How many times have great philosophers and analysts emphasised the importance of KISS-Keep It Simple, Stupid (or Straightforward;). But the film industry never seems to be impressed. "What is a movie without a high-flying star, 6 songs and 10 fight sequences and 20 crying scenes?" they seem to ask!! Well for a change I saw a movie which was refreshingly different...Azhagiya Theeyae..
I love simplicity, especially in story-telling and this director seems to be an expert at maintaining both simplicity and the interest of the viewer throughout the movie. He relates the story through one of the characters involved in the story. This is about four friends who are following their dreams and the twist of fate that takes one of them through a journey of friendship, pain suffering and love, finally culminating in their success. The most appreciable aspect of the movie is the way in which each character's individuality is maintained till the very end.
"Love happens in a boom" is the theme of the hero-though I do not subscribe to his views, I am able to appreciate the manner in which it is portrayed. There are no gaudy songs with heroines competing to "open-up", there are no double-meaning dialogues, not even the vulgar cacophonous comedy that seems to have become an inevitable part of any Tamil movie. Instead we have a heroine who is just a next-door girl with a dream and the strength to see it through. There are many instances where subtle dialogues really make you smile, not the uproarious laughter, but the very personal satisfied smile just for yourself to cherish.
The hero Prasanna definitely deserves a mention for his cool acting and very effective dialogue deliveries and director Radhamohan is one more fellow to watch out for. If there are more movies like this one we are definitely going to be back on track for some happy, tension-free;) family outings at the theaters.
Monday, December 13, 2004
Yun Hi Chala Chal Rahi.....
This song has captured my imagination recently as I listen to it in repeat mode endlessly. ARR is definitely my favourite music director and Javed Aktar my favorite lyricist in Hindi. When the two combine they seem to have some strange chemistry which creates a rendering that sings directly to the heart!!
What I like most about the song is the enthusiasm and optimism bubbling at every word and every beat...."Kitni Hasin hai Duniyaa....", "Badi Rangeen Hai yeh Duniya"-which translate to something like..How beautiful this world is and "Nadiyan pahad jheel...inmae hain kiske isharae". The song is set to address a traveller...drawing analogies to the journey of life where the traveller enjoys every bit of it, the freedom it gives to explore, the excitement of the unknown, the strangers he is yet to meet who become a part of his life....I am reminded of Godfather where Corleone dies with the words "Life is beautiful" and Michael wonders how amazing this man is to say that life is beautiful after so much of hardships and trouble. He is the eternal traveller, never growing old or weary, ever facing life like a child with unpolluted ambitions.
I have a very bad habit of listening keenly to the lyrics of any song that I come across inspite of the blaring music nowadays that tries its best to keep it suppressed and this one has kept me more than satisfied with the lyrics.
AR Rahman is one director who I think has a feel for the lyrics and sets the music in such a way as to give exactly the same effect that the lyricist envisaged though there are definitely instances where I have found immense difficulty in hearing the lyrics in some of his numbers. But the ones that click are immensely soothing and convey the tone undiluted. Who can forget "Chale Chalo.." from Lagaan!!
I am really waiting eagerly to see Sharukh fill the screen to make a perfect combination of the best of three worlds-Music, Lyrics and Acting.
Seven and half minutes of magic;)
What I like most about the song is the enthusiasm and optimism bubbling at every word and every beat...."Kitni Hasin hai Duniyaa....", "Badi Rangeen Hai yeh Duniya"-which translate to something like..How beautiful this world is and "Nadiyan pahad jheel...inmae hain kiske isharae". The song is set to address a traveller...drawing analogies to the journey of life where the traveller enjoys every bit of it, the freedom it gives to explore, the excitement of the unknown, the strangers he is yet to meet who become a part of his life....I am reminded of Godfather where Corleone dies with the words "Life is beautiful" and Michael wonders how amazing this man is to say that life is beautiful after so much of hardships and trouble. He is the eternal traveller, never growing old or weary, ever facing life like a child with unpolluted ambitions.
I have a very bad habit of listening keenly to the lyrics of any song that I come across inspite of the blaring music nowadays that tries its best to keep it suppressed and this one has kept me more than satisfied with the lyrics.
AR Rahman is one director who I think has a feel for the lyrics and sets the music in such a way as to give exactly the same effect that the lyricist envisaged though there are definitely instances where I have found immense difficulty in hearing the lyrics in some of his numbers. But the ones that click are immensely soothing and convey the tone undiluted. Who can forget "Chale Chalo.." from Lagaan!!
I am really waiting eagerly to see Sharukh fill the screen to make a perfect combination of the best of three worlds-Music, Lyrics and Acting.
Seven and half minutes of magic;)
Monday, December 6, 2004
Of sellers and buyers....
Is it possible to sell Nonsense? This is the question I have been pondering for a while now. Well, there are quite a few interesting aspects to this question-what might be considered as nonsensical by one person might make perfect sense for someone else. I remember seeing an interesting TV show in which there are two people walking around a pole holding a white placard and shouting "We Protest" and when onlookers enquired, they said they were protesting the excessive wages their employers were paying them...soon there was a small crowd gathered in the place...one half was watching the proceedings and incredibly, the other half was circling the pole shouting with "We Protest". The anchor concluded the show saying, if you say something and say it long enough there will be people to beleive it!!! That line is really captivating...isnt it? "Saying something and saying it long enough....". I guess thats what most advertisers have been doing since time immemorial to us;). Here I would add one more requirement to doing this-KISS-Keep It Simple and Straight-forward. Let me give you even a greater proof which will prove to you beyond doubt that nonsese sells like hot cakes. At the beginning of this entry I was going to write some real crap and make sure that people read it....and here you are at the last line...and why do you frown when I say "Nonsese Sells".
Friday, December 3, 2004
My Team
On Dec 1st we had a very important occasion in our team's short and sweet history. We celebrated our first birthday in Microsoft. There was cake-cutting by the newest member of the team and we signed on a team poster to mark the occassion
WinSE-the name might not ring any sense of familiarity to an onlooker, but to those who are part of this team it means a way of life, a discipline, ceaseless learning, incredible amount of fun (many of my friends in other teams are definitely envious of our parties;) and a lot more....
I will not talk about anyone in particular here, but a few things I have learnt in the short span of six months that I have been here are:
Team Building, I mention this first as this is the feeling that is topmost at everyone's hearts here. I have seen (and am still seeing) how a team gets built up from scractch-the challenges that crop up with that, the opportunities that lay outstretched like a gold mine for each person to explore and reap, the immeasurable hard-work and above all the urge to help each other out to better in their jobs and progress together. People work hard, really hard, we are one of the few teams where almost every member would be working till late in the night and at 11pm, it would be really hard to tell whether anyone even realised that it was so late !!!
Leadership, We have a few eminent leaders here who have been there in the industry forever, who know exactly what to do when to do and most importantly how to do it. The thing that has never failed to amaze me is the emphasis on doing the right thing each time, everytime. Decisions are based, not on what appears to be provident at the moment, but on what is the right thing to do for the customers, for the company and for the people.
Customer Focus, this is one quality that is common to any team in Microsoft and we being the ones who directly help the customers out, are foremost in focussing on customer needs. Even the employee at the lowest rung of the hierarchy thinks about customers before making his/her everyday decisions. Every decision is preceeded by a thorough analysis of the customer impact, any workarounds available and the risk involved.
Finally Fun, Initially I was a bit sulky at being given a cubicle when all the stories I had heard about Microsoft in college talked about individual cabins. But now, I am thankful for this arrangement , for it develops a kind of closeness in the team which would never have been possible with cabins. We tease each other, call out for help across cubicles (and there is always someone to help you out;), at times we even have crazy stress-releivers like a small piper which produces a strange noise when blown and there was almost a competetion on who blew it louder!!! When there is a party our team would always be seen together, dancing our hearts out and partying hard.
Every person here is conscious of the fact that we are new-new to Microsoft, new to work culture and new to the industry and it is this very feeling that urges everyone to do better, better than the previous day, better than the previous release. There is just one way to move now....Forward;)
WinSE-the name might not ring any sense of familiarity to an onlooker, but to those who are part of this team it means a way of life, a discipline, ceaseless learning, incredible amount of fun (many of my friends in other teams are definitely envious of our parties;) and a lot more....
I will not talk about anyone in particular here, but a few things I have learnt in the short span of six months that I have been here are:
Team Building, I mention this first as this is the feeling that is topmost at everyone's hearts here. I have seen (and am still seeing) how a team gets built up from scractch-the challenges that crop up with that, the opportunities that lay outstretched like a gold mine for each person to explore and reap, the immeasurable hard-work and above all the urge to help each other out to better in their jobs and progress together. People work hard, really hard, we are one of the few teams where almost every member would be working till late in the night and at 11pm, it would be really hard to tell whether anyone even realised that it was so late !!!
Leadership, We have a few eminent leaders here who have been there in the industry forever, who know exactly what to do when to do and most importantly how to do it. The thing that has never failed to amaze me is the emphasis on doing the right thing each time, everytime. Decisions are based, not on what appears to be provident at the moment, but on what is the right thing to do for the customers, for the company and for the people.
Customer Focus, this is one quality that is common to any team in Microsoft and we being the ones who directly help the customers out, are foremost in focussing on customer needs. Even the employee at the lowest rung of the hierarchy thinks about customers before making his/her everyday decisions. Every decision is preceeded by a thorough analysis of the customer impact, any workarounds available and the risk involved.
Finally Fun, Initially I was a bit sulky at being given a cubicle when all the stories I had heard about Microsoft in college talked about individual cabins. But now, I am thankful for this arrangement , for it develops a kind of closeness in the team which would never have been possible with cabins. We tease each other, call out for help across cubicles (and there is always someone to help you out;), at times we even have crazy stress-releivers like a small piper which produces a strange noise when blown and there was almost a competetion on who blew it louder!!! When there is a party our team would always be seen together, dancing our hearts out and partying hard.
Every person here is conscious of the fact that we are new-new to Microsoft, new to work culture and new to the industry and it is this very feeling that urges everyone to do better, better than the previous day, better than the previous release. There is just one way to move now....Forward;)
Thursday, December 2, 2004
PSUs-A boon or brunt?
There has been an endless debate on whether PSUs today serve the purpose for which they were formed-serving the public. Recently I read an article in Business World criticizing Nehru for building these "flawed" temples of modern India. I beg to differ in this. The author argues that Nehruvian philosophy of serving the public with the profits from PSU has led to this sorry state that most of them find themselves in. It is true that they have degraded in stature and value, but it is we who are to blame for having let things go haywire, not the system in itself. At that time, of independence, one must remember, no individual or industrialist had the financial muscle to build what the government built. The only forces which could have afforded the Air India or IOC, for instance would have come from foreign nations and we would have successfully freed ourselves from one rule and landed in another-an even more sinister one-for our entire economy would have been controlled by these forces. So Nehru's vision was right-the implementation probably got screwed up somewhere along the way.
It is definitely true that there has been a severe degradation in the quality of service and products that these PSUs have churned out and I strongly beleive that the few which are doing well are doing so just because of the fact that they have been there forever. Take BSNL for example. People were amazed at the number of cellphone customers they were able garner within the first few months when compared to Airtel which has been a player for a long time. But think of the backbone that BSNL has. When BSNL enters the market with that kind of a customer base (in landline ofcourse-but they are more than willing to become mobile) and that kind of an all-India presence, I would say "Kudos Airtel, for staying in business." and they have continued to do really well after all.
On the other hand there are really sick PSUs which are (forgive me for the analogy but couldn't resist it;) nothing but sacks of money thrown into the fireplace, never to be seen again-no value addition to the economy except for the fact that the people who work in these places make a decent living out of it. Allow me to digress a little here...what makes these PSUs fail miserably inspite of the funds that flow in almost ceaselessly? Well the answer lies in the question there...ceaseless flow...of funds, of life, a security beyond doubt. When a private company becomes complacent, it goes out of business, crushed by the market to preserve the sanctimonious law of survival of the fittest. Well, PSUs,? I will say no further. But one thing is true for sure-No economy can expect to grow by going against the laws of nature and economics and we have been desparately trying to disprove that for 55 years.
Now all that might have appeared to be a scathing decree against PSUs. But it is not. Infact this leads to a very interesting scenario. On one end of the spectrum we have PSUs like LIC and BSNL which have been doing extremely well despite entry of competetion. On this end we have...well you know what. Now what would a keen businessman do in this situation-continue burning money on one end compromising the little value that was gained on the other-Never. Lets rise above political compulsions and sell off the sick ones. Yes, you read it right-sell off every sick unit and let the rest go back to the rightful owners-the public. Lets disinvest the profit-making PSUs not by selling it to foriegn buyers, but by selling it back to the public. The government should be a minority shareholder (it is still going to be the biggest shareholder anyway;). Let there be an impartial board which oversees that the right things happen and over time, these might turn out to be the most valuable assets the government ever parted with the public..
It is high time the government got back to its business,which is framing laws and serving people's needs and not running companies-India has got enough businessmen to do that.
Any comments on this will be highly appreciated.
It is definitely true that there has been a severe degradation in the quality of service and products that these PSUs have churned out and I strongly beleive that the few which are doing well are doing so just because of the fact that they have been there forever. Take BSNL for example. People were amazed at the number of cellphone customers they were able garner within the first few months when compared to Airtel which has been a player for a long time. But think of the backbone that BSNL has. When BSNL enters the market with that kind of a customer base (in landline ofcourse-but they are more than willing to become mobile) and that kind of an all-India presence, I would say "Kudos Airtel, for staying in business." and they have continued to do really well after all.
On the other hand there are really sick PSUs which are (forgive me for the analogy but couldn't resist it;) nothing but sacks of money thrown into the fireplace, never to be seen again-no value addition to the economy except for the fact that the people who work in these places make a decent living out of it. Allow me to digress a little here...what makes these PSUs fail miserably inspite of the funds that flow in almost ceaselessly? Well the answer lies in the question there...ceaseless flow...of funds, of life, a security beyond doubt. When a private company becomes complacent, it goes out of business, crushed by the market to preserve the sanctimonious law of survival of the fittest. Well, PSUs,? I will say no further. But one thing is true for sure-No economy can expect to grow by going against the laws of nature and economics and we have been desparately trying to disprove that for 55 years.
Now all that might have appeared to be a scathing decree against PSUs. But it is not. Infact this leads to a very interesting scenario. On one end of the spectrum we have PSUs like LIC and BSNL which have been doing extremely well despite entry of competetion. On this end we have...well you know what. Now what would a keen businessman do in this situation-continue burning money on one end compromising the little value that was gained on the other-Never. Lets rise above political compulsions and sell off the sick ones. Yes, you read it right-sell off every sick unit and let the rest go back to the rightful owners-the public. Lets disinvest the profit-making PSUs not by selling it to foriegn buyers, but by selling it back to the public. The government should be a minority shareholder (it is still going to be the biggest shareholder anyway;). Let there be an impartial board which oversees that the right things happen and over time, these might turn out to be the most valuable assets the government ever parted with the public..
It is high time the government got back to its business,which is framing laws and serving people's needs and not running companies-India has got enough businessmen to do that.
Any comments on this will be highly appreciated.
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