“I don’t want to be a product of the environment. I want the environment to be a product of me.” – The Departed



Life is all about making the choices, right or wrong, they govern everything. Whether you like it or not, they lay out the path to your future.

Choice-1: Time series: 1990s Location: Jammu

A was the loafer of the class. The kind who incurred the teachers’ wrath to the maximum. The back-bencher who never completed his homework on time and somehow managed to fail in almost all of the exams. But, A was the one who enjoyed school-life the way he liked it and the way he wanted it.

B was the allrounder of the class. The one who made everything gold just by touching it. Be it studies, sports, extra-curricular or girls. The one envied by one and all. But, B was a teacher’s delight & parents dream.

C was the very studious and very hardworking types. The one who kept maximum distance from girls out of shyness. The one who completed all his homework on time and kept fair distance from sports, lest it interfered with his studies. C envied B and was scared of A.

'I' chose to be C.

Choice-2: Time series: Early 2000s Location: Dehradun

D was the child prodigy. The one who danced with mathematics and revolved around science. The IIT type!

E was someone who had never heard of IIT-JEE till 11th standard. Whose only goal was to excel in 12th board exams, as successfully ingrained in his mind by the teachers. The one who bi-cycled his way from one tuition to another.

F was the one who played cricket during lunch break and basketball by bunking classes. The one who fought with all those who wanted a fight in school. And the one never to miss a beautiful scenery whenever presented with an opportunity.

'I' chose to be E.

Choice-3: Time series: 2003-07 Location: Patiala

G chose to be the studious type in 1st year, the sport buff in 2nd year, the relationship type in 3rd year and the heart-breaker type in 4th year – and landed with a decent placement.

H could not come to terms with higher engg. Subjects during 1st year, struggled in 2nd year too, made some good friends (finally opposite sex as well) in 3rd year, ended with a decent CGPA and a satisfactory placement in 4th year.

I was the sporty/lovebird type in 1st year & 2nd year & 3rd year & 4th year! Placement never mattered to this NRI types…

'I' chose to be H.

Choice-4: Time series: 2007-09 Location: Gurgaon

J chose to give priority to CAT over everything else. The job took a back seat atleast in the 2nd year after lotzzzz of grinding in the 1st year! However, many new interests came upfront like booze-ism (finally!!!!), chatting & then more chatting with the beauties of NCR :P This was step-1 of the paradigm shift…

K was the star-performer-in-office types! Worked morning, afternoon, evening & nights as well as spent weekends in office too! This complete work-a-holic type got appraisals, promotions & recommendations. But not the satisfaction of cracking CAT…

L was the one who cracked CAT without compromising on the job – the multi-tasker… & as if the IIMs were not enough for him (atleast not I,K), went on to join bigger firms and the dreams of cracking GMAT & then MBA from outside & then…

'I' chose to be J.

Choice-5: Time series: 2009 onwards Location: Mumbai

M is the typical studious MBA-types. The one who attends all the classes (out of all that do take place :D), takes all the quizzes, case-studies and presentations seriously. And participates in all MBA-related competitions, henceforth is able to build a star-studded CV and runs away with a glittering summers offer!!!

N is the other side of M. Never to attend a class, unless absolutely urgent! He gives top priority to sleep, the next priority to movies, games, sitcoms, P-stuff and anything & everything which can be watched on laptop! When seen in campus (in those rare instances), his percentage time spent with opposite sex candies (again a rare species in MBA instt.) = his CAT percentile (98+) ;) And he somehow manages to keep this engagement in summers also! Luck By Chance??

And then there is O. Or should I say OMG! Time is an entity in short-supply for this MBA soul. Which means that his ‘Theory of Busyness’ makes sure that he cannot become a part of the indulgences of either N or M. Like 14 others of his batch, he is the front-runner (who unlike his name suggests is lagging behind on many fronts…). But then he chose his destiny so he really cant regret! And so he tries his best to do justice to his responsibility and to strive for a college-frontrunner balance. Whether he will succeed or not, only time can tell – but rest assured he will never be down & out! Summers – No comments please!!!

'I', yes you guessed it correctly, chose to be O. (OMG!!!) – Paradigm shift – Complete!

From C-E-H-J-O, my world has been determined by the choices I have made till now! And choices, it will be again, that will chalk out my path in the coming future – choices made by me!!

So guys stay tuned, till I happen to take the next gamble and make my next move :-)

Time to make my next choice – over & out!

Remember Remember the 18th of September!


For exactly 3 months after it all started, as the clock ticked 4.30pm & I submitted the at-LAST Communication Skills answer sheet in the examination hall a.k.a Baddy Court, the Module-1 (or statistically speaking 16.67% of my stay) in NITIE came to an end.

To say that these last 3 months will register in my Mind-Map as an exciting part of my life, will be a grave under-statement. For the events in this module have revolved in the 100% confidence interval of being ‘completely outrageous’ to ‘absolutely laugh-o-mania’. And so I decided to reward the best of them all with a well-deserved Oscar!



So, here go the nominations:

10th - “The greatest journeys are the ones that take you back home” – The ‘blessing in disguise’ swine flue time at home sweet home!

Himanshu (with that super-desperate look on his face) : Plzzzzzzz let us board the flight mam – its very important!!!

Flight official: Sorry! Only 10 minutes left for the flight takeoff now… Your too late…

Himanshu: Can it be rescheduled mam??

Flight official: Ya it can be… Go to the flight counter NOW!

And so the 3 shocked souls (Me, Himanshu & Anant) make a desperate run for the flight counter… Well it turned out to be a lucky day or maybe the start of lucky things for all of us… The flight got rescheduled :-)! We all went to our cherished homes. Initially for just 4-5 days, but the swine scare extended it to 10-11 days in the end! To get such a loooong break while studying in a MBA college & that too in the First Module is (in just word): SUPER-KOOOOOOOL

9th – Mid-term tests@NITIE... You don’t know a thing… And then the Group task begins :D

Not once, Not twice but thrice!! ‘Theory of Cooperativity’ was in full application at Syndicate-1 and to maximum effect. The Gang of Guruji, Chandu & BF ensured that the NPL (Non Performing Liability) cleared these tests with a HUGE smile on his face! Thanks guys for all the help… Rest assured, it will be payback time in Mod-2!!

8th – ‘14th-18th September, 2009’ OR ‘At My Wits End’ Week :-(

50 minutes remaining in the Marketing exam… And I felt like being the main protagonist of the movies – Dev D/Requiem for a Dream/Trainspotting! For my head started spinning, hear-beat started racing & eyes were dizzying… Well, it had to happen sooner than later – The workoload was just mind-crushing… Complete night-outs followed by 6 hours exams daily without breakfast/lunch/dinner and surviving only on tea, black-tea, biscuits took its toll. It culminated with me having to take Glucon-D bottoms up shots for the last exam :P Undoubtedly, one of the toughest times ever in my life!

7th – “Learning on the street, Nobody can beat”

MANDI’09 was indeed a life-time experience… To know more, please read my previous post guys – ‘Dial M for Mandi (2009)’!

6th – THE Gunda Movie ;)

‘Munni meri behen munni, munni meri behen munni, tu toh mar gyee? Lambu ne tujhe lamba kar diya? Maachis ki tili ko khamba kar diya?’

I had the honour of watching this cult movie in this mod & it triggered such a laughter attack that Nishant became Munni with his CRACKLING laughter. A MUST WATCH – This one will be treasured for a life-time!

5th – 7 or 8 Tequila shots!!!

Its tough to believe that around 2 years back, the use and application of the word ‘Booz’ (in every possible form) had an instant repelling effect on me. For on that Tunga night, I practically surprised myself. It was the first party at NITIE enlightened by kariaoke and the rocking atmosphere. And then it started… For someone from the opposite sex started gulping one T-shot after another & the blenders prided me just could not stand it… as far as I can remember, I was Tequalised-7/8 in the end & she won with a Tequalised factor of 8. Damn that!! But this had set the booz flowing for rest of the NITIEism :D

4th – THE GROOVE’09

The first 3 days will always have a special place in my NITIE story. For it started everything with a stunning IMPACT. For more details: do read my earlier post: ‘CHAOS THEORY – Begins & How!!!’

*Bronze Medalist* – “Escape is only the beginning” (Prison Break – Season-1)

A very good friend had advised me sometime back: If you want to know what is meant by getting addicted? Watch – PB! And he was RIGHT!!

I tasted the Addicto during my homely stay… the 40 minutes of the first episode were superb… but the ending 5 minutes shook me inside out!!! It was 3.30am then… I had to watch 4 episodes that night & slept at 6am… & the rest is HISTORY!! Back to hostel – And the sleepless & PB-full nights began… it was almost as if the (2-8)am slot was booked for PB! A deserving 9/10 on IMdB – the season had me hooked like nothing before! No TV series have had that effect on me before :-)

“Preparation can only take you thus far, after that you need a few leaps of faith…………”

As Mod-2 is about to begin now, can Season-2 be far behind..!! Ask AIR-WIND-RAJ-ANNA :P

**Silver Medalist** - The 6th Floor GANG!!!

He started as a Brave-Fart, moved on to become a Bhasadi & is now a unique mixture of Bakar (50%), that 32-teeth SMILE (20%), the supremely-organized roomie (10%) and a would-be batch topper (9%)… The rest 1% of this chemically laughing-stock mixture consists of infinite elements…………………….

He started with the Munni Act, then moved on to even bigger LAUGHING Acts such as roaring at the top of his voice (which may put his sound-blaster lappy to shame :P), falling off the bed while laughing & then gave that ultimate BOOZ-ALL-OUT act on that C-party night which will be remembered forever!! This Munji Ki Kunni, atleast for me, is the DRIVING force of our GANG……………………………….

He started with an all-sleepy-lecturey-image, then differentiated himself with some stellar on-stage comparing in Mandi & Denovo, & also delivered that PERFECT Sleepy extempore with all the nuances of this classical art! But then this was just one side of our very own Chandu. His other side as a PB initiator for me, the CS champ, a mind full of ideas, the head-banging-rocking party soul and what not…… Chandu bhai is just too good!!

This ‘C for’ guy deserves a special mention…. The only one who can contest with Munni for that elusive title of the biggest C :P For me, he is the JOKER in the pack… the icey-koooooool of them all, the guy with that amazing smile & all the bhasadi ideas up his sleeve……………

He started as a LOVE GURU, & then became the GURU of everything he laid his hands upon… A magnificent brain, he is the only one in the GANG who is more than capable of cracking the SAD-O-GHOSH code & balancing the Sundry debtors shit :P

He started as a buffety Doon bloke for me, moved on to become a 7th wonder, and is now our very own DADDU. The most stable & level-headed dude around, he is almost unflappable when it comes to setting those ghastly confidence intervals……………….

And then there is NPL, armed with that one-and-only Sui & a thing for everything that was considered traditionally BAD but modernity otherwise – the opposite sex, the boooooz & good-for-nothing guy :P

These are the 622,621,619 & 612 Gangers!

And they are the ones that make NPL’s life in NITIE a laughing riot, a freaking great experience and an absolutely fundoooooooo joy-ride!!! THANKS GUYS – Love you all :-)

***GOLD-MEDALIST***

So the time has arrived, after all those superb nominations, this has to be something extremely special to make the CUT – To become the KING OF GOOD TIMES…….

And the OSCAR goes to – “Blood, Booz & Baddy Night - The Free Fall” :) ;) :P :D

How many of us have wanted to enact the Dev D’s falling act of Pardesi??? Or wanted to know how does it feel to get KNOCKED OUT??? And to do it all in front of an audience ranging in hundreds!!! For me, it happened on that night…. The freshers party night!!!

8 shots of BP + 4 shots of Vodka can be a fatal combination… Add to that some high-octane music and dirty dancing… And one is destined to hit those dizzying HEIGHTS… So when Godmother decided to take my hand and into our own friends group, it happened: I moved a leg on that slippery all-boozy floor and the next second I was down on the floor with a BANG (to know the exact sound you can contact Saini), with my spectacles gone for a toss & I just BLACKED-OUT!! When I finally stood up with all the supreme efforts of the Saini-Mohan duo, someone just burst – ‘He is bleeding’. Yes this was BLOOD, & it was REAL.

The B-Cube combination had worked to perfection! The rest of that unforgettable night was spent in that ALL-OUT mode & I awoke a supremely satisfied soul the next day! For that ‘Free Fall Act’ will go down in my memory book as one of those – ’10 Things to Do before you Die’ :-)

THE END

P.S. They say that MOD-2 is much more enjoyable than MOD-1. Roger that :P

No, this is not any Alfred Hitchcock Movie! But the series of unforgettable events that comprised 1st of August, 2009 were nothing short of a roller-coaster ride in the realms of the unknown, excitement, thrill and most importantly – loads of learning. For Mandi – 2009 turned out to be, as was promised to me by my seniors and teachers alike, a once-in-a-lifetime experience!



The above picture says it all – “Learning on the street, Nobody can beat"...
With the BSE building looming on the left-side, the stage was indeed set for the ultimate marketing extravaganza.
And as me, the student of Management batch of 2011, NITIE ventured into the streets of Mumbai with my group, the learning curve started almost instantly.

Part – 1: ‘The famous five’ targeted VT as their first destination. The first deal was made near a bus stop. Tangrams started selling as hot-cakes there, but soon we realized that this was the only thing. Due to the low-income group present there, the high-valued products did not attract many takers. However, persistence was the keyword here and we finally managed to sell a few Jodos and Rangometry to a juice-sipping uncle to an aunty about to board the bus.

Part – 2: The second destination was an open bookshop near Fountain Chowk, MG Road. However, the journey to this destination was also not ordinary. We were able to sell toys while on foot, by making Rangometry patterns on the street-side steel rods with water! The bookshop selling turned out to be our most successful venture. We made some new toys such as cube, helicopter, crown etc. to attract customers & bingo! Uncle, Aunty, Boy, Girl, Kids, Elder people – one and everyone were a part of our customer list. Teachers were one of the main customers in the bookstore, and easily bought the concept of the educational toys. Some doctors were interested in them for their patients. However, the icing on the cake was a middle-aged man, who was pretty impressed by our product as well as the concept. The fact that he did not had the money to pay at that moment and so he rushed to the nearest ATM to get money for the products was an incredible achievement for us.

Part – 3: 90% of the products sold. Time for relaxation and chilling out. And we decided to leave VT and meet our friends at Gateway of India. And this was the biggest mistake we did! For, Gateway was already flooded with fellow NITIEians and the market was at its complete saturation. Our marketing abilities faced the sternest here now. And we did it again! YES, after lots of hardships, which included roaming like zombies all around the Gateway (after a whole day out with just a quick breakfast and nothing else). The final result: 100% success!!!

THE END: “All is well that ends well”!

And after traveling in local trains and autos in a trance on our return journey, we finally reached our very own sweet NITIE as a fulfilled soul, with a good day work, which will be remembered forever.

So this masterpiece had all the ingredients of a Hitchcock thriller!

Dial M for Mandi (2010) – Bring It On!! :-)

Its been 8 days now, since I became a follower of NITIEism, and to put it in a nutshell – LIFE HAS CHANGED! (The words in Caps are put there knowingly).

It all started with my initial footsteps into the all-green campus in the hot afternoon of 17th June. As my auto screeched to a halt in front of PGP-1/2/5 Hostel, with the huge luggage accompanying me, I was suddenly encompassed by that special feeling – last felt 2 years back in Thapar University!

Room No. 622 on the 6th floor was destined to be first year abode here, with Chandu & Nishant being my opposite room occupants, reaching at almost the same time with me. The Firsties were a mix bag. The room was in a complete mess, but pretty liveable once it was cleaned. The Mess food was not at all messy, and still holds good till now (3 cheers there). After the orkutty & gtalky interaction with fellow batchmates during the past 50 days, the time had come to meet them in real. Arvind, Manoj, Himanshu and the likes happened to be first among those. After lunch, we all had a campus stroll, which took us to the beautiful pond and the playground. Then I met my dear roomie – Bravefart a.k.a Himanshu :D We also managed to play a cricket match on the very first evening :)

But the Chaos Theory essentially began the next day: The IN-DUCT-ION programme!!

For as the clock ticked 6pm on the evening of 18th June, we all felt an IMPACT of a magnanimous kind, seldom seen before! The Intros started and the USPs and what not! From Marketing presentations to Pole dance, from Finance case study to strategy games, from B-Plan to campus tour, and from Out-of-the-box skits to the rainy bonfire dance – there was everything, so much so that it surpassed my wildest imaginations by a long range! 6-7 hours sleep in 3 days/nights – well that was all we could manage.

Amidst all the Chaos, we all interacted with each other – From 5 years work exp. Junta to gold medalists freshers, the diversity was one-of-a-kind. We had dancers, singers, athletes, sketchers, actors, intellectuals etc. and ordinary souls like me too :P The 200 something junta was definitely one of the best amongst the country. I was amazed & thrilled at the same time. Another pleasant surprise was the super-ratio of almost 1:4 that we managed to have in our 9/11 batch.

NITIE as a campus also felt so aesthetic, almost like a rainbow of colours. GREEN with all the trees around, BLUE with the pond, PINK with all the beauties being there, BROWN with the dusty playground and trekking zones, BLACK with all the mysteries surrounding some places here, YELLOW with our new hostel shades, and finally WHITE coming out as the spectrum of all colours!

Its difficult to believe that its only been a week since I came here, because so much has happened around me. With a bustling group of friends already accompanying me everywhere, with the very latest discussions focusing on Goa trip and breaking the fairer sex-code :P, I am already in an all-enjoyment mode here.

The classroom studies have commenced, the assignments are pouring in now, surprise quizzes don’t seem so far and full attendance is almost compulsory. The MBA-feeling is slowly but steadily sinking inside me now.

So as I blog down the closing words of my first post in NITIE with the clock ticking 3am (well the difference between am & pm has almost seized to exist now), I am sure that this journey during the next 2 years will definitely have a life-altering impact (the basic premise of the Chaos theory)!

NITIEism ROXXXXXXXXXX!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. The icing on the NITIE cake has been the wonderful weather in aamchi-mumbai, which after a super-humid & all sweaty first 2-3 days, is now at its rainy best! The NITIE-MUMBAI Combo has started to click guys!

The stakes were really high:

He was in a Grand Slam Final. One win away from the elusive French open crown. One victory short of a 14th Grand slam title, to equal Pete Sampras’s feat. A performance which could make him only the 7th player in the open era to win all 4 major slams. He was up against the Super-Swede Robin Soderling, the conqueror of Clay King Rafa earlier in the tournament, in this all-important final. His passage to the final had not been smooth though, he was pushed to the limit by Haas and Potro in the earlier rounds.

After almost 100 minutes of riveting tennis in the heavy clay of Roland Garros, HE DID IT. He is now G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time)!! He is the Swiss maestro – Roger Federer!

Finally, the moment had arrived for the champion. For it was on this red clay, that Roger’s untiring charge for the French crown had been thwarted for the past 4 years by Rafael Nadal, the Spanish armada. But this time the Spanish armada had sunk. On a loss that hit 10 on Richter scale, an earthquake that shook the roots of tennis folklore. Rafa, unbeaten since his Roland Garros debut in 2005, was eliminated by then little-known Robin Soderling in 4 sets. What made this victory even more shocking was the fact that this same Soderling was demolished 6-1, 6-0 on Madrid clay by Rafa himself just a month back. However this was a different Robin, as Super-Soderling unleashed a flurry of unreachable winners to strangle Rafa’s attempt to take the crown for a 5th consecutive time, hence breaking Bjorn Borg’s record. The 31-match winning streak had come to a screeching halt.

And the minute that supersonic upset occurred, Fedex heartbeat had become faster. He, of all men, knew that this was his chance. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lay his hands on the very precious French crown. The desperation, the pressure and the change in attitude could be seen in the next matches of Roger. He came from 2 sets down against the German Tommy Haas and was 2 sets to 1 down against the dangerous Argentinean Potro. As the Swiss himself said – ‘Wherever I go now, people come out from everywhere and scream – this is your chance, you have to do it this time. Its now or never’.

The 5 time Wimbledon champion, 5 time US Open winner and 3 time Australian Open owner had silenced his critics once and for all. For the only thing that separated Fedex from the title of G.O.A.T was the elusive French Open title.

However, a 6-1, 7-6, 6-4 comprehensive win over the now-famous Swede meant that Roger Federer had reached the pinnacle of glory. For whatever he may do now in his upcoming tennis future and his subsequent life, the colossal burden has been lifted from Roger’s shoulders forever now.

As one of my dearest friend ‘Sid’ quoted in his sms just after the historic victory:

“Those tears after realizing the dream of conquering the world.. that sigh of proving yet again that he is better than the best.. those glittering eyes of the legend.. the king of the kings.. yet again achieving superlative supremacy on this world of tennis-ing arena.. we salute you.. Sir Roger Federer..!!”"

Roger Federer – G.O.A.T :-)

Everyday I want to fly stay by my side,
Everyday I want to dream stay by my side,
Every morning I wish I could just play,
Wish the mornings would just stay!

This Vodafone song happens to be my caller tune. The other day a friend of mine called up and was intrigued to listen to this caller tune, which according to him is too old now.

‘Ab change bhi kar le hello tune yaar, bahut purani ho gayi hai yeh’… I thought for a second and then decided against changing it, a decision I have been making every month now. The reason is simple: I just LOVE this song! These 4 lines somehow fill my day with energy, enthusiasm and that refreshing feeling. :-)

And that’s the hallmark of VODAFONE – whatever they do just touches your heart like a wave of fresh air. Actually I am a huge fan of Vodafone, their consistently innovative advertisements have always fascinated me a lot.



As far as I remember, it all started with the erstwhile-Hutch Dog, the one that kept on following his/her master whatever be the situation (I am sure that you all remember the dog, Vodafone or non-vodafone user). Then came this lovely song. And their latest ads have won the hearts of everyone – boy or girl, young or old alike.



The ZooZoos – the white extremely funny creatures in the Vodafone ads these days!! Be it the ‘star-player of the match’ ZooZoo or the prayer singing ZooZoo or the crocodile teasing ZooZoo or the ZooZoo couple roaming around the world and so on, they have managed to put a big smile on the sternest of faces. In my case, they have triggered the ROTFL effect!! (For the uninitiated, ROTFL refers to Rolling On The Floor Laughing) :D

Such has been the ZooZoo effect, that they are everywhere these days – orkut, facebook, you name it and these lovely characters would be found fighting, screaming, laughing, grumbling or teasing everywhere! The emergence of their numerous fan clubs with stunning fan following everywhere is the testimony to their success.

In this age of state-of-the-art marketing, the ZooZoos are destined to go down as one of the cutest and the most memorable characters in the history of television.

With IPL-2009 throwing one thriller after another, it becomes really tough to bear the monotonous ads in-between the overs, with some of them being so frustrating and meaningless that I feel like bumping my head on the TV! (thank God I haven’t enacted the violent act as yet :P). The ZooZoos with their mischevious acts come as a whiff of fresh air here also. Fresh air – well Vodafone ads atleast, if not the connection also, have become symbolic of this thing to me!!

So don’t be surprised if your family doctor advises you to watch ZooZoo videos in order to stay healthy and de-stress yourself!!

A big THANKS to Vodafone & their ‘Art of Innovation’ – I look forward to the next creative advertisement from them!

Till then it’s the ZooZoos and their squeaking – Love you white cute-pies! :-)

Mumbai Indians need 12 to win from 10 balls against Rajasthan Royals…

Abhishek Nayaar hits Botha for a huge six!!!

6 to win from 9 balls.. Game Over for RR.. One can almost hear their co-owner Shilpa Shetty sigh – No Chance!

But this is IPL and RR are the defending champs led by the mercurial Shane Warne!

Botha bowls Nayaar of the next ball….. 4 to win off 6 balls…. And then Munaf Patel bowls an amazing final over as the Royals win by a whisker – 2 runs !!!


Welcome to the ‘Incredibly Pulsating League’ 2009 – the ultimate combo of cricket and entertainment, it just does not get better than this atleast for me!! What with an unbelievable amount of time at my disposal, courtesy my ongoing holiday time at home, IPL 2009 is serving as my daily dose of thrillenium!!

However, this fun & frolic saga had begun during my last EVS days only, when I accumulated a good fortune with my perfect IPL prophecies. Had I continued on with those, who knows I could have been an IPL consultant by now :P

So as this cricketing mahayudh reaches its edge-of-the-seat climax, these are my top-4 for the semis (in that order):





Delhi Daredevils: Viru and Gambhir at the top, followed by Warner, Dilshan, Villiers and Karthik and you have a super-strong 20-20 batting line-up. This coupled with a more than handy bowling attack comprising Nehra, Sangwan, now-injured Vettori, Nannes etc. and you have a really formidable outfit. Not to forget the fact that DDR is also one of the best fielding unit in IPL. Sitting pretty at the top of the table now, this has been favourite team from the start….

“Yeh Delhi Daredevils hai mere yaar, bas cricket, victory aur IPL 2009 is baar” :-)

Chennai Super Kings: Led by the captain-supreme MS Dhoni, CSK is one of the most balanced teams in the tournament and one of the favourites from the start. Runners-up last time, the team had a very ordinary start this time, what with winning only 1 of its first 5 matches. But since then the team has bounced back in style and is on its way to a semis birth. With Orange cap holder Hayden going great guns this time, Suresh Raina blazing on all cylinders, Albie Morkel as dangerous as ever and a decent bowling attack, CSK may well make it to the finals yet again.

Deccan Chargers: After hitting rock-bottom in 2008 with the last spot, the team is determined to make up for the debacle this time around. Fully charged up under the able leadership of Gilchrist, who is himself moving to top gear now, DC would be a tough nut to crack this time. The return of Symonds has further bolstered the team that also includes Gibbs. With some luck, one of the strongest line-ups in the tournament is all set to reach the last 4 stage and from thereon, anything is possible.

Rajasthan Royals: The winners of the last edition had the worst possible start this time, after being skittled out for the IPL-lowest 58 in their very first match against Royal Challangers Bangalore. But the defending champions have bounced back in their inimitable style under the inspirational leadership of Warne. With Yusuf Pathan (one of the most dangerous players in this format of the game), Graeme Smith, R Jadeja etc. in their line-up, the side is good in both batting and bowling. Their 211 runs effort against Kings XI Punjab was testimony of how the team is all set to repeat their 2008-act.

The Surprise Package: Vijay Mallaya’s RCB has been the surprise package of the tournament so far. With their latest victory against CSK, the team stays in reckoning for the semifinal birth. Sachin’s Mumbai Indians may be in a gloomy state after their 2-run loss to RR, but other teams would ignore MI at their own peril.

The Disappointments: SRK’s Kolkata Knight Riders has turned out to be the biggest disappointment of IPL 2009. After being plagued by captaincy issues at the start, the team has been found wanting on all fronts – batting, bowling and fielding despite being a formidable outfit on paper. KKR is all set to do a DC this time around. Yuvi’s Kings XI have also disappointed this time and would have to win all their remaining matches to replicate their top-4 performance of 2008. They will also hope that other results come out to their liking!

All said and done, the last phase of IPL-2009 promises to be a supremely exciting affair!!
Hats Off to Lalit Modi for making this IPL another winner amidst all the problems faced initially and despite this cricketing extravaganza happening away from home!!

So guys, stay glued to this ‘Incredibly Pulsating League’!!

Let the best team (read: DDR) win! :-)

“A Picture can say a thousand words”…

So this is my endeavour to sketch my life with 8*10 tasveers :-)


Chhonu kaka, the gol-matol always smiling whiz-kid. Well, I have always been so cute you see :P This pic was taken in Assam – my childhood abode :-)



Sonu’s birthday time – HAPPY BIRTHDAY to me :-)
I used to be everyone’s “Aakhon ka taara”! the smallest cute-pie is my sis, the other kid is Aseem (my school-friend in Jammu, who happens to be in ISB Hyderabad at present!). And the open-mouthed-almost-my-age sweet gal is my neighbor! As my mummy says, she used to wait for me near the banyan tree for long periods of time & I never used to meet her there (which sounds so unbelievable to me now). Ah those kiddish times…….



The GANG of DAV Public School Dehradun. This is actually a get-together pic. I moved on from Jammu, when I was in 7th standard. Then spent 3 years here, till 10th standard – when I faced the ghastly BOARD exams! J



And this is the KV-ONGC get-together. My 11th and 12th standard schooling here…



Thapar & I – my rendezvous with the then TIET Patiala, started in 2003……….



Hostel dayz – with 2 of my best buddies in Hostel-B (if I remember correctly). They are called ‘Sid’ & ‘SKR’!


(Rank – 5)

One of my all-time favourite pics: the titanic-pose with Sid. Behind you can see the grand lake of Thapar!



IIP, Dehradun training time… I was at ‘home sweet home’ then and so are my training friends here (in this pic).



The super-duper industrial trips that we had - The McLeod Ganj trip was the BEST one!!



The Chemcheez party!!!!!!!! “Mehfil mitran di” was a moment to savor – we all used to have a blast here…..


(Rank – 1)

The PERFECT photograph! This are the last college dayz……… we are besides the NESCAFE hut of Thapar…….. One of my dear friends gifted me this pic in a photo-frame, which is still shining in my room cupboard! Another reason for my distinct liking to this particular photo :-)



My Doon home – my abode for the last 7 years now! “The greatest journeys are the ones, which bring you back home”!! And I have always loved being here…………



The CONVO time! The last time I saw many of my college buddies…… Really miss you guys………….


(Rank – 3)

Its not really about the pic here. Buts its about the lovely soul which accompanies me here. Piyush alias Double was/is/and will always be a GREAT friend of mine!!



My first meeting with Gurgaon – the UOP interview. This is one of the most photo-genic pics of mine :-) Thanks Batta saab!



The ‘Evalueserve’ times had begun…… In Cyberpark, Gurgaon!



The rocking EVS parties!!!


(Rank-4)

The Lotus temple pic with Bhalla ji and Pat (my dearest buddy)!



HAPPY BIRTHDAY to me again!! I really love 22 December guyzzzzzz!! All drenched with Cake in EVS office :-)



My short-stint with EVS Yoga classes, which culminated in my interview on ‘The Benefits of Yoga’ on NDTV!



The Jim Corbett Offsite. Loved it inside-out!!



The Eternal Sunshine of Nainital that was a part of the EVS Offiste!


(Rank –2)

Again its not really about the pic, but the hunks there :-)
House No. 20 and its inhabitants will always remain close to my heart.



Went to the ‘City of Nawabs’ – Hyderabad recently. A fantastic place!
I will be going there more often now, what with my dear sis going for an MBA there :-)

Talking about MBA – After 24+ years of my life, that’s exactly what I am going to pursue next………… The “million-dollar” question is: Where?

1. Mumbai (Juhu Beach here)


2.Gurgaon (Metro Mall here)



Lets see where my destiny takes me next……………….

2 months and 4 days... Ha - now thats a hell lot of a time to update one's blog (more so when it has such a huge fan following :P)

But now that i m here (courtesy RJ), its time for some serious talk:

During the last few months (to be more precise after the release of Dev D), I have become a huge fan of 'Anurag Kashyap' - the Bollywood director. I simply adore his movies - it started with Dev D, followed by Black Friday and then finally Gulaal. I have also enjoyed 'Main Khuda' song from his movie Paanch (which unfortunately was not released in India & I dont know why :-(). So if any of you guys, somehow manage to get hold of it: plzzzzzzzzz let me know (& i will treat you with whatever you like!!). My future plans also include watching 'No Smoking' again (it was an OHT for me first time around - but i had a feeling that this is also a great movie). Well the only other movie to get me this OHT effect earlier was Memento, which happens to be my all-time favourite movie. So you never know...

Now coming to the point: Dev D vs Gulaal
But why this comparison you may ask? Well its triggered by one comment of my dear friend RJ (which had my head rolling like Abhay Deol in Dev D - Believe me!!). So lets do it:

1. The First Half:

Dev D - When the first half finished, I said WOWWWWW (the last movie which made me do so was Nolan's masterpiece - the dark knight!). Mind-blowing acting, coupled by a gripping storyline, tripled by a dizzying music. It was a feeling similar to my 'first tequila shot'. I was on a high, a real HIGH! The only thing i feared was that in the second half, the movie can only go down............

Gulaal - If i was Tequilaised by Dev D, then I was Blender's Pride(ed) by Gulaal (which happens to be my ultimate hangover till date, ask my dear flatmate). Yes, it had overtaken Dev D in the first half (even if it was by a whisker).

And what was the reason for this: Bold dialogues???
YES, they were one of the many reasons, not because no other movie had such a huge dosage of this censored stuff before, but because it gave the movie the REALITY that it portrayed. When in Rajasthan Rajputana, this is exactly how they talk (one of my friend from this place confirms it). And kudos for AK, for bringing this out in open like the way only he can :-)

Someone said: "Very gripless, senseless music"???
Well everyone is entitled for his/her opinion. But to me, it was almost the biggest LIE in the world (yes RJ - this really hurt)! For, i have not seen more sensible music in any movie which gels so well with the storyline, the characters, the whole setting up of the movie and which grips you right till the end..!! I honestly feel that AK has also mastered this art of giving the ultimate Movie-Music como to us - everytime without fail..!!!

Someone also said: "KK Menon is not even 1 percent of what he truly is"???
Now such a comment i think is good enough to trigger an India-Pakistan war :P
KK is undoubtedly one of the finest actors of our generation, and his Gulaal exploits again re-establish this fact. "Mrityunjay singh" role in Gulaal was made for KK. And thanks AK for choosing the best man for the job again!

2. The Second Half:

Dev D - Ah, my worst fears did not come true in the second half (thank GOD!). Dev D, Paaro and Chanda continued with their mesmerizing performances right till the end, giving the movie a well-deserved cult status. The Dev D effect was so overwhelming that whatever i saw for the next couple of weeks seemed utterly drab and forgetful. Never ever had a movie made me feel like this.............

Gulaal - My worst fears came true here :-(
The second half (though good) was unable to match the dizzying heights of the first half. The reason for that was "Dileep Singh" sudden transition from a scared piece of shit to almost terminator status. That in spite of being supremely exciting, was a touch unrealistic. Moreover, the movie somehow lost its plot towards the end as well. However having said that, the "Raanaji" song with its current political overtones and the amazing dialogues of "Prithvi Bana" (Piyush Mishra) throughout the movie were a sheer delight!

3. The Final Verdict

Somebody said: "DevD 5, Gulal 2.5" (on a 5-point scale)!!
The only person in this world that may just agree with this assessment is Nikhit Kazmi (the Times of India movie review authority). His ratings were: "DevD 5, Gulaal 3".

According to me: "Dev D: 5/5, Gulaal 4.5/5"
And thats not only my egoist verdict. That is the verdict of movie buffs nation-wide. If you are not satisfied, all you have to do is check IMDb: As i blog, the current ratings there are: "Dev D 8.7/10, Gulaal 8.7/10". OR check the movie reviews of 'The Hindu' OR just check on google, and i assure you that you will say: Bingo! :-)

4. The Best Lines

Dev D - Tauba Tera Jalwa, Tauba Tera Pyaar, Tera Emosional Attayachar...

Gulaal - Is Mulak Ne Har Shaks Ko Jo Kaam Tha Saupan, Har Shaks Ne Us Kaam Ki Maachis Laga Ke Chhod Di...


All said & done - the central figure behind all that was discussed here is the mercurial director AK..!! You can find all the details about him on wikipedia.
His next venture will be "Mumbai Cutting", which is still under production. As i write this post sitting in Mumbai, how i am looking forward to this next master-piece..!!!

Disclaimer: All the views expressed in this post are not only mine but of 99% of the movie buffs allover India (Dont worry, I have done a survey to arrive at this figure). You have the right to disagree with these views. I would really love constructive/destructive comments on this post!

Ideally, this post should have been titled: "I DID IT" (a sequel to my one-year old post I could/should/would have...). And ideally, it should have been about my CAT'09 wonders (please dont kill me for bringing this CAT word again in my post! Well to be frank, I just love it :P)

But then ideally, 9 January 2009 should have been an auspicious occassion for me rather than a so-so day. And ideally, I should have cracked CAT inside-out!

But this is an un-deal world. For otherwise, rather than writing this post at 8pm on a Friday with a weekend beckoning, I would have been talking to my very gorgeous girl-friend and making plans for the weekend :P

But huh.. not everything goes as planned in this un-ideal world. So the verdict is "NO IIM CALLS" (for the third-year running...) Ideally you would think that I would be thinking of innovative ways of committing sucide after such a remark. But guys as I told you before this is indeed an un-ideal world!

For rather being highly disappointed (almost in a coma) after all this, i am alive and kicking. Well "almost-99" (or 98.91 :))is not exactly a very bad effort. And if all goes well I should be greeted with calls from some fine colleges...

So un-ideally speaking, I am gearing up for the next thing on my agenda now - Converting these futuristic calls, because that according to me is closer to reality than ideality. Yes i sincerely beleive to be amongst the best when the topic in discussion is GD/PI/case-studies and all that blah blah... (now thats some confidence... lolz :D)

Hmmm... so I should be giving you the GOOD news pretty soon guys... Stay tuned!

Hey dont move to the top-right of the window just as yet, few more things left...
On the movie-front, 2009 has started in an almost perfect manner!
If its Ghajini in bollywood, then its Australia in Hollywood calling all the shots!
Two excellent movies to kick-start the new year for me...

And a quick glance towards whats in store, makes me really excited:

Come 23rd January, and "Slumdog Millionaire" hits the Indian screens after overwhelming one and all worldwide. Leave aside the movie, A.R.Rahman's heart-warming music which is both edgy and bolly-style at the same time has won me over already. The Golden Globe was just the icing on the cake. Kudos Rahman!!

And then comes "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button": a serious contender to the OSCAR dreams of Slumdog! Another movie i just can't wait to watch!

Un-ideally speaking this new year brings new hopes for me...

Staying realistic and looking forward!

Will be back here soon (and sometimes i dont lie & this is a truth :D)

Sayonara..............