From being an obsessive film viewer when I would often watch multiple films in a theatre, over a single weekend, I have become a rare theatre goer. Due to various reasons, chief amongst which is that I find most films a waste of my time! For being that, it was a special week this one where I saw not one, but two films, AND both of which were nearly 3.5 hours long!! The first one was Dhurandar. There was just a lot of peer pressure on this one. With everyone going gaga over the movie, I had to see it. And for me, it was an “okay” film. One that I could have safely missed. Then again, I don’t want to debate this with anyone who loved it. It’s my personal opinion, largely linked to what kind of cinema and stories appeal to me.
The second one was the OG of 3+ hour Indian films, released with its “Final Cut”! Yes, the one and only Sholay.
And having seen both of these, I can safely say that Sholay is maybe 10x better than Dhurandar.
Dhurandar will maybe climb to becoming the highest grossing movie or something, but it won’t be much remembered in 1 year. And Sholay continues to be loved 50 years later! Because it is a fundamentally fabulously made cinema! And yes, after seeing it the nth time today, I still can’t really find a fault! And for a movie released 50 years ago, it doesn’t seem “old” in any respect. Take for example, the action sequences. How much more tech and equipment is available today, and yet, Sholay, made more than 50 years back, has the sequences as good as they could be, to depict the many horses racing by a train or a horse cart being chased and getting one wheel broken off and continuing to race away, etc. Brilliant it was. So way ahead of its times in all respects of production quality! And it was so perfectly made when it comes to: Casting – main and supporting characters, all perfectly chosen, Editing – scarcely a moment where you see a drag or you need to take your eyes off the screen, Music Lyrics Dialogues Cinematography Action Story
Everything just so perfect! Such amazing performances from Sanjeev Kumar and Amjad Khan on debut! And from Dharmendra and Amitabh and Hema Malini and Jaya. Awesome cameos from Jagdeep, Asrani, A K Hangal etc. It was clearly a director’s film. Salute again to a 28-years old Ramesh Sippy for creating this magnum opus!
He has long earned his place in the Hall of Fame, for making Sholay!
So yes, there was some violation after the ceasefire was declared and we wondered if we are back to war. Pronouncements of the Guiness record for the shortest ceasefire and the like came out double quick. And no wonder too. However, seems like things quietened down, and at least at this time, it appears that the ceasefire is on.
So let’s consider the many emotions and suggestions that people are giving (they are sounding like the cricket viewers on TV who almost always know better strategy than the captain and the players on the ground!! 😊).
“Why stop when we were on the offensive?” I am no one to say if this was the right moment to stop having the purpose served or we should have gone on some more. What I CAN say is that war can go on and on, if better sense does not prevail. We have the Russia-Ukraine and the Israel-Palestine conflicts right in front of our eyes at this time. And that while seeming the right thing to do, I wonder, if it serves any additional purpose. Other than that, honestly, we are not going out there to acquire their land. The better idea would be to create the disruption that we have done and then sponsor internal groups, whether Balochistan or others, covertly, and let them self-destruct.
“We were more conclusive in Bangladesh” That’s a chalk and cheese comparison. “East Pakistan” was a huge mistake of the partition. Having a Pakistan on both sides of the country and allowing them passage across or over, is fraught with risk. Also the purpose of that war was about liberation. This time around, we are taking revenge for terrorism on our land, for Pahalgam and many others prior to that. The purpose therefore, was to hit the terror targets, show our strength, push Pak behind, but not to go and grab some land. While we may support the BLA, this fight was not about helping them free Balochistan.
“We should have taken POK” First, it is not half as easy as speaking that sentence! Russia has been trying to grab parts of Ukraine and you know where that’s gone! Just because we hit several targets and created a scare, it’s not the same as saying that ‘oh, with a little extra effort, we could have got PoK’. Seriously not! More importantly though, do we really WANT PoK just the way it is? It is NOT like USA getting a peaceful Alaska or even, should they succeed, getting a Canada or a Greenland. PoK is a hotbed of terror camps, even if we might have gone and hit a few. More importantly, the allegiance of the people there, is either with Pakistan or with an independent state, and maybe a tiny fraction with India. Dammit, it’s quite like that even in the Kashmir we control. Which is why it’s been a difficult ride to get our own Kashmir back to normalcy. As we don’t know who can be trusted. In such a situation, thinking about getting PoK to become a part of India, and to give those people there, safe passage to go anywhere in the country, is a proposition of extreme risk!
So while all these look good for us “spectators” watching this war from the comforts of our home, on ground, the challenges are of a different kind altogether!
The war room and the chiefs of staff and the small cohort of our top leaders know the real situation, and I believe they have taken the right steps.
Even if the spectators think, “Arre, the light was still good.. why did they call of play already??”
This is not intended to seem commercial-minded at a time when our soldiers are battling it out on the warfront.
However, on the side of the battle that is on, there is an impact across various businesses – some positive, some negative. The purpose of this article is to visualize the nature of such impact. Of course, I write this, not being an economics professional, but simply as a businessperson or as a common investor.
Let’s start by looking at some of the areas that could see positive impacts of war.
Clearly, the defense industry sees demand! While most defense products are unlikely to be made overnight to supply into the current battle zone, however, replenishment orders will be placed, and which would see a boost to their revenues.
Some cases, like ammunition or gear could even be produced in a hurry, and there could be urgent orders to fulfil.
This war has seen the emergence of a strong indigenous industry of sophisticated armoury and which has now proven war worthy. The companies behind these products will be chased by buyers from around the world.
There is a contribution to the technology from various startups that have provided key elements to the final product, and which also would be recognized and get traction.
Overall, the Indian Defense industry will get a boost, and in the sector, from being buyers of tech from the world, we could emerge as a player that also sells. Defense is a huge category worldwide and getting a slice of that large pie will be interesting!
Then again, for the global players, be it Rafale or F-16, or others, the ones that come out of the war, with least damage, will flaunt their invincibility and attract more orders for themselves, from around the world!
Let’s look at the media space. And start with TV news media. In a world where on a normal day, news is usually consumed via social media sources, TV news channels generate their high, only around election season, and especially on that one results day. Rest of the year is a big struggle.
Now suddenly, as they get into 24×7 live reporting on war and there are viewers glued to the screens, their TRPs soar, and along with that, their advertising revenues as well. Yeah, so what if a war is on. There will always be advertisers keen to reach the audiences!
But then there is also the flipside of media – everything other than TV News. Suddenly, news takes away so much of the viewing share of the consumers, everything else suffers badly in comparison. Because the viewer only has 24 hours on the day, and TV news consumption has come at the cost of something else going down.
So, while IPL has now been suspended, even if it had continued, the advertising revenues on IPL could have taken a hit, with sharply reduced viewership. Likewise, other content on OTT or in theatres, and such, will all be impacted, as the focus will be on the war and nowhere else.
As an extension, other entertainment businesses like restaurants may see reduced volumes too. Several cities that are getting into blackouts will see an impact of all businesses in those cities.
Some like emergency supplies, with people choosing to stock up in event of a longer war, may see a boost.
Travel industry could see a hit as well. First of all, several airports have been shut and that will see a drop in ticketing business straight away. Anyone looking to visit any of those places for leisure will drop their plans. Those who needed to go for other important reasons may find a way to get there by other means, like road or rail. The fear of the unknown in terms of where this war will head further, might force people to stay put at home, rather than risk getting stuck at another location. Travel may hurt because of that as well.
Then there is an impact to businesses with a base in places that get directly impacted. Say, companies that have a factory in some of those areas, and which God forbid, gets hit, or even if not hit, gets impacted in operations, due to the situation in the location. Well, that will have a direct impact on those businesses.
Due to the overall impact of the cost of war and needing to service that cost and the extent of capital that gets wiped out, there is impact on the currency, on the credit worthiness of the nation, on the borrowing capacity as well. The currency may weaken, the stock and bond markets of the country could see stress, if the outside world perceives a heightened risk. Gold on the other hand, becomes sought after as there is a perception that in uncertain times, it is good to hold gold. So, gold prices could see a spurt.
But generally, post war, when things quieten down, there is a huge impetus associated with the rebuild. Besides replenishment of defense equipment and ammunition, there is also a huge extent of reconstruction. A lot of infrastructure work comes along and will provide new business to the companies in those fields. All kinds of infrastructure industry would see a lot of work. Also one tends to overbalance post war, and there will not only be repair or replacement infrastructure work, but also new first-time kinds, as one looks to cover more bases, after learning from this war.
In the same way, defense expenditure could also see a sharper rise, as it will not just cover replenishments but also additional spends to expand the coverage, with more equipment, and also fancier high-tech ones, to be even better prepared the next time around!
There can be a general business slowdown in times of war with order closures slowing down, new investments slowing down, consumers putting off larger purchases, including buying new homes. All because one is not sure how long the war will last, what larger impact it will leave us with, and with the uncertainty, one would then choose to wait and watch before committing on bigger decisions.
This article is just to give my sense of the economic impact of war.
I can only emphasize that I am extremely proud of our armed forces and so grateful to their sacrifices that keep us safe and sound and I would always pray for them and for their success.
We are clearly in the middle of a war – whatever name one chooses to call it.
While there are the soldiers and our leaders actively involved in the battle, and then there are citizens in locations close to the border and also some large cities in nearby states who are directly impacted in one or the other way, and are perhaps at high anxiety levels, the rest of the country is following the war on their favourite sources of news and information.
Not just Indians in India, but also Indians all over the world, and for that matter, the Pakistanis, as well as significant amount of the global leaders and citizens of other countries as well. Bankers, MNC leaders, the UN, bodies like IMF, World Bank, the global markets, etc. are all seeing the war and its play out, from their own interests.
They would reach conclusions basis what they make out of the war. Based on what they see and hear and who they believe.
War is not a spectator sport – least of all, no one has a view into the dressing room or the coaching session of the sport, if I were to continue with the analogy of war and sport!
So, unlike when you view some sports on television and apparently, see all the happenings including the strategy discussions (in this era of extreme transparency!), and have a view on the same, a view on war is not based on the real back end of the operations, but on what we make of it, from what we see and hear.
And believe!
Because countries have a lot at stake, not just in the direct conflict, but in the larger outcome, it is very important for countries as to what the many different stakeholders are getting out of what they see.
And which is where it comes in – managing the PERCEPTION.
As marketers, we have long understood that perception is what matters.
A tiny hole-in-the-wall business can come out appearing to be a global leader by creating a website and a digital presence that conveys such.
A newly launched product can come out looking like it has already been accepted by the masses and is a favourite for them.
A struggling actor finding it tough to get a break can be made to look like a star who is being selective on his film choices, but has ample of them.
There may be no mistruth in the communication and yet, there is a certain perception creation that is happening.
Well, when countries are at war, the nations and its many entities also need to create perceptions to ensure the confidence from their many stakeholders.
Let’s consider the many such types of stakeholders and why it is important for them to get a certain perspective.
Let’s start with the armed forces themselves. While some are at the battlefield fighting it out, there are many others waiting in the wings, or in other duties far away from the battlefield. But all of them are anxious. They could get the next call to go to battle and they are keen to understand how things are going. Keeping their spirts up, is important and hence the right kind of positive messaging matters.
Wars need a very strong united and patriotic sentiment amongst the citizens of the country. When the Vietnam war ran long and many US army folks were stuck there, their families and the US citizens at large, were not happy about that long war. And that does not help the government as they seek the support from their people. Hence managing the perceptions for the citizens is also very important.
Lots of MNCs do business with your country. Many have large stakes there. It is important that they see you in good light, even while you are in war.
There are institutions, global banks and other countries who might have extended lines of credit or given loans to the country. They should continue to see you as stable and strong, and that war is not creating any instability.
There are people who visit your country – for business, for tourism, for other purposes. They should all still see you as a country worth visiting, notwithstanding the current situation of war that you may be in.
All the MPs and MLAs and other political leaders, even if they are from opposition parties, need to see things in a positive light, so that there is full support to the government at such critical times.
War stories, therefore, cannot be fully transparent and real. Besides the management of perception, of course, there is the element of secrecy – of action and of strategy. The last thing one wants to do at such times, is to be too transparent and play into the hands of the enemy. We all remember the incident of 26/11 when an overenthusiastic journalist shared on live TV, the room number in Taj Hotel, where a person was hiding. The news carried in double quick time to the terrorists inside the hotel!
It is not about giving rank falsehood or exaggerated stories. But if there is a curb in news around one’s own losses, or questions around one’s casualties are not fully answered in the real time, that is all for the above stated purposes of keeping a fundamental positivity, even as one battles in war.
Those demanding truth and the real picture may well appreciate the reasons why some information will remain fuzzy. And this will happen on both sides!
We were right there! 20 of us, from Mumbai. One big group. Just about one year back. April 7-15, 2024. To be precise. Travelling all those beautiful places. Srinagar, Gulmarg, Sonmarg and… Pahalgam! Yes, the same Pahalgam! The same lush green large meadows where we had a wonderful time enjoying the beauty of Kashmir, taking so many fun pictures, drinking kahwa…
Coming back from that trip, I was feeling so good about Kashmir.
Having engaged at length with the drivers who were with us right through, spoken to the many other locals we got to meet, we could sense a certain return of positivity. About the return to normalisation of the region. The return of the tourists, the shops and hotels and restaurants doing good business again, the Dal Lake looking busy with shikaras all over again!
While the old wounds still showed up a little, the feeling was that if this tourism sustained and grew, if there was also some other industries opening up there, if the jobs returned back and along with it, a certain prosperity to the youth of the state, then slowly but surely, the thoughts and brainwashing around separatism will die down, and in a few years or maybe in a decade or two, Kashmir will become fully normalised like any other state in India.
The journey had started. The hope was alive.
And then this!!
Besides the sheer gruesome nature of the tragedy that it is, it puts back just so many years of hard and painstaking efforts to have got to this point!
If an enemy had a vision that with one attack, we put back the efforts of last 10 years and make it much harder for the region to fully integrate into India, they could have not thought of a better way to make that happen!
In the absolute calm and normalcy of a Kashmir vacation, in the middle of Pahalgam, a must-visit spot in a Kashmir vacation, if tourists get hit in this manner, it is enough to scare away anyone from travelling there! Which honeymooning couple wants to dare to go there now? Which group of 50-somethings want to make this place their annual vacation spot?
Heck, as I look back a year now, and remember the absolutely wonderful holiday we had there, I have one more footnote that comes to mind.. that we were lucky to have returned back safely!
Damn! We were on vacation. Not on some adventure trip. We shouldn’t be thinking that we were lucky to return back safely!
One incident. To cripple an entire journey to normalcy.
Then again, that delicate vulnerability of the region was always there. Perhaps.
We only wished that nothing of the kind happens and many years go by, and there is full-fledged normalcy. But with the enemy being so close, with very thick forests and mountains that make it impossible to completely secure, and with so many traitors embedded inside already, the risks were always there.
Damn! Double damn!!
Yes, there should be action. To show unequivocally that we are not suckers, we will fight back, we will protect ourselves, our people, our land.
But the worst is already done, for Kashmir! It goes back to that “insecure” zone that keeps mainstream tourists away, that will now not see the return of industry and other jobs anytime soon.
Having not kept up with the news much on Maharashtra elections, I was speaking with this knowledgeable friend, who knows it all.
“It’s an interesting election season this time”, he started. Patil, who has been a loyal NCP leader for years, was not given a ticket from his constituency. “Oh, that’s so sad”, I replied. “No, no.. they gave the ticket to Patil’s son.” “Ah, then it’s fine. So Patil Sr is not contesting and it’s a passing of the baton in the family then, right?” “Arre no, let me complete. Patil is now contesting from a different constituency!” “Oh wow, I said. So the loyalty of all these years was rewarded by the party in offering him his own seat for his son, and also giving him another for himself. So nice of the party.” “No, no.. you are getting it wrong. He is contesting on the other seat on a BJP ticket” “What? After all these years, he is leaving the party, and also there is a rift in the family, where his son contests on NCP ticket and he joins BJP to take another seat?!” “You are not understanding anything and just jumping to conclusions”, my friend remarked! “Patil is still in NCP only but while he was denied a ticket by his party, the BJP have given their ticket to him on a different seat.” Thoroughly confused by this Patil saga, I let it be and shifted to another question. “Hope Sathe is continuing to fight on the saffron flag as he has done for years..” “Yes, yes, of course. He continues his allegiance to Balasaheb..” “Okay, good to hear that. I presume Udhav will make an appearance to support his campaign..” “What are you saying?? Why would Udhav do that? Sathe is contesting against Udhav’s party..!!” “But didn’t you just agree that he’s under the saffron flag and with blessings of Balasaheb..” “Of course, I said that. But that’s the real Shiv Sena party led by Eknath Shinde. The Thackerays are not part of that one.. “ Still very confused, I ventured a rejoinder trying to make sense of all this. “So Sathe will take on all Thakerays then, including Raj..?!” “Oh my God, don’t you read the papers?” Now my friend was getting very exasperated with me! “Raj Thakeray’s MNS is supporting Shinde’s Sena, so they will remain on the same side.. “ After popping an aspirin to ease my spinning head, I ventured a further question. “Ok, so whatever is happening to the Thakerays, I hope at least the Pawars are all clear and there is no feud amongst them..?” “Well, things are not that straightforward in Baramati area either. You see, Pawar Sr’s nephew is taking on Pawar Jr’s brother-in-law in one of the constituencies. And in another constituency, Pawar Jr’s other uncle is taking on Pawar Sr’s daughter’s childhood friend..!” My innocent question, “but when you say Pawar Sr’s cousin or nephew or whatever, won’t they also be Pawar Jr’s some other relative” was met the continuing disdain that he was showing me now! He just remarked, “you are too naive for all this and you will not understand Maharashtra politics”, almost giving up on trying to explain anything more to me. And here I was thinking about other simpletons like me who will go to the voting booth not knowing who they are voting for – the party or the candidate or the candidate in a certain party or the candidate who was from a party but is now contesting on another party’s ticket or a last name or a party symbol or what… I hope other voters are not half as confused as I am, when they go out to vote!! With all that, I ventured one last question to my expert friend, “oh well, anyway, after all this realignment of seats and candidates to accommodate the Mahayuti and Aghadi alliances, many erstwhile party leaders must have lost their seats. I am happy that they have all taken this sportingly and are supporting their own party and alliance respectively…” “No, no, no, no!”, the friend replied! All those people who have lost their tickets in this realignment- some 150 of them – are all contesting as independents and will break the votes of their party’s official candidates!!”
Phew! This was the last straw. I figured what is going to be the most popular device on election day. And I am planning to make a business opportunity out of it, by installing this outside all polling booths and letting each voter use it for just Re 1/- before they step in to vote.
That’s an eena-meena-maina-mo machine that one rolls before walking in to vote. Based on whose name comes up, that’s the one you go and vote for!!
The contents above are fictional and written in lighter vein only. Any resemblance to reality however, is intentional and there is nothing coincidental about it!!
Most of us believe that we don’t need to go to a bank branch as everything we need to do, can happen online. And sometimes we even wonder why there are still so many branches of banks.
Well, I might have felt likewise, till recently, I needed to visit bank branches – few times and a few different banks, in fact. There were some personal reasons, but let’s not get into that.
Visiting a bank branch, and especially PSU banks, always leaves me with a lot of thought, a lot of insight about a social strata that we might not fully connect to, or be aware of.
There was this branch of the State Bank of India, in Govandi, Mumbai, that I needed to go to. A few times, recently!
And the visits left me shocked, staggered, humbled..!!
It was a small-sized branch. And from many years back, when I had visited the branch, I remember that the size was adequate.
But so much has changed since then! The branch was ALWAYS packed to the brim, each time I visited recently. There was a queue of people waiting outside and they were being let in, in small numbers, since there was no room for more people to go inside. Of course, India being India, these queues are not respected, so it was a huge crowd, and people jostling to go inside. Like there was some dole being given out and everyone wanted it. (Well, to an extent, there WAS money from Ladki Bahini being given away, and which was ONE of the reasons for this rush!)
And inside the branch, there was some employee shouting and managing the crowd, asking them to stay quiet, asking them to queue up at the counters, as their numbers came up, and not crowd around! I could have easily mistaken myself to be in some mela or something!
Besides Ladki Bahini, the most common reason why many were coming in, was to get KYC done or have new address registered or a new phone number registered with the bank. These processes still require a personal visit and don’t happen online, I guess, and so many people have the need to do these changes, which explained the massive crowds!
As for the bank officials inside, I was amazed as to how calm they were, in spite of the huge crowds and everyone trying to get their attentions for some information or the other!
At this bank and at another PSU Bank that I had the need to go to, one more thing observed was how there was this one person in the bank who knew the exact processes and who had the longest queues of people at their counter, and who would calmly handle all the individual requests and keep getting work done! These are the critical pieces in the banks working model and who with their knowledge, their meticulousness, their calm ways of working, and their empathy to every customer including those from lower income groups, keep the banks going!
My admiration for these people went up many fold!
Yes, PSU banks or PSU organisations in general, are not particularly well known for their tech or their efficiencies etc. But it is also clear that it is many of these PSUs that keep things going for a very large percentage of Indians, and it happens on account of some of these critical and dedicated workers in the teams!
I had had a moving experience that I had shared many years back, from a visit to the Syndicate Bank, and I have had such experiences also at post offices and police stations!
I think all of these places are great to observe an India that we don’t know much of, and to appreciate some of these amazing and hardly recognised folks, who actually keep our big country going!
I remember this funny dialogue from Sai Paranjpye’s classic movie, Katha, where the simpleton character of Naseeruddin Shah tells the smooth talker character of Farooq Shaikh, “मैं तो ताला संस्कृति के ख़िलाफ़ हूँ। ताले आदमी का आदमी के प्रति अविश्वास का प्रतीक है।”
It was one of the most hilarious dialogues of the movie depicting the innocence of the character, and we all laughed as we saw it on screen!
As we went back to our well-secure homes with the double latches, the various cupboards securely locked, each drawer, each briefcase, the hidden steel locker, the bank locker, our two wheelers, our four wheelers, our luggage suitcases… all locked tight! Giving us the feeling that our stuff is so safe and nobody can touch it or take it away from us!
Even if it took its toll in terms of the number of keys we carried around, and then feared that we don’t forget the keys somewhere or misplace them. Because hey, then how will we access our super secure assets!!
The stress moved from worrying about the security of our assets to the security of the keys of the locks that guarded our assets!
All these thoughts crossed my mind as I was clearing up some drawers of an old office of ours, where I found this massive number of keys – with nothing to open!!
Some had meticulous labelling like “back godown key” or “Sampat drawer key” or “Dadar office mailbox key” etc etc. Most were without any clues of any kind!!
The godown has long gone, there is no mailbox at the Dadar office any more, have no clue what drawer of which Sampat this referred to! And when I see the humungous bunch of the rest of the keys, and I look around that office, I realise that there is no such stuff, no locks left that these keys could belong to!!
Which is when I saw the futility of our life long pursuit to secure everything, lock away stuff, continue to accumulate keys and more keys. When what we tried to lock and secure will be gone away long, and we will keep clutching on to our keys, not knowing which precious lock of ours these belonged to, and wondering as to whatever happened to it!!
I started with a Bollywood reference and will conclude with another. I remember this song from the movie Victoria No. 203, featuring Pran and Ashok Kumar, and which went like, “Do Bichaare Bina Sahaare, Do Bichaare Bina Sahaare Dekho Puchh Puchhkar Haare
I loved the series, Angry Young Men, the story of the most successful and creative writer duo of Hindi cinema, Salim-Javed.
I do consider myself as that amateur student of cinema, always intrigued by the “story behind” the film.
More than actors – who get most of the adulation – I have always been an admirer of the film directors. And wondered about how they came up with the concept, how they put the whole concept together, how they got the symphony working, along with the actors and the various crew, that come together to create the final product that we go to the cinema house and enjoy. So, from Yash Chopra to Guru Dutt to Sanjay Leela Bhansali to Ashutosh Gowarikar to Farhan Akhtar to Raj Kumar Hirani to Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and Raj Kapoor and so many more, these directors have always been the ones who intrigued and inspired me the most. And when it came to success, one of the things that I could always connect success to, was how the film (and the director) managed to relate to the times that the country was going through then. Whether Guru Dutt and Raj Kapoor with a sense of socialism and focus on the early years post independence, or the patriotism that Manoj Kumar’s films brought together, the feel-good family times that Sooraj Barjatya brought out, or a new generation rebellion of sorts that Farhan Akhtar brought in with Dil Chahta Hai for example.
So, for that connect to the times, so far I had only credited the director. After seeing this series on Salim-Javed, I now appreciate the tremendous role that writers played (or at least Salim-Javed did) in bringing out that relevance and connect to the times.
I most certainly had a lot of respect for this duo, but seeing this series brought out more details, about the long years of struggle, about their arrogant confidence, about their overall body of work, about their diligence to their craft.. my deep admiration for them only grew a notch more!
And it was nice to see and hear conversations around some of my favourite films, like Sholay, Deewar and others. Having seen Sholay so many times, having read the book on the making of Sholay, there were still so many new nuances to discover about the film.
Overall, my kid-like awe around films and filmmakers only grew further after seeing this series and I continue to be amazed by the overall creative process and the teamwork that goes into making the entertainment that we enjoy so much!
So, you host the biggest ever wedding celebrations, inviting the crème de la crème of the world and so you’d be expected to have some level of stress putting it all together.
And you think, your guests have to simply show up, so it’s easy for them. Au contraire..!! You have no clue how stressful it gets for everyone who’s been invited. Don’t know how? Well, let me give you a glimpse of some of the conversations at people’s homes, starting from a few months prior to the wedding.
—- At this sea facing penthouse in Bandra West, a few months before THE wedding, the lady is going very hyper. “Where is our invitation?? Why has it not come to us yet? Oh my God. Hope we’ve not been taken off the list.. the Sharmas got the invitation 15 min back. She sent me the photo as soon as it came. Where is ours?? I’m getting an anxiety attack..” The guy trying to calm her. “The Sharmas are the only ones who have got it. I am sure ours is on the way. Don’t panic.” Lady: “How can you be so cool about this?? And what is this about not panicking! Of course, there’s reason to panic. Why should the Sharmas get it earlier?? If you’re coming from the Sea Link, our house is two buildings before theirs. And if you go by last name, we are a P, and they are an S. We should have been first. Oh my God, oh my God.. what if we are not on the list!!” Guy: “You’re really letting your imagination run wild. After all, why should we not be on the list??” Lady: “Because at the last function, you didn’t take the papadam tray and serve the guests! You saw how the Big B and all others were doing it. But no, why should you do it? And then, you didn’t even bow down and touch Ba’s feet then! It’s all because of you. Oh my God.. if we are really not on the list, we will have to migrate to Canada and not show our faces in Mumbai for next 5 years at least..!!” — Then at this ex-PM’s home in London, as they were deciding what they’d wear for the function. Lady: “Much as authentic you want to be dear, you’re not going to wear a dhoti! Because I know after two drinks, you will want to show your wild dance moves and I am afraid you won’t know how to hold your dhoti together, doing so.. “ Ex-PM, not to be left behind on the barbs, responded, “And you want to wear a saree, with those many layers going round and round, and when you take those long steps in your stiletos, on the carpet, there’s every risk of you tripping over your saree! I don’t want international media to feature the one pic of the wedding being the wardrobe malfunction of the ex-PM’s wife..!!” — Then there was this WA group of Bollywood stars and cricketers going berserk over what gifts to give.
A newbie to the group, a young cricketer who had just got into first three figure hundreds of crores worth, and was still not quite into this game, thought he was doing the smart thing when he suggested, “Shall we pool in some money and buy a common gift?” And they all pounced on the poor guy. “What, you think you’re going to a birthday party at your Shivaji Park friend’s home or what?? Pooling the money for a common gift, it seems!” Another star chimed in: “Don’t know where these guys come from. Here we are stressed out about competing with Zuckerberg and Gates on the kind of gift to give him, and this guy gives such a stupid suggestion. Boss, this is too stressful yaar..!” The Bollywood star lady added, “Karan, why don’t you only curate some nice hampers like you do on your show! One for each of us. But please, don’t use those Indian brands just because they are sponsors on your show. Need to make it super classy, man..”! Matter continued for a long more time before it could find any good resolution. —- Then, at the Gujju diamond businessman’s home on Napeansea Road, the discussion was going like this.. Lady: “Yeah, I know you can’t hold yourself back once the garba music starts. But please, after 2-3 drinks and with your big paunch, your dancing will be an embarrassment, especially when you’re surrounded by those Size 0 starlets doing their sexy moves! Please don’t dance…” Man: “Shu vaat kare che tu? Garba is our dance! We have to give company to THE family! All the rest, those cricketers and filmy folks, and especially those goras from abroad, are going to ruin our pure form of dance. The least we can do is to show them the right way to do garba!” Lady: “Of course and I have been practising for last 6 months, only for that reason. My dream is to teach garba to Ivanka..”
— And so on and so forth!
So, please note, the easier part is to host a large wedding celebration of this kind.The harder part is for the guests.. please be sympathetic to all of us! 🙏
Random Musings 