Human Capital Trends of the Future

Nice video in the 'Did you know' series about the Human Capital trends of the future and the challenges faced. It talks about the internet, social media, mobility etc and how little attention we really pay to our 'most' critical asset - Human Talent!

Kya Khayal Hai by Zeb, Haniya, Sawanand & Shantanu (Dewarists)

Came across this new group called Zeb & Haniya (2 cousins from Pakistan) with really soulful voices, singing the most beautiful original melodies I have heard in some time. Their collaboration with Sawanand Kirkire and Shantanu Moitra for the song 'Kya Khayal Hai' on 'Dewarists' was just superb!

Click to check out the episode here - LINK

Ab Na Ja...An Impromptu Performance - Bodhi Tree (Saplings), XL Utsav

My first performance at XLRI was this impromptu gig that happened at XL Utsav in 2005. Our seniors were in the process of finishing college and asked us to take the stage and the mantle of 'Bodhi Saplings' leading on to Bodhi Tree after we reached the 2nd year at XLRI.

It is definitely not my best performance by any standards but very surprisingly, it is the only video of mine when i have performed on stage; hence i decided to put it up on my blog. Also because it is one of my favorite songs by a band that i grew up loving a lot. Its almost like 'Patience' by GNR in the sense that its a soft ballad rock song from a relatively heavy instrumental, fusion, rock oriented band.

Anyways, overall the song has some discrepancies between the leads, drums and vocals as i had never performed with these guys earlier and if i remember correctly, the leads and drums didn't even know how i was going to sing the song and hence the lags :)

The people on stage are Sebastian Chandy on the Lead guitar, Jishnu Dasgupta on the Base Guitar, Purnima Dore on the Drums and Me with the mike...

Again...this acts as a reminder of the slice of life i left behind at 'the best 2 years of my life'...

Life @ XLRI

Found this small'ish' presentation on my drive and just thought would convert it to a video and upload it to my blog. It gives a wonderful idea about the greatest 2 years of my life and the institution that shaped many of my beliefs and made me stand up in life with greater confidence...it also gave me friends that i know will be with me for life....

Here is to the greatest period of my life till date...Thanks for all the cherished memories XLRI :)

Signs - A must watch (short film) for all lovers of Cinema and Love :)

SIGNS is a must watch film for all lovers of movies and all lovers! ;-)

It is a film made by Patrick Hughes and was one of the 2009 Cannes film festival winners. The subject matter is Communications and there is not even one dialogue. Beautifully made, the film has a superb emotional & visual appeal and really brings home the message that sometimes Words are just meaningless...

Note: YouTube link

Param Vir Chakra: Title Song of Doordarshan Serial (Shaan Teri Kabhi Kam Na Ho) & Other Details

Found this very recently on YouTube. Many thanks to Amrinderpal for sharing this gem. The details of the song are:
Title Song: Shaan Teri Kabhi Kam Na Ho
Serial: Paramvir Chakra
Director/Producer : Chetan Anand

Brilliant memories came rushing back when i heard this song again. I remember the times when i used to sit glued to the television waiting for the episodes of this serial to come up. I became an avid watcher of Indian Armed forces after this serial was aired. There were times when my eyes were filled with tears on watching some of the episodes (I was very young then!!).

In fact i would request every Indian to at least read the basic facts about their Heroes who received The Param Vir Chakra - The highest military decoration in India awarded for the highest degree of valour or self-sacrifice. Read about 2nd Lt - Arun Khetrapal, Major Somnath Sharma, Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, Lance Naik Albert Ekka or the most recent Captain Vikram Batra (The guy whose war cry, "Yeh Dil Maange More" became the rallying cry of the Entire Nation during the Kargil War) and the rest of the Vir 21 and i promise you that you will be swept with emotion and patriotism.

Remember that most of these soldiers and officers gave their lives in making sure that we live with our heads held high. The least that we can do for them is give them our RESPECT...

Read Links:
1. Param Vir Chakra on Bharat Rakshak
2. Param Vir Chakra at Wikipedia

Discovery Channel: Boom De Ah Dah - 2009

'Boom De Ah Dah' Part 2 created in 2009. This has also become a cult hit. If you love the world, you will love the song. :)

Check out more at the Discovery Channel Web Site for the "Boom De Ah Dah"

Must watch for all....

The World is just Awesome!! - Reason enough why all of us should do everything in our power to save it from destruction.

Discovery Channel: Boom De Ah Dah - 2008

Simply Brilliant...Probably the greatest advertisement ever. This was the first one created by Discovery channel in 2008. Check out more at the Discovery Channel Web Site for the "Boom De Ah Dah"

Must watch for all....

The World is just Awesome!! - Reason enough why all of us should do everything in our power to save it from destruction.



Just cannot get it out of my head :-)

Aman ki Aasha - An initiative of The Times of India Group & The Jang Group of Pakistan (Part II)

This is the second of the videos that i have seen today and this is even better in its portrayal of the sense of longing between the peoples of these 2 nations to achieve peace. It also features the music of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, someone who has become one of my all time favourite singers in Bollywood.

Aman ki Asha is a great start by the biggest media house in each country and would definitely help in furthering the cause of bringing stability to this region. More details and news reports are available on the TOI website 'Aman Ki Asha' and the Geo TV website 'Aman Ki Asha'. There is also a Facebook page to keep tabs on all events.

Aman ki Aasha - An initiative of The Times of India Group & The Jang Group of Pakistan (Part I)

I chanced upon this brilliant video (Song sung by Shankar Mahadevan)about an Initiative called 'Aman ki Asha' which talks about brotherhood between Indians and Pakistanis. It shows us how much similarity exists between us and how we should never let that go away. True, there are massive problems between us but some start needs to be taken and nurtured. And this seems to be a good one at that...

Everyone who wishes to see peace and happiness in India and Pakistan - and in the larger context, the world - should support this initiative. It is a great start by the biggest media house in each country and would definitely help in furthering the cause of bringing stability to this region. More details and news reports are available on the TOI website 'Aman Ki Asha' and the Geo TV website 'Aman Ki Asha'. There is also a Facebook page to keep tabs on all events.

Iktara Male Version - Request to Karan Johar!!

This is probably a violation of copyright laws but what the hell!!. This is just a medium to request Karan Johar to launch Amit Trivedi's background score for Wake Up Sid, probably as a separate album. Shankar Ehsan Loy were very good in this film...but the Trivedi magic that we have already seen in Aamir and DevD is simply brilliant. This guy is here to stay and create amazing music that bollywood has not provided in a very long time.

Presenting here the male version of Iktara composed by Amit Trivedi and sung by Tochi Raina - The best song of Wake Up Sid and something that should have definitely been there on the album.

A superb motivational video...

Another highly inspirational video!
Even if i am really really down in the dumps, i still feel rejuvenated after seeing them. I know they are manipulative in the way they have been created but its damn good to see such manipulation working once in a while! :-)

Apple: Think Different - Here's to the Crazy Ones :)

Came across this brilliant motivational piece and a very old Apple advertisement. Just my way of telling everyone...All of us have the chance of one lifetime to change the world...Lets be crazy enough to do something about it!!

Apple's original "Think Different" ad from 1997: "Heres to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. Theyre not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you cant do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do."

Order of appearance: Albert Einstein, Bob Dylan, Martin Luther King, Jr., Richard Branson, John Lennon (with Yoko Ono), R. Buckminster Fuller, Thomas Edison, Muhammad Ali, Ted Turner, Maria Callas, Mahatma Gandhi, Amelia Earhart, Alfred Hitchcock, Martha Graham, Jim Henson (with Kermit the Frog), Frank Lloyd Wright, Pablo Picasso, and Shaan Sahota (young girl).

Something Happens - Precious platinum advertisement :)

Being a sucker for romance, i just fell in love with this advertisement. It is such a beautifully done ad and with such sublime lyrics and piano play. Superb! In fact i was surprised that i had to search really hard to find this on the net.

Anyways here are the lyrics...Enjoy!!

You know they arranged everything, the meeting, the date, the place and we...we did the only thing we could, We Laughed
Today 1 year, 2 months and 11 days later,

(piano music)
Things just happen, That's the way it feels...
Somethings just happen, things we just cant see...
Who knows the reason why, should i laugh or should i cry

Suddenly we discovered...Our Day of Love

Something happens...to you and me
hmmm...hmmmm....hmmm.....and me....

Extraordinary People - Susan Boyle

Think about the following:

1. This woman suffered oxygen deprivation in her childhood resulting in learning disabilities
2. Her classmates teased her because of this and because of her appearance
3. She stopped her pursuit of singing to look after her sick mother who died in 2007, at the age of 91
4. This was the first time she had sung since 2007, after her mother's death
5. She is unmarried and unemployed

When 47-yr old, grey-haired, double chinned, Susan Boyle, who lives alone with her cat and claims she's never even been on a date, walked onto the "Britain's Got Talent" stage and claimed that she wants to be someone like Elaine Page, she elicited snickers and rolled eyes from the crowd.............till she started singing!

A quote from her Fan Site - "Before her performance, Miss Boyle told Geordie hosts Ant and Dec that she's "never had a boyfriend" and she has "never been kissed before". Her previous singing experience was limited to the church choir and karaoke. The audience and judges laughed as she said she would like to be as successfull as Elaine Paige.

Susan soon turned that laughter into tears, Piers Morgan described her as stunning and "the biggest surprise in three years on the show" while Simon Cowell said she can go back home and with her head held high."

I personally do not think that i have ever seen a performance such as this. This person shattered all perceptions that this vast gathering might have had of her and turned their laughter into tears within moments. She shamed the crowd, the judges and us...who look at a picture perfect world as a standard, by just living her dream on that stage...

Lady, you do not need to be Elaine Paige. Susan Boyle is as good...if not better!

P.S: She might be on the verge of getting signed by Sony Music or BMG as per various reports.

Song Details: I dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables

I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving.

Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used
And wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung
No wine untasted.

But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
As they turn your dream to shame.

And still
I dream he'll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms
We cannot weather...

I had a dream my life would be
So different form this hell I'm living
so different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed
The dream I dreamed.

Shut up & Vote - Thermal & A Quarter

A Damn Good initiative by Thermal & A Quarter: It seems the Jaago Re! One Billion Vote campaign has organized a 5 city tour where TAAQ (One of Bangalore's and India's hottest bands - though i don't like their music too much) will be performing a couple of songs written for the great indian tamasha/ reality TV show of Indian General Elections so that youngsters like us can come out and vote...and as they say...'Vote because we have the dope, We are the Antidote'....

Lyrics of 'Shut up and Vote'

Walking man, waking up
It's never too late to shine
The seasons change, you re-arrange
Guess you're doing fine

You think you're cool, you've been to school
You know your rock n' roll

It's an easy twist, to make a fist,
Save your fingers from the cold...

Shut up and Vote
Shut up and Vote
You've got the dope, you're the antidote
Shut up and Vote
Shut up and Vote
You're so smart but you're running out of hope

It's all a mess, I must confess,
The system seems a joke
Should you make the steal, reinvent the wheel
Or simply go for broke?

Is it right, or is it left
They all give you a name
Are they clean, or are they clowns,
In the end, it's you, you're to blame

Shut up and Vote
Shut up and Vote
You've got the dope, you're the antidote
Shut up and Vote
Shut up and Vote
You're so smart but you're running out of hope

Thermal & A Quarter - Shut Up & Vote - Poll 2009

Something Stupid - Possibly the most romantic song sung...

Yes....as far as i am concerned, this takes the cake...and the girl too....

Possibly the most romantic of songs, it has been sung by the Great Great Entertainer called Frank Sinatra (Same Zodiac sign you see :-)) and his Daughter Nancy Sinatra....this is for those occasions when the words are about to tumble and the pianists are readying themselves to stand in a line...

Lyrics:

I know I stand in line, until you think you have the time
To spend an evening with me
And if we go someplace to dance, I know that theres a chance
You wont be leaving with me

And afterwards we drop into a quiet little place
And have a drink or two
And then I go and spoil it all, by saying something stupid
Like: I love you

I can see it in your eyes, that you despise the same old lies
You heard the night before
And though its just a line to you, for me its true
It never seemed so right before

I practice every day to find some clever lines to say
To make the meaning come through
But then I think Ill wait until the evening gets late
And Im alone with you

The time is right your perfume fills my head, the stars get red
And oh the nights so blue
And then I go and spoil it all, by saying something stupid
Like: I love you
(I love you, I love you,...)

- A devout romantic :-)

Fresh Ho Jao - Simply Refreshing!!

Superb song, though the advertisement could have had a better connect. But the music and Sushma Reddy make this such a compelling watch. Its great that the makers have come out with the complete track. In fact the lyrics are also so true and as you might have realised, even more so for me....Thaki si zindagi si, ruki si zindagi si...kuch lamhe chra lo na :)

Sung by Cara Lisa Monteiro:

Fuhaarein, bochharein, nazaaare chura lo na,
kuch boondein chura lo na;
Thaki si zindagi se, ruki si zindagi se,
kuch lamhe chura lo na…;

Kuch yaddein, aur sapne, apne chura lo na;
ooo Ruki si zindagi se, thaki si zindagi se,
raftaarein chura lo na…

lukka chupi khelti hai,
bheed mein hazaaron kaliyaan (hazaaron kaliyaan);
mmmm galiyon mein yun bheed banke,
chup gayi hain saari khushiyaan (saari….saari khushiyaan);
Khushiyon ko bula lo na,
muskaane churalo naaaa…
sulagti pyaas hai toh,
machalti pyaas hai toh;
ek limca churalo na.

Kuch yaddein, aur sapne, apne chura lo na;
Ruki si zindagi se, thaki si zindagi se,
raftaarein chura lo na…”

Reclaim Your Life (Part 1)...Start of the guilt trip!

The first ad of the Dicor series....It has always made me wonder whether there are people like me who feel helpless everyday and are still not able to do anything about it. Why cant we just walk away and follow our dreams...won't we be happier then....and make everyone else happier!!

Reclaim Your Life (Part 2)...What an Ad...What an Inspiration!!

This advertisement just means everything that is defined by "Institutionalization"....something against which i am going to fight tooth and nail all my life....

The urge to break out and the courage to follow dreams...hopefully will keep me from becoming part of the scrapyard of Satisfaction!!

Life goes by without you knowing, Can you feel it pass you by...Reclaim you life!