The Global Villager

 

The sudden knocking at the window broke the peaceful abode that Sayan was residing in. Sayan sat up straight with crunched eyebrows. The government holiday owing to Makar

Sankranti had given him a reason to stay at home this cold morning. The dawn woke him up and he engrossed himself in browsing through the endless historical destinations of the world, however the sleepy eyes couldn't continue long. Heena's sudden knock had caused a return of Sayan to this materialistic world again. He opened the window and saw the pretty girl with a fresh smile . But before Sayan could express anything to Heena, he saw Gurmeet was eagerly waiting for him!

“How is life Buddy? Are the official issues resolved?” Gurmeet asked in his joyous voice.

“Nothing is working right” Said Sayan. Sayan's words triggered an immediate reply from

Gurmeet, “Why don't you come here and join me? Just forward your cv right away”.

“Who is keeping you busy, Sayan?” asked Heena irritatingly. To manage the unintentional neglect from his side, Sayan asked, “When is your medical appointment dear?”

The question was painful & he feels moist eyes of Heena.

Heena was about to say something when Sayan realized that the laptop-battery exhausted suddenly!

Sayan did not bother about the eight hour long power cut all through the last winter night, but the sudden disappearance of Heena & Gurmeet brought down Sayan to face the reality & virtuality of life in a moment!

Sitting in a posh apartment in Karachi, Heena had no clue why her facebook friend Sayan suddenly disappeared from the chat-window, while Mexico based Gurmeet kept apprehending the reasons which could have caused the sudden ending of his skype call with India Based Sayan.

Sayan started walking down the memory lane and thinking how within six months a Pakistani Girl Heena, a cancer patient, had become his closest companion even though fate hadn't given chance them to meet with each other. Gurmeet, on the other hand, is trying to cope up with life after the severe accident few months ago. The accident has walked away with his memory. What remains still, is his realizations that he still works in a Mexico-based farm where he used to

work before! Hence he wants his skype friend Sayan to come to Mexico city to join him.

Sayan sighs, as he knows, he has nowhere to go, he can't leave his job. The curse of 'thalasemia' will not allow him to leave it. He has to continue being a State-Govt typist for the rest of his life in a small town like Ghatal in west bengal!

At the dark hours of the night Sayan lies on his bed & in a pensive mood starts roaming around the lanes which leads to the terrorism sensitive Karachi or politically turmoiled Mexico where Heena & Gurmeet waits for him to share subtle feelings. This feeling makes Sayan's solitary life truly significant & encourages him to live life to its fullest.

Are you an entrepreneur?


"Are you an entrepreneur in attitude?"This question came from a Keynote speaker I got chance to meet in a seminar few days ago. It was a Entrepreneurship development Workshop & speaker was in Q&A mode while delivering his thought process. I didn't answered to the speaker that moment.. but started to converse with me (what I always love to do). I asked to myself, who am I to speak about entrepreneurship, who has no experience in Business in Life? But my soul answered, is it only business? Is it only profit?  Is it only serving customers need? That is entrepreneurship? I got confused. But the conversation goes on with my soul. I clearly realized few feeling from my deeper mind. I felt, to me, entrepreneur cannot be not just running a business or serving customers or gaining profit. Rather entrepreneurship is a philosophy of life, attitude to face the journey of life. I felt, to me entrepreneurship is the basic question which impels us to thought 1) who we are ? 2) what is the purpose we are born? 3) Weather we are on that track of our own purpose? 4) Weather we are creating our own track consciously (not just following proven track) ? 5) Weather we are searching & getting the true motivated walk-the-talkers of that track to move on this journey? 6) whether we are finding people to which we can share our feelings, experiences, realizations , philosophies so that it may impact to their life.
After realizing, I felt relief. It was clear to me, Entrepreneur to me is a 24x7 mindset. To generate the leading like thought-process. To continue it by challenging our inner & outer world & to share our thoughts genuinely with the people with believe, to make this world better day by day. whatever be the product of the thought process, doesn't matter, it may be a product, may be a service, may be philosophies, But core point is we must 'believe' in whatever we do, we must not just 'carried away' by other's followed suggestion or instructions Or definations. Yes, 'profit & revenue' must be there, because we have to physically survive, & live better too. But to me, it is the 'content' that matters much, & then we can find "revenue" by sharing our 'believed' content with those people who are really searching for the same content. Hence to me, A true entrepreneur will not compromise with the content to get the revenue. Because, then he will be in booby trap, what a he never wants. And whoelse donot feel,  any work without believe, is just near to death!

"PIKU" Movie Review

Saw PIKU. In a nutshell PIKU is a easy munching movie, fairytale movie, feel good movie. Really we saw, an awe-sum chemistry between Father and daughter, an event-packed journey, heart-touching music, nostalgia about roots and a platform for some finest actors of this country. Hats off to the storyteller to compel the audience to stretch complete attention throughout the movie with a brilliant and crispy script & flawless dialogs. Hats off to the director to be a think tank for such a low budget yet price-worthy art-work. Thanks to him, to allow for some brilliant moments where Dipika & Irfan got ample opportunity to explore on silent acting in front of a vocab man, Mr. Bacchan.

But is it a very 'easy' movie really? There is big difference between 'Simple' and 'easy'. If a movie is easy to understand, that means its well communicated to the audience. But Are all the expressions were very easy munching? Here is starting the real 'Journey' of Piku. In this journey, presence a Bengali Family, few Bengali words is not having much importance. It could have been Tamil or Orissa or Himachal... any family. 

                                                                              But this is a story about few believes, contradictions & thought process of mainly 3 characters. Mr. Bhaskar Banerjee is a Contradictory man. In one way he is always in attachment with his roots & traditions. In opposite, he is very perfectionist about his 'motion' & love nagging to Dr. about his healthy hazards to draw more attention probably! Isn't like a common syndrome in mostly all of our family? Mr. Banerjee, In one way  is Irritatingly conscious about his health & food habit, other way he is always in search of some new thing , like cycle ride, Kachauri, Ball-dance, Party, wine! In one side, he is over-possessive about his only daughter's life-partner choice, other side he is open about her sex preferences. In one way he is orthodox, over perfectionist; in other way he is against male chauvinists, mail domination, supports woman's freedom of thoughts!

                                                                     Piku's character is also flooded with different shades too. She is carried away by her responsibility about father's health. She doesn't like it sometimes, which reflects in her bad mouth to the driver or screaming words to her father, but still she is a responsible daughter. She suppress her emotions for responsibility which reflects in her body language. She is not easy to digest woman, people fear to talk with her & she loves to portray herself in that image. Is it conscious pleasure? Or She hates average same age woman's happy go lucky life! She knows, she cannot plan for a long term relationship, even cannot think about settle for her father's existence, hence she has to be tough! Can she really accept that? Piku can understand her situation, but cannot accept, hence she is always in dilemma.

Irfan's character is like a bridge between Mr. Banerjee & Piku. Irfan sometimes burst into anger about the old man's & her daughter's gestures & queries & in a very straight cut raw way expressed the truth, which are simple. Irfan slaps them through words by showing the reality sometimes. Sometimes he is confused too, by this out-of-box father-daughter relationship. 

                                                                                                                   There are few characters like Mausumi Chatterjee, Raghubir Yadav, who have  brilliantly garnished   the main course of 3  central character. Music is awe-sum. Anupam Roy is a famous Bengali musician in new generation. He is a brilliant Engineer by qualification & intellectual writer by passion & for last few years Bengali new generation music lover's are awe about his thoughtful creations. In “Piku” He is introduced in a  bollywood  movie in music direction, lyrics writing, background score & Mail Singer. In Indian film Industry, this is first time record too. 

                                Piku is movie which never gives are easy soluble answers. Never says about responsibility or nostalgia in a melodramatic frame. Rather, it is director Soojit Sirkar's great vision to depict the frames of this movie so well as, it has become a collage of time, emotions & reality. It has gifted few questions to the audience. In a lucid manner. In a simple story.

Are we searching the answer's in our own life's 'journey'? 

 

A Date with a State Governor!

It was early winter phase of Orissa of 2005. Though Orissa  don't care  about the chilling affect of  windy breeze. I was deploying IT infrastructure equipments in IFFCO Paradwip. Our project
was to tie all the different sub-sections of plant like Boiler, Turbine, ESP, Ammonia plant etc. through wireless network.The project was mostly on closure, i.e. implementation done, testing phase started, suddenly I got a call from my Manager in a sleepy early morning, “Listen, Pls wrap your work by today, and move from there for sikkim by tomorrow”

“But why? Let me close it Boss”

“No No man. You need to go. customer referring your name!”

“My Name !!”

“Arey Yaar! Customer strictly told, only you should be there to

close that project as this is high security project & political heavy

weights will be impacted”. 

“what's that Boss? What's so serious!” 

“Governor of Sikkim's requirement. Governor house to be fully

equipped with wireless communication with High security. As you

already know Sikkim's infrastructure & closely worked with

Sikkim's IT ministry, Chairman of NIC, Mr. Tamang suggested

 your name only. Pls, manage IFFCO client and pack up by today!”

So, that night, I pushed myself in a extra-paid Reserved seat in

Train to North East. There was no seat to sleep, hence a sleep-less

night was obvious! Reaching to Sikkim, was always my comfort

level, even still now! Not only Sikkim, I am a man of Hills, Rocks.

I love Hill stations, its Chilling effect, the staircases connecting

roads, White fume of chilled morning tea, Cloudy sky sometimes &

simplistic people, beautiful greenery surrounded as wall.

Upon reaching Governor house I saw the house is packed with

Armed forces. Last time I came to Sikkim, this was a State Guest

house, But this new Governor is alloted this beautiful house as his

royal address. This place was beautiful like a teen-aged reddish

chick of a Nepali Beauty. Aloof from Gangtok's life, this house was

an island in Greenery of Hill. Director of NIC, came to me on

laughing, “Hey, Thanks. I could not trust any one other than you

for this”.

  “My pleasure sir” was the words from leaps but told from heart, I

wanted to say, I need to sleep due to sleepless night!

From Siliguri two Technicians also reached for this project. One

small room of that large house was assigned as inventory of

Infrastructure equipments. After initial planning our work  started.

Starting from structured cabling, Rack mounting to configuration,

frequency fixing of wireless  antennas. One man, hardly with 30

years of age, was shadowing me throughout my work. Tall, very

 bight complexioned, little rocky tummy. I was thinking, who is

his? Any new Govt officer? Tracking our project? I was irritated. I

like to work from my own. If someone always try to control, I cannot 

work in that atmosphere. But this intruder was not at all paying

attention to my inner words! In a peak irritating moment, I finally

asked “ By the way, who are you? Do you need any support from

me?”. He chuckled softly. "No Man, Carry on. I am elder son of

Mr. Rama Rao. I am settled in States & into engineering stuffs. Just

like to know, what all you guys are doing". 

My Goodness! This guy is Governor of Sikkim's Son! His highness Mr. V. Rama Rao's son!

But from then onwards a comfortable relationship started to mature

with him by the advent of time. In a Shining rare Morning , while I

was adjusting Antenna interference by bending from different

angle, Father & Son duo came to me. 

“Dad, he is from Tulip, doing IT stuffs there”.

The Old man smiled. “ok! So there will be no virus attack right?”. 

That time I didn't know Linux. No solaris even. I knew antivirus,

upon installation of its package on Windows platform our company

earned a pocketful of Gandhi-pressed-Papers! 

“ I hope so sir” I reverted back to him. He nodded his head & 

return back to house with big steps & poised posture, with his son.

After 3 days, while I was successful to convince Sikkim IT

officials, the network is secured & smooth, Suddenly I got

invitation from IT Director to attain a Governor Dinner in night! 

Really! A Date with a State Governor! 

In night, I came to the house, with the best matched white

Jacket with Black jeans! It was small party. Mostly Government

official. Few private stakeholders, working with IT department, I

was one of them. While I just cracked my tough teeth on a Chicken

leg-piece, I saw a ring coming from my manager. I picked up.

“Man, pls pack up your task from Sikkim. Tomorrow you need to

move  to Bihar. I have committed to customer my engineer

will reach by tomorrow. Pls Yaar” !!  

Cool! I felt amused. Life is rolling stone!

I started planning for another sleep-less night journey as I used to

spent those days!

The Old man & a young storyteller

Though it was Darjeeling, Still that day in mid-Summer was not pleasant at-all in “Darjeeling-mall” if we consider weather. Angry sun was pouring streams of hot rays throughout the day. I was tired after walking since more than one hour in the ups & downs of the winter-city, while reached  “mall” area, the Meeting, chatting & sharing point of Darjeeling. I placed my presence in a wooden-bench with a comfortable distance with a lady, aged about more than sixty may be, engrossed in caressing her bushy white dog. I called for a tea. Ah. Its Darjeeling Tea! May be that “ah” feeling, more came our from psychological believe than from my taste buds! But suddenly I heard a voice, “please give me a seat!”. I looked up. A Man, aged more than seventy may be with a mouthful of white cladding beard, unfashionable spectacles, is smiling with a eye-to-eye looks. He was wearing a white Dhoti, rapped with a Shawl  & the most attractive accessories was his big old-fashioned umbrella.

“Yes. Pls seat” I pushed off myself.

“Thank you my child. you are from?”

“Kolkata”

“You?”

“Benaras”.

And the communication started.

I came to know his life's brief from him. I felt, He is a remarkable man! Before 30 years, his only Son's accidental death made him utterly depressed & he was ready for suicide too, to close the chapter of this dark-tunneled phase! But suddenly he felt about the price-less value of this journey called 'life'  from a book & changed his mind. He got interest in spirituality & day after day became a spiritual man from a typical high aspirating business man! He mixed this spiritual  wisdom in his ornament business and thus  he got new insight with a new outlook. While he came to know, I write & love to write, & I have published stories & book, he threw me a question, “So you write “Kahani”?

“Everything in this world is “Kahani” sir. I just try to articulate” I chuckled.

“But don't you think, those 'kahani's are trash, where the story of cow climbs a tree! Have you seen the crap mega-serials! How silly & trash! I astonish how my semi-illiterate wife finds amusements in those daily operas!'

“Hold on sir. You are putting 'story' in a generic bucket. Its like putting all streams of science in a same bracket & say “science is curse to the civilization' !”

“But don't you think there is very little 'truth' in story?”

“Again a 'generic' comment sir”

“why? Prove me I am wrong!”

“No sir, I am not here to debate, but let me share my thought please”

“carry on young man”

“See, Story is a bunch of words, right? Which portrays few characters, few events mainly. Now it depends upon author, whether he will choose a logical truthful story to make the reader 'think' or  to share a fully 'entertaining' story like bollywood commercial movies to make the readers entertained”

“Ok, but can you deep-down more thoughts on this?”

“See, till Cinema, Television was not in pace in lifestyle,  most of the common readers used to go to a book, to be entertained, what they get from cinema or Television. So literature was a entertainment factor to a common people.  Even there was  & are series of writers who wrote "kahani"s on this  entertainment factor of readers only. Even, most of the script writers concentrates on viewers week-end enjoyment. Because finally there are commercial calculations. But...”

“But?”

“But, there were & are also series of writers, who were not writing for 'money' or 'popularity' only. Writing is their way to express their thoughts, philosophy, ethics, integrities, idealism. You can Consider Tagore, Premchand,Hemingway, kamu, kafka, Arundhati Roy, Mirza Galib, K.R.Narayanan and many many ... series of writer in queue. Even if you see, today's cinema trend, there are huge number of directors and script writers, who are on parallel movies. Those are not just on commercial viability, but a combination of commerce & arts. There is entertainment but at a core value, there is something bigger than just time pass entertainment. Even producers are putting money in this trend now a days. So writers/Director's passion is matching with a niche audience & this niche audiences are increasing in number, who love to brain storm”

“ok!... carry on”

“So there are plates of options, If a reader  wants entertainment only, writers are there! If a reader  wants motivation, philosophy , adventure ...whatever, writers are there! Even if a reader wants fiction, unique brain storming ideas, historical truths in fictional wrap... then also writers are there. Its only matter of words, expressing thougts, pouring creativity & motions '

“But Why Story needed then? I will read article! I donot believe superficial truths. I love core truths”

“Sir, you are right. there is not hard-n-fast rule to read  a story! Again, there is no pressure to see a movie. Movie is also a piece of literature, script writers are main engineers for any sensible movie"
"Then why fiction is important to you young man?"
" Because I am meant for that! See, to me 'fiction' is a way to help readers to enter into the deep level of thoughts. There are readers who love to think, brainstorm life's puzzles, philosophy of journey, But while reading the “Facts only” books, shared by philosophers, Historians, Social scientists... They get Bored! Here come the Writers. They Reap a plot, a story-line, create characters, tells a story and finally gives a jerk of sensibility or outstanding punchline what reader may not have been expected! But all these roads are only way to the treasure of truth!”

“ So Young man, what's your path? only Entertainment? Only Facts?  something meaningful?” The old man stroked me now! I stumbled & then continued,

“Actually Writing is a way to communicate with my soul, my existence, my real 'I'. There are lot of words which I cannot share with my friends, wife, child even parents, those words are only can be understood by me. And this is truth for everyone, right?”

“Yes, everyone have their own words, own thoughts and may be there are very few persons can be found, one can really share his inner feelings! Those words are unuttered, sometimes just wiped out in air in the advent of time!” The Old man expressed.

“Yes, absolutely sir. Writing is communicating those words to myself. May be the only way through which I feel relaxed, I release my frustrations, anxiety, I inhale positive energy, I feel connected to my soul”

“Really?”

“Yes sir.

A Dark evening covered Darjeeling during this time of conversation. The Hoarse-riders, who rent horse to the tourist, were in busy mood to take their horses in nearby stable. From the deep Dark Himalayas, twinkling of lights of little homes was looking like starry sky on the earth! I was feeling 'chilling' breeze. 

The Old man stood up, held the stick of umbrella & said, “bye young man, nice to have some quality time, now its time for me to chant, meditate. This is the way, I am  talking to myself. Its  like your writing”.

I smiled,”ok sir, phir milenge”.

The Old man walked few steps & disappeared in the darkness of Darjeeling. 

"Haider" - A Fabulous Chutzpa Experience !!

“Haider” has released in this week. All India know now, this movie has swapped serious cinema-lovers in first week and people has become just Chuthzpa after the screenplay-acting-camera-music & direction of this Vishal Bharadwaj Movie. All we also know, Shakespeare's most (may be) complex drama “Hamlet”'s adaptation in Kashmir's Burning issue like alleged domination of the Indian Army on Kashmiris. All we also know, most discussed dialog of world literature “to be or not to be, that is the question” is nicely crafted in the film as “hum hain, iya Hum nehi” as a dialog from Shahid Kapoor , many a times during the journey of the film.

While I was being carried away in the frames of the movie, a bunch of questions were popping up, without searching answers may be, randomly, like the bullets of Indian Army! Was it a story of a simple Revenge of a Son? Was it a conspiracy of an Uncle? Was it a untold story of an solitary woman? Was it a story of “missing person's diary”? Was is a story of brutal autocracy of Army against civilians?

My answer was , “No” !!

This story resembles the number of girls who are loosing their identity regularly in West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa , while they are trapped under the international rackets who are selling womans for prostitution. Everyday, those unfortunate ladies are loosing their identity in this country... with the same question... “hum Hain, Iya Haim nehi”.

A number of poor families are crossing Border from neighboring country, taking shelter in Border touching states & live their daily life without any identity! With the same question “Hum Hain, iya Hum Nehi”. While an Engineer or MBA is sacked from From a Top Notch Corporate, with saying “under-performer” without strong valid reason, then the same tune comes to the emplyee from that moment, “Hum Hain., iya Hum nehi”. Every Day, when we are facing troubles in family, job, social life, health... the same question trickels in our grey cell... “Hum Hain or Hum nehi? To be or not to be , that is the question”.

But was that enough?

No !!

In Last scene while Haider was bugged with the same question “To be or not to be” with a lot of questions to mind while taking “revenge” by killing his uncle. Finally, He gets the answer. Revenge is the supreme journey. We the audience got the answer may be. We got a symphony that, finally “revenge” will pour more oil to to fire to burn, but we have to be always spirited to the journey of struggle, protest, actions & solutions. Mentality of Revenge can create another country like Pakistan, is it our philosophy as Indians? No, We have taken birth with a more giant aspiration. Revenge is a irritating fire only, which burns the boats of our journey. But More we are into the depth of journey of life, more we can build our nation, our identity, our soul. And in every moment we have to search the answer of this questions, “Hum hain, or hum nehi”, “To be or not to be that is the question” !!

My Leader

I never believed wrapping with MBA degree, polished English communication, Show-of-Attitude, Master-Slave mentality towards subordinate finally gives birth of a real "Leader". To my life, truly I have seen a "Leader" fortunately from my college days.

...Our Leader was always with us in critical flood relief days as our mentor, and always with us in sleepless nights in flood-water-clad west-Bengal remote villages, with distressed villagers, while supplying food, clothes & medication.
...He has been always been with us with in all our odd queries, straight cut thoughts, transparent communications & gave us motivations to be true from soul.
...He has also been very rude sometimes, while we lacked our responsibility, delayed.
...He always shared us real life wisdom to accept fault & share the real truth boldly without finding escape route!
...He has shared endless love, late night group sessions & motivation to fight with life in any critical situation fearlessly.
We feel very lucky, that We came contact with this Ramakrishna Mission Monk, as our true 'Leader' early of my teenage & have spent so much quality time.