Down memory lane

In the Circle of life… the present soon becomes the past and reality takes the shape of memories… some gets faded over time and some remains… like some stray lines etched forever in stones!! 

I was trying to rekindle the earliest recollection of my childhood… those halcyon days with my parents n brothers… and I could visualize flickering images of my neighborhood childhood school while I was in Upper KG (perhaps)… where my mom used to bring delectable lunch during the lunch breaks.

I also remember going to a magic show where the magician plucked imaginary coins just by pinching our bellies and how I dreamt of becoming a magician one day!! My maternal grandpa used to scare us by telling us stories about the ‘Red Eyed’ monster that was always lurking in the darkness near the olive tree in our backyard.

I still recall how my parents would illuminate our entire lane with more than 200 diyas during Diwali… and how my Dad would maneuver our 1947model Willy’s Jeep in the dark highways… zigzagging through the majestic tea-gardens on our way back after visiting our relatives during the festival time. My memory of those times comprise of a mélange of such charming images… which are permanently engraved in some deepest corner of my heart… and whenever I would look back at my life… taking a break from the din and bustle of the City life… I am sure those memories will always bring a smile to my face… and my heart would always leap up with immense joy!!

Miracle

It was just another day...
The same sunrise, and the same old life...
The guitar and the lyrics...
long forgotten and gathering dust

The swaying flowers in the gentle breeze
in uncounted hues... and sweet sweet fragrances
once took my breath away...
but slowly they lost their charm like withered memories

Scruffy and in a daze...
tired after the late night's sleep
splashing my face with icy cold water...
and glancing at my reflection after a long long time

The glint and the forgotten smile came back
as if in a wonderful serendipity
instant karma kissed me long and hard
and embraced me till time came to a sweet pause

It's that wonderful feeling...
that warms the heart's intimate corners
Leaping up in countless emotions...
to savor life... in blissful adoration!!

Chariots of Fire

This incident happened in January last year after our placements got over… it was the annual Sports extravaganza of TAPMI called SPEED and all the 4 senie and junie sections with names like Diehards, Mavericks, Azurras etc crossed swords for sporting supremacy… something they can brag about until the next edition!! I was not in good shape due to my troublesome ankle n knee (thanks to endless overs bowled in the cricket field) but I got a call from my team captain at 6am in the morning stating that since I was a known sprinter (?) I’ll have to run in the sprinting events… winning or losing doesn’t matter!! Half asleep and still fearing about any major breakdown I decided to turn out for my team.

After a few moments of warming up I knew in my heart-o-hearts that I wasn’t fully fit… and the hard track of the MIT sports arena was making it more difficult.

I ran in the 400m heats and after maintaining my tempo for half the distance I couldn’t run… it was as if someone has tied a heavy stone under my legs and it wasn’t allowing me to surge ahead… dejectedly I lingered off the field… knowing well that the 100m will be more tougher.

And then in the semis I ran… and ran hard… came a comfortable 2^nd and qualified for the finals… the fact that one is competing with 2 junie sprinters who were professionally trained and naturally gifted was something that was playin on my mind. But I moved on without many expectations except the inner thoughts that I’ll give it my best.

The whistle was blown and 8 of TAPMI’s fastest sprinters flew along with the wind… the atmosphere was charged with such nervous tension with scores of fellow people cheering their teams… my lungs was gasping for breath… I could feel my blood rushing through my veins and the thumping of my injured legs…

After 50m I could see that the 2 junie sprinters have created a lead of around half a meter… and they had the momentum… and there were people breathing down at my neck… then suddenly something happened… as if some wild animal power has been teleported into my legs and I was running as fast as I could... without any feeling of the pain in my ankle and left knee…

As I pushed for the finish line the 2 junie sprinters managed to brush the tape in a brilliant 1-2 and there was a guy and myself in a virtual photo finish for the 3^rd position… and then I fell down… down and hard with all the mass and acceleration that comprises Newton’s Force!!

There was blood all around my left shoulder and the hands were scaled and blood oozed out… and beneath the torn T-shirt I could see white-flesh…

I was trying to edge out my competitor in a photo-finish and just managed to bend my head and body ahead of him… and in the result I fell down… but not before coming 3^rd for my team… I won’t forget the adulations that I received from my team mates… I gave it my all when my body told me to keep away…

The marks on my shoulders are still there… a constant reminder that in a small little place… in a small little game… I tried my best against all odds.

I don’t have any answers for why I did what I did… coming 3^rd wasn’t a big deal… but still why I literally threw myself to come 3^rd I don’t know!! Maybe it’s the sportsman spirit within us all…!!

Like SRK said in CHAK DE INDIA... about the 70 minutes which even God can’t take away… maybe those were my 12 secs which God created especially for me.

The Final Homecoming

Lush green scenes of my birthplace
The breeze sweetened by bloomin flowers
The morning crispness...
romancing my heart's innermost corners
Faded memories...refreshed in an instant mix
The old red river of my childhood yore
dried down and sullied
it must be crying... I am sure it is
Big fella the river... now only the quaint memories remain
in dried up silt!
Freshly bloomed flowers... in nature's myriad hues
swaying and dancing through the entire route
welcoming my homecoming as the long-lost son
Softly caressing me into a trance
My journey..tracing the roots from the past
as the distant miles came to a nigh
And there I behold my childhood home
My steps being halted by a sea of emotions
Smiles and tears all rushed past me
My childhood home... waiting still...
finding comfort from the good ol' days!!
Within its faded walls... memories sprang up in flight
Pangs of sadness engulfed me...
knowing very well that...
very soon strangers will paint away my childhood memories
Silent tears brewed within...
and then I turned my back and bid adieu
to my sweet childhood home
for the last last time...

IF-- the best poem ever written!! (By Rudyard Kipling)

"If"

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

By Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936).

Rafa couriers Fedex out of Wimbledon throne!!

The epic Wimbledon final clash between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal was so riveting and at the end of it all I was really not sure whether to be happy at Rafa's victory or sulk at Roger's loss. It was an awesome display of mind over the elements... and the gusty wind and rain-breaks only added to the folk-lore. I am sure this match will be remembered for a long, long time. Rafa has been a constant threat to Roger Federer and Wimbledon was the ultimate frontier as far as he was concerned since in Wimbledon there is no greater God than Fedex!! I am sure it's the beginning of a long, long rivalry that will match the Borg-McEnroe rivalry ball by ball, serve by serve and what not!!

Congratulations to both Rafa and Fedex for such an awesome display of tennis. Very few people know that lines from Rudyard Kipling's immortal poem 'If' appear over the player's entrance to Wimbledon's Centre Court - a poignant reflection of the poem's timeless and inspiring quality. I am sure this will continue to inspire a generation of players who try their best to transcend the physical barrier and raise their game to a metaphysical level.

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
Except If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you the
Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

The KITE Runner

Started reading Khaled Hosseini's much acclaimed novel The Kite Runner since yesterday evening in the Infy bus and today morning as well. The visual treat that the writer provided was amazing... so much so that while sitting in the sunny side of the morning bus with a splitting headache... my mind was wandering in those dusty lanes of Afghanistan, sometimes running alongwith Hassan and Amir as the Kite-runner!!

The part of the world we live in might be different but the ethos and pathos remains the same... we share the same joys, same sorrows, same inner demons, same flights of courage. Kabul might get transformed into Manhattan but the players playing their part and the story binding them together remains the same.

A salute to the stupendous gift called the 'written words'!!

Indeed 'There is a way to be good again!!'

O Mor Apunar Desh-- State Anthem of Assam

A video that I've created. There is no place better than dear motherland!!

Who am I?

Can there be a life without dreams?
-A rebel without a cause?
-A heart without a song?
Can a man exist with nothing but HOPE?
Can there be a world without God?
Can Love triumph over Destiny?
Will I be able to convince others for a blind leap of faith?
If I close my eyes will it become darkness all around?
Can I become the thesis n antithesis at the same time?
Can there be a method in my madness?
Can I become truly blessed... by simply refusing to give up on Love?
Can I destroy the things I truly, madly Love in one go?
Will I die or just fade away?
Will I ever get a second chance in Life?
Can I inspire people... long after I am gone?
Will I be able to die without any regrets?
Will I be able to start a revolution without any bloodshed?
Can I turn a seemingly negative-sum to a positive sum game?
Can I savor the journey and not care about reaching the destination?
Can I resurrect a shattered dream... and coax it to dare again?
Will I ever get the courage to walk down the road less traveled?
Will anyone come near my grave with lilies and some silent tears?
Can I transform my name from being a proper noun to an adjective?
Can I sleep when my pen silently runs dry?
Will I ever know who am I and what I am going to do with my Life?

Dreamscape

Staring at some broken lines...
Blankly, in a doped state of fixation
I was like a wrecked dream, like an abject non-entity
The lines mocking me...
At my efforts to understand myself
I guess that’s the toughest part
Understanding something that doesn’t make any sense
Chasing dreams… and not knowing what it was all about
Rising like the Phoenix ... straight from the ashes
O' how I want to fly again...
Does not matter how insane it might seem...
Life isn’t only about the-- unbroken, unbent and perfect things
It’s also about what you can imagine
No rules, no shackles holding me back...
Trying hard to join the broken tracks
I will define my means and the ends too...
Otherwise life is such a terrible waste
I am a free soul; unbound, unshackled to the core
The broken lines…
Giving me some hints that no one else could see…
The Holy Grail… hidden somewhere
Telling me that there’s life even after despair
Coaxing me to fly even if my wings aren’t there
Exhilarated after my rendezvous…
Tears of joy flowing… after the reincarnation
Reviving myself to join the broken lines
And then swiftly I ran towards life…

The Devil wears Prada but God wears Gucci!!

"Do you wanna know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing."—this iconic line by a teenager named Brooke Shield catapulted her into instant fame and the rest as they say is history.

A few days back I was browsing through the perfume section of The Landmark store in Bangalore which was choc-a-bloc with high profile brands like Hugo Boss, Davidoff, and Chanel. Although it seems strange now but a few years back the typical well-heeled Indian had to wait to travel abroad to buy their favorite designer wears, perfumes and accessories or ask their NRI friends to grab the stuffs from Duty-Free stores in the airports. With the opening up of the Indian economy and a higher disposable income Indians are welcoming the most sought after brands and labels with great fervor. With greater FDIs in retail we might many other brands coming to cash in on the great Indian retail story which is expected to see boom time in the coming years. Retail space is a great concern in the Indian metros and many of the brands prefers high streets for their outlets or in the 5-star hotels, and it will take some time to iron out some of these pain points.

I saw a Reebok T-shirt proclaiming that there are two people in one and my materialistic side is eyeing a nice haute couture Hugo Boss suit, Davidoff CoolWater Perfume, Shoes by Clarks, and a sleek watch by Omega :-) Down with increasing consumerism and materialism... but atleast let me try for once...

I browsed the web and made a list of all the luxury brands that have opened shops in India, although they are still limited to the metros.

Tommy Hilfiger
• India Operation: Tommy Hilfiger has-
– 9 free standing stores across 7 cities
– Licensed products are available in over 300 selected retail stores across the country.

GUCCI
• Line of Business— women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, fine jewelry, furniture, and more.
• Gucci operates 425 stores worldwide and it wholesales its products through franchisees and upscale department stores
• Revenues of €8.7 billion
• India Operation: One store in The Galleria, Mumbai
• Gucci is the second biggest selling fashion brand after LVMH .
• AC Nielsen has rated GUCCI as India's most desirable brand.

Bottega Veneta
• Line of Business— men's and women's ready-to-wear clothing, small leather goods, and exclusive home items
• Revenues of €267 million in 2007
• The company merged with Gucci Group in July 2001.
• India Operation:
– One store in The Galleria, Mumbai

MOSCHINO
• Line of Business— women's and men's fashion, accessories, perfumes
• It has 4 stores and 31 in-store boutique operations around the world
• Revenues of $284 million (2001)
• India Operation: 2 stores
– New Delhi, a 140 sq.m boutique at One Style Mile
– Mumbai at the Taj Mahal Palace & Towers.

ROBERTO CAVALLI
• Line of Business— women's clothing, sunglasses, men's clothing, women's & men's shoes, handbags, timepieces, underwear, beachwear, eyewear, kid’s line.
• It has 200 stores around the world
• Revenues of €700 million in 2007 (doesn’t report its earnings )
• India Operation:
– 2 stores in Mumbai and New Delhi are in the pipeline

Marks and Spencers
• Line of Business— largest clothing retailer in the country, as well as being a multi-billion pound food retailer
• Revenues of £7.798billion of –worldwide
• 760 stores world wide in 30 countries

Indian Operation: M&S has 12 stores in India across-
• Bangalore
• Chennai
• Gurgaon
• Hyderabad
• Lucknow
• Mumbai (3)
• New Delhi (2)
• Pune
• Kolkata

MANGO
• Line of Business— luxury leather goods, fragrances and clothing,
• Revenues of €1.1 billion (2002)worldwide
• Mango has 850 stores in 81 countries around the world
• Indian Operation: Mango has 4 stores in-
– Bangalore
– Mumbai (2)
– Gurgaon
– New Delhi (Opening shortly in Select City Walk)

FCUK
• Line of Business— Western formals to casuals for men and women and Accessories
• Revenues of £265.7 million in 2005
• FCUK operates in over 25 nations with 1500+ outlets
• India Operation: 5 outlets in India (as of Oct, 2007)
– Mumbai (3
– Delhi
– Pune

Calvin Klein
• Line of Business— jeans, coats, underwear, fragrances and home decor to watches
• 760 stores world wide in 30 countries
• Revenues of £7.798 billion worldwide
• Indian Operation: Calvin Klein hopes to have
– at least 20 to 25 points of sale in the 1st year in-
• Mumbai
• Delhi
• Chennai
• Bangalore
• Hyderabad
• Kolkata

HUGO BOSS
• Line of Business- high-end apparel, accessories, perfumes
• Hugo Boss brands are available 103 countries and more than 5,002 retail stores.
• The brands are Boss, Hugo, and Baldessarini.
• Revenues of € 1.270 billion (2006)
• India operation: Hugo Boss has 4 stores in India
– Delhi (2)
• [Recorded sales worth Rs 10 crore in 2005]
– Mumbai
• [Recorded sales worth Rs 7 crore in 2005]
– Bangalore [The Leela Palace]
– In the pipeline are stores in Chennai and Hyderabad

ARMANI
• Line of Business- accessories, apparel, cosmetics, fragrances, home interiors, jewelry, eyewear and watches
• Armani sells under the various labels including-
– Giorgio Armani
– Armani Collezioni
– Emporio Armani
– Armani Jeans
– Armani Junior
– Armani Exchange AX
– Armani Casa
• Armani has nearly 300 stores in 36 countries around the world
• Revenues of $1.69 billion (2005)
• Indian Operation: Armani has 4 stores in India in-
– Mumbai
– New Delhi

COCO CHANEL
• Line of Business— cosmetics and accessories and prêt-a-porter (ready-to-wear)
• Revenues of €15.3 billion worldwide
• 1,800 stores across the world
• India Operation: Coco Chanel has-
– 1 outlet at Imperial Hotel in New Delhi
– The Chanel store in Imperial Hotel in New Delhi has the brand's range of cosmetics and accessories, and the prêt line.

ESPRIT
• Line of Business— manufacturer of apparel, footwear, accessories, jewelry, and house- wares.
• Revenues of $5 billion worldwide
• 640 directly-managed retail outlets and 12000+ wholesale outlets in 44 countries.
• India Operation: Esprit has 28 outlets in India
• 16 exclusive stores
• 12 shop-in-shops
• Bangalore
• Delhi
• Mumbai
• Chennai
• Chandigarh
• Pune
• Ahmedabad
• Ludhiana
• Jalandhar
• Gurgaon
• Noida

LACOSTE
• Line of Business— high-end clothing, footwear, perfume, leather goods, watches, eyewear, tennis shirts.
• Revenues of €1.5 billion in 2007
• 640 directly-managed retail outlets and 12000+ wholesale outlets in 44 countries.
• India Operation:
– 3 flagship stores in-
• Bangalore
• New Delhi
• Chennai
• 5-7 such stores are scheduled to be operational by 2010.
– 30 small stores at present
• In the pipeline, 50 more small stores by 2010

VERSACE
• Line of Business— Apparel clothing, Accessories, Watches
• Revenues of € 288 million (2006)
• Franchised brands in India include-
• Corneliani
• Versace Collections
• Gianni Versace
• Versace Jeans Couture.
• India Operation:
– 1 store in JW Mariott, Mumbai (being closed down to lack of sales)
– 1st store in Delhi coming up in March 2008
– Expansion to a 5-store network
• Projected turnover of around Rs 25 crore for financial year 2008 and Rs 40 crore for 2009 in India

CLARKS
• Line of Business— women's and men's casual and dress casual shoes, outdoor boots
• Revenues of £830 million in 2000
• Clarks is the #1 non-sports shoe brand in the world
• India Operation: Clarks has stores in-
– Ahmedabad
– Mumbai
– Bangalore
– Expansion plans: 1 new store every month
• C&J Clarks has tied up with lifestyle retail company Lifestyle Asia in India
• Clarks will currently offer only ladies and men's shoes in India

DEBENHAMS
• Line of Business— Clothing, cosmetics, house wares
• Revenues of £2,090 million GBP (2005)
• Debenhams the leading department store group in the Middle East Master and #2 in UK.
• Franchisee for Debenhams in India: Planet Retail Holdings.
• India Operation: Debenhams has-
– 1 store in Gurgaon
– 2 stores in New Delhi
– In the pipeline, 15 more stores in the next 3-5 years in
• Mumbai
• Bangalore
• Kolkata
• Chennai
• Hyderabad
• Ludhiana

Burberry
• Line of Business— clothing and other apparel, bags, leather goods, accessories
• Revenues of $1.61 billion in 2006
• Available in 130 stores worldwide
• India Operation: Burberry has an outlet in-
– Mumbai, The Taj Palace

TRUSSARDI
• Line of Business— manufacturer and retailer of men's, women's and children's ready-to-wear clothing, accessories and jewelry , perfume.
• Revenues of $500 million in 1998 (latest figures not available)
• Trussardi has-
– 100 boutiques around the world
– 7 stores selling clothes and accessories designed for young urban customers
• India Operation: Trussardi has an outlet in-
– Bangalore, The Leela Palace

DAKS

Line of Business— manufactures and retail of tailored garments and accessories for men and women
• Revenues of £500 million in 2007
• DAKS has-
– 2,000 specialty shops, major stores and concessions in 30 countries
• India Operation: DAKS has a store in-
– 1 store in Bangalore, The Leela Palace
– 3 stores in Mumbai
– In the pipeline, 25 outlets across India
• DAKS is brought into India by the Forbes Gokak group

GAS
• Line of Business— Jeanswear, casual wear, footwear, beachwear and accessories
• Revenues of €150 million worldwide
• India Operation: Grotto SpA’s GAS has—
– 5 flagship stores in-
• New Delhi (2)
• Mumbai (3)
– Departmental Stores in-
• Mumbai
• Bangalore
• Hyderabad
• Kolkata
• Pune
– Premium Multi-brand Outlets (MBOs)
• Ahmedabad
• Bangalore
• Pondicherry
– In the pipeline, 4 more stores and 14 franchisee stores by 2008
• Raymond Ltd launched GAS with a 50:0 JV with the Italian company Grotto SpA
• By 2010, GAS aims to have 600 retail points-
– including flagship stores, exclusive franchise stores, large format stores, MBOs

Dolce&Gabbana
• Line of Business— manufacturer and retailer of men's, women's and children's ready-to-wear clothing, accessories and jewelry, perfume.
• Revenues of €1.05 billion in 2006
• Dolce&Gabbana has-
– 90 directly-operated stores worldwide.
• Tie-up with real estate developer DLF Group in India
• India Operation: Dolce&Gabbana plans to open 2 stores in-
– Emporio Mall, New Delhi

Jimmy Choo
• Line of Business— Luxury Shoes, Accessories
• Revenues of $1.69 billion (2005)
• Jimmy Choo has 60 stores worldwide
• India Operation: In India, Jimmy Choo has-
– 1 store in The Galleria, Mumbai

TUMI
• Line of Business— suitcases and bags for travel
• Tumi has 56 stores around the world and are also sold in Departmental stores
• India Operation:
– Tumi has a store in The Galleria, Mumbai
• The Murjani Group plans to open 10 freestanding Tumi stores in India by 2010, with the first store opening planned for in Delhi or Mumbai

Dunhill
• Line of Business— luxury leather goods, fragrances and clothing
• Alfred Dunhill is part of the Richemont luxury group,
• Revenues of $1.69 billion (2005)
• 158 stores worldwide
• English luxury menswear brand Dunhill will make its debut in India through a deal with local fashion company Brand House Retail.
• Dunhill expects India to account for 10-20% of its global revenues.
• Indian Operation:
– 1 store in New Delhi, Shangri-La Hotel
– 4 stores will open in the next two years
– A total of 8-10 stores are planned in the next five years in major cities like Bombay and Bangalore.

FENDI
• Line of Business— handbags, apparels, footwear, eyewear and watches
• Part of the Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH) Group
• Revenues: LVMH does not break out Fendi's sales and earnings
– 1.89 million Euros in the first half of 2003 (estimate)
• India Operation: Fendi has-
– One outlet at The Taj in Mumbai
– In the pipeline, 6 stores in the next 5 years

LOUIS VUITTON
• Line of Business— luxury leather goods, fashion accessories, prêt-a-porter and jewelry
• Revenues of €15.3 billion worldwide
• 1,800 stores across the world.
• India Operation: Louis Vuitton has-
– 2 outlets in Mumbai and New Delhi
– In the pipeline: Upcoming retail project, UB City -The Collection in Bangalore ]

Christian Dior
• Line of Business— shoes, leather bags, costume jewelry and dresses
• Revenues of $20,094.5 million in 2007
• 1,800 stores across the world
• 760 stores world wide in 30 countries
• India Operation: Christian Dior has-
– 1 outlet in New Delhi at The Oberoi Hotel

GUESS?
• Line of Business- the brand includes clothing and accessories for men, women and children, as well as home collections.
• Guess? has-
– 184 retail stores in the US
– 213 international franchises around the world
– 1,135 shop-within-shops around the world
• Revenues of $936.06 million (2005)
• India Operation: Guess has 16 stores in India across the various cities mentioned below:
– Bangalore-2
– Mumbai-3
– Lucknow
– Ahmedabad
– Gurgaon
– New Delhi-2
– Hyderabad
– Chennai
– Pune
– Ludhiana
– Noida
– Kolkata

AIGNER
• Line of Business— high-end leather, clothing and accessories
• Revenues of $77.8M in 2006
• Available in 151 stores in 40 countries
• Sports Station India Pvt Ltd is the exclusive distributor for Aigner in India
• India Operation: Etienne Aigner AG has stores in-
– New Delhi
– Mumbai
– In the pipeline, new stores in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore

BVLGARI (Bulgari)
• Line of Business— Italian jeweler and luxury goods retailer(watches, handbags, fragrances)
• Revenues of €1010.4 million in 2006
• Available in 150 stores worldwide
• India Operation: Bvlgari has stores in-
– New Delhi
– In the pipeline, new stores in Mumbai and New Delhi

Ed Hardy & Christian Audigier
• Line of Business—
– The Ed Hardy line caters to men's, women's & kids wear and stocks drinking flasks, Sunglasses, Key Chains, Watches, Air Fresheners, Energy drink, Shoes, Bags and Accessories.
– Christian Audigier sells the entire line of Bags, Hoodies, Accessories, Belts, T-shirts, Shoes and Lowers embellished with gold prints and sequined stone detailing
• 760 stores world wide in 30 countries
• Revenues of £7.798billion of –worldwide
• Ed Hardy & Christian Audigier has 2 stores in India in-
– Mumbai
– New Delhi

Other notable foreign brands in India
• Mother Care
• Royal Sporting House
• Austin Reed
• Levis
• Pepe
• Lee
• Nike
• Reebok
• Adidas
• Arrow
• Wrangler
• La Perla

The day the Aussies won and Cricket lost…

For any cricketer playing the best team in the world Down Under is the pinnacle of their career… something that is matched only by a World Cup victory perhaps. The sheer drama, excitement and effort it takes to perform there in bouncy pitches and quality bowlers makes Test match a memorable experience. The fact that no one has been able to dominate them at their own backyard stands testimony to the immense talent of the Aussie team.

The 2007-08 India’s tour of Australia was memorable in many ways than one… it was Captain Kumble’s first overseas assignment, The Big Four’s last tour down under (perhaps), Australia without the likes of Warnie and McGrath but with a new look Lee.

India fancied their chance against the Australia since they have such a strong batting line-up and the only team which has managed to trouble the Aussies in their quest for world domination.

After the drubbing in the first Test at MCG India bounced back in the Second test with a string of good performance from VVS Laxman and Tendulkar and good support from the other players. They should have gained a 1st innings lead in excess of 150 had the umpires lived up to their reputation. Glaring omissions from the umpires and somewhat unfair tactics of the Oz team left India high and dry and eventually they were set a target of 333 in 72 overs. In tight matches such as these one or two bad decisions can alter the equilibrium of the match and after Rahul and Sourav were sent back by the conniving duo of Bucknor and Benson it wasn’t hard to see the writing on the wall… India were denied a fair chance to redeem themselves and Aussies equaled their World record of 16 consecutive test wins but I guess that victory is soaked with the blood from Cricket’s murder.

Whatever transpired between the umpires to make such glaring mistakes? Or, was there something else that dictated the movements of their fingers upwards every time an Indians walked into the field? My guess will be as good as yours.

A point of view that has come up was that the Umpires were overawed by the greatness of the Aussies team (atleast in the record books) and they felt pangs of guilt giving them out while they were batting and were merrily giving the mediocre Indians out while the Aussies were bowling. They thought the Indians can make do with a few losses in their kitty without much ado. Can we call it the ‘reverse Stockholm Syndrome’? Psychologically this series can be analyzed from many points of reference. Was Bucknor taking ‘revenge’ due to the constant negative reports filed by the Indians?

Another aspect that became evident was the sportsmanship of the current Aussie team… Since when did winning became the one and only motive of a game of cricket and that too for a team that has a 70% winning record against all the teams in the world. Why did they stood their ground when they nicked the ball and were clearly out? The statistical fact that Symonds went on to score a match winning knock stands testimony to the fact that something very intrinsic to the game of cricket was missing… a sense of old world fairness that is perhaps too idealistic for the present times.

Even self proclaimed ‘walker’ Adam Gilchrist couldn’t resist the temptation to play it dirty when the stakes went a tad higher for them. Nothing succeeds like success but the game of Cricket that I knew should have remained one of those glorious exceptions far from the vulgar emotions. It reminded me of some gully cricket that we played during our younger days when we gave some balls as wides and some touch-and-go run-outs but in retrospect those were laced with childhood innocence and much less intense than a Test match down under against the ‘World Champions’. Maybe, we should wake up to the fact that the Aussies are bad losers and they haven’t digested the loss to Indians in the recent times as well as the T20 World Cup.

Where did the Indians go wrong and the way forward?
1. The openers failed to give the team a decent start in the 4 innings that India played.
2. Yuvi and Dhoni failed to deliver when they mattered. The OSO hangover must have been a constant distraction and the new found T20 winner’s tag must have lent a sense of complacency and arrogance that has hampered their performance.
3. All said and done Sehwag is a Sehwag… either you pick him in the team to play or just leave him out of the squad. It’s a vulgar option to let him wait and wait for him term and I would rather have him open the innings alongwith Dravid than the out-of-sorts-in-Australia Jaffer
4. The loss of Zaheer to injury has harmed India’s cause for sure and the absence of a quality bowling spearhead has been felt like never before. The frequent injury to the likes of Sree, Zaheer, Munaf is somewhat disturbing and it makes us to question the training set-up for the faster bowlers or can we blame it on our genetic structure or maybe the packed cricket schedule.

As I pen down the last few lines I can feel for the Indian team who are disconsolate after the loss and also the 3 match ban handed over to Bhajji due to alleged ‘racist’ remark against Andrew Symonds. The Symonds saga is a continuation of the Mumbai test match where he was gestured and jeered by a few spectators (who were rightly removed from the stadium afterwards) and the latest spat was a logical extension and part of Australia’s Plan B… Plan B= Full fledged psychological attack against the Indians if they appear to be dominating the test match and taking it away. Agreed that the Indians and specially Bhajji and Sreesanth are no Saints but to accuse them of racial abuse is like taking things too far out into the realms of fantasy and fiction. Normally one doesn’t see a well set batsman starting a verbal spat with a fielder/bowler since he has got better things to do (read: concentrate on batting) and what Symonds did was to instigate Bhajji who isn’t well known for his cool temperament and he also gave him a mouthful of sweet nothings. His ban for 3 matches by the match referee Mike Proctor was also mired in controversy since the law of natural justice was not adhered to… he believed in the verbal testimonies of the Aussie trio of Clarke, Hayden and Symonds and chose to ignore the testimony of Sachin. No proof, no evidence but still held guilty of a serious charge… Isn't this some kind of racism against the Indians as well?

Why only racism be dealt with seriously? Why not take action on any kind of demeaning insults meted out to the Indians that the Aussies are so good at? In my opinion a little bit of sledging is good for the game and it brings out the colorful side of the cricketers and makes a good read… afterall, a bowler should be given some freedom to vent his anger albeit in a restraint manner if things are not going his way. That’s normal and that’s part of cricket…

To cut a long story short… The Indians must have felt a sense of being undone by dubious circumstances and history will remember this Test match for all the wrong reasons.

Alas! Australia and the Umpires won but the game of Cricket lost its fairness and sportsmanship.

MY Indian Top 25 B-school rankings!!

A day in the life of an avid Quizzer :-)

[Win Rs.100 by taking part in the online Quiz... read on...]

Last weekend I took part in VENTURES–9th EDITION “REBOOT 2007” INTER-CORPORATE CULTURAL FEST held at “OLDE BANGALORE” RESORT AND CONVENTION CENTRE.

After an internal screening process conducted by Infosys Quiz Circle (IQCircle) my team (Jagat and Sukomal Ray) alongwith Aaman Lamba and Mithun Paul were selected to represent Infosys in ' INTELLECT EXPLORER ' - GENERAL QUIZ

The Sunday morning of 2nd of Dec, 2007 seemed a straight lift from some obscure horror flick… I kept my alarm at 730am so that I can travel the 40 odd kms and still be able to reach the venue in time at 11am. But a hectic week ensured that I overslept until a phone call woke me up at 850am. “This can’t happen to me @$%&!!”—I shrieked and jumped out of the bed and within 10 mins got ready to catch an auto and then a bus and finally a cab so that I can fancy reaching the venue (meeting Sukomal midway in Marathahalli was also part of the plan).

Without breakfast and still grumpy I resigned myself to the horrors that awaits me throughout the day.

9am: Caught an auto-rickshaw to Majestic
Distance: 4.5kms

915am: I reached Majestic Bus-stop and took a Volvo bus to Marathahalli
Distance: Around 12kms

1005am: Reached Marathahalli. Met Sukomal and waiting for the citi-cab he has booked (conveyance bill taken care of by Infosys)

1015-1030am: Still in Marathahalli. The Citi-cab and its call-operator lady (her behaviour was quite un-lady like though) thought of fleecing us. We refused to be fleeced.
Climax: We paid 100rupees as cancellation charges and after a heady exchange of expletives we parted ways.

1035am: Took an auto rickshaw to Yelanka (halfway to the Quiz venue) paying 20 rupees extra on meter since it was considered ‘out of city’ and hence they would get no passenger on their return journey. Tired, frustrated and out of expletives we munched hungrily on the CreamTreat biscuits and resigned to our fate.

1110am: We left our auto rickshaw and parted ways with some 200 bucks… and took another auto who charged us 150 bucks. Wow!! We are still 13kms away from our venue and if punctuality was a norm then we are royally late.

1140am: Finally we ventured into the resort (Olde Bangalore) and were greeted by the event organizer from the first floor terrace of the auditorium telling us that we are late and that another team (from Wipro) were also caught up in traffic.

“We are Late!!”—it seemed like the only logical conclusion for a day that was so pathetic that nothing went right and at the end of it we were too exhausted and hungry to even react.

We went up to the auditorium and after a few queries we were allowed to sit for the Quiz prelims written round although the other teams got a 10mins head-start. But we couldn’t complain much and just about managed to put our pen to paper and tried answering questions to the best of our abilities with a little help from the QM who gave us 7 mins extra to attempt the questions.

Arul Mani, who looks more like a younger version of Rabindranath Tagore with his flowing beard and locks, was the Quiz master and when the prelims scores were answered we were pleasantly surprised to find that Infosys (B) comprising of Jagat and Sukomal were the prelims topper with 16/25 points out of the 30-odd corporate teams.

“Whew! So far so good… maybe we can make a game out of it”- and Sukomal agreed.

After two grueling semi-finals 6 teams reached the finals and we just about managed to reach the finals with some slog batting in the final round.

After the lunch break it was ‘Showtime’—the 6 teams got ready to cross swords and laugh away to Quizzical glory.

After some keenly contested rounds the final 10 questions in the Buzzer round gave all the teams with a chance to steal the show. We managed to answer 2 rights and 1 wrong and we managed the 3rd position with 2 points separating us and the 2nd place team.

Given the cut-throat competition 3rd place was a good enough result and considering the fact that we started our day in such disastrous fashion I would settle for it… and Sukomal agreed (as always!!)

Aaman was kind enough to give a lift in his car to drop us till terra firma and cutting a long story short... I reached home at around 6pm... tired, mentally fatigued but a sense of achievement acted as a panacea nevertheless. And thinking inwardly that this win is dedicated to the li'l one who wanted me to win I fell into instant slumber.

I am looking forward to the prize distribution ceremony lined up for next Saturday and I’ have resolved to book my cab through Infosys’ Travel Agent to reach the venue and not give those day-light robbers (auto-rickshaw and cabwallahs) another chance to fleece us.

Moral of the Story: Life is like this onlie :-)

I am posting the questions asked in the prelims of REBOOT 2007 and giving all of you a chance to win a cool 100 bucks.
[The one with the highest number of correct answers will be crowned the winner and the winning amount will be transferred to the winner’s bank a/c online]

Last date: Dec 25th >> Email me ur answer at: maverick.jjs@gmail.com

REBOOT-2007: Corporate Quiz prelims [First 10 questions are starred questions]

1.The Emperor Chandragupta Maurya came down to Karnataka during his last years to practice Sallekhana, a means of voluntarily ending one’s life. At which famous pilgrimage destination did he die?

2. This alloy owes its name to the fact that the cutlery manager of the British firm Mosley, Earnest Stuart, tested it in a vinegar solution and was very impressed by the results. Which alloy?

3. Which game/sport (played under the names of Tak-Yu and Takgu in Japan and Korea respectively) is often referred to in the English speaking world by the name under which it is played in yet other Asian nation?

4.Which water body was referred to by the name Sindhu Sagar in ancient times?

5.Which vegetable is known by its original Mexican name in English but is referred to by a name meaning ‘earth apple’ in many European languages?

6.The name of which animal is traced to one of two Arabic words meaning either ‘very tall’ or ‘many animals put together’?

7.The minimum allowed diameter for this object is 42.67 mm and its mass mayn’t exceed 45.95g. Early versions were made out of leather and feathers. Modern versions have a two, three or four layer design constructed from various synthetic materials. Identify this object.

8.Which female character in the Harry Potter series, often described as looking like a large pale toad, has a surname that resembles an English word meaning ‘to take offence’?

9.Which Indian state was referred to by the name Hill Tippera during the days of the British?

10.Which country gave up the Portuguese version of its name in 1972 and returned to using the original Sanskrit word meaning ‘shining country’?

11.A Sanskrit word meaning ‘true’ is often applied to a certain deity’s first wife. Her name is now associated with a practice banned by the British in 1829. What name are we looking for?

12.It derives its name from the Persian word for ‘fried’ or ‘roasted’. Awadh, Sindh and the capital of Andhra Pradesh have all lent their names to its variants. Identify.

13.The Russian Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote a short story titled ‘White Nights’ in 1849. Which Bollywood movie released in 2007 was inspired by this story?

14.India celebrated National Science Day on 28th Feb as a tribute to who/what?

15.He gave up a position he had held for about 10 years on 27th June, 2007 and was immediately appointed Envoy to the Middle-East on behalf of the UNO, the EU, The US and Russia. Who?

16.Which trophy is traditionally awarded to the winner of the cricketing encounters between the North, East, South, Central and West Zones in India?

17.This American anti-slavery politician founded a magazine titled True American to promote his liberal views. He helped found the Republican Party in 1854, served as US ambassador to Russia in the 1860sand helped negotiate the purchase Alaska. A sportsman born in 1942 bore this man’s name till 1964. Who?

18.The 9 Angas of Buddhist canonical writing are the Sutta (Sutras), Vyakarana, Geyya, Gatha, Udana, Itiyutaka, Abbhutadhamma and Vaipulya. The missing element takes its name from the Pali word for birth. What is the missing element?

19.This form of gambling has enjoyed periods of almost global popularity. It was the only form of gambling permitted in the British armed services during the 19th century. This is how it entered India, where it continues to be played under the two names given to it in the Royal Navy and the British Army. What are these two names?

20.Members of the Mustali’s sect in Islam are known by a name derived from the Gujarati word for trader. A schism arose in the community in the 1500s after Daud Qutub Shah and Suleyman both claimed leadership and the sect then broke into two sub-sects. What name is applied to both the sects?

21.In 1827, French mathematician Jean-Baptiste-Joseph-Fourier proposed an interesting idea in a paper titled A Material That is a Poor Conductor Of Heat Or Electricity. He said the layers of air that surround the earth protect its inhabitants against the freezing temperatures of space, functioning thus as an insulator. He used a metaphor to explain this idea, thus coining a well-known phrase. What idea/phrase?

22.This unit, used in irradiance and in photochemistry refers to one mole of photon, regardless of their frequency. It is employed in studies of photosynthesis since the light requirement for the production of a given quantity of Oxygen is a fixed number of photo-synthetically active photons. After whom is this unit named?

23.In 1977, she represented India at the International Teen Princess contest at Aruba, and won the Miss Photogenic and Miss Bikini awards. A year later, Dev Anand cast her in this film Des Pardes, which launched her film career. She bowed out of acting in the late 1980s and took up another career, so to speak, in 1991. Who?

24.This 19th century invention, still in use, is made in two basic designs known as the diamond frame and the cross frame. It came back into vogue in the West during the 1960s as a result of increased interest in health, ecology and recreation. What invention are we talking about?

25. A question from University of Florida coach Dwayne Douglas sparked researcher Robert Cade’s interest. The question was “Doctor, why don’t football players wee-wee after a game.” He and other researchers created X in 1965 to help the school’s football players replace carbohydrates and electrolytes lost through sweat while playing in swamp-like heat. What did they create?

Questions courtesy: Karnataka Quiz Association

email: kqaquizzes@gmail.com

Imagine-- Greatest Song of All Time

(lyrics)
Imagine there’s no Heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say that I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one

Become a famous blogger (by Dave)

I found it interesting!!

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

'Please, sir, I want some more'

How many of you still remember the story of Oliver Twist that we came across during our school days? Poor soul, he asked for another portion of gruel and got the thrashing of his life by the well-fed gentlemen of the workhouse.

This classic by Dickens is relevant still today with many Olivers still toiling in some sweat-shops, still beaten to pulp, still under-fed, orphaned and still exploited by the Fagins of the world.

The recent news-article which highlighted that young children were stitching clothes for clothing retailer Gap Inc. in a New Delhi factory has created furor abroad and made the company to scamper for cover. Britain's Observer newspaper reported that it had found children making clothes with Gap labels in a filthy sweat-shop in New Delhi. It quoted the children as saying they were from poor parts of India and had been sold to the sweatshop by their impoverished families.

Imagine a company that has its slogan as hippy as Peace. Love. Gap being involved in something as demeaning as Child Labor. When I was going through the news article I was filled with a sense of déjà vu… to those dramatic discussions we have had during my MBA days about CHILD Labor vis-a-vis The Right to Earn Your Living.

Merely stating/identifying the problem is only half the job done… the logical step forward is to provide solutions. Keeping it in limbo would not only aggravate the already burning issue of child labor it would make them more prone to inhuman work-conditions and exploitation.

One may argue against child labor and continue doing so… but what we need to understand is the ground condition… Can we possibly compare and contrast the living standards in an opulent society to the bashti dwellers in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia and India? Can mere tokenism of ‘human-rights’ activists ameliorate the basic needs of the shanty-dwellers for whom the only comfort is that they are earning enough to keep the wolves at bay. Who needs education for education’s sake? My point of view is that why do we need to put an end to their ‘right to live’ so that they can enjoy ‘human rights’. If we ban all the sweat-shops… let us also provide them some sort of social security… if we talk of education then let us first feed them. What we need to remember is that--‘Education on an empty stomach doesn’t make us more human than we already are!’

Imagine a family consisting of 5-6 members, impoverished and what harm it is for them to lend some of their children to work in those industries so that they can stop themselves from starving to death. 20-25 Rs. per day in USA might be a pittance but in countries where many people are living below poverty line they can’t complain much. Economically speaking the demand-supply gap comes into play… for every child you intend to take away from the sweat-shops there will be another set of kids ready to fill-in the space.

This issue will be there as long as we don’t fight the real issue… that of poverty. Child labor is just a symptom that we’ve failed miserably to nip in the bud. What does a person do when he is desperate to survive? Quite logically he’ll try to grab every morsel that comes his way. When we decide morality (a pet project of the intelligentsia) do we think about the greatest dharma… that of feeding a hungry body? What’s the meaning of God, rights, good vs. bad, education if you can’t even manage to keep you skin and bones together? I don’t give a hoot to those who says I’m being materialistic… I believe that there is no greater deed than feeding an empty stomach… everything else follows.
Abolish child labor, provide them education, give them food and only then one will get my vote for the issue. Otherwise it’s all intellectual Bull****

The MNC companies are also to be blamed in some way or the other… in order to shore up their margins they squeeze up the contractors in the 3rd world countries and these sub-contractors take up such work due to heavy competition, knowing very well that there are hundred other units who are willing to do the same job at even slightly lesser fee. No able to cope with the expenses, these contractors pass on the burden to sub-contractors who in –turn employ children to finish off the work. Children are nimble enough o do the intricate design work on the clothes and their wages are abominably low as compared to the adults. Thus runs the vicious cycle and what the affluent connoisseurs of haute couture ends up wearing is actually made by not-so-fortunate kids in such places as Bangladesh, India etc.
Do we expect the Govt. to compensate/rehabilitate the unfortunate children? We all know the plight of the Sivakasi children who have seen such horrendous days working as bonded labor in the cracker industry… and despite media uproar nothing substantial has been done and my hunch is that nothing will be done for many many years to come.

A country over-populated with a million hungry mouths brings along with it its own sets of priorities. We are at one hand a ‘nuclear’ super-power, a ‘wannabe’ economic superpower and on the other hand we’ve child labors, communal riots, and slums. This dichotomy is very evident and circumstances makes mince-meats of ‘political-correctness’ and ‘human-rights’. Whose side would you take when a young, widowed mother of an infant takes to prostitution to feed her baby? Is it violation of ‘human-rights’ or just the intrinsic human tendency to ‘adapt’ and survive depending on the situation.

The road forward for these MNCs who have turned towards cost-cutting by off-shoring their work should comprise of a few important measures. If implemented in good faith and stringent follow-up would help to solve atleast a part of the problem.

• Ensure that children below 14 are not employed
• Good working environment
• Expert supervision
• Guaranteed and transparent wage structure; reduce role of middle-men
• Minimum work hour as stipulated by the Factories Act
• Provide for vocational training/education program during the weekends
• Medical facilities should be provided
• Games and recreation should be provided
• Job should be ensured when these children grows up as young adults
• Surprise visits by Inspectors to ensure that the rules are followed and strict penalties for default on any count

It is understandable that these MNCs also have their own sets of problem but they can’t absolve themselves of their responsibilities. The Govt. can provide them with tax sops for such an initiative which will make the situation a Win-Win one for all concerned.

In India people have grown up thinking that rules can be bent as much as they can and corruption is the de-facto social lubricant. Rules are only on paper with little Govt. intervention and the onus lies on them to monitor the implementation of the stated rules.

So, as long as we don’t tackle these problems in the right earnest the Olivers of this world will continue to ask for more, and then get beaten for exactly the same reason.

Taare Zameen Par--Stars on Earth

What's the purpose of Cinema? Issit just entertainment? Given the immense power of the moving/talking pictures I guess its many things rolled into one..

देखों इन्हें भी ओश कि बूंदें

पत्तों कि गोड में आस्मा से कूदे

अंग्राई ले फिर, करवत बदल कर

नाजूक सी मोती, हंश दे फीसल कर

खो ना जाए यह तारे ज़मीन पर

[Title song: Taare Zameen Par by Shankar Ehsaan Loy]

Notwithstanding the media blitzkreig of OSO and the equally potent daisy-cutters of Saawariya one film has caught my attention nevertheless. Although Aamir Khan and a 'special' child seems like an unlikely candidate to compete against the charisma of SRK and the wonder-stroke of Bhansali... but there is some earthy, warm feeling about Taare Zameen Par... and it has managed to climb to the Top of my "Must Watch" list. Sorry SRK and SLB but I'm sick of seeing all of you everytime I flick through my newspaper, click my TV remote. Being a Marketing student myself makes me abhor over-the-top marketing... as I believe that a good product doesn't need Kill Bill publicity and gimmick... one suggestion is to let your film speak and stand out on its merit.

Directed by the extremely talented and critically acclaimed actor Aamir Khan Taare Zameen Par is slated for a late December release. It promises to be a sensitive, poignant and 'realistic' movie about a 'special' child and the world around him.

Everyone of us has got a story within us but a few of us has the courage to paint the canvas of that story with our imagination, grit and the motivation to walk down the road long forgotten. How many of the present film makers would have the courage to make a film about a dyslexic child and his teacher? These kind of storeis are like pariahs to the mainstream film fraternity... which is mainly due to the very commercial nature of our films as well as the general public. The number of Indian commercial movies without mindless blood and gore, foreign locations, dhinchak item numbers and slap stick comedies can be counted on our finger tips. But off late experimental movies makers have tried to break the shackles with wonderful although small budget movies like Being Cyrus, Bheja Fry, Black Friday, Hazaroon Khwaishein Aisi. In my opinion Taare Zameen Par is a step in the right direction.

Soulful music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy and a seemingly sensitive and innocent story with the added charisma of Aamir Khan and a host of kids has managed to attract attention of the discerning people. Although it pales in comparison to OSO and Saawariya in terms of marketing blitz but I am sure every good film speaks for itself and sometimes word-of-mouth publicity can work wonders... provided the movie is well made. We've all heard from the critics and the aam-janta about some movies being 'arty' type and some being typical 'bollywood' masala type... but what we fail to understand is that a film can either can be a good film or a bad film... Give me a good 'art' film and i'll watch it many times over and give me a bad 'masala' film and I won't even care to watch it [eg. RGV ki AAG being the most recent example].

Taare Zameen Par from what I've read and seen is about childhood, innocence and a-day-in-the-life kind of story of special kids. If they manage to protray even half of what the promos and trailers promises then I think our society would learn to treat these 'special' kids with more compassion and understanding. Sensitivity and a humane touch is what these special kids wants and deserves and hats off to Aamir Khan and his team for believing in such a poignant story.

La vie est belle-- Life is Beautiful

"हुई मुद्दत के घलिब मर गया पर याद आता है,वोह हर एक बात पे कहना के यूं होता टोह क्या होता" -मिर्ज़ा घलिब

This segment tries to bring out the life story of a man through a poet's pen. Through verses (slightly melancholic and brooding!) I've tried to capture the myriad emotions that one comes across in Life. It is an amateurish attempt at best and may sound sappy at times but that's the way it has shaped out over the years. If you can connect with the underlying emotions I think I can escape for many a brickbats!!

Inorder to maintain a good-enuf flow I've quarantined :-) the 'Poetry' section under a different blog. Just click on the hyperlink below to browse. Happy reading

Prisoner of the Mind

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Prisoner of the mind is

what life has made out of me.

Every flower that I touched

turned into a damnation, a forlorn curse.

How much do you want me to pretend…

That I am not dead yet?

How much do I have to smile…

To hide the tears?

The mind is causing me all the pain

Showing me motifs that just don’t fade.

Like a charlatan… fighting hidden demons

Like a child…chasing imaginary butterflies.

Existence is blurred

In a mire of emotions.

A steely silence lulls me to sleep

Only to jostle me up the next moment.

Imaginary silhouettes are clouding my senses

Doomed for life… in a living hell.

After all, what else can you say of a man

Who’s but a prisoner of his own mind!

oooooooooooooooooo

ooo (click)Mayabini 00o

oooooooooooooooooo