Review of the Movie Inquilab- Amitabh, Sridevi

This movie, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Sridevi, and Shakti Kapoor, was released during 1983. Reviewed for the IIMB wall-mag by yours truly. Recycled for the good of society-and MBAs.

INQUILAB: The attaché is missing

Refreshing…..when you wake up! –Ambade

Time-pauss- Dazy, Sardie, ROI in unison.

Wished I was in Colombo- Tharan (from Sri Lanka)

Sridevi had such a small role- unfair! – IIM Junta

The film is all about an attaché which is lost- a lost attaché- Khoya hua attaché. What happens when the attaché is lost? Its parents, M/s. VIP and Aristocrat, launch a worldwide search. And guess where they locate it?

Bees saal baad…Delhi’s Palam airport. The attaché is found masquerading with a beard. Not only that, it has cleverly switched its name. The alias is Koya Koya attaché (note the Oh so subtle change of spelling and the duplication of the word K(h)oya).

The distraught parents are about to pounce on their wayward ‘attache’ when it suddenly disappears, and is later found murdered, after swinging to some rock beats with Amitabh in a disco. And VIP and Aristocrat are left wishing they’d never invented the wheel (for the attaché).

Then there are other attaches. One is a young lass Sridevi who is very traditional and believes in rituals. Like getting herself saved by Amitabh from a bunch of grape-growers. And giving a complex to leeches-from the way she attaches herself (literally) to Amitabh, every chance she gets. The leech would probably go red in the face-and not because of sucking blood.

Amit the Ass. Commissioner decides halfway through that the other side of the fence is greener, and turns to smuggling for a couple of politicians. It is only incidental that one of them is Sridevi’s dad (and hence, his pa-in-law).

Halfway through the second half, he again switches roles- this time, to a candidate for the Garibi Hatao party. One may like to ponder over the speedy movements of our hero from one role to another- will it not lead to a role conflict? Or to his mass reducing to zero as he gains speed as per the formula E = mc square.

The Message: The film’s message comes early in the second half, when Koya Koya Attache gives a dying statement. It claims the reason why it ran away from home was the feud between its parents, VIP and Aristocrat.

The message for you, dear budding executives, is as clear as the sky on a clear night- (Price) wars don’t pay!

The Meaning of Life

There is a great joke I heard on American T.V. that for me epitomizes the answer to this question.

 A guy from America was searching for the meaning of life (like all of us). He had heard of many great gurus in different countries, met many, but was unsatisfied. Then, someone mentioned a recluse who lived in the Himalayas, and said he would not disappoint him. Finding him after many months of trying, this American went up to the meditating man in some corner of the mountains. He waited until the guru opened his eyes.

 Explaining his quest, what pains he had to take, and the good things he had heard about the guru, the man asked him the question he had been longing to get an answer for. “What is life?” The guru replied instantly, “It is a fountain with water flowing out of it,” and fell silent.
After waiting for more, the American asked him,“That’s it? Is that why I came across the seven seas to you? This cannot be the answer to my question…blah, blah..”  “You have to give me the real answer.” “Ok”, the guru said. “I will tell you the real answer. Life is a fountain with no water flowing out of it”, and fell silent again, for good. I find this story hilarious, but also insightful. We are so full of ourselves that most of the time, we are blind to the abundance of life forms, and inanimate objects in nature. The universe is so big and unfathomable, that whatever we might achieve, we are dwarfed by it. Essentially, life is what you choose to make of it, or believe it to be.

 I find some writers particularly insightful at explaining the niceties of the inexplicable in a palatable way. J. Krishnamurty, the teacher-philosopher, is one of them. He advocates freedom from all dogma, and not to believe anything unless you have experienced it for yourself. If we look around, we will notice that everyone has an agenda. Also, everyone has limited experience, based on which they generalize. For example, before I visited the U.S., I could not have visualized what a 4-lane highway looks or feels like, because I had not seen or driven on one in India. Essentially, think and experience things for yourself before you start believing in anything, is the learning from this man. 

Another writer I found very good at philosophical yet understandable writing is Richard Bach. From Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, the story of a seagull who is grappling with questions about the meaning of life, to his other books, he has a good take on life, rebirth, reincarnation, religion, and many other issues.
 Among current writers bordering on the philosophical, Robin Sharma and Paulo Coelho are probably the best (also indicated by their sales). With a simple yet effective style, they are able to get beyond the ordinary stories that they tell.
 

I would also rate Osho as another great author. The sheer volume of his writings is amazing. His wide sweep of all possible religions, belief systems and his interpretations are a treat to read/listen to. He was a unique guru in many ways, who dared to confront the hypocritical ideas of all religions and yet explain the good things about each one of them. His persecution at the hands of the U.S. and other governments proves that they were really scared of what he was preaching, maybe because much of it was true. One other trait I liked in him is that he was not scared of the white man. Many of the ex-colonies of white nations seem to carry the slavery in their minds even today. 

I also have a theory of life. I call it my Mega Theory of Life, and it has a simple explanation for all that we do-BOREDOM. We are all trying to get ourselves out of a state of boredom, by doing whatever we do. See if it explains everything or not-the wars, the seeking of pleasure, the quest for money, the religious discourses, and so on.
 

Yes, My Accent is Real- Book Review

You know Raj Koothrappalli. You don't? Of course you do, the Indian astrophysicist from Big Bang Theory, theTV show. Well, this is a book written by him. His real name is Kunal Nayyar, and he is from Delhi.

This book is worth a read, for many reasons.

1. He tells you how to woo girls, and sometimes succeed. 
2. He also tells you how to take rejection in auditions-not always sportingly!
3. He gives you many life lessons- such as, If it happens, good. If it doesn't, VERY GOOD.
4. He is funny.
5. He reiterates the value of chasing a dream, AND hard work to achieve it.
6. He recognises dignity of labour. He collected garbage, and washed toilets for a living. Of course, somewhat clean toilets, in the U.S.
7. He loves his parents, and even listens to their advice at times.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Disclaimer: I don't know him, and this is an independent review. I like reading memoirs these days. One of the boring ones was by Roger Moore, the Bond guy. This one's far more interesting.

The Checklist Manifesto- Book Review

Atul Gawande is a surgeon in the US and has written a few books too. This one talks about a simple way to improve processes. That is through a simple checklist.

The average air passenger may be familiar with the fact that we have a survival checklist or two in case of disasters- how to open the emergency door and what to do-or not. There is also a similar one that pilots use to make sure a few things are done in sequence before taking off. They have several others for different kinds of emergencies.

How the humble checklist can reduce errors in surgery-the patient's life may depend on it-is what the book is about, essentially. But along the way, it provides other examples of its use, potentially successfully-in investing, for instance.

Intriguingly, resistance to using one is universal, and among surgeons, investment analysts, and others. The hero who can single-handedly win against all odds, and who knows everything (without checklists)- is an idea that is strongly ingrained in all professions, and stops most from even trying to use a checklist. But it has many dimensions, and there are many types of checklists (builders use several). A good one can help in most situations that are complex, or require quick reaction, or both. They improve communication-in fact checklists can mandate some forms of discussion in medicine, or other complex areas. Painstaking research stories to prove their usefulness permeate the book.

A good read, and (maybe) an even better implement, if you are so inclined.

Changing Roles

The roles, they are changing.

Kanhaiyya used to dance with the Gopis. Now, he shows bhai-chara with Laloo.

The farmers used to cultivate land. Now they don't know whom to cultivate, with all the politicians vying for their attention.

The bankers used to be conservative. Now you can't bank on it.

Kejriwal specialised in dharna. Even he now finds it Odd.

Trump built a fortune with his casinos. Now he plans to gamble the future of a country away.

Babas were once spiritual; now they are commercial.

Mallya was the King of Good Times. Now he's targeted by the Times.

Being backward was once infra dig. Now it's aspirational.

There were once Reality Shows. Now it's Virtual Reality.

The Role of Empathy

I first learned of empathy in my MBA Psychology/OB class. It is in simple terms, an ability to see things from another's perspective, not your own. It is quite a powerful concept. In any customer-facing situation, it is important. Not making him wait, or making his wait painless, removing drudgery from the tasks he has to perform, making him feel important (he pays the bill, remember?), are all a part of it. But in medicine, it's a life-saver, even if not literally.

The in-patient system at most Indian hospitals is such that the doctor rarely sees his patient, except in the Operation Theatre. His visits are unpredictable, and few. Mostly, the duty doctors and nurses and staff are the people who take care of the patient. Therefore, this front-line staff needs to have empathy, and can make a difference if they do.

A lot of parents need it too, judging by the Kota (coaching class) enrollments and suicides. Having unrealistic expectations from your kid can kill him- no kidding! Just let the kid discover himself. Give him the opportunities, but leave him to decide if he likes to follow a particular career.

A forced career-fit may result in an OK or mediocre careerist, but the world may lose out on excellence in some other field. The struggling poet/artist may not be struggling, he may simply be enjoying his life doing what he likes. What explains the many engineers, doctors and MBAs writing novels, for instance? Or turning entrepreneurs in unrelated areas? Or teaching?

Einstein and the Case Study Method

What's common between Einstein's theory of relativity and the case study method? Just that there is no single best way. Or, that it's all relative.

Why the business school has caught on (or the MBA, if you prefer) is that it is different from the school and college (technical college, anyway) that keeps telling you there is one solution to a given problem.

In the MBA, we were taught (and we try and teach) that the best is contextual, at best. There is a different best based on who you are, what you want to achieve, and the resources you are willing to expend trying to achieve. Could be money, time, effort, hard grind etc..

The case method of learning/teaching exemplifies this more than anything else. Not the best method of learning, maybe, but a pretty good one, given the right usage, in the right hands, and the right students.

Similarly, we waste our time achieving the best as defined by someone else in life. A better way would be to find out what makes you happy, figure out if it will help you lead a life reasonably well, and go for it. The rest can be left for the others to criticise and comment on- maybe that will create happiness for them!