A Fish Called Wanda again, had a great cast of three or four good actors working together to create a lot of fun.

The Loves and Times of Scaramouche was a period film that had many fun moments..

Peter Sellers acted in some good Pink Panther Films, and The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu.

Global Citizens

 My wife and I have lived in multiple places, and visited a few countries.. more than twenty, I am guessing. So some reflections about the places, though we are not particularly attached to any place.

Bangalore- great weather, great filter coffee, and many old friends.

Lucknow- good memories, professional and personal, bad weather, great kababs and biryani

Hyderabad- Great biryani, Irani chai, friends and some relatives too.

Delhi- bad weather, good metro service, bad traffic, good friends, positive attitude

Mumbai- bad traffic, efficient train service, professional workers, friends galore

Pune- Bad traffic, good bakarwadi from Chitale, great cultural scene, lots of relatives

Kolkata- Bad weather, good food, new friends who are nice, Chai addas, celebrations with gusto

USA- Some good friends, no domestic help, good National Parks, roads, no railways or autos..

Vietnam- Friendly people, no English, Ha Long Bay is world class

Cambodia- Cheap, Historic, nice buildings

Sri Lanka- Green, beautiful, good beaches, people

Greece- Chaotic, friendly, historic, Sea is amazing, islands too. Good food- Moussaka is my favourite

Amsterdam- Fun place with unique features

Rome, Venice- Good for long walks, bad traffic, Gondola ride like a Shikara in Dal Lake..

Generic Conclusions and Predictions

 The world was supposed to have ended, in 2012 according to one.

That doesn't stop people from making wild predictions, about anything and everything. Most predictions fall flat, including those about the weather. Because there are so many variables accounting for an effect, and it's impossible to measure many of those. 

Plus, unforeseen events like Corona, or lesser catastrophes happen more often than we acknowledge.

Right now, there's a spate of armchair forecasts about what AI will do to the world at large. Of course, other doomsday forecasters are not quiet either. 

My response to all these know-alls is standard- How Do You know? Period.

Students' Day

 I just learnt that today is World Students' Day. It is important to note that Teachers' Day is in September, and a different day! Anyway, irony apart, it's nice to celebrate students, if you are a teacher. 

My first students were Undergrads in Business at Clemson University. The thing I most remember about them- around 25x3 students each semester was that they were courteous, ignorant about computer usage- I was teaching them that- and usually nice to me though I was a Ph.D. student from India. There was a giggling duo of girls, in one of my classes. And Melinda, one student walking past a vintage car parked on campus, modeled for me when I asked her.. I was clicking the car, and she posed alongside.

My last full time teaching assignment was at IIM Indore. I taught a variety of courses there to PG and Ph.D. students, and also Executive MBA students. There were also a few MDPs for specific companies, such as Trent of the Tata Group (Retail) or Hindustan Petroleum.

In between were students at Lander College, USA, Xavier Institute, Bhubaneswar, Vignana Jyoti Hyderabad, Kirloskar Institute Harihar, IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IFIM, PESIT (occasional teaching), IMT (very little teaching, but met lots of students, and continue to do so). 

At Prestige university I really did not teach much, except a few classes of Marketing Research along with Sunil Gupta.

And at JIS University, even less, just one or two guest sessions in our Management programs.

Mostly these were wonderful experiences, and I keep following Facebook and Linkedin updates on what many of them are up to, globally. Makes me quite happy. Also meet a few occasionally, on my travels.

Why I Will Not Get a Nobel

 It's a real reality check. But in accordance with the adage Know Thyself, I will do some analysis of the Self. It's like taking selfies, but deeper.

I have almost zero knowledge of Physics, Chemistry, or Medicine.

I only read good literature, don't write any.

My knowledge of Economics is limited to the current prices of vegetables.

I have not helped solve an India-Pakistan conflict, or an Israel-Gaza conflict, or a Russia-Ukraine conflict, or one in my backyard where dogs fight with man, or with other dogs. Catfights are also not my territory to solve- because they usually don't involve cats..

Which basically leaves me with other Prize options, like the following-

Greatest Golf Trainer in Asia Prize

Great at Forgetting People's Names Award

Most Regular Blogger at 65 Medal

Punek (Anek) Pun Creator Prize

Best Movie Critic Award

PJ forwarder and OJ Maker Award

Not a bad set.. what are you likely to win?

Quarterly Review- JIS University

 Brand-wise, JIS is restricted to West Bengal and a couple of other states. Scope for wider networking, higher awareness levels, and initiatives in outreach for admission diversity and placement performance improvement.

Strengths are a decent strength of students in Pharma, Computer Science and Law. Agriculture is low, but improving. Management, very low, but has a great location in town, so again it could improve.

We did have the first-ever alumni meet at the management campus, thanks to faculty efforts. Ph.D., MBA and BBA alums turned up, one from Bangalore- she works at Google. Annesha Paul by name. We plan to do a meet in Bangalore as well, for Computer Science and maybe other depts.

Also attended a couple of events at Delhi- one by THE WEEK, where JIS University was recognised as one of the top Eastern Universities. A lot of cultural activities took place on campus, and a big induction program for 2025 at an auditorium in the city.

We launched an online certificate course on Interfaith Dialogue, with some prominent speakers. Skill-ex is a good initiative, requiring entrepreneurial ideas to be showcased each Semester by groups of students. 

A vibrant student community is an asset, but diversity could be better. Faculty diversity is an issue as well. 

Quotes About Marketing

 Quotes on Marketing, courtesy ChatGPT.

Classic Marketing Wisdom

1. “The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself.”
   — Peter F. Drucker

2. “Marketing is not the art of finding clever ways to dispose of what you make. It is the art of creating genuine customer value.”
   — Philip Kotler

3. “Business has only two functions — marketing and innovation.”
   — Peter Drucker

4. “Stopping advertising to save money is like stopping your watch to save time.”
   — Henry Ford

---

🚀 Modern Marketing Insights

5. “People do not buy goods and services. They buy relations, stories, and magic.”
   — Seth Godin

6. “Marketing is really just about sharing your passion.”
   — Michael Hyatt

7. “Good marketing makes the company look smart. Great marketing makes the customer feel smart.”
   — Joe Chernov

8. “In the world of Internet Customer Service, it’s important to remember your competitor is only one mouse click away.”
   — Doug Warner

Seven Wonders at Ecopark

 There are replicas of the 7 Wonders at a park near us in Kolkata. Went there with guests yesterday for the first time. It's a vast park, may need two visits to see it all. Or three, if you want to play Golf there.

Anyway, here are some pics..

Formula for a Viral Post on social Media

 You thought only Hindi films have a formula? Or Hollywood? You are quite wrong. Social media posts have one too- or more than one.

One that is surefire hit, and will go viral.

X had a job. Or nothing. He/she makes/made Y crores by doing Z.

Or, his/her parents sacrificed everything to put X through college, or supported her dream. Tears streaming down their eyes, they celebrate the kids' success.

How X climbed a mountain, when everyone gave up on him/her, but with great self-belief, he/she achieved his/her goal of being Y- an IAS officer, an athlete, or a Golfer.. just kidding, Golfers are super-rich as they are born with a Silver Golf Club in hand.

Any more that strike a chord with you? You can always make up a new formula that works- if it does.

October Shines Bright

 It has been a rainy monsoon season in Kolkata, but there's some sunshine (mixed with showers) so far in October second week. Not sure how the rest will pan out, but there's hope of dry days (not THOSE dry days). 

May help me to move around a bit. Though I may spend Diwali in Hyderabad, and stuff myself with some local biryani there. Pratima of IIM Indore fame and me never miss a biryani when we meet.

Osmania alums also might meet up, it's been a while now.

We did have early celebrations of many of our birthdays in Pune earlier, but why not continue? Life is a celebration- while it lasts, right? And biryanis are meant to be savoured.

Birthday Thoughts on Friendship

 Making friends, keeping friends.

These two things can keep you occupied for good! For life, maybe. Even if you work, you can make friends with some. In rare cases, with the boss too!

It happens to be my 65th birthday, therefore these profound thoughts are occurring instead of the mundane thoughts that usually do. Celebrated with my newly made friends/workmates at JIS University, Shrabani and Karanjyot Kaur who also got a cake made by her sister, who is a Hotel Mgt. graduate from the JIS group itself. Proof of the pudding below-

Mumbai Adventure and Chats October 2025

 Had an eventful Mumbai trip with family. A visit to a cousin- Suhita- and a lot of chatting, playing games. And a car breakdown in the ghats. A complete package. Also did an interview with Miskil for Chat Masala- my Youtube channel.

Some pics of the journey and fun there.

Bhavna from Prestige University

 Met Bhavna Oza in Pune where she works with a Solar power company. We met in 2023 at Prestige University where she was a student. Also during her Internship (with Silky and Dheeraj, her classmates) in Gurgaon last year, before I left Prestige.

Pune at Phoenix Mall of the Millennium, 2025 Oct 2nd.

Gurgaon meetup at a mall for Chaat. With Silky and Dheeraj, June 5th, 2024. 

What You Do and How You Do It

 We are always talking about what we do-and ask questions around it, one way or another, to those we keep meeting. But whatever you may be doing, it's more important whether you like it, and if you are able to contribute meaningfully, and whether it gives you satisfaction at the end of the day, week or month.

I think Hoe you do something is as important as what you do. Are you bringing in new ways of thinking? Are you helping a colleague do better than he/she would have? Are you spreading cheer around? A movie called Bawarchi directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee comes to mind. A dystopian household with a lot of problems hires a cook- a bawarchi- who brings sunshine into the house. He helps each one in the house to achieve what they only dreamt of till then. More importantly, he teaches everyone to love and respect one another! In another film of his, Anand, the hero knows he's dying from a rare cancer. But while those around him are grieving, he spreads joy among them till his last breath, because he wants to enjoy whatever is left of his life- looking at the positives.

It is possible, in most cases, to be able to do more than the minimum, whether it's a job or your own enterprise, or something else. The joy of doing it- anything at all- is infectious, and can help you and others to enjoy it to the fullest. Many jobs are dull and repetitive, but you can inject some fun into them if you try.

Try it.

Birthdays Celebrated

 A get-together to celebrate our birthdays in September-October and early November. Organised by Prarthana and Pooja at our residence. Pics randomly taken- karaoke was a part of it!