Upcoming Meet

 Had an amazing meet with alums of two Hyderabad Public Schools in Bangalore a couple of years ago. Or was it a year ago? Anyway, point is, we are going to have a meeting of my branch of the school, Ramanthapur, soon. My batch got out (alive) in 1977, and lots of us are still alive and kicking.. not all, though.

We have had the usual careers, and some have had unusual ones too- like a Chef in Canada. Kartik. And a couple of entrepreneurs in the U.S. Of course, a lot of corporate jobs as well. A smaller set of us met about 2 years ago, but this is likely to be a bigger group, with Bangalore, Indore and Mumbai represented. Apart from the US. 

It was tough recognising a few the last time around. Hope it gets easier now, before the BIG FADE happens!

Biography of Kishore Kumar

 I am about to finish reading a biography of Kishore Kumar by two authors, published recently. Surprisingly, found it at an airport bookstore - which are not known for the best collections. 

Having visited Khandwa, his birthplace which also houses a Memorial to him, I have heard a few stories from the people there too. His birth anniversary is August 4th, and so I thought I would review this book.

It's quite exhaustive, and talks of most things that one would want to know, if interested in the person behind the voice- I primarily like him for his voice and some great songs, though he acted in quite a few films..most are forgettable. Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi was one I liked, and I haven't seen the serious ones. Though he had a headstart because Ashok Kumar, his older brother was a star and was with a well known studio, Kishore did not have it easy. Typical of any film industry, he was criticised for his voice (including by his brother!), but after his wild success in Aradhana, everyone had to eat their words. Pre-Aradhana, he either sang for Dev Anand or himself. Rafi also sang for him in a couple of films, ironically.

A lot of nuggets about his life in Khandwa, his friends, his student days at Indore Christian College (yes, he actually lived and studied here), are less known. The life in Mumbai, the multiple shifts after he got success as a comic hero who could also improvise, the heartbreaks of flops and sucesses, are all covered well. His trysts with Ruma Devi (first wife) and Madhubala (second wife) are also interesting, and give an insight into his personality. His run-ins with the Income Tax people are also covered sympathetically. He was known as an eccentric, and often played truant on the sets of his films.. sometimes with good reason-like not being paid.

Many were close to him.. Iftekhar, Pran and Bhola Shreshtha, father of Sushma Shreshtha. One less known fact is his relationship with Satyajit Ray and his son, Sandip. Both admired each other. The role Khemchand Prakash played in his early life as singer, and later, SD Burman's mentoring and partnership with RD Burman also are documented well. Some of his classy songs like those from Amar Prem and Aandhi, along with the early hits from Kati Patang and Aradhana find a detailed mention. Mehmood contributed to his success through Padosan and his songs for Mehmood's films, including Naach meri jaan fatafat,. and Kunwara Baap, among others.

He was a reluctant stage performer! He had to be cajoled into doing some of those stage shows. 

A multi-faceted artist who tried his hand at lyrics, direction, music, acting, production and direction, and did most pretty well, he was unique. An untrained singer who just happened to be great at it, and worked hard to do every kind of song.. qawwalis included.

Rare genius. Read the book for more!

Subscriptions

 Newspapers, magazines,...

In the good old days, newspapers were the main source of detailed news. Radio might have been the medium for quick updates or crisis situations. Then TV came, and these two took a backseat.

Now, even TV has had to bow to online news updates that are on 24x7. I remember going to CNN studios for a tour in Atlanta. Ted Turner had started this new channel, with news all round the day and night. It was quite a hit in the US, and later went around the world.

Newspapers, the print variety, still have some takers. But in the West, many are struggling. Magazines which were iconic have shut their print versions, or all versions. National Geographic is the latest to announce it. Before that, MAD magazine did.

I once worked for an ad agency that was a part of the Living Media group, publishers of India Today, and a couple of other magazines- Bombay and Computers Today. 

News stands selling magazines are also few and far between today. Changing times..

Conversational Abilities

 Some people have the ability to speak about any subject, for unlimited amounts of time. Think politicians.. no, just kidding, I am not into those. Just normal people. 

My own conversational abilities depend on the other person I am in conversation with. Usually, I like small numbers of people, not a very large group to converse with. And probably one or two others is best, Maybe three. 

I have had meetings with ex-colleagues- ones, twos most of the time. Students, usually former students- again, I have met them individually or in a small group. And had a lot to talk about, and listen to. Some of them I met for the first time outside class, and found them to be great conversationalists. Empathetic, knowledgeable and generally, agreeable personalities I would like to meet again. Anam Nuhi was one such, at Indore.

I can recall quite a few that I have had fun times talking with- more recently, Harshad, Meghana at Pune- earlier, Divya Singh at Pune and Mumbai, Nikita Kumar at Pune first, Hyderabad later, and then at Gurgaon with Shruti and Aditya, Tosha Dubey at Mumbai, Abha with her and Sirisha, Anuj too in Mumbai, and recently at Delhi, Sunil Kataria and Sharmishtha at Delhi, Surbhi Mehta and hubby at Delhi, Vrinda Khanna at her place (Delhi), Pallavi and hubby in Bangalore, and with Shafique (I had my first Sangria there), Pragya Singh (Kahwa?) at Pune, Anupriya Pandit at IIMI and at Bangalore, Dheeraj at Chennai, Meghna Sinha in Delhi and Mumbai (BKC). Meghana Joshi in BKC too. At THE GOOD WIFE, no less, with Vikas and Varun!

I have also gone book shopping with Nishka in Mumbai and Anushka in Bangalore- both KIAMS students. Sheetal Garg is the gregarious one, and musically minded too, and we have talked a lot. Ishita and Anurag, are from Indore, and Anshita too, though we (along with Rupam, Gowri and Sreeram, Ishita, Anurag too) met in Bangalore thanks to her. Meenu Mynam, I met after long at Bangalore.

Savitha (from KIAMS 1998-2000) and I are thick pals now, and so are Shatakshi and hubby. Vidya and Swapna I met in Singapore twice and had a great time.  Smita, in Dubai, and we went stargazing too!

Swati Jain, of the Curly Hair fame, and I had a great time meeting on a rainy evening in Juhu. And Anusha Soni and I met up in Pune after the Golf course at IIM Indore! She's my pal from Bhopal! Nikhil Damle (KIAMS) and I had a long chat at NMIMS Blr. And Chaithu Gunapali of IFIM, and Pooja Varun from PESIT.

And my Biryani friend Pratima deserves a special mention! We keep meeting in Hyderabad. Shailaja Gupta Kapoor actually started a group for IIM alums that's doing fabulously well, and I met them a few times in Bangalore. Through the group, met Nupur Prasmit whose wedding reception was last week in Indore! Also an Indori from KIAMS, Nidhi Kanungo, met me at IIM campus a few years ago.. she advised me to get onto Instagram, and I did..now!

More recently, met Ananya Nandi De at NOIDA too, along with her hubby and son. Had a great time! Here's to more such conversations, planned or impromptu.

Plays- Watching and Acting

 Watching and acting in plays are two entirely different things. I have watched fewer plays than movies, but realise how difficult it is to stage one. That is because of acting in one during my MBA days- my only foray into this arena. Also because I watched my friend Shweta Kushal direct from scratch a new set of actors-students, in 4 different plays at IIM Indore over the last few years.

I have watched a couple of English plays, and a few Marathi plays. Maybe one or two Hindi plays, Have been impressed by most of these. Marathi stage has a long history, and a couple of classics were remade recently into films by enthusiastic directors. Natasamraat and Katyaar Kaaljaat Ghusli were both very good in the new medium. 

Watching Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah in Bangalore last year was a rare pleasure. So was Arundhati Naag performing a Girish Karnad play a few years earlier. Shabana Azmi was in the audience for that one!

Maybe after I retire, will try and watch a few more. Bucket list, here I come!

35 Years and More

 I graduated from IIM B with an MBA in 1984. That's close to 40 years ago. School, 1977. College of engineering, 1982. Therefore, it's not very surprising that everything is moving towards jubilees. But my marriage anniversary is relatively young- only 35 years! Happened yesterday.

It was an arranged marriage, through a Marathi mag. called Rohini, that ran in Pune. We met through her ad, and almost immediately decided that we would marry-in 10 days! The wedding was a month later, on June 26th. Quite a lot of friends attended, despite the short notice, from Mumbai and Pune. The Turf Club was the venue of the wedding reception. I remember wearing a jacket for that! The marriage was a simpler affair, for me, wearing a kurta and pyjama. 

Pics of some stops along the way, in the U.S. and in India..

About Prestige University on CNBC

 A few weeks ago, we shot for a promotional program about the Super specialised MBA programs. At the CNBC studios in Worli, Mumbai. The show, an edited version, was telecast today. Some screen grabs.. 

Our Corporate Relations chief, above and guest, Subhobroto, below. He's the founder of thedigitalfellow, a consultancy.

Two other corporate guests, above and below. From HDFC Life and Mahidra group, respectively.

Dr. Satish Nargundkar, my younger brother and prof. at Georgia State University, also was at the shoot. Below-