15k in 15 Minutes

            The memories still large loom in my mind when my economics teacher used to say that it is the man who makes the artefact called money!  Ten years down the lane, I am forced to subsist in the world where the above statement is no longer applicable. Money makes a man is what one gets to witness almost everywhere in the present world. Adding a chunk of humor, can I say that the said proposition is one of the so-many conundrums surrounding our lives?

 

 The other day I strolled into a restaurant with a couple of my friends, the bill chopped my pocket for it was there thousand in a mere three hours we spent over there. Likewise when I configured out my next day’s expenses it coined out to around 15k in the mere span of 15 minutes. The very moment the thought of echoing my views on this artefact spurred and here I am with my introspective composition!

 

             In this world of unparallel precedencies, Money has been ruling the roost. Money is the factor which splits the human relationships. It has reigned in the concept of demarcation between rich and poor. The only feeling of being fervid is responsible for driving the philanthropic sections of the society to do the so-called charity works or else they would have treaded the orthodox path even before the arrival of dusk.

 

 

There is a very thin line between the two rapt versions of the conclusions that can be derived from the possessor of Money. The artefact called Money enriches one with Money which is actually worth no Money and the second version being, the artefact called Money enriches one with Money which is actually worth more than the Money! The decision of whether to go for the former or the latter solely rests in our very own hands.

 

Money…..Indeed A big thing!

                It is just a single note that could bring an individual from the Chawlas to the Ambanis and a common man is always behind that single note since this hunch is deeply rooted in one’s conscience. At this very moment the veins subsisting in his mind wind up making him thoughtless for a moment and one such frivolous moment is enough to witness the ruthless atrocities emerging out of his willow, the recent one being the Aarushi Talwar’s case!

 

  The frail aspects of money compelled filmmakers like Ram Gopal Varma to churn out movies like Money Money in the late nineties and even now the trend continues thanks to the popularity of Vitamin M in the Bollywood. The other day when choreographer turned director Ganesh Acharya unveiled his latest directorial Money Hai Toh Honey Hai , I was left wondering what if there is no money in one’s possession wouldn’t there be a place for succulence in one’s life!

 

                 The other day when I was going through Amitav Ghosh’s Glass Palace which was preceded by the Shadow Lines, the thought of what marks the difference between the age old man in contrast to the modern man spurred in my vein. The very moment I chalked out the answer to this question, only one thing kept doing the rounds…that is MONEY! See what a strong odour this Money has!!With a bagful of tricks in its armor, Money can be termed as the prestidigitator of man making but does that augur well for a society is to be contemplated!

 

                 A nation thriving to maintain the global standards by increasing its price structure at the cost of a common man’s life is unpalatable! There are innumerous instances of happenings daily in and around our lives that one hardly cares to notice like the way multiplexes looting the public in the name of grandeur by pitting up soaring prices as against the standardized prices for different commodities.

 

                The Government’s conflicting methodologies in handling the economic concerns only adds to the already existing woes of a common man. Is Big Retail the answer to the India’s surging Inflation and can it still aid consumption is what the economists are brooding over but let us not dwell into the intricacies and strangle our tiny brains. Whatever change beckons the streets, it is only about moving forward.

               

      The quality of Money is sui generis in its own way as one cannot deny the fact that it is the vehicle in which the current world is travelling. What is the aim of living life….this was the question I posed to a group of youngsters at the Madras IIT campus…..believe me or not, 9 out of 10 people replied me with the word MONEY! But the only thing one should watch out for is whether the priceless moments are bought with the aid of this very money?

        

              Long ago, when there was Barter system, definitely there was a dispute between the exchange rates, but everyone had to be properly skilled to get in exchange while today when Money has become the source of exchange, people turn out to do lot of notorious things. This clearly states that mankind has been benefited with Money, but then Money has proven to be a major source of disparity and destruction. In the wake of all these, can Money be called as a Zeitgeist is left to us.

Women marching towards the Path of Progress - Vision 2020

In today’s materialistic world, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration if one says that there is no terrain on which a woman has not set her foot upon. There’s no doubting that a today’s woman can accomplish anything.

 

We have women like Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Chairman of Biocon Limited; Nandita Das, the award-winning film-maker and noted environmentalist; Ritu Kumar, the leading woman fashion designer; Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy; noted journalist Padmashri Burkha Dutt; NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams etc upon whom one can look for and make them as their role models. Even Sonia Gandhi is listed 17^th among the 50 most powerful people on the earth in ‘Newsweek’ for her active role in the politics of the world’s largest democracy.

We have movies like Chak De India which proved that the physical strength is not the only parameter required to win but it’s the strength of the mind and the will power, which we have been witnessing in women, of late! It’s a fact that there were a lot of debates on a female voice put to comparison with that of a male. But things have proved quite contrary to the so-called presumptions and have now reached a point where the men will have to be more cautious in competing with the women.

It is 2009 now and we are witnessing a resurgent woman taking the pole position and a small thought of vision 2020 only zeroes down to a situation where men might be taking a backstage and women might just be leading from the front. Let’s hope for this to become a stark reality!

Roja's Rahman faded? Nah....Here is the Answer !

In one of the interviews, A.R.Rahman said that a composer who moulds his music that suits the idiosyncrasies and tastes of the audience belonging to that moment would be a failure in the long run but at the same time a composer who can mould his music to suit the contemporary audience as well as satisfy the old generations can definitely come out as a winner and will last for a long time !

And you know what ! This is a widely acclaimed fact !!

Roja came in 1992, which was almost 16 years ago when there was an audience acclimatized to the classical music and folk. The sound of Roja was completely new, it was like a whiff of air for the audience used to those genre and they accepted Roja which created waves in the music world and established a new horizon in composing music !

In Roja's music, Rahman explored various raagams like Des, Kapi, Yaman Kalyani which are purely carnatic....the mathruk of the song was the raaga but the flavour is something which is unheard ever before....Actually this is the basic mantra in analyzing Rahman's music and which demarcates his stature from the lot !!

For example, Ilaiyaraja composes a song in Kalyani...he sticks to it throughout the song....but Rahman is totally different. If he starts a song with a raag he rarely sticks to it....the chain of raags keep on instigating in the song...for example, Kannamochi Yennada from Kandukondain Kandukondain starts with Sudha Dhanyasi and then flows to Nattkurinji and then deviates to Lalitha, then again yu hear some other thing....which is totally an absurd to do in the books of a carnatic musician But thatz where his success lies....and he stuck to that through out his career till date...Even in Ada, I can see a song(Hawa) which starts with Hamsadhwani and then shifts to mishra Kalyani ! One has to accept this because A.R.Rahman had redefined the barriers in the music school !

Coming to Sakkarakatti, even I was flabbergasted after hearing the songs because with one hear, a common man can say that itz not Rahman. The reason for this being the reputation a Rahman album commands in the ears of the audience !

To be very frank, I liked only Marudhaani and Naan Eppodhu (reason for that might be that I hail from the school of carnatic music). People generally and conventionally give their vote to a film which is cut out off the rest....no melodrama and DDLJ stories are accepted over here. Only those films sell which have very novel thought depicted in something which is not seen before...that's what is called as something "Being Different" these days. If we apply the same principle to the music intricacies of ARR, he tried to be something different with albums of these kind. What's wrong in trying something which is very unconventional to depict in a conventional way ?? As far as I am concerned, I don't see any wrong in this !!!

And you know what !! To be on top always is a herculean task and mind you...A.R.Rahman has kept his stature as the top musician almost throughout his career till date!

So one can't say that Rahman had lost his touch or forgot the principles of Carnatic. He's just trying to blend the contemporary music by applying the high father's principles. He's tasting success with that and listeners are getting to hear a soulful music....not a loss in anyway !!

We'd have no trains, phones, aero planes, cars or computers, if the early workers had been quelled by the cries of "it won't work"

In sync with the recent inventions, take a cue from the TATAs stable. They have come out with a staggering invention called as “Common Man’s Car” in the name of NANO. One wondered that how can one churn out a car for a mere 1 Lakh! The entire world was on one side while the TATAs were on the other side fighting the odds. Ultimately, when they have showcased the NANO to the world, one got flabbergasted, for, it revolutionized the entire business arena!

Likewise take one Alexander Graham Bell, take one James Watt or Richard Trevithick, take one Karl Benz, etc., all these belong to the same genre. This perfectly suits the statement, “We'd have no trains, phones, aero planes, cars or computers, if the early workers had been quelled by the cries of "it won't work”!

The point to note is that they did not flinch even when they are met with many acrimonious results in the initial stages. Despite the fact being that many people jeered their efforts, they came out with flying colors. They never left their meticulous approach. And now the whole world bestows before them for their efforts.

Actually speaking, we are harnessing the fruits of their endeavors. The diehard zeal and the grueling efforts put forward by them made the people witness such fabulous inventions, which, in fact, became the need of the hour and where the world can’t run without them.

Bottom-Line:

As “Impossible” says “I m possible”, “It won’t work” says that “it will work”!

If one tries to understand the crux of the story, then one should comprehend the fact that any invention will be stemmed out from others’ backbiting. Take the case of any invention in the world, one gets to witness the same! If and only if such critics subsist in the society then one gets to witness such fabulous inventions. In fact, the critics’ quelling that “it won’t work” itself turned out to be the mantra of success for those path-breakers, i.e., the inventors.

Do you think small states prosper better? If so, do you think AP should be split as well?

India is the country that can boast to possess the maxim of “Unity in Diversity” with different cultures of people living their lives under one roof. Every state in India depicts a distinct culture which cannot be matched with any other state’s culture. One wonders why the question of splitting arises in one’s psyche after all these years.

One’s views might be diplomatic on this sensitive issue. They might turn out to be skeptical as well in some cases. If I were given the chance to voice my view, then I would say that these small states would only exemplify the government’s slackness in lacking the control over the people concerning to a specific state. If only the government was competent enough in governing the people belonging to the specific state then why does the question of a split arises.

Whether small states would prosper better or not would be entirely dependent on the type of Government existing in that particular state. If one takes the scenario prevalent in either Jharkhand or Chattisgarh or Uttaranchal which have been split from Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh respectively, there is always a quotient of disparity in one or the other issue concerning the states. This leads to dissonance among the people leading their lives.

As far as AP is concerned, if there is a split of Telangana from the united Andhra, then the issue concerning the people belonging to Rayalaseema region demanding a separate state for themselves, will surely rake up and the question of cacophony among the people belonging to a single state will surely come to the fore. Also if Andhra Pradesh is going to be split then the objective of the great Potti Sriramulu garu, who is the main architect behind the creation of Andhra Pradesh, would simply go to fetters.

A New Frontier on the Indian Capital

‘The world is surging places – Are we, the Indians lagging behind?’ Whenever one poses this question to me, I get into a position of a big quandary! This is not the case of me alone but most of them possess mixed perceptions in saying that India lags much behind in the race to ascertain its supremacy on par with the other nations. In an attempt to catch up with them, one has to check with the resources available and whether we are competent enough to pull alongside them.

Keeping in tune with the present revelations going through the gen-x world in the world of technology, Indian Government has been taking some of the finer points from their notebooks, one of them being, the induction of the metro railway system in the capital city.

The Indian capital Delhi emerged as the front runner among the most populous cities in the country. So there was a need to avert the congestion of traffic arising out of this relentless problem. So the Metro Rail System was used as the trump card by the Government. It was pioneered in the city amidst much fanfare and with the intention of providing incredible facilities, by which, they can put a check on the woes of commuters.

If one has a look on the figures, Delhi is carrying a whopping 650000 passengers per day. By this figure, one can experience the tussle of the people of Delhi in trying to get out of the traffic chaos everyday. Add to the traffic problems is the pollution, which has got perilous effects on the mankind. By availing the metro rail system, one can put a restraint on the amount of time being wasted in the travel.

Bottom-Line:

The Metro System being recognized on the UN green List itself speaks of its dexterity and the feel good factor among the public. Looking at the other side of the coin, even after instigating such stupendous system in the city, some think that this might just fall short in keeping a check over the ever increasing traffic problems and add to that, everyone is not comfortable in using modernized equipment like that of escalators.

Whatever one opines, this step taken by the Indian Government is a laudable effort and in fact, it is opening up new horizons for the capital and bringing in the glimpses of the cities around the world which were treated as ‘only-in-dreams’ till now!

Sixty-Sixty…..Is the Search too long?

In the late eighties, there was a TV commercial that played out a lot on Doordarshan! A trim, genial, 'old' man chivalrously gives his spot in the elevator to a woman. He takes the stairs instead, compelling, a younger man to follow suit. The 'older' man makes it effortlessly. The younger one is left behind panting. Admiring FVO: 'Saat saal ke buddhe ya saat saal ke jawaan?' Roughly speaking '60 years old or 60 years young?' The commercial was for Zandu Pharma's Kesari Jeevan.

We have completed 60 years of independence and yet if you were to ask marketers - '60 years old or 60 years young?' the answer would be an unequivocal '60 years young!' That's because like the world, we are fixated on the 365 million strong 18 to 35 year olds - our future consumers and target audience. On the verge of starting their earning lifecycle, they are looking to start lifelong love affairs with brands. They do matter because they have the moolah.

Yet marketers would do themselves a favour if they shift their gaze just a wee bit. Look up and you will find a demographic that's crying out to be serviced. At about 78 million the numbers the 60+ set doesn't inspire as much drool as the youth but like the man in the Zandu ad, 60 year olds are 60 years young. It's not about pity or social service. It's about supplying a genuine demand. It's about commerce. Life expectancy is up. Healthcare is getting better. Children are becoming financially independent a whole lot earlier.

There are greater saving options and more financial freedom. But more critical than all this is the genuine urge most senior citizens have to engage with the world. To taste life in all its new fangled glory! McCann-Erickson's MasterCard commercial - young man treats his parents to a foreign holiday, business class travel, a limousine ride and a day at the amusement park - amplifies another key point - if the older generation wants to get a life the younger generation is most likely willing to pick up the tab.

Hindi films have already cottoned on to this trend. If four years ago Ravi Chopra's Baghban articulated it, recently ad man Balki's Cheeni Kum updated it. Amitabh Bachchan's blistering real life career coupled with increasingly adventurous reel life roles has made him its made-to-order brand ambassador. And if he is living life king size, there are scores of Mr. and Mrs. Wagles shedding deep rooted inhibitions and social constraints to take a shot at life. So grandmothers are getting net savvy to keep track of a globetrotting flock and older couples are forming even smaller nuclear families.

Go to public parks in the morning - and the majority of the people there are senior citizens. They are checking out new fashions even if they aren't wearing them, debating news, and swapping stories of their travels. Little surprise that M&M's Logan was offering itself for a test drive early one morning in Mumbai's famous Shivaji Park recently and Bisleri was handing out leaflets for returnable jars. While financial services and healthcare brands have traditionally targeted the 60+ there's an opportunity for everyone. They would be happy to use convenient food sensitive to their health needs; multiplex and restaurant discounts; security products; communications devices; travel aids; holidays, training schools, grooming products; media; networking sites; homes; the list is endless. Daada daadis and nana naanis are also more generous to sales’ pitches and can be co-opted into your sales team as they often advise kids on big ticket buys. On another note, the trust of the grandparents on these affable brands turned them into heritage brands imbued in equal parts with retro-chic and nostalgia.

While we are not yet close to where the USA finds itself, three fourths of its money is with the baby boomers, our time starts now. As India goes past 60 its time the 60+ consumer comes of age.