We have all heard about military hotels sometime or the other. Many times it is associated with a shabby place (read shack), which is so so aesthetically unappealing. The absence of any ambience might put off many people so much that they do not even bother getting into the place to see what's on the menu. The menu might be tempting, delicious and mouth-watering, but first impression being the last impression, many do not even reach the "what's on the menu" stage.
What if one were to get similar tasting food, but with a complete revamped ambience. For starters, you have a proper concrete construction and proper tables and chairs with good lighting and a buzzing atmosphere. This is exactly what "Naati Mane" has to offer. It is located in Koramangala, which might soon be called the culinary suburb of Bangalore.
The place is decently done with a restaurant atmosphere and waiters dressed in white with a red colored chicken embossed on their shirts. As we were in a group of 5-6 people, there was quite a bit of variety in our order. For the main course, we ordered for chicken/mutton donne biryani, served in a bowl made of dried leaves. At such places, the starters usually dominate the main course, which is what exactly happened here. We had mutton keema, coriander chicken, boti and thalai mamasam (head of the goat). All these came in multiple plates and disappeared sooner than they came. Although a bit bland, the biryani was in decent quantity and with a generous helping of chicken/mutton pieces. The thalai mamasam was brilliantly done with masalas and spices well mixed and used generously. Coriander chicken was the drak horse. It was absolutely amazing. Never had anything like this before. The mutton keema is the king in this place. Perfectly cooked with the spices and it goes really well when had with crispy dosas. The icing on the cake is when such food, cooked with moderate-to-high spices and masalas, is washed down with a bottle of ThumsUp.
With so much of variety on offer, this place will cost around 250-300 per person. Be prepared to wait for a table, especially on a Friday afternoon. For vegetarians, don't bother going unless you want to come back starved and famished. There is nothing on offer.
A must-go place for all meat lovers!!!!!!!!
Tuesday 7 September 2010
Thursday 2 September 2010
commonWEALTH games
Finally finally, the day is about to approach when Delhi will host the Commonwealth games. For close to a decade, I have been hearing about infrastructure upgrades in Delhi, Metro, wide roads, T3, airport connectivity and all the other things which have been happening for quite sometime now. A lot has been said and written about irregularities in awarding contracts and functioning of the organizing committee. The usual blame game is in full swing. Mr. Kalmadi has been blasted left, right and center by everyone. I would like to ask all such people who have been pointing fingers, why are they so surprised and shocked? Was it not obvious to everyone that the games organizing committee will swindle funds? Didn't you know that there will be irregularities in the games budget? Did you ever think that any committee in this world can deliver such high magnitude games in the budget they estimated? The 2012 London Olympics organizing committee is in the same state, having reiterated their budget time and again and again and again. Such mishandling of funds have been going on for many years and throughout all these we are always shocked.
I fail to understand how Mr Kalmadi landed up in the organizing committee? May be heading the Indian Olympic Committee was good enough to get this role as well. Wow !!! those are lucrative jobs and the best part being you don't need to be from IIT's or IIM's to land up these jobs. May be an FIR somewhere would be good enough.
The Delhi government has been boasting about the infrastructure development it has done. Sheila Dixit is over the moon with the achievements of her government. Personally I feel, it is no great shakes. Any Tom, Dick and Harry would have undertaken all this development with the Commonwealth games on your head, along with a Supreme Court order. The Delhi government should realize that being a CM or Minister is a job (the adjective well-paid is an understatement now) and whatever development efforts have taken place should have happened irrespective of the games or court order. Can even one Indian standup confidently and assure that if there were no games in Delhi and no court pressure, the government would have still undertaken all this development? The development would have happened, albeit on paper and the money would just added to the lockers of the likes of Mr Kalmadi and his professional friends and foes.
Many people have been displaced from their homes and Mr. Jairam Ramesh is creating noise pollution by shouting about environmental hazards. The government's insensitive approach towards people is appalling. The ministers have the audacity to tell citizens of Delhi to take a break and go out of Delhi during the games. Lets take the area of 10 Janpath (home of the actual leader of the government) and all the bungalows (atleast 6000 sq. ft. each) occupied by the ministers in the heart of the city. All this area put together (300,000 sq. ft.) will make a very good site for the games village. And being in the VIP area you do not have worry about water, electricity or sanitation facilities. If this is not enough, lets take some area from the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Living space for the people is of course more important than growing roses in the Moghul Gardens. And let the displaced VIPs and VVIPs relocate to a 1 BHK LIC housing colony in Noida. After all its for 2-3 weeks only and the least our ministers can do is adjust.
The opposition in our country has never been a constructive opposition. All they do is look for ways to fill their pockets and bring down the government. The likes of Mani Shankar Iyer have clearly stated in the media that they wish the games were a failure. Shame on Mr Iyer for making such a statement and shame on everyone who wants the games to fail. I, for once want the games to be the best ever. Not because I side with Mr. Kalmadi, but because what is at stake is India's reputation on the world stage. India for Indians (including NRIs) is much like Hotel California. You can step out anytime you like, but you can never leave. Bring on the games !!!!!!!!!
I fail to understand how Mr Kalmadi landed up in the organizing committee? May be heading the Indian Olympic Committee was good enough to get this role as well. Wow !!! those are lucrative jobs and the best part being you don't need to be from IIT's or IIM's to land up these jobs. May be an FIR somewhere would be good enough.
The Delhi government has been boasting about the infrastructure development it has done. Sheila Dixit is over the moon with the achievements of her government. Personally I feel, it is no great shakes. Any Tom, Dick and Harry would have undertaken all this development with the Commonwealth games on your head, along with a Supreme Court order. The Delhi government should realize that being a CM or Minister is a job (the adjective well-paid is an understatement now) and whatever development efforts have taken place should have happened irrespective of the games or court order. Can even one Indian standup confidently and assure that if there were no games in Delhi and no court pressure, the government would have still undertaken all this development? The development would have happened, albeit on paper and the money would just added to the lockers of the likes of Mr Kalmadi and his professional friends and foes.
Many people have been displaced from their homes and Mr. Jairam Ramesh is creating noise pollution by shouting about environmental hazards. The government's insensitive approach towards people is appalling. The ministers have the audacity to tell citizens of Delhi to take a break and go out of Delhi during the games. Lets take the area of 10 Janpath (home of the actual leader of the government) and all the bungalows (atleast 6000 sq. ft. each) occupied by the ministers in the heart of the city. All this area put together (300,000 sq. ft.) will make a very good site for the games village. And being in the VIP area you do not have worry about water, electricity or sanitation facilities. If this is not enough, lets take some area from the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Living space for the people is of course more important than growing roses in the Moghul Gardens. And let the displaced VIPs and VVIPs relocate to a 1 BHK LIC housing colony in Noida. After all its for 2-3 weeks only and the least our ministers can do is adjust.
The opposition in our country has never been a constructive opposition. All they do is look for ways to fill their pockets and bring down the government. The likes of Mani Shankar Iyer have clearly stated in the media that they wish the games were a failure. Shame on Mr Iyer for making such a statement and shame on everyone who wants the games to fail. I, for once want the games to be the best ever. Not because I side with Mr. Kalmadi, but because what is at stake is India's reputation on the world stage. India for Indians (including NRIs) is much like Hotel California. You can step out anytime you like, but you can never leave. Bring on the games !!!!!!!!!
Thursday 29 July 2010
Natkhat - home food away from home
Natkhat, as the name may sound is not a kids shop. Its also not a khaadi bhandaar type of clothes shop. It is a small restaurant situated in Vijaya Bank layout, near Bannerghatta road in Bangalore. For history sake, this was started around 4-5 months back by a software engineer from Allahabad, who was tired of sitting in front of the monitor and writing code. He got a few cooks from his native place and Viola!!! we have Natkhat.
The place is like a mess with seating available for 10-12 people and it is self service and self pay. You go to the counter and order and go to the till and pay. The menu has chaats (evening only), paranthas and roti subzi's. Recently launched is the chinese cuisine of gobi manchurian, paneer manchurian, veg noodles and fried rice. This is a no-frills place, with enough lighting but no decorations and this is a veggie joint, no meat (this coming from me, might surprise some people).
Last week me and my better half happen to go there on a Sunday afternoon as this was the nearest to home. Fairly decent crowd, mostly for takeaways. We ordered a plate of Pudina Parantha and meals (4 phulkas, 1 vegetable, 1 daal), butter milk and sweet lassi. The pudina parantha actually had pudina in it, unlike a few joints who serve stuffed parantha for namesake. Along with that came a tomato and potato curry which delicious. The meals had dry alu-gobi (potato & cauliflower) veggie and yellow daal. The taste was amazing. Very delicious yet not a trace of oil, masala or excessive decorations to enhance appeal. The quantity of the veggies and daal was very decent, enough for one person to eat with 4 phulkas, which were served hot, right off the pan. The butter milk was perfect. Just the right amount of salt and masala. The sweet lassi was absolute bliss. The waiter kept malai in a separate plate and added a spoonfull to my glass. Reminded me of the lassi in saddi dilli. Absolutely amazing lunch.
Now to the damages. All this cost us Rs.80/-. Good value for money, neat, clean place, no butter, oil or extra masalas. Just simply good food. Must-go place, especially for those who hail from North India and really miss good north Indian food in Bangalore or end up spending quite a bit to get it.
The place is like a mess with seating available for 10-12 people and it is self service and self pay. You go to the counter and order and go to the till and pay. The menu has chaats (evening only), paranthas and roti subzi's. Recently launched is the chinese cuisine of gobi manchurian, paneer manchurian, veg noodles and fried rice. This is a no-frills place, with enough lighting but no decorations and this is a veggie joint, no meat (this coming from me, might surprise some people).
Last week me and my better half happen to go there on a Sunday afternoon as this was the nearest to home. Fairly decent crowd, mostly for takeaways. We ordered a plate of Pudina Parantha and meals (4 phulkas, 1 vegetable, 1 daal), butter milk and sweet lassi. The pudina parantha actually had pudina in it, unlike a few joints who serve stuffed parantha for namesake. Along with that came a tomato and potato curry which delicious. The meals had dry alu-gobi (potato & cauliflower) veggie and yellow daal. The taste was amazing. Very delicious yet not a trace of oil, masala or excessive decorations to enhance appeal. The quantity of the veggies and daal was very decent, enough for one person to eat with 4 phulkas, which were served hot, right off the pan. The butter milk was perfect. Just the right amount of salt and masala. The sweet lassi was absolute bliss. The waiter kept malai in a separate plate and added a spoonfull to my glass. Reminded me of the lassi in saddi dilli. Absolutely amazing lunch.
Now to the damages. All this cost us Rs.80/-. Good value for money, neat, clean place, no butter, oil or extra masalas. Just simply good food. Must-go place, especially for those who hail from North India and really miss good north Indian food in Bangalore or end up spending quite a bit to get it.
Thursday 22 July 2010
Sultans of Spice - Truly a Sultan
The last culinary experience was at the Sultans of Spice located in the culinary capital of India, Koramangala in Bengaluru. The restaurant has Punjabi, Afghani and Old Delhi cuisine. They call it old Dilli and that itself takes the cake.
As we entered, we were treated warmly and shown to our table. Plush sofa's and chairs made the seating very comfortable and the slightly more than dim lighting added to the ambience, and not mention Anup Jalota, Pankaj Udhaas and Jagjit Singh playing in the background. Nothing much to write about the drinks, as it were the usual beers, fruit punches, juices and cocktails, although the Bloody Mary looked made of only Cauvery water, but tasted like Bloody Mary, so no complaints. For starters, the veggies went for a veg platter, which had a bit of everything - mushrooms, potato, gobhi, paneer etc and some pakoda and chutey. For the meat eaters, we ordered a Murg Daftani. This was tender chicken marinated overnight in some afghani herbs and charcoal cooked to perfection. It lived upto its name and the the taste was awesome.
In between some chaats came and went by and before I realized that I need to have a bite, it was all gobbled down. For the main course, the veggies ordered mixed vegetables curry and dal makhni. The dal makhni was cooked to perfection. This is the second place in Bengaluru, where people understand what Dal Makhni is (first is Mast Kalandar). For the non-veg main course, we ordered Murg Makhni Makhan Singh Wala. For a layman, this was butter chicken. Small, boneless pieces of chicken in gravy. The spices had made their way through each small proton, neutron, electron particle of the chicken piece. The rotis and naans were the usual. Some of us ordered Chaas or butter milk. By far, the best "majge" (butter milk) in town. I can guarantee that.
Considering the damages, you would not want to go here as a regular, but be prepared to face 4000-4500 for 6-7 people with a couple of drinks each and food. This restaurant is located opposite Jyoti Nivas College (ask anyone in Bengaluru) in Koramangala.
Gluttney is a sin... but afterall we are all humans
As we entered, we were treated warmly and shown to our table. Plush sofa's and chairs made the seating very comfortable and the slightly more than dim lighting added to the ambience, and not mention Anup Jalota, Pankaj Udhaas and Jagjit Singh playing in the background. Nothing much to write about the drinks, as it were the usual beers, fruit punches, juices and cocktails, although the Bloody Mary looked made of only Cauvery water, but tasted like Bloody Mary, so no complaints. For starters, the veggies went for a veg platter, which had a bit of everything - mushrooms, potato, gobhi, paneer etc and some pakoda and chutey. For the meat eaters, we ordered a Murg Daftani. This was tender chicken marinated overnight in some afghani herbs and charcoal cooked to perfection. It lived upto its name and the the taste was awesome.
In between some chaats came and went by and before I realized that I need to have a bite, it was all gobbled down. For the main course, the veggies ordered mixed vegetables curry and dal makhni. The dal makhni was cooked to perfection. This is the second place in Bengaluru, where people understand what Dal Makhni is (first is Mast Kalandar). For the non-veg main course, we ordered Murg Makhni Makhan Singh Wala. For a layman, this was butter chicken. Small, boneless pieces of chicken in gravy. The spices had made their way through each small proton, neutron, electron particle of the chicken piece. The rotis and naans were the usual. Some of us ordered Chaas or butter milk. By far, the best "majge" (butter milk) in town. I can guarantee that.
Considering the damages, you would not want to go here as a regular, but be prepared to face 4000-4500 for 6-7 people with a couple of drinks each and food. This restaurant is located opposite Jyoti Nivas College (ask anyone in Bengaluru) in Koramangala.
Gluttney is a sin... but afterall we are all humans
Thursday 15 July 2010
Chennai - The City of ****
I happen to be in Chennai last month, for two days. I thank my star's that I booked tickets well in advance to travel in the air conditioned Shatabdi Express. As I walked from the platform to the main road, I could feel my shirt getting wet. By the time I got out of the station building, it was stuck to my body in such a way, that it could give some serious competition to FeviQuick.
There was I at 11:30 am, standing at the pre-paid taxi counter. Unfortunately, the gentleman at the counter said that there was no taxis available. It seems they were stuck in traffic in other parts of the city and were taking time to get to the station. Suddenly out of nowhere, a guy walks up to where we stood and started asking people where they wanted to go and some started negotiating as well. So taxis were available but people were made to stand in the heat, sweat and dirt, just to make some fast money. When some people asked at the counter as to what is happening, as the taxi drivers were offering their service, all we got in reply was "hmmm." A policeman was standing nearby looking at all of this and pretending to be ingorant. After suffering for 30 minutes, we walked further to a pre-paid auto stand, where we managed to get a trip to our destination. This is the welcome a tourist gets to one of the metropolitan cities in India.
I have known many people who come from Chennai and crib about the traffic and the pollution in Bangalore. Please guys, give us all a break !!!!. In Bangalore, you get to hear "20 Rs. more than meter". In Chennai, whats a meter. Why bother having them in autos. The traffic is killing and the weather adds fuel to fire and not to even mention the pollution. So I am sitting in an auto with the heat beating down on me, my shirt stuck to my body, profusely sweating and pollution all around me. For a moment, I thought how does life change in 6 hours. Only 24 hours back I went for a drive without switching on the AC and no need for even rolling down my windows and here I was getting roasted, baked and BBQed.
Despite knowing the language and having travelled to Chennai many times, I had no answer to any of this. I wonder what happens to tourists who come from Abroad. God help them or is Amma listening!!!
There was I at 11:30 am, standing at the pre-paid taxi counter. Unfortunately, the gentleman at the counter said that there was no taxis available. It seems they were stuck in traffic in other parts of the city and were taking time to get to the station. Suddenly out of nowhere, a guy walks up to where we stood and started asking people where they wanted to go and some started negotiating as well. So taxis were available but people were made to stand in the heat, sweat and dirt, just to make some fast money. When some people asked at the counter as to what is happening, as the taxi drivers were offering their service, all we got in reply was "hmmm." A policeman was standing nearby looking at all of this and pretending to be ingorant. After suffering for 30 minutes, we walked further to a pre-paid auto stand, where we managed to get a trip to our destination. This is the welcome a tourist gets to one of the metropolitan cities in India.
I have known many people who come from Chennai and crib about the traffic and the pollution in Bangalore. Please guys, give us all a break !!!!. In Bangalore, you get to hear "20 Rs. more than meter". In Chennai, whats a meter. Why bother having them in autos. The traffic is killing and the weather adds fuel to fire and not to even mention the pollution. So I am sitting in an auto with the heat beating down on me, my shirt stuck to my body, profusely sweating and pollution all around me. For a moment, I thought how does life change in 6 hours. Only 24 hours back I went for a drive without switching on the AC and no need for even rolling down my windows and here I was getting roasted, baked and BBQed.
Despite knowing the language and having travelled to Chennai many times, I had no answer to any of this. I wonder what happens to tourists who come from Abroad. God help them or is Amma listening!!!
Wednesday 16 June 2010
Why a movie buff takes to Pirated CD/DVD's
People who know me well will vouch that I am a complete bollywood movie buff with an occasional dash of Hollywood, Kollywood, Tollywood and all the other woods existing in the world of cinema. Like any avid movie buff, TV or cable is no good for me. Nothing like watching a movie on a 70MM screen. The only regret I have is not being able to watch “Sholay” on the 70MM screen. Going to a cinema hall is a totally different experience. It’s a shame not being able to watch some movies on the big screen – Sholay, 3 Idiots, Dil Chahtha hai, just to name a few.
Around a month back, I went to a multiplex to see a movie. During the interval there was an advertisement played on the screen about video piracy. The message was loud and clear from all parties in Bollywood, that we should not buy pirated CD’s/DVD’s and go to the cinema hall to watch a movie. I could not agree more with the advertisement.
Another incident last week made me think if I really agreed with the advertisement. After having read and heard good reviews for the movie “Rajneeti”, we thought this was a movie for the big screen. Since the movie was in its third week, we thought we would get tickets easily, even for a Sunday afternoon. Of course we were getting tickets but the weekend price was 350/- per ticket. Weekday is a tad less at 250/-. Weekday morning shows are at 150/- for this particular movie, whereas other regional movies and other hindi movies are at 70/- for weekday morning show, 150/- for weekday any other show and around 250/- for the weekend.
This is the reason that makes me think twice before going to a cinema hall. If the multiplex is making a profit with majority of the tickets being sold in the range of 180-250/- and offering atleast 4-5 shows a day at 70/-, why hike the weekend ticket price for a few movies to 350/-? This is not business acumen, but pure greed. This is not about price increase due to the inverse relationship between demand and supply. An equilibrium price, in this case tends towards infinity and defies logic.
For a family of 4, the tickets will cost 1400/- plus average spend of 200/- per person on frivolously priced eatables and add another 50-100 for parking, if you happen to find one. The total cost of seeing one movie for a family is 2300-2500/-. This is the opportunity that fuels the pirated CD/DVD industry.
It is not enough for the bollywood industry to say stop buying pirated CD/DVD’s. The Bollywood industry including the multiplex business owners need to create an atmosphere conducive for everyone to go to the cinema. Until then, the pirated movie industry will continue to grow.
The movie industry wants a movie buff like me to come to the cinema and they themselves are also restricting me from coming. I am a movie buff, but I am not stupid and by no means am I so ethical to spend 350/- on each ticket. By the way, Pirated CD’s/DVD’s are available in Indira Nagar (Bangalore) for 35/- only. Now at that price, I don’t mind even if it works only once !!!!!
Around a month back, I went to a multiplex to see a movie. During the interval there was an advertisement played on the screen about video piracy. The message was loud and clear from all parties in Bollywood, that we should not buy pirated CD’s/DVD’s and go to the cinema hall to watch a movie. I could not agree more with the advertisement.
Another incident last week made me think if I really agreed with the advertisement. After having read and heard good reviews for the movie “Rajneeti”, we thought this was a movie for the big screen. Since the movie was in its third week, we thought we would get tickets easily, even for a Sunday afternoon. Of course we were getting tickets but the weekend price was 350/- per ticket. Weekday is a tad less at 250/-. Weekday morning shows are at 150/- for this particular movie, whereas other regional movies and other hindi movies are at 70/- for weekday morning show, 150/- for weekday any other show and around 250/- for the weekend.
This is the reason that makes me think twice before going to a cinema hall. If the multiplex is making a profit with majority of the tickets being sold in the range of 180-250/- and offering atleast 4-5 shows a day at 70/-, why hike the weekend ticket price for a few movies to 350/-? This is not business acumen, but pure greed. This is not about price increase due to the inverse relationship between demand and supply. An equilibrium price, in this case tends towards infinity and defies logic.
For a family of 4, the tickets will cost 1400/- plus average spend of 200/- per person on frivolously priced eatables and add another 50-100 for parking, if you happen to find one. The total cost of seeing one movie for a family is 2300-2500/-. This is the opportunity that fuels the pirated CD/DVD industry.
It is not enough for the bollywood industry to say stop buying pirated CD/DVD’s. The Bollywood industry including the multiplex business owners need to create an atmosphere conducive for everyone to go to the cinema. Until then, the pirated movie industry will continue to grow.
The movie industry wants a movie buff like me to come to the cinema and they themselves are also restricting me from coming. I am a movie buff, but I am not stupid and by no means am I so ethical to spend 350/- on each ticket. By the way, Pirated CD’s/DVD’s are available in Indira Nagar (Bangalore) for 35/- only. Now at that price, I don’t mind even if it works only once !!!!!
Wednesday 28 April 2010
Indian Paisa League III is over, now hail Mr. Modi
Finally that IPL III mayhem is over, I thought of penning down my thoughts on the tournament and all the behind the scene activities being talked about.
The tournament saw frivolously paid cricketers playing 20-20 cricket. Assuming a player played in all the 14 matches (only league stage) and each match went on for 3 hours, the total cricket played by a player is 42 hours. So for 42 hours of cricket over a period of 45 days (not even 1 hour a day) a player gets millions. How can we justify such a price for anyone, especially someone like Yuvraj Singh (based on IPL III). How long will he continue to be in the team because he hit an english gentleman called Stuart Broad for six sixes in one over in 2007?
Anyway cricket is no more a gentleman's game, atleast in India. It has now become a money spinner for an organization called BCCI. There is an old english proverb that too much of anything is bad. That is precisely what IPL has done to BCCI. The richest cricket board in the world became greedy for more. With BCCI having so much financial power and autocratic bureaucracy, all this was bound to trickle down to the IPL committe as well. BCCI should be called Board for Cash and Currency in India.
The man who pulled off all this, Lalit Modi is now being harrassed by every tom, dick and harry for misappropriation of auctions, funds, broadcast rights and anything and everything under the sun. Very soon there will be a case on him for the toilets taps leaking in some pavilion lounge. If his brother in law got some business or his step son in law got some deals through Lalit Modi, consdering the Indian "jugad" set up, why is everyone shocked? Can BCCI and all the government officials blaming Lalit Modi own up and say that they have never used their position to seek a favor for their kith and kin? I can bet my life's earnings that not one of them cam vouch for it. Lalit Modi is the son of K.K. Modi, who is the chairman of a Rs. 40 billion business empire. As per succession laws all that will come to Lalit Modi. So money is not something new to him. He has seen money right from the day he was born. There is no need for him to get into unscruplous acts to make more money. And as far as getting business deals for his relations is concerned, this has been happening for ages. Havent we seen the likes of Murali Vijay in the Indian team when Kris Srikkanth is the chairman of selectors or a Nayan Mongia been drafted into the Indian team by Kiran More or a Deep Dasgupta being selected by Arun Lal? That is state level favoritism and this is family level. There is not much of a difference.
So BCCI, Shashank Manohar and Sharad Pawar, please do not try to fool yourselves and everyone in India and around the world who are IPL fans. The whole reason of you blowing up everything out of proprtion is because Lalit Modi pulled off IPL and took it to extent which you never imagined. His only fault was he thought he is bigger than the game itself and that led to his downfall.
And for Mr. Modi, go on and fight. The cricketing world will never forget your contribution. IPL was and always be your baby. You nurtured it for 3 years. Irrespective of what anyone might say, you ensured that in the end the winner was a game called "cricket" and for that I salute you for that.
The tournament saw frivolously paid cricketers playing 20-20 cricket. Assuming a player played in all the 14 matches (only league stage) and each match went on for 3 hours, the total cricket played by a player is 42 hours. So for 42 hours of cricket over a period of 45 days (not even 1 hour a day) a player gets millions. How can we justify such a price for anyone, especially someone like Yuvraj Singh (based on IPL III). How long will he continue to be in the team because he hit an english gentleman called Stuart Broad for six sixes in one over in 2007?
Anyway cricket is no more a gentleman's game, atleast in India. It has now become a money spinner for an organization called BCCI. There is an old english proverb that too much of anything is bad. That is precisely what IPL has done to BCCI. The richest cricket board in the world became greedy for more. With BCCI having so much financial power and autocratic bureaucracy, all this was bound to trickle down to the IPL committe as well. BCCI should be called Board for Cash and Currency in India.
The man who pulled off all this, Lalit Modi is now being harrassed by every tom, dick and harry for misappropriation of auctions, funds, broadcast rights and anything and everything under the sun. Very soon there will be a case on him for the toilets taps leaking in some pavilion lounge. If his brother in law got some business or his step son in law got some deals through Lalit Modi, consdering the Indian "jugad" set up, why is everyone shocked? Can BCCI and all the government officials blaming Lalit Modi own up and say that they have never used their position to seek a favor for their kith and kin? I can bet my life's earnings that not one of them cam vouch for it. Lalit Modi is the son of K.K. Modi, who is the chairman of a Rs. 40 billion business empire. As per succession laws all that will come to Lalit Modi. So money is not something new to him. He has seen money right from the day he was born. There is no need for him to get into unscruplous acts to make more money. And as far as getting business deals for his relations is concerned, this has been happening for ages. Havent we seen the likes of Murali Vijay in the Indian team when Kris Srikkanth is the chairman of selectors or a Nayan Mongia been drafted into the Indian team by Kiran More or a Deep Dasgupta being selected by Arun Lal? That is state level favoritism and this is family level. There is not much of a difference.
So BCCI, Shashank Manohar and Sharad Pawar, please do not try to fool yourselves and everyone in India and around the world who are IPL fans. The whole reason of you blowing up everything out of proprtion is because Lalit Modi pulled off IPL and took it to extent which you never imagined. His only fault was he thought he is bigger than the game itself and that led to his downfall.
And for Mr. Modi, go on and fight. The cricketing world will never forget your contribution. IPL was and always be your baby. You nurtured it for 3 years. Irrespective of what anyone might say, you ensured that in the end the winner was a game called "cricket" and for that I salute you for that.
Wednesday 24 February 2010
What 3 idiots did not tell me !!
Dear Mr. Raju Hirani (director of the movie)
Now that it is has been proved beyond any doubt that '3 Idiots' was the most successfull movie last year, I thought that I should let you know my opinion of the movie. I write this blog as a hobby and this has been long due, but I went in search of excellence (like the movie says) and did not find time to fulfil simple pleasures like purusing a hobby.
A lot has been said about the movie. Everyone who saw the movie said it was brilliant. A lot of people too agreed with the message, the movie tried to convey. Well, why should I be left behind in the rat race. So here are my thoughts:
The main point of your movie was to give a big slap on our education system. Irrespective of whether you have board exams for class 10 or not, there are two main principles to securing good marks. Number one is mugging ("ratta") and number two being Buttering ("makkhan lagao, marks pao"). The anti-protagonist in the movie secured good grades by completly mugging up the text book and puking it on the exam paper. He did try the "makkhan" way, but thanks to your script writers intelligence, that "chamatkar" didnt happen. The movie shows the lead actor to be a very practical person, who follows the book as a formality and still secures the numero uno position in his class. In the end, the movie shows the lead actor as a big scientist and practically applying what is stated in the books. The movie also shows the other two idiots as reasonably successful in the professions of their choice. The "mugging" guy is successful with a huge mansion and a lambhorgini. All this was shown in your movie.
In the end, all was hunky-dory. Everyone was successful and happy. In all this, you seem to have forgotten, that, all the time they had the I.C.E. brand behind them. They were all products of a so-called finest education institution in the country.
Why do you show the college as the best in country? I would have agreed that your movie portrays the real picture, if the protagonists were from a not-so-well-known or a second rung college in any part of India. You seem to have convieniently ignored this point, which makes a big big difference in today's world. The movie tells people to not run behind success, but search for excellence. The movie encourages people to pursue their hobbies as a career, even if it means you get a paid a lot less. The movie shows just by mugging up you could earn the riches but you might not have excelled. All this is true my dear, but this is only for the self proclaimed creme-de-la-creme of India, which will be around 5% of the total students.
Spare a thought of those who are not in that 5%. Spare a thought for those who have a hobby, which will never pay them anything more than peanuts and they cannot pursue to it. Spare a thought for those who might not have the clarity to decide what they want to do with their lives. Spare a thought for those who are not from the IIM's, IIT's or ICE's of this world. Spare a thought for the majority of us.
So Mr. Hirani when you think about a sequel to 3 Idiots, let us take the protagonist from the majority of us, who are looked down upon in society for not scoring 99.99% in class 10. For not taking up Science in class 11 and 12. For not scoring 97.25% in class 12. For not making into the IIT's or IIM's or the top grade colleges in the country. When you dig deeper, we are neither worse nor better off than those getting into these institutions. But unfortunately you also looked at only those who have mugged their way into the best institution in country (and why engineering?). So, give us a fair chance the next time. Only then will you truly justify the name "3 idiots".
Now that it is has been proved beyond any doubt that '3 Idiots' was the most successfull movie last year, I thought that I should let you know my opinion of the movie. I write this blog as a hobby and this has been long due, but I went in search of excellence (like the movie says) and did not find time to fulfil simple pleasures like purusing a hobby.
A lot has been said about the movie. Everyone who saw the movie said it was brilliant. A lot of people too agreed with the message, the movie tried to convey. Well, why should I be left behind in the rat race. So here are my thoughts:
The main point of your movie was to give a big slap on our education system. Irrespective of whether you have board exams for class 10 or not, there are two main principles to securing good marks. Number one is mugging ("ratta") and number two being Buttering ("makkhan lagao, marks pao"). The anti-protagonist in the movie secured good grades by completly mugging up the text book and puking it on the exam paper. He did try the "makkhan" way, but thanks to your script writers intelligence, that "chamatkar" didnt happen. The movie shows the lead actor to be a very practical person, who follows the book as a formality and still secures the numero uno position in his class. In the end, the movie shows the lead actor as a big scientist and practically applying what is stated in the books. The movie also shows the other two idiots as reasonably successful in the professions of their choice. The "mugging" guy is successful with a huge mansion and a lambhorgini. All this was shown in your movie.
In the end, all was hunky-dory. Everyone was successful and happy. In all this, you seem to have forgotten, that, all the time they had the I.C.E. brand behind them. They were all products of a so-called finest education institution in the country.
Why do you show the college as the best in country? I would have agreed that your movie portrays the real picture, if the protagonists were from a not-so-well-known or a second rung college in any part of India. You seem to have convieniently ignored this point, which makes a big big difference in today's world. The movie tells people to not run behind success, but search for excellence. The movie encourages people to pursue their hobbies as a career, even if it means you get a paid a lot less. The movie shows just by mugging up you could earn the riches but you might not have excelled. All this is true my dear, but this is only for the self proclaimed creme-de-la-creme of India, which will be around 5% of the total students.
Spare a thought of those who are not in that 5%. Spare a thought for those who have a hobby, which will never pay them anything more than peanuts and they cannot pursue to it. Spare a thought for those who might not have the clarity to decide what they want to do with their lives. Spare a thought for those who are not from the IIM's, IIT's or ICE's of this world. Spare a thought for the majority of us.
So Mr. Hirani when you think about a sequel to 3 Idiots, let us take the protagonist from the majority of us, who are looked down upon in society for not scoring 99.99% in class 10. For not taking up Science in class 11 and 12. For not scoring 97.25% in class 12. For not making into the IIT's or IIM's or the top grade colleges in the country. When you dig deeper, we are neither worse nor better off than those getting into these institutions. But unfortunately you also looked at only those who have mugged their way into the best institution in country (and why engineering?). So, give us a fair chance the next time. Only then will you truly justify the name "3 idiots".
Sunday 31 January 2010
Jalsa
The foodie is back after a hiatus of a couple of months. After moving back to Bangalore, I was really looking forward to an authentically authentic North Indian cuisine. My mind was full of restaurant names I use to frequent 3 years back and I wanted to go to all of them at the same time. Our first visit was to a restaurant nearby, where we knew the food was tasty, but unfortunately they had stopped serving alcohol. Somehow, it has become an unwritten rule that thou shall commit a sin if thou shall visit a restaurant that does not serve alcohol. So, obviously we could not eat there. When we came out, a friend suggested we go to a place called 'Jalsa'. Having never been there, it was a consensus to go there.
The place was a direct lift from the sets of the movie Jodha-Akbar. The place had an ethnic look to it and the waiters were dressed like descendents of a royal family. For someone who wants to have a Kingfisher beer, beware, they serve only KF Strong, which somehow does not go with my taste buds these days. Anyway, being the accommodating person I am, I went with KF Strong. I would not mention a lot about the vegetarian stuff, as I did not have much of it, but others who did order veggies were very impressed with it.
Coming to the 'real food', we were only two of us who were meat-eaters. So we ordered half a tandoori chicken. Half the chicken was divided into two pieces. Very juicy and the spices were so so right. As we started digging into it, we realized how tender the meat was and how easily it came off the bones and melted in our mouth. The mint chutney, served along with was a treat as well. Once we polished that off, we were keen to sample the mutton Dum biryani, but to our bad luck, all they had was chicken biryani. Not to be de-motivated and disheartened, we ordered a chicken biryani. This was served in a 'handi' (mud pot) with the traditional raita. On top was freshly cooked and the aromatic basmati rice. As we dug into the mud pot, we got all the masalas and three tender, juicy pieces of chicken, completely immersed in the spices. Now this biryani was so relishing that it comes very close to my own benchmarks for biryani (Empire restaurant in Bangalore or Fishland in Hyderabad). We ate a hearty meal with just one bottle of beer to go along with it.
This place does loose out slightly on the monetary side, as it did turn out to be a bit expensive (Rs. 500-700 per person). A place to go on a birthday or anniversary or other special occasions, unless someone is like me, where every meal of the day is a special ocassion. We did not have the appetite for anything sweet. This place is on the ring road, close to Marthahalli in Bangalore. A must visit for all food lovers.
Happy Eating!!!
The place was a direct lift from the sets of the movie Jodha-Akbar. The place had an ethnic look to it and the waiters were dressed like descendents of a royal family. For someone who wants to have a Kingfisher beer, beware, they serve only KF Strong, which somehow does not go with my taste buds these days. Anyway, being the accommodating person I am, I went with KF Strong. I would not mention a lot about the vegetarian stuff, as I did not have much of it, but others who did order veggies were very impressed with it.
Coming to the 'real food', we were only two of us who were meat-eaters. So we ordered half a tandoori chicken. Half the chicken was divided into two pieces. Very juicy and the spices were so so right. As we started digging into it, we realized how tender the meat was and how easily it came off the bones and melted in our mouth. The mint chutney, served along with was a treat as well. Once we polished that off, we were keen to sample the mutton Dum biryani, but to our bad luck, all they had was chicken biryani. Not to be de-motivated and disheartened, we ordered a chicken biryani. This was served in a 'handi' (mud pot) with the traditional raita. On top was freshly cooked and the aromatic basmati rice. As we dug into the mud pot, we got all the masalas and three tender, juicy pieces of chicken, completely immersed in the spices. Now this biryani was so relishing that it comes very close to my own benchmarks for biryani (Empire restaurant in Bangalore or Fishland in Hyderabad). We ate a hearty meal with just one bottle of beer to go along with it.
This place does loose out slightly on the monetary side, as it did turn out to be a bit expensive (Rs. 500-700 per person). A place to go on a birthday or anniversary or other special occasions, unless someone is like me, where every meal of the day is a special ocassion. We did not have the appetite for anything sweet. This place is on the ring road, close to Marthahalli in Bangalore. A must visit for all food lovers.
Happy Eating!!!
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