I too had a dream…

Last night I had a dream. A weird one, when I met you. Yes, you!

The 8-year-old Jigglypuff, who once was the eye candy of all.

Not to mention, the tantrums that were entertained,

The freedom which wasn’t contained

I badly miss them all.

So, what if I didn’t share my thoughts back then, I do today to educate my younger you, my 8-year-old self.

After completing my high school education from a reputed International school, I had some ambitious dreams. That I will pursue my graduation from an Ivy League university. That I will secure top-notch job in a multinational giant. That I would make millions and zillions to achieve what’s called a ‘success’.

Much akin to my plans, I cleared my board exams with flying colors. I secured a rank amongst the world’s top 5%, to be specific. ‘Bravo, Bravo!’ were the sounds that echoed around me.

And success can’t taste sweeter than this, I thought,

But something else was in store for me, which I never bought.

A financial crisis struck our family. There was a severe cash crunch, yet dad tried his best to get a loan for paying my fees. Even I tried my way. The scholarship way. But it just wasn’t enough to fill the jar.

It was an evident funeral of my dreams. With a heavy heart, I decided to study in a local state university college than going abroad.

Dejected yet hopeful that my superlative grades would help me, I knocked the door of the most reputed college, but it was too late. ‘Sir, the admissions are full. You may try your luck in some other.’ said one.

Mind you, child, it is a rat race amidst the high cut-offs. Nonetheless, after some rejections, I finally got into one. A success enveloped with failure and down gradation. Far from my dream university, I accustomed to the mechanistic ways of learning and embraced the system with a pinch of salt.

Some years fast forward to and now I lead a healthy life in a multinational company. The career that I wished for, the status I yearned for, I have carved it all by myself, staying here, in my own country.

And now I have no regrets at all!

You must be thinking, what changed in these years?

A lot and somethings not. While time tests you every time, it’s our belief and perseverance to achieve something which makes a difference.

In the above context, I dealt with extreme situations which weren’t always favorable. From tasting success to biting the dust. Securing the best grades, yet not translated to deserving opportunities. However, the key to sustaining was ‘Balance’.

‘Balance’ is what’s needed once you start making independent decisions. Many times luck or the situation may not favor our goals, but at that time, instead of regretting over our destiny, we should try to learn the best out of these situations.

Many people questioned my decision to study under graduation in local college when I belonged to an international education background. They didn’t know the real reason and situational demands.

I did not walk the way I wished to or achieve the success I wanted. However, now I can justify myself.

In these years my definition of success changed too. It’s the balance, I struck between the two contrasting backgrounds. And in turn, gained the confidence to face the best and the worst, all that may come in my way.

That’s real success, my Jigglypuff!

I guess that’s it. Best of luck!

Regards,

Your future.

Disclaimer: While it’s a dream for one, could be the reality for the other. Hence never be shaky, because life is all about ‘Balance’.

Rewind: Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai

Sarabhai vs Sarabhai is inarguably the best sitcom ever produced in the history of Indian Television. Though the 70 episode old tele series aired more than a decade ago between years 2004-05, it remains one of the very few Indian soap operas which can be showcased on an international level and still compete against those likes of Friends and How I Met Your Mother. It is an evergreen show with each episode offering a different story and promises to tickle your funny bone for even after the millionth time.

The show revolves around a dysfunctional upper-class Gujarati family who resides in the posh area of Cuffe Parade. The weekly soap focused on the nuances and hypocrisies of the elite family and not to forget their negative perception towards middle-class society shortcomings became an instant hit amongst both classes and masses. Relatable characters, quality humor, witty script and some top notch performances from the lead actors has helped this show to get a cult status.

Produced by Hats off Productions, the show boasted of some prolific star cast including Satish Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah playing the role of Indravadhan and Maya Sarabhai while Sumeet Raghavan and Rupali Ganguly donning the role of Sahil and Monisha Sarabhai. It will be a crime to not mention the lovable ‘Moma Boy’ Roshesh acted by Rajesh Kumar. The support characters also had their own share of gags which together created an ultimate treat to watch the show.

For those who don’t agree with me, here are some quick facts that put Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai miles ahead of its counterparts.

1)    Critical appeal: With an IMDB rating of 9.2/10, Sarabhai remains the most acclaimed Indian television opera of all time even since it went off the air in 2005.

2)    10 in 1: The show went on to win more than 10 television awards in a single year (2005) which was also its first year across all categories for comedy genre.

3)    Fan clubs: Years after Sarabhai went off the air, it gained a cult status with numerous fan clubs sprouting in numbers and yearning for either Roshesh’s poem, Maya’s sarees or Monisha’s middle-class tip.

4)    Flop to Fame: When Sarabhai was aired initially, it was a big flop. It was the time of 26 July floods when TV shoots were disrupted on a large scale. This is when broadcasting channel Star One thought of re-runs of old shows like Sarabhai. And guess what? With growing exposure, the audience got hooked to the show (including me) but unfortunately by the time it gains popularity, the show was withdrawn owing to low TRPs.

5)    Sarabhai 2.0: Taking account of the nostalgia created in the recent reunion of the show’s star cast after decade, the show’s producer JD Majethia promised some good news to the fans in form of launching Sarabhai V/s Sarabhai into a new web series.

It is painful to understand that shows like Sarabhai vs Sarabhai end in no time while Indian television is flooded with illogical melodramatic and regressive daily soaps. I might sound patriotic but every Indian needs to watch this show and realize the actual capacity of our TV fraternity who can offer us much better than the overdone toilet humor.

• Karan Jain

Who beats Who? : Mumbai V/s Delhi

 

I have resided in Mumbai since the inception of my life and I won’t deny being envious of Delhi crowned as the nation’s capital. However since then things have changed a lot. I turned more mature, Mumbai became noisier than ever and Delhi earned the tag of ‘crime capital’ to its identity. Nevertheless, the idea of pitting these two megacities against each other is much induced through my recent trip to the national capital and the experiences that followed. Okay! Okay, I understand that both lie in India, are quite similar on the urban front, yet their dissimilarities leave room for some evident and rational comparisons. Comparisons that matter to choose between who is the numero uno city of India – Mumbai or Delhi ? So let the battle begin!

Influence

Delhi is the capital city of India acting as the nerve centre of the national politics. On the other hand, Mumbai is the country’s financial capital contributing more than 5% of the Indian GDP alone. Clearly the two factors ‘power’ and ‘money’ make these two cities tough contenders and hence in terms of influence both score 1-1 each.

Economic Prosperity

In terms of economic growth and prosperity, Mumbai leads with a whopping GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of $207 billion compared to Delhi’s $167 billion. Mumbai is home to the country’s largest bunch of taxpayers as well as 2700 multi-millionaires compared to 1350 in Delhi, making it 1-0 against the political capital.

Cost of Living 

Living in a mega metropolis is not everyone’s cup of tea, keeping in mind the exorbitant headwinds of urban living costs. Delhi outnumbers Mumbai in almost all aspects right from purchasing a 500 sq.ft. apartment to buying 1 kg of onions. A comprehensive study reveals that Rs. 1,20,000 needs to be spent in Mumbai to enjoy a similar standard of living in Delhi  at Rs 95,770, making the scorecard 0-1.

Transportation

A city’s liveliness and mobility are entirely dependent on its transportation and infrastructure. Mumbai can boast of its ‘Lifeline’ local trains, giant red BEST buses, and the evergreen Black-n-yellow Premier Padmini’s but wait, Kyonki…”Delhi Metro abhi baaki hai mere dost.” Yes, the large fleet of swift, swanky, air-conditioned trains has revolutionised the transport network and discipline, expanding over 6 lines connecting every nook and corner of the capital. No doubt it’s 0-1 again.

Weather and Geography

On one hand we have Aamchi Mumbai, an island city lying on the western coast of India amidst the rugged terrain of the Western Ghats bounded by the Arabian Sea. Whereas on the other we have Dilwali Delhi, situated on banks of the mighty river the Yamuna encircled by lush green northern plains. While the former experiences a tropical climate with moderate temperatures and abundant rain, the latter is known for its fiery summers and spine-chilling winters complementing each other due to interior temperate climate. Mumbai wins here marginally due to balanced topography dynamics and so a 1-0 it is.

Food

Truly, the duet of  Mumbai and Delhi have a lot to offer on your plate. To start with, Delhi is considered as the hub of North Indian delicacies right from Stuffed paranthas to Chole-Kulche, Shahi paneer to Tandoori naan and without a doubt Butter Chicken along with other non-veg dishes which you cannot resist. Mumbai, on the other hand, is famous for its street snacks like the spicy Vadapav, Usal-Misal and Sev-Puri to finger licking Pav Bhaji, Chinese and seafood dishes. However in this food fray, I must say Dilliwalas win it 1-0 due to easy access to ethnic munchies, and that too at a very economic rate in contrast to the western city.

Tourism and Nightlife

Delhi has been the capital for various ancient dynasties which in return gifted it the wonders of Mughal architecture like Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Tughlaqabad and much more. Mumbai was inspired more by British rule and English gothic architecture yielding some unmatchable sites like CST station and Gateway of India. Along with being the culture capital of India, its near proximity to Taj Mahal and other places of interests make Delhi more attractive than Mumbai in terms of tourism. But when it comes to nightlife, Mumbai beats Delhi, being the epicenter of pubs, discotheques, and short getaways, preferred by youngsters. Tough to decide which city overrules the other, I am going with a 1-1.

Women Safety and Crime Rates

Narrowing down to the issue of women safety which in recent times has taken a centre-stage, Mumbai is far more superior than Delhi. Citizens in Mumbai are pro-women and issues of eve-teasing, harassment and or sexual abuse are dealt very seriously. Unfortunately, the crime rate against women in Delhi is thrice more than the national average. Safety of women walking in the night stays as low as 25% in Delhi versus 49% in Mumbai. Definitely, it’s not ideal but Mumbai takes the credit away with 1-0.

Citizen Friendliness

Not being bias, but from my personal POV, the large cosmopolitan Mumbai is far more desirable for outsiders as people here are very helpful and won’t mind disrupting their own work for guiding others. Conversely, it seems the majority of the Delhites seem too engrossed in their slow lives an extent that they don’t give a damn even if their neighbour is being mercilessly butchered (or raped) by a mob. Without a doubt, I would choose a more cautious and welcoming community over a place where ‘anti-community’ prevails with forgotten aspects like helpfulness or gratitude or chivalry. Mumbai 1 Delhi 0.

Environment

Since our school days, we have learnt in our EVM classes that a brisk industrial progress should not be at the expense of natural environment reserves, but be integrated with it to harness sustainable development in the city. However, both the cities disappoint as neither Mumbai’s metaphorical  lungs called mangroves have been spared of widespread destruction nor the river Yamuna, which has nonchalantly born several tons of harmful wastes of the national capital. However, Delhi takes a minuscule lead of 1-0 over Mumbai, boasting of more green spaces and eco-friendly housing and transport measures, thanks to its expansion viability in directions all over unlike Mumbai.

MY OPINION

Taking the aggregates of both the cities judged on roughly 10 factors, it is a TIE (surprising) with both the metropolis scoring a 6-6 each. Wait..before you think that my opinionated result has succumbed to the pressure of diplomatically fulfilling ego needs of  the Mumbaikars and Dilliwalas, you are mistaken. You might agree or disagree with my views and might place one city over the other, but one unanimous thought that prevails (or should prevail) is that how far the chosen best city – Mumbai or Delhi fares if placed against their global counterparts like Sydney, London or Beijing?

Apparently, despite progressive development, both the Indian megacities undergo deep struggle to live, breathe and prove their might. Hence, we need to set the benchmarks high or else it would not be incorrect to say that the winner of this face-off is no more than a one-eyed king in the land of blinds.

 

 

 

 

Hello World ! – My first blog

24-03-2016

“Hello, World!” were the words which defined the birth of computer programming. But to me, it means a lot more, as it marks my entry into the big world of blogging.

It wasn’t a long time ago that I was yearning for some
medium through which I could convert my long holidays doing some productive work until I realized that the usefulness of blogs. 

Humans can’t survive prolonged isolation and hence, there is an imperative need for a blogging which propagates, inspires and leads to sharing of thoughts across various bandwidths over the globe.

With this commencement, I look forward to post an array of thoughts across different issues and ultimately sow seeds of my small contributions to the dynamic and interactive world.

Will catch up soon… Till then S-a-y-o-n-a-r-a !