We lost, yes... but its for our own good.

Hmmm... I believe this loss actually augurs well for India. The billion people in our country were on cloud nine after the Bangladesh game before the finals of the tri-series that just concluded. They felt this team was on its way to unseen glory. Praises were thrown in for the team from every corner of the nation. And I actually believe they did not deserve all of that. The Pakistan team were very complacent after their comfortable victory over the hosts. And they were buried dead by the Indians who fired as a unit. But it was all just too good to be long lasting.

If they had won today, then they would have been hailed as one of the best ever teams. And the media would have celebrated them like they achieved a phenomenal feat. But now that they have lost, I think it is only right that the media take note of the successful players from this tournament and not criticise their loss in the finals, after they were touted to be the favourites. All the players are slowly recovering from their IPL hangovers.

They will now sit down and analyse their bowling, which still lacks that sting. They are unable to contain the opposition when they start scoring at a good rate. Now that they have been silenced, they can start over and prepare well for the Asia Cup, which is of more importance. I believe they have a very good side which can bring home the trophy. This loss today shows the potential of the Pakistan team. And this can easily be bettered by the current Indian team. They can, through proper discussions and observations make out the strengths and weaknesses of this Pakistan side and use this knowledge against them in the upcoming Asian championship.

As Harsha Bhogle has written in his column on espnstar.com, there is a nice pool of about 20-25 players which the Indian selectors can choose from. It has a very good mix of experience and youth and this is very essential in building a well balanced team for the not-so-far-off champions trophy and the 2011 world cup scheduled to take place in the subcontinent. MS Dhoni is a worthy captain and I believe he can, with a little learning, marshall these Blues to a successful campaign in both these big events.

Medi(a)ocre...

Kindly read the Breaking News and Headlines in the pictures shown below:







Very nice is it not?!!!! These pictures, I received today from a friend of mine. At first, I was shocked to see how stupid these news channels could concentrate on even the most idiotic matters to the limelight. I feel that the public anger against today's media is totally justified. We the people, have every right to question the competence of these umpteen news channels that grace our TV screens day in day out. I would like to say that at least one of the above pictures does look suspicious, with a possibility that someone may have morphed the news line into the picture. Still I was really put off looking at these pictures.

But then i remembered about a channel called 'Headlines Today'. I recollected how well they discussed the MMS scandal. They attracted all the viewers to their channel, not because the discussions and arguments were informative, but because they screened a slightly(very slightly) censored version of one of the famous MMS's where a naked girl is making poses for the cameraman lying on a bed. From that day on, I have never ever tuned into that channel. Because I always knew they are up to no good. I am sure that last night 60% of the airtime would have been spent discussing the costliest film that hit the cinema screens today.

I believe that there are very few news channels that still hang on to their credibility. One of the them is CNN-IBN. Everything right from the reporting to the language and quality of presentation are better with this particular channel. It is one of the very few channels that people immediately tune to, be it the daily dose of news or the exceptionally accurate Opinion polls before the elections.

Many of the channels today have been started with one sole aim- to make big bucks!! And that they are able to provide some Mediocre news coverage and exceptional entertainment coverage. I doubt they will showcase the growing inflation as a concern on par with a bleeding finger that Aishwarya Rai suffered during some shoot.

Well these channels ever improve their standard to serve the people better??
Only time will tell!

My Finest Entertainment Experience... Not quite

Today me and my friends decided to go watch the latest sequel to the Indiana Jones trilogy. The venue was the Satyam Cineplex, and we were looking forward to a enthralling experience with excellent visual and sound effects aided by the new RDX technology employed by one of the most famous multiplexes in South India. We were a big group of 12 guys who had assembled at the venue well ahead of time and had purchased the tickets worth 90 bucks a head. We were very eager to take our seats in the Satyam hall in the cineplex - capable of hosting 1200 members for a show it is one of the biggest screens in Asia.

The previous day we had doubts if we would get tickets for the movie since it had shattered all Box-office records world over and carried excellent reviews. As we entered the hall we were greeted by the last few frames of the Trailer of 'Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na'. I was a little disappointed to have just missed it since I wanted to listen to the music-composed by AR Rahman, the maestro- that the trailer would carry. I also was surprised by how empty the hall was. We were seated in row M and all the remaining rows in front of us were all completely empty, but for the Rs 20 tickets right up front.

We took our seats and waited for the long series of advertisements that would usually follow. But this time it took a little longer for the screen to change from its blank state. We decided to make use of the short delay to get some drinks and popcorn from the atrociously high-priced food outlets of the cineplex. We waited for ten more minutes and were still faced with a nice blank screen and complete silence in the cinema hall. We then decided that our great icon from college, his highness, the Great MANUJ should be remembered and honoured in the cinema hall. This idea arose he was present in the same hall seated in the balcony area with a ticket worth 120 bucks. So, I just called him up and asked him to peep from the balcony area to right under the balcony where we were all seated as one big group in a single row. The moment all the people around me noticed him they all went up in unison - "MMMANUUUUUUUJJ!!!!". The guy was totally embarassed and went right back to his seat. Only moments later did we notice that the whole crowd in the hall was looking in our direction. We had realised how famous we had made Manuj!

A few minutes passed and we came back to our normal state and only then did we realise that 20 minutes had passed and the gigantic screen was still blank and nothing had appeared since the 'Jaane Tu...." trailer. All of us in the hall were now getting frustrated and restless. The people in the rows right next to the entry doors were being offered free popcorn to make up for the delay. Time just kept passing. We were enjoying our popcorn, no doubt about that, but more importantly we wanted to see the movie. It was almost an hour past the scheduled starting time of 1:15 pm when the theatre employees finally informed us that the screening was cancelled and that we could collect our refund from the ticket counters! Everyone was thoroughly pissed and stressed out after wasting so much time in the hall without having even witnessed a single frame of the movie.

Finally, we all decided to proceed to I-NOX to watch the same movie at 4:15 pm. All went well at the I-NOX multiplex and the movie experience was thoroughly satisfying as far as the quality of the hall and media systems were concerned. But there was one thing that still irked me , and that was the prices of the food items available. It was even higher than what rates were quoted at the Satyam cineplex. While a 650ml cup of Coke costs 45 bucks at Satyam, a 400ml cup of the same costs 50 bucks at I-NOX!! We did not feel too hungry thanks to all the free popcorn we were showered with, especially because it lasted till the gates to Citicentre. :)

I think the owners of Satyam cineplex are really lucky not to own the same facility in a country like USA, because then such a technical lapse would have resulted in a severe consequence. The moviegoers would have happily sued the owners for mental torture and walked away with thousands of dollars. But they are in such a nice country like India, where Free popcorn and ticket refunds are enough to keep the people quiet. This is not the first such occurence. One of my friends who went through the same experience today with me had gone through a surprisingly long 75 minute intermission while watching the new Narnia movie.

Thanks to all this I will, for the first time in my entire life, think twice before booking tickets at the (in)famous Satyam cineplex. Not quite my Finest Entertainment Experience(Something the cineplex boasts to offer to its customers).

About the movie, I think its been really well made to suit the aged Harrison Ford who has given an inspired and breathtaking performance. I would recommend this movie to all moviegoers since it was a thorough entertainer which made me laugh on more than one occasion with its witty dialogue and kept me interested in all the action sequences which had us guessing as to how the great Professor Henry Jones would get out of each situation.

Verdict for the day: Watch Indianajones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull at I-NOX preferably. :)

"If you wish today(june 11th)..... Its Two days(too) late!!! " :)

It was the day we were planning for, with the gifts all ready. The cake already ordered, and the venue all made to look normal. No traces of a surprise party to be thrown. But the room next to this one was filled of activity, full anticipation on all the faces. Very crowded and host to the excellent chocolate cake that Classic Foods had baked on our orders. One by one they people started trickling in.

"Why so late da?? We have been waiting for you... And Where the hell is Ashish?? Not yet come?!! Late as always... Call him da!!! "

"Hi Vatsu... I am coming man... I am outside TP only... Had some work in octa..."

That monday morning was full of activity and everyone was doing there work a little too sincerely in the Office room since they wanted to make "The old man"(As Cecil[senior from Mech] calls him :P) happy and also not to give away the impending surprise. It was the first and last time we would, as a team have an opportunity to throw a surprise party for this person we respected and regarded highly. We wanted it to be as perfect as possible. SK had called and expressed his sorrow for not being present able to attend the occasion.

"Finally!! Ashish has come... Are we all ready to do this?? Ok check if sir is there..."

After casually walking into the office room, I found that he was not there. He had been in that big wheel chair of his just a couple of minutes prior to that moment. Then we heard that he had just gone out and would be back soon. This wait added more to our tension and we were too eager now. An hour had already passed from the time we were supposed to spring up the surprise celebrations. 15 minutes passed and finally The Old man finally walked in and took his seat. I walked back into the next room and closed the door behind me.

"Ok people.. He has come. Time to do it.. Come on"

We picked up all the necessary things and as a big group assembled in front of his big table. The cake was placed on top of the glass slab and he was pleasantly surprised.

"Happy Birthday Sir!! A very Happy birthday to you!", we all said in unison.

He initially had no words for a few seconds, but a few moments on he said :
"Oh! What a pleasant surprise?!! I never expected this!! Thank you so much!! But I am sorry to say ITS TWO DAYS TOO LATE!!! My Birthday was over on the 9th of June itself! "

Terror and shock gripped our faces!! We had absolutely nothing to say! We were short of any words!! The only thing we managed to utter was a muffled "OHHHHH!!". After a few seconds we all git back to our senses and realised our blunder. We all passed on our apologies to the Old man who now said that both us and our seniors had committed the same mistake. We felt a sudden hollow within us and did not know how exactly to react after hearing those words from sir's mouth.

But the great man that he is, he brought us into cheerful moods by expressing his happiness at being totally surprised. He then cut the cake and kicked off the party, one surrounded by an invisible cloud of disappointment. How could we have done something like this??!!! But then we moved on and gifted sir the books we had neatly wrapped. He was definitely not expecting this and was taken by further surprise. This brought us back to our spirits and we motioned for Sruti to do the honours with the cake. She ceremoniously cut the cake into a uniform grid of pieces, much like she managed to do several times in the following year.

Thinking back 364 days from today, it all seems so funny and stupid. How we had made the mistake of finding out the wrong birthday and goofing up what should have been a very special day for the Old man. The old man, of course, is none other than Dr. A.K.Bakthavatsalam. Our mentor, our guide, our teacher, our friend, our Head. We owe so much to this man who has inculcated several good habits, values and ideals in the lives of all those who are part of STUD BATCH '08!!! Am sure I am speaking on behalf of all of them when i say He is the best for the job of finding jobs for the students and no one else can take that place.

But today was very different. I made sure I wished him at 0000 hours by message and then gave him a call when he was treating all my juniors at Sangeethas as he always does. A couple of my friends almost made the mistake of forgetting this special day. June 9th, a date that shall never be forgotten for all the reasons I just wrote about. But I am quite sure there will be at least a couple of defaulters who will call up on the 11th and wish him(thanks to the fake orkut profile showing it as 11th).

Well here is a modified version of our theme song for all those who commit that mistake:

"If you wish today(june 11th)..... Its Two days(too) late!!! " :)

Happy Birthday Sir!! Many more happy returns of the day!! :)

The Great Rivalry that is...

Fresh out of the french open final where Fedex was thrashed by the Raging Spanish Bull Nadal, I have accepted that Rafa(as people call him) is the undisputed king of clay. I believe he is the only worthy man on the face of this earth to deserve a shot at even coming close to breaking Borg's record of 6 french opens. The level of tennis he unleashed in the final was simply a class apart from anyone else on the ATP tour right now. I think even the great Bjorn Borg would have been totally impressed with the strokes in this 22 year old's repertoire.

He had the audience spellbound right from the word go. The Federer Express was derailed pretty convincingly by the World No. 2 with renewed vigour. But what was really nice to see was the words that the two players had to share at the presentation ceremony. Federer was very quick to commend Nadal and mention how great and unbeatable he was on clay, while Nadal sprang a slight surprise by extensively praising Federed for being a great player, the World No.1 and an excellent competitor.

Nadal with his new and improved game which boasts of extra-special shots from his backhand seems to be better equipped for Wimbledon this year. The rivalry between these two greats of modern day tennis is all set to go that one step higher. If the two players play to their abilities then come 6th July and we should witness a breathtaking final between the man in his three-fourths and the Swiss maestro with the best single-handed backhand. It should be an awesome treat lasting two weeks from 23rd June culminating with the final for all those ardent tennis fans.

There is not much doubt about a good performance from Nadal, but the doubts arise with the five time defending champion, Roger Federer. We have to say his form this year has been dismal to say the least. He looks much more beatable even at Wimbledon. But the Swiss smartie will be looking to turn the tide and go past Borg to take his 6th consecutive Wimbledon singles title to regain his form. He will also be aware of the challenge he is likely to face from the youngster he lost to at Melbourne this January. Novak Djokovic has proved how tough and intimidating he can be as an opponent.

Whichever of these players - Nadal, Federer or Djokovic- comes out victorious at the most prestigious and respected Grand Slam Tournament this July, the overall winner will be the Game of Tennis and its numerous fans across the globe. Guess we will just have to wait n see...

But for now... I guess I wil just enjoy the great football unfolding at Euro 2008 for the next 3 weeks. It should one cracker of a tournament.