My home office
Mondha chairs
Not sure if they are called that, but we sat on them as kids in Kothagudem, A.P. while growing up. They are woven rope and cane chairs. Also available without a back as mondhas. I went on a drive outside the Indore IIM campus looking for some chairs, and there was a seller on the roadside-as if he'd guessed. I couldn't resist them, and bought a couple to do up my newly acquired and mostly empty house.
Drove to Mhow, a pleasant 12 kms. away, just to get acquainted with the surroundings. It is getting cold at night, so my ventures will mostly be daytime. Bought a pipe to water a huge lawn-cum-garden I have out in front. More later.
Drove to Mhow, a pleasant 12 kms. away, just to get acquainted with the surroundings. It is getting cold at night, so my ventures will mostly be daytime. Bought a pipe to water a huge lawn-cum-garden I have out in front. More later.
The Year Gone By- 2013
2013 was a good year.
In Jan I was recruiting faculty at IMT Ghaziabad.
In Feb I was planning a convocation at IMT Nagpur.
In March we welcomed Mr. Azim Premji at the convocation.
In April we had a faculty meeting spread over Nagpur and Bhedaghat (Marble Rocks) close to Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, my home-state to be (though I didn't know it then).
In May, we had a series of alumni meets of Nagpur alums across 5 cities. Also took a family break to Thailand and got introduced to a few Buddhas-sitting, smiling and reclining. A boat ride on the river was a highlight.
Welcomed a brand new batch of students at Nagpur in June. Taught them Golf and the case method.
A very wet monsoon followed in July- August. Lot of guest faculty from my IIM batch came to speak. So did Devapriya Roy, a friend and author from Delhi.
Went to visit Lonar crater in Buldana district, formed by a meteorite hit. Fantastic sight. Had a great golfing trip to Kodaikanal with Gadgil and Vijayakumar, colleagues at Nagpur.
September, back to Ghaziabad and a round of appraisals of faculty.
October, met a lot of Osmania University friends at an outing to Bheemeswari, near Bangalore. Planned the Ghaziabad alumni parties with Alcom. And tasted some excellent wines at a friend's place in Bangalore.
November, met an old schoolmate after 35 years. Also had a few unique farewells, in two Delhi clubs and at the Kulchawala in Ghaziabad, apart from an official one.
December-moved back to teaching after many years of mostly administration, at IIM Indore-my fourth IIM, including one as a student.
Read a few good books along the way, watched a few good movies. And totaled 1700 friends on Facebook. Got a few good comments on the blog too. Crossed 50,000 views on the blog. Thanks, readers.
The journey continues...Musafir hoon yaaron...
In Jan I was recruiting faculty at IMT Ghaziabad.
In Feb I was planning a convocation at IMT Nagpur.
In March we welcomed Mr. Azim Premji at the convocation.
In April we had a faculty meeting spread over Nagpur and Bhedaghat (Marble Rocks) close to Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, my home-state to be (though I didn't know it then).
In May, we had a series of alumni meets of Nagpur alums across 5 cities. Also took a family break to Thailand and got introduced to a few Buddhas-sitting, smiling and reclining. A boat ride on the river was a highlight.
Welcomed a brand new batch of students at Nagpur in June. Taught them Golf and the case method.
A very wet monsoon followed in July- August. Lot of guest faculty from my IIM batch came to speak. So did Devapriya Roy, a friend and author from Delhi.
Went to visit Lonar crater in Buldana district, formed by a meteorite hit. Fantastic sight. Had a great golfing trip to Kodaikanal with Gadgil and Vijayakumar, colleagues at Nagpur.
September, back to Ghaziabad and a round of appraisals of faculty.
October, met a lot of Osmania University friends at an outing to Bheemeswari, near Bangalore. Planned the Ghaziabad alumni parties with Alcom. And tasted some excellent wines at a friend's place in Bangalore.
November, met an old schoolmate after 35 years. Also had a few unique farewells, in two Delhi clubs and at the Kulchawala in Ghaziabad, apart from an official one.
December-moved back to teaching after many years of mostly administration, at IIM Indore-my fourth IIM, including one as a student.
Read a few good books along the way, watched a few good movies. And totaled 1700 friends on Facebook. Got a few good comments on the blog too. Crossed 50,000 views on the blog. Thanks, readers.
The journey continues...Musafir hoon yaaron...
Michael Caine- Autobiography
That was his screen name. He writes better than Bond- Roger Moore, that is. I read Moore's autobiography earlier, but found it mildly interesting or soporific depending on the time of the day. This one is better-written; the humour is good. Sample this- he quotes a joke from a stand-up comedian- "I slept like a log. I woke up in the fireplace." And a couple of lines from an Austin Powers movie that he starred in-
1. explaining why he had a stiff neck- "I took a Viagra and it got stuck in my throat" (not Michael Caine's line, but the hero's), and
2. another line, his own-"There are only two things I hate in the world: people who are intolerant of other people's cultures, and the Dutch."
His own fondness for humour comes through in the book. Dirty, Rotten Scoundrels was a comedy he starred in and rates highly- it stars in my top ten Hollywood films too. Another favourite he and I share is the actor Humphrey Bogart, and two of his films- The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca.
He grew up poor, acted on stage, and struggled long years. Sean Connery was a co-struggler. But he got some lucky breaks, and finally made it to Hollywood, his dream. The Ipcress File and Alfie were the films that got him into the limelight (why is it called that?), and Shirley Maclaine adopted him and introduced him to most Hollywood biggies.
His wife Shakira is of Indian origin. He saw her in a Maxwell House coffee ad on TV and was besotted. He found she lived in London, sought her out and dated her, and married her. And stayed married across
continents and decades.
There's also a section on how the name"Hollywood" came to be. Many anecdotes are interesting, like the kneeling rehearsal for being knighted. Most stars known to me feature in these. His take on social issues like racism, class prejudice, is also well-thought out.
Worth a read. Warning- this is the second of his two autobiographies. Title- The Elephant (a locality in England) to Hollywood.
1. explaining why he had a stiff neck- "I took a Viagra and it got stuck in my throat" (not Michael Caine's line, but the hero's), and
2. another line, his own-"There are only two things I hate in the world: people who are intolerant of other people's cultures, and the Dutch."
His own fondness for humour comes through in the book. Dirty, Rotten Scoundrels was a comedy he starred in and rates highly- it stars in my top ten Hollywood films too. Another favourite he and I share is the actor Humphrey Bogart, and two of his films- The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca.
He grew up poor, acted on stage, and struggled long years. Sean Connery was a co-struggler. But he got some lucky breaks, and finally made it to Hollywood, his dream. The Ipcress File and Alfie were the films that got him into the limelight (why is it called that?), and Shirley Maclaine adopted him and introduced him to most Hollywood biggies.
His wife Shakira is of Indian origin. He saw her in a Maxwell House coffee ad on TV and was besotted. He found she lived in London, sought her out and dated her, and married her. And stayed married across
continents and decades.
There's also a section on how the name"Hollywood" came to be. Many anecdotes are interesting, like the kneeling rehearsal for being knighted. Most stars known to me feature in these. His take on social issues like racism, class prejudice, is also well-thought out.
Worth a read. Warning- this is the second of his two autobiographies. Title- The Elephant (a locality in England) to Hollywood.
Indore and Outdoor
Ok, that is a bad pun. But fun. I got to go outdoors in Indore. Decided to explore and went to a place that has a lot of history associated with the Holkars who ruled here two-three centuries ago.
Rajwada is a seven-storeyed structure that was burnt by the attacking troops from a hostile Scindia of Gwalior. It has a small museum with artefacts from those Holkar days, some rifles, copper coins, measures like chhatak, pau, seer etc., and pics. There was also a pic of young Vijayendra Ghatge (actor), who was related.
Very crowded markets, and difficult drive, but worth visiting.
Rajwada is a seven-storeyed structure that was burnt by the attacking troops from a hostile Scindia of Gwalior. It has a small museum with artefacts from those Holkar days, some rifles, copper coins, measures like chhatak, pau, seer etc., and pics. There was also a pic of young Vijayendra Ghatge (actor), who was related.
Very crowded markets, and difficult drive, but worth visiting.
Jokes
Jokes forwarded by a friend.
Ek aadmi RAM Mandir gaya aur rone laga
he RAM meri biwi kho gayi.
RAMJI bole: Baju wale HANUMAN Mandir me jake bol meri bhi usi ne dhundi thi.
------------------------------
Teacher ne Gadhe ke samne 1 Daaru ki aur 1 Pani ki Balti rakhi,
Gadha Pani pi gaya.
Teacher: Tumne iss se kya Sikha?
Student: Jo Daaru nahi pita Woh Gadha hota hai.
------------------------------
Gandhiji ne kaha :-
Izzat karni ho to wife Ki karo...
khayal rakhna ho toh wife ka rakho,
Pyaar karna ho toh wife se karo...
Magar wife kis ki?
Ye bapu ne bataya hi nahin!!!
Naughty Bapu!!!
------------------------------
Wife drinking BEER asked "Tum kaun ho?"
Husband- "Pagal ho gayi ho kya? Apne husband ko bhool gayi? "
Wife: "Nasha har gum bhula deta hai "Bhaisaab"
------------------------------
Gadha-
Mera malik bahut marta hai!
Kutta-
Toh tu bhag kyoon nahi jata ???
Gadha-
Uski khoobsoorat ladki jab padhai nahi karti, toh woh kehta hai ki "teri shaadi gadhe se kara dunga" ................. bas isi umeed pe tika hoon !!!
Bullet Raja
Not a classic, may not even be Tigmanshu Dhulia's best (Paan Singh Tomar was better), but it is a watchable action flick with some subtleties not found in crasser versions of movies about the U.P. badlands.
Its music is not too good, and Sonakshi's role is wishy-washy (what she is doing in Gulshan Grover's hotel room is not too clear, as a part of her characterisation), but on the whole, it has a good pace and I watched it without much effort at it.
I think the undercurrent of the movie is even better than the story on the surface. The fact that most institutions have been compromised, if it is a fact, is disturbing. The courts give bail at their political masters' whims, a mafia rules the state with cops and others simply falling in line, a guy in jail acts as if he is holidaying in the Bahamas, and generally there seem to be no protests from anyone. A businessman (called 'Kuber' by his accomplice holidaying in jail) finances elections in a non-transparent fashion in return for favours. Very disturbing, though one has seen similar things before.
I was surprised by Saif's easy ways in a role that does not suit him, he made a hash of Agent Vinod earlier. Here he looks the part, mostly, and his foil Jimmy Shergill is a shade better. Vidyut Jamwal is decent in a role written for him. Gulshan Grover is competent. Raj Babbar has seen better days.
If you have low to moderate expectations, it is a good watch. Otherwise, anybody's guess. There is violence, but it is laced with some comedy, so palatable most of the time.
Its music is not too good, and Sonakshi's role is wishy-washy (what she is doing in Gulshan Grover's hotel room is not too clear, as a part of her characterisation), but on the whole, it has a good pace and I watched it without much effort at it.
I think the undercurrent of the movie is even better than the story on the surface. The fact that most institutions have been compromised, if it is a fact, is disturbing. The courts give bail at their political masters' whims, a mafia rules the state with cops and others simply falling in line, a guy in jail acts as if he is holidaying in the Bahamas, and generally there seem to be no protests from anyone. A businessman (called 'Kuber' by his accomplice holidaying in jail) finances elections in a non-transparent fashion in return for favours. Very disturbing, though one has seen similar things before.
I was surprised by Saif's easy ways in a role that does not suit him, he made a hash of Agent Vinod earlier. Here he looks the part, mostly, and his foil Jimmy Shergill is a shade better. Vidyut Jamwal is decent in a role written for him. Gulshan Grover is competent. Raj Babbar has seen better days.
If you have low to moderate expectations, it is a good watch. Otherwise, anybody's guess. There is violence, but it is laced with some comedy, so palatable most of the time.
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