Our building has more than 400 apartments using the same infrastructure and utilities. There is a notice from the Society office to use water frugally due to short supply by authorities. Each apartment has different dynamics – number of occupants, size of the flat, whether occupants take shower or bath using a mug or bucket (more lavish stylists could be using a bath tub too), number of faucets having leakage etc and no single individual is in control. The same applies to the use of electricity and other common infrastructure.

The sidewalks under our building are amongst the dirtiest in the city with accumulated litter, dog shit and broken tiles. People freely throw their empty wrappers, bottles, cans, peels and spit as the existing dirtiness invites further messing up!

The youngsters ask the guard to get an auto to the doorstep, as they don’t want to walk 50-60 steps to the road. Expecting them to use public transport will be a tall issue.

And there are so many such things as above that can break one’s heart who’s trying to contribute to the noble causes such as cleanliness, water conservation, environment, traffic decongestion etc.

But let’s follow the principle that we should do the right thing. Let’s contribute our two cents to all the above issues and leave others to do their two pounds😀!

As the famous poet Majrooh Sultanpuri has said:

मैं अकेला ही चला था जानिब-ए-मंज़िल मगर

लोग साथ आते गए और कारवाँ बनता गया

Loosely translatable as:

I had started the movement all by myself but with conviction

As people kept on joining it became a revolution.

One spark can initiate a fire that can spread like wildfire. This is the philosophy adopted by me for my writing also. Even if one reader is influenced by it, its purpose is served as it’s the first step towards a bigger revolution.

I am an avid Reader’s Digest fan, having been connected with the publication since my early childhood that adds up to more than 5 decades. Month on month, I have waited for my RD copy and this enthusiasm for the new edition has not fainted a bit even after so many years, though the choices for recreation have increased multifold since those days! I think it’s more about habit, almost an addiction rather than a means of information and entertainment for which there are alternatives galore!

Reason for a blog on RD all of a sudden is a news item that I came across today, announcing the end of RD, UK edition after an uninterrupted run of 86 years. It’s mentioned that the company just couldn’t withstand the financial pressures of today’s unforgiving magazine publishing landscape and has ceased to trade.

I sometimes wonder that given the falling subscription and commercial support, how long will print editions of morning dailies and iconic publications like RD shall be able to sustain! My problem is that though for reading books, I am comfortable with my Kindle, I badly yearn for my copies of morning dailies and RD to attend to all the featured syndicated stuff – cartoons, crosswords, sudokus, puzzles, word jumbles etc and demise of such stuff will be a loss that’s simply impossible to be compensated.

I am supporting these publications fully; I hope other obsessive readers also do likewise so that print media doesn’t totally go out of business.

I count myself to be amongst the luckiest

For I have turned a sexagenarian,

But I am still being treated like a child

By my mother, an octogenarian! 

While professional matters requiring my decision 

Took a toll on my mind and health ,

For all the personal matters 

My mother’s wisdom is my wealth! 

And childlike behaviour displays every child

Who has the luxury of having mother, 

I still yearn for her, especially when in pain,

As if there’s none other! 

A child can dedicate an ode to mother

And celebrate Mother’s Day with pomp, show and mirth

Let’s see this from a mother’s perspective

Who only thinks of her child right from his /her birth!

Yesterday, I met an old friend, from my school days, after 46 years ( he corrected my – I thought we were meeting after 44 years). I couldn’t help but thank my stars for this amazing and nostalgic occasion. Why? Because, how many of us are lucky to meet an old pal after 46 years? It presupposes a whole lot of positives for such a thing to happen – being alive, in good health ( because we dined together), in good position financially ( won’t we otherwise avoid such occurrences) and above all, actively in touch with each other (otherwise how shall one know the coordinates of other)! And what it results in is sheer delight, heavily laced with the nostalgia of the days gone by ! The conversation revolves around parents ( whom we fondly addressed as uncle and aunty), siblings, common friends, special memories – there was a deluge of all of the above! And time just flew off as if we were together for a few minutes and not few hours!

Life becomes that much more cherished with friends, more so with those, friendship with whom has stood the test of time, becoming almost ageless. It was a delightful evening that revived the old memories, becoming memorable itself in the process!

All of us must have frequently come across the concerns relating to the potable water. Man has dug deep into the stomach of Mother Earth, but even this source seems to be either fast drying up or becoming an unviable option. Currently, water level in the major reservoirs is running low and monsoons are eagerly awaited. Our insatiable hunger for land has led to disappearance of water bodies on account of reclamation.

I was going through an article in one of the reputed magazines regarding some of the recent innovations that could be game changers. However, I didn’t come across an innovation that either creates fresh water by using chemistry or purifies used or ocean water to make it potable. Then it struck me that countries such as UAE have already addressed their water problem through large scale desalination of sea water and the process was already there, but it probably required more widespread adoption.

My wish of India, a peninsula surrounded by water on its three sides, West, South and East, going for desalination seems to be close to be getting fulfilled as evidenced by news item that I came across yesterday, regarding BMC inviting bids for a 200 MLD ( million litres per day) desalination plant to be set up in Manori island, just across Marve, Malad. This should help Mumbai reduce its dependence on rain water stored in five lakes around the city as also underground water that’s transported using tankers, an increasing number of which can be seen with the progress of summers. I understand that desalination process is highly energy intensive and could be expensive, but anything that addresses the issue of potable water is priceless. If it’s successful, Chennai, a perpetually water starved city could be the next to provide relief to its citizens.

I have been an avid crossword solver for more than last 5 decades. I remember those days of my early childhood in Delhi , when I was hardly 10 years old and my uncles used to solve daily crossword that appeared in The Evening News, Delhi edition that since stands discontinued. While this was freely available in Connaught Place, the workplace of one of my uncles, it was not available in the residential locality where I lived with my parents. Hence, it was only when I was at my grandma’s house that this wish of mine used to get fulfilled, with the uncle bringing the copy of the evening newspaper daily.

This passion that got triggered in me at very early years of my life, only grew with my age and today I solve at least four crosswords every day – Times of India, Economic Times and two in Hindustan Times – same grid, but two sets of clues – easy and cryptic. At least, because at times, if I go to market in the morning, I also pick up a copy of Indian Express and Mid Day, adding two more crossword to my day’s routine. In addition, I also once in a while attempt online grids.

The idea of sharing the above background is the unique crossword that I came across today, the like of which I had neither seen nor solved before. It had 5 clues in the across section – (1) Baseball level just below majors (2) letters written in the bottle of poison in the cartoons (3) three on a grandfather click (4) tic tac toe winner and (5) delicious – and answers to these clues were AAA, XXX, III, OOO, MMM respectively. The three down clues were – (1) what goes up must come down e.g. (2) x+y=y+x e.g. and (3) this is given and the answers to all these three clue was AXIOM. Picture of the solved grid is given above.

As I found it unique, I thought of sharing it with all my readers.

Modesty is something that seems to be a thing of the past, a redundant virtue, especially in those whom we consider to be high achievers in life.

But sometimes you across something that not only touches your heart but also reaffirms your faith in old school values and virtues.

Came across a quote today by one of the finest authors, Salman Rushdie that reads:

“ If Tiger Pataudi could face up to the ferocious speed of Hall and Griffith ( dreaded West Indies speedsters) , I should be able to pour water into a glass without spilling it …. and in general succeed at being functional as a one-eyed man in a two-eyed world.”

Readers may recall the deadly knife attack on Salman Rushdie in New York while he was delivering a keynote address at a gathering, in which he ultimately lost his one eye. I have just bought his new book , “ Knife: Meditations after an Attempted Murder” , which probably is based on the aforesaid incident and its aftermath. I shall surely pen a blog once I read it, but here I want to highlight the modesty displayed by one of the top authors of our times. He’s very humbly pitched his ability with one eye against Tiger Pataudi’s, though penning a book and taking charge of on self after such a dastardly attack are no mean achievements.

Our best wishes go to Salman Rushdie to not only being able to pour water into a glass , but pour wisdom into the hearts of readers through his matchless writing for many many years to come!

A budding author myself, though nowhere near the class of Salman Rushdie, a level where I cannot reach in this lifetime, his words should open up the minds of all towards supposedly quaint, but highly desirable virtues called modesty and humility, which are the hallmarks of those who are real achievers in life.

It’s not very often that I get enamoured by the promos of a movie. It happened when I saw promos of a Punjabi movie, Kali Jota, starring Neeru Bajwa and one of my favourite singers, Satinder Sartaj. It seemed to be a movie with very strong theme and very mellifluous songs, both a rarity in Punjabi films, where music and comedy, both are usually loud! The movie was released at very few theatres in Mumbai and is seemingly not available on either Netflix or Amazon Prime and therefore, I haven’t been able to watch it. Incidentally, the same pair is now promoting Shayar, which too seems off beat, it’s music already making waves.

This happened to me in case of Chamkila too, a movie based on the life of enigmatic Punjabi singer Amar Singh Chamkila, who was shot dead, along with his wife Amarjot and two companions , when he had gone for one of his concerts. This was in the year 1988, when Chamkila was just 28 years of age. Movie starring Daljit Dosanj in the title role, with Parineeti playing the role of Amarjot has been written and directed by Imtiaz Ali, with music by A R Rahman.

The movie very cleverly mixes the original songs of Chamkila ( that are mostly sung by Dosanj, an accomplished singer and Parineeti, a surprising revelation, themselves) with those composed by ARR that mostly run in the background.

Reviewing a movie is a very tough ask, because different viewers have different tastes. The takeaways from this movie are a very honest and heart rending depiction of Chamkila by Dosanj, Parineeti’s attempt at singing chaste Punjabi songs, Rahman’s captivating music and Imtiaz’s effort in keeping the story true to its spirit, without either glorifying or criticising any aspect.

Of course, the movie highlights the double standards of society, where everyone seems to be relishing Chamkila’s vulgar songs in private or in akhaadas ( as the concerts in Punjab are known as) , but do moral policing on public platforms. It’s a complex depiction in movie that attributes the above to a combination of Chamkila’s humble background, tensions in Punjab at that time, including the situation arising out of Operation Blue Star in 1984 and rivalry- Chamkila simply eclipsed his better known rivals and contemporaries. Whatever be it, let’s give the art and artists to express themselves without any moral impositions. Those who do not like anything in particular, can stay away from it.

The original stand up comedian, immensely popular and very very versatile Kapil Sharma has started his new season on Netflix. While surfing Netflix, I also came across his stand up show, “ I am not done yet”. This show has Kapil in his new avatar that’s much beyond the light hearted banter on his shows that has endeared him to large masses.

In this show, Kapil narrates the days of his struggle, the very touchy story of his long courtship of with Gini, his wife, his first tryst with Mumbai, encouragement and support that he got from his father and the story of his ultimate success in a poignant manner, intermittently laced with his hallmark wit and humour. He ends up this show with a fine tribute in the form of an English song dedicated to his late father, “ Because you’re watching”! The show that’s supposed to be a comedy and wit laced, typical of Kapil, ends on a very emotional note and presents the Kapil, as a person firmly committed to his family and rooted to his tradition, as against the projected image of a flamboyant, conceited and egotistic Kapil!

The new show, the first episode of which celebrates the success of Bollywood blockbuster Animal with Ranbir, his mother, Neetu and sister Ridhima, has all the Kapil’s devils – Kiku, Krishna, Archana and one who was sorely missed in the previous two seasons, the redoubtable Sunil Grover and the show is mounted lavishly.

All the best Kapil for this new season on Netflix. But stay humble and rooted as reflected by your stand up show and you will touch new heights of fame and success.

 In a career spanning close to three and half decades, I would have faced equal number of the year end closing days that’s 31st March. I am, therefore, no stranger to the critical importance of this day and the action that typically takes place on this day.

Of course, over the years the nature of activities of this annual closing day has changed drastically. In the earlier days of my career, it was all about finishing critical operations – applying interest on deposit and loan accounts, tallying all the books for the bank’s balance sheet and preparing the annual returns for submission to HO for annual inspection by RBI. However, with computerisation and automation, all the above has now changed and the branches can focus on garnering additional business till the last hour to be as close to their annual targets, if not achieve or overachieve them. Nature of business targets also that was mainly focused on achieving deposit targets is now changed to CASA, fees and cross sell points! 

However, notwithstanding the change in nature of activities or priorities, 31st March continues to be a day of huge importance to a banker and now that I am no longer in the thick of the action , all the memories of the past annual closings come back to me, plunging me into nostalgia. 

Happy annual closing to all my banker friends.