If they were made on current happenings, their titles might be-
1. Khul ja Hormuz
2. Mamata ki Kshamata
3. Hormuz- Kabhi khushi de kabhi gham
4. LPG- a Neverland
5. Hormuz ki dum Tedhi ki Tedhi
6. Iran Yuddh ka Kahufnaak Sach
7. Israel ki Giraft mein Trump
8. Vijay hi asli cheez hai
9. Keralam aur Raga- ek Prem Kahani
When you are in a job, you can be useful to friends in your network, either due to your expertise, or your position, or contacts. Maybe you can get things done. Fix a summer internship for your friend's son/daughter, or call someone to do someone a favour.
When you stop working, most of these "powers" go away almost instantly. People who knew you 'forget' you, and you are pretty useless to anyone. It's a different feeling, and can affect you negatively.
But there's also a positive. It's liberating, the feeling that you are no longer going to be approached by anybody to do things for them. You can play God no longer, you are just a human on your own.
Freedom, at last?
Saw a musical show at Balgandharva in Pune- 60s to 90s. Singing by various artistes, reasonably good. Song selection could have been better, in my view. But the show was free, so worth the three hours or so. One good idea was visuals from Youtube were flashed along with the singing, so relived a theatre experience with original actors, alongside.. my favourite was Khatuba, from Alibaba aur Chalis Chor, filmed on Zeenat Aman. Ek main aur ek tu was good too, and Kanta lagaa..
Exit polls were Ok in Bengal and Assam, also in Kerala, but off in Tamil Nadu (except one I think).
Change happened in all states except Assam.
Maybe the lesson is that everything has an expiry date. Dictator or democrat, doesn't matter. Sometimes elections displace them, sometimes a revolution, or an assassination.
Many a time, electors have limited choices. They vote for what seems most likely to benefit, or least likely to harm them.
Congress ruled at the Centre for a long, long time. So did the Communists in Bengal. But at some point, the need for a change became apparent, and it happened. So it is this time.
And yes, the name Vijay helps you win. Not just in Hindi films.
Saw the film about Michael Jackson recently (April 2026). I was in the U.S. when he was a phenomenon, in the late 80s, and we saw a lot of his numbers on MTV then. Liked most of them. Some of them are reprised here, and quite well too- must have been tough for the choreographer and the actor who looks a lot like him.
The prejudice against Black singers coming on MTV is well depicted. So are his love for kids and animals, and cartoons. Of course, this is a positive film, so the only negative is his dominant father who tries to push him into things he does not want, after it is clear that he is a star creator and performer on his own. His social sensitivities are also brought out well.
The music selection is good, and is the highlight- as it should be, for a film about a musician. The signature moves are captured well.
I like Prabhu Deva, the Indian equivalent too. And I still remember the performance of I'm Bad! by Katarina Witt, chamion ice skater, at the Calgary Winter Olympics. It was Good!
To end April, we assembled for a party at our place, with many people in attendance. The oldest was 90, an aunt, and the youngest, around 6. The karaoke added a lot of fun to the proceedings, with everyone participating- with the mic, or in the chorus. The amazing food and drinks meant that we closed pretty late.
Sport teaches you many things. Football and Cricket thrive on teamwork. Basketball on shooting ability to score. Defence too, in some of the team games. What about Golf? It can teach you a few things.
1. Planning a shot. You have choices, starting with what Club to use. Where you want to reach.
2. Concentration. While hitting the shot, all energy is focused on the ball and the swing of the club, or the Putt, on the green.
3. Visualising. On a green, particularly, it's tricky because of slopes-up or down, the behaviour of the ball, because the green can be fast or slow depending on the moisture, grass length and so on.
4. Execution. For all the planning, and the right grip, stance etc., how you play the shot matters the most.
5. Consistency matters more than genius in one or two shots. It's a long haul.
6. Practice on a given course matters, in addition to generic practice. Understanding the course you are playing on is important.
Translate these into life learnings, or work.
I recently interviewed Ravi, a friend in Calicut, on his interests, that focused on Cocktails. This is the link to the chat, on my Chat Masala Youtube channel.
Bangalore has been a pioneer in the Internet Cafe and IT Mindset, and everything tech. But also in craft beer. I remember some visits to Biere Club, one of the first place in the Vittal Mallya Road area. Went there a few times with Avinash Mulky and other friends.
Toit, in Indiranagar was just starting up when I went there with students, Sunny, Jimmy, and Mukesh of KIAMS. Now we have a TOIT in Pune too.
Bangalore now has several pubs and craft beer places, in JP Nagar too. Bramha Brews is one large place. Others are also quite popular.
The good thing about craft beer is that it is fresh, taste includes various flavours, and includes both light and dark varieties. I am not a big beer drinker, but craft beer is an exception.
In Kolkata too, I tried two or three places, in Park Street (Roman theme) and Galleria mall.
It's fashionable to predict what will happen. It also was lucrative at one point. Now, if a party funds you, it may still be.
But I am adding a twist to the prediction game. I am predicting how things may turn out for people like you and me- the Aam Admi, in whichever state the elections are happening. Names ending in 'ni' not included.
1. The more things change, the more they remain the same.
2. Petrol prices will rise. So will a few other essentials, partly to offset doles announced.
3. Liquor prices may rise, for the same reason as above.
4. The first six months will look as if there are bright days ahead.. not using acchhe din, as it's copyrighted.
5. From month 7 to the next election, it will seem like a long wait for change. Refer to 1 above.
The brouhaha over elections in some Indian states is almost over. The counting is on May 4th, a big day for individual contenders and the Parties in the fray. So who will celebrate with a party on that day?
I don't have any guesses, because the Indian voter throws up surprises quite often. What now seems like a pattern, is that Southern States will vote a regional party, but I have no idea what Bengal will do.
But whoever wins, the lot of the common man seems to change very little. Jobs are probably stagnant, and so are wages at the bottom of the (large) pyramid. So what will anyone in that position gain from whoever comes to power is a moot point.
The elite usually continue to flourish, no matter who wins. The era of big ticket reforms kicked off in 1991 is almost over, and India will continue growing at 5-7 percent, due to its large population, as a whole. How that translates into the well-being of different segments is what really matters.
Saw this in Pune yesterday (April 26, 2026). Directed by Lillette Dubey, it's the story of Bodhi dharma, a proponent of Buddhism and Dhyana, which became known as Zen. Brilliant in its direction, and acting, and Sets and Lighting. The scenes depicting China are particularly well done. Actors play multiple roles, barring the lead players. A great message too.
I played Golf starting from my days at Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies in Harihar, around 1996. My colleagues Dhanapal and Vijayakumar, and YK Gaur, were my partners. Occasionally, got to play in Bangalore with friends- Ravi at BGC, or Muthu at KGA. But in later years, I found opportunities to start training students and faculty in playing Golf, when I was at IMT Nagpur. We actually created a Green and played in the evenings, and trained our students and colleagues.
At IIM Indore, I used the cricket ground to play a few shots, and trained some students and faculty in the basics. Also a few MDP participants from various companies.
At NMIMS Bangalore just after the COVID pandemic, we started playing on a green patch in campus, and many faculty or staff picked up the basic drive and Putt. It was great fun and the institute bought a kit subsequently.
I think schools or institutions should, where they have some space, try and teach this unique sport - it's not very expensive to do just a couple of shots and some putting. And the bragging rights for students are priceless!
Life in the US or the west is a dream for many. So is a life in the Gulf countries, for others. But what is the reality, vis-a-vis a life in India? I mean, a working life and a retired life.
I was earning a comfortable (at the time) 40 thousand dollars per year when I got a job in the U.S. as an assistant professor. Spent quite a bit on the 2 Bedroom apartment, and furnishing it. The car and medical insurance payments later, was left with just enough to make a trip to India perhaps, and a comfortable lifestyle. But we had to do our own washing, ironing and cleaning. Car maintenance occasionally came up. If we had had kids, maybe expenses would have multiplied.
The same applies here, at a lower rupee salary. Plus you get maids for housework and dhobis to iron clothes. Drivers are available or autorickshaws in cities. Now metros too. Public transport has always been better in India, and safe for kids and older people. So they are not dependent on you for their movements. Now we have the Metro as well in many cities. Your savings tend to be high in India, as you spend less, unless there are medical emergencies. You can plan your retirement savings too, if you start in your thirties or so.
Job security was higher too, until now. So it's possible for a qualified person to live a good life in India too, particularly for a double income family of the middle classes.
Vasanti was first the wife of Muthu, a colleague and friend. Then, she became a friend- the two daughters also were friends of ours. Swati and Sreya. Saw them grow up, in our multiple meetings. Her Mom and Dad also became friends, so did her brother. Her dad lived to be 95, and was my facebook friend! He had worked in Kolkata a long time.
Vasanti studied at IIM Calcutta, and experimented with a few jobs with companies in Bangalore, and then settled into domestic life. She was into music, serious singer and did a few rounds with friends.
Very interesting conversationalist, with firm views on anything you talked about. Very supportive of my job changes which we discussed many times- whenever I changed jobs.
She had cancer for the last few years, and did fight it for around 5 years, through many chemo or other treatments. Finally the fight ended on April 10th. Will miss you, Vasanti.
With Vasanti and Muthu, in Bangalore. In better times.
Like the Maratha rulers did, we went to a Southern foray, covering Bangalore, Coimbatore and Calicut, in April 2026, to celebrate my retirement..
Did meet a few friends, and stayed with a couple. Mostly by train, except one bus journey from Coimbatore to Palakkad, in a non-AC bus. The Vande Bharat from Bangalore Cant to Coimbatore is very convenient. I used to do this by bus earlier.
Sometime in life, you have roommates, or roomies. I had some in my school dormitory, in my engineering college hostel, both in Hyderabad. Later, had some in the U.S., until I got married. IIMB had single rooms, but great diversity in terms of classmates.
These are great learning opportunities. You live with completely different kinds of people, and learn to get along with them. My engineering roomies were Telugu speakers, and it improved my Telugu. In school we had to speak English.
The U.S. roommates or flatmates were all from Hyderabad, so it was not a big challenge. Also, we had a French friend, an Iranian one, a Turkish one and a Nigerian one among classmates in our courses, apart from Americans.
A Korean and a Venezuelan colleague followed at Lander, my workplace. And of course, an American, Leslie, who became good friends with my wife.
In India, multicultural colleagues followed (I worked across the country), including Odiyas, Bongs, South Indians from all states, and Marathi and North Indians from all over. Enjoyed the diversity and good times, with festivals of all kinds being celebrated.
Not many cooks knew where and what the Strait of Hormuz was, before March 2026. Now, thanks to Trump bhau, we all do.. not sure how it will impact the Assembly elections in Keralam, TN, West Bengal states in India. We shall find out on May 4th
Not sure if Putin closed any straits around the globe anytime. So Trump out-trumped him in this sphere- or crooked (not straight) line on the globe.
How the world comes out of this imbroglio and when, we don't know yet. But if the objective was to divert attention from unpleasant domestic scandals and poor ratings, this is not to be straitjacketed as an ordinary strategy. It is a masterstroke in international diplomacy, after Venezuelan strike, forgotten in a week, because half the world does not know where Venezuela is, but more importantly, their kitchen fires were not affected. So we still don't know where it is..
One of my mom's two surviving sisters turned ninety last week. There was a big celebration of course, attended by extended family and friends. I was lucky to be there too. Some of the people in pics-
And cousins and nieces
Putin
Xi
Hitler
Trump
Mao
Lenin
Stalin
What are the common things among them? They will throw you 'in' more often than not, for criticising them.
Which is better?
In India, it appears, the autonomous B school outshines the department of management in a university. Especially if it is fully residential. This is unlike the US, where autonomy is inbuilt into university departments. The large bureaucracy in an Indian university nullifies some advantages that it may have in terms of scale and diversity.
Another unique thing is that the top Indian B schools are run by the central government. Unlike the Harvards of the U.S. This could be because the first independent Indian government identified Higher Education as a strategic growth lever, and went into action mode. Set up IIMs and IITs. The focus on one discipline helped them carve out a niche, unlike state universities, which also had fund constraints-still do. Industry participation initially was insignificant, and the government fully subsidised these institutions. My fees at IIM Bangalore for the PGDM in 1982-84 were around 3-4000 rupees per annum. Seems to have paid off for the government.
Less bureaucracy, strict faculty selection and student selection and swiftly changing curriculum and pedagogy with freedom and incentives to faculty have made IIMs a force to reckon with- I worked at 3 of them, I should know.
Read a post by someone on LinkedIn on how Indians in India are emotionally attached to their job, partly because we don't have other interests outside work. Largely true. Oracle's 12,000 layoffs brought this out yesterday, with some employees lamenting their layoff.
What is a job? It's a contract, that can be terminated as per conditions stated in it. That's it. The group you work with is not exactly family, though friendships or relationships can develop during your work life. But the corporate (or family owned) entity has limited uses for any employee-CEO included. One must bear that in mind.
The best way to deal with the downside is to be prepared for a job change at short notice. Update your skills, your CV and network. Don't be under an illusion that your job is forever. Stash some savings to help during a transition. Don't overcommit on expensive stuff, especially long term, unless you have an assurance that you can meet the EMIs.
Even more dangerous than Ukraine-Russia and Iran- US/Israel, these are the wars you see everyday, and feel tempted to participate in- The Whatsapp wars.. on a device near you!
These can rage on forever, until you exit the group, or they throw you out, in case you are the incendiary chap! Totally macho, like real wars- mostly men participate in these too.
The topic is not very relevant, but in India, since 2014 at least, it's about how X has done so much for the nation, in the face of anti-national elements who want to stop him, or the reverse. It takes two hands to clap.
Mostly, the fake news propaganda memes are used as weapons of construction- of the scenario one is pushing. The resilience of the soldiers is more than the Ukrainians and Iranians put together. These wars don't have an expiry date.
Everyone seems to have 'inside' info on various things, more than the Dhurandhar director ever did.
And so, they go on.. a good pastime after retirement, maybe.
My lists don't contain celebrities, mostly. The people I have known- colleagues, students or classmates are present in the list, to which I add regularly. Family members are not in it, for avoiding possible nepotism charges :)
Shrabani, my exec. assistant in JIS University, and her friends - Karanjyot, Sunita Samanta and Debasmita are some I want to add to this list. Very simple, easy-going and affectionate, they were there to celebrate my birthday, and events in their lives. Two got married while I was in Kolkata. I also got a lovely farewell from them jointly. Wonderful experience! Here they are-
Another admirable duo was Sayantani Saha and Ananya Ghosh. I had been meeting Ananya Ghosh for suggesting analysis approaches in her Ph.D. thesis, and discovered that Sayantani, my ex-student, was her friend. We had two great outings and I also cut a cake to say Kabhi alvida na kehna.. to promise we'll keep in touch! Pic from our last meeting at Axis Mall.
Left Kolkata and landed back in Pune, after a stint at JIS University as a Pro-VC. Of course, met a lot of friends in the last few days, played a bit of Golf at Fort William too.. nice memories to carry back. And these parting shots..
Shortages bring out the sense of humour.. so here are some songs one can sing to the LPG cylinder-
Maine tujhe chaha tujhe paya hai. (after a struggle)
Tumne mujhe dekha, hokar meherbaan, ruk gayi ye zameen, ruk gaya aasmaan..
Aaaja aaja, main hoon pyar tera.. aa ah aaja.. (after booking a cylinder)
Tu auron ki kyun ho gayi, tu hamari thi.. (when your cylinder is allotted to someone else)
Aap jaisa koi meri zindagi mein aaye to bhat (rice) ban jaye, haan haan bhat ban jaye.
My golf student, Ph.D. from IIM Indore, prof. at Roorkee IIT, and good friend Prachi Jain was in town for admission interviews.
We went restaurant hopping on Park Street. Some pics. Her old colleague Umang, now teaching at IIMC, and new ones from IIT Roorkee were in the vicinity. Met some of them too.
