Raid- Film Review

I am a fan of both the husband and (his real) wife. I am talking about Ajay Devgan and Kajol (she's not in this film though). So, it's possible I am biased-but maybe not, coz I did not even see Kajol's last film.

Ok, this movie is surely worth a watch. For many reasons. One, to start believing in the rule of law, and that it can take on the powerful. It happens so rarely within the bounds of rules, that it is worth our support. The 'one-man takes on twenty' fantasies are of course, myths. This seems to have a kernel of truth.

What I found disturbing is that one crooked guy has the gall to approach the country's PM and Fin. Min. for favours-galling, to say the least, even if it's a story. Some of the side characters are really entertaining, like the grandma who keeps slapping her grown-up sons now and then-they fully deserve these, too.

The dialogue and editing are super. Ileana's not bad, though you can guess she would not have too long a role. All in all, a good film about something important.

Sophie's World- Book Review

An amazing book, if you have the slightest interest in things philosophical. I came across the book in a Pondicherry boutique hotel room -yes, they had books in each room. There was also a common living room/kitchen- here's a pic. (Wildflowers of Walden's the name of this place)

The book is about a girl discovering various schools of thought -mostly philosophical and religious, but also about inventions and discoveries and much more- through conversations with an older man. It's written in an engaging style (translated from Norwegian, I think), and I was hooked until I read all of it.

Mixed Feelings- Convocation 2018

Another batch of students graduates from IIM Indore today. Actually, there are multiple programs from which students will graduate. The PGP MX (a weekend program), EPGP (full time exec. program), the FPM and FPM (Industry)-doctoral programs- and the flagship programs of 2 years and 5 years (Dual degree).

(Above- a class of PGP MX in progress during their campus visit)

Many students whom I have taught are among them, and it's a mixed feeling while we see them go away. Not knowing if or when you will see them again, but feeling good to see them come of age and explore new territories, a la Ulysses, looking for the unknown in the untravelled world. I quote from the poem (Ulysses, by Tennyson)-

I am a part of all that I have met;

Yet all experience is an arch wherethro'

Gleams that untravell'd world whose margin fades

For ever and forever when I move.

How dull it is to pause, to make an end,

To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!

The inevitable has to happen, and the young have to find their way. We will be a part of all who we have met!

 

Pondering in Pondicherry

 Me and the tree-in the Botanical gardens, Pondicherry.

 ..and going nuts with a Coconut in hand...worth many on the tree.

 He looks forward to the destination. You'll know why.

 Selfie attempted, and taken.

 A tree house and a car parked in front...wooden, of course.

This is why. We went to Paradise and lived to tell the tale.

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Leh Revisited

 The original residents-above and below.

 The intruders..

 Indus and Zanskar come together.. and snow-clad mountains from the pathways.

Japan- Memories

 Jay in Hell (seriously, the spring above is called a Hell/Jigoku) with a pretty student guide from the university that hosted us, and both of us on a guided tour of Kitsuki. It was my kimono day! This was in 2015, when we went for a conference at Beppu, a small town known for its hot springs- the onsen for bathing, and the likes of the above for sight-seeing.

 Above- A view of the Beppu harbour, and (below) a multicultural group of participants from Nepal, UK, China and Japan.

We went out sight-seeing, and spotted this guy performing live.

The Purpose of Exams

We thrive on exams- educational institutes, I mean, and the profs. in them. But what exactly is an exam, why was it invented, and does it serve its purpose?

Yes, and No.

If it makes people think-before, during and after the event, it is a good thing, in my view. If it doesn't, not serving its purpose. just like education.

Maybe with smaller classes, one can explore different types of exams. Oral, for instance. With large classes which are a norm even in institutions that can afford to have smaller ones, your options are limited. But creativity can probably be used here as well, to make it a more meaningful experience.

I have of course, found brilliant students through exams. But I have also found them by other means. So exams might not be the only way to grade the student. Application, which takes time to show up sometimes, could be another.

Entrance exams are another kind. They largely want to filter out a large populace, and so concentrate on that purpose, rather than being a genuine test of a person's all-round capability for engineering, medicine, or whatever the entrance exam is for.

I have had interesting experiences with exams of all kinds- open book, closed, viva, projects, presentations.. will try and list them out one day.

Circumnavigating the U.S.- Part 2

This was our road trip no. 2 of its kind in the U.S. This involved touching places such as New York and Ohio (where a cousin each resided), and then Chicago, Detroit, across to South Dakota and Wyoming. Of course, Mount Rushmore was the major attraction in South Dakota. And the Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. The joy of actually watching The OLD FAITHFUL, a geyser that shoots water and steam at regular intervals, and soaking in the wild scenic beauty of the place, was worth the very long drive, which we did with my parents who were visiting from India.

We rounded it off with a visit to Los Angeles and Las Vegas before heading back to South Carolina where we started. Great memories, and a reason why I never really visited the US after I got back- I felt I had seen it all.

 Yellowstone Park (above) and Red Canyon, Arizona, below.

Intro to an Introvert

How do introverts behave when introduced to a new person?

I think they would try their best to avoid being in a situation where they meet new people. But if it is a must, and unavoidable, they will mostly listen, and not talk about themselves (or much else) till they get comfortable with another new person.

But this does not mean that an introvert does not have anything to talk about. He is just not used to talking about it as much as an extrovert might be. I have had conversations with self-confessed introverts that were very, very interesting- sometimes longer than those with extroverts.

So make the introvert feel comfortable, and they will open up. May require more patience than you normally have. If you have an introvert as a friend, you may not even notice that they are one. Maybe, just maybe, social media are one place where an introvert gets an equal opportunity to be social.

Circumnavigating the U.S.

Actually it was a road trip, that we first undertook in 1986 as students, and went across the U.S. from the East Coast to the West and back. On the way, we stayed with friends in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and San Antonio, Texas.

Some places on the way that were significant, were the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. This (Petrified Forest) has logs of wood that have turned into multicoloured stone logs due to embedded minerals. Later, I discovered similar petrified logs in India in Mandu, near Indore (in a badly maintained park). Here is a pic from Mandu.

There was also a meteorite crater in Arizona that we went to. After a visit to the Lonar crater lake in Buldana district many years later., I realised this (Lonar) was more impressive. In Los Angeles, we went to Disneyland, Universal Studios, and NBC studios where The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson was shot every day of the week. Also saw Hollywood (nothing much to see), Beverly Hills where the stars live, and the Star Walk (they have their names carved in the walkway). It was a great experience, with Kiran, a friend, as our local guide.

Thinking- a Lost Art?

We had a lot of time on our hands in my years of growing up. We probably had a lot of physical activity too, but this post is about the time we spent thinking about things, when we were not playing, studying, or watching movies-in theatres.

One of our think-tanks in engineering college, Osmania University. 1977-82.


I am not sure what we thought about-maybe what we would do as a grownup, whether we even wanted to grow up (I think we did, as the grass appeared greener on that side then). Maybe about doing wonderful things like flying (my first flight was at age 23), travelling to a different country or countries (that happened on my Ph.D. cum sightseeing trip at age 26).

Most likely, thoughts also included finding the love of your life (maybe not, maybe you thought you had already found her/him with every new crush), owning your own car and going on an adventure (it IS an adventure, come to think of it, on our city roads), owning a Badminton court so you could play without interruption ( a friend from college in Hyderabad had this ambition of having a Billiards Table in his basement and playing with Me!).

The world of thoughts is not constrained by reality, and is positive at all times. To this world!

Understanding and Enjoyment

Someone said long ago that Ignorance was Bliss. I would tend to put it a bit differently. You don't need to understand something in order to enjoy it. I don't understand classical music, as I don't know one Raga from another (pun intended). But that does not stop me from enjoying all of them (THAT one included).

This moment of understanding came from a recent outing - one to a friend's place where some authentic Punjabi food (no puns here) was offered and partaken. Rajma, Chawal, Phulka, sabzee and raita, can make a delicious meal, was the takeaway (no, the meal was not a takeaway kind).

Then, there is this place called Bong Adda in Belapur, which we visited for a meal. I don't understand Bong food, but I enjoy it, was the takeaway from here. Mostly, it was mutton. But there was the mandatory rasogulla (made with jaggery instead of sugar) and mishti doi (sweet yogurt/curd) to round it off.

Reminds me of a sign that I saw recently at a shop selling fish- Bengali Fish and Sea Fish, it said. Now, I did not know that fish spoke human languages. One lives and learns, I suppose.

Aadhaar Card

The Supreme Court had to intervene to postpone (at least for now) the deadline for linking the Aadhaar card to several things.

There are several problems with making something mandatory for availing something as basic as a mobile phone connection. In today's world, it is almost akin to a right to have a mobile phone, if you wish to be connected with the world. Most (actually all) existing connections already were verified at the residence of the subscriber while giving it to you. So asking for a mandatory link to Aadhaar makes little sense. Old people or some other segments may see it as a harassment. Other options like passport etc. should be provided, if at all a further ID is required.

Except for one or two things -maybe providing one while filing returns- there are many other ways to find out the identity of a person. Biometric ID is not foolproof, as the introduction of Iris scans proves.

More research on the downside with different segments is needed, and a guarantee of no leaks/misuse is necessary before making everyone get one compulsorily.

Three Storeys- Film Review

This is an engrossing Hindi film. There have been earlier attempts to sew together multiple stories in one film, not always successfully. This is the right way to do it.

Richa Chaddha is the narrator, and tells us three stories, with some connection-all the stories are of characters who live in the same three-storeyed chawl (an old style Mumbai building). The stories themselves are very interesting, and each one has a twist which at least I could not guess.

One is about a young boy trying to buy one of the properties in the chawl from an old Goan lady (played well by Renuka Shahane). She has a back-story, but the way it plays out is fantastic.

The second involves a woman married to an abusive husband. She meets a man she had planned to marry earlier, in an unexpected way.

The third is about a love affair between two teens who live in the chawal. Just when you think it is another routine story, comes a twist that socks you in your jaw.

If you like tightly edited films without unnecessary masala, this one's for you. The acting is uniformly good, and the direction, excellent.

Gulabjaam- Review of the Marathi Film

The quality of Marathi films these days seems increasingly impressive to my eyes. They are increasingly subtitled, and therefore, accessible to audiences who don't speak the language. The subjects they tackle go beyond the stereotypical Hindi film (Padmaavat is also fairly stereotypical, in my view-and too long).

Sonali Kulkarni is also proving to be a classy actress. I just saw another film of hers called Kaccha Limbu, and she was brilliant in it. She also rocks this role of a great cook, with a past. The script is written with the audience in mind, and the movie is gripping, even though it's not a murder mystery. You want to know what happens in the lives of the main characters, like the hero who wants to learn cooking at any cost from the lady chef (at home-she makes dabbas for the needy).

His front story (for lack of a better expression) and her back story are brought out in great cinematic fashion (flashback in her case), and are captivating. The film ends on an upbeat note, which is a plus too. Go watch it if you like good films.

Best Presentations

What were your best presentations, according to you?

I can remember two or three from my student days-

1. During my MBA days, we made a presentation for Prof. SK Roy's OB course. It was the review of a book called The Tyranny of Testing-a book about why IQ type multiple Choice Tests may not be the best way to test many good things. We worked hard (it was a group presentation), and I remember we did get a lot of applause.

2. The second was a solo by me, for another course, Effective Communication during MBA at IIM Bangalore. I chose Romantic Poets as my theme, and with the aid of Keats, Shelley, Byron and so forth, made a very interesting presentation, I was told by some of the audience.

3. A third that I remember was during a Project Management assignment in a Ph.D. course at Clemson. We decided to present CPM and PERT through a project that James Bond had-On Her Majesty's Secret Service. We watched the film's video and made a PERT chart out of it.

Presentations can be an interesting learning tool, that you may remember long after the lectures have been forgotten.

Starry Names

When we named our daughter no. 2 Pooja, there were two actresses around by that name- Bedi and Bhatt were their surnames. I am trying to recall students or colleagues who had starry names -

Jitendra (Sharma) was a colleague at IMT.

Anushka was a student. So were three Aishwaryas- Omprakash, Iyer and Saraswat, more recently.

Sreedevi was a colleague at Bangalore.

There have been a couple of Rajesh-s though not with a Khanna surname. Amitabh is a colleague right here.

Supriya, Shruti (Suman, Shah, Sharma) and Smita are also names of stars- the stars were Pathak, Haasan and Patil, a favourite actress.

Divya (Singh/Sisodiya) reminds me of Divya Bharti, the late actress.

Oormila (spelt differently) and Urmila Matondkar, the star.

Mohnish (Waikar) and Behl, the actor.

Shreyas is an actor's name too- Talpade.

Manisha (Rawat) and Janwadkar are reminders of the Koirala.

Sanjana Rao is a reminder of Sanjana Kapoor.

Pankaj reminds me of Pankaj Kapur, a brilliant actor.

Sanjeev Prashar ( a Prof.) and Undri, a student, remind me of Sanjeev Kumar, a favourite actor.

Vidya (TC) was a student, and Balan is the favourite heroine.

Shilpa (Arora) were names of more than one students, and Shetty is the star equivalent.

Madhuri Helchel, a former colleague and also a niece (Pai)- Madhuri Dixit is the star equivalent.