Why reading Chetan Bhagat books is risky

Because the guy writes sugar coated bull crap. Some people like the sugar, others hate the crap!

Don’t fully gather to what effect do people associate his name to their experience in reading. “I love to read” they tend to touch up with “my favourite author is Chetan Bhagat”. It leads me to think what class of “moron” they are carved out of. And that takes away any regard I might have had. Because for him to be your favourite, he also has to be your only. Along with him, now come a myriad of other authors shelved under “Indian writing” (which I feel should be replaced by “Indian writing crap”)

The one and only good facet to it is that it makes those people take up books who would never have, otherwise. It’s disheartening though, that most of them don’t go beyond the horizons of Bhagatitude.
Happy reading CB fans!

Film review - Nautanki Saala (Bollywood)

Review Nautanki Saala

Cast: Ayushmann Khurranna, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Evelyn Sharma, Pooja Salvi, Gaelyn Mendonca

Director: Rohan Sippy

The Indian Express rating:**1/2

Anything can happen over a kiss. As the lips of a guy and girl meet, we are guided through a spectrum: initial reluctance sliding into a hmm-not-too-bad exploration steadying into a breathless lock-in. This is one of Nautanki Saala's highlights. Watching it you realise how new this coming together of consenting adults through the simple expedient of a kiss, well done, still feels in new age Bollywood. And that is the best part about this absurdist lad com by Rohan Sippy, that he is trying something different, and within that, some of it feels fresh and fizzy.

Hurrying home one night, theatre man RP aka Ram Parmar (Ayushmann Khurrana) saves a fellow from killing himself. Turns out that Mandar Lele (Kunaal Roy Kapur) really is the sort of a chap you feel death would have improved. He is a true loser, having lost his girl Nandini (Pooja Salvi), and all desire to live. Of course he has nowhere to go, and nothing to do. So of course 'nautanki' RP gets to cart Mandar around, despite earning the annoyance of girlfriend (Gaelyn Mendonca), and his theatre mates by insisting on getting him (Mandar) a part in the play: how else to keep suicide at bay ?

The 'naatak' RP and co are performing is a version of the 'Ramayan', and the antics on stage remind you of another film in another era which used another epic to create unforgettable laughter. ButNautanki Saala is not aiming for big picture black-edged absurd likeJaane Bhi Do Yaaro. Its theatre is more personal, more intimate. It's about two young men and their bumbling attempts at finding love, and its plot is based on a French comedy (Nautanki Saala is the official remake of Apres Vous), rejigged a bit for Bollywood.

But this film is weighed down by its pace and the length. It starts slow and stays slow for much too long. Also, the tonal switches from the absurd to the real make it inconsistent. What is this film's address? The performers are also not all at par. In his second film, Ayushmann Khurrana is the one who does the heavy-lifting, making us believe thatVicky Donor was not a fluke ; Kunaal Roy Kapur, who was such a hoot in Delly Belly, is singularly single tone, with just a couple of moments when you feel the click, of him and his part coming together. Salvi, as the fresh-faced girl of their dreams, starts unremarkably, and lifts a bit only towards the end.

Sippy has a feel for staging scenes, and some are laugh-out-loud. The idea that true love can be found through such a random route is also nice, and lends the film a pleasing slightness. But the nautanki in this film is an on-off thing. I wish there was much more of it. Two and a half stars.

Quotes from the book 'SHANTARAM' - a masterpiece

Following are some of my favorite quotes from Shantaram - the novel by Gregory Roberts

Truth is a bully that we all pretend to like (Karla)

I dont know what frightens me more, the power that crushes us, or our endless ability to endure it (Karla)

Some of the worst wrongs, were caused by people who tried to change things (Karla)

One of the ironies of courage and why we prize it so highly, is that we find it easier to be brave for someone else than we do for ourselves alone.

Happiness is a myth. it was invented to make us buy things (Karla) 

The only time he ever stopped hating himself was when the risk he faced became so great that he acted without thinking or feeling anything at all (A dutch mercenary)

And I looked at the men, the brave and beautiful men beside me, running into the guns and God help me for thinking it, and God forgive me for saying it, but it was glorious, it was glorious, if glory is a magnificient and raptured exaltation. It was what love would be like, if love were a sin. It was what music would be, if music could kill you. And I climbed a prison wall with every running step.

Nothing in any life, no matter how well or poorly lived, is wiser than failure or clearer than sorrow. And in the tiny precious wisdom they give to us, even those dreaded and hated enemies, suffering and failure, have their reason and their right to be.

Luck is what happens to you when fate gets tired of waiting.

Sometimes you love only with hope, sometimes, you cry without tears. Someetimes, thats all that is left, to cling together till the dawn.

I was grown up enough to understand the feeling of comfort that he felt and small enough to wish and hope Karla saw it and was impressed with it.

It took me a long time and most of the world to learn what I know about love and fate and the choices we make, but the heart of it came to be in an instant, while I was chained to a wall and being tortured.

Astounding and puzzling images from the city tumbled and turned in my mind like leaves on a wave of wind, and my blood so thrilled with hope and possibility that I couldn't suppress a smile, lying there in the dark...In that moment, in those shadows, I was almost safe.

The past reflects eternally between two mirrors -the bright mirror of words and deeds, and the dark one, full of things we didn't do or say.

Happiness is a myth. It was invented to make us buy new things.

It's such a huge arrogance, to love someone, and there's too much of it around. There's to much love in the world. Sometimes I think thats what heaven is - a place where everybody's happy because nobody loves anybody else, ever. - Karla

we know who we are and define what we are by references to the people we love and our reasons for loving them

You can never tell what people have inside them, until you start taking it away

A dream is a place where a wish and a fear meet. When the wish and fear are exactly the same, we call the dream a nightmare.

Silence is the tortured mans revenge

If fate doesn't make you laugh, you just don't get the joke

Men reveal what they think when they look away, and what they feel when they hesitate. With women, it’s the other way around.

News is about what people do. Gossip is about how they enjoyed doing it.

Nothing grieves more deeply or pathetically than one half of a great love that isn’t meant to be.

There’s no meanness too spiteful or too cruel, when we hate someone for all the wrong reasons.

Every virtuous act has some dark secret in its heart; every risk we take contains a mystery that can’t be solved.

Guilt is the hilt of the knife that we use on ourselves, and love is often the blade; but it’s worry that keeps the knife sharp; and worry that gets most of us, in the end.

At first, when we truly love someone, our greatest fear is that the loved one will stop loving us. What we should fear and dread instead is that we won’t stop loving them, even after they are dead and gone.

She loved the guy. She did it for him. She would’ve done anything for him. Some people are like that. Some loves are like that. Most loves are like that, from what I can see. Your heart starts to feel like an overcrowded lifeboat. You throw your pride out to keep it afloat, and your self-respect and your independence. After a while you start throwing people out—your friends, everyone you used to know. And it’s still not enough. The lifeboat is still sinking, and you know it’s going to take you down with it. I’ve seen that happen to a lot of people here. I think that’s why I’m sick of love.

The ancient Sanskrit legends speak of a destined love, a karmic connection between souls that are fated to meet and collide and enrapture one another. The legends say that the loved one is instantly recognised because she’s loved in every gesture, every expression of thought, every movement, every sound, and every mood that prays in her eyes. The legends say that we know her by her wings—the wings that only we can see—and because wanting her kills every other desire of love.

One of the reasons why we crave love, and seek it so desperately, is that love is the only cure for loneliness, and shame, and sorrow. But some feelings sink so deep into the heart that only loneliness can help you find them again. Some truths about yourself are so painful that only shame can help you live with them. And some things are just so sad that only your soul can do the crying for you.

I love you, Karla,” I said when we were alone again. “I loved you the first second I saw you. I think I’ve loved you for as long as there’s been love in the world. I love your voice. I love your face. I love your hands. I love everything you do, and I love the way you do everything. It feels like magic when you touch me. I love the way your mind works, and the things you say. And even though it’s all true, all that, I don’t really understand it, and I can’t explain it—to you or to myself. I just love you. I just love you with all my heart. You do what God should do: you give me a reason to live. You give me a reason to love the world.

They’d lied to me and betrayed me, leaving jagged edges where all my trust had been, and I didn’t like or respect or admire them any more, but still I loved them. I had no choice. I understood that, perfectly, standing in the white wilderness of snow. You can’t kill love. You can’t even kill it with hate. You can kill in-love, and loving, and even loveliness. You can kill them all, or numb them into dense, leaden regret, but you can’t kill love itself. Love is the passionate search for a truth other than your own; and once you feel it, honestly and completely, love is forever. Every act of love, every moment of the heart reaching out, is a part of the universal good: it’s a part of God, or what we call God, and it can never die.

Read more: http://www.funenclave.com/bookworm/a-few-quotes-from-shantaram-masterpiece-8808.html#ixzz2AzOc46ze

Book Rview: The Immortals of Meluha

I was just browsing books in Crossword, when i noticed an attractive book cover, that of a fully hooded Snake on a book which proclaimed to uncover the 'SECRET OF THE NAGAS'.

On probing further, i realised that this was the second book of the 'Shiva' Trilogy. So i decided to lay my hands on the First book' The Immortals of Meluha' by Amish.

Pretty impressed by the reviews on the first page, i started turning the pages. The story is of the journey of a simple Tribal man to 'Mahadev' - God of the Gods.

I have seen it on almost every major bestseller list and figured it’d be a good read over the weekend.

The Plot of The Immortals of Meluha

The Immortals of Meluha is the first book in the Shiva Trilogy series written by Amish Tripathi (who by the way happens to be an IIM pass out and we all know the recent spate of books being churned out by these guys. Am sure at this rate the IIM’s will open a publishing house of their own very soon. One up for 100% placements!).

Like the name suggests, The Immortals of Meluha is set in the imaginary land of Meluha which actually is the Indus Valley that we read so long back in our history course.

All through the Immortals of Meluha, you’ll be visiting places like Harriyappa (yeah, the same Harrappa – Mohenjedaro one) which makes me wonder, no actually quite sure, that Amish would have topped his History course. Meluha, is the land of the legendary Suryavanshi’s (the good folks) who are at constant war with the Chandravanshi’s (the not so good folks).

To make matters worse, the Chandravanshi’s have aligned with the warrior tribe called Nagas (the real mean ass ones) who carry out constant terrorist attacks on the Suryavanshi people. The Immortals of Meluha actually reminded me of India – Pakistan – Taliban somehow!

Well, so what do the Suryavanshi’s do now? It’s simple guys, they need a Hero to save them. You see, all evil things need to be destroyed by a Hero. Superman does it. Batman does it. Hell, even Shaktimaan does it!

The same is done in The Immortals of Meluha by Shiva, the Nomad. He is the would-be-destroyer of evil, the Neelkanth that was prophesied by the Gods lest all hope faded for mankind. Ok, not that dramatic but you get what happens in The Immortals of Meluha.

So does our Hero go out and destroy the evil Chandravanshi’s and the Nagas? Well, I don’t want to play spoilsport for you at this moment but yes, evil is destroyed. Now whether that evil is something within Shiva’s heart or elsewhere is left for you to find out.

And yes, like every Hindi movie,even in The Immortals of Meluha, there’s a pretty girl involved called Sati (C’mon guys, if Superman can have Lois Lane and Spiderman can have Mary Jane and Shaktimaan can have Geeta Bihwas and Ra.One can have Chammak Challo, what makes you think Shiva cant!

The Good Bit on The Immortals of Meluha

The Plot Rocks! The plot is original and I really loved the fact how Amish has gone ahead and interspersed History and Mythology to create one spell-binding plot in The Immortals of Meluha. Some people might complain that the story dragged at times but I actually liked his attention to detail while describing some of the key essential characters and items used in the book.

Another major influencer for me to purchase The Immortals of Meluha was due to it’s amazing cover. So whoever said, never judge a book by it’s cover, must have been wrong or had never thought bout our friend Amish. The portrayal of Shiva against the backdrop of a lake and mountains is straight out of The Lord of the Rings. 5 Stars for That!

I had not seen the teaser video of The Immortals of Meluha before and saw it while writing this review but that’s one impressive trailer. As a marketer, I really appreciate the way the author and his team have gone about promoting the book by creating a buzz around it.

The Not So Good Bit

With the utmost and sincerest apologies to the author, I found the writing in The Immortals of Meluha to be a little below par. Now yes, I’m no Shakespeare myself when it comes to the language but at places, it was downright appalling. You have words like ‘Goddamnit’, ‘bloody hell’, ‘In the name of God what is this nonsense?’ etc, which I guess would be great for an Indian audience but not very English-like!

On the book, I thought I was watching a typical hindi movie where u have everything from a hero to action to drama and ofcourse a lady love!


On the book, I thought I was watching a typical hindi movie where u have everything from a hero to action to drama and ofcourse a lady love!. I mean how else can u define certain narrations as the one where Sati is revived to life from a situation where no one has ever recovered from..and ofcourse she had her hero Shiva by her side  . It probably shows that its the first venture of an immateur writer.

Finished the book in just 2 days. The only part or parts which i thought were a little out of place were the use of modern words like oxidation, Punjab, rajasthan. And off course words like damnit etc makes one lose the feeling of 1900 BC. 

How companies make you change your buying preference: The Decoy effect

Do you think you have got a bargain by buying that large size when what you actually needed was the smaller size?

Well, you have been tricked. Need to know how?. Read on.

This is what is known as the 'Decoy effect' –Decoy effect is a phenomenon whereby the consumers have specific shift in the two options when they are presented with another option. 

It’s how marketers take advantage of comparison done by shoppers. When you have three options, the decoy effect makes something that's not a bargain looks like a bargain.

Decoy effect is

• a psychological technique


• used extensively by companies in pricing

Marketing companies use it to

• Take advantage of the loopholes in our brain


• Push their product


• Sell the product they really want to

The concept of decoys is closely related to “relativity”. Past research suggests that our brain works well when we are in a position to compare. There is often a conflict in the minds of the consumers regarding the choice of alternatives. Adding a third alternative which is superior to the competitor brand but not that of the target, increases the preference of the target brand. This third alternative is termed as ‘“Decoy"



For instance, in the above image in the circles in the middle are the same size, but appear bigger when placed within the smaller circles on the left, and smaller when placed within larger circles on the right



A classic example is of a popcorn cup that you buy while enjoying a movie in a cinema hall / theater.

Let' say the price is something like this:-

Original prices (pre decoy)

Small Popcorn ......... Rs. 49

Large Popcorn ......... Rs. 119

What would you buy? . Mostly everyone will go for the Small popcorn considering the large one as expensive.

Now after employing decoy effect, a median size “medium” was introduced (its sole purpose being a tool for comparison – that is, a decoy)

Revised prices ( post decoy)

Small Popcorn ......... Rs. 49

Medium Popcorn ......... Rs. 109

Large Popcorn ......... Rs. 119

Now, which one will you buy?? Most people will NOW go for the Large popcorn!

Why? because it's just 10 Rs.more than the Medium Popcorn and you are getting a LARGE one at that price.



Apple uses this strategy brilliantly to market it's iPhone

• 16 GB version of Apple iPhone 6 Plus ....Rs 62,500


• 64 GB version of Apple iPhone 6 Plus ....Rs 71,500


• 128 GB version of Apple iPhone 6 Plus ....Rs 80,500

Which iPhone will you buy??

It has been seen that the 128 GB iPhones have often been the first to sell out at launch. Some of that might reflect a genuine need for lots of media storage, but some of it reflects the decoy effect: people figure that the extra memory on the 128 GB model is a bargain, compared to the different between the 16 GB and 64 GB models.

In practice, I bet Apple is not paying anywhere near that amount for the extra storage — but it is successfully persuading more people to buy a Rs. 80,000 phone rather than a Rs 60,000,one.

Some of the places you will get to see this effect are-

1. Burger price at Mc Donald's / Wrap prices at Faasos Rolls

2.  Any subscription plans eg:- Times magazine, Economist magazine, etc.

3. Online plan subscriptions eg:- Matrimonial sites ( Shaadi, Jeevansaathi, etc), e-learning sites

Now, having learnt all this and taken for a ride by the marketers ( all until now), can we overcome this decoy effect?

The decoy effect is pretty tough to get around, but it's not impossible. Of course, your brain corrupts your shopping choices in all kinds of ways, so even if you beat out the decoy effect you'll probably be taken advantage of elsewhere.

But as a smart shopper, you can definitely try.

First, focus on shopping per unit. In other words, convert everything to how much it costs per unit. If you’re buying a bag of chocolates, convert everything to the cost per chocolate.

If you’re buying a car, figure out the cost of the fuel efficiency and of each kilometer that you can expect to own the car.

Unfortunately, basing things entirely on price per unit still leaves you susceptible to the decoy effect. That’s why you also need to figure out, in advance, how many units you actually need. In other words, if you’re buying a bag of chocolates, how many chocolates will you actually need or eat ?

Using these two figures together – the cost per unit and the maximum number of units you need – you can asses correctly which item is the best buy for you. There can be lots of decoys on the market, but if you’re focused on maximizing the cost per unit up to the number of units you actually need, decoys won’t matter. You’ll always get the best bargain to suit your needs!

The Angrez Meme

Live Concert review: Sonu Nigam live in concert

Sonu Nigam enthralled the audience on 11th September 2014 at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch , Pune on the occasion of  Dajikaka Gadgil Centenary Celebration with a LIVE musical concert.

The event was also graced by Bollywood hearth throb Madhuri Dixit Nene (Brand Ambassador -PNG)





Here is the list of songs that had the audience grooving..

• Shukran Allah


• Deewana


• Yeh Dil ( Pardes)


• Sandese aate hai ( Border)


• Mai agar kahoo tumsa haseen ( Om Shanti Om)


• Kal ho na ho


• Zoobie Doobie ( 3 Idiots)


• Tik Tik vajte dokyat ( Duniyadari)


• Hirwa Nisarga ha ( Navra maza navsacha)


• Saathiya ( Title song - Saathiya)


• Mujko pehchan lo mai hu Don ( Don)


• Tuje lage na najariya - Bhijuriya


• Phir milenge chalte chalte (Rab ne bana di jodi)


• Abhi mujh me kahi (Agneepath)


• Nach le ve ( Tara rum pum)


• Mahi Ve ( Kal ho na ho)


• Aaja Soniye ( mujse shaadi karogi)


• Aaj ki raat ( Don)


• Aal is Well ( 3 idiots)

A big salute to the man for his unending energy , enthusiasm and passion. Truly, a master entertainer!!!!

44 Things you must DO before after your late 20's and before your early 30's

Here are 44 thins you must do before

1. For the love of your own life, Don’t smoke. If you’re already smoking. Quit. The excuse that work stress made you do it, is not worth it.

2. Get exercise to be part of your daily routine.

3. Focus on quality not quantity

4. Food/Beverages: Learn, experiment, try out, taste all different types of foods. You eat 3 times a day if not more. Everyone on Earth follows the same routine, get to know food and you can break the ice in so many situations. Besides, its very tasty!

5. Cooking. Learn it. Its fun. You will get to enjoy food more and the company that comes with it.

6. Learn about Finances. Even if it might be boring, learn about finances. You must be able to calculate your own tax and pay your Income tax returns. To make money, you need to understand money, unless you  are very lucky (which very few people are .

7. Start saving. Get into the habit of tucking a few Rupees every week. Try to build up savings for a rainy day. Remember, Inflation and Time Value of Money are greatly going to affect your quality of life in the future. If you do not know about either 'Inflation' or 'Time Value of Money' , Refer point no. 6

8. Invest in property. As early as you can. Property in the long run, will always give you a profit. Besides, you never know if you could afford that 2BHK in the future you have been eyeing for a long time.

9. Don’t get caught up in self-pity

10. Be Happy in whatever you do. If you’re not, why push yourself through it (be it life, work, personal relationships, hobbies, etc.)

11. Read. Read as much as you can, especially History and People. So many things will make sense to you.

12. Love the Outdoors. The more you are out and away from your desk, the greater the chance of enjoying life and meeting up with people (accidentally and/or by choice).

13. Dress/Attire. Learn to dress well. It pays back in multiples in life.

14. Frugality. Learn it early enough in life. You’ll thank yourself later on in life.

15. Management: Learn and read up as much as you can about being a Manager, Management Techniques, etc. Even if they may not be applicable to you right away.

16. Deliver on your word. For your word is worth more than your weight in gold.

17. A long time from now will be now really soon.

18. Reading about science is much more fun than I thought.

19. Make sure you are doing the things you want to do, because at a later age you might not be able to do it any more.

20. If you are unhappy about your job, try to find a better one. You’re going to spend a lot of time at work.

21. Make sure you can be happy on your own, your relationship might not last. And if you are happy on your own, you will have more fun together.

22. Don’t care about what people say. Do care about what friends say.

23. You can take more life risks now than you probably ever will be able to again. Your whole life is still ahead of you, and most of the life choices you’ll make at this stage aren’t necessarily permanent.

24. No opportunity is worth being taken advantage of.

25. It’s totally cool to go back to studies/ college/ university if you need to. There’s no shame at all in picking up new skills.

26. Spend at least a year living and working in a foreign country. It’ll change the way you look at everything.

27. Money does actually matter, sadly. Try and have some kind of cushion: it’ll come in handy if things go wrong, but it’ll also come in handy for experiments.

28. Read every contract before you sign it, and always think about what it means in the worst case scenario. (Seriously.)

29. Find happiness within yourself, not from other people, and certainly not from things. Unhappiness leads to terrible choices.
Related: know that your own value is no less than anybody else’s (but, conversely, isn’t more than anybody else’s, either).

30. Keep your body healthy. It might seem indestructible now, but it won’t, sooner than you think.

31. Don’t be tied down by cultural norms, traditions or what everyone else is doing. And flatly ignore your fear of missing out.

32. Be impeccable with your word. (I try not even to tell white lies. Sometimes it is hard to tell the absolute truth but I have noticed an improvement in my relationships and a lessening in anxiety since I adopted this rule.)

33. Don’t take anything personally. (The hurtful things people say nearly always have far more to do with their own unhappiness than anything else.)

34. Don’t make assumptions. (Don’t assume you know what someone is thinking or why they’re acting like they are. Ask and you’ll nearly always find out that your assumption was wrong.)

35. Always do your best. (Realizing that your best one one day is not as good as your best on another day.)

36. The best time to take a risk, you can leave a high paying job at this age and try to do something which maybe you will not be able to do later.

37. Instead of just joining a gym, which is more difficult to stick onto, join a sport too, that ways you will be more motivated to take care of your body.

38. If you are planning to start something of your own at this age, you are probably going to fail the first time, but you are probably going to be successful if you stick and work on the aspects you failed at.

39. Don’t be a hedonist. If women, alcohol, gambling or even eating out frequently has become your only tools to happiness then it’s time to change.

40. Sort out the things that pull you. If there are people, past mistakes etc, that are pulling you, making you anxious then it’s time to sort them out and let them go.

41. Don’t judge people by what they say, judge by what they do.

42. Make good friends, the ones who will stick during bad times. And remember not to rely on people for happiness.

43. Health. Take care of your body now and you will have to spend less on fixing it later. Eat healthful food, workout, and stay away from the typical vices – your body will thank you later in life.

44. Be careful who you surround yourself with. Be careful what you choose to close an eye to.

Ravi Shastri and his list of cliche phrases

An Andaz Apna Apna Addict: Why we still love it

It’s not just a movie. It’s your andaz (style) of living.

17. When you hear the song , “Papa kehte hain bada naam karega” instead ofthis:



Aamir’s ribbon cutting of the lock up scene comes to your mind.



16. You can’t be friends with someone who hasn’t seen the movie. After all, how can you hang out with someone who doesn’t get your Andaz Apna Apna references. Is there even a point in having a friend who doesn’t laugh or complete your Anadaz Apna Apna dialogues?



15. For you Robert & Bhalla are a cuter couple than Robert & Bella



14. When someone talks smack about the movie, you’re genuinely insulted.



13. When someone asks how was your interview, your reply is:

Hona kya tha? Unka ek ek sawal humare do do jawab, sawal ek, jawab do, sawal ek jawab do, sawal jawab, sawal jawab….chup lambi khamoshi.




12. Whenever you ask someone to sit behind you in a two wheeler, you say:

Uncle aap peeche baithiye…par phir main chalounga kaise?



And when someone asks you to sit behind him you say:

Chup kar…neeche utar…godi wale

11. You see bread & omelette and you think of:

Bread ka badshah aur omelet ka rajja BAJAJ…humara bajaj



10. You can’t say “Dil ki baat” without first saying ”Pet ki baat”



9. You own this:



8. Can quote any dialogue from the movie without fumbling, no matter how complex it is.



“Jab tum Prem se milogi, toh Prem ke prem mein prem deewani ho jaogi … meri premika”

7. You’ve watched this movie so much that you honestly believe that Crime Master Gogo is indeed Mogambo’s nephew…. And if people tell you differently, you just laugh at them.



6.  You’ve topped every Andaz Apna Apna quiz. You can even answer the questions like:

Asli Heere Kaunse Bag Mein Hain? Kale, lal aur Hare?



5. When you make a mistake, your explanation is:

Galti se mistake ho gaya



4. You can’t pick one favorite character from the movie. Whether it’s Amar, Prem, Teja- Bajaj, Robert-Bhalla or Crime Master Gogo you love them all. Truly, deeply & unconditionally.



3. You’ve seen the movie more than 10 times & you still laugh uncontrollably.



2. You use these catchphrases in everyday life

Sab Cheez Time To Time Honi Chahiye



Haath Ko Aaya…. Mooh Na Laga



Aakhein Nikal Kar Gotiya Khelta Hoon



Gum Ka Saathi Rum…Par Iski Adat Mat Dalna



Teja Main Hoon Mark Idhar Hai



HAILA!



Crime Master Gogo Naam Hai Mera, Aaya Hoon Kuch Toh Lekar Jaunga



Jitna Tha Sab Laaye Hain…



Do dost ek pyaale mein chai peeyenge isse pyaar badega



Bhabi hogi teri, Shaadi hogi meri



Balki main Toh Kehta Hoon Ki Aap Purush Hi Nahin Hain…Aap Maha Purush Hain…Maha



Baal Kate Bhi Hain Aur Pata Bhi Nahin Chal Raha Hai



And the #1 Symptom of your Andaz Apna Apna Addiction is:

1. You still get into debates over Raveena kaun aur Karishma kaun?





Source:- http://thewordnypmhetdiariess.wordpress.com/

Shah Rukh khan and his endless lists of ADVERTISEMENTS

If we go by TV ads, a typical day in the life of Shahrukh Khan would be:

Gets up

Brushes with Pepsodent...

Shaves with V-John..

Takes bath with Lux soap, rinses hair with Clinic All clear...

Applies Navratna Oil (Thanda Thanda cool) and rubs Emami Fair and handsome cream on his face...

gets into Lux Cozi

wears his Belmonte / Mayur suitings and Liberty shoes

wears his Tag Heuer & Omega ( one on each wrist)

drinks a cup of Tata tea with Sunfeast biscuits..

picks up his Nokia phone with Airtel connection...

drives in  Hyundai to go to ICICI Bank where he signs cheques with Linc pen..

He then gets home in the evening..

relaxes in his Nerolac painted house..

Has Top Ramen Curry Smoodles while watching movies on his Compaq Presario laptop

Drinks Pepsi / Frooti  to beat the heat

Watches KKR match on Dish TV on his Videocon..

Calls his friends over to have Bag piper / ROYAL STAG ( in case he wants to make it LARGE )

Before that, gives Geetanjali jewellery to Anushka sharma ( oh wait! shouldn't it be Gauri Khan :O)

and finally has a spoon of Himani Sonachandi  Chyawanprash before going to bed on D-Decor mattress.

A little parcel of happiness

[caption id="attachment_364" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Street Kids[/caption]

A Study found that two thirds of the world's hungry live in just seven countries: Bangladesh, China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, India, Indonesia and Pakistan. In India, 210 million people ( 18% of the total population) are undernourished.

“You can find Calcutta anywhere in the world. You only need two eyes to see. Everywhere in the world there are people that are not loved, people that are not wanted nor desired, people that no one will help, people that are pushed away or forgotten. And this is the greatest poverty. “  - Mother Teresa

Our planet produces enough food to feed its more than 960 million undernourished people. The basic cause of global hunger is not underproduction; it is a production and distribution system that treats food as a commodity rather than a human right.

Coming back, Had a family dinner in a good restaurant yesterday. Of course we had a special reason to celebrate@!

In our enthusiasm ,we ordered more than we could eat..... everybody was full to their hearts content.

Settled the bill. excess food...???? somebody said ..hey get it parceled for Tommy at home ( cliched name for a dog, isnt it? but that's the way it is!)

So we take the parceled dog food,jump in to the car and drive away.

5 mins and we are the traffic signal. arrgh...this signal is taking a lifetime.

Just then, I look to the left on the road side to find... street children everywhere — at every intersection, in every railway station, every tourist spot — 18 million in total across the country.

We now clearly see the  scruffy kids who beg, steal, shine shoes and smear car windows in an effort to make a few rupees.

And then the realization dawns upon me- how lucky i am - to live, to eat, to stay with people i love and people who love me back.

We can all make change, no matter how young, overwhelmed, busy, or broke we might be. Sure, we can’t all go out an start our own orphanages right now — but for starters, we can do small things like this. Like donating your old school dress, shoes, clothes you find you won't be wearing anyway, food if possible.

Doing simple acts of kindness not only makes you feel all warm and fuzzy, it helps others to feel worthy. It also motivates them to want to pay it forward.

So when are you giving some one a little parcel of happiness ?

Bookj Review: A Thousand Splendid Suns

The title of the novel is taken from a line from a seventeenth-century poem called “Kabul,” written by the Persian poet Saib-e-Tabrizi

One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs,

Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.

Laila’s father  quotes these lines as the family is about to leave the war-wracked city of Kabul to another land. Through the imagery of suns and moons, the lines evoke a feeling of timelessness and a connection to the mythology of ancient Persia, as well as a heavenly beauty that stands in poignant contrast with the rubble and blood of the city at war.

The moons and suns may be interpreted as the citizens of Kabul, with the male head of each household represented by a shimmering moon on its roof.

The reference to “a thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls” likely refers to the women of Kabul, glowing beauties cloistered in hearth and home, tantalizingly hidden from the outside world but nonetheless providing vital life-giving warmth to Afghan society. The powerful image of women as “splendid suns” ties in with the author's theme of women’s strength and importance to the  Afghan society.

How to attain NIRVANA

Advertising is an environmental striptease for a world of abundance ~ Marshall McLuhan

Review: Papillon

In the book, there's a  funny quote from a Minister in France in the early 1970’s who said “The present hopeless moral decline of France is due to the wearing of miniskirts and to the reading of Papillon "

How could there be a song in the mind of a convict. Perhaps that's what moved me when I read Shantaram and the same journey continues here. The book is about the adventurous journey taken by a person named ‘Henrie Charriere’ who is convicted by law to escape the high walls of the prison and higher walls of mental barrier. Truly a journey taken to test man’s endurance beyond any sizable ground even covered by men of extra-ordinary. The essence of the book is the power of finding light in the depth of the deepest shadows. There is a lot of goodwill in the place we call prison alias gutter.

Henrie Charriere, the author, in his autobiography speaks of the journey since he was convicted till he wins over his freedom. There are several notable points in the book. Something that everyone needs to note, is that you grow with, not as an individual but as a group. There are ethics and morals that are being fallowed in the murk of prison. However the biggest value that it adds is that there are only physical chains that can be wound around you but mentally you are the master of your will. Something that we get to know is that 'what the mind desires is what the body conceives'.

The book is written with overdoes of positive attitude and more with vigor and zeal and pace that you just don’t let the book down just as the book never lets you down. When you are let down in life, grab it, it will do you a lot more than just good.

Mahindra Verito : Are you a Verito Man?

One advertisement that caught my eye recently on TV is ' Mahindra Vertio' advt.



Mahindra & Mahindra (Mahindra) is now ready to go to town with its entry level sedan, Verito. It has launched an ad campaign for the face-lifted version of the erstwhile Logan( which was perceived by customers as a fleet owners car). The new campaign for the Verito depicts the characteristics of its likely owner.

But surprisingly, the new ad campaign does not talk about the car’s features at all. Rather, it attempts to paint the ‘Verito Man’ in bold strokes with an eye on stoking the aspirations of its viewers. However, it is not the lifestyle of the Verito owner that is portrayed; his reaction to road rage is used to convey the DNA of the Verito Man. The ad, featuring Bollywood (successful?) actor Jimmy Shergill, shows the protagonist shutting up a bunch of rowdy youngsters, impatiently honking away in a car-park exit queue, not by using force but by his chutzpah. In second phase, The Verito Man tries to shut up rowdy youngsters who have parked in the middle of the road saying. " Tum Dayal Babu ke bete ho na"? . To which the surprised youngster says, " Koun dayal babu" ?. The Verito Man very smartly points out to the road sign bearing the Road name " Dayal Babu Road". In the other words, he avoided using the more popular and direct way of asking whether the road belonged to their father . ( There you go Verito man!)

I think the advertiser's here are driving across the point that a Vertio aspirant has to be a person who would be evolved enough to not lose his calm but at the same time know how to get his own back.

The punchline, ‘Grow up to Verito’ is expected to trigger aspiration.

It works at two levels.

One, it asks viewers to behave sensibly like the Verito Man, at least on the road.

Number two is of-course coax the hatchback owners to upgrade to a sedan.

Now, some +ve s and -ves about the TVC.

A punch line out of “Kaante” the Tagline slightly twisted from Raymonds – “The Verito man”. The originality of this advt could be doubted, but nevertheless the execution and final product has come out good.  Jimmy shergil looks good, but that could be the only good thing about this advt.

+ves..

1. It depicts a real life situation which we encounter on the roads everyday and the way the situation is handled is a mature way of dealing with it.

2.M&M has created a campaign aimed to build awareness towards road etiquette and responsible motoring, with the Verito as the central theme. According to them, Verito being a sensible, honest and dependable car embodies these very virtues. Through this, M& M aims at getting people to sit back, think, and if required, change their behavior on the roads. The whole campaign aims at driving a positive change amongst the Target segment.

-ves..

1. The car looks lovely , but it is NOT SHOWN  from different angles in the advertisement. Wanting to be a Verito Man is OK, but you need to have a closer look at the product you are going to buy, isn't it?

2. Since it is promoted as the Man's car, women may shy away from buying the Verito.

Watch the commercial here and be a VERITO MAN ( women in case you are one)