Thought for the Day - What Does the End Mean To You?

It is something we do often. We label an end and forget about it. What do you want? Money. Success. Happiness. Peace. Wealth. Harmony. Having used the word we settle back pleased that we have fixed our noble targets somewhere. This is what I want!

But the key really is to find out what those words mean to us. What does happiness mean or what does money mean or what does success mean to you?

Take money for instance. To some it could be a billion, to others a million, to some others thousands. But at what stage, at what number, does "money' really mean what it means to you. If we could say a steady supply of Rs. 1 lakh a month or a one time bounty of Rs. 10 lakh is what 'money' means to you, then we have some meaning to the words.

Or take success. It could be a job position, a car, a house, a way of dressing, a lifestyle with all the gadgets or anything else. But unless we can sit with ourselves and see what it means to us really, we are not saying anything. If success is having a Mercedes, a duplex apartment ins some swanky area, a club membership, foreign vacations etc then we have some meaning to that word.

Or happiness. From sitting under a tree, to retiring, to working with children, working on a dream project, to being with friends - it could be anything. We are mouthing words that don't mean anything. We need to find out what those words mean to us to actually get there. These meanings are our own!

The IPL Franchise Owners - Entertainment Value

It's fun to see the IPL franchise owners. They are an odd lot, accompanied by an odder lot of people around them. Some behave like hysterical fans, some behave like they are the ones who are actually playing, some are absent totally. But when I noticed the problems the KKR franchise owner has been having with the MCA officials and the way the RCB owner courted controversy over his player's molestation charges, I decided that its time to take a look at this lot - whose job is rather thankless, much like the umpires or the cheerleaders. I decided to give them the space they need and rank them on their entertainment value. Sometimes they provide more drama than the cricket as we can see!

1) Kings XI Punjab
The one that takes the cake for sheer entertainment value is  Priety Zinta because she is worse than the most hysterical fan any side can ever have. Flag waving, jaw dropping, screaming, jumping, nail biting and cheering her side along, the pretty owner of Punjab XI steps free of controversy mostly. She is great to watch except when for her exuberant hugs to the players and her take on the game occasionally which she does in an American accent. Why Priety, why? 'It's not just batting and bowling, but fielding is important,' she said in all seriousness the other day.

2) KKR
SRK closely follows her because he usually arrives with an interesting bunch of people. He is interesting himself as he takes victory laps around the field after his side wins (my man isn't that the player's job) and is constantly waving at the crowds despite looking totally tired. Funnily I felt SRK was looking happier when KKR was losing than when they are winning. (Has he not grown out of his Baazigar days - Haar Kar Jeetne Wale Ko Baazigar Kehte Hain?) But messing up with security walas is not befitting his status - he ought to have a team that sorts out the security people and stuff. Why is MCA banning him though? Jealous? Bd sports? I support SRK on the fracas - franchise owners cannot be banned because of security people's issues.

3) RCB

Siddharth Mallya should be on top actually because he is really the most unpredictable of the lot. From tweeting gross details of his dates at late night parties to kissing India's hottest babe Depika Padukone in full public view  the irrepressible Mallya is great fun. One does not know what he is up to and one also suspects the even he does not know what he is up to sometimes? But for fun quotient he is right up there.

4) Mumbai Indians
Neeta Ambani gets as animated as any school kid at her team's fortunes. Her reactions are so genuine that  at times you feel sorry for her for getting a team like that. The Mumbai Indians have no heart for their franchise owner however and they merrily keep winning and losing really close matches, giving gaalis and getting into fights with all and sundry. But she is there all the while with one of the most expensive teams, most expensive support teams, most number of people on the ground and still having to fight for every win. She is supported by some die hard fans like her sons, Anu Mallik, Vidhu Vinod Chopra and others.

5) DC
Gayatri Reddy, the young owner of the DC team is all poise and grace as she supports her team through thick and thin - actually change to - mainly thin. She is not easily excited and keeps her emotions in control which is a good thing when you have a team like DC because you cannot afford to burst out into tears often! At best she allows herself a big smile and a hearty clap for her team. A composed and supportive owner she is always there for the team - despite the team being almost never there for her. But still the smile on her face when DC won yesterday was worth watching - she truly supports DC - which is amazing after their performance this year.

6) Rajasthan Royals
In the absence of Shilpa Shetty we have to do with Mr. Kundra who gets the odd Bollywood face along with him for increasing the fun quotient - like Harman Baweja for instance. Remember him? Harman actually did a cricket movie the name of which I forgot. Kundra is articulate and gets the right bytes across but we'd rather watch the more emotional, constantly praying Shilpa Shetty any day. Next year perhaps!

7) Delhi Dare Devils
The GMR scion sits on the franchise owner's sofa (which is in a rather exposed and dangerous place in the ground if you ask me with balls flying around like missiles) with his young children. If I am not mistaken it is Kiran of the GMR group who manages the Hyderabad airport and the Delhi one too perhaps, who sits in the franchise sofa often. I have never seen him speak not have I seen him animated over the game. Delhi is winning all games comfortably so the GMR guys are pretty cool about it - as if they know the result already. 

8) Pune Warriors
The Sahara group scion is easily spotted in the Pune games. I have not seen him get too animated either. he sits with a bunch of his friends and associates quietly and watches the fortunes of his team as they dip and dip and dip this season. Nothing much on entertainment value as the Pune Warriors are a dignified and reserved lot - not prone to jumping, hugging, flag waving, kissing and molesting their players.

8) Chennai Super Kings
Who are the owners of this side? Where are they? How do they look? No one knows. The only thing we heard was that Srinivasan's son threw a tantrum in Mumbai and was taken to the police station or something like that. Now that was interesting because until then we never knew who the owner's of this team were. Anyway with him visiting the police station and the bars in town, there's no one around to take support this team. Poor Dhoni has to do it himself!

That then is my ranking on the IPL franchise owners and the entertainment value they provide. Thanks guys you're all doing a great job!

Aadhaar Cards Arriveth - A Traumatic Experience

The Aadhaar cards arrived in important looking envelopes last week. I was mighty pleased to receive my Aadhaar card because I had made much sacrifice to get it. But wait a minute - there are only two envelopes when we are three. The grumpy postman revealed the secret - he said he was making multiple trips to each household due to this rather haphazard manner of sending the cards by the Aadhaar people. Perhaps they have some complex method of segregating family members which we do not know yet. Anyway I was beaming all over with my envelope until I was asked by the Automatic Mood Corrector at home - Why are you so happy?

I don't know why I was so happy really. I was probably under the impression that the Aadhaar card would put an end to all my troubles and be the one card saviour that gives me endless access to all the good things in the world - a universal ATM card so to speak that I can insert wherever and get all that I want. To be honest this initial exhilaration was similar to the feeling I got when I got my many other cards - I have several from government agencies such as the IT people, the election card, the ration chaps, the RTO chaps - cards, passbooks, ids and such stuff which I have never used. Most of them lie in an old briefcase in the attic and I preserve them carefully in case some authorities decide to verify me.

When I opened my envelope my enthusiasm dulled considerably. Firstly the face on the Aadhaar card did not match my normally happy, vibrant, smiling, enthusiastic, handsome face. The face actually looked like the face of someone who was not in a good shape at all. I hid the card instantly from public areas. Upon discreet enquiries I found that most cards had photos like that where the people looked like they were freshly brought in from famine struck areas or some disaster or something like that. How could I ever use a card like this with a picture that no one would ever recognise? Least of all myself? In fact it is a good exercise to disown  oneself.

One would say - but that is how you look my friend! I contest that vehemently. I have many pictures where I look just fine and alive and happy and happy to be alive. I have proof. But when it comes to the government agencies I do not know what goes wrong - all the pictures look like they have their life sucked out of them. Does the government camera or mechanism have some process where they suck the life out of the faces even in photographs? It is amazing but every single picture taken by the government agencies has this quality. Is it about their lack of interest, about our faces after the experience there, about the mechanism - I don't know but that is the truth.

I hid the card away and it joined the other cards for life in that briefcase. I had also found out that the Aadhaar card with its impressive tag line "the common man's right" is merely helpful in availing government and non-government services in future. It is also only proof of identity and not an ATM type card and that's it. In fact they did complicate the identification issue as I expected - to establish identity one has to authenicate online, whatever that means. No one will ever be able to make out that the picture on the Aadhaar card is mine so I will have to authenticate online, offline and whatever lines they want me to stand in.

Anyway the Aadhaar card now joins the rest of my impressive looking identification cards which reveal one part of me only and take no responsibility for any other part of me. Most of them have not ever had the opportunity to see the world (and with good reason I should think) as they never have been used - they are practically useless. For now I am in therapy and have surrounded myself with some nice pictures of mine to get over the fright!

Most Dangerous IPL Batsmen to Bowl to

If I were a bowler I'd be really worried about bowling length balls or over pitched balls to these batsmen. Here the danger is all about physical danger - the ball can knock your head off in your follow through, fracture your leg or hand and cause serious damage to softer parts. Bowlers should seriously think of having protection in certain areas when bowling to these batsmen.

1) M.S. Dhoni: The batspeed and the power of his forearms makes the ball coming straight off the Dhoni blade the most dangerous. More so because he hits dead straight at your face.

2) Albie Morkel: Another guy who hits the ball so hard that its difficult to get out of the way the CSK all rounder hit Kohli for a 27 run ball over which gave CSK an unlikely win that game..

3) Ross Taylor: He winds up and smashes the ball as hard as anyone as Harshal Patel found out in the match yesterday. One of those whose timing and bat speed make all the difference.

4) Andre Russel: The man is built like a bull and hits is long and hard. What's dangerous is that he hits straight too.

5) Kieron Pollard: He hits the ball really hard and mostly finds some elevation on it which makes him safer for the bowlers. But if the balls headed for you, there's no time to pray.

6) Adam Gilchrist: The ball leaves his bat faster than most and if its headed in your direction its not a good thing to be happening. He is still a dynamite when he packs that punch.

7) David Warner:Though he prefers the offside a bit I'd still like to be clear of the ball when Warner hits it cleanly and as hard as anyone in the business.

8) Chris Gayle: He hits it hard but luckily he hits it into orbit and not flat at you so you are safe. The ball will keep disappearing into the stands though.

9) AB de Villiers:  One more from the hard hitting pack and his timing can make it difficult to judge his speed.

10) Brendon McCullum: Hard hitting batsman from KKR who dances down the pitch at every given opportunity. Hits the ball hard.

11) Virender Sehwag: Times the ball so well that it gets difficult to get out of the way. Still Sehwag's shots pierce the gaps in the field and are not murderous like Dhoni's who can pierce through the person.

12) Yusuf Pathan: Even on an off day the ball flies off the blade of the huge Pathan. But he has this gift of timing and if he finds it, his timing and power can make life miserable for any bowler pitching up to him.

Good luck bowlers and be safe.

Batsmen I Like Watching in IPL 5

My list of the top 10 batsmen I like to watch in the IPL5.

1) Ajinkya Rahane: The Rajasthan Royals batsman plays all the cricketing shots with great correctness and pedigree. He  never looks like he struggling for timing nor does he appear too technical to be stylish. He has an easy elegance to his batting, times the ball well, hits big shots with ease and has the temperament to play long innings. He can rotate the strike, innovate (that six over point against Bravo was awesome) and score the big shots and is difficult to dislodge. Without doubt my numero uno this IPL edition.

2) Mahela Jayawardene: In any form of the game Mahela is a pleasure to watch. Batting becomes effortless as he dances, glides, sidesteps and gets into positions so intuitively that everything seems perfect. The bat seems an extension of his body, the ball is caressed and never hit and everything is a act of love. There is an element of the divine here. I could watch Mahela any day.

3) Chris Gayle: For his awesome hitting power, his still head and ability to pick bowlers length and line so unerringly, Gayle is stunning to watch. But more than his power I am deeply impressed with his preparation this season -  the way he is pacing his innings, the way he played out Malinga and Steyn in much hyped contests where it would have been easy to lose his senses. He played them out quietly and went after the others. Gayle is a man on a mission and this wonderful addition to his batting makes him even more mysterious and ominous than ever.

4) AB de Villiers: That one knock of 47 against Deccan Chargers would rate as the best IPL knock I have seen. If ever a man was in the zone it was AB during that innings. The way he read everyone and everything was perfect. Nothing could go wrong and what was on display was such a delicious treat. AB would not have found a place here but for that knock but now I cannot wait to have more.


5) Mayank Agarwal: The chubby youngster from Bangalore gave enough indication of his talent with his timing and lofted shots earlier but he came into his own against the Mumbai Indians mauling everyone from Malinga to Munaf and Harbhajan. Blessed with sweet timing, the ability to hit hard and to find the gaps in the field with his inside out shots Mayank Agarwal is a batsman I love to watch and hope to see for a long long time.

6) Anustup Majumdar: The Pune Warriors lad has only played two or three games but I was impressed with his batting on his debut game. He has all the makings of someone who can get better if he is groomed properly and if he keeps his head about him. I will be looking out for him. Lovely footwork and timing.

7) Rahul Dravid: I always look for those who can reinvent and that is where Rahul Dravid is so good. Coming at the top and sacrificing his puritanical image for the demands of the game and his side, Rahul is doing a wonderful job for the Royals. Everytime he hoicks or gets into an aggressive mood, outscoring Rahane at times, it is always a pleasure to see how this man has reinvented himself and so well. When we see the others who are not able to, it makes his distinction even more apparent.

8) Kevin Pieterson: That hundred he got the Daredevils was all class and Kevin Peterson is someone you can always depend on to do something impossible each time he steps on. It is precisely for that factor that Peterson brings with him that makes him such a star in a tight game. Power, subtlety, temperament, technique, innovation, charisma - he has it all.  

9) Venugopala Rao: I like this lad for his simple and uncomplicated approach to his batting which makes him something like Mahela - except that he gets lower scores in the 30s and 40s. His big hitting is all about timing and if there is one feature I'd like to point out about him is his footwork against the spinners. An underrated cricketer who never got his due but a pleasure to watch.

10) Ross Taylor: Despite his lack of form Ross Taylor showed a glimpse of what he can do yesterday when he caught the RCB bowling by the scruff of its neck and sent them into a tizzy with some awesome hitting. Highly unpredictable, explosive and one of the cleanest hitters of the ball Taylor is a man with whom you can never write any game off.


11) Virender Sehwag: Sehwag is wonderful to watch in any form of the game as he approaches it with the same outlook. His timing, temperament and technique are awesome but where he fails to impress is the lack of innovation. (But then he need not do that as he is getting his runs anyway.) My problem with our other batsmen is that they are looking too jaded and predictable.

12) Ambati Rayudu: His footwork and range of strokes makes him one of the most dangerous batsmen in the IPL and with good reason. he can innovate, step out, hit sixes, rotate the strike and keep his head in pressure situations. As good in value as a foreign player, Rayudu, lacks the finesse, but is more than effective.

13) Rohit Sharma: He is another of those who is blessed with the talent but who seems to come good only once in a while. When on song he is a pleasure to watch but it jars to see that ways he gets out on other times - some thing that smacks of a lack of preparation or some quirk in the mind. But when he batting, he looks sublime.

Thought for the Day - It's important to commit fully to one thing to find your purpose

To find our life purpose (or that one thing we're here for) it is important to commit to one thing fully. I find that we do not commit to any one aspect of our life because there are many conflicting areas - things we love against things we must do for a livelihood for example. If you wish to find that purpose, it may make sense to commit to one thing.  I personally never committed myself fully to my job nor my cricket. The only thing I have committed to fully was writing which came rather late.

Sunrise at Horsely Hills

For example a hobby (running, playing, reading, writing, singing) if pursued with total commitment could build enough energy even if you were doing it besides your regular job or academics. I did that with my writing for many years. That energy it builds as you push harder and higher would at some point align all your strengths and energies together.

If there is no hobby you could do it with your job or your academics with total commitment. When  I could not find the conviction to make the leap to write - I decided for a year to give my best shot at my job in a particular assignment. That one year taught me so much about the process of doing anything well (which is a prerequisite to getting anywhere good in the first place). And soon I found that that stint gave me the confidence to quit the job and then choose to write.

Since i have chosen to write I had to do a good job of it anyway. And once I started doing it to the best of my capability it opened up enough energy to align all my other skills, talents, qualifications. Funnily all the seemingly pointless things that we do in our lives add up in the big picture finally when we decide to do a good job with one.

To get them all together, for your best benefit, I feel that one driving passion is required. One passion that you fully commit to - before the doors open. Isn't it the same with love?

Indirom - Great Opportunity for Aspiring Indian Writers

For new aspiring writers looking to get published, here is a wonderful opportunity. Indirom is a new publishing venture that offers opportunities for aspiring writers (and established writers) in the genre of South Asian romance. What makes Indirom so attractive for new South Asian writers is the fact that they seek to make the entire publishing business so much more accessible, transparent and easier to deal with than the conventional publishing industry. Publishing a book in India is like dealing with a faceless and difficult industry which has a set of rules that are difficult to understand and fathom. From writing the proposal to approaching publishers, rejections, publication, contracts, distribution issues, payment of royalties – it could well take out all the creative juice out of the writer, especially a new writer. Getting writer-friendly publishers is a major pain point in India.

This is exactly the pain point that publishers like Indirom seek to address. They are easily accessible - one can approach them on the email with a proposal or a query. But what was most impressive to me from a writer point of view is that even the writing part is easy because they want novellas which are about 15,000 – 20,000 words in length (as opposed to your full length novel is required to be in the 60,000 –70,000 word length). This is a fantastic size for the new novelist. What is more – Indirom has a blue print for the story that can be followed while writing and then they are willing to mentor you. The submission guidelines are simple with a synopsis and the first five pages of the novel.

If I was a new writer I’d be jumping at this opportunity. In fact I am jumping at this opportunity even now after two regular novels published because it gives me an opportunity to write romantic novels of a novella size which can then translate into bigger ideas for television of movies. This is a genre that will keep me at the job of writing popular fiction.

Promoted by two highly qualified and well experienced promoters Shanti Dominic and Naheed Hassan, Indirom goes with the apt byline “Romance for the South Asian soul”. Shanti is an Electronics Engineer who has worked with multi nationals across the globe and her areas of expertise have been wealth management and private banking. Naheed is a Management and Strategy consultant with global exposure, holds an MPA from Harvard, B.Sc. Economics from University of London and MBA from the Institute of Business Administration. She is also a freelance writer with a long standing commitment to writing. Together they hope to make Indirom a means of self-expression for the South Asian writer, and the e-books, something for the readers to identify their own environment with. I know Shanti from her days at the JNTU, Hyderabad, when she was studying with my brother and I do think this is a great new venture that should do well. In fact, since the stories are only 15,000 – 20,000 words, and since romance is an evergreen theme, their books could well be a pipeline of stories for movie makers.

Here are the details about Indirom for the benefit of any new writers wishing to write. For more details you could contact editor@indirom.com.

Indirom writers:

Indirom is looking for male and female writers who can write romance novellas that have a South Asian appeal. Writers can be experienced or first timers –prior experience is not necessary. Should be able to express themselves correctly and creatively in the English language and be able to write a compelling story.

Submission Schedule

Indirom accepts only previously unpublished submissions which have not been sent to any other publishing outfit. Only electronic submissions in Word format. Submissions to be sent to editor@indirom.com.

As a first step, writers to submit minimum of a one page synopsis of the proposed story and the first 5 pages/ first chapter of the novella to Indirom.

All submissions will be reviewed and the Indirom team will revert back within 2 weeks to the writer, with either an offer letter or regrets.

Once selected the writer will receive feedback on storyline and central theme within a week. Indirom and the writer will sign a legal contract with compensation details.