Bond with the best:!

It s again that time of the year which brings mixed feelings to me. End of the year definitely means another opportunity to capture those last twelve months, rejoice moments that went your way and learn lessons from those which didn’t. Amongst the euphoria and excitement of welcoming the new year and bidding fare well to the current one, what seem to be the thorn in the flesh is the weather, Yes you got it right…I mean how many of us would not want to break free and be their own when it comes to an even like “ New Year”, however the weather Gods defy the timing and bring cold waves to its extreme when they are required the least. My agony with the weather has been since ages and it has stemmed from the fact that winters simply seem to win every time when it comes to disturbing my daily routine. Body just cant get active and you need an effort ten times what it takes in summers, however this winters have brought lot of great things to me and I just cant afford to complain for something which is beyond my control.

“The name is bond…. James Bond” Yes the agent 007-stood true to its name and displayed all colors a bond is known for. For reasons more than one, the year proved to be an “Activator” for me. Quite a few things, which I always used to “think”, got going. Year started on a gloomy note with riding on the bandwagon of so-called retail boom, Jan 26^th provided another opportunity to strengthen my determination to count my last days in PRIL. I decided to stay on for another six months just to add some weight to my CV.

March proved to be the better of the first six months for me. I got blessed with a nephew, my consistent efforts in proving the fact that what I was doing is not what I like finally brought results and I got a department shift in office and Cricket World Cup 2007 got rolling. If the World cup proved to be a big miss for our cricketers, the department shifts as I realized later was even worse on personal front. Still that period provided me with a lot of solace I was looking for.

A summer is the time I usually enjoy. Somehow the heat and sweat tends to bring the best out of me. That was the time when I started my job hunt with full aggression I was reading self help books! Well not for the first time but yes for the first time I did “apply” it. A simple sentence from the book “The monk who sold his Ferrari” referred to the importance of fitness. The author says “Saying that I don’t have time for fitness is like driving down with no time to fill fuel, sooner or later you are bound to get trapped!” within a week of completion of book, I hit the gym and continued for almost four months.

Autumn is usually the best time of the year and this year’s autumn brought a few more smiles than the early ones. The Chak De chants came at the right time and acted as a catalyst in my efforts to switch to the new job. My first ever flight to Mumbai brought joy and luck. Mumbai welcomed me with great weather, old friends re union and news, which my ears were dying to hear to. The selection call from Nielsen on my first day of tour meant a fully sponsored farewell trip from my last employer!

Winters brought my passion in to action with almost every Saturday turning in to a match day Cricket has brought that hidden excitement and thrill back in to my life.

My personal front got a little better and it was time to look beyond personal interests. JATAN, a great initiative by my fee fellow batch mates about salvaging small-unprivileged children and supporting their education. Though being a member of this great move, I was least involved either physically or financially. It has largely been said that Sports is a great teacher and teaches you most important lesson of life. My passion about game of cricket got a new partner with JATAN. India tour of Australia was always the most talked about tour and I wanted to cherish every moment of it and at the same time do something which can help the JATAN gain momentum and that was it! “Cricket 4 Care” was born and a super selector form game was devised and invitation was sent to almost every body I know with a small condition, an entry fee of R.s. 100/ which would be donated to JATAN for further enhancement in their efforts towards providing a better tomorrow for those kids.

Today C4C has completed round one with 16 teams registered and many more knocking doors to be included further, I am sure the efforts and this noble act would definitely bring smiles on the face of those innocent victims of life and will ensure a brighter future for them, On this note, I would like to wish all of you all the love, success and blessings from GOD in 2008, Have a great year ahead…and keep rocking!

Been there, Done that ? !!

On this morning, I picked up the latest issue of Outlook, disappointed with the word go, I continued to read in a hope of some thing to rejoice being in the middle of festive session, but news continue to give me more frowns then smile, Lazily, I moved to pick up the remote, all news channels have one common “breaking news” that is Om Shanti Om vs Sanwaria!.

That very moment I receive a call form one of my school time friend, I remember, we used to be best of buddies (we actually started going school together in the same rickshaw!). Pleasently surprised, a thrust of fresh air blowing away dust of old memories swiped my mind. Before I could actually start chit chatting with my chuddy buddy, he announced about his wedding this month..”Marrr..ia..ge?” I asked in a broken voice in disbelief. Off course I wasn’t expecting it at all. After all he is of my age with similar aspirations and family background and responsibilities, For that matter I was more like a family member in his home at one point in time…marroing ratta together for school exams and needless to say going out together for babe watch too!

Before I could sink in the news, my social obligation nerve reminded me to say congratulations! Though I wont say much about my emotions

Then followed series of questions like, her name, where she lives..etc..

Going back last year this time was the first time, I got introduced to the word called Marriage amongst my age group or rather my friends to be more precise. The chain off course started with ladies leading from the front and that honestly did not bother me at all knowing our culture and social pressure on them. Few months later, few more announcements of engagements again with all female friends involved. Other section of people involved were all at least two to three years senior to me in age so that thing also went down easily considering the age group. Since that time till today, I have seen almost half a dozen wickets falling around me, for every dismissal, I had a back up plan in my mind to justify it either with the factor like seniority or social pressure in case of girls but off late there to have changed. The last wicket to fall is one who neither has gray hair (though I believe one shouldn’t have a single gray hair at the time of wedding but should be ready to see one pretty soon after that!) nor does he has any social pressure or family obligations like stuff on his side It is a case of a straight delivery pitched at around middle and off with no shot offered, one cant help but give such a batsman out. And that’s what seems to be happening all around now! Every other friend you meet is either getting ready to bid farewell to bachelorhood or at least interested in exploring options.

“Profile banane mai kya jaata hai?” said one of my other old friend referring to a website offering matrimony services. So what is that driving today’s youngster to early surrender? One thing that stands out is high salary, which is giving them enough confidence to be responsible enough for taking care of a family. In a way it is good to settle early and plan your next innings early in life. Only factor to be kept in mind is how well padded up are you? Becoz it is that stage of life where once you enter, you cant help but burn your boats to rescue so In my opinion it has to be well thought of decision with enough deliberation. Other angle to it is how much have you enjoyed your single hood? Are you ready to say, “Been there done that?” Probably there are lots amongst us who have attained the maturity level, which is required to take such responsibility and my congratulations to all of them for being ready early in life to face next innings which in fact is inevitable for all of us and certainly seems to be full of joy and accomplishment once you are ready to go and fire and with all the protection (financially sound and mentally stable…. what did u think? :) …So all those who have already entered in this beautiful phase or about to enter and all those “aawaras” like me for whom the milestone still seems like light years away, tell me what you think about it and you win a couple ticket to honeymoon location of your choice :)

Fast..Furious...Leaders!!!!

They came, they saw, they fought and unexpectedly conquered. This is how probably the first ever T 20 world cup would be penned down in the pages of history. Indians who were nowhere before the start of the tournament, finally emerged as the world cup champions, a dream which was cherished in the hearts of billions since 1983 but it would be too early to draw any kind of comparisons between the two feats.

The very first match set the tone for the tournament with Gayle from windies hitting towering sixes all around the park putting up an impressive score of 206 in 20 overs only to be over achieved by protease. The opener sent the signal that this format for weak and mediocre. What we saw later on would always be etched on the heart of every Indian for ages to come.

The first match with Ireland forced both teams to share points due to rains. Yuvraj chose Englishmen for his dinner as he pounced on them hitting famous six sixes in one over from poor Broad, Flintoff by then just learnt the lesson of not igniting the tiger of Punjab and his facial expression after the third six was hit said it all. I personally believe that the argument between the two just before Broad’s over had a great influence of what Broad had to face for the next six balls. Collingwood helplessly changed fielding but Yuvi was in no mood to show any mercy.

The match of the tournament for me was the first league match between the archrivals India and Pakistan. The battle that every one waits and none of them could afford to lose. India set up a mediocre score of 143 but did well to restrict Pakistan to produce the first ever bowl out, a method to decide the winner pretty much on the lines of penalty shoot out in football. Indians seemed pretty relaxed and enjoying and hit first three while Pakis made a mess of it not hitting even once! As a result India won the bowl out and world realized that the euphoria and the aura around Indo – Pak clash isn’t exaggeration but for real and by far the best sporting clash between any two arch rivals.

Riding high on pak win, Mahi’s boys did not look back and despite the loss to new Zealand, beat big players of the ring by kicking South Africa out ofthe tournament. Greame Smith by then realized that his team has lost more than just a match. The next big battle, which every one expected including me India to lose, was against aussies. India again reminded them that this format can’t be taken for granted and you need more than just skills and power to win here. India stunned the world and entered finals only to realize that they will be facing Pakistan once again but this time in a battle of life time, a battle which would define death or life for either of the teams.

Like a good commercial bollywood movie, the plot thickened towards the end as Pakistan too proved its point and was now face to face with Indians in the finals of the world cup. A clash that every Indian and Pakistani dreamt and his or her prayers got answered. India entered finals with the tag of favorites and were truly were till the last over when Misbah from Pakistan stunned the billion population of India by hitting a six off Joginder Sharma. The victory was just a strike away for Pakistanis, as they required only 6 runs off 4 balls. The only hope India had was to take the final wicket and then Joginder Sharma bowled the delivery of his life, Misbah tried to loop it over the fine leg only to balloon it towards square leg for a fine catch to be taken by Sreesanth. The whole India erupted in joy.

The pictures that we saw will not erase ever from our hearts. After 24 years, India won the world cup!Celebrations, praises and awards are being showered over the mahis’s team and why I am labeling the team with his name is because of the leadership he has shown during the tournament keeping his cool at the crunch situations and making the right choices at the right time. Bowlers in my opinion still are the weak link but the heartful performances by Pathan, RP and Shreesanth does ignite a strong light of hope which I hope becomes thicker with time…but for now, in the race of fast and furious, Indians lead!

Fast 'n' Furious..

The sound is deafening, the drumbeats are unstoppable. It’s fast and furious. As the International cricket today enters in to a new era putting behind any doubt or qualm what so ever, the stage looks ready for the new reckoning to begin.

It’s not been long since the pundits of cricket were debating about the viability of the twenty – twenty formats and its sustainability. In fact when we talk about twenty – twenty formats, too much has happened too soon at times for the discomfort of the cricket fans. However the message that ICC wants to convey is loud and clear. After experimenting it in England, Australia and involving all test playing nations at least once in to this ninety minute thriller, It is all set to roll out the first ever world cup of twenty – twenty.

Some veterans might be relating it to 1975 when ODI cricket took wings with the first ever world championship. Not surprisingly, the doubts and theories have not changed since then. The fitness level of a player taking toll and techniques becoming an ancient word etc. are genuine areas of concern and worth a debate. But what obviously seems to be overruling these apprehensions is the commercial aspect, which is huge and off courses the fun and thrill for everyone including players.

This ninety-minute thriller conceptualized at the head quarters of international cricket, England is a treat to watch with every ball promising to be a thriller in making. The rules too add to the fun with every no ball has to be followed with a “free hit” where by batsman can be out only by run out. The bowlers have a definite death here and only the strongest of the batsman species will survive and hence Australia becomes the natural favourites with the likes of hussie, hayden and gilchrist all set to send the opposition for some leather hunt.

Talking about contenders, India too would feel confident going in to the tournament with a test series win and close encounter in the ODI against England, and to complement it, India had win the lone twenty – twenty match played against South Africa. There is every reason to believe that Indian team is going in to this tournament toothless as the big three opting out of the tournament but on second thoughts, this game is not about brains neither it is about experience. It is about speed, execution and going all out to do best on every single ball, as it would be over before you can imagine.

Accurate fielding, on target throws, array of boundaries and towering sixes…Welcome to the new age which will change the way you would look at or rather play the game…It is going to be fast and furious!

Bindaas Bol !

There was a appalling silence for almost a minute…. And it was uncomfortable especially considering the laugh riot we were having few moments earlier until some body mentioned the word “SEX” which unbelievably sent everybody in to their shells. The eyes avoided each other’s direct attention and few looked like as if they would rather bury themselves in a deep hole beneath ground rather being alive at that very moment. Somebody decided to break the dead air” Come on guys, let us not discuss such topics”. “Such topic? What do you mean by that? I intercede. “We are living in 21st century and supposedly the new generation which should take responsibility of spreading the right information and be open to discuss your so called “such topics”.

This is what happens day in day out across the streets, houses, even pubs, offices, market places and now even in the political corridors too! The Indian society has long lived in the shadow of avoiding the taboo of sexuality. I still remember the joke, which at our school we used to play with friends, which goes some thing like…”Some dum has come to meet you!”…Kaun Dum? And then goes a big hoo haa and laugh riot enough to embarrass the poor chap who does not realize that he has just uttered a word which has been long forbidden from the so called civilized and open society of our country where by just mention of the word “Condom” can make you under a trauma of social embarrassment and he makes sure that this embarrassment does not carry forward to his children so he decided to keep his mouth shut on “such” issues and avoid any mention of a term even remotely linked with sex, condoms or even burning issues like AIDS/HIV which need an urgent attention by not one but all.

Talking about everybody, our government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that our tradition of avoidance and ignorance continues and at the same time boasts of a government, which is committed to uproot the epidemic of AIDS from the country. We never suspect Laloo Prasad Yadav that he thinks much about family planning, now he justifies it with opposing Sex education in country. Dr. Harshvardhan , the former Health Minister is of firm belief that the country can do without sex education. He of course lived his life without any such education and now he wants the trend to continue with the next generation. What our politicians do not understand that they were not faced with an epidemic of a scale as big as HIV/AIDS and they followed the easier and convenient path of non mention of sexuality in their books, discussions (with no denial to the fact that Pamela Anderson must have made them crave more and more “information” which was easily available through magazines which only to be founded in the back seats of their toilet seats.

Dr. Murali Manohar Joshi, senior member of NDA has gone even further. “The teaching of sex education will lead to creation of an immoral society and will also collapse the education system”. Immoral society! Collapse of education system!!
Yes, you are right Mr. Joshi, no education of sex would only contribute in building high morals in the society and would do the entire education system a proud with the numbers of increasing cases of AIDS/HIV, rapes, sexual assault etc.

There is a clear understanding and empathizing with the fact that the speed with which the society is changing, it might be disturbing and a little uncomfortable for the oldies and rightly so. But the protest here is against the vulgarity, expression of sexuality in open and exposure of uncensored information through wrong channels to the next generation but definitely NOT against sex education. Most of the protestors have taken the term wrongly. Sex education is nothing but clear source of information about sex and teaches the youngsters on how to be a responsible citizen and a family person. The protests are defintelely NOT against the condom promotion but rather the mass media, which promotes its use in obscene and vulgar manner. (How many of us feel comfortable watching the advertisement of Amul Macho and for that matter Durex when our parents are around ?)

The corrected figures of HIV infected cases in India is still a grave area of concern with almost 2.5 million of population is in the trap and growing at an alarming rate promising to be soon bypassing Africa to be the number one. Responsible nations across the world have adopted a pragmatic approach in dealing with this monster and it takes nothing more than shrugging off your ego to come out of this social stigma and embarrassment.

Government or no government, the fact of the matter is that the solution to the situation lies with youth, so next time your friend stops you to discuss “such” topics, ask him and encourage him to “Bindaas Bol”

FM Radio in Delhi - Roar with a "meow"

It all started with Ameen Sayani…who in a big way is responsible for glamorizing and popularizing the dying profession in our country. All India Radio once used to be the pioneer in the frequency space, today faces stiff competition from the likes of industrialists like Times group, India Today group, Times group, Entertainment Network (India) Limit etc to name a few. The above mentioned have not just taken the radio to a next level but also redefined the way the entertainment to ears used to be.

The era of interactive radio started with the players like Radio City (91.1), Radio Mirchi (98.3) and Red FM (93.5) and listening to radio was never the same again. The old gold image of radio was changed to hip-hop, rocking bolly wood songs from the latest flicks with pop songs.

Though the road to sustainability in the market was never going to be easy with Government of India being reluctant to open the market for private players and creating entry barriers such as high license fee. Still the wave had to hit and it hit strong taking the market along. The increase in competition saw the quality of programming achieving new heights and with the race on to grab every audience on, the variety in terms of programs and quality to serve got better and better.

Today Radio is not just a medium of music; it is much more than that. Right from morning hours to late night “love guru” shoes, radio now captures every moment of our day. The race is stiff and no one wants to lose space. The latest additions to the family like Fever 104 (Virgin Group) has taken the medium to an interesting platform where the channel is distributing money to the audience by asking them to participate in a game. 95 Fm is another channel, which like fever focuses more on national and international hits while 92.7 Big FM that has a contract with Actor Abhishek Bachan has entire bolly wood on their platter.


In the heat of competition it is becoming difficult for the companies to keep the audience with them. And fortunately or unfortunately every person with a pair of ears in place is an audience for the market. The marketers here face an interesting challenge as unlike TV shows, audience here is bound to sway away in the absence of quality and most importantly if the mood is not right! So how do you measure that the songs which you have on your play list to offer to the audience is in sync with they’re mood?

The answer is not clear as understanding consumer behavior in this scenario would be difficult a it pertains to the “emotional quotient” of the audience and hence it becomes extremely important for any service provider to establish that emotional connect.
Radio channels hence are focusing on creating shows and more importantly RJ’s. Besides human element, these channels keep the audience on their toes by keeping them in the loop by providing weather, traffic updates, playing hourly contests and initiating debates on current or social topics. So how does one create a niche when every channel has same audience and similar challenges and opportunity?

The Cat is here with a big bang. Err I mean “Meow”. Last week saw the launch of first ever radio channel dedicated only towards women. The channel seems to be a runaway hit with callers from all class, cities (mostly women). The channel tactics are clear, to capture the audience which listens to radio most often and for longer hours than any one else. Also the time of launch seems to be perfect as staying home is a far better and preferable option for housewives and working teachers who are in the middle of there summer break.

Whatever the \is success story means for the customer, it does not seems to bother our Prasar Bharti which apparently was the first one to graduate to FM wave but at the moment is silent and has retained its original touch and following the story of how DD has reacted (or not reacted) against private players in the short screen domain.

So whether it is “Dilli ki sabse pehle uthne wali ladki, Dilli ki Mahek” or “ Khurafati Nitin” or love guru, they are here to rock you all and they will not rest till they have every second of your non-working hour devoted to their channel. So next time you buy a mobile, a car stereo or for that matter a music system, make sure that it has the potential to incorporate all of them as it will simply get bigger and better!

Tine to rock n roll !

The moment has come for which billions of people across the nation were waiting for.....
ICC cricket world cup 2007 rolls out today.
The baap of all cricketing events, it is the most prestegious sporting event currently.
Well I am sure that being an Indian, I dont have to go on and on to tell you the importance of this mega event...Cricket is a relegion in our nation and world cup is like a "maha kumbh"

Well what distinguishes this edition from the earlier ones is that this competition is wide open. No team at the moment looks like a clear winner and with Australia coming to this event with straight 5 matches loss, it makes things a little more confusing for cricket pundits.
The best way to play would be to not to put money on any team...

As an Indian I wish, Rahul Dravid and his team comes back home with cup in their hands...
Please join me in wishing Indian cricket team. It's a small video dedicated to every one who at one point or the other have prayed for team India, or criticised for it's loss but now is the time to give the team our wishes and support...Please do let me know about how it was as it was my first attempt on doing something like this...enjoy! ..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCAMVmk-cfI (Do keep the speakers on!)

Time to look back....and race ahead!

It’s again that time of the year to adjust the rear view mirror, wink about little jerks, crushes, and laugh out loud for all those exuberating moments which actually turned the tide for many including us!
The most important aspect to looks at is the learning and how to inculcate the same and reach to the next level. Well unlike Vir Sanghavi ,Karan Thapar ,HT or TOI, I m going to bore you with my personal ride which for me was no less than a roller coaster ride and to be fair which was nicely build up in the initial six months. In fact if I see broadly, the entire year can be divided in to two segments, the first six months and the later six months. Both in complete contrast to one another where first one saw anxiety, and opportunity to utlize time and the other one saw being literally on toes and looking for an opportunity to get some time, leave apart sparing it.

The year 2006 can be marked as the year of experiments and adventure, some successful, some mistimed but ensuring thrill and excitement at every step. The best part was the list of friends kept on increasing thanks to pagalguy and orkut. Fooling real life, today people meet more often on such networking platforms than face to face. Today I am in touch with 150 odd such people who have helped me or whom I have helped but we hardly know each other when it comes to meeting face to face.
The highlights in the year long innings account mainly to the fall of wickets with few strokes which looked well hit but didn’t seem like reaching to the boundary. One of those is the time when I alone stood the test of times and struggled to realize the dream of few men and a lady who were better known as “League of extra ordinary gentlemen with a sweet lady” i.e the placement committee. And many others who were close to my heart and to the endeavor but not officially in the playing XI As any team effort would, this too was bound to see the light of day and it finally did, with the tireless efforts of many and prayers of even more got answered. At the farewell, I realized the importance of a student life, as it came to dusk, we all looked upon to the new dawn of our career. The tears in the eyes of many signified the belongingness to the campus and to the fellow peers and that too despite all disputes and competition. The first lesson was learnt I guess with many more to follow for especially me who was resting away to glory as the wait for my joining became more irritating than fun.

My experience in a BPO for 2 months was actually an eye opener for me. Not that it was the first time I was working for a BPO but the intensity of the work pressure which I saw this time was way too different from the earlier one. The uglier side was clearly visible. There I met people with a slightly different approach. Sitting in a group of 10 and being the only virgin was one feeling which I never experienced till that time. Those two months also proved that I can keep things to my self for that long where I was a graduate with a work ex of sales. Without any efforts, I was the top performer in my team proved the fact that you need little or absolutely no brains to become an agent in this sector. My list of friends kept growing and few of them are still in touch. I had absolutely nothing to lose at that time except some sleep and health which was a way to go for most of the employees out there
By the time I decided that enough is enough, I didn’t know that I had collect enough experience to play down this industry and winning a second prize on a public platform.
Now, that’s a different story that I can emerge as a winner speaking about few other industry as well!

July 1 2006 marked the beginning of my career in the so called “booming” industry and that too with the number one player. With all hopes and anxiety in sight, the day one can well be described like all padded up with no play due to rain. What followed was the recovery and it is still on. The future looks sun shine bright for the industry and the company is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring the greatest pie in that.

The next high point came when I was back with the class of 2006 probably for the last time on a common platform. The convocation day was one shot which was timed to perfection. The next day I had to leave for a 8 day trip and had the day been scheduled during that stint, I would have missed the experience. The day brought all the professionals back to where they belong. I could still find that innocence of a student in many of us. Some including me would agree that college spoiled us to the max but it’s time for pay back and that too with interest. Though looking at the placement scenario this year, we would still choose the receiving side which I am afraid is no longer available.

The year which was started with a holy trip to Vaishno Devi and Amritsar closely missed out on the perfect climax of rishikesh. In the former one, I enjoyed the 450 Kms drive and thought would be the lifetime one,


In the later one I was on the verge of enjoying the ride in chilling conditions on bikes covering more than 500 kms. But I am proud to be associated with the group who did that and they would soon feature here.

Enough about me I guess, It would be unfair if I don’t devote at least a day of high points of the nation.
Not often that you witness a day when history reckon itself and that too in more than one way. December 18th 2006 was one such day when anything and everything looked to take India as a nation to a different level.
The justice prevailed in Jessica Lall case and Manu Sharma would be a history pretty soon now. The decision has not just provided relief for the family and friends of the celebrity but also reinstated the belief and trust for many in the judicial system.

Indian Cricket team wrote history after beating South Africa within four days of the first test match to emerge as a stronger unit. The high points for this match were clearly the team effort where everyone contributed and off course the marvelous return of the king in the arena. Saurav Ganguly offered a chance to play in the first test match grabbed the opportunity with both hands sending a strong signal to the selectors that the tiger might have grown old but the roar is still stronger than bites of many others.
This test match also marked the return of form for Zaheer Khan and VVS Laxman while Kumble once again proved that why he just can’t be ignored. Though the star for the match was Shreesanth who showed guts with his bowling in both the innings and also did the “willow dance” to put proteas on the back foot.

Year 2007 would be crucial for many including the Indian Cricket team as they approach towards World Cup 2007. Last time we missed it in the finals; this time we will let others do that while we lift the trophy!


President of America, Mr. George Bush chose this very day to rewrite history in the Indo-US relationship when he signed the Indo US nuclear deal while stating India as “Responsible nation” and a “friend”. A deal which would send a strong message to the entire world community that the emerging land of opportunity is ready to shine even brighter.

Well, with that high note, let’s hope we have more of such days in 2007. May everyday in your life in 2007 turns out to be a new highlight full of glorious strokes with no bad decisions!

Wish you all a great year ahead!
Welcome 2007!