The idiosyncrasies of a Pepsi crazy nation

Brand loyalty is such a selfish concept sometimes and not without reason too. No wonder every FMCG, beverage companies are taking ‘individual stories’ ad campaigns so seriously. Whether it is meri maggi ad campaign of maggi or recently launched flavour pehchano gimmick it works so much because it has recall value of a personal kind.

I have this loyalty with pepsi, by some freak mistake, though i like my thumbs up more. But by some freak combination of situations all my memorable soft drink memories are associated with pepsi, courtsey mad friends. In my college days, (hey i’m not that old, i finished college only recently) my friends pounced if they saw a bottle of pepsi in anyone’s hands and if the holder of that bottle was some one known to them. It did not matter if the pepsi holder was a mere acquaintance, they did the regular spot-greet- and ask ‘can i have a sip?’. Add some desperation to your famished expression, the poor pepsi holder would be starved of his own pepsi at the behest of pepsi addicts who don’t mind a shame and even grab the sip if not offered firsthand.

Bhukkad is basically a person hogging food/ drinks that belongs to anyone, any place any time. See, there are three type of bhukkad’s – food, beverage and body bhukkad’s. These are the three according to me, if you have experienced any other kind- do tell me. Kindly note folks, i am not against sharing stuff but where does it go overboard is what i am curious about. I have already mentioned about beverage bhukkad’s – those who drink out of your drink (whatever kind) and don’t care no matter the obviously fuming expression on your face. Food bhukkad’s?- now this is a novel kind- from my college experience food bhukkad’s take the cheese out of your club sandwich. It leaved you grunting, indignant- especially if that cheese was hard earned after incessantly niggling the canteen worker for it. Body bhukkad’s – well, you know hungry for sex but my post is relevant about the first two.
I am no generous with my pepsi either if and ever i buy it i make all attempts to hide it. Bhukkad’s (hungry sharks or addicts of a edible item) of my college spotted me having pepsi, each one would take a sip and i would get only 5o ml of the bottle to drink by the time evryone was done with it. Imagine the case if i bought tetrapacks!

let's hog!

Now Indian culture inadvertently endorses the bhukkad culture. See any indian wedding, birthday or other functions and you will find varied breed of bhukkad’s at food stalls during such events. As Chetan Bhagat observed in his novel 2 states where one character says, ‘In buffets never take dishes that can be made easily at home. Take non veg, paneer dishes, non-vegetarian’. Heck, there was even one chapter to this in my secondary school 6th grade syllabus.

It is awesome how people are shameless about it. There was one instance in college- the last psychology lecture of the term. For fun sake the class was moved to a popular food joint Mocha’s near the college. I chose to observe people’s eating habits (don’t ask why, for fun sake) as i wasn’t particularly fond of the high calorie food there. Four friends of mine shared an ice cream bowl, the first one to eat ate a mere spoonful. When the bowl returned again to her the bowl was empty. It was so because the bowl passed the hands of most of the batch not just the four friends who intended to have it and also ended up paying much higher than bargained. The girl appeared flustered to me after this hilarious pass-the-parcel but what can one say- it’s bhukkad’s all the way.

Coming back to pepsi obsession and encounters with it, i traveled to the pantry of  a long distance coach train with a pepsi obsessed friend while coming back from an industrial visit to rajasthan. It was afternoon and my friend was going frantic, high and dry, and agitated as not one vendor was selling pepsi. We got off at mount abu station, bad luck – no pepsi. My friend looked at me, sad, as if a loved one had been reported missing. ‘You can take thumbs up. The vendors are selling that or buy coke’, I said. She looked back at me as if i had decided to support Pakistan in a Indo-Pak match. ‘Are you nuts?’, she snapped. With the same fire in her eyes she declared that we were going to the pantry to demand pepsi as if Rani Lakshmibai had just declared war of independence against British imperialists. It was pure cruelty, she said to keep people away from pepsi for so long. We went to the pantry where the cooks were busy preparing evening dinner. Nobody was interested in listening to our pepsi-plea which turned to desperation as time went by as my friend was deprived of her beloved drink. I feared she would pull the chain, the train would stop in a deserted area and she would hold us all hostage till pepsi came to the rescue. That was one time when Pepsi Co indirectly held my life at ransom. Thankfully, pepsi arrived a few hours later when the train stopped at a station and my friend bought a stock of them, lest they vanish again.

Pepsi has wreaked havoc in my life time and again but the memories associated with it still bring a smile to my face whenever i think of it.

mad and crazy about pepsi

Indian Cinema and Marketing

The Indian film industry has travelled a burgeoning journey from its first feature film in 1913 to huge budget films like ‘3 Idiots’ and ‘My Name is Khan’ today. As the nation developed, so did the Indian Cinema. In a nutshell, Indian cinema is an approximately 59 billion business revolving around 800 films a year with three times as much the cost of marketing these cinematic products. With the passing times, the commercialization of this art gained importance and promotion of film became as significant as the story of the film. Today, factors such as promotions, building awareness are vital for a film’s success unlike the past where a good distribution system ensured box office hit. Adoption of newer innovative techniques, mediums help films not only mint money but also generate employment for people required for these professionally driven activities.

According to Oxford dictionary, marketing is the action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research or advertising. Marketing a film is one of the vital functions of its organizational functional cycle besides production and finance. More importantly, Marketing of a movie is all about creating instant brand identity. As films have limited distribution window and therefore a limited shelf life, the marketing has to happen at absolutely the right time to get audiences into the cinemas. Marketing mix if film making revolves largely around tangible promotions and the main film product relies heavily on such activities. The success mantra depends on how film is packaged. Noam Chomsky’s observation though under a different context can be quoted here: ‘Bottom-line is important.’ Marketing builds brand identity which sets profits coming. 4Ps concept applied on the movie industry can be applied as a whole ie: Product, price, place, promotion.

For a movie to selected by the audience on the basis of the content, it needs to be clearly identifiable in its marketing — genre, stars, story, special effects, style all need to be presented suitably as a product. The movie business is one of the most complexes in the communications industry because of its creativity, diversity and its continual explosions of technological delivery options. In Bollywood, a movie is identified primarily at face value such as an SRK or a Bhansali film. The concept of idolization of personality is derived from this and is effectively utilized for all its branding. Tie ups with fashion houses for costumes, sports gear etc keeping in line with the theme of the film are publicized as much as the movie.

For instance the movie Dabangg, was identified as a Salman Khan film, and also cashed in on the sensation created by the Munni Badnaam song. The film ‘Tess Maar Khaan’ used bombarding advertising as a method. Almost every channel at all points of time showcased the film promos. The role of the song ‘Sheila ki Jawani’  was instrumental in getting the film attention and is also novel in the aspect that it came to symbolize the film even before its release. The 2010 film ‘Shahrukh bola khoobsurat hai Tu’ used Shahrukh Khan’s name heavily even as he only essayed a cameo role in the film. Small budget films like Iqbal, Dev. D carry themselves on the force of their product content i.e. the film.

Pricing of the movie ticket though seems standardized in the Indian context at first glance, is dependent on market segments, release schedules, territories and promotional budgets. The marketing decisions regarding these are taken by market evaluation. In the words of the marketing geniuses Al Ries and Jack Trout (Marketing Warfare), ‘Winners tell jokes, the loser holds press conferences’ as happened in the case of Shahrukh Khan’s ‘Rab ne bana di jodi’ clash with Aamir Khan’s Ghajini in December 2008 where despite an early release the marketing tactics of Aamir Khan (Ghajini style haircuts were sported by theatre employees across cinemas) wiped out the former completely. Claims of ‘better people, better product’ is an inglorious fallacy in Indian cinema.

Pricing has become a global issue. The release of a DVD has always been timed to protect producer’s interests. But with piracy at record levels globally, a variety of pricing — and timing — strategies are being tested, like pricing the DVDs very cheaply.

pic for representation purposes

Placement of an Indian film is largely on grounds of exaggerated reality, where it is sufficiently conveyed to movie goers through promotional activities. Also the fact that entertainment in India is largely based on the escapist mode where the viewer is looking for pure entertainment and marketing activities such as innovative shows, appearances, one-liners on the line of least expectation instantly wins over audiences. Post production promotions are also a new factor in India with the movie 3 Idiots being promoted well after a year of its release every time it is telecasted on television. Options for placing the film product are increasing as technology has increased a films defense to competition. Forcefully or in-your-face marketing divisions of films are pulling out all stops to ensure awareness as in the case of the movie Tees Mar Khan which developed its game version along with the production of the film and was released before the actual release of the film. Marketing is a combination of surprise and superior skill as demonstrated classically by Aamir Khan while promoting 3 Idiots exceeded the business capacity of an average film in India’s interiors by appearing in disguise in small cities and offering prizes to those who discovered his attire, online campaign such as idiotsacademy.com, facebook profile of Aamir ‘the pucca idiot’ and alternate reality gaming, painted toilet seats and autorickshaws (capacity: 3 idiots), the fourth idiot t shirt campaign, butt seats in theatres across the country and also involved bytes with local regional media. Aamir sent little perks such as hand written tease cards to goad the local media editors of the city he went to in disguise who went ballistic to cover the film, thereby buying into the publicity share of 3 idiots. The mainstream media were only provided with footage shot from these activities with all major interviews were given to regional media thereby connecting to the man from Ujjain and the man from Ranchi, it struck a chord. Emotional connect was used in an extremely new way by Aamir. In Indian cinema producers seldom ever directly sell the film to audience but to distributors, investors, sub distributors, exhibitors and internet strategists. In-audience marketing happens through word of mouth. Napoleon Bonaparte once said that God is on the side of big battalion. Led by a 25 member team the brief was clear to the T- to get the common man watch. This was proved wrong by 3 Idiots. In fact, 3 idiots emulated the advice stated in the book ‘Marketing Warfare’- attack on as narrow a front as possible which 3 idiots did in a matter of 2 months in public eye unlike other films which seek attention throughout the making process. It’s simple as the law of physics, the larger front you hit, and the heavier is the impact. Quantity matters as much as quality. On release, ‘truth will out’.

Sevanti Ninan in her book ‘Headlines from heartland says, ‘Mediums such as television and films of national scale came rapidly and have saturated at a fast rate, for Bollywood interior regions are still a virgin territory.’ While people admired Bollywood for all its grandeur, regional cinema remains an undisputed choice in Indian hinterland with the rare exceptions like 3 Idiots.

Innovations in movie marketing can be seen almost with every big banner release. But yet, not all big studio’s/ production houses are using the science of media planning to reach out to many people at a little cost. In cinema business, it is the age of going that extra mile. It’s difficult to stand up to expectations and over hyping can kill the product (read Drona, Krazzy 4 etc.) and it has to happen at exactly the apt moment. Once again, quoting Napoleon Bonaparte, ‘I may lose a battle, but I shall not lose a minute’ which is right considering 30 per cent of the budget is marketing campaigns.

Corporatization

Over the past few years the financing of Indian cinema has undergone a sea change. Banks (UTI, Exim, IDBI), multinational companies, corporate houses (UTV, Reliance Big pictures, Adlabs) fund approximately 15 percent of the films. These establishments have turned Indian cinema into an organized industry and has also generated newer sources of income such as satellite rights, DTH, radio etc. Corporatization does not generate good quality films and have over commercialized the art of film making.

Film reviews

Indian Press scenario is such that critiquing a film post release is subject to editorial interference and manipulation. Most news channels and newspapers have in staff as critiques who are not independent invariably becoming a tool for film makers who enjoy tie ups/ collaborations with media houses and maneuver rave reviews and success stories.

Big sweep Owners

Big Sweep owners like the Bennett and Coleman Limited have enormous marketing prowess with major businesses in the field of radio, television and print and 70% of the bus shelter hoardings in Mumbai. Hence establishing a connect through these mediums at one go makes the job of the film makers quite easy as these big sweep owners provide the ultimate marketing solutions on one platter. The big sweep owners can ingrain the potential movie goers mind and generate a must watch feeling by tapping every available resource at hand.  These activities would generally ensure that the people, masses and classes alike would become aware of the ‘launch’ in the market. The situation is quite different in the South where a complete movie is made and then is sold to media tycoons owning one of the TV channels in the state who promote the movie incessantly. Recent example of the movie ‘Endhiran’ was bought by Sun Pictures owned by Kalanathi Maran that ultimately netted 400 crore in revenue. Kalanithi Maran left no stone unturned in making and marketing Endhiran. Using all his channels effectively methods like playing endhiran trailer every 5-10 minutes on Sun TV, Suriyan FM, owned by Sun network  and special features on various aspects of Endhiran worked in its favour. The hype was built around Rajnikant’s name, in the hype the story purpose of the movie was lost. However, the true value of the movie lies in the marketing sensibilities of Sun Network which milked the movie product for all its worth through marketing.

Small budget films

Recently small budget films like Udaan, Peepli Live have made mark at the ticket collections courtesy more due to their content than marketing. It is a running debate where marketing plans made by professionals were falling flat which brought back old scenes of the movie industry where content mattered more than buzz.  It reiterated the old belief that cosmetic and hyped marketing plans cannot default the need for real content and therefore cannot proxy for the same.

Role of Controversies and New Media

In an era where nothing is left untouched by internet, for publicity the web is an indispensable tool. Internet marketing of a film ranges from designing all posters, photography, merchandising, blogs, websites, social networking, interaction with public and even transmission of a film is done via internet to avoid piracy. The website of a film must embody and express the purpose, convey brand identity of film. Using twitter, facebook and other internet media are new found avenues of generating awareness about a movie. Actor Siddharth promoted the movie Striker through Twitter and it was released via internet on YouTube to combat piracy. This in addition to increasing the viewership of the websites also increases the interest in the movie among the audience. Bollywood has tried and tested buzz and viral marketing, and is investing heavily into mobile advertising; the approach of new media is largely in your face.

Audience Transformation and In-film advertising

Indeed, quality will become the key factor. The success of “Tere bin Laden” is the latest proof indicating that audiences are undergoing a transformation. Marketing of a film lasts for an entire lifecycle, in film promotions of varied products and services contribute to the highlights of the film.

Imran Khan at an event

The Brett Lee concert Stampede

If acting on impulse is a good thing, then it better be at a concert where all the madness is.It was my first experience of a concert. On 15th May of this month Indian music band M majors performed with Brett Lee at Inorbit mall (Malad) in Mumbai. Female fans couldn’t stop swooning over him as he took to the stage. M majors had to bear the brunt of Lee’s popularity when the audience screamed and clicked tongues impatiently chanting Lee’s name. The band sang beautiful numbers nevertheless and the audience enjoyed it. M Major’s handled the impatient crowd sportingly. Perhaps they had already braced themselves to face a full blast of Lee’s popularity.

The crowd even took to arguments with press photographers jostling for space in the small space near the parking lot of the mall where the show was being held. I did note that girls who were loud enough at concerts usually take the limited hugs and kisses. Funnily enough, one girl who got to the stage, got her hug (I don’t know about the peck/kiss i could not beat to watch it so i closed my eyes) but refused to leave the stage and remained there while the last long was being sung.

Brett enthralled the audience with his guitar playing and chorus singing. The crowd grooved to his tunes as he sand Summer of 69,brown eyed girl, proud mary and Sweet home Alabama. Lee endeared the crowd with his hindi speaking too.

Now Brett has been doing small shows like this all over India along with philanthropic appearances. Some of these gigs are sponsored by NGO’s. Reports in world media have often suggested his closeness to India was the prime reason for his estrangement and divorce with ex-wife Elizabeth Kemp. Despite that Lee has kept a close association with Indian endorsements, music and film industry, his fans are only loving it.

Lee performed three songs and then came the part the crowd most dreaded and i did not foresee. Autograph seekers rushed to grab that golden chance, but the guards did not allow anyone to get near Lee. I joined the rush to get an autograph but midway through the struggle i fell down and couldn’t figure out what happened next as the crowd passed me or rather trampling over my foot. I managed to pull myself free and thankfully didn’t get injured. Lee escaped unscathed.

NOTE: This is not a brett lee praise article. It was the first time i attended a concert and the above article expresses what i observed there. PHOTO SERIES:

Let’s swerve the Michael Jackson way- Monochrome style

There are times when i miss being in front of the lens. But there are many more times when i don’t regret missing the best of moments in front of me because i am photographing them. At Detour 2009 (my college’s annual BMM fest), the very-very-amateur-photographer-me loved every moment of the impromptu  dance done by one of my seniors in college. It was a tribute to the great Michael Jackson who met an untimely death earlier that year on June 25, 2009. I never saw Michael Jackson, may never do. But this dance sure livened up everyone present in the audience and loved every bit of it. That night, everyone present in the audience hoped to dance like that, it was Michael again. Very close to Michael anyways.

My Monochrome photograph tribute to Michael Jackson:  BEAT IT

O, let me walk outta the frame, HOO HOOO! 

A Letter to Soul, just any Soul

Working hard is good. Who doesn’t like to work hard? That’s the way you earn, get to enjoy life, trying to find a purpose in life. Fun is important too. But it goes beyond the saying- all work and no play make jack a dull boy. I think this line is such a cliche. Because you and I are not Jack, we are individuals. Distinct. Separate. Unique.

Each being is different. But people next to us, people around us regularly tend to forget this crucial fact as if it’s no more than another cliche, among millions of cliche’s around them. In the grind of the daily struggle called life, people forget themselves. People tend to forget their identity, needs, and slowly tend to ignore the small things that bring them happiness in small ways. If that happens, we can hardly blame others who take us for granted. In that case, even if there is free time it feels like as if we are lying useless doing nothing, the feeling of not doing anything makes jack dull even more. Moreover, it turns individuals into the cliche jack. The cliche jack is an even more dangerous phenomenon because this jack has an extreme either-or tendency. This jack can can only feel dullness and joy.

Both these feelings do not fulfill a person’s desires which are above such emotions. A person is most fulfilled when he is contented. Again, a person may be content with what he/she has, but still not joyous about the fact. In fact, he/she may feel dull about it.

If one is feeling dull, they usually try to find happiness inside, motivate and elevate their self from the negativity induced by others. This feeling should last long and should be adopted in character. Positive feelings should be retained.

There is a saying- one should never look back after final goodbyes are said. If you look back, there is a chance that it will be difficult to get out of that phase in your life. That phase could have been good or bad, i don’t know, depends. I don’t know if this saying is true but i also feel that one should look back if they need to reflect. Also, it is important to get out of the lull of the past, because it’s gone and irrevocable and also separates us from the present. It’s a thine membrane that separates past and the present, nevertheless it is important to reconnect with the present. The future is waiting, of course.

Life is beautiful, enjoy it and please don't take yourself for granted.

Education in India- by choice or by chance ?

It has been a week. Feels like a million years already. While grind through the grind of college education, one is not particularly inclined to think about the after effects. There was no time. It was always projects, travel, chatting and talking for long hours on the phone, having fun. No, not always. If it was so routinely, i would not be feeling so nostalgic.

I had to pinch myself to realize that graduation was over, well at least grad exams were over. But the feeling anticipated was not in place. Why ? It finally dawned on me when my friend DG screamed at the top of her voice over the phone- YIPEEEEEEE ! As they say, those who hear hard, need a boom to awaken.

The Macbride report (UNESCO) stated this in 1980- Education should not be left to chance. The Indian Government has not woken up yet. 31 years on Macbride, people like me feel privileged enough to become graduates. Further education is on the cards, but what about million other kids that i see on streets everyday, in tea shops, clothes stores. Why aren’t they studying, enriching their brains and reaping fruits of education ? The Indian union budget started levying 2 % education cess in the year 2004 when it was presented by noted economist Mr. P. Chidambaram. This was later increased to 3 %. All taxes in India are subject to an education cess, which is 3% of the total tax payable. The dropout rates at primary level alone are very high. More girls cease to attend school at primary level. Also prejudices on ed-ed schooling and girls being taught by males post puberty still exist. The right to education became a fundamental right in India only in 2002. For 55 years after independence, education existed in the form of a directive principle, a mere duty which was not as enforcible as a fundamental rights.

Lack of reinforcement measures and infrastructure result in neo literates, as they do not get further impetus for education. Neo literates have fragile levels of literacy. Majority of neo-literatesare economically poor and live in ruralareas or urban slums. A major bulk of the literate population are actually semi literates who could not continue education for various reasons beyond 5th-8th grade.

As of Census 2011, the overall literacy levels in India is 74.04 % (Males 82.14 %, Females 65.46 %). The definition of literacy by National Literacy Mission (program by Government of India) concerns- acquiring the skills of reading, writing and arithmetic and the ability to apply them to one’s day-to-day life. It negates the presence of awareness education, rational thinking. The prescribed aims are meant to be enforced at a basic level.

A vast expanse of land, India is a logistical challenge when it comes to formulating an overall plan for implementing education programs. The government ads that i see on Television are more agriculture based, promoting agricultural training and consumer awareness. How can government ads promise to have any effect when they themselves show women in a domestic way, domestic attire, wearing ghunghat over the head and bearing children ? What more, Indian parliament was a center of much drama last year when the Lok Sabha (Lower House) erupted with a strng demand for enumerating backward classes as part of census. It called for conducting a cast based census, something which the founding fathers of the constitution weeded out first when they were formulating it. Virtually every political party demanded it, from Akali Dal to Shiv Sena to AIADMK to DMK, not to mention backward outfits of UP-Bihar — RJD, SP and JD(U). The present Government seems to be intent on negating everything that the basic essence of Constitution stood for- anti corruption, equality and progress.

But all is not wrong. There are education programs like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, National Literacy Mission, Mid day meal scheme which are making great efforts to bring children to schools, tap growing drop out rates and offering benefits for higher education. Community and Non governmental efforts have made great progress in creating awareness at grass root level. the Indian Government ensures free and compulsory education for all children up to the age of 14. However many of the promises made by these programs have not achieved their promised levels.

What is needed in India is a comprehensive education policy that emphasizes on tertiary involvement in education. Also informal education, radio and Tv as a medium should take precedence over formal schooling methods. Infrastructure dedicated exclusively for the purpose of education should be made available all over India. many a times community halls in villages double up as schools and children are driven away from schools if thers is a function/activity in th community halls.

Speaking of holidays, it has become an excessively neurotic, gratifying medium. We have Diwali holidays, summer holidays, Navratra holidays, Eid Holidays, Christmas and easter vacations, bank and national holidays, accidential holidays (on days when there are floods or some random natural disasters), and a million other days. It is possible to exhaust one’s work capability but the excuses for declaring holidays are abundant,.

We are not setting a very great examples by having such low productivity hours. There are celebratory holidays for World cup matches too. India has a long way to go to progress in the field of education. We ned not just policies but the right attitude too. Education should not be left to chance.

As for me, the feeling sunk in 2 days after exams got over, the feeling of nostalgia and old memories still lingers in the air.

destitute children play on the road.

 

Image editing- boon or bane?

One can choose to abstain or embrace change. Technology has great relevance in this regard. I have come across many amateur photographers like me who are averse to using image editing softwares. many are of the opinion that image editing is  manipulating the photograph, to make it more sale able or interfering with the original. Over the years I have figured out that this is more due to ill understanding and visually complex nature of the softwares and lack of training. Training in such softwares is best done by persons by themselves- trial and error is arguably the best form of learning. Mental blocks – i-can’t-do-it attitude never helps.

Following is my attempt at image editing:

Picture 1: Original baby photograph. The photograph is shaky. There are other anomalies like exposure and brightness are not up to the mark. The innocence of the baby is not emphasized enough and hence needs development.

Trial and error: I recently came across Google Apps – BeFunky photo effects. This effect called under painting was by far most suitable but still did not give me the effect desires. The lined are far too dark and instead takes away the softness associated with the original image.

The final Cut: This diffused glow effect called Orton style #1 added the desired glow, gave it a fairytale look that I wanted.

The only problem with Goggle Apps is that the final image’s resolution is not the same as the original uploaded one. So if one desired to make larger prints, will be disappointed.

Experimentation is the key with image editing. It does not matter what software is used. It is important to have the blue print of the desired effect in mind.

FASHION PHOTOGRAPHER @ WORK

I love to do it do it. Fashion is something that every photographer loves, at least I do. This set is from a fashion show of my college festival – I am glad i managed this with my DSC H 50. I quite abide by the saying, There is no such thing as a greatest photographer and there is nothing like a best camera either. One’s vision has got a lot to do with it. I liked my effort. What do you think ?

Yellow Elements

The leaves may try shielding the sun but sun penetrates all obstavles and shines on everybody.

 

I like the blur effect here

 

I love both these lighting images because they were so random and i l;ove them because of their background.

The life innit is just that you won't knoe when life is over.

Photoshop would have made them look ugly na?

Pristine white and magnified in macro.

Dahlias blush too!

Dash of Colors.

Quite a shady Dahlia this is !

Its bouncing to the right!

Junior College Photography – Photo Essay

Chapel, St. Xavier’s College

 

The classroom at the far right was 20 A, my Junior College class room.

My Chennai bait !

Random Photo Shoot @ Chennai

Photo shoot, Photoshop and Pagalpanti

It was a project for my photography professor. Brief- To make a film poster. A couple of mad girls on the roll, i did this photoshoot quite some time back and i had a blast doing it. It was my 1st photo shoot. And then i was really bad at photoshop.

Supermoon Photography at Midnight

Okay Here is the Supermoon in India. Can somebody please tell Star News not to go so blah about this phenomenon?

Bit off centre but its pristine white quality is pretty.

The camera shook when i took this shot. It looks like a meteor or probably a very ugly sperm.

Believe me it was just a pretty moon. About the size? Hmmm… 14% larger than usual. Like I care.

Ego Wars- the path to salvation?

Call  it Kalyug. Call it 21st century.  Nostradamus may have predicted the world’s death in 2012, but does evil really die ? Did Nostradamus have any idea about the biggest ongoing war of all? He predicted 9/ll, or so they say he did, I do not know. But there is a mental war that is creating chaos all over the world, even as this is being written. The war of all egos. 600 crore people on the last predicted count, the world has 12 billion eyes. Technically, there should be 600 crore hearts. But alas, there are not.

I have felt to a large extent, that this trend of ego wars is causing more fires, attacks, murders, crime, hate than any disease or motive. Look around you, is everybody around you well meaning? Salvaging one’s ego at the expense of causing others hurt is no less than an achievement for people. People ignore calls to feel important. People don’t reply to messages to feel pride. People spread prejudice against others. You may ask why? Very simple. Doing this, they get a good peaceful night’s sleep. Knowing that somebody else is in trouble, it pacifies them. You may think i am a negative person but i feel around me a sense of negativity spread by people. And what more, they trouble you, they hate you, they do mistakes, Yet they are saints. Saints to the world, to everyone. How to beat them? Remember two things. Every dog has his day. And- God is watching. One may feel bullied around, but i feel it is better to strike them at the right time is better than digging your own grave. Wait and Watch. And once that watch is one, one must be vigilant, at the best opportunity—– fight with them ? NO Make peace with your heart first. My dear, its better to keep your heart clean. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind, Gandhi said. If you put you foot in dung like people and behave like them, think revenge, you are the one who will get dirty. They have an ego. Does that mean, you keep one up your sleeve too? Life is too small, and the world is too round to fall prey to such flat thoughts and denying your self from meeting new beautiful people. The concept of time is beautiful for it’s quality that it is perennial. Never constant. Ever changing. Ever lasting.

Bad times, good times. They come and go. Make Love, not War. May all the missing hearts Rest in Peace. Don’t pity them. It’s no worth pitying the dead.

Smiles win hearts- so what if the feeling is not reciprocated. Just Smile.