Sunday, November 17, 2013

Ramleela : Bhansali's Rashleela with Art

Rarely very rarely one comes across a film which has breathtaking visuals , brilliant performance , splendid music, imaginative choreography , unadulterated passion , and yet lacks the soul. Sanjay Leela Bhasali, who credits himself as director, music-director, producer, co-writer and co-editor, suffers from over indulgence leading to exhaustion. The man, who celebrated silence so beautifully through a classic film “Khamoshi”, decides to endorse noise, opulence and sexual innuendo to deliver a dud that suffers from a fatigued script.

For most sensitive film makers songs and dances are a medium to take the story ahead or to celebrate an occasion, for Bhansali they are mere tools to showcase his talent to the world. Hence every fifteen minute a song-dance sequence pops up no matter how irrelevant or irritating that might be. The first half is pure madness; guns keep blazing without reason, the main protagonists meet for the first time and exchange lusty stare, they break into sexual intimacy every time they meet, even when there is death in the family. The dialogues at times are so raunchy; I had to cross check if it is the same one who wrote dialogue for Grand Masti.

Thankfully some sanity returns in the second half where the script finds some method to the madness and picks up pace. Deepika and Ranveer’s passionate chemistry is exhilarating. Supriya Pathak gives a thunderous performance. However the reason, probably the only one, to watch it, is the visual opulence. Each frame is picture perfect with rich color, stylish costume and dazzling set.

This is one of those films that could have been a memorable one if the director wouldn’t have imposed his own esoteric world on everyone and instead tried to instill soul into the bare flesh that he exposed so fervently. I will go out with two for the film and an additional one for the aesthetic sense and sensitivity that makes it masterpiece in terms of cinematography.

No, Mr. Bhansali this Ramleela is all about your Rasleela with self indulgence!

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Salute to the Last Samurai: Sachin

A man who made his test debut on 15th Nov 1989 , played international cricket for 24 years, achieved almost everything statistically possible for a batsman on a cricket field , decides to pad up for his Ranji Team, travels to a nondescript village in Haryana , in order to prepare himself for his final test series. That passion for the game, that ability to stay focused consistently, that unquenchable thirst to achieve perfection through hours of practice, the respect to treat the game bigger than him,  has transformed a man into a phenomenon.

A quarter of a century is a longtime in a life span and most sportsmen would require two to three rebirths to survive that long actively in an outdoor sport. And here we have a diminutive man carrying the hope of a nation, weight of a heavy cricket bat and surviving a tennis elbow, a broken toe, several blows on the body (starting from his 1st international series against Pakistan), uncharitable criticism & innumerable scrutiny for twenty four long years.  To be born with extraordinary talent is one thing and to convert that into consistent performance through relentless practice and single minded devotion is another. Hence Sachin stands tall not only amidst his contemporaries but also has carved a niche in the pantheons of all time cricketing greats.


To understand the contribution of Sachin to Indian cricket it is imperative to explore the era when he walked into the Indian Team and almost single handedly laid the foundation of the edifice of Indian Cricket. Though with monumental statistics he has secured a place in the realm of history, his colossal impact on cricket lover’s psyche can only be explained by the generation that has seen him wielding his willow as a warrior while all around him wickets were tumbling like nine pins. Who can forget that epic innings played in January 1999 against Pakistan at Cheapuk. Walking in at 6 for 2, chasing 271, the master battled a day five pitch that was spitting venom, against Waqar & Wasim who were reversing the ball prodigiously, Saqlain who has added a new weapon “Doosra” into his armor and his own troubled back. He faced 273 balls, stood at the ground for 405 minutes to score 136, where the only other person to score more than 10 was Nayan Mongia. That India lost the match leaving Sachin and the nation crestfallen underlines the fact, he too is a human, which we forget regularly and unfairly expect him to do the impossible every time.

For most of the pre 1990 generation, Tendulkar is not just a name; it is synonymous with “Hope”. From the day in 1993 Hero Cup semifinal against South Africa when he snatched the ball from Azhar’s hand to give India almost an improbable win , that too as a bowler , Indian’s elevated him to a pedestal where expectations betrayed reality. 1998 Sharjah Desert storm innings vindicated that faith.  Rarely has one seen such impact of a single player in team sport, for almost three generation. That his contemporaries, who in their own right are great cricketers, treat him as their Idol, underlines the greatness of little master. Tormenting Shane Warne with his superlative performance in 1998 Border-Gavaskar trophy to playing that gem of an innings of 241 at SCG , each of his innings is a batting masterclass. I dare say , I don’t remember any batsman in the modern era who has faced more than 400 balls and did not hit his bread & butter shot , the cover drive, till he reached his double century. That innings can be shown in any class that teaches about mental strength & control.

Adaptability is key to survival. Though many didn’t like the way he remodeled his batting post tennis elbow, giving away flair for stability, the entire process of metamorphosis is a lesson for many. How many aggressive batmen have the audacity to change their approach in order to suit an aging body and changing need of the team? In a Team of Azhar, Shastri, Manjrekar , Prabhakar – Sachin had to play the aggressors role to give the team a flying start. In a team of Sehwag ,Dhoni, Yuvraj , Kohli, - Sachin’s role was to provide solidity , so that others  can score around him. Though I would have loved to watch him stepping down the track, hitting the bowler over the head, but in competitive sport one has to look at the body clock. The conviction to play a second fiddle to emerging youngsters, yet become so successful can happen only when one is secure with his own skill. To those who believe his effectiveness dwindled in the later part of his career, a look at the statistics gives a true picture. In a career spanning 24 years his average in ODI (minimum 12 ODI in a year) has gone below 34 only thrice (1993, 97, 2005). From 2007 his ODI strike rate has never gone below 80. In Tests (Minimum 10 innings in a year) his average has gone below 40 only twice (2006, 2012). Maintaining these yardsticks over such a long period of time requires herculean effort.

While Sachin , the batsman has been much celebrated , sometimes we miss out his wily skills with the cricket ball. 154 wickets in ODI (two 5 wicket haul) and 46* in Tests (including Hayden, Gilchrist & Warne in that summer of 2001 at Eden) is a testimony to his involvement with every aspect of the game. “The Boy with A Golden Arm” had been instrumental in breaking many crucial partnerships with his off spin, leg spin and seam up deliveries.

However what these mind boggling numbers don’t reveal is the influential impact he had on the generation of cricketers who followed him. Statistics doesn’t disclose how he instilled the winning spirit with his scintillating display not only among his team mates but also the “Can Do” effect rubbed onto the masses who watched him in stadiums and on TV. That he belonged to a middle class upbringing and started his journey from a modest Sahitya Sahawas Cooperative Society and could scale such heights, gave wings to the common men’s dreams. While the 1983 world cup win acted as a catalyst to make cricket popular, Sachin’s heroics took it to the masses and helped in its commercialization.


At the onset of twentieth century and with the emergence of high caliber players like Ganguly,Rahul, Sehwag ,Laxman, Kumble, Srinath, it was time for Sachin & Co to take team India to the next level. Overseas victory till then was rarity. This unit knew it was now or never. With this motto “The Paper Tigers” started their mission of conquering the world. They won matches in West Indies in 2002, though lost the series 2-1. The next stop was Micheal Vaughan’s England, where India drew 1-1 . Then it went on to drew in 2004 in Steve Waugh’s farewell series against Australia as well. From a team that used to jump like a cat on hot tin roof on bouncy pitches , suddenly India was evolving as a cricketing nation that can challenge any cricket playing country in their own den. And the contributions of these stalwarts were immense in transforming a meek team into world beaters. 


Generation next will marvel to look at the score card where Dravid, Tendulkar,Laxman, Ganguly occupied the No3 to No 6 position in a batting card. Blessed are us who watched them day in day out for more than a decade. For men may come and men may go , but watching cricketers of such high pedigree playing together , bringing laurel to the nation has been an exhilarating journey for many of us. While Ganguly, Dravid, Laxman walked into the sunset and Sehwag lost in the milieu of self discovery, it was Sachin Tendulkar who was the last man standing.

As you will walk into the park as a player for one final time on 18th Nov 2013, feeling secure that the Indian Cricket is in the safe hands of an exciting bunch of Gen next Cricketers, Sachin, the whole nation will feel a lump in the throat reminiscing its 24 year old romance with you. From that cold winter morning of 15th Nov 1989 to the evening of 18th Nov 2013, millions have followed your career, feeling exalted when you succeeded and exasperated when you failed. For many of them a chapter of romance will come to an end. You know how tough it is to fall in love all over again after two decades. For some of us the name SACHIN stood for FOREVER. Even though the mind knew this odyssey will come to an end at some stage , but like an optimistic suitor, the heart never believed. 

While cricket will continue to be played, it will never be the same again. In the annals of cricketing history it will always be pre & post Sachin era. The eye will always look at the score card to look for its favorite No.4 batsman. Somewhere we will miss those scathing straight drives, thundering cover drives, cheeky paddle sweep and those breathtaking upper cuts. We will miss the Man & the enthusiastic child inside him. We will miss watching you run from mid off/ short extra cover to the bowler and advising him in your squeaky voice. We will be left with the memories of your magical batting. While the entire nation is in a festive mood arranging for your grand send off, come 18th of November, it will be a day of moist eyes, somber mood and a collective sense of emptiness. As you walk off the park as the last Samurai we salute you Sachin for those hundred hopes, million memories and billion moments of bliss. This will be the end of an enigmatic era. You will be sorely missed little master.

Monday, November 4, 2013

Managing Aspiration and Maintaining Engagement In Times of Economic Crisis



The Indian economy grew at its slowest pace in a decade in 2012-13. From a high of above 9% GDP growth rate, we are now struggling to maintain a 5% growth. Factor in the global crisis looming around, including the unrest in Syria, US economy on a quantitative easing support, sovereign debt crisis, back home a volatile market, the tumbling rupee, current account deficit which is dangerously close to breaching the safe zone, negative sentiments all around, a pending election leading to policy paralysis, high inflation leading to tight monetary policy , fluctuating Industrial output, things don’t seem too exciting for Indian Economy in the coming few months. 

A look into the findings of the ‘State of the Urban Youth, India 2012: Employment, Livelihoods, Skills,’ a report published by IRIS Knowledge Foundation in collaboration with UN-HABITAT states that the population in the age-group of 15-34 increased from 353 million in 2001 to 430 million in 2011. Current predictions suggest a steady increase in the youth population to 464 million by 2021. By 2020, India is set to become the world’s youngest country with 64 per cent of its population in the working age group. This is an exciting set of data. With the West, Japan and even China aging, this demographic potential offers India and its economy an unprecedented edge that economists believe could add a significant 2 per cent to the GDP growth rate.

But most of these populations were born in the post liberalization era, who have grown up during a period when India was slowly but resiliently moving from a developing third world economy to being one of the fastest growing countries. Having been a part of a fast growing economy, they come with clear ambition and high aspiration. In an economic cycle where organization are frequently tempering with their organization structure, in order to have a flatter structure, to control cost and improve accountability and productivity, when natural attrition has gone down to single digit and retrenchment is happening on a periodic basis, managing the ambition of the young workforce, nurturing their aspiration and keeping them engaged is going to be a huge challenge for corporate India. But considering this is the work force that is going to take things ahead, it is a challenge worth taking for organizations in general and Human Resources Dept. in particular. 

A study done by a leading Indian MNC consisting of past, present and future potential employees presents an interesting picture. While for the older generation location, compensation used to be an important issue, for the present and future generation job security, recognition, good leadership, innovation and Individual capability development are the factors that matter.


Training & Development: Good organizations and visionary leaders use economic slowdown period to train their manpower. This serves dual purpose of keeping the employee engaged as well as it helps in honing his existing skill set or acquiring a new one. Since the younger generation shows immense flexibility to learning training through a proper Individual Development Plan will work wonders as this would help the employee to evaluate his strengths and areas of improvement and also work as a tool to monitor continuous development. 

Vertical Growth: Job rotation is another way to keep away the boredom and giving suitable employees an opportunity to grow vertically. And the first step to job rotation must be a robust talent management practice, where competency must be evaluated vis-à-vis performance, role expectation and job enhancement. Many a times we make the cardinal mistake of doing Job rotation just for the sake of the practice. The younger work force is completely aware of its capability and aspiration and hence it must be administered judiciously, where there is ample learning available for the employee.

Good Leadership: “Most of the employees leave their managers and not the organization”. This is a fact. The Millennial employees enjoy working with capable managers who have sound knowledge, impeccable integrity, who walk the talk and have leadership traits. They dither working with self centered and insecure managers, from whom they know they can’t learn much. As a best-practice, organizations must use slow down period to provide training and development to the managers to help them effectively manage multiple generations of workers. Those that fail to do so will experience tensions between individuals with different communication styles and expectations, leading to reduced engagement and higher turnover.

Transparent & Effective Communication: Communication plays a very important role in keeping employees motivated and engaged. In has been noticed during when organizations go through tough period, lots of rumors spread like wildfire, often leading to creating insecurities and confusion among employees. Hence it is imperative to open all channels of transparent communication. The top management must put high focus on continuous communication with team members. In an age of information overflow, the best practice is to share honest information with employees. This helps in building trust and keeps the employee motivated.

Recognition: Gen Y employees are used to a culture of instant gratification. They want to grow fast and feel the need to be recognized for their effort. They tend to get de-motivated quickly when their efforts are not noticed. Hence when giving horizontal growth becomes a difficult proposition organizations must ensure a robust recognition mechanism is in place. This involves low cost and works as a motivational factor for the employees. 

In a world where fluctuating economic cycle is a reality, it is important for Organization and Human Resources Team to build its fundaments of engagement on a strong foundation and not press the panic button and commit hara-kiri at the slightest change in macro/micro economic environment. The investment it does on developing and keeping performing resources engaged during a slow down goes a long way in defining its performance, culture and value proposition when market condition improves. 

Friday, September 20, 2013

The LunchBox : Its Delicious

#TheLunchBox : A reticent ,boring , on the verge of getting retired middle aged man (ok almost an old man!) living his life amidst piles of files, an ordinary young housewife spending her day in getting the kid ready for school , preparing lunch for her ever busy husband , desperately waiting for her moment of recognition, in fact  probably  a moment of acceptance of her existence  , a companionship that develops between them courtesy hand written letters  and  a wrongly delivered lunchbox , a claustrophobic city that is eternally busy and  bursting at its seam . Does it sound like a bollywood flick? Hand it over to the brilliance of Ritesh Batra in keeping it so simple yet heart wrenching and the outstanding acting of three main protagonists for bringing out the loneliness in an overcrowded world so convincingly.

LunchBox is as much about loneliness, longing, nostalgia even at times repentance as it is about the contrast. In an age of instant connectivity it celebrates the idea of companionship through letters delivered via lunchbox. Whereas on one hand we hear how the aunty  taking care of his bed ridden husband for fifteen years, on the other hand we watch Ila’s marital relationship going haywire. Ila’s mother takes care of her husband for so many years in spite of her hatred, but feels empty, relieved and hungry the day he dies.  
                                               

Batra’s characters are enchanting and have an old world flavor. Irfaan is outstanding as a taciturn Sajan Fernandes. Watch out for the scene where Nawaz asks him “What he does in the evening “. His expressions speak louder than his words. How effectively he depicts the pathos of a man who is ageing fast through immaculate body language is a treat to watch. Debutant Nimrit Kaur is absolutely natural and so beautifully fits into the role and makes Ila’s world her own. Nawazuddin Siddique, what more can I write about a man, who so effortlessly slips into every character. As an effervescent Aslam he makes you laugh every time he comes on screen. The city of Mumbai is a powerful protagonist and holds the screen play together. The director intelligently uses the voice of Bharti Achrekar as an old Aunty, who spices up the plot in spite of not coming in front of the camera even once.

Batra makes rich use of the visual imagery be it the moving ceiling fan , to draw parallel to a life which is moving fast , or the Mumbai crowded local and Sajaan’s forlorn looks to sketch the pangs of loneliness amidst a sea of crowd.

The Lunchbox’s high point lies in its ability to tread in the realm of reality and its open ended ending. No it is not an extravagant seven course meal in a star restaurant but a delicious spread that will remind you of home cooked food prepared with much care and served with Love. Don’t miss this sumptuous and hearty meal whose mouthwatering aroma will stir your soul.

I will go out with 4 out of 5 .


Friday, September 6, 2013

Shuddh Desi Romance : I do or Do I ?

  India has changed and changed rapidly in last two decades and along with it has changed the contour of relationship and the concept of romance. Move on “52% conservative Indians” , for the “Young at Heart” a kiss is no longer a stamp of commitment , “Live In” is the in thing, virginity is an over exaggerated virtue and multiple relationship is a reality. While it relishes the confusion of romance, attraction and infatuation, it is the responsibility of marriage/commitment that acts as a repugnant for many.

Set in the beautiful pink city of Jaipur , Maneesh Sharma’s Shuddh Desi Romance starts on a breezy note exploring the predicament of a runaway groom.  Raghu’s ( Sushant Singh Rajput)indecisiveness and jittery for marriage and impulsive falling in love is so typical of our “instant make out” generation. The first half of the movie is a delight to watch and so refreshingly different. It steers clear from the conventional portrayal of romance (so often stereotypically shown in Indian Cinema) and instead magnificently captures the real romance where lust is as vital as love. Raghu and Gayatri’s ( Parineeti Chopra) romance (!) that started with an awkward first kiss in a moving bus and blossomed into full bloom at her rented terrace room, where Raghu also moved in , sets the screen on fire. Their impishness, chemistry and uninhibited performance, quirkiness in the relationship keeps you entertained. They talk and behave as any twenty something will do and their lies the charm of desi romance. As long as they decide to live the moment, they sizzle together. The moment Raghu tries to peep into the Gayatri’s past and contemplates about future, a sense of insecurity grips their bond. And voila! We get our runaway bride too, as we get up for the “Bathroom Break” with much anticipation for the second half.
                                                    


It is the second half, where the screen play starts faltering with innumerable repetition, abysmally slow pace and unnecessary melodramatic scenes which will force you to yawn. Sharma uses the “Bathroom” scene so much that, you will have an urge to relieve yourself than unnecessarily following a screen play that is moving nowhere. All of a sudden you wonder if it is the same movie. The characters which were behaving quite naturally suddenly start being overdramatic. The film’s fall comes, where in a high intensity scene Raghu is expressing his confusion and as an audience you tend to laugh.

As far as the characters are concerned, Parineeti and Sushant with their uninhibited performance that reflects their vulnerability in the first half, keep you engrossed. Wish Suashant had not gone over the top post interval. Rishi Kapoor, with each release is coming across as vintage wine and probably is establishing himself as one of the finest character actors. Newcomer Vaani exudes enough confidence in her first venture as Taara , who faces life head on and doesn’t hesitate to go after what she wants. A special mention of the Set, Gayatri’s rented room and lanes of Jaipur , which looks so real.

Shuddha Desi Romance dares a real take on the modern day romance, with all its impurities, without sermonizing. You may like the “Instant Love” and “Instinctive Live-in” or hate it (sour grapes), but ladies and gentleman, society has moved on and you can’t ignore it. If the director and editor had not lost their deft touch in the second half, this could have been a magnificent rom-com.



 I will go out with 2.5 on 5 for a movie that brings out the reality of romance and confusion of commitment. 

Saturday, August 31, 2013

#Satyagrah : That Sense of "Missed Opportunities"

You watched the promos and as an aam admi identified with the anger seething inside against a corrupt system,  you reminiscence the Prakash Jha – Ajay Devgan combo brewing thunder on screen, you walked into the theatre with great anticipation to realize Satyagrah is an under cooked and over spiced spread whose soul is missing. Made with the right intention the movie suffers from the fatal flaw of a script stuffed with numerous sub plots, lack of focus on developing strong motive or etching out characters and sloppy editing.
                                         

In spite of vehement denial the script is a cinematic adaptation of Anna Hazare’s “Jan Lokpal” movement. It starts with the conflict between chasing money and following value and ends with preaching non violence and importance of staying in the system to change the system, in between it tries to connect as many dots, from the Satyendra Dubey murder case to grass root level corruption, to a rotten political – administrative system, the angst of common men, but fails to connect with the audience. Satyagrah will always remind Prakash Jha , how nearly he missed making a great socially relevant movie, by being either too casual , too self obsessed or making the cardinal mistake of taking the audience as fools. Dwarka Anand’s battle against the system is what each one of us is fighting today. We are as confused with the path, the end and the philosophy as Manav & Yasmin were. We watch their pain, yet it doesn’t torment us. We don’t fume in anger looking at the system’s apathy.  And this is where, Jha in spite of profusely using melodrama fails miserably.

 Amitabh Bachchan and Manoj Bajpayee with their superlative performance stand tall amidst a star cast that looks terribly jaded. Kareena Kapoor’s role as a journalist and activist is as confusing as Arjun Rampal’s presence in the movie. Prasoon Joshi pens a hauntingly melodious “Rash ke Bhare Naina” and disappoints with a dismal “Junta Rocks”.

In spite of numerous cinematic flaws, Satyagrah is a movie that people should watch for its candid intent, for canvassing the socio political activism of last decade, for instilling a sense of “uthkar karne hain kuch kaam, raghupati raghav raja ram” spirit in the youth.

As you walk out of the auditorium that feeling of “missed opportunities” grips you …….





Friday, August 23, 2013

Madras Cafe

#Madras Café: As an innocuous kid I woke up on the morning of 22nd May 1991 to hear about the assassination of our former prime minister. There was terror, grief and anger in the air. As I settled down on my seat and watched the opening scene of merciless killing of innocent people and the helicopters flying in the sky I could feel the same terror and anguish.  Shoojit Sircar after directing two vastly different, but extremely relevant topics, love in the back drop of a terror struck Kashmir (Yahaan) and sperm donation (Vicky Donor) comes back to paint a gripping picture of the dark alleys of Jafna , the inglorious days of constant threat from the LTTE and the violent result of a political decision .

“One man’s terrorist is another man’s revolutionary” sums up the back drop of Madras Café. A debatable decision taken in June 1987 to send the IPKF to Colombo to hold the rebels and initiate peace process ironically ended in 1991 with the assassination of the Prime Minister. Sircar’s political thriller abstains from naming anyone, but his plot is a sublime combination of facts with fiction. He uses voice over and flashback to take his story back & forth and imageries shot in documentary style to showcase the strife torn island and its bloodied history. As the main protagonist Major Vikram (John Abraham) has been assigned the task of carrying out covert operations. While on his mission he discovers the deep treachery that people in the system are involved in. His disillusionment and sense of loss (both personal & professional) is heart wrenching. John surrenders himself to the character and gives a restrained performance essential for the role. The scenes between the military, cabinet secretaries and RAW chiefs are shot realistically. Sidhhartha Basu as a demanding chief fits into the role beautifully. Nargis Fakhri fails to impress even with the accent and Rashi Khanna has very limited scope to showcase her ability.
   

Kamaljeet Negi deserves a special mention for using unique camera angles to paint reality and capturing emotions in a terror prone land where treachery rules. Madras Café is a difficult plot handled with immense maturity and much restraint. It avoids unnecessary jingoism and ends on an intriguing note asking pertinent questions as maula sun le re plays in the backdrop.

I will go with 4 out of 5 for a movie that captures a piece of our distorted political history and surely deserves an audience. It may not excite you to do “Lungi Dance” but surely will enrich your cinematic experience!

P.S.: A bit understanding of the backdrop of IPKF and Tamil Eelum movement will help in understanding the essence of the movie.


Friday, July 19, 2013

D- Day : It thrills & shrills you !

Remember Ravindra Kaushik , who did a commendable job as a resident RAW agent  by penetrating deep into Pakistan Army and providing Indian Intelligence with vital information before he was captured and jailed for life. Probably you won’t remember. That is the destiny of undercover intelligence officers who are torn between multiple identities, live a faceless life and die an unsung Hero’s death. Yes D day is as much about Dawood as it is about those undercover agents who sacrifice their lives in foreign land and don’t ever get recognition or even a burial worth their effort.  

Nikhil Advani pulls out his trigger to tell an intriguing story in a remarkable fashion, mixing facts with fiction. D-Day opens with much promise with a visual from the 1993 Mumbai blast and uses flashback to reveal how the four RAW agents went on a mission to capture India’s most wanted man. Their journey across Pakistan to capture the wanted Iqbal, nicknamed Goldman (obvious reference to Dawood) is packed with high octane action and tremendous emotional turmoil. Advani takes the risk of portraying the human side of an agent by delving deep to capture Irfan’s love for his wife and Kid, Arjun’s emotional catharsis with a forlorn prostitute at Napier Road and Zoya whose dedication towards her duty comes in way of her marital bliss.
                                         


Advani also captures the dirty political and bureaucratic game, where the unfortunate agents end up being a sacrificial lamb, as the mission fails. Giving up everything in the lines of “Duty, honor & country” and then being disowned by your own nation to die in a foreign land can be a harrowing experience. And Irfan beautifully enacts this disappointment through his despondent expression.

The music is completely in sync with the plot and you must listen to “Murshid Khele Holi” as it touches various emotional chords. “Alvida” is probably the most macabre love and longing song ever captured on camera in Hindi Cinema with blood stains all around.  The lyrics and imagery transport you to a world where you feel the pangs. The action sequences are very well filmed and the camera work is gritty.  

What pulls down the movie is the fictional liberty the script has taken. For a film which was so well researched, blunders like the agents moving and killing openly on Karachi roads to avenge their beloved’s death is hard to understand. Also Rishi Kapoor’s talent is vastly underutilized.


D- Day is no “Zero Dark Thirty”, but it certainly is a statement on how technically Indian cinema has improved and testament to an increasingly mature audience. As you come out of the multiplex do spare a thought for those innumerable long forgotten faceless and fearless agents whom death even could not provide identity. I will go out with 3 out of five for a movie that thrills and shrills you. 

Sunday, June 2, 2013

It's Just Not Cricket !

It has been more than two weeks since the Pandora’s Box was opened and the three cricketers got arrested and a towel emerged as a powerful tool of signaling. What followed for the next fifteen days on prime time television ranged from crime thriller to run and chase games to the display of blatant hunger for power, money and sleaze and eventually culminated in front of millions of viewers as a political potboiler.  I must clarify; I’m not shooting the messenger. I’m sure they were doing their job and they can’t be blamed, if at all in their quest for TRP they went little over board. After all what we watched in last few days made us cynical.

We as nation have accepted corruption as a part of life. Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index (CPI) places India at 94th rank out of 176 nations. We have moved down from 72 in 2007 to 94 in 2012 pretty swiftly. But hang on, we thought politicians are corrupt, we knew that ragged clerk in the shady Govt office is corrupt, but our beloved cricketers who are virtually million dollar babies , getting richer by the day thanks to the new jamboree and adored by millions, selling themselves for money ? The nation was stunned and people who run the show and definitely know what is going on inside acted either shocked or preferred to remain silent owing to their contract. Oh, did we hear them say conflict of interest! Sorry folks, as Icons of the game we believe you need the towel to save your face more than Sreesanth needed it.

 Suddenly the plot thickened. Delhi and Mumbai Police acted at a pace which will even put the NYPD to shame. They got hold of a “you blink, you miss” (and I strictly mean the size of his roles in films) actor for his alleged link with the bookies. He turned out to be a singer in the investigation cell. His singing led to the arrest of a “cricket enthusiast”, whose twitter profile changed within twenty minutes, who unlike millions of us had the privilege to participate in player auction, sit in the dugout and attend media session. A remarkable enthusiasm, well rewarded I must say. Hope this kind of enthusiasm does not inspire young kids.  This arrest led to the twist in the plot. A sub plot emerged. From crime, sleaze & money the action shifted to a family entertainer. There enters the stubborn, power hungry and incredibly shame less (or shall we attribute it to his love for his family) father in law. For him his family, power and control comes first, always & every time. That he is the president of a board, answerable to the fans is secondary.

                  


While he made a mockery of everyone, seventy thousand people, yes the aam admi (no reference to the political party by the same name) the so called passionate cricket lover of the nation, whom news channel anchors refer to and apparently represent, thronged the stadium. The BCCI chief reasserted the credibility of cricket is intact and those seventy thousand were the testimony to his assertion. While the circus was over, a political thriller was being scripted in the background. For twenty four hours it was hyped strong steps are going to be taken, the president will be asked to go. One after another political puppets showed their bravado. Poor news reporters had to forgo their Sunday brunch and camped in front of Park Sheraton and news studios expecting a poetic justice.  Their frantic attempt to gather breaking news was like peeping through your neighbors’ window to watch the couple fight. It was hilarious to say the least. I’m sure the betting industry must have betted lots of money in anticipation. The entire tamasha was as exciting as the super over of a T-20 match (albeit much longer). And finally the political brokers (I refuse to accept them as sports administrators) came out of the hotel and ran from the media. What was anticipated as a high volatile match turned out to be fixed one.

What transpired in the last two weeks is disgraceful to say the least. I’m not too much bothered about the so called cricket fan. I know for many now it has become a masala movie. At the cost of sounding blunt, I must say, many don’t watch cricket for the sheer passion for the game, they watch it since they don’t have anything else to do in their spare time and this is the easiest form of entertainment. Many of them have exonerated themselves from their responsibility towards the game.   I’m worried about those who grew up worshiping the game , I’m apprehensive about the credibility of the honest cricketer and the great game , I’m frightened about the value system (which my firm believe sports imparts even at a very young age) we are preaching to the next generation and the social implication of this chapter.
The entire episode transcended in front of millions and neither the president of the board nor his cronies felt the slightest desire to show any sign of probity in public life. Gone are the days of morality and conscience. Welcome to the world where people hang on to power and money at the cost of dignity.  They neither feel any sense of guilt in committing wrong nor in defending it. They shamefully take advantage of the process of natural justice and make a mockery of the system. I’m aware this is rampant in politics but when sports get contaminated by the same incurable virus, you feel a sense of helplessness. That sports associations today are run by politicians is a lame excuse.


We have nothing against BCCI. They have done some fantastic job. Cricketers are financially much more secured, lovely infrastructure has come up. But I’m afraid what transpired is going to corrupt many young minds. Gone are the days of poetic justice, welcome to the naked world of power play in the name of democracy, impotency and a corrupt world created by the mighty and powerful. A future looks bleak as a monsoon evening, hope from somewhere a ray of sunlight will emerge.


Saturday, May 4, 2013

Bombay Talkies : Celebrating 100 Years of Indian Cinema


 It all started almost 100 years ago with a certain Dhundiraj Govind Phalke shouting “Light, Camera, and Action”.  The movie “Raja Harischandra” was opened for public viewing on 3rd May 1913 and was promoted as “A performance with 57,000 photographs. A picture two miles long. All for only three annas.” The rest as they say became history. A nation learnt to dream, became a part of the madness of cinema, thousands struggled to become dream merchants and millions registered themselves as fans. Cinema became a religion, that unified an otherwise diversified nation. It breathed life into the aspirations of many, became the catalyst of change, sometimes depicting society and sometimes defying social norms.

A century later four of the most revered filmmakers of the present era , each defined by a distinct style of movie making, came together to pay homage to 100 years of Indian Cinema. Aptly named as “Bombay Talkies” after the iconic yesteryear studio, the movie celebrates the essence of hindi cinema, its profound impact on life and beautifully presents a canvas with myriad hues. Each of the four stories are unique except for their celebration of cinema, of passion, of life and dream.



Bombay Talkies opens with Karan Johar’s hard hitting, realistic punch on an upwardly mobile society that still lives in a world of lies and duplicity and in spite of a so called liberal fabric is yet to come in terms with as basic a thing as someone’s sexual orientation.  Karan , treads on a different path to capture the grey area in relationship and makes a powerful statement about society through a riveting story. He handles an extremely complex plot exceptionally well with witty lines, and masterful rendering of yesteryear classic “Lag ja Gale” as its background score. Saquib Saleem is effortless and steals the show with his spontaneity. Rani Mukherjee as a modern lady who finally becomes “free” and liberated after learning about her husband’s homosexuality adds sparkle to the plot. Hopefully post this we will get to see a more emancipated Karan exploring fields hitherto unexplored, away from his style of candy floss cinema.

The highly acclaimed Diwakar Banerjee pays a fitting tribute to Indian Cinema by adapting a Satyajit Ray story. He captures the trials and tribulations of a man trying to define his own success for himself. Torn asunder between the search for his professional success and personal respect, he finally finds his moment of glory when he gets to play a two minute non entity in a film. Nawaz is simply magnificent and the scene where he narrates his story in mime to enchant his daughter will stay with you long after you leave the movie hall.
Zoya’s story is all about the innocence of childhood, a sense of sacrifice and a captivating tale that inspires you to follow and protect your dream. On one hand it’s a morale sermon to those thousands of parents who force their kids to live their unfulfilled dreams, rather than inspiring them to create their own paths of passion , on the other hand it is a tribute to bollywood and its infinite  influence on our day to day life. Naman Jain plays out his character brilliantly.

How can we celebrate Indian Cinema and forget the fables of hero worship by fans. Anurag Kashyap’s story typifies those millions of fans from small town who are spell bound by the aura of their filmy Hero. Millions prayed when Amitabh Bacchan was hospitalized, many fasted, even today thousands gather in front of Jalsa to get a “darshan” of their superstar. Anurag’s story is an ode to those millions who were instrumental in making bollywood what it is today. Though it captures the joys and pathos of a small town youngster who came to meet the superstar at his father’s behest, this is one portion which could have been made better.

“Bombay Talkies” is a movie made with lots of passion. It celebrates the madness of cinema, the quintessential diversity of Indian film, its large canvas and its urge to experiment. More than a movie it presents few delicious slices of life that makes you laugh, dream and aspire. Go and relish the experience. 

Sunday, April 14, 2013

THE SHIFT IN ECONOMY & RESULTANT CHALLENGES FOR NEXT GENERATION HR LEADERS



                                                           
The economic reform started in 1991 during the P.V. Narsimha Rao government under the stewardship of Mr. Manmohan Singh has brought about a radical change in Indian Economy. The Indian economy grew by leaps and bounds thanks to liberalization, privatization and globalization. The country withstood a massive global economic slowdown in 2008-09 and managed to grow at 6.7% in 2008-09 and 7.4% in 2009-10.As the nation weathered the storm of recession thanks to a consumption driven economy ,the entire world stood up and noticed a resilient economy taking  strong steps  towards consolidating its stance. Today India is emerging as an economic powerhouse and marching fast towards the magic moment of becoming the fastest growing economy in the world. This shift from a developing to a developed economy will bring about massive change in the social framework and the psyche of our workforce. As HR professionals the onus lies with us to prepare ourselves proactively for this imminent change.

 Tomorrows work force will be a much younger group, they will expect more professionalism, better transparency, quicker problem resolution and a value and empathy driven organization. With the number of double income couple increasing the demand for work life balance will increase and the lack of it will create a social mayhem. And the need of the hour is to visualize this transformation and slowly and subtly bring in systems to address these needs.

The most important thing that comes to my mind is transparency or the lack of it in handling the Human Resources function. There are very few organizations where HR is respected or trusted (and I don’t mean being feared upon). How many persons walk into a Human Resources Managers cabin and discuss their problems and seek solutions. How many of us are at least good listeners, a basic requisite for the function. In India in most of the organizations people don’t trust HR and many HR managers think their job is just maintaining confidentiality and policing. Yes I fully agree we need to maintain the hygiene and there are documents which are confidential. But most of the times we over do it. We need to understand society is changing rapidly and the new generation is more open and forth right. In order to deal with them one needs to be transparent. Business has taken a paradigm shift and one can not replicate the same practice which was followed in a manufacturing set up in service sector where the unlike a rigid union we have an informed employee. Most of the times the practice of keeping everything confidential leads to the creation of unnecessary rumor and ruins the work culture. HR gets branded as a diplomatic function and loses its credibility among employees. Hence the need of the hour is to build in transparency in the system by talking to the employee as often as possible, by addressing their queries and by providing them with a platform where they can raise their voices. Recently Infosys came up with an online platform called “Infy Bubble” where employees can vent their concerns as well as are open to give negative feedback. The important aspect is to take the negative feedbacks as areas of improvement and work on them in order to rein in positive change.

With the shift in economy retention will be major challenge for most of us. From an employer’s market it will soon become an employee’s market. We need to be innovative in our approach in order to counter attrition. Most of the employees give enough hints before they decide to leave. Our role is to identify those triggers and work collectively towards addressing the issues. How many organizations take the EXIT interview seriously or even bother to conduct one. Any HR who wants to know the health of the organization and improve the culture must take constant feedback from its employees. And to do that successfully one needs to win the trust of employees and make them believe that his concerns are being heard. With the increase in disposable income, money will cease to become the most important tool of retention. The generation that will work an average of 30 years in private sector would look beyond money and crave for good work culture, best practices and good people managers to work with. The sooner we realize these challenges the better.

Work life balance will play a pivotal role in the years to come. Today in most of the cases both the partners are working. With the kind of work pressure one has to undergo it is extremely difficult for most of the employees to manage their personal and professional life and draw a balance. Organizations need to take stock of an employee’s personal need as well. With the change in economy, money will not be the single most influencing factor for Indian employees. We also need to realize today most people are starting their career in early twenties. If proper care is not taken burn out will happen by the time the employee reaches forty years of age. Hence it is the prerogative of every human resources professional to treat the employee as an asset and convince business to put importance   on employees work life balance. Many IT companies have adopted concepts like flexi working hours, work from home, providing recreation facility and gyms at work place etc. Google leads the pack with its employee friendly work place concept. These models need to be replicated in other sectors too. Only a satisfied employee will be able to perform to his full potential and in turn will positively impact the productivity of the organization.

Nurturing talent and developing them to lead the business will be a challenge for most Human Resources professional .The new generation employees will be impatient and will get bored with their profile very soon. There lies the challenge for an HR to provide him with suitable opportunity and adequate learning through job rotation and empowerment. During one of my discussion with  a senior professional of a public sector Navaratna company ,I was surprised to find the amount of effort they put even on a non performing employee in order to improve their performance. I being a part of the new “Hire & Fire” generation could not fathom the fact when he stressed on the point that they try and nurture their resources rather than firing them at the drop of a hat. The conviction with which he emphasized the collective responsibility in terms of grooming a talent is a revelation. Though he stressed being in a public sector company he has time, scale and patience at his disposal to groom a new recruit and try his capabilities in different verticals to access his role-competency matrix. He was convinced that every single individual’s performance can be improved by providing him with the right opportunity, timely counseling, an inspiring boss or proper recognition provided the employee is not insane and has the correct attitude.

This kind of conviction is a rare quality in our generation of HR professional who in their urge to become Business Partners (a term which now a days is often being misused and abused by HR professional) are forgetting the inherent role of HR. One must understand HR is a leadership function. Few important attributes of a HR leader are understanding the basics of human psyche, transparency in dealing with process and people, trustworthy, a compassionate attitude, a knack of catching the pulse of the public, the understanding of the business and being innovative. I fail to understand why such sudden urge to become business partner. The question is are not we already partnering the business by acquiring, nurturing, retaining and growing the most important, valuable as well as vulnerable, flexible and potent asset in a business the Human Capital. If we are performing the core job then we need not worry. But if there is this sudden wake up call then either we were not doing our job as per requirement or we are coining a fancy term because suddenly we realized that business is not taking us seriously. And often we put the blame on the court of the organization by stating that we don’t get adequate say or respect because we are not revenue earning vertical .But then so are finance and supply chain. Does any one dare say that they don’t put importance on Supply chain or Finance? We are targeted because we have horribly let ourselves down by not sticking to the basics. We need to understand ours is a leadership and people oriented function which runs on trust, faith and skill.


Another big challenge that lies ahead of us is to maintain a balance between system and human intervention. In spite of the development of various tools and techniques HR essentially remains a Human function. The tools and techniques should be used to support us in our endeavor to serve people better and faster. We need to provide practical solutions to employees within specified time frame. This would help in creating a positive impact and give the function the much needed credibility.


With the progress of time the Human Resource function has evolved manifold. But there is a huge opportunity for us to improve and bridge the gap in terms of the execution ability. We need to pull our socks, be innovative and act proactively in order to build a potent workforce, a productive work –life management system and a profitable business module.


Tuesday, March 19, 2013

The Politics of Convenience in a Society that Lacks Conviction


 For me Indus Valley civilization has always been a combination of contrasts. It preached about its glorious past and practiced a convenient philosophy devoid of the values it took pride in. So much so that of late this contrast started taking shape of a culture ridden with hypocrisy.  

Cut One :Few days ago Pakistan Govt passed a resolution, condemning Afzal Guru's hanging. India reacted strongly. After all it is a democratic govt which had punished the perpetrator of terror. What right Pakistan had to protest? Fair Enough .A week later, DMK, the allies of ruling party walks out of the Govt in protest against atrocities against Tamils in Srilanka , leaving a nation walking on a financial tightrope exposed to naked horse trading or downgrading by rating agencies that will lead to financial strangulation. Foreign policies are by product of century old treaties & conventions and have a legacy. They must be left in the hands of experts .Using them for political mileage is a dangerous proposition. Yes as a democratic so called super power India can talk to Sri Lanka, but why pass a resolution with the term "genocide" used in it. After all the Sri Lankan Govt is also a democratic govt which is ruling by majority. India has its own house to put in order before it starts preaching others and souring relationship with strategic partners. Why the entire world was a silent spectator when USA was violating human rights left, right & centre.  What next … we will sniff our ties with Bangadesh on Teesta river, with China on some other issue. I completely agree that India must play a proactive and vital role in maintaining pace & human rights in the South – East Asia Pacific region, but that must be through continuous dialogue.



Cut : Two A girl in Delhi, is brutally raped and killed, the nation erupts, its psyche brutalized.  Common men expected a political renaissance and a change in attitude towards women. A committee was formed, which acted promptly to recommend some pivotal changes in the judicial system. Three month later we made a mockery of the death of that Girl in the parliament by debating for a week on the age of consensual sex. Some of our eminent and shameless ministers also gave example of Shila’s and Munni’s to drive home their point that eve teasing is a socially acceptable practice.  We epitomized the dead girl as “Nirbhaya” and conveniently went back to our “Nirlaja” way of functioning.

For us “means” no more justify the “end”. As we keep treading on a path of convenience than of conviction, future looks bleak. The only saving grace is the future generation, which seems much more aware and upright about what it wants and how it wants.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Kai Po Che : A movie made with a heart


 Nothing fascinates India the way religion, politics ,cricket  and cinema does . Abhisek Kapoor decides to take the first three as ingredient to cook an absolutely delectable dish. At the turn of the millennium, the nation went through three defining moments – one underlining the fury of nature- the Earthquake that rocked Gujarat in Jan 2001- another, a shameful incident that brought forth the sick psyche of a section who tarnished the image of a secular & peace loving nation – the Godhra Carnage, the third one, the snatching of victory from the jaws of defeat by the Indian cricketers, that inspired the nation and gave it the confidence to dare to win.

                                  
  Based on Chetan Bhagat’s novel, “Kai Po Che” is a byproduct of deft direction, crisp screen play, astute cinematography, remarkable casting and absolutely magnificent performance. Set in the backdrop of the three defining moments it projects the trials and tribulations that the friendship of three male protagonists go through.But it is not only about their bonhomie but also about the aspiration to succeed. While the first half captures the friendship with lazy elegance, post interval the script picks up pace with sudden turn of events.  Kai Po Che beautifully projects the emotions, be it the dream to win, the frustration of failure or the confusion of what to do, all of us must have gone through at some point or other. Its protagonists are easily identifiable; hence it connects with the audience.

Rajkumar Yadav is the actor to watch out for. As a simple, matter of fact Govind he adds an awkward charm to his character. Sushant Singh Rajput as an emotional Ishaan portrays truck loads of confidence and a casual coolness that will blow you off your feet. Amit Sadh as Omi gives an intense performance, where as Amrita Puri with her vulnerability and beauty steals your heart.

However Abhishek Kapoor deserves accolades for turning a mediocre novel into a fantastic film with his skillful direction. The characters have been crafted carefully, to give each one of them equal screen presence, which doesn’t often happen in a multi starrer. And finally Kai Po Che is not because of Chetan Bhagat but in spite of him! I will go out with 3.5 out of 5 for this appetizing movie that leaves you with a bittersweet feeling that will stay with you for sometime.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Special 26 : The Con is On !


Neeraj Pandey raised the bar with his directorial debut “A Wednesday” in 2008, only to come back in 2013 with another intelligently directed cat & mouse thriller. If his earlier movie questioned the system and was much up front, this one is much subdued in its tone. His protagonists change from – “Common Men” to “Con Men”. Set in the back drop of late eighties and inspired from real life incidents “Special 26” shrewdly and wittily depicts the run & chase game between CBI and a gang of con artist who pose as CBI or Income Tax officials and rob corrupt politicians and businessmen.



What stands out in this creatively crafted cinema is the focus that has been given to detailing, be it the peculiar behavior of employees of powerful Govt organization like CBI or capturing the essence of different cities like Jaipur,Delhi or Kolkata where the conmen travel to entrap  their targets. Akshay Kumar , after a series of mindless roles finally gets to play a substantial character and gives a controlled and laudable performance. Manoj Bajpayee once again repeats what he does best, to put life into his characters. Rajesh Sharma & Kishore Kadam gets into their characters and gait, like a fish takes to water.  But one performance that deserves a standing ovation is of Anupam Kher’s. He gives an absolutely adorable portrayal of his character that underlines what a versatile artiste he is.

The script also subtly takes a sarcastically wink on the political system and the idiosyncratic functioning and set up of Govt offices. However couple of places where Neeraj fails is the unnecessary romantic side track between Akshay and Kajal Aggrawal. It only drags down the pace of an otherwise swift script. He was bold enough not to add any romantic angle and still deliver a stupendous film in 2008, wish he would have been as bold this time around. Also the director fails to extract much from Divya Dutta. Considering the amount of talent she possesses, she is wasted in the movie.

None the less Special 26 is a film that will keep you glued till the end, take you back to those sepia colored 80’s world and con you into falling in love with the Conmen. I will go out with three and half out of five.