Historical perspective...

It would have been a good discussion in the hindsight to compare chalk with cheese. As we flip through the history of Mughals in India, we are overburdened by the theory of Aurangzeb’s responsibility as a villain in Indian history. However, wouldn’t it be interesting to understand the gradual fall of the empire and therefore the extra burden on Aurangzeb to overturn that? Indeed, it has been discussed in some cases that the great Sahjahan (a great reason for our foreign currency) was in more than one ways as much responsible as was his fallen son. The myopic and contemporary view could be the biggest Achilles hill for history but for it’s over reaching totality.

During Sahjahan’s regime, revenues came down sharply; administration was in shambles and notwithstanding his famous love, the greatest monument in world history could not possibly pass him as a great administrator. Such were the inherited circumstances for his son who undoubtedly was a religious bigot and hence probably a mismatch in a pluralistic India. But most of the history books never judge him in totality. Similar is the case with Bengal politics and its two politicians in particular.

The first one started with a world of possibilities yet finished as a popper, while the second one bore the brunt of predecessor’s follies and hence became a failure. Just as Sher Shah Suri was more than an able administrator for Akbar, so was the case with these two people albeit in opposite manner.

Without a doubt that both of them fought a battle against their contemporaries, the task is more Herculean for the later as he inherited a more volatile and angry subject, which is looking for avenues to outburst. The cultivated mediocrity and nepotism is more dangerous in the sense that it wipes out able leadership, makes no incentive for better alternative and never inspires to challenge the inevitable. And that is precisely why I feel more sympathetic against the general wisdom of historical judgment.

A heritage of historical blunders is a difficult task for an honest administrator to make up.

He inherited the kingdom when everything was possible; he chose to be the last because it suited his political class. He never allowed comparison as it would have dwarfed his own legacy and he closed all windows of knowledge as it could have challenged his supremacy. Alas! He could have changed it the way everybody wanted; instead he blamed all others in conspiring his defeat. In choosing the rural population to be the craftsmen of his beloved monument he created history only for the consumption of a select few and maybe, unintentionally started the downfall of the empire.

The trouble for the inheritor was this insurmountable inertia. Inertia of inaction, inertia of self defeating knowledge, inertia of stability. To challenge Newton’s first law is not possible even in Marx’s dictionary. In spite of the best efforts, the inheritor was destined to be a loser, not by choice but by decree. A decree which was pronounced long before he came; only he accelerated it by childish mistakes.

Sometimes you survive even after murdering someone; sometimes you get screwed because someone just saw you hiding the obvious. Such is the short sightedness of historians that Sahjahan escaped the whole wreath by hiding under his wife’s monument which unfortunately crushed his son’s economical future.

This is not to justify the religious bigotry of Aurangzeb, neither to exemplify the ability of the second person than his predecessor, but only to say that sometimes we do make mistakes in judging personalities.

Those who could rise above their contemporary are called great; those who accelerate their progress than their peers are called excellent while those who choose to hide under historical blunders are the same themselves.

You create history by writing them on your own, not following.

In my view, even in failure the honest Trier should be judged more favorably for his sheer tenacity for action, for his passion to change things even if they became a Waterloo for the regimen.

May be, as always, I am wrong again.

And may god allow the already depleting minority to rest in peace. Amen!

Hey Ram...

The recent Satyam fiasco is nothing new to the corporate world and neither would it be the last. Even though I am not so sure about my credentials to talk about financial and capital market models, in my view, the race for an attractive valuation in the stock market has definitely played a hand for the promoters to indulge in such a heinous crime. When an entity like the Satyam falls, it’s not the falling empire that is a headache, but the collateral damages that disturb the society, both socially and financially. In case of Satyam, it is the same with approx 53000 employees and innumerable investors (especially retail investors).
The situation is not so new to the corporate world at large, but definitely new to the Indian set up. For India Inc, which is fiddling around to take future bigger steps, such a shock could never have come up at a worse time. Indeed, with current credit crunch and bleak economic situation, it could ill afford to have such a blot in its kitty. However, in my view, such a thing was waiting in the wings even though we hardly acknowledge it.
The relation and the control between the promoters and the companies in India are indeed too close for comfort. The idea of company as an individual entity is more of a legal status than a real one and hence, the dangers of personally motivated irregularities are high. The public perception about some of the listed companies and their managements are not positive, even though they enjoy heavy influences on our capital markets. The idea of corporate governance, peer audits or independent board of directors enjoy tremendous challenges in a country where corruption is amok and the unholy nexus between political parties and the corporate czars are very open secret.
However, it would be unfair to paint the whole system with same brush even though there are hardly any dividends for being honest in India.
There will be Satyams in future also, make no mistake about this. Make no mistake of the fact also that all political dishonesty would be very cleverly submerged by the government, even though the role of Andhra politicians across the board and their hobnobbing with the now disgraced Raju family was very evident till a few days before. Never mind that Maytas got such eye candy infrastructure projects without proper procedures being followed and same political parties were very sure about their success.
And then there is the role of external auditors. I can bet about the images that people have for the CAs in general. The propensity to lie and pile up illegal money is so rampant in this country and amongst common public that a few dishonest CAs become very handy to cover up such illegal activities. In that sense, what Raju has done might be a crime only bigger in proportion and effect but not strange to India. From not declaring all income sources to finding ingenious ways to hide wealth from tax collector’s preying eyes are commonplace among Indians.
So, instead of blaming Raju and making a culprit out of him we would be better off if our simple acts are put under the scanner of right and wrong. The effect and magnitude of the crime could only make a variation in the punishment meted out, but could not differentiate in the category.
Hence, if one such confession could make some positive changes within our minds, be it personally or professionally, it would do a huge service for this whole country. And as for the corporate India, this incident could well be a turning point in their hitherto unknown challenges.

We, as retail investors in both capital and social markets, could only hope for the better senses(x).

Best of the lot - through my eyes and hearts - Part 2

(Do read the 1st part before this to get the complete picture)...

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Pather Panchali (1955) - It’s a poetry in motion. It’s a classic unfolded with all unknown beauties in front of dumb audiences. It transports you to the high of ecstasy, throws you out of gear with gripping reality and makes you cry with the characters. I have never come across any more such realistic portrayal in world cinema and to his credit Ray did this with minimum fuss or technology. To think that such a movie could be made in India is in itself a tribute to the great master and only he could think of such creation. If ever, a director were to be known as a single movie wonder then let it be a “Pather Panchali”.

Hirok Rajar Deshe (1980) – Another masterpiece from my favorite director. To create a whole movie in limerick and poetry is unthinkable and to top it with such subtle idea about politics, democracy, education and society is impossible even for god. But, he did it! He did it with utmost ease, with grand passion and with childish entertainment. You could find all flavors in this movie – from a children fantasy to a dictatorial politics. The story is genius and is ably supported by cast, camera, editing and background score. You can’t expect anything more from a movie than this.

Do Bigha Zameen (1953) – An ultimate and all time bollywood classic. I would be lying if I don’t mention this in my all time favorites. This Bimal Roy direction is a masterpiece in terms of the depiction of the characters, in terms of music, in terms of acting as well as in the eternal appeal of the story. If ever in India, the portrayal of poverty and fight of poor has ever been depicted, then this has to be a close winner (Even though “Sadgati” by ray, “Akrosh” etc come very close). The most famous scene from the movie is when Shambhu pushes himself to the limit pulling a rickshaw. The rider on the rickshaw offers Shambhu more money to pull faster because he is chasing (probably) his girlfriend in another rickshaw. Shambhu can not resist the temptation, and he keeps smiling in anticipation of getting more money. However, his wealthy customer is not worried the least about the lower class' plight. In this race, rickshaw loses a wheel and Shambhu is injured. However, through all these hardships Shambhu does not lose his righteousness, which is the moral of the movie. Shambhu's son steals money to help his father, only to be reproached by his father later. Shambhu's morality is the only thing that remains his own till the end.
And, if there is no morality left in the story then what is the fuss about the rest?

Seven Samurai (1954) – This is nothing but a sheer brilliance. First time I saw it, it came as a shock, thereafter every subsequent viewing has brought out some magnificent artistry of cinema, the capacity to narrate a story, the idea of the most fantastic background score, the love, the hate, the illusion and the fight for respect. To accommodate all this in a single movie, the director had to be brilliant, the editing had to be extraordinary and the grip over audience unflinching. To its credit it has all these. Even now, after so many have tried to imitate or beat it, Seven Samurai remains a totally gripping 3.5 hour experience. Akira Kurosawa is one of the gods of Cinema - men who seem to have been born to make films, who have it in their blood.
If ever, an example of total cinema has to be given then choose this one without semblance of doubt – such is the magnitude of this.

Autumn Sonata (1978) – Should I say that I should be proud that this was made in the year I was born? I take this as a gift of Bergman to me. Never before in my life did I imagine a movie with only 4 characters before this. I don’t know if “Morning Raga” comes as a close copy cat, but if that is then I must say bollywood should stop making such nonsense. Autumn Sonata is so intense in its emotions and so masterful in its presentation that the world of its characters—in this case an isolated, roomy parson's house in the south of Norway—absolutely overwhelms our senses and becomes for 92 minutes the only reality we can know. If ever, somebody has to be given a lesson of movie making, then just ask them to watch this – how to portray emotion, how to bring out the most unnerving ideas in reality and how with minimum dialogue and minimal characters we could have a masterpiece. The profundity of the writing, the acting, and the delivery of Autumn Sonata lies in its refusal, like that of a complex musical composition, to boil down to a single, unchallenged idea or emotion.

As good as it gets (1997) – This poor cousin of the famous “Titanic” has always remained close to my heart – for its simplicity, for its weirdness, for its magnificent ideas to portray love and emotions and above all for its daring idea of releasing it alongside a blockbuster yet coming out with flying colors. I vividly remember the poor crowd response to this movie in Calcutta and after watching this I could only pity those who have missed this. Sometimes, you need to go out of the conventional way of stories and technologies – because as a movie watcher I could only take the feeling and emotion out of the theatre, not the technology, not the acting and certainly not over the moon flamboyance. I have never heard a better way of proposing, I have never heard a better complement that a man or a woman could give to the other sex. How I wish I had such moments in my life!

As always, this might be the weirdest best 10 ever compiled, but in my mind they remain my best moments. They could transport me to the highs of emotions, to the depths of love and hatred, to the fantasies of childhood and to the darkest areas in life. If ever you don’t feel like being a character in the movie then it’s simply not worth watching for me. I pay for that connection, I thrive in that ecstasy and I would love to die in that dream.

That’s what a movie is for me.

Best of the lot - through my eyes and hearts - Part 1

Disclaimer: This post is totally inspired by some similar posts and ideas from well known public sources. Hence, any such unmistakable similarities in terms of ideas or subjects are totally intentional. However, any such attempt to list the personal likings is always fraught with contentious or dubious selections. Hence, all comments would only be viewed through that prism only. More such lists from others are welcome. Also please note that the list is not in order of merit as I don’t think it’s good to rank the best.
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I am not a movie buff, at least I don’t consider myself neither knowledgeable nor qualified enough to list such things, but through this I would try to give an idea to what I do like and dislike in movies, why I am such a bollywood basher in most situations, and thereby why certain movies do qualify in my book as simply irresistible. Since, by perception (and mind you, “perception is everything”) I am a left leaning hence its quite natural that I place everybody at the same pedestal (classless society, you see) and so I won’t differentiate between bollywood, Hollywood or tollywood. This is about my own all time favorite top 10.

The African Queen (1951) – This movie has one of the simplest yet unnatural stories that I have ever come across. With two powerhouse performances from Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart, this seamlessly touches my heart as it explores the beauties of what I call situational love. Given that technology was minimal and story doesn’t fit in any line of division this mesmerizes with it’s portray of love, affection, love for country and cinematography. The background score is in sync with the mood while the dialogues are outstanding. Watching this, I feel that how I wish I was in place of Humphrey so that such emotions could be expressed. Alas! I can only enjoy the masterpiece and praise it through such posts.

Citizen Kane (1941) – This is another piece where you get engrossed with the flow of events, with the charming beauty of story narration. An expressionistic, fictional biography of the rise to power (and tragic fall) of a larger-than-life newspaper tycoon/publisher - Charles Foster Kane. A reporter is sent to investigate the significance of "Rosebud," the last word uttered by Kane (Welles), through interviews with various associates and his wife (Cotten, Sloane, and Comingore). With its bravura direction, broken narrative and flashbacks, and vivid performances, this is considered a modern masterpiece. Every aspect of the production marked an advance in film language: the deep-focus, deeply shadowed cinematography; the discontinuous narrative (in a screenplay co-authored by Herman Mankiewicz); the innovative use of sound and score; the low-level camera shots; the ensemble acting from Welles' Mercury Theater.

City Lights (1931) – What should I say for Chaplin! I am honored that at some point of time there was this genius in movie making, this man who never uttered a word on screen yet portrayed the most difficult expressions with utmost ease and entertained us lifelong. This film is a classic silent masterpiece (with sound effects). In the opening sequence, the urban misfit (his quintessential "Little Tramp" character) parodies 'talking' films. In the city, the tramp (Chaplin) falls in love with a blind flower-selling girl (Cherrill), and although poverty-stricken, he is mistaken for a millionaire. If love is what is depicted here, then I would die 100 times for such love. If this is not romance then what is!

The Godfather (1972) – No list of movies is ever complete without mentioning this all time classic. The drama, the dialogue, the script, the background score – you name it and godfather has it. Here is bravura, genre-defining, epic-length Mafia/gangster classic that evokes the mid and late 1940's period with powerful character development, lighting, costumes, and settings. The film follows the fortunes of the fictitious Corleones, a powerful Mafia family with its own family rituals and separate code of honor, revenge, justice, law and loyalty that transcends all other codes. If I were to ever acknowledge Al Pacino’s contribution to world cinema, I could stop only at Godfather. Even people do argue that the book is better in terms of story telling, I found enough evidence of a masterpiece in this creation.

Fedex monopoly chugs on @ Wimbledon...

I am undemocratic in some cases and support monopoly in certain areas. Sports being one of them. I see absolutely no reason why should I fight for equal share of glory when I have a king who is giving me more than what I want. And yes, I am talking of Rodger Federar.
And ladies and gentleman, the 2007 Wimbledon men's singles champion is Mr. Rodger Federar. He has equaled the record for Bjon Borg's 5 consecutive championships which even the best form of Pete Samprass could not achieve.
And I am so happy for him and sorry for all those who thought Nadal could beat him this time.
For the statistical record, Federar beat his challenger Nadal in a thrilling 3hr 44 mins 5 setter - score line in favour of Federar reads - 7/6 (9/7), 4/6, 7/6 (7/4), 2/6, 6/2. But the score line says nothing about the threat that the challenger gave to the throne. In this particular match, Nadal showed how close he has come to challenge Federar on grass and in Paris he was unbeatable even by Roger at his best. So, I am a bit scared about my reigning king at Wimbledon. Will he be able to hold Nadal off for 3 more years? That's what I am praying on.
Make absolutely no mistake that I wanted to see Federar win and win it unchallenged. I don't like people taking pot shots at the crown and have absolutely no mentality of sharing it with a new champion. People might have a different view but I like defending champions. Champions, who conquer all challenges to etch their mark in history. I don't have any sympathy for those one off winners.
But I respect Nadal and I fear him a lot. I fear him because he is a successful challenger. One who for the first time has been able to push Federar to the limits. All those incredible returns, unbelievable backhand cross court shots, down the line passing and most fearful, reaching the ball every time you think you have just put it beyond his reach. He is an athlete par excellence and make no mistake about his Wimbledon title being just a few years away. And that's what I want to prolong.
3 more championships for Roger and he will be in the history book alone for 8 time Wimbledon crown. Unmatched and unheard of in the open history of tennis. I have never seen Bjon Borg playing those wonderful rallies and I was not there when Borg made history by becoming 6 time champion. But this time I want to see it with my eyes. And I won't like Rafa spoiling my party.
Come on Federar, do that much for me. I know, you could do it.

But, I must admit that 2007 Wimbledon final produced brilliant tennis throughout for the spectators. In a gripping finale, with every passing shot Federar had to dig deeper and deeper to recollect his form, he had to rely on his devastating aces more than his placements (he made 29 unforced errors compared to Nadal’s 21), he had to produce more breath taking rallies from baseline to make it that much harder for Rafa. And Rafa matched it with point for point. In the 4th set he played devastating tennis which rocked the king so much that he asked to call off the technology of hawk eye once the ball was overruled long in favour of Rafa. He lost it 2/6 with 2 breaks down. Then in the decider he was down 15-40 twice and produced the brilliance of only his class (read aces after aces) to dig him out.
That's what champions are made off. When they face more pressure they bring out more from their closet, when everybody thinks he is tired he produces wonderful winning rallies from baseline and when everybody doubts only he confides in himself.
Tennis over the years have produced players of the highest caliber and this has proven enough that we Indians are not cut out for modern day sports. We are better at deducing financial gains out of mediocre playing capabilities. Be it any sports we have only breed mediocrity in place of brilliance and blamed it conveniently on the system. Without a hunger of a tiger, no system could produce players like Graff, Navratilova or Federar. We have simply no genes to support our credentials in sports.
And ohh, I just remember some people told me a year back that even some Sania Mirza plays tennis. Being an Indian I would love to watch her, but every time before I start viewing championships I read she is out of the tourney. Someone please tell me if she was good enough to buy a GBP 66 ticket (FYI, Wimbledon tickets for ladies final is GBP 66, for men it’s GBP 72) for watching Mariom Bartoli. I heard that both Mirza and Bartoli started almost at the same time, but according to some reports only injury forced Mirza go down and down in the ranking.
I believe, injury free players are a rarity but not players with hunger, grit and determination.
Some people also say that there are enough ways to make money other than winning grand slams. Till such time when we start producing players who could be watched with pure enjoyment and entertainment, we continue to thrive on mediocrity while cherishing wonderful moments like what we got on 7th July 2007 at the Centre court of Wimbledon.
Ale Federar and all my wishes for Rafa in the post Federar era.

Farewell farewell...

As we turn to a new life and the parting time comes near, a thousand things crowd the mind. Some memories, lots of nostalgia to carry and some unforgettable ways of doing things to please the friends. A lot has been said and written about farewell and so would be done in future, but for everybody close, this would remain special for the tribute and toast. For those who have always spoke, spoke well, spoke with passion and fire and softly spoken from the one who has never spoken as he remained always in the awe of you.

Best of luck, to all of my friends here and remain as you all are, notwithstanding the inevitability of scaling newer heights in the life.

The flame is aiming high with the last rites

Burning continues, of the skin and the soul

Tragedy striking down to create a distance

Yet a happy and contended mind is watching

For you will taste success and always fight

A chapter in life has turned grey

Chapter with full of colours and pray

As roads widen to create new avenues

Making life more meaningful and bright

With new heights, challenges and rewards

This small past should remain green

A patch of oasis in deserted battlefield

To make us fresh and honest

For the unknown way where you preen.

No stones has remain unturned

All peaks visited and conquered

Always bearing the sensation of Dejavu

Scaling new heights and fearing none

A toast raised cheering every occasion

Friends as they say, remain for ever

And fare well after farewell is over

For, the journey only begins from here

In my absence there will be my prayers

If ever there is a dilemma or tough quay

A moment where you find none in the bay

Never mind and fight till you drop

For with every step of yours

There will be others who would gallop

And when you think that you need a hand

Just turn around to find fearless known faces

Who would happily give their way

For you to create history and win the day...


To my batch mates of PGP '05 - '07

Its Carnival Time on Earth Folks...

Isn't soccer beautiful ?

Soccer with Angels...Who says Germany is not beautiful ?

Netherlands fans at their colourful best...

Look at me...Soccer fever or...

God -make me colourful...Else teach me Samba...

Deutschland Deutschland ....March to Berlin...

My 1st year @ MBA

A MBA is so common now a days in India that after a few more years it would probably lose its charm. Before I joined my alma matter a year back I had never thought of doing MBA that too from one of the top b schools in India. Even now I do not know how I have landed here and if it has added any value to my life except probabaly and hopefully when I vie for a job in some corporate houses next year. But it has taught me something other than academics in life. It has presented life to me as a tuffer proposition than I thought and challenged me to come out with flying colours. Time would tell if I have succeded in doing that but I have till now enjoyed my journey here.
So much has been written and said (U cud find n number of blogs also) about life of any B-school graduate that there is nothing new to be added. Yet the fact that life presents itself differently to different people makes it all the more interesting to us. And this is where I can add value.
Yuppiee...I have already started using MBA lingo. This is one area where all MBAs could not desist temselves. Hence no apology.
My first year started with tests,quizzes and assignments. As the time progressed only the volume and frequency of these things increased and pour souls like me, who have spend their whole past life (including engg degree years) without even knowing what an assignment means started worrying about submissions, deadlines and GPAs. Thank god that I knew swimming else drowning would have been the inevitable under this pressure.
Even though I had decent results, I never knew that I was such a hopeless student until the concept of relative grading bombed before me and before I could realize or react I had alrady joined the rat race to beat my fellow class mates (though I was unsuccessful in beating most of them). I have hated this concept of result throughout my life as I always thought that teachers never gave me marks that I wanted and never realized what did they do with those marks they took away from me.
The day used to start at 8 o'clock in the morning and end was nowhere near the usual sleeping times. We were constantly getting sandwiched between exams and submissions and the only time we used to sleep was during the lectures. It meant that we never heard what was taught and hence it became compulsory to stay awake till late night to catch up with the prof. No wonder that still we do not know the city very well except few resturants and multiplexes. If I had given half the effort during my engg days that I have been forced to during the past 1 year, I would have broken all academic records there. So much so for something which was not planned in my life. No wonder people with meticulous plans succed in life.
Other than normal study we had to do a lot of other works. All students were part of some activity commitee or the other and these things were graded. Hence no escape during weekends too. I have probably looked at the calender only three - four times during the last 1 year. I only realised that I have grown older when the results came out a few days back.
People work here harder than they could have imagined in worst dreams yet there are cases of failures and not so good results. They have tried as much hard as we have but probably luck was not with them. I realised how lucky I was when I saw the admissions of my juniors and even luckier that till now I have sailed through without any hiccups.
God must have been partial to me during the unplanned journey of my life. Now I need to know how to thank god in simple terms because I have forgot simple speaking and jargon less chattings.
Hope thy god remains with me throughout this journey to bring me back where I was as a person before I came here...

Me and my Kolkata

Kolkata erstwhile known as Calcutta is in mumbai terms "thora hatke" city. It is not half as fast as mumbai,neither it is as plush as other metros in India. Yet it remains very close to my heart and I miss my city very much. Not because I am a die hard calcacian but there is something I always like about my city. Its warmth, its relentless effort to embrace everybody in and around and also its own way of creating life and fun out of nothing is invaluable. These are probably not valued or required in morden life but then I have never been a die hard fan of present condition of life. It taught me to enjoy every small things in the world, it showed me that festivals have colours which can paint everybody's world irrespective of cast,creed, religion and gender. It gave me a great history and also a not so great present. Yet it never stopped surprising me by throwing small presents every now and then.
I have travelled at least to all metros and big cities in India but nowhere I found such appreciation of things which is of no value in life. it has its own share of negatives and problems but then that is part and parcel of every city in India. Everybody loves his/her own city and I think it should be so because we sould never forget our roots but somewhere I feel my love for my city is different.
Calcutta is changing too now a days and trying to be like others. But I detest that change. You do not need to be changed to New York to be NY.
Probably nobody could answer this as change is inevitable. But I wish my city could have remained the same at its core.

Life

Life is a huge yet beautiful subject to speak about. It crosses everybody in all its form.Sometime it showers purity but at times it sparkles black to suggest a yawning hole around. It started for me almost a quarter century back and till date I must say it has by and large fascinated me. It embreaces all who comes in its path and dares to challenge death in all its glory. From the time we scream for the first time till death does us part life serves us like a genie who grants ur wishes meagerly yet throws enuf surprises to carry along.
Life is not gene, life is not chromosome. It is neither a challenge nor a childs play. It can never be a dull movie but at times it might put someone tantalizingly close to desparation. I have experienced some of these and I admit that its better if we all experience those finer moments. It throws us in a sea to swim across knowing that there is nothing to be attained at the end of the journey. Life is for those who asks nothing from it, life is for those who sails not to survive but to enjoy the swimming. Life is for those who belives in nothing yet knows there is a reason behind everything. Life is for those who knows how to stop yet never stops. To enjoy life we must enjoy the journey more that its destination. To enjoy life we must ensure purity in whatever we do and belive in what we say.
It does not behave equally to everyone and manifestes its cruelty in its ugliest form to shatter myths around it. Yet it remains the greatest friend forever and becomes the best friend, philosopher and guide.
Its been a great teacher and I must admit that none has bettered life in teaching the nuances of it. With almost little knowledge of spirituality and human kind it still remains a wonderful journey for me.