Analyzing Art

 Seems paradoxical, at first sight. Art is about imagination, possibilities..

Should anyone be analyzing it at all? And what is the analysis worth, if done?

Not all art can and should be, is my view. Some of it is beyond analysis, or liable to misrepresentation through wrong analysis. Unless the artist concurs with the interpretation, that is.

But then, interpretation is something that will happen, regardless. Even among the people who appreciate your art, some will interpret it differently from what you intended it to be. For example, the same film that is liked by many people, could be differently interpreted. The story goes that R.K. Narayan, the author of Guide, based on which Vijay Anand directed the film, did not like the film. Nevertheless, the majority of viewers did, and it is considered a classic today.

I liked the jokes in the film Quick Gun Murugan, and some of the names of characters, like Rice Plate Reddy. The deadpan humour too. Not everyone's cup of tea, maybe, like the TV parody Lola Kutty. I thought it was brilliant (will all my Mallu friends beat me up, I wonder!).

My take is- enjoy it, rather than analyse it. 

Translating and Its Consequences

 Hilarious things happen when you try and do literal translations.. for example, Putting four Moons is the literal translation of Char chand lagaana ( a Hindi metaphor or idiom).

If you try the reverse, Add a feather to your cap, is literally, Aapki topi mein ek par lagaana. Makes little sense.

A Hot Potato would be a senseless ek garam aloo. Curiosity killed the cat, would literally be, Jigyasa ne billi ki jaan li. 

A Devil's advocate would be Shaitaan ka vakil, and so on..you get the drift? Aapko hawa ka rukh pata chal hi gaya hoga?

Meeting Alums- the Next Episode

 One of my life's missions has been meeting alumni, it seems. Keeps me going, anyhow. And now, many have become friends, or family, because we have met several times. One such pair from IIM Indore (remarkably, I never taught them, but we met through Mr. Zuckerberg-or his invention) is Varun and Shatakshi, aka the Confused Genius. She runs a Digital Marketing consultancy by that name. Not just the name, she is also unique, as I have been discovering. The latest meeting happened after a long gap, due to COVID and so on. Prarthana was also in attendance this time. Pics-

One Year With Brand NMIMS Bangalore

 Late in November 2021, I completed my first year at NMIMS Bangalore. Some reflections-

In spite of the pandemic, students exhibited a lot of energy whenever I met them online, and sometimes, offline. They were curious and enthusiastic, which serves you well, I think, rather than being a boring genius. 

Students of the Year, MBA (above) and Exec. PGDM (below)

Exec alums, and BBA girls who won medals.

Rank holders

Events, and guests -Finnish, below.

Exec PGDM alums (above) and MBA students below.

We try playing Golf in the grounds too, and train students who are interested.

I have seen two TEDx events, a couple of Marketing events, an HR Panel discussion, two online Convocations, an Independence Day curated online by students for cultural events, and a couple of Felicitation ceremonies for Rank Holders. We also managed to hold two FDPs on Teaching Innovations and Research, and also one physical Retreat with the VC and others at Lonavala. And an online Social gathering of FACULTY from across all campuses.

We have multiple campuses, each vibrant with its unique character, and mix of programs. Some have engineering, pharmacy (we don't). At Bangalore, we started with an Exec PGDM on weekends, and it is now into its 28th Batch. It is AMBA accredited, and quite successful. Followed by MBA, also accredited, and ranked 32nd in India by Business Today!

Undergrad programs have bright students coming mostly through the NPAT exam (for Law, BBA, Eco, Finance and Commerce), but we also have direct admission in B.Sc. (Applied Stats and Analytics), a unique program with placement potential. 60% in Maths or Stats at 12th grade is a pre-requisite to enter this program. 

Faculty have both industry and teaching experience, in most cases. Some Adjunct Faculty have over two decades of industry experience in Supply Chain, Advertising, Analytics and Strategy. A great group of mentors for students, in addition to a strong alumni base- helps us in placements, live projects and advice to young students. 

We will definitely go places, is what I think. Happy to be a part of this distinctive brand- Brand NMIMS Bangalore, as we have named it! 

Tourism Taglines

 Befiqar in the Bahamas

Camaraderie in Cambodia

Ecstatic in Ecuador

Moody in Murudeshwar

Renew in New York

Experience Thand in Iceland

Take a turn to Turin

Rome- Thoda sa romani ho jaayen

"Pari"s in Paris

Monday in Monte Carlo

Jiyo, in Rio!

Lonavala Wax Museum

 Completely done by a gentleman called Sunil, this wax museum is remarkable, and worth a look if you are in Lonavala. Quite a decent collection of international and national figures of repute. Some of my favourites were there. Pics might speak louder than words, so here goes... 

Li and Lee, and me!

Director and cast of Sairaat, Marathi film.

Mohammad Rafi, and Michael Jackson.

Jolie-good fellow.

Muqqala, muqabala, laila! Prabhu Deva and AR Rahman.

Timeless and Ageless Friends

 Friends, many a time, are ageless, timeless, and matchless. Nothing compares catching up with them, any time and any number of times. Of course, in Bangalore, traffic keeps you away from some, at times.

On a recent trip outside Bangalore, I managed to catch up with Nishka, an old student, ghost-writer and friend. It was amazing, as always, and we ended up having a long chat about various facets of life. Managed to throw in a short trip to a bookstore also, since we are both addicts. Also found out that her Mom is from Belgaum/Dharwad, which was a big surprise.

Some pics that I will cherish, for a long time.. 

The last one's keema pao, which I had after a really long time...