The Prognosticator

“What are my chances?” (of my ending up with you) asks a geeky character called Lloyd played by Jim Carrey in ‘Dumb and Dumber’ to the pretty heroine who replies “I’d say more like one out of a million.” Lloyd says, “Oh, so you’re telling me that I have a chance!” Cut towards the end of the film and yes, Lloyd does get the girl. This is the sense of optimism that the movies instill in us. They make us believe that we can have that happy ending, come out of a chronic disease, fall in love in an idyllic world and yes perhaps even win a lottery! It turns out that one such incident happened in my life last week and this post is about one such one in a million event coming true.

My love for the movies burns with an intense passion. Over the past decade, this passion continues to feed itself by watching some of the best cinema from around the world and its appetite keeps getting larger. Every year, it is most hungry when the Golden Globes nominations are announced and the road to the Oscars officially starts. For this is the time when some of the year’s best movies are churned out and compete for glory at the biggest stage of recognition that showbiz has to offer – the Oscars.

The annual ritual involves the quest to see all the nominated movies as far as possible. Some are truly brilliant while others leave you dumb founded thinking “What was so great about that?” Since 2010, the Academy has gone back to nominating 10 films in the ‘Best Film’ category, which gives a chance for movie lovers to see more number of films which they might have over looked.

The nominees for the 84^th Academy Awards were an interesting mix. Very few films end up being a tribute to the movies. Last year we had two in 'The Artist' & 'Hugo'. They were just the kind of films that aficionados have been waiting since the masterpiece ‘Nuovo Cinema Paradiso’ came out in 1988. Then there was ‘The Descendants’ which was a fine example of subtle film-making. This family drama set in Hawaii was dipped in reality, never screamed at the viewer or entered the larger than life/ melodramatic territory. Brad Pitt’s ‘Moneyball’, with Baseball/Sports Management as an analogy served as a case study on defining and changing the rules of what you do in life. Terrence Malick’s ‘Tree of Life’ which looked at the origin and meaning of life was a little too abstract and indulgent for my liking. The seasoned Woody Allen came up with the charming ‘Midnight in Paris’. ‘The Help’ was an incredible story of empowerment, a witty take on an uncomfortable time for American society. Spielberg’s ‘War Horse’ not amongst his best was nevertheless an entertaining film though you could argue that films like '50-50’ and ‘Drive’ more than deserved a nomination.

On the basis of the above analysis, personal favorites were arrived at. 'The Artist' is exactly the kind of movie which makes me the movie fanatic that I am. A masterfully executed film in today's age of blockbuster entertainment which reminds us of a golden era of cinema. ‘Hugo’ was its closest competitor but the ‘The Artist’ excelled in the screenplay, direction and acting department while Scorsese's rich canvas ‘Hugo’ excelled in technical categories like Cinematography & Art Direction. ‘The Artist’ was going to be my favorite for the ‘Best Film’, ‘Best Achievement in Directing’ and ‘Best Actor” category. Jean Dujardin’s showmanship in ‘The Artist’ was for me a level above Clooney’s nuanced performance in ‘The Descendants’. Meryl Streep’s portrayal of Margaret Thatcher was feisty and full of conviction. It was a performance which made an average movie watchable. That was going to be my pick for ‘Best Actress’.

Analysis done and favorites arrived at, the annual ritual would be complete when I would wake up early to watch the telecast on Star Movies and that would be it. Only that there was another script in store for me, one where I’d play the protagonist in this film which could be called ‘The Prognosticator’. A few days before the awards, I went to the Star Movies India website to check for the exact timings of the Oscar telecast. There I saw this Predict & Win contest on their website, clicked on it and made my six key predictions without any contemplation. This for me was an activity to kill time on a lazy weekend. Come the telecast day, another question was asked which I replied via SMS thinking of this as a game of Roulette. After all what were the odds? Over 5.5 lac followers of the Star Movies India Facebook page could participate in this contest. Then there is the entire scenario of getting all predictions spot on. Oscars can be highly unpredictable. Glaring examples which come to mind are ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ which never won a single award in 1994 and in recent times, the tale of Mickey Rourke who was robbed off the ‘Best Actor’ award in 2009 when his gut wrenching performance in ‘The Wrestler’ was overlooked. Therefore, all odds taken into consideration I just relaxed, sat back and enjoyed watching the telecast. Turned out that all my predictions were right, but I told myself that there was nothing to be euphoric about! At least not just as yet…

This script was going to reach its climax soon enough. On a busy work day, I got a call from the channel telling me that I was “shortlisted” and that one lucky winner will get a fully sponsored trip to watch the Oscars in February, 2013 in LA. Big deal, I thought that they must have shortlisted many people, surely I wasn’t going to get that lucky. Finally, earlier this week, I was informed that the grand prize was mine. It really couldn’t sink in. My reaction ranged from being happy to being incredulous! My friends were probably more excited than me to hear this news.

It is a long wait to next year’s Oscar but the countdown to the voyage to the mecca of Entertainment, the city of Angels has begun. Seeing an Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and/or a Dustin Hoffman walking in flesh and blood on the red carpet would be a truly divine experience. It would certainly be one item off the bucket list!

Alas, it would seem that ‘The Prognosticator’ gave one unintentionally remarkable performance and had the ‘one in a million’ odds going his way! Apni Hindi picture ka famous dialogue goes “Kehte hai, agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaaho toh poori kaainaat tumhein usse milane ki koshish mein lag jaati hai” ;)

Feels good to write here after a long time. More later!

83rd Academy Awards Predictions

The coveted OSCARS take place in less than 6 hours from now. After having watched all the major nominated films this year, here is me sticking my neck out and making predictions for the 83rd Academy Awards:

Best Picture
Will Win: The Social Network
Should Win: The King’s Speech

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Will Win: Colin Firth
Should Win: Colin Firth, Next Best: James Franco (127 Hours)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:
Will Win: Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
Should Win: Natalie Portman (Black Swan), Next Best: Annette Benning (The Kids Are Alright)

Best Performance by An Actor in a Supporting Role
Will win: Christian Bale (The Fighter)
Should Win: Geoffey Rush (The King’s Speech)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Will Win: Helena Bollem Carter (The King’s Speech)
Should Win: Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom)

Best Director
Will Win: David Fincher (Social Network)
Should Win: David Fincher (Social Network), Next Best: Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech)

Best Writing (Original)
Will Win: The King's Speech
Should Win: Inception/The Kids Are Alright

Best Writing (Adapted)
Will Win: Social Network
Should Win: Social Network, Next Best: 127 Hours

Best Animation Film

Will Win: Toy Story 3
Should Win: L’Illusioniste

Best Foreign Language Film

Will Win: Biutiful
Should Win: Biutiful, Next Best: In A Better World

Best Editing
Will Win: Social Network
Should Win: Black Swan

Best Art Direction:
Should Win: The King’s Speech
Will Win: The King’s Speech

Best Music
Will Win: The King's Speech
Should Win: The King's Speech

... a final analsis, review and update on the blog after the AWARDS!

The best Hindi Cinema had to offer in the decade gone by..

Hindi Cinema has seen a major transcendental shift in the past decade. Though mainstream (read Candy floss/Masala/Blockbuster) cinema like Om Shanti Om, Ghajini, Dabangg manages to rake in the big bucks at the box office, today there is a movie for a viewer who does not worship stars but instead appreciates meritorious and quality cinema. Plethora of new age film makers are telling stories on screen which are not make belief...but stories one can identify with. Corporatisation of Hindi Cinema has made sure that the talented film-maker has been nurtured and his work seen the light of the day.

Here's my small writeup on the top 5 films of the decade (2001 - 2010).



1. Swades (2004) - Ashutosh Gowariker's gem about an NRI reconnecting to his roots will be known for SRK's strikingly earthy portrayal of Mohan Bhargav. Ashutosh Gowariker was able to bring forth on the silver screen - SRK the actor. When we saw Mohan Bhargav we saw Mohan Bhargav, not SRK the larger than life superstar. Swades is arguably SRK's best performance so far and a reminder of how unutilised he has been as an actor. The film is bigger than its supposed minor flaws and a slightly stretched runtime because when viewed in its entirety, the patriotic pride and emotions it manages to invoke in the viewer is unparalleled.



2. Dil Chahta Hai (2001) - Hindi Cinema has been demarcated into clear time-lines -- the Pre and post Dil Chahta Hai era. Nothing connected and caught the imagination and psyche of the Indian urban populace like Dil Chahta Hai. The story of Sid, Sameer and Akash, their coming of age was indeed path breaking not for its cinematic brilliance but for the very single fact that the characters were people caught in situations, one could relate to. Dil Chahta Hai will be eternally known as the Film which contemporarised Indian Cinema.

3. Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002) - Released just after the Godhra riots, Mr. and Mrs. Iyer with its engaging screenplay, superb execution and brilliant performances by the lead pair captured the disunity that still plagues our nation. Mr. and Mrs. Iyer was the ignition spark for the new age film maker - one who was willing to experiment and not let commercial considerations or acceptance overrule his creative tenets. Mr. and Mrs. Iyer was the birth of parallel/off beat Hindi Cinema as we know it today.

4. Dor (2006) - An immaculate script, a visionary director, talented actors and haunting cinematography - Dor is pure magic on screen and epitomizes the hallmark of aesthetic film-making. A tale of women empowerment and liberation which is witty, non preachy yet emotionally moving.

5. Dev.D (2009) - Inspired by the legeandary novel Devdas and films of similar name, Dev.D successfully and charmingly retained the major ingredients of the original story - of romance, jealousy, egotism, unrequited love, anguish, addiction and tragedy and amplified this with a smashingly cool urban treatment. It is shocking, awe-inspiring, cold and thought provoking. Stunning art direction, cinematography and a superb soundtrack, Dev.D is certainly one of the stand out works of the decade.

Films which just missed the cut: Jhankaar Beats  Rang De Basanti, A Wednesday, Rocket Singh, Khosla Ka Ghosla, Wake Up Sid, Love Sex Aur Dhoka

The CWG Marathon Race

It’s been 5 days since the XIX Commonwealth Games drew to a close and as I write this post, a massive post mortem into the event has started. Much like the aftermath of IPL’s 2010 edition, all the controversies surrounding the event are only going to get murkier in the times to come. On a personal note, with the Games coming to an end, I feel a huge void in my life, a lack of vigour and energy in contrast to the enthusiasm I felt every single morning from July 15, 2009 to October 14, 2010. But when I look back, I cannot help but be proud of my association with the biggest sporting spectacle to be held in India till date. This post is a memoir of my CWG journey which can be compared to a marathon race....

The starting line: Any preconceived notions that a Central Government funded autonomous body like the Organising Committee will be a akin to a North Block sarkaari daftar with Godrej steel almirahs and piles of unattended files were proven wrong as I walked into a swanky world class working environment in the heart of Delhi overlooking the Connaught Place skyline. It was a tremendous feel good factor. The feeling I got as I started my stint with CWG was one of self discovery, a feeling of self worth, independence and empowerment when my first pay cheque was handed over to me.

CWG was a platform for India to showcase its prowess to the world, our chance to change the Sporting culture of our country, a platform where new heroes would emerge, a spectacle where my city - Delhi would unite in spirit and in action to make this event a success. Factors like these led to strong emotional attachment with the project early on. Then they were supportive colleagues to guide me and empower me to be pro-active as we set out on our target to raise revenue through Sponsorships from the public and private sector. The start to this marathon race was like a quick sprint because of all the excitement and immense pride in this project.

In a country where Cricket is the be all and end all of investment in Sports, it was never going to be easy. While pitching to the corporates we used emotional and then rational reasons for associating with this event. Of course, business never runs on emotions but on pragmatism. While all were fascinated, only a few showed serious interest to Sponsor and eventually come onboard. Notwithstanding the high investment levels, by May 2010, we had surpassed the Sponsorship figures of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games which were previously the best Commonwealth Games in terms of revenue raised.

The wearing down: After the initial sprint, with increased responsibilities came testing times, people playing politics, incongruence between sincerity and reward. Behind all the glamour, OC is a quasi-bureaucratic set up. As a youngster, it can be frustrating to see that issues which can be resolved on phone/e-mail need to go through a long approval system. Much of this was un-warranted. To maintain a balance between my professional interests and duties (those that involved red tapism) towards my job was a tough call. Nevertheless, I always enjoyed confidence of my colleagues whom I will name later in this post. And then there was the entire episode of coming to the notice of one helluva boss who wanted to totally OWN me, taking away all my freedom. While a public platform is not the place to get into the nitty gritty of this episode, all I can say is that I felt de-motivated and cringed. I thought of leaving the organisation but somehow just kept going. Now when I look back, I realise that we humans have a natural aversion and dislike to change and like being restricted to our comfort zones. This person gave me some major responsibilities and entrusted me with the account management of the Lead Partner of the Commonwealth Games – Indian Railways which is paying a historical $20million as Sponsorship. So yeah..as the cliché goes – everything happens for a reason - holds true.

The collapse: There comes a time in a marathon when you don’t even have the strength to walk, every bone and muscle in your body pains and you feel like quitting and withdrawing from the race. Just 3 months to the start of the Games, reports of massive corruption and slackness in preparation broke out in the media. Some were rightfully punished while some innocent people were made scapegoats. Some of my colleagues who had become more like family to me were unceremoniously dispensed. Crisis had struck us big time and I had a ring side view to all the pandemonium and the ugliness. This was much above my age....and too much of an unwanted experience from my first job. What was meant to be India’s moment of glory, had turned into India’s shame. People had written us off. Even people close to me became highly cynical, pessimistic, de-motivating and doubted our ability to deliver. I would have quit, had it not been for this very cynicism and negativity which I took as a personal insult and was determined to prove each one of them wrong. Just one visit to You-Tube and watching and relating to SRK’s passionate “Sattar Minute” speech from 'Chak De India was all the boost I needed. For the next 2 months I kept away from the newspapers, the television and every single person who was negative... I shut off negativity from my life.

The Final Dash - With a huge and sudden vacuum of high professionalism and valued experience, my department was the worst hit. An inexperienced team now had to deliver on the promises made to the Sponsors who had committed huge monies to the Games. It was never going to be easy. Thanks to an effective and efficient leader taking charge and streamlining responsibilities – things were not as bad as anticipated. True character is exhibited in the direct of circumstances and it was amazing to see everyone over stretching themselves in an hour of crisis. After the grandest of all Opening Ceremonies, the subsequent 11 days of sporting action across 17 disciplines went off smoothly with an enthralling and emotional Closing Ceremony which drew curtains to the Games. Our sponsors weren’t complaining either..in many areas we over delivered! Due to the free commercial time we gave to Indian Railways, India’s oldest brand came out their first commercial ever. Seeing India win all three medals in Athletics Discuss competition with a crowd of 50,000 people at JLN stadium standing up to the national anthem are moments I will forever cherish.

The Victory - My last post about the Opening Ceremony highlighted the reasons for the greatness and follies of our nation. Today, the International Media is singing praises about the Games and using adjectives like “highly memorable”, "colorful" and “wonderful” and giving a big thumbs up to the Games. As the dissection of the Games start, we should not let it eclipse the achievement of our athletes and the hard work and determination of our young workforce and volunteers who performed against all odds. Future of our nation is indeed in great and safe hands!

Question marks – Will the sports stadias be properly utilised or will it be host for mega weddings? Will we learn professionalism from this event? Will the corrupt be punished? Will our government invest in sports infrastructure at the school level? Will we get greater involvement of corporate sector in Olympic sports? Will the Suhel Seths, Arnab Goswamis and Mani Shankar Aiyars of the world talk less and do more to realise what they believe in? Will we take a chance of hosting the Olympics? Will our media learn to become more responsible and less sensational? And personally from here on, where does the road lead me to? Commonwealth Games have left us with many questions. We can either let dust pile up on this event or use it as a shining example to make the future shine even brighter.

What a journey this has been! Some seniors always stood for optimism, hope and positivity in midst of the chaos. Then the entire Sponsorship gang I met on this journey – Rasesh , Raunak, Amar, Shital, Urvashi, Adity, Suhail , Surya, Rishav among others who have made this memorable. As I said in the beginning – the void will be a big one for us to fill!

Back on a different note.. the CWG Opening Ceremony - 8 Observations.

A lot has been said about the Commonwealth Games in Delhi over the past few months. The cold blooded cynics have been out with their knives or rather should I say pens/cameras/tweets etc, highlighting every little filth about the Commonwealth Games and WANTING the CWG to fail.

BUT..

I write this as a very emotional Delhite and above all a very proud Indian after coming back from Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium which was filled to capacity with 65,000 people. The verdict on the Opening Ceremony is already out there. I have just eight observations which explains why we as a nation succeed / fail on certain matters.

Why India wins:

1. Diversity is our strength - We didn't need Bollywood to show our cultural strength or what India really stands for. Move over Khans and Co., there is more to our nation and its heritage than just you guys. The ceremony had it all - India, the land where Buddhism was founded, our Bapu, Yoga, the unsung heroes - the Army, the symbol of our national integration - Indian Railways and in the finale, the maestro who conquered the mecca of all awards in showbiz last year.

India wins because we can show our Multiculturalism when we want to.

2. Crisis Management - As I made my way out of the stadium with other spectators, I noticed that in order to cross the road, we had to take the collapsed foot over bridge re-built by the army in 6 days flat. There they were, spectators turned into "Khatro Ke Khiladi", thousands of them walking on a structure which collapsed just 10 days ago. But not a single one of them was unwilling to take the leap of faith and cross the bridge.

India wins because we know how to manage crisis.

3. We know our Heroes - Mr. Kalmadi was booed, APJ Abdul Kalam was cheered and so was former PM Atal Behari Vajpayee. It wasn't Mrs. Sonia Gandhi who handed over the baton to Prince Charles. It was sadda haryanvi jatt Sushil Kumar! Also many people have been critical of the way our media has handled the build up to CWG, feeling that the media has taken it too far this time. As they made their way out of the stadium, many were singing - "Jai Ho", saying "India Rocks.. We have proved it today.."

India wins because its people have begun realizing who the real heroes are. We use our discretion and don't buy media's sensationalism every time.

4. We are starting to become an accepting society - It was that moment when the announcer introduced the Pakistani contingent and the crowd roared with an instant applause, many stood up and cheered the Pakis as they marched around the stadium. India will win because we are ready to forget history, work and live together for a better and peaceful tomorrow.

5. We've got passion - 1, 800 strong workforce (average age being not more than 28) and 20,000 Volunteers who are not getting paid a single penny and often being served cold food. Yet, they work and work with a sense of pride and belongingness as if their life rested on making this event successful. India wins because the next generation is on their toes, focused and achieves what it wants to in a professional and sincere manner.

WHY INDIA LOSES?

1. Leadership - In an Opening Ceremony, where is the need for the Head of IOA, the President and the PM to speak? With due respect to Dr. Manmohan Singh's stature and credentials, why can't we have a Head of State delivering a heartfelt speech and not one which some babu sitting in the PMO drafted for him.

India loses because podiums are used not to accept responsibility but to score political points.


2. Jugaad Mentality - Yes, we do it last minute. It stems from our educational system. We are good at crisis management. If we can pull it off despite the constraints, imagine our potential if these chains which have limited our growth are not there in the first place.

India loses cuz we create crisis for ourselves and then waste time solving it.

3. "I, Me & MYself" - After the exit, security guard does his job, locks the gate. A member of parliament comes and yells "How dare you not open the gate? I am an MP. I go before the others". In the Metro, huge crowd standing at Central Secretariat rushes in disregarding those who have to get off first!

India loses, because many of us are too self centric and our actions and indulgences are often at the cost of others.

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All said and done, we as a nation are making a defining shift for the better. The "India Shining" campaign in 2004 was pre-mature. But we're getting there....slowly and steadily, despite all odds.