Blog
-
The Road Not Taken – The Visual Expression!
The Painting That I Was Waiting For!
Our lovely library was waiting for the right art as its entry showcase. We had explored many options but never got it right!
Till we saw this wonderful art expression of Ms Falak of Eklavya. It stole our hearts at the first sight and all the As of Karania family shouted in joy!
Eklavya has several unique initiatives and Picasso is one such amazing idea. All the children express their painting and other talents which is encouraged and applauded by the entire society. The exhibition is organized to showcase the talent to the world and the proceeds are given to charities.
The painting is aptly named ‘The Road Not Taken’. Robert Frost’s timeless poem is our favourite anthem and this creative work does the great justice to the poem.
All the recently auctioned paintings of Mr N Modi on one side and this one on another side!
Welcome home ‘The Road Not Taken’ and thanks a million Falak!
Let us revisit the poem here:
The Road Not Taken
Robert FrostTwo roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. -
Moodcafe – The Mental Health Startup
Moodcafe is a mental health based startup by alumni of IIM Ahmedabad and IIT Roorkee that aims to bring a new-age empathetic caring approach to mental health and well being by leveraging best practices and emerging research-driven trends of psychology, counselling, therapies, artificial intelligence and innovative reach out strategies.
Moodcafe envisions a world where not being Okay is Okay and people connect with each other to heal hearts and mend souls by leveraging empathy, technology and human spirit!
Moodcafe is a quality one-stop solution ensuring mental wellbeing of all so that anyone who struggles with life’s challenges can get help, anytime, anywhere.
Moodcafe has a multi-pronged approach:
Direct:
– Awareness through engaging content formats
– Connecting by leveraging new age tools like social media, chat apps, online help, Bots etc
– Platform to connect help seekers with experienced and professional experts
– Mental health and well-being products and servicesCorporate
– Comprehensive corporate wellness platform
– Assessment tools
– Events and trainingMoodcafe aims to serve youth, general consumers and corporates in the near-term future
-
A Long Story Short: Short Films Are Trending Big Time!
Short Films are trending big time in India and other regions of the world.
The current rise of short films in India can be contributed to the following factors:
1. Digital Technologies:
The proliferation of affordable and reliable internet has created new opportunities for content consumption. The ‘mobile first’ generation is hungry for good content on their personal screens. The cheap internet has opened up the entire nation and regions for consuming short films – one does not need to visit a cinema. And short films are ideally suited for the personal screens and small time window.2. Demand for Diverse & Innovative Content:
Young Generation is more eclectic in their choices. They are looking for new and diverse content. They are more experimental in nature and reward a good story regardless of the star cast. The young and impatient generation has a short attention span and they are look for instant gratification. Short films are “Any Time Movies”.3. New Distribution Platforms:
Online Platforms like YouTube gave a big boost to short films. Today, there are numerous platforms including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar, Zee5, ErosNow etc. providing a great distribution reach to these movies. Humara Movies, Pocket Films, Terribly Tiny Tales, Alt-Balaji etc are dedicated to the short films.Tata Sky has a dedicated Shorts channel which has more than 2000+ movies. Shorts TV is the global leader for short movies and it produces and distributes short movies.
In addition, there are large number of Film Festivals dedicated to the short movies.
4. Creative Freedom:
Film makers love the creative freedom provided by the medium of short movies. There is no big pressure of formula movies and and other commercial considerations to bow to.Film makers from across the nation and globe can bring their original stories. They do not need censor certificates for these movies – a big factor.
Short movies can be a launching platform for new makers. Existing players can use the platform to diversify their portfolio. Lot of big names have taken a leap in the world of short movies – Anurag Kashyap, Sujoy Ghosh, Neeraj Ghaywn, Jackie Shroff, Irrfan, Tapsee Pannu, Manoj Bajpayee, Radhika Apte.
5. Monetisation:
Short movies also provide strong monetisation opportunities for unique content. The monetisation opportunities can be: direct brand associations, sale to platforms, film festival reward money and online ad revenue shares. The revenues can be global. The Royal Stag Large Short Films is truly a unique model – which can be exported to the world.Apart from the monetisation opportunities, film makers get a lot of Finanical support to get started. In US, film makers also get crowdfunding via Seed & Spark, Kickstarter, Indiegogo and other platforms.
The rise of short movies is a great development. Does it send warning signals to full feature films? Not really. Both short movies and full feature movies can co-exist. T20 and Test Cricket both co-exist. The short movies are actually inspiring full feature movies. The rise of content-driven cinema is a positive influence of short movies.
Short Film are the Haiku of the Cinema. Short Films are the Jamun Shots – small but they pack a strong punch. Short Films prove that when it comes to entertainment, size does not matter.
Short movies are an art form in itself – the movies are completing the circle as the motion picture started in form of short movies only!
Want a quick taste of short movies?
Check Anukul… -
United States Of Pada Ni Pol: A Century Of Light-Hearted Message
United States Of Pada Ni Pol celebrated its 100th show at Ouroboros – The Art Hub. A great milestone as the light-hearted play has succeeded on the strength of word of mouth alone.
Saumya Joshi’s United States Of Pada Ni Pol is a play which celebrates the lives of people living in Pols (cluster of houses). The people living in pols have their lives intertwined and how they help each other. The play delivers the importance of simple life values as it entertains and makes you laugh.
The main protagonist is a senior citizen widow who dreams of visiting United States of America. How the entire community helps her to actualize her dream forms the main crux of the play.
Actress Jigna Dave is a class as she plays the main protagonist Mansi and shares the stage with Prem Gadhvi and Saumya Joshi. The support cast is equally amazing. The play celebrates Ahmedabad and Gujarati language and is a tribute to both of them.
Ouroboros – The Art Hub gives the feeling of Sanjana Kapoor’s Prithvi Theatre to Bombay Souls like me. The connect and bond between artists and audience is complete and it elevates the experience.
The 100th show today also marked the beginning of new tradition – felicitating the real life heroes. The first felicitated Sanjaybhai and his colleagues from Jay Bhim Vividh Lakshmi Trust, Gandhinagar. They may be auto-rickshaw and car drivers, but they are driving the future of many poor kids by opening a school and educating kids.
-
Gujarati Language Event: RPC Memorial Lecture & Vishwamanav DVD Launch
On Behalf Of GujaratiLexicon Team, We Are Pleased To Invite All Lovers Of Gujarati Language For The Twin Events:
1. The 4th Ratilal P Chandaria Memorial Lecture by Shri Urvish Kothari on Gujarati Language
2. Launch of Digital Version of The Vishwamanav Magazine – One Of The Heritage Magazine of Gujarati LanguageA Great Opportunity For All of Us To Meet Each Other.
A Opportunity To Interact With Leading Gujarati Minds.
Feb 23, 2019
Gujarat Sahitya Parishad
10 AM To 2 PMPlease RSVP – Info@gujaratilexicon.com
-
Gully Boy Review: A Soul-Stirring Entertainer
Gully Boy is a must watch movie!
Hats off to Zoya for a brave and inspiring movie. How a small Gully Boy (kid from the street) uses his talent to rise in life against all odds. He uses hip-hop as expression of his despair.
Ranveer’s purple patch continues. He is awesome – again! In complete contrast to Simba and his high-energy self, we see a vulnerable and restrained protagonist. His channelizes his character’s anger and frustration into a productive outlet – rap. He listens to the insults. He maintains his relations and friendships. He makes his point – but never dramatic. He is never over-the-top. Ranveer internalises Muraad effortlessly. He is flawed but honest. He is Dharavi boy with big dreams.
Alia (Safeena) supports Ranveer’s steel resolve with her solid, energetic and power-punched performance. She is truly bombastic as a ‘tod-phod’ character. Siddhant Chaturvedi shines in a great debut and provides the right momentum to the proceedings. He is leading the charge in the first half. He is a great revelation. Kalki, Vijay Raaz and everyone else provide a solid support.
Zoya has made a thoughtful movie that is equally entertaining. She has made a compelling argument. She is giving microphone to the less heard voices of Bombay. The less-privileged living next to high rises can also rise high! It is a positive attitude pill – something that everyone will enjoy.
Zoya probes gently into the souls of each character and presents their conflicts and challenges in a gentle way. It is not just a story of Muraad but also of Safeena, M C Sher, Murad’s mom, Murad’s dad, Sky, Moin etc.
Small and strong statements exist throughout the movie. Ranveer is measuring the bathroom of Sky’s house and compares with his room. Ranveers sees people dragging on lives in the city of dreams. One of the most beautiful moment was when Ranveer is driving the employer’s daughter and she is sobbing. The class divide is wide enough to drown the humanity. Later in the movie, when Sky bridges the divides, Muraad says: Thank You!
And yes, the rap songs have wonderful lyrics. They are a character in itself and one enjoys them thoroughly.
Listen to the great track:
Apna time aayega!
Zinda mera khwab ab kaise tu dafnayega?
Kyun lagta hai yeh bustee ek andha kuan hainMy beloved Bombay is a character in the movie with its trains, Dharavi, fast life. The film gives a real feel of the “Gully” life.
The movie has its heart in the right place. Ranveer Ka Time Aa Gaya Hai! It is the first great movie of the year 2019. Do not miss it! Watch it!
-
The Annual Bollywood Round-Up 2018
Bollywood’s paradigm shift towards content-driven cinema and death of template movies cemented itself strongly after the strong winds of last few years. If you have reading my annual Bollywood reviews and other blogs, I have abhorred the template movie making where you leverage star access, big production house camps, promote mediocre cinema with heavy marketing and sell artistic cinema to commercial interests.
Public sab jaanti hai….
The Khurranas, Kaushals, Raos, Pannus have dismantled Khans…Content driven cinema of real India has charmed the audience over foreign locales and over-the-top cinema.
Let us start with a quick round-up of my favourite movies of 2018. Treat this as a watch-list for the Holiday Season!
Top 5 movies of 2018:
1. AndhaDhun
What a movie! Sriram Raghavan’s never-wracking and awesome thriller which keeps you on the edge of the seat. Brilliantly written, perfectly directed and wonderfully enacted, this is one of the best Indian thrillers.
Ayushmann Khurrana owns the film and enriches it with his complete subversive act. Tabu is a master-class and shows the eternal talent she is. Each and every character shine and keeps us hooked till the last second – including talented and under-felicitated Ashwini Kalsekar, cannot not see her in 2018 Radhika Apte and welcome back charming Anil Dhawan.
The scene where Ayushmann is playing a melody on piano and suddenly a dead body is seen in the room – it hits you out of nowhere. Or the cat scene. The movie is full of interesting shock and awe treatments with soft gloves.
Filled with Hitchcock motifs, effective music and open to multiple interpretations like Bhagvad Gita and Matrix, AndhaDhun is the best Bollywood movie of 2018.
2. October
Everything is not spoken in love and relationships. The feeling and spiritual connect is more important than the words and symbols. October is about love in its purest form. And it about us, our battles and our connect with the internal and external world.
Juhi Chaturvedi’s beautiful writing is amplified with empathy and care by Shoojit Sircar, after their earlier collaboration on Vicky Donor and Piku. One of the finest performances of Varun Dhawan and ably supported by Banita Sandhu. Watch out for the scene where Dan and Shiuli acknowledge the relationship – moving! Shiuli – what a name and aptly given!
Poetry on screen. Visually arresting. Touching story of love, loss and longing. Slow down India – this is the movie for the soul. Movie of the unconditional love and beauty of silence in a loud loud India.
3. Badhaai Ho
Badhaai Ho is the complete wholesome entertainer of the year! Ayushmann Khurrana shines in yet another celebration of small-town India’s coping with progressive views.
Amit Sharma challenges the age-old prejudices, shame and taboo of sex, desire, choice and individuality of senior citizens. The screenplay, editing and award-winning performances of the entire cast of Ayushmann Khurrana, Neena Gupta, Gajraj Rao and Surekha Sikri will give you a movie to relish and think. Humour is the best way to drive a message and Badhaai Ho does it in a perfect way!
4. Tumbbad
An Indian movie to be proud of! A visually gorgeous treat. Deep and intriguing metaphors.
Set in a small village of Maharashtra, Tumbbad is a psychological horror at its best. Fear is scary but greed of humans is scarier, and it turns men into monsters.
Solid writing, world-class CGI, Hollywood style production values, background music and awesome cinematography make Tumbbad a very distinctive movie. The Ship of Theseus man Sohum Shah delivers a performance that is par excellence. The transformation of his character from childhood to young man to father to his death is depicted beautifully. A original, courageous and haunting Indian movie! A different experience!
5. Stree
Rajkumar Rao charms us in an earthy horror comedy set in a small village Chanderi. The movie drives the message successfully through the travails of charming tailor Rajkumar. Terror strikes the village during four days of annual puja. Men are locked into homes in the evening. The eerie and comic situation arising out of a female ghost is nicely narrated by director Amar Kaushik. Pankaj Tripathi excels, and Shraddha Kapoor lends a strong support.
Apart from the above movies, the following movies deserve a strong mention:
1. Raazi
Meghna Gulzar directs super talented Alia Bhatt for a spy thriller. The Alia super show presents transformation of a Kashmiri girl into a trained spy with her vulnerabilities intact. Vicky Kaushal shines in the movie and cements his position as the emerging star of Bollywood.
The movie has been a safe play for Meghna Gulzar. The music is beautiful. The best part of the movie was equal and respectful treatment of both countries – unlike Pak-bashing Gadar type movies.
2. Manto
The moving story of the enduring and timeless Saadat Hasan Manto – honest, controversial and thought-provoking writer of the Indian subcontinent. Nawaz shines once again in a brilliantly directed Nandita Das movie.Read my Manto Review.
3 Manmarziyaan
Trust Anurag Kashyap to give a compelling, layered love story. The Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam inspired movie has fabulous performances by Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal and Junior Bachchan.
4. 102 Not Out
The successful Gujarati play was brought to the big screen with Amitabha and Rishi Kapoor leading the cast. The strong script was brought to life by the stalwarts and drove the message of living life to the fullest.5. Veere Di Wedding
This is an important movie that strengthened the feminine power and broke more established views than any other movie. Full credit to the Shashanka, Rhea and the beautiful cast of Sonam, Kareena, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha.6. Kedarnath
The Babri Masjid demolition anniversary saw the release of Hindu-Muslim love story set against the backdrop of Uttarakhand floods. Sara Ali is a product of Hindu-Muslim love story and Sushant is a heart-melter – the magic shines in bit and pieces in the beautiful backdrop of Kedarnath and today’s India. Could have been much better like Abhishek’s earlier Kai Po Che!Sonu Ki Titu Ki Sweety was the sleeper hit of the year. The most average movie with a hit song and nice narrative hit the chord with the audience and went to make 150 crores. Pari and Mulk were nice ventures with Mulk shining with strong performance of Taapsee Pannu and Rishi Kapoor.
Karwaan and Qarib Qarib Single were the easy feel-good pictures featuring Irrfan. Karwaan was philosophical road trip with nice performances by Mithila Parkar and Dulquer Salmaan.
Hichcki, Helicopter Eela, Baaghi 2 were ventures with defined objectives. Canadian citizen Akshaya Kumar continued to charm Indians with Bharat ‘Manoj’ Kumar positioning in Padman and Gold. Padman has its heart in the right place and should help more conversations on the important topic for the emerging India.
Padmaavat and 2.0 (Hindi) were huge movies with the former courting controversies and controversies. Ranveer Singh emerged taller from the movie and Sanjay Leela Bhansali laughed all the way to the bank.
The Rise of Online Streaming in India
One must not forget the emergence of video streaming in India with HBO Go, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar, Eros Now and Zee leading the pack. Netflix and Amazon Prime are in the hot race with significant spends. Netflix relies on its global model and both are investing in local content. It will help both the new talent and tired talent. Mirzapur and Sacred Games were gripping tales matched by powerful acting, strong direction and marketing-distribution of Amazon and Netflix respectively. Pankaj Tripathi ruled Mirzapur and gave one of the most memorable performances. Nawaz’s Sacred Games was yet another gangsta outing for him, where he ruled the show effortless – but no new breaking ground for him. Manto was more powerful and let’s wait for Thackeray movie.The Fall of Mighty Names
The one you love the most can be the source of your biggest anger. Rajkumar Hirani’s Sanju deserves the top award for the most misdirected wasteful channelling of energies and resources of 2018. Raju Sir – How much we love you and own you for Munnabhai, PK and 3 Idiots. Why this Kolaveri Di?Read my Sanju Review
Aamir Khan sacrificed his Midas touch for a few pieces of gold and created the biggest robbery against himself and his values in Thugs of Hindustan. I will not criticise Race 3 because I did not expect anything from it. SRK’s Zero proved that Khans need to move to new pastures and reinvent the game once again.
The Numbers
You read a lot about the new age movies and the fall of big names. What do numbers say? Sanju made 350 crores, Padmaavat made 300 crores, Thugs made 150 crores, Race 3 made 170 crores. Wow!
AndhaDhun made 110 crores, Badhaai Ho made 150+ crores, Raazi made 200 crores, 102 Not Out 112 crores, Stree made 130 crores. Manto and Tumbbad did not make much money.
The future is bright for Bollywood as the rise of content-driven new cinema continues with fresh talent. The hegemony of the camps and star-power has been shaken. The audience have clearly voted with their feet and the commercial Bollywood is smart enough to smell the coffee.
And as a Cinephile with interest crossing Silicon Valley and Cinema, I welcome the newest Bollywood fan – Elon Musk. Apple is due for the investment in Indian Entertainment space. Will Elon and Apple surprise us? Elon has lots on his place while Apple will take its time. Can Indian marketplace create a global impact?
Happy New Year 2019! May your life and year be a blockbuster hit!
Related:
The Best of Bollywood – 2017
The Best Of Bollywood – 2016
The Best of Bollywood – 2015
The Best of Bollywood – 2014
The Best of Bollywood – 2013
The Best of Bollywood – 2012 -
Book Review: 21 Lessons For The 21st Century by Yuval Harari
The highly stimulating and inspiring Yuval Noah Harari is back! His latest book ‘21 Lessons for the 21st Century‘ completes his trilogy. While his previous best sellers, Sapiens and Homo Deus explored the past and the future respectively, 21 Lessons focusses on the present and contemporary topics.
I read the book on a long SFO-Delhi flight in one reading, amidst the chaos of Brexit and US-China trade tensions. I was returning from an annual planning pilgrimage where we were trying to look at the crystal ball and make our bets. So, the topic of knowing the present and the modern challenges made a lot of sense. The book’s cover jacket and introduction indeed made the right claims:
How can we protect ourselves from nuclear war and technological disruptions? What are today’s greatest challenges and choices? What should we pay attention to? Are we still capable of understanding the world we have created? What should we teach our children?
The book is divided into 21 chapters over 5 different sections and cover topics Work, Terrorism, Immigration, Nationalism, War God, Fake News, Education etc. So how does the book measure up? Does it rise up to the claims?
The vegan smartphone-less Yuval Noah indeed makes a compelling reading. His wide knowledge and deep intellect are evident in his strong claims. The contemporary examples quickly relate and establish a shared platform for arguments. It offers interesting insights and ideas to provoke further thinking and find answers. Sample this:
1. Donald Trump warned voters that the Mexicans and Chinese will take their jobs, and that they could therefore build a wall on the Mexican border. He never warned voters that the algorithms will take their jobs, nor did he suggest building a firewall on the border with California. True indeed. It is very easy to create a narrative and channelize resources against a visible threat, but what about the larger invisible challenges. It is easy for Donald Trump to talk about Mexicans but how do we prepare to deal humanity with the challenges arising from the confluence of AI and Biotech? The same thing is happening across the world.
2. The Russian, Chinese and Cuban revolution were made by people who were vital for the economy and lacked political power. But Trump and Brexit were supported by people who enjoyed political power and were afraid to lose the economic power.
3. Humans vote with their feet. Which countries do people want to emigrate to? It tells the answer for the future. People want to move to USA, Germany, Canada, Australia.
4. Why terrorism makes headlines? Because the world has become a safer place as compared to the past and any new acts of violence makes more noise. Terrorists are successful because they are like a small fly that can drive a large mad bull to smash up a china shop. That is exactly what 9/11 did. It drove US to smash up Middle East. Terrorism requires action on three fronts: state action against terrorist networks, responsible media management and individual self-restraint.
5. Humans have two types of abilities – physical and cognitive. In the past, machines competed with humans mainly in the raw physical abilities, while humans retained an immense edge in raw physical abilities. Today, machines are taking over human beings even in the cognitive abilities. So how can humans retain an edge over machines?
6. Artificial intelligence and biotech are the future and will change humanity. Are we ready for it?
7. Self-driving cars are safer, but will we understand that? Shall we protect people, or shall we protect jobs? The jobs in Bangladesh and Bangalore will be lost soon. How do we train the redundant workforce? It was easier for farm labourer to become industrial worker or retail help as it required very less significant training. What happens in the future when jobs are becoming very specialised?
8. The rich are becoming richer, but they may become superior and more talented as well in the future. There will be a rise of “useless” class of people. What are the implications for the society and humanity?
9. The climate change will be good news for Russia.
Does the book offer solutions? Yes and no. It offers high level solutions – universal basic income, globalisation of politics, meditation etc. However, if one is looking for practical and innovative solutions, there are very few. And it is not Yuval Noah’s fault – nobody has got the answers right to these questions. At least he has identified the right questions to find answers for and given some initial thoughts. He wants us to debate and find our own answers.
The book is a good read and a recommended reading. But first do read Homo Deus and Sapiens as well.
And then let us meet and brainstorm…
Further Reading:
Yuval Noah Harari Official Website
Yuval Noah on YouTubeImage Courtesy: www.ynharari.com
-
The Future Of Fintech
Technological changes and overall trends are often difficult to predict. What seems as the obvious future often fails to deliver, and new innovations take over! Look around and many of the technological tools that we take for granted, were never predicted…The Fintech world continues to present new ideas, solutions and business models.
The future of Fintech, money and payments is linked to the evolution of the society. In next 10-20 years, we may see the emergence of robots, machine to machine interaction, smart cities, universal basic economy, ageing population, climate change and prosperous mankind.
In that age, payments between machines will be automatic and invisible. Cashless economy will be a reality with secure, invisible, hyper-connected, data-driven money and payment system becoming a backbone like internet and electricity.
Payments will be integrated as a part of buying experience. Pricing and offers will be specific to you as per your financial score. Secure micro-payments will be order of the day. Micro-payments will also mean more access to everyone.
Technological innovations in payment will allow the remaining less-privileged to get access to basic income and help from across the world. The credit scoring, mortgage options etc. all will be seamless and real-time.
Property will be tokenized. Agricultural land will be tokenized. Equity tokenization will unlock liquidity. Blockchain will be leveraged for tokenization in the future and new business models will emerge. Privacy, legal and security frameworks will ensure the required safeguards.
Quick and easy barter mechanisms will become an alternative to the money economy.
The cumulative effect will be help unbanked and underbanked individuals and SMEs to get benefits of the financial system and accelerate job creation, equitable and balanced economic growth.
Image Credit: Joshua Reddekopp on Unsplash
