The shepherds

Some people to whom I owe a lot to. I wish I could find more time for them. People who shaped my thought process, inspired me, frustrated me and unconsciously helped in nurturing whatever minimal talents I have. You deserve more than you get. A big thank you!
NIHIL ULTRA...

Cheers!

Abhishek.

And its good that I'm not angry... I just need to get over... I'm not angry... It's dragging me under

Take a look at the article printed in the Financial Express.

"Amidst the row sparked by Kannada actress Jaimala's confession that she had once touched the idol of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala, Kerala government on Thursday said it will not interfere in the customs followed by the temple, including its ban on women in the 10-50 age group from praying at the hill shrine. It was for the temple authorities and institutions like Travancore Devaswom Board to decide on issues concerning customs followed by the temple for centuries and the government did not intend to interfere in them, Devaswom Minister G Sudhakaran told the State Assembly. CPI MLA N Aniruddhan had sought to know from the minister whether the practice of not allowing women to visit Sabarimala did not amount to gender discrimination. The minister however, evaded a direct reply to supplementaries on the Jaimala incident. While some of the members sought to drag the minister into the Jaimala episode, he said it was better to skip a debate on the issue, as the main question being considered by the house was the master plan for the development of Sabarimala.
Meanwhile, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad demanded a comprehensive inquiry into Jaimala's claim that she had not only visited the temple in her youth but also touched the idol of the deity after being pushed into the sanctum sanctorum by the heavy rush of pilgrims.
"The actress's claim has created grave anxiety in the minds of devotees. They have the right to know whether that version is true or just a concocted story. It is necessary to bring out the truth through a thorough probe," VHP state organising secretary Kummanam Rajasekharan said in a statement. If Jaimala's claim proved to be true, it would amount to breach of the temple's traditions. In such an event, those responsible for defilement and encroachment should be punished, he said."

I have long held the view that any creation of man that seeks to divide the human race is detrimental to its very creators...caste, creed, and religion fall under this umbrella and I therefore would rather they didn't exist. The world fights and spills blood over the above mentioned. India seems to have its own troubles as the article above reinforces. You think I'm being simplistic? Perhaps...
The purpose of religion was spiritual enlightenment and worldly wisdom, started I'm sure, with peace, harmony and prosperity as its goal. We are taught, 'God is everywhere', 'God lies in action', 'God lies within us'. We must therefore kill, murder, maim, rape, burn, wound and destroy, all in his name. The VHP secretary wants a probe, apparently. Joker. Like all things change and adapt to keep pace with time, religion too needs to evolve to remain relevant and generally to make the world a better place...(very 'We are the world' ish, but whatever). Idol worship, superstition and caste system are somethings I would rather not be part of the religion that coming generations embrace. They will have their problems I'm sure, but they will not have ours. I do not want my children's blood spilled over cries of, "MY God Strooongestt!!" We fail to see the futility in spending eons of time and negative energy in brick, stone, colour of skin and status, instead of diverting that into positive action...wait, isn't that what all religion advocates in anycase?? What I want to see is the removal of the dead weight and the forging of a more relevant and meaningful 'religion'. Enforce the philosphy, the ends, and not the superstitious manifestations. Walking around a stone 11 times will not cure your troubles, my friend, having faith in oneself and going about fighting them might help though (and in doing that, you find God)...also, slaughtering a cow or killing 'infidels' and 'heathens' will not get you too far either. Lets the keep the positives and restrict the negatives, the things that are driven by fanatics, superstition, apprehension and fear. I am not saying stop believing in God. You feel free to have your concept of God...but whatever it is, it shouldn't be worth killing for. I don't care if a girl touched the shrine. I care if the print space devoted to the article could have been devoted to something more important like lack of education, poverty, and corruption and what action has been taken against them. Only through positive action will we be happier, more content and at peace with ourselves.
I have taken a stance. I wish the rest of you would follow. There are gaps in my philosophy, I'm sure. I have my God. I am at peace with Him. He lies not in the confines of walls which cannot be touched by a woman. He lies inside me. He lies everywhere.

Cheers!
Abhishek.

Classic Corner #1 - The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses

This is a new chain I am starting, like the 'Songs of a Lifetime', which is quite dormant right now. Here is where I shall showcase, rave about, dissect and eulogise about some classic instances of pure genius in the performing arts, be it theatre, music, film or any other medium. These are examples of sheer brilliance and works far ahead of their time...works that regal, enthrall and stay relevant even today. These shaped the future of their respective art forms and left an indelible mark on society and social consciousness. Some of them were plain difficult to describe, such was force of their beauty, power and effect.

I'll start with one of the most prized possessions in my collection, The Stone Roses' self titled debut album. What a record. British pop music had not heard anything so pristine before these guys came along. I do not want to get into the history of the band and such details, as it would require another post altogether. Just a bit of an intro, though. These four guys teamed up in the mid 80s when British pop/rock music was ruled The Smiths, New Order and The Fall. The Smiths were on the decline and nothing as exciting was in the offing. Then Ian Brown and his mates from Manchester decided to have some fun with their style of light rock/pop guitar driven music. They were to record only one more studio album after this one, 'The Second Coming', before they eventually split up in the early 90s. Their music formed the reference point of loads of modern bands like Oasis, Blur, Lightening Seeds, Embrace and The Verve. Sadly after delivering a near perfect rock/pop album first up the band could never live up to the hype of an encore and the next album, though not bad by any standards, wasn't quite the same. Our loss entirely.

Let’s look at the album then...

The opening drawl on 'I wanna be adored' lets you know that this is something special indeed. When I first heard it, thanks to Brown's hushed Mancunian accented style of singing, I mistook the words to be ' I wanna be a door' (and I couldn't understand why the hell he wanted to be a part of the furniture). And then John's Squire's heavenly guitar riffs hit you...I couldn't care if he wanted to be the wash basin or a toilet, the resonance was just too powerful and the narcissism just too tempting to resist. Oasis tried something similar with 'Listen up', but came nowhere close. This gem is followed up by the holy trinity of 'She bangs the drums', 'Elephant stone' and 'Waterfall'. Well, rock songs dipped in honey. British pop had never had it better than this. When Brown croons, "Burst into heaven...kissing the cotton clouds" on 'Elephant stone', you can almost feel yourself with him 30,000 ft above sea level...sigh! The beauty of multilayer guitars has never been better demonstrated. Then there is the anti-monarchy gem, 'Elizabeth My dear' with the lines "Tear me apart and boil my bones / I'll not rest 'till she's lost her throne / My aim is true, my message is clear / It's curtains for you Elizabeth my dear". It ends with a silenced pistol shot.
Oh, and things are just about to get better...
Then comes the Paris students riots inspired, 'Bye bye badman' and the dark anti violence 'Made of stone', which is another fantastic addition. There were even audacious enough to add a song 'Don't stop', which is in fact the latter played backwards! The album finishes with 2 more beauties, 'This is the one' and the anthemic 'I am the resurrection', the first a powerful rock tune with fantastic guitar work (as usual) and the second presumably about coming out triumphant after facing rejection in love. Genius generally is accompanied by arrogance and 'Resurrection' is ample evidence of that...
I could go on and on about this album. If you don't have it and are a lover of guitar music, well...just die. But a better option would be to go out, buy it and give it a listen. Your world will be a better place to live in. Seriously...

Album: The Stone Roses
Band: The Stone Roses
Year: 1989
Label: Jive
Track listing:
1. I Wanna Be Adored
2. She Bangs The Drums
3. Elephant Stone
4. Waterfall
5. Don't Stop
6. Bye Bye Badman
7. Elizabeth My Dear
8. (Song For My) Sugar Spun Sister
9. Made Of Stone
10. Shoot You Down
11. This Is The One
12. I Am The Resurrection

"So here it is. Yes! Yes! Yes! The best rock album since Revolver? Definitely. Maybe. You don't have to believe that. Just play it from time to time. It gets better and better. Rave on!" - thestoneroses.co.uk

"Make love to this album, get stoned to this album, start an uprising to this album, change the world to this album. For this album has changed many people's world and a world without it would be a place with slightly less magic." - Matt Pomry, Pop Matters.

Cheers!
Abhishek.

Eagerly awaiting...

One a continuing saga of a comic book hero and the other a Shakespearean tragedy. Brendon Routh, beware, all actors who have played Superman before have had tragedy afflict them. Vishal Bhardwaj is set to be our generation's Gulzar. Kudos, sir.
Ironic, that I'm looking forward to 2 adaptations after railing against lack of originality...go figure.

Cheers!
Abhishek

Learning to enjoy the lack of originality...

The last few years in Indian cinema have churned out some really good films and also loads of average and generally worthless ones. While the technical ability of our film makers has improved in leaps and bounds, the lack of original ideas remains a constant bane. Can't these guys come up with one story which I haven't already seen in another movie a few years ago? The other day I happened to watch the Akshay-Katrina starrer 'Humko Deewana Kar Gaye' and the very first scene with the credits was a shameless rip off from the opening sequence from Richard Curtis's 'Love Actually'. The film itself was a bad rip off of 'Notting Hill', with some scenes lifted frame to frame. Then there was Sarkar, Ek Ajnabee, Quayamat, Zinda, Main Asia Hi Hoon and almost every Bhatt film. The list is in fact endless. While some very good work in being done, the writers are taking a back seat. The creative process is pitifully shoddy. I guess living in the jet age does not leave film makers with enough time to think up an interesting and original story. Why try something so weird, when you can walk into a Music World and pick up a random English or International film and turn into a Bollywood extravaganza with sprinklings of romance, melodrama and song and dance. The trend is also moving towards remaking Hindi films of yore. RGV struggles with 'Sholay'. Farhan Akhtar is almost done shooting 'Don', Feroz Khan announces 'Kurbani' with Fardeen playing his role in the original. Not acceptable either, I'm sorry.
The trend doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon, so I thought I might as well list down some of the better 'inspirations' in Indian Cinema.

1. Chori Chori (It happened One Night) - One of the better inspirations, the remake of the Clark Gable film had Raj Kapoor and Nargis in lead roles and some great music from Shankar Jaikishan. The film also spawned a modern version in 'Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin' which wasn't too bad either.

2. Sarkar (The Godfather) - This RGV is certainly one of his better efforts. He credits this film as a remake of Godfather and gives it an Indian twist, keeping most of the major events in tact.
The potent duo of Bachchan Senior and Junior works really well. The background score of the film is lifted and well Indianised with the 'Govinda' chants. He also used camera angles really well and RGV's use of silence is superb. An enjoyable remake. Lets see how RGV does with Bachchan's Humbert Humbert and his take on Nabokov's 'Lolita' (Nishabd).

3. Ganashatru(Enemy of the People) - One of Ray's films which was a remake of Ibsen's classic play. Its message, about the perils of greed, religious fanaticism, and environmental pollution, may be topical, but the film was too static to have total impact. Still, there were enough flashes of Ray's brilliance to make it worthwhile. The film had Soumitra Chatterjee (who else) playing a doctor convinced of the poisoning of a lake, water from which is used in the temples as 'prasad' and his 'against all odds' efforts to create awareness about this pollution.

4. Sholay (7 Samurai/The Magnificent 7) - What can I possibly add about this one?

5. Nayakan (Godfather) - Though not a frame for frame copy, it was based, by Kamal's own admission on The Godfather(the fixation never ends). Brilliant performances, brilliant film. Kamal also co wrote 'Sati Leelavathy', a copy of the Meryll Streep hit 'She Devil'. Also, an enjoyable fim.

6. Karz (The Reincarnation of Peter Proud) - The film was enjoyable, though much of the story was lifted from the 1975 horror/thriller original and LP's music also borrowed heavily from the west ('Om Shanti Om' was a blatant lift and so was the guitar riff from 'Ek hasina thi'. Ghai never admitted the similarity till recently and always claimed never to have even seen the original (which is a blatant lie, if you've seen both films). The film was grand though, and perhaps benefited from the fact the original was rather small budget and raw.

Cheers!
Abhishek.

India in a restaurant

Having dinner in an Indian restaurant in Singapore can be a very familiar experience. I don't mean it in from the culinary point of view. Purely from the people that frequent the place. Of course I'm also not talking about the upmarket, snooty sorts of places frequented by expat communities and foreigners trying to get a taste of India (the 'Oh you have to try the Chicken Tikka Masala at Rang Mahal' types). I was in a mid sized place in Serangoon the other day, and the experience for an occasional social voyeur like myself, was interesting to say the least. On the table next to me was an Indian girl who was introducing her Caucasian boyfriend to her parents for what I believed to be the first time. I expected muted and skeptic conversation. But what ensued was a friendly and amiable chat. Quite symbolic of the new emerging trend of disappearing borders amongst countries and communities. The Indian of today is far more at ease with the global phenomenon than he was even a decade ago. There is no awkwardness, no 'sahib' mentality. It is slowly developing into a meeting of equals. Pleasant and refreshing. LN Mittal can embrace steel plants and factories the world over, but the joy of watching this little meeting in a non descript eatery had its own significance and potrayed an encouraging and indicative reality.
A nearby table hosted a family of animated Bengalis, complete with pesky kids and over protective mothers. One of the ladies obviously thought that her 9-10 year old was completely incapable of eating on his own and hence laboriously continued to shove dollops of rice and daal down his throat. The kid was on a trip of his own and was more interested in exploring every corner of the premises, much to the annoyance of the other members of his family. 'Tubai! doude barash ni! Chup kore bosh! Uff eyi chele ke niye aar parlam na!' ('Tubai, don't run around and sit down quietly! Uff what shall I do with this kid!'). How many times have we as kids heard this? Brought back so many memories. Bengali boys, as children tend to be tremendously sheltered. Visions of Bula aunty (my neighbor a long while ago) feeding a visibly embarrassed Montuda at school during exams came flooding back. The poor fellow was instructed to cram his algebraic equations for his class 7 term exams and not waste time on eating! Mothers complain sporadically, but dutifully discharge their motherly chores, to the point of excessive pampering. How can one deny little Tubai? He will grow up to become an engineer or a doctor someday, the pride of the Bhowmick brigade. Nothing much seems to have changed since our time...

Then there was the Tamil group a few tables away. They stuck to curd and rice...staple diet down south. C'mon guys, there was a whole menu to chose from! But I guess home food is home food and it was quite possible that they had chanced upon this place after a while and wanted to get a good meal in. Politics was on their minds, perhaps thanks to the just concluded elections in TN. One gentleman was mighty dislpeased with the outcome and claimed that the state would not be the same without 'Amma'. He was pleased, however, that he would receive a free TV from the ruling party and hoped that cable would also come at no cost. They also proceeded to draw up how they could see the whole of Singapore and its sights in the next day and a half! A little time saved from taking this bus route, a little time saved from cabing it from point x to point y. Sometimes I feel, we Indians return from vacations far more exhausted than we were before we take them. The kind of schedules we put ourselves through! Perhaps its an economic thing. Westerners always seem more relaxed and appear to have more time on their hands...
A Punjabi couple occupied the table to our right. They were honeymooning in Singapore, (glow, bloody...glow!) I gathered. The guy in his smart turban and majestic whiskers and the girl...in a tank top and a miniskirt...I had no problems with the attire per say...hey its your honeymoon, enjoy it, but please get rid of the elaborate mehendi, the nose ring, the long earrings and the 800 red bangles on both hands! I know its the age of mix and match and fashion fusion and all but this looks plain ridiculous! They discussed their travel plans over the weekend and then diverted their attention to a fancy handy cam the guy had just purchased, along with his equally fancy I-Pod nano. The prosperity of the Punjab/Haryana belt was amply evident.
Here was India playing itself out in all its stereotypes. I am in no way judging their actions or the motivations behind them, but it was a very interesting evening in all. We all are so different, region from region, yet the union is so strong and the blend so natural. It was like cutting up bits and pieces of a country and re-arranging them somewhere else. The picture still remained the same, familiar and beautiful. And for people such as myself, who do not get to go back that often, this was a pleasurable and unique opportunity. It just took a microcosm of the country to feel the pulse of India, old and new, to gather public opinion, to get an insight into a changing country, and to feel at home.

Cheers!

Abhishek.

Himesh, you little Devil!

Sample this from the Financial Express,

"Bollywood may have stood up for Aamir Khan, but it doesn’t stand a ghost of a chance when it comes to revoking this “ban”. So Himmesh Reshammiya’s hit number 'Jhalak dikhla ja, ek baar aaja, aaja...' may set feet tapping at discotheques, but in Anand district’s Bhalej village, it seems to have set alarm bells ringing.
Why? Residents claim that the lyrics are an invite to “ghosts” who then possess residents. The person possessed - some put this number at five, others at 20 - run a high temperature and behave in a strange manner. Rationalists and others may dismiss the idea as silly, but the 10,000-odd villagers are so worried that they’ve decided that the song - picturised on serial kisser Emraan Hashmi - won’t be heard in the village. What’s more? They’re seeking divine intervention: approaching the maulvis as well as planning visits to neighbouring temple town Dakor. Majid Malek, father-in-law of sarpanch Saira Malek, speaks about the problem “plaguing the village since last fortnight”. “Since the last 15 days, we’ve noticed this problem. There have been about 20 such cases since then,” says Malek. Mushtaq Thakore says there have been around five such cases, including that of a newly wedded girl Sartajbanu.
“The lyrics are such that they draw the attention of the ghosts, after which the person starts screaming and also runs a high temperature. The only way out is to seek divine help. Muslims go to maulvis, Hindus to their godmen,” Mushtaq says. Incidentally, the ghosts also have a particular spot where they choose their “victim”. The graveyard adjoining the lake.
After realising that the song could be the “root cause” of the “possession problem”, the village has decided to clamp down on it. The song may be a hit with wedding parties, but not in Bhalej. Allarakha, a musician with Rahi Music Band, says, “We get many requests to play different numbers, but we are asked by villagers to avoid this number.”

I never liked the song anyway, now I'm certainly not going to play it. It even gets the ghosts annoyed enough to leave their happy abodes and possess hapless humans! Himesh, perhaps you shouldn't have sung this one.

Cheers!
Abhishek.

Fanaa

Huge expectations are associated with any Aamir Khan film. Even more so if it happens to be Kajol's comeback vehicle. And perhaps even more so if it happens to be under the Yash Raj banner. But expectations of course don't guarantee a good cinematic experience, just a few 'house full' posters on friday, saturday and sunday, after which the product must fend for itself on the basis of its own merits.
'Fanaa' is strictly ok, perhaps even decent, but a step down for Aamir. I felt Mangal Pandey (minus the average second half and the barrage of songs) and 'Rang De Basanti' were better films. The film centres around the love story of Rehan, seemingly a brash and flirtatious tour guide and Zooni, a blind Kashmiri, who is only starting to live life on her own terms. Rehan and Zooni fall in love almost immediately and Rehan shows her the side of life that she has been missing for so long. Her experiences are new and invigorating. She immediately decides that he is the man for him. Deciding to marry her, he also arranges to restore her eyesight. Here is where the story takes a turn and leads us into the dark murky world that Rehan actually comes from from. He is a terrorist fighting for the independence of Kashmir. There is a bomb blast in which Zooni believes that Rehan has perished and lives out seven years in the belief that that the only man she's loved and never seen, is dead. Cut to seven years later where Rehan is on yet another mission for his terror outfit. He is wounded and seeks asylum in during a fierce storm in a small village and as fate would have it, lo and behold, Zooni opens the door along with a small boy, who is of course her child that she had with Rehan many moons ago.
Here's where the film gets interesting. The film now starts focusing on Rehan's realization that this is the life he wants, and not the life of a foot soldier for a organisation such as his. Zooni, discovering this guest's true identity (first that he is her Rehan, and second that he is in fact a terrorist) of course has to deal with the dilemma of turning him in versus making up for seven years of lost time and finally settling down with her one true love and the father of her child. How these parallel themes progress and pan out is the focus of the climax of the film.
The first half of the film is run of mill. Boy meets girl, girl can't see boy, boy is charming and gives girl a tour of Delhi. Love blooms. The first half is pure formula, complete with a multitude of songs and funny sidekicks. Quite disappointing actually. The second half is marked improved and the novelty of the plot and the decent treatment come to the fore. However here as well, things could have moved faster, but the director, Kunal Kohli takes his own time to let things unravel. Performances are good. Aamir is patchy in the first half and in form in the second. And it is such a pleasure watching Kajol after all these years. The lady can still dazzle the screen with her smile! The chemistry between Aamir and Kajol is good but Kajol-Shahrukh or Aamir-Juhi were better together. Supporting crew is decent though. Rishi Kapoor, Kirron Kher and Tabu are competent, though the choice of Tabu for the role of the Anti Terrorist Squad officer is quite puzzling. She mouths rhetoric and cliched dialogues. Wasted completely. Music is strictly average. What was expected to be Jatin-Lalit's swan song in their last film together, turn into an average album with a couple of good songs like 'Chand Sifarish' and 'Mere Haath Mein'. Watch out for Ravi K Chandran's camera work though, brilliant. Of course, filming in Poland helps.

2.5/5

Cheers!
Abhishek.

The one in which rings get exchanged...

To put it simply, I got engaged. Don't ask me how I feel and other such things, as I don't think its sunk in as yet. Yes, there is the knowledge that now I shall have to refer to the erstwhile 'girlfriend' as 'fiance', 'would be', 'betrothed' and other such funny names...but apart from that not much has changed...yet. I guess long distance relationships can do this to you. I do know though that the ceremony and the formal exchange of rings has brought us a little closer, in the sense that the feeling of belonging has increased (which is funny because I was never one for ceremonies and formal exchange of rings). Its still a little bit of a blur, so watch this space for more clarity. Well, moving on to the minor details of the event. The venue was the venerable Bengal Club on Russell Street. Representatives from both families turned up in their best and brightest. 'Aashirbad' by elders commenced soon after and was accompanied by some 'ullus' (a traditional Bengali wedding yell/yodel). If my Marwari in-laws were alarmed by such a sudden increase in decibel level, they sportingly did not show it. Gifts were received and blessings were sought. The 'aashirbad' by elders gave way to the formal exchange of rings and a photocall which was enjoyed by everyone. The highlight of the evening for me was the way the two families extended goodwill and warmth to each other. One doesn't get to see Maru-Bong weddings everyday, and I must say that they shed their initial trepidation (and at a community level, years of business and cultural hostility, heheh) to support and partake in the festivities as best they could. It might as well have been a same community affair... A heartfelt thank you to all of you. Dinner was served after which much mingling ensued. The whole thing wound up by 11.30pm. It was a likeable affair in all, I mean what's not to like, good food, lots of gifts and pretty women all around...oh, and just in case I forgot, also the realization that you finally have the woman you love.

The holy man blesses...

The exchange of the rings

A photo - op with good friends 'Shots' and 'Sam'

Cheers!
Abhishek

Quiz Time Again - Answers

1. The only song the two have sung for films together is the classic duet, 'Ei jo hethai kunjochayae' from the film 'Luko Churi'. Music was by Hemant Kumar.

2. Fairly simple one, Superman's earliest description.

3. Freddie Mercury was the only musician quoted in Kobain's suicide note.

4. - Mithun Chakraborty
- Cary Grant
- Jeetendra
- Whoopi Goldberg

5. All clocks show the time 4.20 pm.

Looks like Sougatada takes this one hands down! Well done.

Cheers!
Abhishek.

Quiz time again!

Hello all, its been long since I've put up some questions to test your knowledge of all things artistic. Here is the second set of questions for you. Answers will be up next week!

1. Kishore Kumar and Ruma Devi (his first wife) both came from artistically gifted families. Both had impressive singing careers. However they sang playback together on only one occasion in their entire lives. Name the song and the film.

2. A 1940 radio serial described a character as "faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound". Who were they talking about?

3. Kurt Kobain's suicide note went "I havent felt the excitement of listening to as well as creating music along with reading and writing for too many years now. I feel guilty beyond words about these things. For example, when we're backstage and the lights go out and the manic roar of the crowds begins, it doesn't affect me the way in which it did for ______, who seemed to love, relish in the love and adoration from the crowd, which is something I totally admire and envy." Fill in the blank...who was Kobain talking about?

4. How do we better know te following celebrities
- Gauranga Chakraborty
- Archibald Leach
- Ravi Kapoor
- Caryn Johnson

5. In the Tarantino classic, 'Pulp Fiction', all the watches shown in the film are stuck at one particular time. Let's see if you guys noticed when?

Answers up soon...

Cheers!
Abhishek.

When numbers conspire...

Number of days left till engagement: 10

Number of cigarettes smoked since yesterday: 10

Number of deliverables at current attachment: 10

Number of dollars left in wallet: 10

Cheers!
Abhishek.

The Nanyang MBA Series - 4 (Placements)

Ok, this is the one about the placements...I have received loads of emails and calls from prospective students querying about the same and hence decided to blog about it for general information for all interested.
Right, yes everyone in the batch is placed, employed, working for money etc. Our batch (total fulltime strength: 65) had representation from around seventeen countries, the largest contingents being from China, India, Germany, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia. The rest of the countries were represented by only one or two participants. As far a I know, the Chinese have all gone back to China with lucrative offers. Only one or two are working here in Singapore. This is out of choice. Most Chinese students were never even looking to work in Singapore as the NTU name is apparently big in their neck of the woods and hence they enjoy a real premium once they head back there. A couple of the Germans are working in Singapore while the rest have headed back to Europe. Most other students from the other countries are based here.
Now the 'desi' junta, we numbered 24. All the boys have found suitable employment. 21 of us are here in Singapore, while 3 students have headed back to India to take up their dream jobs.

The companies that the MBA batch of 2004-06 are working for are listed as follows, according to specialization:

Banking and Finance:

1. Standard & Poors, Singapore
2. DBS, Singapore
3. UOB, Singapore
4. HSBC, Singapore
5. Citibank, Japan
6. AurionPro Solutions, Singapore
7. HP Asia-Pac, Singapore
8. Raffles Consulting Pte. Ltd., Singapore
9. PriceWaterhouse Coopers, Singapore
10. Standard Chartered Bank, Singapore
11. ABN AMRO, Singapore
12. Keppel Land, Singapore
13. Morgan Stanley, Singapore

Marketing:

1. Colgate Palmolive, Singapore
2. AC Nielson, Singapore
3. Cushman & Wakefield, Bangalore
4. Unilever, Malaysia
5. WTO, Singapore
6. Roche Pharmaceuticals, Indonesia

IT/Technology

1. Frost & Sullivan, Singapore
2. HCL Technologies, Chennai
3. Wipro Technologies, Bangalore

Strategy

1. Seagate Technologies, Singapore
2. Inductis India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi
3. Accenture, Singapore
4. Proudfoot Consulting, London

The above list is not exhaustive as I am unaware of the companies that most of the China based students are working in.

Let me add in a word about the internship scenario as well. Everyone in the batch got internships. The companies that hired for internships were HSBC Singapore, PwC Singapore, Singapore Technologies, HCL Singapore, DBS, Frost & Sullivan, AC Nielson Singapore, Carlson Marketing Singapore, HP Asia-Pac Singapore, Cisco Systems Singapore, British Petroleum Singapore, Citibank NA Singapore, Collin Ng & Partners, Accenture Singapore etc.
The average salary for fulltime offers of the batch would be around SGD 60,000 pa. For the internships, average stipends were in the range of SGD 1000-2000 pm.

So there. It was a good year in all for our batch. The junior batch is all set to outdo us with some of them securing full time offers already apart from internships. Way to go guys! Keep the flag flying...

Hope this helps.

Cheers!
Abhishek.

To the hustings...

Election time has arrived again in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Its highly unlikely that the CPM will be replaced in Bengal, mainly due to the new found corporate ratification that Buddha babu has received. In Chennai of course, it could be a close one, though one feels Amma might prevail again. It has been unfortunate that I haven't kept up with the political scenario in Chennai after I left the place long ago and moved to Kolkata...but here's a surprise. An email from a friend in Chennai was a revelation of sorts. The Lok Paritran party in Chennai is contesting the assembly polls. Set up by IIT ians, this is truly a party with a difference. Most of the candidates contesting seem to be well educated and seem to have a proven track record of public service. This is not propaganda for them or anything (when people come to power all the good intentions seem to take a back seat) and when you cast your vote make sure you do your due diligence on the candidates, but atleast now you might be saved from thinking, 'oh who do I vote for, they are all crooks!'. Take a look at the profiles of some of their candidates.

Mylapore - Santhanagopal Vasdev (28), M.A Economics from New York University

Chepauk - P. Elanthirumaran (38), Project Manager/Software Consultant

Thousand Lights - Ishrayel Maheswar (32), MBA, M.Phil

Egmore - Prashant Sharma (48), Marketing Professional

T. Nagar - Arvind Tiruvaiyar (32) - Marketing/Social Worker

Annanagar - Rajamani (56), A senior consulting engineer, worked abroad for 25 years

Saidapet - Hariharan (28), Software Engineer

Park Town - Rabindara Ganesh (61), Social worker

Atleast now the picture is more representative. With the rise of the middle class, it would be nice to have some candidates with whom this huge section of people can identify with. Its also heartening to see the educated, middle class taking the step to join politics and trying their bit to effect change for the better. Regardless of how they perform at the hustings, one has to hand it them for atleast trying.

Cheers!
Abhishek.

Time for a BBQ!

After much ado, Aroon, Ashok and Raju's BBQ finally happened last week. Mandarin Gardens (Aroon's place), was the venue for this funfilled evening. Much meat was roasted, lots of alcohol was drunk (too much actually, but whats new), MBA days relived and generally lots of good cheer was spread. I also managed to meet a school mate from Kolkata, who was in our MBA program two years ago. Small world this is... (this week I also managed to get in touch with my school friends from way back in school - St.Xaviers '96 ICSE...apparently there was a yahoo groups thingy I was completely unaware of...there are already 20 odd members...it was great to know all the guys are doing really well for themselves and are going places...apart from one little fellow who's in jail!...but hey it takes all kinds...sorry...back to the BBQ!). As the evening wore on, the conversations got really interesting...I think at one point I was discussing the way people burp and generally distributing pearls of complete nonsense. I beg forgiveness of the poor unsuspecting girl who was actually listening to me...my apologies... The day was good friday and hence Aroon couldn't touch alcohol. Poor chap...but well done lad...it takes fight to pull through an evening like that...Apart from an unfortunate incident involving a bladder malfunction and a brief period when I disappeared into the bushes (don't even ask how), it was a very enjoyable evening. Thanks Aroon, Ashok and Raju. In other news, I got my teeth cleaned, so I'm sporting a set of pearly whites...and I'm smiling a lot!

Kamal in the food and beverage area...a fine cuisine
The gang at the BBQ!
My disappearance in the bushes...I can't believe someone actually clicked this!
Kamal, Ruchi and Rishi (recently married) and moi

The gang again!

Cheers!
Abhishek.

Songs of a lifetime - 6

The weekends here again and what would be a better time to raise a toast to a constant friend...alcohol! No song says it better than this one by Brad Paisley. One doesn't realise it, but most of us have done some darned crazy things under its influence. Strange as it may sound, some of the funniest, weirdest and most fun moments in life have been thanks to the magic stuff...I'm not advocating drinking here...but its true...hear it straight from the horse's mouth!


I can make anybody pretty
I can make you believe any lie
I can make you pick a fight with somebody twice your size
Well, I've been known to cause a few break-ups
An' I've been known to cause a few births
Well, I can make you new friends, or get you fired from work.

And since the day I left Milwaukee, Lynchburg an' Bordeaux, France
Been making the bars lots of big money
An' helpin' white people dance
I got you in trouble in High School
But College, now that was a ball
You had some of the best times you'll never remember with me
Alcohol, Alcohol.

I got blamed at your wedding reception
For your best man's embarrassing speech
And also for those naked pictures of you at the beach
I've influenced Kings and world leaders
I helped Hemingway write like he did
And I'll bet you a drink or two, that I can make you put that lampshade on your head.

Cause since the day I left Milwaukee,Lynchburg and Bordeaux, France
I been making a fool out of folks just like you
An' helping white people dance
I am medicine and I am poison
I can help you up or make you fall
You had some of the best times you'll never remember with me
Alcohol, Alcohol.

Cheers!
Abhishek.

Being Cyrus

This small little film generated tremendous interest being an English language film with an entirely Bollywood cast. Director Homi Adajania expertly handles a multilayered film which is dark, witty and finely enacted. The film tells the tale of a 'drifter', Cyrus (Saif Ali Khan) who befriends a parsi family and comes to live with them. The film then delves into the daily lives of the family, peeling layer after layer from their seemingly hum drum life. But all is not hunky dory. Illicit affairs, drug addiction, ambition, romance and murder lurk in the background. How Cyrus forms part of this sordid tale is what the film is all about. Does he get involved? Is he hiding some personal motive? Why has he come this family? Or is he a victim of circumstance? The film goes about answering these questions.
The acting is first rate. Nasseeruddin Shah as the drug addicted potter is fantastic but hopelessly underused. Dimple Kapadia steals the show with her hyperactive performance as the lady of the house trying to find a way out of her boring and middleclass existence. Boman Irani as the obnoxious younger brother is also superb. Simone Singh is adequate.
The film is certainly a smart one. It is dark, probing and witty. The dialogues are great. But all in all I feel thats all that the film is...smart. Sometimes too smart for its own good. It ends up being a super screenplay but has very little depth. Characters could have been elaborated more, I felt. Its swift and to the point but the ride is only enjoyable while it lasts. One must also commend actors like Saif and Dimple to take on unconventional, small English language films. Directors could use a little support from the 'stars'.

3/5

Cheers!
Abhishek.

Tagged by Ekta...

Been tagged by Ekta.
The 'Ideal Woman' it seems...trust me they don't exist...I shall mention at the outset that I shall not adhere to rule no. 3, not because I'm a lazy bum or that I'm not a fan of tagging people, but because everyone I perhaps would have tagged has already been tagged!

The rules :
1. The tagged victim has to come up with 8 different points of their perfect lover.
2. You have to mention the sex of the target.
3. Tag 8 victims to join this game and leave a comment on their comments saying they've been tagged.
4. If tagged the 2nd time, there's no need to post again.

Anyways here goes...

1. Should have short hair...theres something about women with short hair!
2. Should be a good conversationalist, reasonably well read and aware. Talking about serious issues is as important as cuddly and sweet pillow talk.
3. Should be a good friend first, lover later. I guess this one has been pretty common, but how true!
4. I like to be pleasantly surprised once in while...she should be able to do that every once in a while...I don't mean throwing surprise parties and expensive gifts, small little things like making me a mixed tape of songs that keep I humming or initiating something new and interesting in the bedroom!
5. Should have a sense of humor...laughing is good for health you know.
6. Should have the capability to mix with people from all walks of life and station. A genuine interest in people is highly desirable.
7. Should be able to express emotion freely. Since I cannot, it would be nice to have just one person made of ice in the relationship. Of course too much sensitivity and tears are no good as well though once in a while, making it up to the girl can be romantic and cute.
8. Should be a fabulous dancer!

There... that's not too much is it??

PS: - On second thoughts, I would like to tag Cogito (only one I think who hasn't been tagged by this one). He's getting married soon, so should be interesting to read what he has to say.

Cheers!
Abhishek

Photoblog

Kolkata was a tremendously enjoyable experience. Now I'm back in Singapore ready to start a new chapter in life. Just a word about the City of Joy, though. Lots of development, lots of malls, people consuming all sorts of goods, ordinary and luxury, lots more night clubs and lots more buildings and residential complexes. It was a fine sight. So much for communist leanings. Kolkata has shed its old crumbling British Raj image and is well on the road to being something more exciting. I wish the same fervor spreads through to the rest of Bengal which is generally undeveloped. Anyways here are a few pictures I took on the trip.

Park Street on the 24th of December (granted, not taken on this trip, but its Park Street!)

A storm approaches Ballygunge

A relaxed shave and a haircut before heading to work...Italian style!

A fast disappearing breed..the 'bandar naach' man

Dear friends Shotorupa, Ronit and Shotorupa's mom. One happy family!

Cheers!

Abhishek.

Kolkata mane...

Sorry for the lack of posts, but I have been on holiday in Kolkata and have been enjoying myself thoroughly. Posts will resume once I am back in Singapore on the 15th of March... For now here is a list I have been compiling since I got here...

Kolkata mane aabege prem
Kolkata mane Satyajit Ray
Kolkata mane Motherer norom haath
Kolkata mane adda o torko
Kolkata mane pabda aar ilish
Kolkata mane rickshawalar chhot
Kolkata mane Nondone prem
Kolkata mane Robithakurer songeet
Kolakta mane minibuser pechone dhaba
Kolkata mane shari shari taxi
Kolkata mane Victoriar tej
Kolkata mane unnoyoner pothe
Kolkata mane protibad
Kolkata mane baishe sharabon
Kolkata mane moidane football
Kolkata mane boro boudir aador
Kolkata mane 'dada ki hocche ta ki?'
Kolkata mane 'dependable kintu strike?'
Kolkata mane Park Streeter jomjomat
Kolkata mane ekta double chicken double egg roll
Kolkata mane Feludar kirti
Kolkata mane bhide hashi
Kolkata mane Howraher dhakka
Kolkata mane cholebe na
Kolkata mane notunotto
Kolkata mane swapno o aakansha
Kolkata mane kalke uthe aabar juddho
Kolkata mane Salt Laker notun office para
Kolkata mane einth pathorer mela
Kolkata mane poda shonar chaap
Kolkata mane cinema diye andolon
Kolkata mane raatri jibone notunnotto
Kolkata mane phire aasha baar baar
Kolkata mane aami aar tumi


Cheers!
Abhishek.