And the Oscar goes to...

3.5 inches high, 6.75 pounds, tin and copper, with gold plating. A rough sketch of  a figure holding a sword hanging on the reel of a film. Not the best of designs but since 1927, its the hallmark of recognition and respect. It is probably the best-known statue in the world, known as the Oscar, because Margaret Herrick, the Motion Picture Academy of Arts (MPAA)'s first Librarian, named it as Oscar because it resembled a lot like her uncle Oscar. Monday mornings in India on 27th Feb-1st March are something to look forward to  - Its the night of Oscars telecast live in this part of the world, thanks to Star Movies. An awards ceremony that celebrates the achievements of cinema the Hollywood way, the night of limited dance and song, of solemn remembrances, of a brief snapshot of the non-Hollywood cinema seen through the prisms of "Foreign Language" category. The night of all-colour men and women dressed in Black and White and Red array of shining, coal-black, shining costumes. The night which has epic commentary on how Hollywood breathes life into the annals of society through its movies of the year.
I always admired the preciseness, grand scale of executions, class and charishma that underlines the Oscar awards. Only the best talent who usually vie with one another - screenwriters, costume designers, animators, editors, sound recordists, stage and setting designers, actors and actresses, playwrights and lyricists, writers and comedians - all of them get together, give their best flat foot forward, lend their voice, pen, nerve and sinew to make it the spectacle that counts. Somehow, the humor that comes out of this one night, according to me, is enough to drive you to raptures of laughter. Its like the night when the wit and received wisdom of PG.Wodehouse, Groucho Marx,  Erma Bombeck and  Woody Allen pillorie the pale lines off your face.
Talk about the comperes, I grew up catching up of the best comedians and standup-champions chaperone the Awards nights - from Bob Hope to Woody Allen, Billy Crystal to Eddie Murphy to Robert Downey Jr. Over the years, the Awards represent an assemblage of talents coming together to give the best glimpse of the Industry' united strength - although it is never the case because all folks can't be satisfied. I remember Bob Hope the great humorian who lived till the age of 100 - he started the whole tradition of hosting the funny side up. He never won an Oscar and rubbed it in at one of the Awards Ceremonies: "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Academy Awards, or as it's known in our house, Passover."
Tonight (or tomorrow morning for us in India), you have some of the best contemporary actors competing for the top honours - the likes of Brad Pitt ("Moneyball") and George Clooney ("The Descendants") and the classic legends like Merryll Streep. Sophistication and class, subtety and style  - you can expect to see a harvest of all of these in the Awards ceremony especially with Billy Crystal - Oscar Awards Host for the ninth time - replacing Eddie Murphy. Contrast this with the crassness of the Filmfare Awards - OMG! Come on, Oscars, lights on!

"Moneyball" Movie Review

"Moneyball" is a smashing adaptation of best-selling author Miichael Lewis's book by the same title. It must be one of the best movies on a game that Americans and Japanese love to freak out on - Baseball. Director Benett Miller draws some of the finest talent available in screenplay including the award-winning "Social network" writer Aaron Sorkin and creates a pulsating account of a true story. Its a story of two outliers Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) and Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) who think out of the box in replacing a club team that lost its three pricey players; they instead pick unconventional players who are technically "faulty" and boy, their team - Oakland A's - goes on to win 20 consecutive games in Baseball history - the best record since 1918.

Peter Brand, partner to Billy Beane, is the whizkid who relies on arcane formulae from calculus and creates algorithm-based programs that zero in on the game's most valuable but under-valued players. The twosome meet with stiff opposition for their unconventional thinking but eventually win the plaudits when they redefine the rules of the game. The more you know the game, the less you know more about it says an introduction to the movie - and it turns out that way. Later, as goes the true story, Billy Beane - the General Manager who turned it around for Oakland gets a multi-million dollar deal for more clubs but he turns it down to dote on his daughter. Peter Brand, the silent number-crunching backbone behind this whole idea to bring down valuations of players down to the real numbers they produce on the pitches - his play becomes the new motif for another aspirant Red Sox who win the next American League season.

I always wondered why the Americans never succeeded in attracting the commonwealth nations like India and Australia to Baseball. But this is the closest to getting an appreciation of the game, its contours and its flamboyance, the pace and the adrenalin are well brought out by Bennett Miller. Brad Pitt who plays the legendary Billy Beane must have seen gold in the Michael Lewis book, he produces this as well. Jonah Hill who played the Ivy League Economics graduate Peter Brand using computer-based algorithms which made the players bidding more credulous and level-playing ground for poor teams does an impressive job too. You can't help but relating to explore if the strategy adapted by these two protagonists has any implications for Indian cricket - especially in IPL valuations, the way players are bid at astronomical prices. Brad pitt essays a brilliant role and he has the best lines. "Is losing Fun?" and "Thats how losing sounds to me" must become two of the shortest motivational speeches ever delivered in the players' restrooms in sports movies. One line I remember: "We bought you as a valued player not because of your past but because of what we believed you will deliver for us." That says it all.

Michael Lewis - Wall Street's favorite writer who brings out the funny and romantic side of monetary worlds - he should be happy with the adaptation. I gather now that buoyed by the applause for this movie, his book "Coach" rights are bought by Walt Disney. That way, American movie-makers can make sensible and intelligent movies based on true stories for many millenniums - something that movie industries in other countries including India only occasionally attempt.

Cricket Australia Vs.Cricket India

The strength of a country's cricket team lies in its coaches and the process followed by the apex body in selecting in-form cricketers and giving a fighting team for the nation - a team that wont retreat or rest on past laurels. Cricket-lovers will always remember how clinical and ruthless Cricket Australia functions. They eased out Shane Warne at the cusp of another 300 wickets, and didn't spare ...Andrew Symonds for a few faux pas, waited for Steve Waugh, Glen Mcgirth, Dean Jones, Allan Border, Michael Bemen, David Boon, and several other cricketers I fail to recollect. And now, Ricky Ponting - the only cricketer who can beat the combined trio of Sachin, Laxman and Dravid in batting records. And look ma! he has been shown the door in ODIs. Thats class act of Cricket Australia.


Contrast with BCCI - reeking in corruption, under-invested in harvesting new talent, or training our cricketers to face bouncy pitches or fast bowlers. We don't even know how to sustain interest in fast-bowling as a career option, we make pitches that suit more batting records to get piled up. And look at our cavalier attitude towards non-performing assets - We are all the time waiting for some people who for some reason, we feel are above law, like Sachin to announce retirement. Gavaskar was right in saying, the best time to retire is when people say,"Why?" rather than "why not?". I have been saying consistently that Sachin's best days are behind and he doesn't deserve Bharat Ratna - thats a totally different topic (which I will address with proper arguments constructed layer by layer). And now, we are afraid to drop the demigod of cricket for whatever reasons. The point, however, is not that. The point is why BCCI doesn't have exacting performance standards for seniors who are not consistent like Cricket Australia or even neighbouring Pakistan Cricket Body which was notorious for sacking indisciplined players. Trouble is, BCCI has spread itself too thin on past laurels - and the country is going berserk on watching more and more of 14-reel cricket - Celebrity cricket league, IPL-Summer and IPL-October and the long dry-and-deadpan-pitch winter cricket season which end in draws or batsmen hauling up triple ton records.

Cricket nations across the world are waking up to the fact that too much money has crept into the cricketing lives - and cricket in India is becoming as gawdy as the big fat Indian wedding. If performance is not coming sooner or in consistent bouts, the euphoria or fixation over our national sportsgame will become anathema. Cricket lovers in India know that cricket blues happen also more often here than anywhere else. We just need an independent decision-making team that can look the other way when advertisers, business groups and cricket superstars are pouring in money. Money talks, in cricket also but not for too long - especially when performance goes missing.

"Poola Rangadu" Movie Review

Poola Rangadu" is comedian Sunil's third film as a hero. Directed by Veerabhadram, it is as entertaining as any mass hero's commercial project. Unlike in "Maryada Ramanna" where he puts an apprehensive face, this time, Sunil gives a treat of a range of emotions from his characteristic comedy, slapstick, punch dialogues et al, and mixes with sentiment well. Sunil has got a good support from other... actors like Kota Srinivasa Rao and heroine Isha Chawla and the two villains. Director Veerabhadram seems to be adept at story-telling with grip on entertainment and the pace never slackens till the end. He shows command over all departments of directing with a touch of mass appeal that could get another hit for Sunil as he comfortably struts from one range of emotions to another, jumps like an acrobat, runs like a cheetah, serenades Isha Chawla, dances like the best of Tollywood heroes now and like Salman Khan bares his newly-sculpted six-pack body in the climax.


Music by Anup Rubens and dialogues by P.Sridhar are both good and classy. Even if the plot is average, the screenplay and story-telling skills of the director make it a little better than average commercial films. Sunil the hero shows that with the backing of a good script and deft direction, a talented comedian can also do what superstars do on screen - with good dancing skills, timing sense of dialogues, average screen presence, and a body that pumps iron. From an expectations point of view, Sunil should find his rewards as the audience will find the movie thoroughly entertaining. Because of an effort to give a 360 degree view of what a full-fledged hero out to display on screen, the movie gets a bit longer at 150 minutes. But fun watching with some thrills and good laughs.

Anant Pai - Founder Editor of Amar Chitra Katha now has a comic

Finally, India's favorite comic creator has a comic in his memory posthumously! Uncle Pai's Amar Chitra Katha Amar Rahe. He must be busy in heaven making storyboards out of Angels!

"Love Failure" Movie Review

"Love Failure" is an Indian euphemism usually branded for emotional wrecks and one-sided lovers. Siddharth, who loves giving breaks to debutant directors has starred in a fantastic movie that must become another career-defining milestone after "Bommarillu". Dil Raju surely might regret missing a chance to back Mohan (director) and Siddu the third time because this film has universal appeal universal applause. Siddharth has boldly backed himself and the script and silences all his critics of the past half a dozen movies. The only way to answer your critics is to let your work speak loud for itself. An untried and fresh-looking starcast, a sans-makeup Amana Paul, a plot about two, no, many Engineering students and infact several couples of diverse traits and different age groups as to how they think, act and feel towards each other - all these could happen because Siddharth after many flops has chosen to trim his anchor role and make way for many others to perform and entertain. For most part, Siddharth runs a narrative staring at the audience trying to talk like a John Gray - getting under the skin of lovers as to why they break up and bid farewell. For the first time, Balaji Mohan attempts an honest overview of the state of mind and thinking pattern of today's generation in a way that will surely bridge generation gap. All this with minimum hassle and maximum clarity - thats the high point of the film.


There is occasional comedy again from unconventional-looking freshmen and right-dosed sentiments from under-exposed character actors - so they all stand out. Music by SS Thaman, surprise surprise, is enchanting and melodious without any mass strains of pied piper tunes that he has been, of late, playing. Thaman has created a different texture to the sounds in the film with BGMs and songs unconventional. Balaji Mohan's work and class in scripting, shot-selection, screenplay and mature handling of the subject of Love and Relationships smacks of a lot of promise in the freshness he brought. Movie's length also an advantage as its done with in two hours. Though there is a didactic touch to the movie because the hero (Siddharth) narrates as the main interpreter of maladies that besiege love. He metastasizes love as a serial with many characters and couples who run to the edge of divorce. What's impossible feat in the film - No fight, no item song, no action stunts, no sleaze, no exotic sets or SOTC world tour packages - there is not even a trace of a duet between Siddharth and Amana Paul but still the sparks are flying! Refreshing and welcome break from formula fares. Siddharth deserves a high-five after a long time for a bold and engaging script.

"Ek Mein Aur Ek Tu" Hindi Movie Review

"Ek Mein Aur Ek Tu" stars a metrosexual emerging star Imran Khan and a gregarious-and-gorgeous-looking Diva Kareena Kapoor in an improbable love story set in Vegas. (I don't know if its Las Vegas). Both of them, out of job-loss blues and depressive from breakups, meet at a Psychiatrist who charges per hour and queerly end up in a home for Christmas. Then they "marry" and quickly try to "annul" t...heir marriage. The bizarre twist turns to India where Kareena beckons Imran to Mumbai to spend a few days before the annulment takes effect. Nothing taxing here except that Rahul Kapoor (Imran Khan) bumps into his super-rich and stiff-upper-lip parents who pummel him into leading a mechanical almost soul-less life of existence. Director Shakun Batra encouraged by Karan Johar tries to weave a flimsy romantic plot into a lively, breezy and mostly funny tale that touches you without giving an overdose of everything. Though the story and the treatment often reminds you of several Hollywood movies and Hindi movies like ("Love Aajkal" and "Jab We Met") and Telugu movies (like "Bommarillu" and "Yeh Maaya Chesaave") there's a certain freshness in the movie and an energy from the main cast - a 32 year old Kareena still looking a freshman 27 and a well-groomed 25 year old Imran Khan. Cinematography is terrific - captures the beat of night life in the US as well as the varying beats of Mumbai with the same verve. Music by Amish Trivedi is average but not memorable to haunt you. Screenplay and storytelling deserve a pat - there is enormous effort to make it adlibbingly slick and good. Two hours of good fun!

Panchatantra and Its Usage

If you read "Panchatantra" - the immortal collection of stories told by Pandit Vishnu Sharma to impart wisdom to the King's imbecile sons, there are countless gems of wisdom - which helps one to save stitches in time. One of the golden rules propounded in "Panchatantra": Never get closer to the Ruler (King or Prime Minister or Chief Minister or Ruling Government) within two degrees - or you will ...repent. Something to that effect. What it means is that even if you are doing business or in service, better stop at three degrees lest you be associated with all the highs and lows that come with the governmental connections. The rule will apply whether you are in telecom, mining, special-economic-zones or infrastructure development as in ports and airports.


In his book "Faultlines", prof.Raghuram Rajan elaborates in one of the chapters that most of the Indian Billionaires (exceptions abound) in the list of Forbes 400 have climbed the fortunes of business by being closer/almost in proximity to the political class. He could be averring to the follies that followed in 2011 of scams galore and the imprisonments that embraced those who loved the royal treatment or rather royal connections. Rajan, innocently reminds the subtext of breaking the King's rule of "Panchatantra". Forget that rule and you are inviting trouble and fall in fortunes. It doesn't require astrological knowledge to see why instances of being cosy with the kings have landed more businesspeople into problems whether in AP, Karnataka, Maharashtra or Orissa. Fortunes and reputations of businessmen and their hordes of advisors are in tatters because of a jingoistic and blind pursuit of projects sometimes in direct partnership with the powers that be. Panchatantra is timeless if only we follow. Pleasure to read it anytime - the one I recommend and have been re-reading is written by Arthur W Ryder. (Translation)

All About Abraham Lincoln

February 12 is the birthday of Abraham Lincoln - to my mind, the greatest US President ever. Everytime I faced a moral dilemma, a leadership puzzle, a question of integrity or character, of what can be a wisecrack that is sensible but full of goodwill, of wording phrases that are without malice towards all - it has to be Lincoln. My first tryst with reading started in school reading Lincoln's boyhood days; then my dad asked me to read a biography of Abe by Lord Charnwood, then followed more books about Lincoln by Carl Sandberg, Dale Carnegie etc.


During my early career days, I used to go to the American Research Centre for 8 rows of books on Lincoln - containing his speeches, writings, letters and anecodotes that always stir you. It set me on a lifelong love-affair with an acutely honest President and a man of Mt.Everest character almost of biblical proportions. Folks in this part of the world will make Gandhi the apostle of truth and peace but universally Lincoln inspires all. I agree with Christian Science Monitor's article why President's Day should be celebrated on Abe's birthday and not Washington's birthday. Incidentally, America still publishes tomes and tomes on Lincoln everyday and professionals churn out books giving newer monikers to Lincoln that make him current and impossible man who dealt with so many crises in one lifetime.

Its surprising the President who kept the nation together doesn't have a holiday in his honour - not that he would have minded. What are the five things that I recommend for anybody who wants to know about Llincoln :

1. Lincoln the Unknown - by Dale Carnegie (the best biography secretly written by Dale Carnegie before writing any of the books he became famous for)

2. Lincoln's letter to the School Headmaster about teaching his son (makes you cry in joy and wisdom everytime you read it). I am tempted to reproduce this letter at the end of this post. Read it as intently as you would have read Rudyard Kipling's "If".

3. The Boyhood Days of Lincoln. (If you get it read it for what an inspired boyhood and youth Abe had - a heady mixture of hardwork, persistence and application).

4. Lincoln on Leadership by Donald T Philip. (A colleague of mine who heard of that has made it mandatory reading at GE - where he heads a big division).

5. Any book which captures the witty anecdotes and/or speeches of Lincoln. I think Lincoln has got it after Shakespeare right - the cadence and the beauty, the brevity and the wit. ("A House divided against itself cannot stand").

I always think the generation which grows up on reading about Lincoln anywhere in the world will have an unbeatable advantage over lot of things in life that a generation lost on him. Born this day in 1809, Lincoln is forever. And oh by the way, here is the much-treasured letter which has to be enshrined likewise:



Respected Teacher,



My son will have to learn I know that all men are not just, all men are not true. But teach him also that for ever scoundrel there is a hero; that for every selfish politician, there is a dedicated leader. Teach him that for every enemy there is a friend.



It will take time, I know; but teach him, if you can, that a dollar earned is far more valuable than five found.



Teach him to learn to lose and also to enjoy winning.



Steer him away from envy, if you can.



Teach him the secret of quite laughter. Let him learn early that the bullies are the easiest to tick.



Teach him, if you can, the wonder of books.. but also give him quiet time to ponder over the eternal mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun, and flowers on a green hill –side.



In school teach him it is far more honourable to fail than to cheat.



Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if every one tells him they are wrong.



Teach him to be gentle with gentle people and tough with the tough.



Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when every one is getting on the bandwagon.



Teach him to listen to all men but teach him also to filter all he hears on a screen of truth and take only the good that comes through.



Teach him, if you can, how to laugh when he is sad. Teach him there is no shame in tears. Teach him to scoff at cynics and to beware of too much sweetness.



Teach him to sell his brawn and brain to the highest bidders; but never to put a price tag on his heart and soul.



Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob… and to stand and fight if he thinks he’s right.



Treat him gently; but do not cuddle him because only the test of fire makes fine steel.



Let him have the courage to be impatient, let him have the patience to be brave. Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself because then he will always have sublime faith in mankind.



This is a big order; but see what you can do. He is such a fine little fellow, my son.

Mary Buffett, Warren Buffett and Steve Jobs

Mary Buffett is the ex-daughter-in-law of Warren Buffett who has perfected the art of writing books about the craft of investing the Warren Buffett way. I think after the initial few books, her homework disappoints. Ever since her first book "Buffetology", I have been reading every book of hers invariably co-authored with David Clark. In the last few years, the pace of her writing has become hecti...c as she is turning this out into a Buffett franchise that should take care of her retirement planning. Warren Buffett - is the usual prefix - what follows are sub-titles like "management secrets", "the art of stock arbitrage", "the interpretation of financial statements", and now the latest "stock portfolio". I dont think she is able to add new stuff than her previous books in the new one which analyses for the nth time how to value GEICO or Coke or Washington Post and at what prices Buffett picked up. The trouble is when you run of the filial proximity to the Buffett family and the intellectual steam that used to oil the mathematical workings that underpinned her unveiling of the "secret" of a billion-dollar investment, you realise it is time to stop buying her books. You are better off following Warren Buffett's op-ed articles in NYT or his Annual Report letters (coming up in April again) or his occasional interviews in Fortune, Bloomberg (like the last article on Gold just a few days back). Its time Mary Buffett stops fooling the public with old hat knowledge. Her finest hour came with the Buffetology workbook and maybe those two books on Stock Arbitrage and Interpreting Financial Statements.


Talking about the franchisees - thats a whole new world - a sole preserve of American writers. My experience is that the publishers will churn out these titles on a binge until colossal failure greets them. Like "Rich Dad/Poor Dad" series or Donald Trump's "How To..." or those books by Jeffrey Fox or Ken Fisher. I am strictly limiting the references to books on finance and investing/real estate etc. Look at the heap of books that have come up within a month of Steve Jobs' passing. I found Walter Isaacson's bio the best biography but soon followed other rival reporters and greedy publishers - you have books promising more of Steve's "little kingdom" and I-quotes and other I-conic trivia. The franchisee builds to a crescendo then drops to a tedium faster than a S-curve. A great deal goes without quality checks - and one should discern well before picking such books. My threshold for picking such books is quite high - hence I usually learn the hard way after burning deep in my pockets.

Vara Mullapudi s/o Mullapudi Venkata Ramana

Vara Mullapudi s/o late Mullapudi Venkata Ramana garu best friend of Bapu garu is an ace director who is about to taste big time success. He has learnt all the tricks of trade in directing from Bapu uncle and on scipt-writing and welding language from his father. He is a versatile talent - a dubbing artiste (remember that rich baritone in "ఐతే" (as Inspector Sivaji)), a story-writer ("మర్యాద రామన...్న"), a narrator ("కోతి కొమ్మచి"). He binges on movies and is a mightier reader than even Bapu garu. I am attaching a link of an article he shared with me sometime back. This piece was written in memorium of his father's lasting friendship with Bapu garu. You can read it from this online link in a Telugu magazine brought out by NRIs. I told him if ever he is tired of films, he should take up writing as a full-time career like his legendary dad - Vara's prose has the same verve, variety, panache, self-deprecation, humility, humour and warm innocence that Telugu readers know about his father. Mullapudi name lives on in the household and will rule the Telugu hearts. If you don't know Telugu, I apologise - but this piece is the best eulogy written by a son for his father. It celebrates the friendship of Bapu-Ramana and also brings out the humanity of Vara's father in a subtle way. It is delicate, delicious, and heart-warmingly good - like having a nice hot and spicy Andhra meal. తెలుగోడీ సత్తా సరుకు అంతా ఇందులో ఉంది. ముళ్ళపూడి భాష పదును పన్చ్ స్పష్టంగా ఉన్నాయి.


http://www.eemaata.com/em/library/tana-2011/1761.html?fmt=rts

12 Angry Men Movie

"12 Angry Men" is voted one of the top 10 films on imdb. I saw this film at a workshop on Negotiation strategies many years ago. One helluva movie. Black and White but worth its reel in gold. Henry Fonda produced and acted in this 1957 movie directed by Sidney Lumet. Good to see the movie again with dad today- who likes movies with judicial largeness.


Its a wonderful story of how a jury has yet ...to decide on a first degree murder charge of a middle-aged man by his 18 year old son. Twelve men must decide, collectively and unanimously, whether the major son is guilty of the charge of murder or not. The jury is locked up in one room the entire duration of this exercise - it starts with 11 men saying "guilty" and one (Henry Fonda) saying "not guilty". And then the magic of negotiation begins with Henry Fonda disarming the rest of the jury with facts, cold facts, and dexterous reasoning and credible leadership skills. I got the film DVD through flipkart and unabashedly recommend it to connoisseurs of good cinema. Screenplay by Reginald Rose is fiery and clinical at the same time. It remains a riveting courtroom drama that you would ever see - a non pareil in that genre. Of course, Sidney Lumet, who is born into the performing arts went to give many other acclaimed movies - "Serpico", "Dog Day Afternoon", "Network" and "Ther Verdict" (as recently in 1982). Patrons of Art Cinema in Hindi would recall the same movie was the inspiration for the movie "Ek Ruka Hua Faisla".

When stock markets go up

When stock markets go up, we are skeptical. When they go down, we are pessimistic. We are never optimistic about the market but it moves on until one day you realise the risk is not what you imagined but being out of markets. This is an inexorable law!

Today is World No-Google Day

I was accidentally googling something and found out that the World Teacher's Day is Oct.5, not Sept.5 as celebrated in India. World Children's Day is celebrated on Oct.20 and not on Nov.14 (as in India). It appears Indians are poor at marketing themselves in areas where there is an opportunity. On the other hand, a Valentine's Day or a Halloweens or a Mother's Day or Father's Day and even such day...s as today - World Cancer Day are celebrated without questioning. Mothers Day and Fathers Day should be celebrated everyday - and doesnt just apply to NRIs who dont even visit their parents once an year. Incidentally, World Book Day or World Reading Day, if I get it right, is celebrated on William Shakespeare's Day on April 23. I dont know if it helps in improving reading habits - does it mean you can read once a year and then you are done with it for the next 365 days? Anyways, the point is clear: Indians are pathetic at marketing their own icons of Peace/Children/Teachers/Art(like Tagore)/Love(Mother Theresa)/Science(CV Raman) to the world outside. Incidentally, my wife's favorite day of the year is 7th March - World Mathematics Day - because she is a mathematician! And thats not the birthday of Srinivas Ramujam either! Jocularly, some Indians dont know what to do on a Father's Day too! An ill-informed friend of mine, years back, bet on a Rs.500 that Father's Day means October 2nd - because thats the birthday of the father of the nation!

Books about Pakistan

Pakistan is one country that never ceases to interest Indians especially those born around partition time like my father. So, it has always been my duty to quench his voracious reading appetite on books about Politicians and generals in Pakistan. He has read every book written about/by Jinnah, Bhutto, Musharaff. This somehow kindles a Hitchcockian interest in him - to read about Pakistan. So, you... can understand the glimmer of curiosity in him to read about Imran Khan by the cricketer himself.


"Pakistan - A Personal History" is a good book written to canvass himself (Imran Khan) to a nation torn asunder. Its a well-written book and Imran Khan deserves like every crooked politician a fair chance at the government. What is amazing to me is that the book delves more into his personal life through boyhood days to cricket and cancer and his many marriages and suddenly shifts gears into a political commentary on the state of affairs of Pakistan for the last 15 years which is as interesting as India. A cricket all-rounder cannot have such a masterly pavillion's view of politics in his own country especially when he has distanced himself from his country for so long until the recent past. Which is why, when we read that book "Pakistan: A Personal History" it turned out we read the same stuff somewhere. We found the answer alarmingly as a sidenote after the last page: "I have referred MJ Akbar's book "Tinderbox: A History of Pakistan" in writing this book". It turned out he has copied copiously from the book - to draw from MJ Akbar's magesterial sweep of history about Pakistan.

But his views on TV are a bit idealistic and sound familiar to those early halycon days of Bhutto, Benazir, Musharaff. In an interview with Rahul N of Headlines Today, he was impressive about Pakistan but bewildered about Kashmir, India and the policy that would shape Pakistan's relationship with India, and most of all, an unpardonable ignorance about Pakistan's anti-India terror camps. He is talking about "engaging" with such camps to bring a political solution. No wonder, even the US is wary about Imran Khan's rhetoric. He used to go after the Indian batsmen those days, now he is going after the Indian media nowadays and using it rather cleverly well. Whatever be his naivette and silly utterances, the youth of Pakistan are rallying behind him. I hope he succeeds in democratising, de-militarising Pakistan more so that it ceases to disturb India.

The last time I read a book about an aspiring politician from a celebrity sportsman background was "Life Imitates Chess" by Garry Kasparov. That was a joy and a celebration of life from History's greatest Chess Player with little references to politics and plenty of lessons. Reading Imran Khan is a bit more painful, and boring at times - like a political manifesto.

Why I love The Hindu

Thoroughly impressed by "The Hindu's aggressive ads in paper and TV taking on the likes of "The Times of India". The ad aims to take a direct potshot at Times of India - for feeding readers with mindless drivel on pageants and gossips and page-3 profiles and not giving them stuff thats relevant, useful or rooted in Indian heritage. During my journalism college days, we had an ebullient editor one Mr Jagadeesan who was holding out "The Hindu" newspaper and pointed out everything they do right editorially (though may not always have the content you like to see). The quality of reporting, the neutral stands on most mattters, the vibrant letters page, the many supplements that only keep getting added everyday of the week, the way the stories on page 1 are laid out - no story has a "runner" (like, say, turn to page 12 for more and so on), uncluttered reportage and layout, fonts that keep changing with the times (pun unintended), emphasis on developmental journalism and narrative panache, the group that brought out Businessline - my favorite business newspaper.


Mr Jagadeesan was right in 1992 - there will be no interference by Advterising Divion into editorial matters and there is almost always a "Kaizen" of sorts happening - continuous improvements in printing quality, supplements, new insights, features like "Reader's Editor", "Literary Review", "Cinema Plus", etc. Of course some legendary analysts like KK Katyal or GK Reddy are not there anymore but the paper never compromised on ethics. The staffers still get humble but inflation-adjusted paypackets, the ladies get a Kancheevaram saree every Diwali and the gents get a Pattu Pancha. Every employee of "The Hindu" group gets lifetime subscripiton of the newspaper besides Sportstar, Frontline etc.

Way back in 1978 itself, when it completed 100 years of existence, the newspaper was voted as one of the six great newspapers of the world on line with the likes of Manchester Guardian, La Monde, Times London, and New York Times. Amongst the initial bunch of pre-1900 newspapers which grew from strength to strength - "The Hindu" alone has created a respectable tag for its stories, reporting and associate publications. Not "The Statesman" (which shrank after CR Irani and SK Datta Ray), not the ToI as they have commercialised news, legalised page 3 as another celebrity league, and vandalised local news into coteries serving different interests. Of course, "Hindu's family feuds even though a strict Iyengar secret keeps getting out into the open and gives some salicious salvation to newbies like "the Mint" to comment on their goings-on. The newspaper is also disliked by many for it's haughty views on the Sri Lankan issue, BJP, communist shortcomings, secularism and love-hate relationship with the politicians in Tamil Nadu but the paper is very clear for what it wants its readers to notice it for - conservative but egalitarian. It is in that sense very Nehruvian in its views - Nehru always believed that the ruling majority must encourage and respect the minorities else the minorities can feel threatened to air their views or assert their cultures otherwise. "The Hindu" follows this in publications - they may not appease the "Hindus" but they never isolate the "minorities". Ethics wise also, they deserve a pat. Who else but "The Hindu" could have sacked the great cricket journalist - R.Mohan. It is interesting how the Times will respond to the changing times.

The Economics of Movie Industry

Lets be honest about it. Even though "Businessman" is a hit, it is helpful to understand the context and the scenario emerging in Tollywood. I am no blind fan of any superstar or megastar but would like to take facts headlong and not have sentimental leanings. What is an industry hit? What is a superhit? These definitions easily get smudged. An industry hit means a movie that has made money for the producers and the distributtors but not liked overall by the public. If the public like the movie unanimously, then its a superhit. By all counts, "Businessman" is an industry hit but whether it is a superhit - it is yet to prove. Which is why, despite liking the movie, what I am surprised is when Film heroes give interviews on every channel and every day more regularly than newsreaders in order to make the public believe that it is a superhit. That, I am telling, is an unhealthy trend.


Something similar to what Superstar Krishna did many years ago. When it is becoming clear that Natasekhara Krishna was not likely to get a best actor award in any awards, and there was a title "Superstar" poll in a filmy magazine called "Jyotichitra" (now defunct), all the fans of the matinee idol - about five lakh copies of the magazine - were bought and everybody unanimously voted for Krishna as the only Superstar. I remember this distinctly as it happened during the time I was growing up on movies. Consequently, Krishna was voted "Superstar" and the title became a permanent prefix to an actor who despite his goodness and discipline may have never won an award for best actor. The ongoing saga of superstars vying for the next top slot is similar to that in scale and influence. By drumming up that a movie is a hit, nigh, superhit, they are trying to influence similar type of verdicts- by painting the town red with records, getting guys like RGV to drool over the movie etc. This is not a healthy trend.

Now lets come to the topic of number of prints and collections commensurate with them - are they enough? This is the question everybody is asking. Here I have a diferent take. Yes, collections have definitely undergone a sea change. It is not enough for a movie to run for 50 days or even a month to make money. This is because, cinema prints have also got the benefit of technology. Today, there are broadly, two types of cinema prints - UFO Cube format and the regular print. One format which runs on hard-disk equipment (like a CD Player projector) which is aired on both old-world theatres and multiplexes like Prasads at a cost of Rs.10,000 per week. That means, the same equipment can be used around RTC theaters, Kukatpaly theaters, etc. at a staggeringly low cost. The other format of the print costs less than Rs.50,000. So, gone are the days when a single print used to cost Rs.5 lacs or even Rs.3 or 2 lacs apiece. So, technically, if a film is released with 2000 prints, it is correct to assume that the cost of prints are Rs.12 crores. (2000 *6 lacs each). So, let it be abundantly clear that a film print is no longer exorbitantly higher which can deter a distributor from making more available to an area. Now, I come to the point of the movie's economics and the costs of distrbuting versus bidding costs. You can make helluva money on a movie with more prints and it is not necessary to make it run for 50 days or so. So collections do matter because film print costs have more or less become a lower notional almost variable cost. The only point I want to make is dont chase records and dont tom-tom about the collections in the same breadthy. Agreed, by tomorrow Republic Day, most of the distributors in some areas will make 100% of their bidding amounts from "Businessman" but think everybody has made money. The higher you bid, the more you stand to lose if you dont work out the economics well. The trick in distribution lies in bidding well and not get carried away. Once you bid well, you have the technology to recover the money faster. For example, Kukatpally and Dislukhanagar distributors have made their money almost but UK distributors have lost money in "Businessman" because of over-the-board bidding. But I hope you appreciate the nuances of distribution and the follies of records.

Obama's Re-Election campaign Starter Speech

 

Obama makes the most picture-perfect speech before Polls - giving a sense of confidence to Americans that "All izz well" - more jobs since 2005, no war in Iraq and Af-Pak, no letting Iran loose, no outsourcing to "poor" countries, veteran job school, no tax subsidies to rich, no equals in China+Germany, GM-still the best automaker in the world, reforms, in Wall Street, blah blah. Its incredible ho...w these Americans drum themselves up to the world. As a friend said, "they are like a shopkeeper who is bankrupt (US) who wants money from customers (rest of the world) so as to be able to sell the same goods again and again." But despite the truth, and despite the chinks in the logic, US rules because of a system thats created to continuously re-invent, throw up new enterprises and innovate, a democracy that looks like one and a currency that can deflate its way out of the sovereign debt. It also superb pride and confidence in everything American that each of its population with a percapita income of $43000 enjoy and revel. On the contrary, on the eve of our 63rd Republic Day, India has lot of things going for it - still 7% plus GDP growth, culture thats myriad and richest, a majority of religion that still allows minorities of religions to asssert themselves with occasional blemishes, democracy thats running with all its earthly flaws, a society thats not broken down in its innards, population that is unequal in all material possessions but richly endowed with tolerance, enthusiasm (unlike Japanese middleclass) and ability to survive its politicians and capitalists, freedom to still breathe our usual selves in the way we wanted to live, a co-existence of so many languages and religions, prides and prejudices, cinemas and festivals, a civilisation thats not dead as the Mayans or the Egyptians, a nation always in threat of a breakdown and an attack from coast or landmass from 20 directions, a nation that has so many centrifugal forces working and yet has a faint of a centripetal force thats keeping us on the edge but intact still, an Entrpreneurship and a Diaspora that continues to sizzle and furiously astound the world with good and bad intentions. I fail to understand why Indians cannot be as supremely optimistic as the Americans. The Bible says, "...The meek shall inherit the earth." It has to be definitely the Indians then, not the Americans, nor Chinese, nor Germans. Forget about the pressures of ruling the world - why can't we celebrate ourselves just the way we are? Happy Republic Day friends and Cheer up - the worst is behind us and "That used to be US" will apply to US not us. Lets move on and feel proud. My father always makes it a point to wear new dress on R-Day and I-day. I shall do the same tomorrow. Long live the Republic Day!

Salman Rushdie is over-rated

That Rushdie can rattle the festival still is a tragedy of colonial hangover to Indians. Guys like him and Naipaul are now fast becoming anathema and irrelevant in an India moving at multi-speeds. With the exception of folks like late RK Narayan , Ruskin Bond, and maybe late Nirad C Choudhary (just for the sheer knowledge he possessed), no living writer of Pre-Independent writerly era has kept up ...with what the New India has become or the aspirations of Indians post 1980s. They make provocative pronouncements which hurt Indians. Which is why, I agree with Chetan Bhagat's outburst against Salam Rushdie that a writer who offends the sensibilities of its people should be disowned, or something to that effect. Chetan may be cleverly talking his books up but more people have read him than the likes of all of Naipaul and Rushdie together in India. And what are we paying tribute to guys like Rushdie - so what if he and Naipaul have won Booker and Nobels. I have found more empathy to India from writers who are not PIOs than the so-called PIOs. E.g. Paul Brunton, Somerset Maugham, William Dalrympyle, Patrick French,Arthur Osborne even Mark Tully. We don't want wife-beaters, ill-gotten Elites and girlfriend-seekers to give their opinions on India. And no, their views are not relevant or needed here. Lets move on from the days of Raj.