It all started with the Edward Maya classic – ‘Stereo Love’! I still remember listening to this wonderful tune time & again, without the slightest hint about the artist, let alone the song itself! But the mystery was just too much for me…

And then I met my trance guru – my dearest bro James Ballack in Ambala for the umpteenth time, but as it turned out, this was going to be one of those very rare revolutionary meetings! For 3 straight nights, I was introduced to the wonderfully uplifting world of trance through numerous tracks on my bro’s mobile phone, listening whole night through earphones! My bro did not require those earphones, for he knew all the tunes already by heart! Enigmatic, Soul-Stirring, Mind-altering – Those nights were all these and more…

Those were my initial baby steps into the wide expanse of trance universe! Days went, Nights passed & I was getting overwhelmed by the ever-growing trancelectic beauties reaching my mailbox every single day/night, courtesy Mr. Maya! Edward Maya, David Guetta, Music of the Sun, 1200 Micrograms, Infected Mushrooms had a great impact on my early trance days, with my first top-20 trance list having numerous tracks from them and their likes…

Shiva on Trance was the next level, with our unprecedented devotion towards Lord Shiva! If Shiva’s India by 1200 Mics was brilliant, my trancematic experience reached the ultimate possible level with Shankara by Hilight tribe – my all-time Numero Uno ever!! I was ‘Becoming Insane’ due to Infected Mushrooms and drugged by 1200 Micrograms…

And then the world no. 1 DJ took over – Armin Van Buuren’s A State of Trance – 2011 blew me away with 2 hours of magical spell! It was time for my second top-20 trance list, led by AVB & various tracks from his legendary radio show ASOT! In the meantime, my exposure to different genres of trance also begun – As I moved from house mix to progressive to psychedelic trippp !!! This was the next level…

If Vibe Tribe – Destination Unknown, Melodrama & Wisecracks had me tripping in all directions, then the Intersys-Perplex combo known as Kreak (SpaceCat remix) had me in an absolute frenzy!! Add to this the maddening destruction caused by Skazi in I wish & the soothing music by Krishna Das and the latest top trance tunes underwent a huge change…

Then I joined Bangalore Trance Community (BTC) and I was no longer tripping only on my laptop or iPod! The Partyyy season was full ON now!! Mark Eteson gig at Blue Waves ushered in the supreme feeling of bliss through live musicals!! Jalebee Cartel’s techno at Kingfisher’s Octoberfest was absolutely off the hook!!

BOOM BOOM – Psykovsky & Kindzadza completely killed it during 7 straight hours of Psychedelic & Dark trance at E-zone!! An experience of a kind it was, very difficult to be replicated again…

And then the Perfect 100 Gig happened at F-Bar – Protoculture completely blasted me away left, right & center with his super-awesome Liquid Logic & Orjan Nilsen’s Viking on that heavenly trance night!!

And to think that all this is just a mere beginning!

S.U.N.B.U.R.N from 27-29 Dec. in GOA with JAMES BALLACK is next! The line-up boasts of giants such as Above & Beyond, Infected Mushrooms, Skazi, Markus Schulz, Jerome Isma-Ae among others! Indian techno masters – Lost Stories & Jalebee Cartel and some out-of-the-world stages! This MAHAKUMBH of Trance is all set to take us to some unbelievable heights, never witnessed before!!

See you on the sands :-)

The evergreen pastures of NITIE were left behind a few months back to culminate a thoroughly exciting and eventful journey that started way back in the summer of 2011. The life-altering MBA experience is something to be treasured and cherished forever – be it the sleepless and lively hostel-life or the hectic and challenging exam-time or the buzz around the campus ignited by those numerous extra-curricular events. Talking of events, reminds me of the legendary management fest Prerana and its latest 2011 avatar, which sure had all MBA junta hooked around with its emphatic ensemble cast. Besides others, it was the heady cocktail of “Beauty & Brains on the Rocks” what with Anurag Kashyap, Gul Panag and Indian Ocean gracing the campus this time around, which had everyone including yours truly, craving to be in the campus and missing it all the more when unable to attend Prerana! The ultimate realization of being a revered alumnus of this wonderful institute (popularly known as the hill station in Mumbai) was complete with a call and the mail from the mighty Alumni Committee! And hence followed this article.

Life after NITIE has only risen on the awesomeness scale mostly because Bangalore happened! Famous as the IT hub of India, this metropolis is a perfect mix of sheer brilliant weather, a foodie’s delight, work hard & party harder culture! The only slight blemish could be the sometimes immovable traffic jams, but the highly organized public transport system especially buses and the recently started metro facility provides travel comfort to the commuters. Concerns with respect to stable infrastructure in light of ever increasing population explosion maybe valid but as of now, this heart of South India is managing decently especially in comparison to other metropolitan cities across India. My take, based upon a still very short experience, reiterates Bangalore continuing to being the ‘Land of Opportunities’ atleast in the near future and a very suitable long-term option for settling down.

Being a part of an organization in its 100th centennial year of existence makes you feel really proud and excited! My IBM experience, previously also known as the Identical Blue Men in the 1950/60’s era because of their leaders singular attraction to everything blue (suits, shirts & trousers), has been so far so good. Big Blue, especially in the GMC (Global Marketing Centre) team where I work, provides you with a great combination of flexibility, quality and challenges all at the same time. Top it with an excellent work culture and a second-to-none brand, the experience becomes truly epic!

And the next Big thing is Cloud Computing, make no mistake about that! From an industry marketing perspective of chemicals and petroleum in particular and the complete gamut of industries in general, all organizations (small and big) are slowly but steadily moving towards the cloud culture both internally and externally. Be it enterprise asset management or storage a solution, cloud technology is everywhere. The biggest issue is of security in employing a public cloud that requires sharing of information with various companies that may include competitors too. However, the success of the private cloud model and the steep rise in data worldwide makes Cloud – A Must Have for all! Rate of adoption would vary from industries to services. IBM is all set to lead from the front in this domain leveraging its rich legacy of highly successful and dynamic solutions touching everybody’s lives. Recipient of the prestigious Forbes award for being the Numero Uno organization for leaders makes the Big Blue completely aware of the famous quote: “With great powers come great responsibilities”!

The Future is here. The Journey has just begun. The ABC Stories have been told.

ENTER!

This is not a movie review of Shaitan. And its probably also not meant for anyone who could not relate himself or found this movie to be ‘below expectations’. Infact, this post is strictly meant to be read, enjoyed and savored by all the die-hard fans of this Bejoy Nambiar classic!

The expectations were just too huge. So much so that even matching them would have required a masterpiece showcase. SHAITAN did better – It blew me away!! Free time at home & my religious following (lets not use the word addiction) of Facebook meant that I liked the ‘Cult of Shaitan’ page and the rest as they say is history. The leaked trailer, the teaser and the exciting updates on this FB page made me follow it on a regular basis but the real turning point was the ‘Shaitan Hunt’ contest. Winning that contest and then getting a chance to meet Shaitan starcast and win cool merchandise (though none of these have materialized till now & that’s a pity), really hooked me completely. From that time onwards their was no going back!!

The second biggie came in the form of me winning the FB prankster contest & henceforth winning free passes to official music launch of OST at HRC Mumbai. Though I could not go their myself, two of my great friends did & had a rockkking time, courtesy among others: BHAYANAK MAUT!! Still remember listening to UNLEASHED hundreds of kms away in Doon on my mobile that night via Nishant’s Samsung Wave :)

And then OST was unleashed!! I can safely say that I have never ever heard such an amazing album in bollywood till date!! Rock, Pop, Trance, Sufi: you name it and they have it!! All of them pure bliss. ‘Bali: The Sound of Shaitan’ remains my ultimate favourite track! But I have loved everything from Pintya & Fareeda to Josh & Retro Pop Shit!!

And then came 10th June!! Booked my first day first show ticket in advance, only to miss the show due to last moment ‘official’ reasons!! And that was bad, very bad :(

But on 12th June, I finally witnessed something I had never seen in bollywood before: 130 minutes of GODly cinema or should I say: SHAITANI cinema!!! Gaspar Noe’s camerawork met Aronofosky’s darkness & Tarantino’s shockedness!! Felt Nolanic awesomeness in bollywood for the first time & that is saying something guys :)

Though I enjoyed every second of this classic, these are my favourites in no particular order:

KHOYA KHOYA CHAND: This was simply put “Orgasmic stuff”!!! Outstanding camerawork coupled with Superb remix made for a heavenly watch!!

PINTYA RUN-CHASE: Inspector Mathur chasing down the corrupt cop with Pintya in background was stuff of pure cinematic brilliance!!

HUMMER UNLEASHED: The turning point in the movie.. those few seconds of exhilarating Bhayank Maut’s Unleashed before the accident was just amazing!!

BALI BEGINNING: The first look at KC, Dash, Tanya, Zuben & Amy with Bali playing in background gave the movie the awesomest start possible!!

AMY’S THEME: Scenes of Amy’s mother getting drowned in the bath-tub with Amy were again a case of topclass direction!

THE ONE LINERS: Many of them from KC & Zuben throughout the movie were a pleasure to listen to!!

And there were so many more too!!

Hats Off to Bejoy Nambiar for storming into Bollywood with the perfect movie!! Yes, it is now officially my no. 1 movie in Bollywood till date!! (In Hollywood its ‘Inception’ :))

My Respect for Anurag Kashyap reaches its zenith for producing such movies (after Udaan last year).

Heartiest Congratulations to Rajeev Khandelwal, Kalki Koechlin, all co-stars and anyone & everyone associated with this masterpiece.

Thank You “SHAITAN”!!!

OUTRO!

Yes, the name is inspired by Cult of Shaitan!! But then during the past 12 years, Dehradun has earned this cult status in my mind & heart alike!! There is really nothing quite like it. And though my educational & professional stints did keep me away from Darling Doon during the last 8 years or so, the last 4 months have more than made up for it. I will always remember the golden period of Feb-May’11 for the maybe-never-again-possible great time spent with my family & friends: almost all in Doon!

“Home Sweet Home” is not the only reason for my Doon love, though it is indeed one of the most significant ones! Doon scores over Patiala, NCR & Mumbai solely in terms of its soul uplifting weather conditions. Amazingly cool in summers & Heart warming afternoons in winters: surely is a weather to die-for! Of the places I have spent appreciable time with, Chandigarh & Jaipur come the closest to Doon: being City Beautiful & Pink City in the truest literary sense. But then you will never find these heavenly things even their: the trippy ride to Maggi point (all credit to Rachit for making me witness this awesomeness), the unbelievable water falls of Sahastradhara, Lacchi waala, Robber Caves etc., the awe inspiring architecture of IMA and FRI, the utterly delicious burgers & coffee of Buffet, the thupas of KC (again thanks Rachit!), and the godly 25-km bike ride to Mussorie and above!!

Delhi & Mumbai may vouch for the sheer quality of fairer sex present in those geographies, but take my word delhities & mumbaikars, natural beauty is not only present in the curves & valleys of Doon’s hill-tops & mountains, it goes much beyond that till the humanly abode which truly represent the FAIR species in the true literary sense :) Just take a round of Rajpur Road here!

So as I somehow prepare myself to venture yet again for another professional stint, starting with Mumbai times and then further south in all probability, far away from Doon again! Nothing will ever match the sheer aesthetic beauty of doon and the way it always makes me feel: so very special! So much so that nothing, absolutely nothing, has kept me away from Darling Doon for a continuous stretch of more than 3 months all these years of office & college!! How I wish this good luck charm continues :)

Can somebody get me a job in Dehradun: please please please??

P.S. I know I have missed millions of more amazing things about Dehradun. So urge the Cult of Dehradun followers to add them up!!

Not even a week has passed since Gambhir & Dhoni masterminded India’s legendary world cup final success over Lankans; and Indian cricket fans need to brace themselves for a contest between Gambhir’s KKR and Dhoni’s CSK to kick-start IPL: Season-4! It will be just the beginning of this “thrill-a-minute” cricket avatar that spans over 70 matches over 2 months; finally culminating with the 28 May final in Chennai to crown the champions: where the previous winners list includes Rajasthan Royals, Deccan Chargers and defending champs Chennai Super Kings! Whether the average Indian cricket fanatics absorb this entertainment with the same gusto as World Cup in these cricket hangover times? And after the hopefully-never-again auctioning drama, who will the fans vouch for: their home/favourite city or their favourite player teams? As we seek answers to these intriguing questions, I present before you ratings of the 10 teams (5 of them led by Indian players & 5 non-Indians) on a 10-point scale based on very complex calculations performed by yours truly cricket analyst :P
Here goes:

1. Kolkata Knight Riders (7.9/10): Captain – Gautam Gambhir. The best all-round side with the likes of Kallis, Yusuf Pathan, Shakib Hasan at its disposal. And a batting-lineup powered by Manoj Tiwary, Eoin Morgan, Haddin & Ten Doeschate along with Gauti and you have a formidable team with the potential to go all the way indeed! Lee, Balaji, Sangawan & Unadkat form a decent bowling unit too. However, whether or not KKR is able to bury down the ghost of its IPL past remains to be seen? But on paper they are the firm favourites!

2. Chennai Super Kings (7.2/10): Captain – M S Dhoni. Defending champions with Captain Cool at its helm, CSK also boast of a powerful all-round unit with Bravo, A.Morkel & Styris standing out as IPL specialists. Add to that the likes of Raina, M.Hussey, Plessis and M.Vijay in batting & a versatile bowling line-up in Ashwin, Jakati, Randiv, Southee and Kulasekara. And CSK have all bases covered up there! Good to go till the final atleast!

3. Royal Challengers Bangalore (6.7/10): Captain – Daniel Vettori. Despite Virat Kohli being the only player still a part of RCB from previous seasons, this new-look side has a more than decent batting ability in A.B. Villiers, Dilshan, Kohli, S.Tiwary, C.Pujara & Pomerbasch. Zaheer Khan leads the bowling attack with Nannes, Langeveldt and clever captain Vettori. Mallaya’s team will hope to go one better than their IPL-2 final performance!

4. Mumbai Indians (6.6/10): Captain – Sachin Tendulkar. In Pollard & Symonds, MI possess one of the most destructive duo with the bat. With the guile of Harbhajan, Slinger of Malinga, rejuvenation of Munaf and batting prowess of Rohit Sharma, Rayudu and Suman. Last time around, this very talented team was undone by likes of MSD & company at the final hurdle. This time GOD will leave no stone upturned to lift IPL too!

5. Rajasthan Royals (6.4/10): Captain – Shane Warne. The winners of the inaugural edition led by the merecurial Warne, RR is stung by the loss of Yusuf this time. However, Shane Watson & Oram as the team all-rounders and Ross Taylor, Dravid to boost their batting. If Tait, Trivedi & Botha can come good with the bowl too, we may be in for another Royal surprise show!

6. Kochi Tuskers (6.3/10): Captain – M Jayawerdena. Some really shrewd captures in the auctioning means that this debut Kerala side has the potential to spring a few surprises for the established lot. Besides the captain: Hodge, Mc Cullum, Laxman & Owais Shah lend solidity to batting. Murali is a prized pick and KT will hope T. Perera also lives up to his allround potential. Of Sreesanth, RP Singh, R Powar: atleast one of them should come good or so KT will hope!

6. Pune Warriors (6.3/10): Captain - Yuvraj Singh. In Yuvi, N Mc Cullum & Jesse Ryder, this team does have a formidable allround attack. Batting is boosted by M Marsh, Manish Pandey, G Smith & R Uthappa. And if Nehra, Karthik, Parnell and J Taylor can save a few runs, the warriors might turn out to be a little hot to handle!

8. Kings XI Punjab (5.5/10): Captain – Adam Gilchrist. The best of the ‘worst trio’ of IPL-4. They have been hit really hard by auctioning mayhem! With an almost zero-size bowling, with Piyush Chawla their best hope. KXIP would really need D Hussey, Shaun Marsh, D Karthik, A Nayar and the captain himself to fire on all cylinders on a consistent basis for some success!

9. Delhi Daredevils (5.1/10): Captain – Virender Sehwag. My top-favourite during last season; DDR has hit the very bottom on paper this time and are desperately short in all departments! Only and only if the Captain, A Finch, D Warner, V Rao come good with the bat and Irfan Pathan, J Hopes & Van der Merwe can finally deliver as all-rounders, can the DDR offer some resistance to its oppositions!

10. Deccan Chargers (5/10): Captain – Kumar Sangakkara. From being the champions of IPL-2, this side has been absolutely ripped off by the auctioning! So much so that the woefully out-of-form C White is their best all-round bet! It will require some outstanding captaincy by the erstwhile Lankan skipper with a lot of support from Duminy, S Dhawan, Lumb, Steyn, Ojha & Mishra for the DC to make a substantial mark this time. However, in all probability, the ghost of IPL-1 may very well be back to haunt them again!

Here’s hoping that “Manoranjan ka Baap”-4 turns out to be yet another paisa-vasool entertainer!!!

P.S. As we have seen in previous three seasons, the 20-20 format comes with its share of surprises, so despite this analysis I am indeed all geared up to expect the unexpected again!! But would love to hear your predictions people? Which teams will you be vouching for?

Remember the day when you cracked CAT; or the afternoon when you landed up with your dream job; or the evening when you celebrated Happy Hours with your dear friends; or the night when your girlfriend finally accepted your ILU proposal. Add all that together and it may still not match the bliss, delight, joy & eternal happiness that swept the whole India after Captain Cool bludgeoned the final delivery of World Cup 2011 out of the ground with his all famous Helicopter shot!!!

4 days & nights have passed after the historic day but the feeling has not yet sunken in!! Yes, it will take sometime. For its not everyday, that our beloved India scripts an epic saga of a revolutionary-kind; be it sports or otherwise. As far as our religion cricket is concerned, it has indeed been a really long wait.. 28 years but as it now stands, worth all the way!!

I still remember the euphoric atmosphere after our T20 WC victory and silent admiration of MSD men after rising to Numero Uno in Tests. But this achievement overshadows everything and will continue to do so till atleast the next 2015 edition hosted by Aussies & Kiwis!! Scenes witnessed at Clock Tower, Dehradun… across whole India on TV… this probably is the only single event to be celebrated with unbelievable enthusiasm from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, cutting across gender, age-groups, geographies, caste, creed & religion.. Unity in Diversity Personified!!

And Dhoni Dashers did it in style!! After a majestic ton by Jayawardena and some lusty blows in batting powerplay took Lanka to an above average 274, even the over-optimistic MIB cricket fan was fearing for the worst when the GOD was Malinga-ined with a gem of a delivery to upset all predictions about the perfect WC ending with Tendulkar’s 100th international century! Yes, it was a world cup final and it was not going to be easy.. not a bit!! I have always thought of Gambhir as the crisis man in the all-mighty batting line-up of ours. And Gauti chose the ultimate stage of them all to prove his credentials for once and for all. That ‘97’ will always be remembered as the greatest fighting knock by the Delhi southpaw with some very able hand given by the Gen-X star of India: Virat Kohli!

And then came MSD! And I almost felt-like swinging to the trance of 1200 Micro-grams LSD..!!

“Cometh the hour, Cometh the man”!! This ‘91’ will be engraved in memories of all Indians forever for its steely resolve and do-or-die spirit! No Murali, No Slinger, None of Lankans fielding could halt India’s destined march to World Cup Glory!!

Tendulkar: This Crown is for the GOD of all things!

Yuvraj: ‘The Return of the Prince’ and Man of the tournament award!

MSD: The best captain this cricket-freak country has ever produced & Man of the grand finale Match!

And for the Super-15 that brought eternal happiness to billions of hearts!!!!!

A BIG THANK YOU TEAM INDIA!!! 2nd April, 2011 will be remembered till eternity!!!

PROUD TO BE AN INDIAN :) :) :)

THE FORCE that destroyed 3-time defending champions in the Quarters & then steamrolled past our dangerous neighbours in the Semis… The GOD at the top of his powers… Viru at his electrifying best at top… The PRINCE in his career-best form with everything: Bat, Bowl & Fielding… Gauti & Kohli providing calmness & steadiness to the middle-order… MSD at his strategic brilliant on & off the field and due for a big-one with the bat for a long-time now… The rise of ‘Raina: the perfect no. 7’ when the going gets really tough… A bowling attack spearheaded by Zaheer at his wicket-taking best & given solid support by back-in-form Bhajji, competitive Ashwin and now street-smart Munaf & Nehra… The transformation from a ‘below-average’ fielding side to an ‘above-decent’ fielding unit… Team MIB is the Unstoppable Force!!

THE OBJECT inspired by the Lion’s heart & unmoved by burnt-to-ashes English in Quarters & yet-another-semis-act by the Kiwis… The barrage of boundaries by the ultimate Run-brigade of Dilshan & Tharanga… Captain Cool ‘Sangakkara’ in outstanding touch with both bat & gloves… Jayawerdana leading a bit fragile middle-order with his enormous experience… The DEADLY 3M: toe-crushing Malinga, GOD of spin Murali, Mysterious & Magical Mendis… Top all that with a give-it-all attitude on the field… The Island Nation is the Immovable Object!!

The Judgement Day has arrived… It’s the Final Showdown..!!

For the first time in the history of the WC, it will be an all Asian grand finale & the crown will be lifted by a wicket-keeper Captain..!!

“Its what you do that defines you”… And that defining moment is here now: 2nd April, 2011 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai..!!

But as Harsha Bhogle quipped, in this clash of equals, if there is one favourite: it surely is Team India!!

Its time for a 1983-encore… Glory Glory Team India!!

VANDE MATRAM!!!

The Cricketing Religion in GOD’s own country has given us quite a few special moments to be cherished for a life-time. The 1983 WC victory.. 2003 WC Road to the finals.. Sachin’s ODI double century: to name a few.. However, the series of extraordinary events which materialized on 30th March, 2011 in the now-legendary PCA stadium in Mohali will be remembered forever!! Yes, It was a Wednesday when Team India inspired by GOD’s gritty 85 with due heavenly help; bled blue till the very last over to emerge victorious against arch-rivals Pakistan in a WC semifinal match!!

And that was after MSD seemingly shocking decision to replace Ashwin with Nehra for this priceless “mother of all games”. Despite a rampaging start by Viru, MIB finished with just 260! Considered to be a below par score by most experts and yours truly as well. I was in a state of utter hopelessness at the break; with some unbelievably negative thoughts haunting me: Is the DREAM finally over now? Will it be Pak vs Lanka final hosted by India? Will GOD remain without WC glory forever? Crashing out to Pakistan in a WC semis in India: it can’t get more horrible than this?

Hoping the MIB bowling without Ashwin on a spinning pitch & with both Munaf & Nehra on a seamless pitch; to defend this score seemed to be a case of extreme over-optimism!!! Heard about rising to the occasion against all odds with nerves of steel: that’s exactly what the so-called ordinary bowling attack of ours achieved on ‘A Wednesday’!! The fact that the very first extra was conceded in the 37th over of Pak innings is a reflection of the razor-sharp disciplined effort by the now famous-five!! More ironical being the fact that the stand-out performers were none other than ‘Nehra’ & ‘Munaf’: undoubtedly the most ridiculed players in this Indian outfit!! The way MSD marshalled its resources in the most optimum manner despite tons of pressure & a rock-solid start by Pak deserves a lot of appreciation! And the Indians did gave it their all in the field too, which indeed was a wonderfully pleasant surprise!! A strangely played knock by now India’s favourite Misbah and an agonizingly late batting powerplay taken by Pak further compounded their misery!!

Absolute craziness on streets all-over India with booming firecrackers, ultra-loud music, dancing, singing, drinking & what-not: this very very special victory was indeed celebrated with unbelievable enthusiasm & joy!!

Just like 24 Sept. 2007, the day we were crowned T20 champs after another special performance against Pakistan, 30 March, 2011 will also find its place in the golden pages of Indian Cricket history!!

HAPPINESS all around :) :) :D :D

An adrenaline rush of the tsunami-kind, tempers flaring all over the place, blood pressure & heart-beat rates zooming every second & hope, belief, prayers ubiquitous all around: Wednesday , the 30th of March, 2011 will go down in cricket folklore as the dream-turned-reality knockout punch: INDIA vs PAKISTAN. World Cup Semi-final.

Yes, it just does not get better than this. The ultimate cricket-nirvana moment is all set to engulf Asia in particular and the whole cricket world in general when these two arch-rivals lock horns in Mohali. Infact, as soon as Yuvraj Singh dethorned the down-and-out Aussies of their cherished WC crown with that blazing boundary in Motera, the whole of India has been overwhelmed by the sheer thought of the upcoming “mother of all matches”!! Such has been the scale of excitement that the complete social network (Facebook & Twitter) will do well to double-check the power of its servers on this holy day!

The Rise in Price of match tickets will put the all-time-bullish Sensex to shame & after Black Caps, it’s the Black tickets which are the IN thing :P Mohali Mohalla is the cynosure of everyone’s eyes now!!

This God-sent matchup became a possibility after the Kangaroo-killers Pakistan took the stuffing out of Carribean Calypso with a thumping 10 wicket victory led by the ‘bowler’Afridi & 'batsman' Kamran!!

The Mini-finale also lived up to its expectations to produce the most electrifying & intense encounter in Ahmedabad to end the 12 year WC reign of Aussies; despite a determined knock by Punter!! The “UV-Raina” effect soaked in all the pressure to produce a scintillating partnership that shocked the Kangaroos to the core. If playing Raina instead of Yusuf was a MSD master-stroke, then Yuvi’s 4th man-of-the-match effort was the most special of them all: confident, courageous & sublime! This match will also be remembered for some absolutely brilliant performance in field & excellent bowling show by India barring “The Munaf”!

And then came the Oscar-winning knocked out saga of the “Choker in the pack”!! Kiwis ensured that S.A. continued their date with “Knock-out horror shows” with another shocking batting collapse reminiscent of what they managed against England in their group tie! The Kiwi flight was complete and there was no case of “Black Caps Down”!!

The Asian Roar was complete with the most emphatic display of dominating cricket by the inspired islanders!! Such was the extent of the 10 wicket thrashing that their most premier bowler became a “Black Swan” in a completely Straussed-out English side… & to top it all, the neutral cricket fan was even devoid of another English-directed thriller!! However, the curious case of “Yardy-depression” will always intrigue me here..!!

So after more than a month of exciting cricket, the crowning destiny is just 3 matches away for the chosen one!! But before that, it’s with bated breath that die-hard MIB fans await Wednesday, the 30th!!!

No, this is not about Steven Spielberg's next mega-hollywood project; which as a matter of fact is known as ‘Super 8’! For, ‘Super 7’ can be referred to as the series of high intensity & hyper-emotional cricket matches that are destined to take eight nations in particular and most of the world in general to the ultimate Oscar of cricket: The World Cup Crown!

Despite the all gung-ho Irish blood throughout and Bangladesh’s world cup record-breaking 9th wicket saga to stun TRP shooters & neutral cricket lover’s delight: England; it still turned out to be yours truly top-8 that finally did make it to the quarters! However, with certain glaring shockers in the positions indeed… As 10-man Pakistan finally finally halted Aussie juggernaut despite the presence of the one-who-should-not-be-named donning wicketkeeping gloves again… And MIB finally had an almost convincing win with its best bowling effort to date against Windies; courtesy: the Un-Chawla effect!!

Here’s my take on Super 7:

1.Green rule all the way: Despite the nature of its unpredictability, despite “him” in the team and despite a still fragile batting-line up; Pakistan should prove to be just too hot for the minnow-slammers Carribean. A WC Aussie conquest should be their absolute confidence booster!

2.The Mini Finale: Rightly termed-so by the Aussie coach, this could be the Superman encounter in Quarters; especially if Chawla-effect comes back to haunt MIB (remember warm-up match). However, if Ashwin-ism continues & Super-Sehwag is back to match fitness, there is no reason why MIB cant pull this one off! And here’s hoping that batting powerplay nightmares are finally over for once & for all.

3.African Safari rolls on: The only thing standing between Proteas and a semifinal appearance could be the Pallakele Plunderer: Ross Taylor!! But there’s also lot more to this tricky contest: the choker-savvy credentials, Vettori’s tweakers, Villiers injury and ofcourse the recent Black Caps resurgence!! But its definitely Advantage Africa here.

4.Inspired Islanders: One thing can be taken for granted – England will keep its flawless record of producing heart stopping thrillers intact. Everything else, however, is flawed when the case in point is England. For how can one explain this fact: England is the only team in quarters not to have lost to any other team left in this WC!!! And it’s the same bunch of eleven that went down to both Ireland and Bangladesh!! Home advantage, in-form captain & great all-round bowling: this could well be the recipe of Lankan success!

5.The Numero-Uno MATCH: Nothing has, nothing can and nothing will ever beat the awesomeness of India vs Pakistan match in WC!!! And MIB has never ever lost to its unpredictable neighbours in a WC encounter!!

6.The Revenge Match: All those who remember Boucher’s fist pumping in that unbelievable tie that led to S.A. end in WC’03, will know that Proteas would seek revenge in this colossal match-up! However, Lankans may not require any luck to get the better of Proteas this time around.

7.Glory Glory.. MIB!!! If it is indeed an India vs Sri Lanka WC final; rest assured it would be a battle of nerves between two very evenly matched sides. “Preparation can only take you thus far, after that you require a leap of faith”. How I wish :) :)

Fingers Crossed… Let the Super 7 begin…

338, 338, 327 & 329: And to think I had to watch my only live WC match in Delhi and not the new ‘Mecca of heart stopping cricket’: Bangalore!!

The 2011 edition of ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ has reached an 8.0 on Richter scale after witnessing two of the all-time greatest matches’ ever played in history of the game.

The jaw-dropping fastest WC ton laced with 19 hits beyond the boundary-line in a 50-ball fury from Kevin O’Brien toppled the Englishmen and caused the first major upset of the gala event! Considering the Bob Woolmer case after Irish victory over Pak in ’07, I really hope all is well with Andy Flower in the coming days? Group B has indeed come alive.

And this is after ‘yours truly’ went through a complete roller-coaster emotional ride during the historic TIE on the same flat track earlier. From watching the GOD on top of his powers in a majestic display of sublime stroke play during his 120 in MIB-338 to being amazed & perplexed at the same time by Captain England masterly 154 and clueless Indian bowling. And finally dazzled by a mercurial Zaheer and last ball’s single (sigh-of-relief) in English-338.

Pak’s stunning win over the Lankans, Aussies confident start of their defense which keeps Ponting still unbeaten as their WC captain despite his off-field LCD woes and Malinga’s sensational hat-trick against a completely lost Kenyan side keeps Group A alive and kicking too!

Early days into the mega-event but few teams already need to get their thinking cap on:

MIB needs to do a thorough introspection to rekindle the belief and become a once decent bowling unit again. Maybe play a specialist bowler extra! Even the fielding has hit rock-bottom with dropped catches and frequent fumbles: Buck-up guys!!

If there is a team which requires an even greater turnaround in their bowling & fielding performances, it surely is England! But first they need to start believing in themselves again especially after the Irish Shocker!

The defeat to Pak may just bring out the best in the Lankans: how I would love them to halt the Aussies juggernaut finally!! South Africa has begun well and now start firm favourites against the English!! Afridi-led Pak is looking dangerous already & Black Caps need to pull up their socks for the big fights ahead.

As for now, its time to savour the delight of the exquisite Irish Bailey!! Will they be able to continue their killing spree, only time will tell? But MIB will do well not to underestimate them on the upcoming Super-Sunday clash, especially: MIB bowling vs Irish batting promises to be a really interesting affair!

De Ghuma Ke :)

Its been 27 long years… When Kapil’s Devils gate crashed on the Caribbean party, inflicting a catastrophic defeat to avert a hat-trick of titles for the calypso brigade, and henceforth achieving the miraculous feat: THE WORLD CUP trophy!!

Six tournaments later & history is yet to repeat itself! From hitting the final lap in 2003 to the disgraceful first round exit in 2007, the Indian cricket lovers have seen it all besides the Cup itself. So when the Cricket Mahakumbh opens for the 10th time in the ‘Country of GOD’ with the sport as the Religion, prayers & tempers will reach their ultimate zenith during 19th Feb – 2nd April.

Predicting ‘who will’ & ‘who will not’ do well in such a pressure cooker event is way beyond even Nostradamus genius; but then what’s the fun if this is not done? So here we go:

The Party-crashers: Bangladesh; led by the inspirational Shakib Al Hasan with the very talented Tamim Iqbal as his deputy, are no longer pushovers especially when it comes to competing on the big stage. Add to that home advantage & the mercurial Ashraful and this confident bunch is more than capable of making it to the knockout round. Will they deliver remains to be seen?

Zimbabwe, Ireland & Kenya can also boast from their historical record in WC, but expecting them to go past the first stage will require some serious hara-kiri. I doubt it this time. Gut feeling maybe?

8. Caribbean Anti-Calypso: Despite Double Bravo’s and dangerous Pollard in their ranks, Windies will need the experience of Sarwan, Chanderpaul and Gayle to assure entry into second stage. After that, May God Bless Them?

7. Its All 'Black Caps': The fact that Newzealand is still to name their final 15 for the Cup really sums up the downfall of the once very dangerous outfit! The side plunged into its lowest ebb after suffering humiliation by the hands of Bangladesh recently. Can Vettori-men turnaround their sagging fortunes and make a distinctive mark this time? Maybe Not.

6. The Phoneix Englishmen: They rose from the Ashes to devastate the Aussies in tests, but were beaten fairly and squarely in ODIs. However, with in-form players such as Trott, Bell & Anderson under Strauss fine captaincy, can they finally finally deliver at the biggest stage of them all? Watch out, they just might this time!

5. The Unpredictable Neighbours: Their build up to the mega event has been typically Pakistani style! Surrounded by all possible controversies over match-fixing, player bans, captaincy issues etc. on one-hand and playing some brilliant cricket to outlast the Kiwis on another! The unpredictability of ‘which Pak will show up’ makes them the most dangerous team, yet again. Will Afridi, Misbah and company do a 1992 encore? Conditions will favour them: Remember Remember!

THE BIG FOUR!

4. Agent Smith’s Proteas: The Quintessential Chokers and Perennial Under-achievers! Recent performances suggest that South Africa is fast shedding this woeful image, however, WC is going to be their ultimate acid test. With Kallis & Amla; in their best forms of their lives, Smith does have a balanced side capable of beating anyone on their day and going all the way too. But, hasn’t this been their curious case last time & before & before…….? Kallis is the Key!

3. The Enigmatic Islanders: Sri Lankans have reasons to believe that they ought to be second-time lucky. Its Murali’s last world cup, Sangakkara is in top gear both as batsman and captain, in batting they have the perfect mix of dashers and technique; in bowling of spinners and pacers; the home advantage too! However, Will Inconsistency and lack of match-practice taboo their shot at glory this time? They don’t have the likes of Aravinda De Silva, Ranatunga & Jayasuriya from their 1996 crown, nobody even closer!

2. The Unstoppable Kangaroo-force: Aussies might be a little messed up right now: Ashes humiliation, Captaincy woes, Injury problems etc. But its near impossible to separate the world cup crown from them, even the mere thought seems utopia. 4 times champions and last 3 in a row: do we need to look any further! So will the champion team crusade to another ‘path of WC glory’ in typical juggernaut style or have times indeed changed a lot recently to trigger chaos? Experience & Confidence: both are scarce for the Aussies this time!

1. Numero Uno ‘Men In Blue’: We have the GOD playing for arguably the very last time at WC stage, We have the Home Advantage & We have billions of hearts praying day/night for the dearest & most precious jewel: “The Pursuit of World Cup Happyness”..!! And then we have MSD at the helm, unarguably the best top order batsmen at present, Zaheer & Bhajji hitting top form off late and a highly improved fielding unit. But most important of all, what this team possesses in abundance is the unflinching belief in its capabilities to go all the way this time, come what may! The GOD a.k.a “Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar”: Its Time for you to take centre-stage and add the ‘only thing’ and the most ‘important thing’ in your CV. For next-time may well be too late! So will the Men In Blue keep their date with immortality on 2nd April, 2011? Hope is a good thing and no good thing ever dies. Ever.

MIB – JUST DO IT!

Let the Games Begin :)

Munna: a typical dhobi in the morning & a secretive rat-killer in the night.. his intriguing liking to Sai.. slowly but steadily developing into love & the overwhelming confusion subsequently.. and in the background – his family & Arun!

Sai: an investment banking consultant from the States on a sabbatical in Mumbai.. her one-night-stand with Arun & the longing/desire for a lifetime relationship.. her interest in Munna triggered initially due to her passion for photography in ‘the maximum city’ and in the end due to his pure heart!

Arun: a painter, a loner, a widower.. his tryst with Yasmin through those precious video-tapes & the ensuing emotions ranging from astonishment to happiness to extreme sadness.. his unwanted escapade with Sai followed by attempts to set things straight.. and the majestic painting!

Yasmin: a beautiful & haunting portrait of a small town girl from U.P., married to a cheating husband in Mumbai.. her attempt to stay in touch with her brother Imran through stories told via video tapes.. and the devastating end!

Dhobi Ghat (Mumbai Diaries) is the story of these four people living in Mumbai and their intersecting stories which are a part and parcel of life in the maximum city. The inaugural directorial venture by Kiran Rao grows on you minute by minute and then leaves you introspective as well as retrospective of the city called Mumbai and the diaries of its inhabitants.

Few of the scenes are bound to take your breath away:

The extreme shock on the face of Munna, when spotted by Sai during his rat-killing chronicles in the night..

The tear(s) in Sai’s eyes, when Munna gives him the address of Arun’s new place..

The utter despair & horror that engulfs Arun while coming to reality with Yasmin’s end..

Yasmin’s happiness while shooting the first tape for her beloved brother & the unimaginable distress with which she says “Mujhe maaf kar dena” in the end..

Aamir Khan Productions has scored another perfect 10, with its fifth movie, just like it did with the other four: Lagaan, Taare Zameen Par, Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na and Peepli Live! There has always been a group of critics which have not found alignment with these four movies in the past and that is quite understandable. However, the widespread flak and the degree of criticism faced by Dhobi Ghat has left me atleast, absolutely shocked and bewildered! And to think that it has come from the most unexpected quarters saddens me even more! Yes, it’s a pity that on one hand, we tend to condemn the Indian cinema of producing only commercially viable movies and its inability to match the high standards so often set by Hollywood, while on the other hand, when presented by a real piece of art and cinematic brilliance: we hate it with all our angst!

Being a Mumbaikar (for almost 18 months) and having experienced the highs and lows presented by the maximum city myself, I could perfectly relate with the Mumbai Diaries and which is why I admired this 95 minute spectacle so much! Why most of other Mumbaikars could not do so, is really besides my wildest dreams! And for all those who think that the movie’s entry as the official selection for the Toronto International Film Festival and the London Film Festival’10 was due to Aamir Khan’s presence and nothing else, need to do some serious introspection!

For this movie is not about a Aamir Khan, but all about raising a toast to the maximum city “Mumbai”!

Yes, Its Over!!

And what a roller-coaster ride it has been over the last 18 months... Full of twists & turns, ups & downs and everything imaginable and unimaginable too.. well its really difficult to put it into words, but i will give it a try!

June'09: I entered the hallowed portals of the B-school with various perceptions and saw most of them materialising into reality one way or another, thats how:

Heads: Grinding schedule (24*7)

Tails: Well well grinding it was but only if you are a huge movie buff, adore sitcoms, extra-curricular fanatic or ofcourse, if you love Mumbai and/or Goa: 24*7 is really not enough then!

Heads: Friends or Colleagues or Acquaintainces?

Tails: A mixture of all of them 20:30:50 more or less. But then those 20% would be Friends for Life! :)

Heads: Study 'Hard', Party 'Harder'!

Tails: The 'Hard-Harder' gulf will beat the 'Rich-Poor' divide in India! It was more like - Study Smart, Party Wilder!

Heads: Estrogen(20%)Testosterone(80%)levels :P

Tails: Quantity-wise: Almost true i would say - but then this was not really the E-Quality i had in mind ;) wont talk abt T-Quality though.. well I dare not!

Heads: Techno-Manager!

Tails: Now the Engg. Techno was more of a theoretical-kind, however the Managerial skills acquired here were more a result of hands-on experience (something present quite in abundance)!

Heads: Job/Placement/Profile/Money - The Goal..!!

Tails: Though it might well have been the driving force behind cracking CAT and secure entry into a top B-School. It sure was not the only goal for most of the budding managers. The complete MBA package was more fulfilling and enjoyable. And yes ofcourse The Goal was indeed achieved as a matter of fact :D

Jan'11: As I leave the evergreen campus with the complete package of experiences to be cherished for the entire life-time, NITIE has indeed followed the CHAOS Theory with Heads & Tails turning out to be two sides of the same golden coin.

Thanks NITIE!!

P.S. With more than 4 months of absolute nothingness to follow, the blogger in me is well & truly unleashed again. So watch out this space for some really kooooool stuff..!! :D