The Oscar Paheli

So, Paheli has been chosen to represent India at Oscars. Though I haven't seen the movie, but the storyline, star cast n reviews make me feel it must b a real good one.

Even then, I feel for 'Black', such a beautiful movie, with some spirited performances, would have done much better. Anyhow, I am not a film critic, so hope the people at the helm must be knowing better.

But I don't wish to discuss which of the above two movies is better.But that, why does an Indian film don't win an oscar. Is it some apartheid, some lobbying that keeps us away, or is it poor movies themselves.

Indian movie industry, or bollywood, is now a much mature industry, and is shelling out much better stuff than b4, though the viewers psyche has contributed to this change to a large extent.

People have started accepting a wide range of things ranging from gay-lesbian relationships to polygamy.So, why does we can't produce one movie in the whole year, or for that matter whole decade, that is simply outstanding by the Oscar standard, and has that unique storyline.

There are so many people involved in the industry, so many people who have worked on the bigger stage than bollywood, fine actors, directors etc etc. Along with that we have the previlige of shelling out regional movies, which simply widens our range.

There may be a lot of reasons to our failure.

But I feel we really need to take this issue seriously, get some foreign directors if required.

In a sense, try 2 find a formula which makes Hollywood the success it is.

The bar has to be raised, no doubt, but with that some active lobbying is also required.

We should try 2 put some efforts in this direction also, 'coz its said these awards are decided more under closed walls than under the influence of an open audience.

Oscar is one stage which gives credibility to the art, in a sense our industry will be recognized once it becomes a regular feature at these occassions.

Some start has to be made, and some movies made esp. to cater to such tastes.

Black was an effort in the same direction. Unluckily, it didn't get chosen in the end.

Let's hope Paheli does the trick for India.

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The Great Indian Cricket Show

Cricket is religion in India. Ppl may b illiterate or may not know country's PM or Prez, but they surely know abt cricket, n how India is faring.That is the reason the current spat between Indian coach Greg Chappell, and Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has taken so many inches of media space.
Since last 2 days, since that vituperative e-mail went public, media is losing no stone unturned and is coming up with their weirdest predictions about the outcome.Whatever be the result, Indian cricket has suffered a blow at least for now, and it will take some time and a brave will n effort to resurrect it.

Since the time Sourav Ganguly or Dada, as he is affectionately called, has taken hold of Indian cricket, it has seen the crest and the troughs in the history of Indian cricket, crests being reaching the World Cup 2003, and some miraculous wins like that of Natwest; and trough being the sad jinx of losing in the finals, which has still not stopped.
What brought this fluctuation, or is it normal, as every one cannot have the best of times all the time. It started with World Cup 2003 final, when India lost out due to some over enthusiasm or say lack of professionalism.Team started losing in one final after another, and it started to lose the charm it had, the charisma it had built with so much effort. It was no surprise that Team India was getting sick, and so was its captain. Ganguly lost his flamboyance with the bat, and was reduced to look pedestrian in every outing to the crease. It not only affected his morale, but indirectly contributed to team’s low. The writing was on the wall, but Ganguly and many other chieftains turned a Nelson’s eye to it.

They refused to see what was pretty evident to a kid in India. Some changes needs to be done.
Every time India lost, it was swept under the carpet saying team is going through a lean phase and it will soon recover.In between, they did get to win a few matches here and there, which allowed them to stick to their being deaf and dumb.

When Team India ran out of sorts, they tried to find a solution by not addressing the disease, but by changing the doc.So, with much fanfare, Greg Chappell was brought in, and everybody thought for a second that the problems will vanish by themselves. Greg, being a professional and a successful captain himself, saw the cause in just a matter of a few series.What he wrote in his report is now public fodder. And it may/ may not be substantiated by facts, but it looks to some extent, the bitter truth.
Senior players in India have always persisted with their places in the team, even if they don’t perform. Why don’t they understand that competitive sports is not won by emotions, but by competency and performance.The bowlers will not bowl slow to Tendulkar in later years, just becoz he had been a great batsmen.
If these players would have been in some other country, their career would have been far over.
It is just in country like India where Celebrity worship is given importance over accountability.

If a captain says, he has no clue to why India is losing in finals, it shows that he has completely run out of ideas, and to use Cheppell’s words “mentally or emotionally unfit to lead the side”.
Some accountability is required in any profession if one wants to be successful, n tht is wht Greg is trying to instill in the Indian team. As it is said old habits die hard, so is with these senior players.They are so used to being in their comfort zones, that they are not ready to accept any change in the status quo.For that, they can go to any limits. I would not be surprised if even some others like Laxman, Tendulkar lend their voices to Ganguly, coz if sthg happens 2 him now, it will b just a precedent for what might follow in their case.

So, Mr. Ganguly, if u really love ur country, if u love Indian cricket, if u hv ne respect for the fans’ sentiments, n if u don’t want urself to face the ignominy in later months for much worse than this,plz , for God’s sake, find a new profession.


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India's Software Industry: Myth Vs Reality

I was going to give a background to the IT industry first but I think i'll do it sometimes later.Before that, let me delve on some of the myths about the Software industry, and try to use my first-hand experience to bring out the truth.

Myth : Its very difficult to get a job in the IT industry.
Reality: Now a days, any body who has passed his SSC can get an entry. Recruitment process is soon becoming a mockery, and people are even getting selected on the basis of a single English(yes. English) test.

Myth: The training given at the time of joining is damn tough, and only the good guys survive.
Reality : As it is said, entry level training is like the 9th semester for people. They teach u almost evry tech. under the sun, without making u good at one.
Its the time when people make their GF's, and spread the word of them becoming maharajas, basically doing boasting.

Myth: After training, people are allocated projects based on their performance during training.
Reality : Basically, project allocation is done blindfolded(this is mandatory), unless you have serious contacts.

Myth: One gets to code from day-one of the project.
Reality: Forget about coding, many people don't even get a machine for months. Coding comes to people with good fate lines, rest may be relegated to documentation or similar stuff.

Myth: It is mandatory in IT industry to work long hours.
Reality: Basically, there can be no. of reasons to it.
Many people have nothing else to do, or nowhere else to go except office, so they hang around there.most companies give dinner, so y take pains looking for it outside. People stay back to have dinner.
Then where will u get the free facility to chat , exchange mails all day along.
Then, there is this attitude of people feeling guilty if they not login more than 12 hrs. in office, its like u hv lost a point over ur frenz.
Now, the ones who really stay back due to work, do so because of mismanagement.
There is no work in IT industry that can't be completed within 9-5 , if planned properly.

Myth: Big companies pay well.
Reality: Just raise this issue with one of the guys in his initial years at Big-5, and they will tell u sthg. which will make u cry.Big-5 pay peanuts compared to tier-2 companies.

Myth: You get a chance for onsite based on ur performance offshore.
Reality: Again a misconception.Those who really get to go based on performance offshore are a drop in a ocean. Most of the guys go onsite becoz of contacts, or just that Lady Luck has shined.

Myth: Software Engineers who go onsite live like kings.
Reality: You got to see it 2 believe it. Firstly, the salary in most cases is not that huge.Then , people go with this attitude of saving like dogs. So , there are cases of people surviving on Diet Coke and $-Mc Burger throughout their trips. They are made to clean utensils, and at times the client even becomes ur nemesis.

Myth: This is the best managed industry right now in India.
Reality: Exactly the opposite.This is the best mismanaged Industry in the country. there is a dearth of managers, and those who are there have no idea of what they do, and how to manage.
It is total commotion, with the reault that their shit is to be cleaned by the junior guys who slog it out.

Myth: There is so much work in IT industry that companies recruit like nething.
Reality: The industry can do with 30% of the current lot. The numbers are stacked just to make them billable, or even just to show a good bench strength.



This is all I could think of as of now.
More talk on software industry later.

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The Title Blues

Carrying on from the last blog:

Starting a blog comes with its nuances.When I was asked for a name, I thought like giving some time, n coming out with the best name. But all of a sudden this word "Utopia" came 2 my mind, n i decided on it.

So, what is Utopia? For those who are not well versed with the language,in its most common and general meaning, it refers to an imaginary perfect society, that has not existed (yet), or that can never exist because people are unable to reach perfection or endure tyranny forever. It has also been used to describe actual communities founded in attempts to create such a society.

If people remember, in the movie "Matrix", Agent Smith says that the first Matrix was a utopia, but humans disbelieved and rejected it because they "define their reality through misery and suffering." Therefore, the Matrix was redesigned to simulate human civilization with all its suffering. Thus the word goes around, though Matrix has n no. of interpretations.

It is with this thought in mind did I use this name.For people like me, today's world seems like a misnomer, where every day people r getting sucked in the black hole of selfishness n greed.Relationships are losing its meaning n people r tending towards becoming more mechanical, devoid of any feelings.Morals n ethics hv taken a backseat n oneupmanship has taken centrestage.

Though the situation looks pathetic, but still everthing is not lost 'coz there r still some people left who have the guts to raise the cudgels and stand up to all this.Through the means of this forum, I wish to bring together such people on a common platform.I wish to form a community of such like minded people who can then share their thots and find a solution to any trivial issue.

Though the idea and the words may sound pretty preposterous, but I think evry idea sound idiotic n kiddish at start.It is when it raises its head that people eat their words 2 praise it.

Long road, big ambitions, but yes a true spirit n heart full of faith.

Amen.

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My Debut Inning

Ahh at last I have got myself a blog. How long have I waited for this day, it seems eternity.

This is what a person yearns for when he/she has an internet connection at his disposal, and a whale of time to pass.Internet has given birth to many a idea, but this one seems different in a sense it aims to provide an identity to people, and also help them to put valuable manhours into some constructive work, or some may say destructive.

Blogging needs time, n so it is only for people who have got loads of it. Though if u ask neone these days whether he is free, he would retort with such a look that just smells of expletives.

But still, it was difficult for me 2 understand how people get so much time n energy to waste on a piece of writing which perhaps no1 may read, except the author.

But then, as it is said, experience brings home the point which someone is trying 2 teach u since childhood.I joined the software industry, n i came to understand how important this tool can become for a techie.(More on this industry later, i dont wish to spoil the mood right at the start).

I had this knack of writing well, which also i realised after joining the IT industry, it made me realize that an invention called E-Mail is your only companion in this mad mad industry.

Its like one partner whom u get married to on joining this industry,n its like the umbilical chord that keeps you alive.

So, I thought if now I have discovered this hidden talent in myself, by the grace of a fellow named Narayan Murthy, then why not put it to a better use.

N lo n behold, i found myself doing this writeup.

So, I have now taken the plunge, in a sort I have been baptised. Let's see how far I can keep myself motivated to follow the righteous path.

(Now some canvassing)

I hope to make it worthwhile for people who wish to read sthg different, sthg from the ideal world n the ideal situations, (n to carry a line from our Bollywood) "kucch hatke".

I hope I can put people's time 2 best use, by bringing to them fresh ideas.

I hope I can deliver. I will try and am not going 2 leave this addiction soon.

I may sound like a newcomer going 2 open an innings, but doesn't this way how every Tendulkar was born?(never mind my "humble narcissicm").

More in the next writeup.