Urban India Shining, Common Man Suffering, BJP Reeling, Cong Surviving And Some Trivia
Urban India Shining: Its a hot job market in the IT sector, call centers and other areas driven by the sharp influx of multinational companies. Employee turn over is as high as 50% and salaries are growing by the day. Large Western Style malls have started to appear in the big cities. Forum and Bangalore Central are two such examples based in Bangalore. Large US style apartment complexes, packed with US returned families is common place, particularly in Bangalore. Unlike in the past, you can now see a number of foreigners (not tourists) on the roads of Bangalore. Almost everyone carries a cell phone these days and this market is here to grow. City roads are full of flyovers almost like going over speed breakers in school zone. Traffic congestion is a nightmare in most leading cities, particularly Banglore and Bombay. Kolkata was congested even before the IT boom. :-) Internet connection in India now easily available. Dial-up connection takes less than 5 minutes to setup and costs about Rs. 20 per hour. There are hordes of Internet cafes and cable/DSL is readily available in most leading cities.
Common Man Suffering: The general cost of living has gone up quite a bit, leaving the common man in the midst of a severe cash crunch. Rents have more than doubled in the past few years, cost of power, labor, travel etc has all gone up. On the one hand you find restaurants that charge hundreds of rupees for a single dish, packed with people, on the other you have farmers committing suicide because they are unable to meet their expenses and the monsoons have failed to turn up.
BJP Reeling: The former ruling party is in the midst of serious crisis. The party is acting like it was hit by a "fierce Jeff Thompson bouncer". In other words, its wobbling around looking for something to hang on to. Vajpayee wanted to fire Modi and lead the party overall into a more moderate persona. However, the threats from RSS, VHP and other hardliners within the party forced the leadership to sway more towards its roots --- the so called Hindutva platform. Given Vajpayee's inability to dump Modi and to prevent the push for a hardline hindutva platform, the aging Vajpayee seems to clearly be on his way out. If the current govt. lasts beyond 6-8 months it might be curtains for the veteran BJP leader and former PM.
Congress Surviving: The Congress led by Manmohan Singh from the outside and Sonia from the inside, is managing to survive. This inside-outside formula, if this govt. survives, could actually develop into a new dynamic in Indian politics. An ideal arrangement is one were the party President is extremely powerful and deals primarily with other coalition partners, while govt. and public policy is set and executed by more knowledgeable individuals (a la Manmohan Singh, Chidambaram, Natwar Singh etc.)
The next BIG thing for the govt. is the new budget which is due to be announced this month. The contradictions within the coalition are yet to create any major tensions. Ironically, what is likely to keep these coalition members together is not so much their love for one another but their dislike for their common enemy -- BJP. Most people I talked to seemed to think that this govt. is unlikely to last not more than 6 months to a year!
Lastly, our cricketers are everywhere from the TV to the billboards, you can't miss them. Tendulkar, Dravid and Sehwag being the most commonly seen faces. A new season and the associated craze is scheduled to begin later this month. Euro cup was actively followed and with cable TV this telecast is reaching out to more people in India than ever before.
Monday, 5 July 2004
Yuva -- Hindi Movie Review
After a long break, Director Mani Ratnam retuns to hindi cinema with Yuva, a movie starring Abhishek Bacchan, Rani Mukherjee, Ajay Devgan, Esha Deol, Vivek Oberoi and Kareena Kapoor. The film is about three young men (and their sweet hearts, of course) and how their lives get intertwined by a series of events (inspiration at this level obviously drawn from Teen Dewarein, Dil Chahta Hai). Without getting into details about the weak story line here is a review of the various aspects of the film.
The movie scores highly on technicalities (photography, lighting etc.) but has several weak weather-beaten characters, many of whom can simply be "cut and paste" from scores of other films. Given three heroes and three heroines, the obsession with technical finesse, the commitment to masala aspects like song and dance, and fights, Director Mani Ratnam finds little time to explore the characters and their motivations. He appears to be caught up in a constant dilemma between "Message and Masala". The underlying message is that young people must get involved in politics and help fix the country, while the masala includes 5-6 songs, the troika of heroes and heroines, and a stereotypical villain (portrayed as a politician, of course) and a handful of thugs.
Ajay Devgan plays the role of student leader. Ajay Devgan as a college student? Give me a break! This was a perfect opportunity for the Director to introduce a young newcomer who truly fit the role (like Vivek Oberoi first appeared in Company) rather than going with the star du jour irrespective of whether he fit the role or not. To mobilize an entire student group, win a series of elections and stand up to a bunch of political goondas is no mean task. For a young college student to achieve this requires a deep convictions and strong beliefs, neither of which were ever explored by the director. Ajay Devgan and Esha Deol somehow don't seem to gel well as a couple (this is a highly personal view). Moreover, why and how they came together is a mystery that was never explained.
Abhishek Bacchan will have to wait beyond Yuva for his elusive hit film. He does a decent job as the tough guy. Unfortunately, we have seen identical tough guys in umpteen hindi films. In other words, the role has nothing new to offer and there is not much Abhishek can do beyond going through the motions. Rani Mukherjee handles her stereotypical "will always support my husband" role with aplomb. One can easily find this character in so many hindi films. So a complete waste of her talents.
Vivek Oberoi as Arjun (seemingly inspired by Amir Khan in Dil Chahta Hai) and Kareena as his sweetheart are the best of the three couples. Kareena in casual dresses with minimal make-up comes across refreshingly different from her roles in other films. Vivek Oberoi does a nice job as the aspiring US immigrant. Anant Nag as Arjun's dad has a perennial "what am I doing here" expression. Another waste of a good actor.
Om Puri, again a "cut and past" character. I am starting to sound like a stuck record! Even the romantic sequences between each of the three couples are very very similar -- aggressive hugging and kissing, hero carries sweetheart, chases her around, they fall and roll over each other etc. Mani Ratnam appears to have lost one of his strong skills -- attention to detail (partly visbile in the relationship between Arjun and his younger brother).
Lastly it is a mystery as to why the movie is set in Kolkata. Barring Om Puri's occasional fake, dismal Bengali accent, there is absolutely nothing in the film that warrants being based in Kolkata. The final stunts sequences in the midst of the traffic on Howrah bridge is completely senseless. A more beleivable (sufficiently different) end to the film might have been one where, Ajay Devgan and Abhishek's characters are eliminated by violence while Arjun kisses good-bye to his political aspirations and heads off to the US!
Rahman's music is nothing to write home about. Some of the songs might become interesting after listening to them a few times. Certainly nothing memorable to a first time listener.
In short, this is a "time pass" film. The biggest disappointment of the film is the director himself. In an attempt to blend message with masala, the Director delivers a concoction that won't put you to sleep, but won't make you stand up and take notice either. Its sad to see the constant deterioration of Mani Ratnam's films.
The movie scores highly on technicalities (photography, lighting etc.) but has several weak weather-beaten characters, many of whom can simply be "cut and paste" from scores of other films. Given three heroes and three heroines, the obsession with technical finesse, the commitment to masala aspects like song and dance, and fights, Director Mani Ratnam finds little time to explore the characters and their motivations. He appears to be caught up in a constant dilemma between "Message and Masala". The underlying message is that young people must get involved in politics and help fix the country, while the masala includes 5-6 songs, the troika of heroes and heroines, and a stereotypical villain (portrayed as a politician, of course) and a handful of thugs.
Ajay Devgan plays the role of student leader. Ajay Devgan as a college student? Give me a break! This was a perfect opportunity for the Director to introduce a young newcomer who truly fit the role (like Vivek Oberoi first appeared in Company) rather than going with the star du jour irrespective of whether he fit the role or not. To mobilize an entire student group, win a series of elections and stand up to a bunch of political goondas is no mean task. For a young college student to achieve this requires a deep convictions and strong beliefs, neither of which were ever explored by the director. Ajay Devgan and Esha Deol somehow don't seem to gel well as a couple (this is a highly personal view). Moreover, why and how they came together is a mystery that was never explained.
Abhishek Bacchan will have to wait beyond Yuva for his elusive hit film. He does a decent job as the tough guy. Unfortunately, we have seen identical tough guys in umpteen hindi films. In other words, the role has nothing new to offer and there is not much Abhishek can do beyond going through the motions. Rani Mukherjee handles her stereotypical "will always support my husband" role with aplomb. One can easily find this character in so many hindi films. So a complete waste of her talents.
Vivek Oberoi as Arjun (seemingly inspired by Amir Khan in Dil Chahta Hai) and Kareena as his sweetheart are the best of the three couples. Kareena in casual dresses with minimal make-up comes across refreshingly different from her roles in other films. Vivek Oberoi does a nice job as the aspiring US immigrant. Anant Nag as Arjun's dad has a perennial "what am I doing here" expression. Another waste of a good actor.
Om Puri, again a "cut and past" character. I am starting to sound like a stuck record! Even the romantic sequences between each of the three couples are very very similar -- aggressive hugging and kissing, hero carries sweetheart, chases her around, they fall and roll over each other etc. Mani Ratnam appears to have lost one of his strong skills -- attention to detail (partly visbile in the relationship between Arjun and his younger brother).
Lastly it is a mystery as to why the movie is set in Kolkata. Barring Om Puri's occasional fake, dismal Bengali accent, there is absolutely nothing in the film that warrants being based in Kolkata. The final stunts sequences in the midst of the traffic on Howrah bridge is completely senseless. A more beleivable (sufficiently different) end to the film might have been one where, Ajay Devgan and Abhishek's characters are eliminated by violence while Arjun kisses good-bye to his political aspirations and heads off to the US!
Rahman's music is nothing to write home about. Some of the songs might become interesting after listening to them a few times. Certainly nothing memorable to a first time listener.
In short, this is a "time pass" film. The biggest disappointment of the film is the director himself. In an attempt to blend message with masala, the Director delivers a concoction that won't put you to sleep, but won't make you stand up and take notice either. Its sad to see the constant deterioration of Mani Ratnam's films.
Thursday, 10 June 2004
Middle East Mess Recipe
French President Jacque Chirac recently said:
``Democracy is not a method; it's a culture, Reform is not imposed from the outside. It is accomplished from the inside.'' See the full report report
This is a very sensible comment from the French. I only wish they had pursued this line of argument to oppose the war in Iraq at an earlier date. They have further emphasized that democracy can't be achieved in the Middle East without solving the Arab-Israeli conflict. Focusing on solving this conflict is the most sensible thing leading world nations can do rather than identifying a target list of rogue nations, axis of evil etc. and going around invading them. Given the mess that has been created in the middle east, thanks to the current US administration, its painful but true that this mess can be fairly easily re-created given the right framework. So here goes...
Picture this -- you are assigned to maintain law and order in a town where two groups are constantly clashing because of certain differences.
Don't try to address the differences between the groups, instead simply draw up a short list of you favorite violent elements and start beating them up!
Then you go around making statements in favor of one of the groups.
Imprison a bunch of people and torture and humiliate them. Make sure youtae some pictures
And remember when all hell breaks loose, make sure no one takes responsibility, and don't fire anyone.
Lastly, be sure to start a lengthy investigation which will lead no where, of course.
Throw in a bit of religion if you care for any and your own "Middle East Mess" is ready.
``Democracy is not a method; it's a culture, Reform is not imposed from the outside. It is accomplished from the inside.'' See the full report report
This is a very sensible comment from the French. I only wish they had pursued this line of argument to oppose the war in Iraq at an earlier date. They have further emphasized that democracy can't be achieved in the Middle East without solving the Arab-Israeli conflict. Focusing on solving this conflict is the most sensible thing leading world nations can do rather than identifying a target list of rogue nations, axis of evil etc. and going around invading them. Given the mess that has been created in the middle east, thanks to the current US administration, its painful but true that this mess can be fairly easily re-created given the right framework. So here goes...
Throw in a bit of religion if you care for any and your own "Middle East Mess" is ready.
Wednesday, 9 June 2004
DAC 2004 -- It's all time and place!
I took a day trip to San Diego to check out Design Automation Conference 2004's exhibits on Mon 6/7. The best part about the travel is that the convention center is barely 10 min away from the airport. As expected there were so many DAC visitors on the plane that I piled on with three others on a taxi ride!
As always I renewed a number of old contacts and made a few new ones. I thought the attendance was a shade better than last year.
Logicvision didn't turn up (either they are saving on cash or don't find this conf. useful anymore) this year. The last time I noticed a company that didn't show up was Get2Chip. It was acquired shortly thereafter.
The EDA industry hasn't changed much from an outsider's perspective. Still a $3-4B industry. Very critical to the semiconductor industry, but can't seem to get paid more for the value they provide. Three large players (Mentor, Synopsys, Cadence) and one up and coming large player (Magma). Then a whole slew of startups, all mostly providing niche products and hoping to be acquired by one of these big three.
Mentor acquired 0-In and Matrixone acquired Synchronicity.
An interesting perspective from Intel CTO. There could be some interesting changes in the industry with some new stuff coming up to address the issues he talks about. As chips get smaller, designing them efficiently so they turn out in high quality in a predictable fashion is not going to be easy. I suspect there are some new opportunities here. I also think that there is a huge opportunity in education/training. So much of new tools and technologies that are going to fundamentally transform design methodologies and so many people the world over to be trained and supported!
Most of the standup folks hired in the booths were pretty lame.
The Cadence booth was perennially full, thanks to the free food. Unlike last year no free beer was served after 4.00 pm.
Lastly, I shook hands with Art de Geus, Synopsys CEO when he came by to meet my publisher (I happened to be talking with him). I also shook hands with the Cadence CTO, Ted Vucurevich (again, I happened to be talking with an old acquaintance at the Cadence booth). My moment of glory and brush with fame, ladies and gentlemen! .....it's all about time and place :-)
Lastly, I shook hands with Art de Geus, Synopsys CEO when he came by to meet my publisher (I happened to be talking with him). I also shook hands with the Cadence CTO, Ted Vucurevich (again, I happened to be talking with an old acquaintance at the Cadence booth). My moment of glory and brush with fame, ladies and gentlemen! .....it's all about time and place :-)
Presidential Election - How about GC holders?
The recent Businessweek had a good article on the Presidntial election and why the process of electing the President has to change. Very well researched, analyzed and written.
I wish they had mentioned about voting rights for green card holders. If green card holders live here for many years and pay taxes like anyone else, it makes sense that they have a right to vote, especially, given that these days the US President can wreck havoc all over the globe.
I wish they had mentioned about voting rights for green card holders. If green card holders live here for many years and pay taxes like anyone else, it makes sense that they have a right to vote, especially, given that these days the US President can wreck havoc all over the globe.
Sunday, 6 June 2004
Museum of Dotcomm era excesses
There is no better place to see first hand how much things have changed since the dotcomm days. I recently visited our ISP's co-location facility. Man, that place is like a ghost town. A large lobby with just one attendant! If you are not careful you'll miss him. You get your access approval from him and find your way through several doors and corridors until you get to your servers. Its cold and empty!
I remember the days when the same facility was packed with people and machines. In those days, if you were not careful you could easily mess up the neighboring servers. Today so many cages are empty with no machines whatsoever. There is an eerie silence and emptiness that is almost frightening.
I remember the days when the same facility was packed with people and machines. In those days, if you were not careful you could easily mess up the neighboring servers. Today so many cages are empty with no machines whatsoever. There is an eerie silence and emptiness that is almost frightening.
Tuesday, 1 June 2004
Operation Legacy - The SCCC Veterans Rendezvous
A fledgling but fast going group of Santa Clara Cricket Club Veterans got together yesterday at the Tied House in Mountain View throwing caution to the winds and guzzling eye-brow raising amounts of beer, bringing back memories of the early to mid 90s when Tony & Alba's, Duke of Edinborough and other joints suffered from acute beer shortage until Krish-bhai flew to Germany for re-fills and fresh supplies.
The SCCC veteran's coterie included Kiran, Bharat, Prasad, Babu, TR and Pran. Krish and Radha were unable to attend as was Pradeep. It was an extremely warm day, so warm that Bharat-bhai lost his way (very much like old times) and made it to the 5 pm meeting shortly after 6.00 pm. TR braved a meeting with his boss at 5.30 pm and arrived shortly before the end of happy hour. So happy were the rest of the veterans assembled there that they promptly ordered another beer to welcome TR and kiss a painful goodbye to the Happy Hour.
Beer & Apps flowed as the veterans reminisced about old times and simultaneously hatched a plan to form a stealth team to challenge the best of current SCCC-ites. However, there was a clear dilemma -- should we stake out our ageing muscles and challenge the best of SCCC or "take it easy" and butt heads against the socials. This issue is still open to debate and will be finalized after subsequent discussions within the impromptu veterans governing council. The current target date is around 10, July subject to availability and fitnesss of the veterans, the oppenents, the grounds etc. The war cry on both sides is clear, "Bring them on!"
As for the news update and other highlights---
Bombay is now based in Bangalore. If India can shine, Naidu can be logged out, Govinda and Jayprada can win, sure Bombay can be in Bangalore. The veterans are hoping they can organize a get together when he is here next and absorb some his limitless energy.
Bharath-bhai is with a startup in San Bruno. Babu is gearing up to re-join the work force (stay tuned for a more formal announcement regarding this). TR and Prasad are in the semiconductor business as they have been historically. Your truly still has his start-up gig going. Kiran, formerly with Andiamo Networks is now with Cisco. Someone asked if Andiamo Networks got its name from Andy Bechtolsheim :-)
Prasad-bhai said he used to walk four times a day (before the kids came along) and promptly corrected himself to say he used to walk four times a week!
There were a couple of humorous moments before Kiran and Bhrath-bhai arrived. The veterans who had assembled were anxiously looking at everyone who entered the Tied House to confirm if they were part of the veteran's coterie. One turned out to be a woman and another an elderly gentleman in his 50s. These mistaken identities were put to bed the moment Kiron strolled out displaying supreme fitness as he grabbed the first pint with the ease of a sharp catch at square leg.
Prasad-bhai was the first wicket to fall after barely managing a pint, while Babu who survived several close calls on his cell phone until he said "I am on my way!" to the approving nod of the other SCCC veterans, who seem to imply, "Been there, done it!". TR was open to a carrying his bat into the night given his temporary bachelorhood, but unfortunately he was soon running out of partners, barring an MT correspondent who offered him a polite stroll to the parking lot.
On popular demand, Morgan Times might have some re-runs in the run up to the battle of "The Men vs. The Boys" provided the archives are still available. Stay tuned...
p.s: If you are a SCCC veteran and would like re-join the fast growing circuit please contact a veteran nearest you or simply respond on this blog and you'll be notified of the next rendezvous.
The SCCC veteran's coterie included Kiran, Bharat, Prasad, Babu, TR and Pran. Krish and Radha were unable to attend as was Pradeep. It was an extremely warm day, so warm that Bharat-bhai lost his way (very much like old times) and made it to the 5 pm meeting shortly after 6.00 pm. TR braved a meeting with his boss at 5.30 pm and arrived shortly before the end of happy hour. So happy were the rest of the veterans assembled there that they promptly ordered another beer to welcome TR and kiss a painful goodbye to the Happy Hour.
Beer & Apps flowed as the veterans reminisced about old times and simultaneously hatched a plan to form a stealth team to challenge the best of current SCCC-ites. However, there was a clear dilemma -- should we stake out our ageing muscles and challenge the best of SCCC or "take it easy" and butt heads against the socials. This issue is still open to debate and will be finalized after subsequent discussions within the impromptu veterans governing council. The current target date is around 10, July subject to availability and fitnesss of the veterans, the oppenents, the grounds etc. The war cry on both sides is clear, "Bring them on!"
As for the news update and other highlights---
Prasad-bhai said he used to walk four times a day (before the kids came along) and promptly corrected himself to say he used to walk four times a week!
There were a couple of humorous moments before Kiran and Bhrath-bhai arrived. The veterans who had assembled were anxiously looking at everyone who entered the Tied House to confirm if they were part of the veteran's coterie. One turned out to be a woman and another an elderly gentleman in his 50s. These mistaken identities were put to bed the moment Kiron strolled out displaying supreme fitness as he grabbed the first pint with the ease of a sharp catch at square leg.
Prasad-bhai was the first wicket to fall after barely managing a pint, while Babu who survived several close calls on his cell phone until he said "I am on my way!" to the approving nod of the other SCCC veterans, who seem to imply, "Been there, done it!". TR was open to a carrying his bat into the night given his temporary bachelorhood, but unfortunately he was soon running out of partners, barring an MT correspondent who offered him a polite stroll to the parking lot.
On popular demand, Morgan Times might have some re-runs in the run up to the battle of "The Men vs. The Boys" provided the archives are still available. Stay tuned...
p.s: If you are a SCCC veteran and would like re-join the fast growing circuit please contact a veteran nearest you or simply respond on this blog and you'll be notified of the next rendezvous.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)