We had a cousins meetup in Pune for celebrating Rakshabandhan.. multiple sisters tied rakhis to brothers (cousins) present, and we had a gala time with conversations that went on, and a slide show of pics from our families.. the two daughters and SILs of the host added another dimension by participating enthusiastically.
And digital menus.. imagine these..
If you want to enter Heaven, you need to prove your credentials.. first, a KYC to prove your identity.. and then, enter your OTP to confirm you are dead- but how do you do this when you are dead?
KYC to use a public toilet.. so that you can be fined if you forgot to flush..
KYC to enter a classroom and get your attendance marked.. proxies will be eliminated.
Criminals who want to prove that they committed a crime can also do a KYC.. or else they can't take credit for it.
Moms of newborns need to do a KYC that they are what they say they are- mother of the new-born. Or else, that kid won't be given a birth certificate!
None of this proves you are a citizen.. go do an SIR, sir!
Saw an impressive film called Frame (Marathi). Apt title, because it charts out the life of a photojournalist- and his young apprentice.
Very well acted and directed, it stars Ameya Wagh and Nagaraj Manjule. The female parts are not as significant, though they help define the character of the main actor. Can't disclose the plot, but it's very interesting, and disturbing.
This screening was at the Film Archives audi in Pune, on the same road as FTII. It was a full house, and the director, Vikram Patwardhan, was also there.
Met two former students of IMT Nagpur currently in Mumbai. Shafique Gajdhar is from Dewas near Indore, and works in Mumbai. Vishakha Sugand is from Mumbai. We met at Juliette's Cafe in Oshiwara, Andheri. Recounted the good old days, and lots of common faculty and students we all know.
Wonderful conversation that stretched for about 5 hours!
Saw a good musical program dedicated to Khayyam on his death anniversary. Umrao Jaan, Noorie, Bazaar, Kabhi Kabhi and Trishul - and Sagoon were the major films from which songs were sung by Jitendra Bhuruk, Ghafar Momin, Ankita Takle-Tikekar and Pradnya Gaurkar.
This is the season for visiting the spots we drove across. The rains give it a special twist, and the greenery is amazing. We drove in a circle, taking Sinhagad road to Panshet, and then to Varasgaon, Lavasa and back, passing Temghar dam on the way. Had lunch at Ekaant in Lavasa (outskirts), and Kanda bhaji on way to Panshet. Took in many spots on the way, including a small waterfall. Did a speedboat ride at Panshet too.
Pics-
Courses in management- MBA in particular, used to be about free thinking, no single right answers, case studies with possibilities - and no certainty.
Now, it's more about Analytics, and AI-driven solutions. Where does that lead a student, or a faculty member?
Assignments that used to take all night with healthy discussions can mostly be done through AI at the click of a mouse. Case studies fed into a ChatGPT can churn out solutions in a jiffy.
So what does that make a management student? A prompt manager? And a faculty of management? A judge of the best prompts that generated desired outputs?
Maybe the fun is going out of learning management, and teaching it. Unless we all up our game, and transcend this BS.
Saw a nice art exhibition with everyday things as its theme. Met a couple of artists too- one known, one unknown. Impressive work. A flower seller's basket was my favourite (first pic below). Got a pic, with the artist. A couple of good ones with a known artist, Anuradha and a chair painted by an unknown one.
It means - at 2.22, and is a play in Marathi. Very engrossing, about a possible ghost or a haunted house in a remote place, where a couple has just moved in. Another couple who is friends with them visit, and a long argument goes on about rationality and beliefs that defy it. The direction and acting is superb, and all the build-up leads to a completely unexpected resolution. Great stuff. Hats off!
It's about an actor who gets to play Dr. Ambedkar in a TV serial, and how it changes him. Sachin Khedekar is the actor.
A lot of things are discussed in the course of it, like activism by film stars, untouchability, reservation, Gandhi and Nehru, His conversion to Buddhism, how we treat servants at our homes, admission percentages in mainstream courses, our perception of Africa, Europe and America, and family dynamics. One unique thing I saw in this play, was the hero sweeping his house, of course when urged b his wife.
Good for thinking about some important issues.
It's a famous group orchestra that has been around for 65 years.. the Saraf family started it and runs it. But the show was dedicated to Laxmikant Pyarelal's music. Jitendra Bhuruk, Kishore Kumar of Pune, started with Mere mehboob qayamat hogi.. Then Bhakti did some hungama with hunagama ho gaya, and Radhika Atre others chipped in with hit songs. But the surprise package who stole the show was Sudesh Bhosle.. totally unexpected. He did some mimicry, mingled with the audience, and sang a song that made him famous- Jumma Chumma de de..
We had a cousins meetup in Pune for celebrating Rakshabandhan.. multiple sisters tied rakhis to brothers (cousins) present, and we had a ga...
