I suspect that when the 'Colonel' & company sit together to decide the 15 who would take the flight out to the Caribbean, there would be billions wanting to be a fly on that wall. Every four years, this major upheaval in our mindset is ample reflection of an entire nation's conscience possessed. If 2003 was all about Laxman or not, 2007 has a few more intricate issues attached. A look at who will make the cut for the WC starting in two months time.
The safest bets would be on the wicketkeeping and spinning department. India have come a long way since 2003 when Rahul Dravid did a Gianlugi Buffon. Rahul might have looked more like a football goalkeeper in his efforts, but he did a mighty fine job ala the Italian custodian. Mahendra Dhoni has captivated international audiences ever since he set foot on the international stage and though he still has his critics, there is no doubt that his dismantling of international attacks has been consistent and effective and that he is a safe bet behind too. Dinesh Karthick has shown lot of spunk and fight and he is a mighty good fielder too. India will need Karthick in the middle order as a specialist batsman to rotate the strike.
India will struggle with their fast bowling department. Agarkar and Zaheer will lead the pack but that is again a step back from 2003 when Zaheer, Nehra and Srinath were at the peak of their prowesses and represented India's most potent fast bowling attack. Sreesanth has been India's revelation in 2006 but except for a 6 wicket haul against England in the early part of the year, his performances in the one-day format have been built more around passion and aggression rather than consistency. I would have to put Pathan in this category even though I am sure he will end up playing just the Group stages in the World Cup. India's success in the one-day format, when it happened, was due to Pathan's new ball bowling and his presence allowing India to play five bowlers. At the World Cup, that would mean playing Kumble and Harbhajan together, a combination that would take some stopping in slow, low Caribbean conditions. Kumble's bowling over the last 24 months has been right alongside the likes of Warne and Murali whereas Harbhajan was the best slow bowler in one-day cricket in the year 2006 with an economy rate of around 3.7 .
Without Pathan, five bowlers would mean too long a tail and with 20 over powerplays, it would take a very brave team management to play two spinners in an Indian setup with four bowlers. Hence, to say that Pathan would be crucial to India's chances would be a gross understatement. India will risk Munaf as their fifth seam bowling option inspite of his fickle fitness for prior to South Africa, he was head and shoulders above the rest when it came to the fast bowling stakes. His height and ability to hit the deck gives the attack some variety as well. People might consider Ramesh Powar unlucky to miss out but facts will suggest that his best bowling performances have come against shoddy opposition. Brian Lara and Sarwan consistently found him out on India's last trip there. His will be a career in the shadows- a large shadow that.
India's travails in the batting department have been well documented and with six spots up for grabs, there is bound to be some serious thought there. Yuvraj, Sachin, Rahul and Sourav are sure to take up four of those spots. His lengthy layoff not withstanding, Yuvraj is India's best middle order batsman as he showcased in 2005 and early 2006; Sachin is still indispensable for he offers flexiblity in the batting department with the array of strokes he possesses and his bowling has always come up trumps in pressure cooker scenarios; Dravid continues scaling new heights and Sourav has made too 'impressive' a comeback, and is probably odds on favourite to open.
I feel the selectors should have given Ganguly an extended run before coming to a conclusion. A 98 on a flat pancake against a travel weary bowling attack is not exactly my idea of returning to form. The signs were there: balls smoted out of the ground, the quick dab and runs and of course a run-out. Yes, Ganguly ended up being India's top run getter in the test match series but the selectors seem to be losing sight of the fact that Ganguly's performances in the test match arena had been 'passable' leading upto the time he got dropped. It was his one-day efforts that had taken a more drastic dip, averaging under 20 against test playing nations over a two year period. I hope that the "Prince" is back for good but my gut feeling is that his selection will go down as one made in haste. Sourav will disappoint.
That leaves us with two more spots. Sehwag, inspite of all his miseries is too serious a matchwinner to be ignored. His bowling will also be valued and towards the end of the South African series, there was a certain commitment that didn't reflect on the scorecards. The last spot will be a tussle between Robin Uthappa and Suresh Raina depending on their performances over the next few matches. My call would be Robin for he is a good top order one-day player and Greg and Rahul seem convinced that they need a specialist opening bat.
That would leave Laxman with the strange honour of never having been in a World Cup Squad; Kaif would be desperately unlucky to miss out despite having scored three fifties in the West Indies, unfortunate for a honest tryer who has somehow been always typecast as villain whenever India has lost in recent times. Raina's time will definitely come.
My call on what the World Cup squad would be:
Rahul Dravid (c), Sachin Tendulkar (vc), Virendra Sehwag, Sourav Ganguly, Robin Uthappa, Yuvraj Singh, M.S. Dhoni (wk), Dinesh Karthick, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Ajit Agarkar, Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel, Zaheer Khan, S. Sreesanth
Expecetd Duds: Irfan, Sourav
Expected Hits: Sachin, Karthick
And since I am sticking my neck out, a chocolate on my part for every error that I make and spotted by you. So chocolate-crazy people, the comments section is all yours!
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Solitude, CAT and more arbitrariness
Solitude borne out of laziness has been the theme of the last week, so much so that this shall be my 4th post in a week- one less than than the number I have managed to put together in a year's time.
Even semesters mean festivity in IT-BHU and four-day weeks. Over here, a working day is a relative term as all 'nerds' and 'geeks' in this 'elite' institute will happily testify. Technex-The Annual National Technical Festival (sounds cliched) came and went. Technex has taken gargantuan leaps since I have been here and this year's event appealed even to the author-a person with esoteric tastes.
It is also nice to see the Men in Blue get back to winning ways. They have had a baptism by fire of late and it pains you when the nice men in this world (read Tendulkar and Dravid) come under stick. Another couple of victories and the entire nation is going to go nuts about India's chances at the World Cup. India's time at the world stage will come only when they unearth good wrist spinners, death bowlers and at least a few bricks in the middle order to supplement the 'Wall'. Fielding and youth was the number one priority not long back, and today, only Pakistan can pose a stiff challenge for the tag of the most inept fielding unit.
Logic can be ludicrous in cricket!
In between, I managed to enroll myself, technically speaking, for CAT classes. I don't particularly fancy the odds there but in hindsight, I feel that I have let myself be dragged into that whirlpool which tries to engulf you at the start of a year where every self-respecting third year student has to become career conscious. I think the entire rat race has resulted in absurdity and wierdness unparalleled. However, I must admit that I had fun. Attendance compulsions in my department have meant that I have not sat in a class with single digit strength for a long time. The change was refreshing!
Besides, to hear an 'eccentric Bong' extolling the virtues of my name was enlightening. Coming from a typical middle-class Tamil background, it was embarassing having to own up my ineptitude at the Vedas. I will remain a novice in this field all my life.
There are a couple of people cursing their offspring at this point of time somewhere in this world!
He demeanour was comical to say the least. His gait wouldn't give you the impression of an entertainer but there was something about his demure approach and his tendency to refer to the world of sports in case any clarification was required that fascinated me and had me awestruck. References to Owens, Navratilova, Aldrich, Gower and Boycott are not necessarily the worst way in the world to keep me interested. I fancy that I have an enjoyable year ahead there.
Our comparison with the IITs holds no basis when it comes to the number of selections to IIMs and the reasons are not too difficult to behold. I cannot refrain from taking a jibe at the general intellectual milieu pervading here- a matter of no little concern, but something that will be brushed under the carpet along with the relevance of acads in a year where compensation packages have reached unprecedented heights. The number of quizzes, debates and other intellectual activities are constantly on the wane. Technex didn't even bother with a Quiz this time around. The comparison with IITs is so very obviously being done by short-sighted people.
Is anybody looking at the larger picture? I can only hope that India's economic boom is for ever!
Even semesters mean festivity in IT-BHU and four-day weeks. Over here, a working day is a relative term as all 'nerds' and 'geeks' in this 'elite' institute will happily testify. Technex-The Annual National Technical Festival (sounds cliched) came and went. Technex has taken gargantuan leaps since I have been here and this year's event appealed even to the author-a person with esoteric tastes.
It is also nice to see the Men in Blue get back to winning ways. They have had a baptism by fire of late and it pains you when the nice men in this world (read Tendulkar and Dravid) come under stick. Another couple of victories and the entire nation is going to go nuts about India's chances at the World Cup. India's time at the world stage will come only when they unearth good wrist spinners, death bowlers and at least a few bricks in the middle order to supplement the 'Wall'. Fielding and youth was the number one priority not long back, and today, only Pakistan can pose a stiff challenge for the tag of the most inept fielding unit.
Logic can be ludicrous in cricket!
In between, I managed to enroll myself, technically speaking, for CAT classes. I don't particularly fancy the odds there but in hindsight, I feel that I have let myself be dragged into that whirlpool which tries to engulf you at the start of a year where every self-respecting third year student has to become career conscious. I think the entire rat race has resulted in absurdity and wierdness unparalleled. However, I must admit that I had fun. Attendance compulsions in my department have meant that I have not sat in a class with single digit strength for a long time. The change was refreshing!
Besides, to hear an 'eccentric Bong' extolling the virtues of my name was enlightening. Coming from a typical middle-class Tamil background, it was embarassing having to own up my ineptitude at the Vedas. I will remain a novice in this field all my life.
There are a couple of people cursing their offspring at this point of time somewhere in this world!
He demeanour was comical to say the least. His gait wouldn't give you the impression of an entertainer but there was something about his demure approach and his tendency to refer to the world of sports in case any clarification was required that fascinated me and had me awestruck. References to Owens, Navratilova, Aldrich, Gower and Boycott are not necessarily the worst way in the world to keep me interested. I fancy that I have an enjoyable year ahead there.
Our comparison with the IITs holds no basis when it comes to the number of selections to IIMs and the reasons are not too difficult to behold. I cannot refrain from taking a jibe at the general intellectual milieu pervading here- a matter of no little concern, but something that will be brushed under the carpet along with the relevance of acads in a year where compensation packages have reached unprecedented heights. The number of quizzes, debates and other intellectual activities are constantly on the wane. Technex didn't even bother with a Quiz this time around. The comparison with IITs is so very obviously being done by short-sighted people.
Is anybody looking at the larger picture? I can only hope that India's economic boom is for ever!
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
The enigma that is Dada
So, after a couple of sentimental outpourings it is back to my core competency. If you reckon that a decent grade score (on the donward spiral all the time) makes me a talented or even an interested 'Mechaniche', nothing could be farther from the truth. It is back to my comfort zone and back to a person who has probably intrigued me the most, myself apart.
The ephemeral Yorkshirean still calls him the "Bengal Tiger" or the "Prince who could smash spinners out of the park with my grandma's broomstick". Shane Warne and Steve Waugh remember him as "an irritant" who had the audacity to look the Aussies into the eye and keep people waiting at the toss. Freddie Flintoff calls him a "royal" who never practised and took cricket as a pastime but would still celebrate (showing off a muscular frame) as if he had won matches on his own. In the eastern parts of India, he is God and held on the same pedestal as Durga. In any dressing room, he is called Dada with a mixture of respect, envy and intrigue.
Fascinating!
No person has captivated the public conscience in recent times for his methods and actions as much as Sourav Chandidas Ganguly has. Not even Shane Warne. When you do a personality check with Warney, you wonder about this fuss. This guy doesn't smoke, neither does he get watered down and create trouble at places, nor does he get hooked up with all handsome looking females that he comes across. But the cynosure of all eyes nevertheless!
His roll of honour includes over 15000 international runs, 150 international wickets and100 international catches. But one suspects that Sourav Ganguly will be remembered more for his bare-chested celebrations, his verbal ding-dongs with the Aussies, his ability to infuriate the opposition, his perceived 'rudeness' to the Srinaths (At a crucial moment in the Trinidad test, he was caught by cameras gesticulating to Srinath besides abusing him), for thinking that Kumble was a good option as 12th man, for his candidness but at the same time his remarkable ability in not getting bogged down even under the extremest of situations.
His trademark punches through the off-side (which had Dravid claiming , ''through the off-side, first there is God, then there is Sourav") will be missed, his characteristic jig down the track at the first sight of a spinner will be missed and his dismantling of the quickest bowlers in the world in manners never seen before will be missed as well. So will his fielding with only one serious competitor- Inzamam.
He will be remembered for introducing Sehwag Yuvraj, Harbhajan, Dhoni and Pathan to world cricket. He will also be remembered as the captain who got his bowlers to bowl straight by instating Rahul Dravi as wicketkeeper, for prolonging Jumbo's career but at the same time cutting down that of the Mysore Express. He defied logic by getting Sehwag to open in Test cricket; having specialist batsmen to bat at No.8 in one-day cricket; preferring Dinesh Mongia and Sanjay Bangar to Laxman in a World Cup squad; winning test matches in Australia, England and the West Indies and reaching a World Cup final with a side not having an all-rounder, a specialist fast bowler, a wicket-keeper or a wrist spinner.
My take on Dada doesn't match up to the intrigue of the man. A middle class Bengali with a beatiful celeb wife plus a comfortable livelihood, I beleive has got more to do with his downfall than anything else. At the end of it all, Sourav will look back at his career with the greatest tinge of regret. Greatness was always just a step away but for some strange reason, he always shunned that step trying to get the entire team there. I feel that there came a point in time when Dada got so engrossed about how his 'Men in Blue' were doing that he lost sight of the fact that he was a batsman blessed with great talent but weaknesses manifold and that the opposition would always come hard at him.
To crucify him for that would be unfair, for Sourav I thought, always looked at ways to get the most a bunch which was very limited in talent. Greg offered him a way out by offering him a way out of the captaincy and back to the nets but the proud middle class Bengali in him surfaced and he took it as a personal affront. Over the last few years, one couldn't but help get the feeling that Ganguly started overestimating his abilities as a batsman. His best efforts, be it in England or in the West Indies had been exercises in dogmatism, perseverance and determination more than the brutesque power, timing and lazy elegance that had always been his trademarks. When in the late 90's he was the most realiable outfielder and slipsman, here he was- an embarassment to modern day athleticism. When he was a safe bet as third seamer in the late 90's with match-winning spells in the longer format, here he was, trying to match Kumble on the speed gun.
Ganguly, for me, will have to go down in history books, as the captain who transformed the way India played cricket and how the world looked at India as a cricketing nation; the finest Indian left-hand batsman; the best all rounder India has seen in one day cricket after Kapil and Sachin; a fierce competitor who hated losing and instilled pride, aggression and respect in Indian cricket. Gone were the quota systems and the laidback approach that had been the bane of Indian cricket.
On a global stage, I beleive, Dada will be put in the bracket of the Flemings and Gowers in terms of batsmanship, undoubted ability with brilliance in spurts whenever one doubted, lazy elegance and a blessed sense of timing. I do beleive that Sourav had more weaknesses than the other two; both were fine players of the short-pitched stuff and equally comfortable off their legs, but just the fact that Sourav got there is a tribute to his mental strength and dogmatism.
As for the World Cup, my call is that Dada will have a pretty barren spell. A string of low scores with a gem or two interspersed in between might not be the best way for 'The Prince' to bid adieu to 'his' stage, but it would be so unlike the man and his career if he went out as per his whims. Sourav has had his opportunities but he has never been able to chart his own course or destiny.
That is how history will define him- a great captain and a damn good cricketer.
The ephemeral Yorkshirean still calls him the "Bengal Tiger" or the "Prince who could smash spinners out of the park with my grandma's broomstick". Shane Warne and Steve Waugh remember him as "an irritant" who had the audacity to look the Aussies into the eye and keep people waiting at the toss. Freddie Flintoff calls him a "royal" who never practised and took cricket as a pastime but would still celebrate (showing off a muscular frame) as if he had won matches on his own. In the eastern parts of India, he is God and held on the same pedestal as Durga. In any dressing room, he is called Dada with a mixture of respect, envy and intrigue.
Fascinating!
No person has captivated the public conscience in recent times for his methods and actions as much as Sourav Chandidas Ganguly has. Not even Shane Warne. When you do a personality check with Warney, you wonder about this fuss. This guy doesn't smoke, neither does he get watered down and create trouble at places, nor does he get hooked up with all handsome looking females that he comes across. But the cynosure of all eyes nevertheless!
His roll of honour includes over 15000 international runs, 150 international wickets and100 international catches. But one suspects that Sourav Ganguly will be remembered more for his bare-chested celebrations, his verbal ding-dongs with the Aussies, his ability to infuriate the opposition, his perceived 'rudeness' to the Srinaths (At a crucial moment in the Trinidad test, he was caught by cameras gesticulating to Srinath besides abusing him), for thinking that Kumble was a good option as 12th man, for his candidness but at the same time his remarkable ability in not getting bogged down even under the extremest of situations.
His trademark punches through the off-side (which had Dravid claiming , ''through the off-side, first there is God, then there is Sourav") will be missed, his characteristic jig down the track at the first sight of a spinner will be missed and his dismantling of the quickest bowlers in the world in manners never seen before will be missed as well. So will his fielding with only one serious competitor- Inzamam.
He will be remembered for introducing Sehwag Yuvraj, Harbhajan, Dhoni and Pathan to world cricket. He will also be remembered as the captain who got his bowlers to bowl straight by instating Rahul Dravi as wicketkeeper, for prolonging Jumbo's career but at the same time cutting down that of the Mysore Express. He defied logic by getting Sehwag to open in Test cricket; having specialist batsmen to bat at No.8 in one-day cricket; preferring Dinesh Mongia and Sanjay Bangar to Laxman in a World Cup squad; winning test matches in Australia, England and the West Indies and reaching a World Cup final with a side not having an all-rounder, a specialist fast bowler, a wicket-keeper or a wrist spinner.
My take on Dada doesn't match up to the intrigue of the man. A middle class Bengali with a beatiful celeb wife plus a comfortable livelihood, I beleive has got more to do with his downfall than anything else. At the end of it all, Sourav will look back at his career with the greatest tinge of regret. Greatness was always just a step away but for some strange reason, he always shunned that step trying to get the entire team there. I feel that there came a point in time when Dada got so engrossed about how his 'Men in Blue' were doing that he lost sight of the fact that he was a batsman blessed with great talent but weaknesses manifold and that the opposition would always come hard at him.
To crucify him for that would be unfair, for Sourav I thought, always looked at ways to get the most a bunch which was very limited in talent. Greg offered him a way out by offering him a way out of the captaincy and back to the nets but the proud middle class Bengali in him surfaced and he took it as a personal affront. Over the last few years, one couldn't but help get the feeling that Ganguly started overestimating his abilities as a batsman. His best efforts, be it in England or in the West Indies had been exercises in dogmatism, perseverance and determination more than the brutesque power, timing and lazy elegance that had always been his trademarks. When in the late 90's he was the most realiable outfielder and slipsman, here he was- an embarassment to modern day athleticism. When he was a safe bet as third seamer in the late 90's with match-winning spells in the longer format, here he was, trying to match Kumble on the speed gun.
Ganguly, for me, will have to go down in history books, as the captain who transformed the way India played cricket and how the world looked at India as a cricketing nation; the finest Indian left-hand batsman; the best all rounder India has seen in one day cricket after Kapil and Sachin; a fierce competitor who hated losing and instilled pride, aggression and respect in Indian cricket. Gone were the quota systems and the laidback approach that had been the bane of Indian cricket.
On a global stage, I beleive, Dada will be put in the bracket of the Flemings and Gowers in terms of batsmanship, undoubted ability with brilliance in spurts whenever one doubted, lazy elegance and a blessed sense of timing. I do beleive that Sourav had more weaknesses than the other two; both were fine players of the short-pitched stuff and equally comfortable off their legs, but just the fact that Sourav got there is a tribute to his mental strength and dogmatism.
As for the World Cup, my call is that Dada will have a pretty barren spell. A string of low scores with a gem or two interspersed in between might not be the best way for 'The Prince' to bid adieu to 'his' stage, but it would be so unlike the man and his career if he went out as per his whims. Sourav has had his opportunities but he has never been able to chart his own course or destiny.
That is how history will define him- a great captain and a damn good cricketer.
Friday, January 19, 2007
Ode to Team Opulence
"All the world's a stage and........." - William Shakespeare
The wonderful thing about life is that it compels man to be content with just a bit part in this global theatre. The more you try and do it all yourself, the more lonely and cornered you become.
Opulence 2007 was probably one such story. The story of a failed division of labour where everything which encompassed the crux of the fest- celebrities, marketing, design, event management and even putting up of publicity paraphernalia was handled by a very limited group of quality-oriented workaholics.
"Quality in everything" had been our motto right from day one. It might have just proved to be our undoing, for by the end, there was nobody managing the fest; all were working for it.
The team that worked for us was an interesting one. A mix of some of the nicest guys and girls you could ever come across (I just cannot beleive how a group could have so many like-minded individuals). Be it boozing out two days before the fest or attending classes on the morning of the fest or even behaving like a set of the most irresponsible brats, I beleive there was never a word spoken to them in anger. There were pleas, requests, orders and so on.... but never anything derogatory. All negative sentiments would be would be wonderfully suppressed and the only avenue for giving vent to all the pent up emotion would invariably be within the confines of our room. In hindsight, that was wonderfully orchestrated.
How frustrating can it get than being forced to go to the booking office when Prahlad Kakar was sending the house in raptures or to go to see off celebrities when somebody else for whom you had worked your ass off was holding centrestage. It is a pity when you work hard all year to put something in place and you don't get to see even a tiny part of it sans the valedictory! I am not the only one awaiting the Opulence videos to see how it all went. Justice can sometimes be cruel in its ways of implementation!
Digressing as I am, it is probably because I am just a bit overcome with emotion. The strange thing about our team is that we somehow were never able to muster up enough and tell the co-ordinators, "the fest is all yours", and leave it all to them.
I still recall how we used to go and put up posters for we thought that the team under us might be too tired. Mistaken priorities!
As careless, irresponsible and 'mischievous' as they have been all along, I still envy some of the IInd yearites for the talent and potential that exists there. 'Tactitude' and 'Brand Aid' were two events whose conceptualization was first-class and as an impassive novice, feel, challenged the thought process no ends. The amount of quality, passion and desire that the Ankits, Parikshits, Vigneshs, Rahuls, Gauravs and Chagganis of this world possess is tremendous. But the issue all along was whether they were able to buy into our vision and commitment?
I am also grateful to all my event team members. Vineet & Anshul surprised me pleasantly with the push that they had to get more participation for Manthan; Nimit & Deepak in Cognoscenti were no less enterprising; so were the Vibhores, Amits & Anshumans in Ventura. Saurabh, Kshitij and Prativesh were the go to guys whenever a need arose.
Adiosyncrasy has been the soul of Opulence in all its three editions for we have never failed in getting the best ad-makers. I could never quite gauge the Bhoopendras, Paliwals, Sonis and Sonals but one incident that happened during the course of Opulence would suffice for them.
Prahlad Kakar kept gazing at the wall mags and admired its beauty. That from the greatest. Kudos to you!
It is a bit strange that only the convenor gets an opportunity to become emotional during the valedictory. Opulence 2007 has been all the more richer for all these wonderful people and all I can say is .....Thanks a ton!!
P.S. The number of exclamation marks are suggestive.
The wonderful thing about life is that it compels man to be content with just a bit part in this global theatre. The more you try and do it all yourself, the more lonely and cornered you become.
Opulence 2007 was probably one such story. The story of a failed division of labour where everything which encompassed the crux of the fest- celebrities, marketing, design, event management and even putting up of publicity paraphernalia was handled by a very limited group of quality-oriented workaholics.
"Quality in everything" had been our motto right from day one. It might have just proved to be our undoing, for by the end, there was nobody managing the fest; all were working for it.
The team that worked for us was an interesting one. A mix of some of the nicest guys and girls you could ever come across (I just cannot beleive how a group could have so many like-minded individuals). Be it boozing out two days before the fest or attending classes on the morning of the fest or even behaving like a set of the most irresponsible brats, I beleive there was never a word spoken to them in anger. There were pleas, requests, orders and so on.... but never anything derogatory. All negative sentiments would be would be wonderfully suppressed and the only avenue for giving vent to all the pent up emotion would invariably be within the confines of our room. In hindsight, that was wonderfully orchestrated.
How frustrating can it get than being forced to go to the booking office when Prahlad Kakar was sending the house in raptures or to go to see off celebrities when somebody else for whom you had worked your ass off was holding centrestage. It is a pity when you work hard all year to put something in place and you don't get to see even a tiny part of it sans the valedictory! I am not the only one awaiting the Opulence videos to see how it all went. Justice can sometimes be cruel in its ways of implementation!
Digressing as I am, it is probably because I am just a bit overcome with emotion. The strange thing about our team is that we somehow were never able to muster up enough and tell the co-ordinators, "the fest is all yours", and leave it all to them.
I still recall how we used to go and put up posters for we thought that the team under us might be too tired. Mistaken priorities!
As careless, irresponsible and 'mischievous' as they have been all along, I still envy some of the IInd yearites for the talent and potential that exists there. 'Tactitude' and 'Brand Aid' were two events whose conceptualization was first-class and as an impassive novice, feel, challenged the thought process no ends. The amount of quality, passion and desire that the Ankits, Parikshits, Vigneshs, Rahuls, Gauravs and Chagganis of this world possess is tremendous. But the issue all along was whether they were able to buy into our vision and commitment?
I am also grateful to all my event team members. Vineet & Anshul surprised me pleasantly with the push that they had to get more participation for Manthan; Nimit & Deepak in Cognoscenti were no less enterprising; so were the Vibhores, Amits & Anshumans in Ventura. Saurabh, Kshitij and Prativesh were the go to guys whenever a need arose.
Adiosyncrasy has been the soul of Opulence in all its three editions for we have never failed in getting the best ad-makers. I could never quite gauge the Bhoopendras, Paliwals, Sonis and Sonals but one incident that happened during the course of Opulence would suffice for them.
Prahlad Kakar kept gazing at the wall mags and admired its beauty. That from the greatest. Kudos to you!
It is a bit strange that only the convenor gets an opportunity to become emotional during the valedictory. Opulence 2007 has been all the more richer for all these wonderful people and all I can say is .....Thanks a ton!!
P.S. The number of exclamation marks are suggestive.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Thanks a Ton!!!
I feel tired, exhausted, worn out and whatever else you could associate with a state of mind where you just want to sit all day reminiscing with a sense of nostalgia at all good things past. January 15th had to arrive one day and even though I had been looking forward to the weekend with considerable eagerness for over a year, I couldn't help but feel that pang of disappointment when it finally came and went.
Opulence 2007 was the result of a year's work and though that might sound immodest, it was precisely a year back that Mr. Con (Vik) called me into his room and introduced me to two handsome hunks- Mr. Cool (Ash) and Mr. Smart ( Ravs). For a second, I was left wondering whether there was an audition of some sort taking place and it left me flabbergasted when I was told that Mr. Cool and Mr. Smart would be part of the core team for Opulence 2007. Here were two guys, admittedly handsome, but what were they doing in a fest core committee? Two guys who were not necessarily amongst the spotlight in IT (my skewed viewpoint about things) and whom I didn't even know inspite of having worked together in the last edition.
I have had no illusions since that second.
Mr. Smart has intrigued me right from Day One. Here, I thought was a brain to be picked with just the right mix of pragmatism and vision for a none too flamboyant person like me. Here was somebody in whom I could see a bit of myself. Searching for an identity initially, Ravs left me stumped with his observations, insights and plans ....His professionalism and efficiency was unmatched at any point of time throughout the whole team and his handling of resources (something I think of as one of my few strengths) was exemplary. His schedules were the only ones that were adhered to during the entire period and towards the end his dedication, single-mindedness and commitment to meet deadlines was something to be wondered at. He sometimes frustrated you with an inhuman stoniness once a marketing deal was clinched or a celeb was confirmed but talk of girls...and entertainment....there was that all too familiar blush and energy. Opulence, I believe took the greatest toll on him for towards the end you could see him giving it his all with his mind wandering somewhere else ( I wonder...). Mr. Smart grew in stature the most during Opulence. His confidence in testing unchartered waters was striking but he never seemed to lose focus about his career and the larger picture throughout. His sense of helplessness towards the end at some very lethargic work being done by those under him was something that only amused me. Maybe, he could get involved in the dynamics of the rest of the team but Mr. Smart, I believe is very versatile and fairly talented and I wouldn't be surprised if our courses meet.
Now talk of commitment, work ethic and sacrifice, Mr. Cool would win any contest hands down. From marketing co-ordinator to celebrities, logistics to hospitality and anything else that would make anybody despair, Mr. Cool was there for you. The thing that stood out about Ash was the extravagance, pomp and fun that he brought to the table with anything that he did. Over the course of a year, I can not recall Ash losing his cool. Yes, there were the occasional "F*** Yaar"s but they were outnumbered comprehensively by the "Mast Kaam"s and "Phodu Bandha" s. I have been trying hard to convince him that he could make a great entertainer with the general poise and panache that he possesses. I felt sorry for Ash towards the end for he had put in his all for a year and he had been forced to put in more during the three days which mattered. If anybody deserved to take the first row during the Kakar workshop with feet up and at the end of it all say "Kya Phodu Bandha Hai Yaar", it was Mr. Ash. But true to form, he would be at the station or the airport awaiting some team or celebrity without any sense of time. If I were to be asked about Mr. Ash, doing what he enjoys doing is the way forward for him. Any assignment involving travel, adventure and quality and I sort of know who is going to do best. Mr. Cool could do with a bit more confidence but his commitment and dedication is going to make him the loved one.
And finally Mr. Con. I would rather be critical of him for that would save my time and give my blog some space to put up something more interesting. If I were to be part of an oganisation that was on the lookout for a leader, I would have a very easy task of telling them where to look for. Energy, Vision, Principles, Fundamentals, Articulation, Tech-Saviness, Aesthetic Appeal, Commitment, Dedication, Passion were some of the very few qualities that I could find in him. But, the two things that really stood apart about him were his abilities to think on his feet and the efficiency that was part of his 16-hour work days. His mind never seemed to get exhausted even if his body did and his brain which kept churning constantly was responsible for most of what was put together during Opulence 2007. Be it H.R, marketing, micro-management and creating 'hypes', his clock was always ticking. We might have staged a hugely successful 'Big Fight' with the MBA issue being hotly debated but through Mr. Con, I can see why the course was designed in the first place. Mr. Con made it a point to relax everybody whenever the team was at its lowest ebb. He did this so passionately and unerringly that I often got the impression that he had noted this down somewhere.
The only issue that I had with Mr. Con was that he gave his gut feeling too much importance. Sometimes, the entire world was scheming against him as well as Opulence and on other occassions it was the usual "no money, no participation and no celebrities" refrain. Yes, there were incidents to justify the approach but maybe such things could take a backseat when the quality of your fest is at stake. We live in an all embracing world and maybe, just maybe, there are larger things in life. Towards the end, I sympathised with him for I got the feeling that he had beem trying to use the best principles of corporate management in whatever he had been trying to do. Whether these need to be used in a college festival is a totally different question altogether. There are some people who like to perform routine and demeaning jobs, some have to be kicked on the back all the time and very few 1st yearites can feel good about sticking posters.
And here I am doing what I am best at. Calling myself a part of the core committee; not having done a thing through the fest and the passing judgement about how everybody worked. That is the adidas addict for you! How the festival went and how well we worked I guess is upto posterity but if there was one thing that I would carry back from Opulence 2007, it is the mates that I have made- Mr. Smart and Mr. Cool. I thought that my friends from school would never be rivalled but I can say without an iota of a doubt that I have been mistaken. How I wish that we could spend our entire lives the way we have spent the last year! Thanks a lot, guys! Thanks a ton!
Opulence 2007 was the result of a year's work and though that might sound immodest, it was precisely a year back that Mr. Con (Vik) called me into his room and introduced me to two handsome hunks- Mr. Cool (Ash) and Mr. Smart ( Ravs). For a second, I was left wondering whether there was an audition of some sort taking place and it left me flabbergasted when I was told that Mr. Cool and Mr. Smart would be part of the core team for Opulence 2007. Here were two guys, admittedly handsome, but what were they doing in a fest core committee? Two guys who were not necessarily amongst the spotlight in IT (my skewed viewpoint about things) and whom I didn't even know inspite of having worked together in the last edition.
I have had no illusions since that second.
Mr. Smart has intrigued me right from Day One. Here, I thought was a brain to be picked with just the right mix of pragmatism and vision for a none too flamboyant person like me. Here was somebody in whom I could see a bit of myself. Searching for an identity initially, Ravs left me stumped with his observations, insights and plans ....His professionalism and efficiency was unmatched at any point of time throughout the whole team and his handling of resources (something I think of as one of my few strengths) was exemplary. His schedules were the only ones that were adhered to during the entire period and towards the end his dedication, single-mindedness and commitment to meet deadlines was something to be wondered at. He sometimes frustrated you with an inhuman stoniness once a marketing deal was clinched or a celeb was confirmed but talk of girls...and entertainment....there was that all too familiar blush and energy. Opulence, I believe took the greatest toll on him for towards the end you could see him giving it his all with his mind wandering somewhere else ( I wonder...). Mr. Smart grew in stature the most during Opulence. His confidence in testing unchartered waters was striking but he never seemed to lose focus about his career and the larger picture throughout. His sense of helplessness towards the end at some very lethargic work being done by those under him was something that only amused me. Maybe, he could get involved in the dynamics of the rest of the team but Mr. Smart, I believe is very versatile and fairly talented and I wouldn't be surprised if our courses meet.
Now talk of commitment, work ethic and sacrifice, Mr. Cool would win any contest hands down. From marketing co-ordinator to celebrities, logistics to hospitality and anything else that would make anybody despair, Mr. Cool was there for you. The thing that stood out about Ash was the extravagance, pomp and fun that he brought to the table with anything that he did. Over the course of a year, I can not recall Ash losing his cool. Yes, there were the occasional "F*** Yaar"s but they were outnumbered comprehensively by the "Mast Kaam"s and "Phodu Bandha" s. I have been trying hard to convince him that he could make a great entertainer with the general poise and panache that he possesses. I felt sorry for Ash towards the end for he had put in his all for a year and he had been forced to put in more during the three days which mattered. If anybody deserved to take the first row during the Kakar workshop with feet up and at the end of it all say "Kya Phodu Bandha Hai Yaar", it was Mr. Ash. But true to form, he would be at the station or the airport awaiting some team or celebrity without any sense of time. If I were to be asked about Mr. Ash, doing what he enjoys doing is the way forward for him. Any assignment involving travel, adventure and quality and I sort of know who is going to do best. Mr. Cool could do with a bit more confidence but his commitment and dedication is going to make him the loved one.
And finally Mr. Con. I would rather be critical of him for that would save my time and give my blog some space to put up something more interesting. If I were to be part of an oganisation that was on the lookout for a leader, I would have a very easy task of telling them where to look for. Energy, Vision, Principles, Fundamentals, Articulation, Tech-Saviness, Aesthetic Appeal, Commitment, Dedication, Passion were some of the very few qualities that I could find in him. But, the two things that really stood apart about him were his abilities to think on his feet and the efficiency that was part of his 16-hour work days. His mind never seemed to get exhausted even if his body did and his brain which kept churning constantly was responsible for most of what was put together during Opulence 2007. Be it H.R, marketing, micro-management and creating 'hypes', his clock was always ticking. We might have staged a hugely successful 'Big Fight' with the MBA issue being hotly debated but through Mr. Con, I can see why the course was designed in the first place. Mr. Con made it a point to relax everybody whenever the team was at its lowest ebb. He did this so passionately and unerringly that I often got the impression that he had noted this down somewhere.
The only issue that I had with Mr. Con was that he gave his gut feeling too much importance. Sometimes, the entire world was scheming against him as well as Opulence and on other occassions it was the usual "no money, no participation and no celebrities" refrain. Yes, there were incidents to justify the approach but maybe such things could take a backseat when the quality of your fest is at stake. We live in an all embracing world and maybe, just maybe, there are larger things in life. Towards the end, I sympathised with him for I got the feeling that he had beem trying to use the best principles of corporate management in whatever he had been trying to do. Whether these need to be used in a college festival is a totally different question altogether. There are some people who like to perform routine and demeaning jobs, some have to be kicked on the back all the time and very few 1st yearites can feel good about sticking posters.
And here I am doing what I am best at. Calling myself a part of the core committee; not having done a thing through the fest and the passing judgement about how everybody worked. That is the adidas addict for you! How the festival went and how well we worked I guess is upto posterity but if there was one thing that I would carry back from Opulence 2007, it is the mates that I have made- Mr. Smart and Mr. Cool. I thought that my friends from school would never be rivalled but I can say without an iota of a doubt that I have been mistaken. How I wish that we could spend our entire lives the way we have spent the last year! Thanks a lot, guys! Thanks a ton!
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