Maniratnam, Biographies and Biopics

There are too many good books out there. But, there are very few books which make you mutter Oh My God and Holy Cow every now and then! No, I am not talking about porn or soft porn books.
To me one among them was Barbarians at the Gate, the LBO of RJR Nabisco. I felt it was the mother of all books when it comes to giving the insider view of how the company works.  I also felt, never ever such a book could be written on Indian companies.
Well, only recently I read Polyester Prince, of course not written by an Indian! Though wiki says it is banned, Guha says it is just unavailable!

It is not just the biography of Dhirubai Ambani not the history of Reliance. In a sense, it is very much the history of India itself, its economy, stock market, politics, the mindset of the people.

The contents are much more explosive than any Hollywood and Bollywood movies. (at least for me)

It does explicitly names the people involved and the deeds done by them. At certain places, though author explicitly doesnt names the people, it is pretty obvious where he is pointing his fingers!

Though i was outraged and enraged at the things (allegations) Ambani has did, I do admire the sheer  Geniusness and the capability of Ambani to run the company, stock market and the Government of India itself.

I have heard personally from one of my friend who worked in building one of their plant, it was one of the best in the world. Best of the machinery, best of the technology in the world and No compromises on that. You could also conclude the friend who told me was also the best and he knew what he was telling me.He also did tell me the operating cost[the cost of converstion of one barrel of crude oil to other useful forms] was much more less than Shell by many factors.
I am very sure this was the guiding and founding principle from their early days and all their plants or operations would have adhered to the same standard.

If only Ambani did play the stock market as mentioned in the book all you wallstreet finance whiz kids, who couldnt avert Lehman or any other such crisis, go spend a fortnight on the grave of Ambani!

And for the influence, If only lobbying had been legal and structured in India, would we still consider what Ambani did was wrong?

I also couldnt help thinking if this much could be culled out by an Australian, how much dirt or as Ambani himself says, what else lies under the beautiful fountain he has built over!

Though the author washes much of the dirty linen and brings out the skeletons from the closet, I think he himself admires and applauds Ambani in a back handed manner. Also long back, he has pointed out at the possibility of rivalry among the brothers.

No one can better sum up about the Ambani and be the best jury rather than the concluding pages of the book!

Now to stay true to the title of the post :)
There have been times, I have held Maniratnam at awe. After watching English movies, started thinking, may be Mani doesn't deserves the hype he deserves.

But, after reading this book, Mani has been elevated back to the pedestal.

His Guru and Iruvar had been my all time favourites.
Iruvar, no one else could have actually captured the 40 years of history of Tamilnadu in Celluloid. The same goes with Ambani and his Guru movie. Mani has actually lifted references of Ambani from this book [Salam, Different slippers and Drinking to name a few]
Again as Mani himself as said, his movies are not biographies as he only draws inspirations from real time storis and weaves a story of his own.[Mani himself as admitted even his Agni Natchitram and Alaipayuthe were inspired by real stories of unknown faceless people] or make a few changes here and there for the revieweres to say, this is where it is not true to the reality.
Still kudos and three cheers to Mani.
If you haven't watched either of this two movies, you should, even if you are not a movie watching guy.[yeah i  talking to you :)))]

Full Disclosure: I have the climax of Guru in my lappy and watch it every now and then, whenever i feel low. :) :P :D

N.B
It is a best read to motivate you to acheive towards success rather than any of the other self development books. Remember Ambani says Never break the law :))

Reviewing the Confessions

Once upon a time, I was an avid reader of English fiction. After sometime, I lost interest in fiction as a whole. There weren't too many authors whom i liked and whom i liked did not churn out too many books. The so called Indian authors (spurred by the Success of Chatan Sorry Chetan Bhagat) never appealed to me. Read few of them completely because, i bought them by paying money. Some in hope that at least some point of time, the book will have something worth while. From then on, I ran a mile away on the prospect of buying them.
A stroll in the Landmark stall (or is it in Westland) at the Chennai book fair, this book definitely caught my attention. The byline of the book,Confessions of a confused accountant  was the one that intrigued me. While I wanted to write the review, I took the book to check something, only then i realized the name of the book was scammed but not confessions.[As it appears in the title of the post]
[Yeah, now I (You) know how people buy the books, just a look and if it appeals they buy, no reading nothing.] I decided to order it online in Landmark. [Their Twitter folks are one of the best, I have seen. More on it later]

It is all about a nobody accountant who becomes a super star CEO. Nah it is not all about the rags to riches story but the dirty things that happen to you in the due process and later.

It definitely has a story. A narration that is good enough to get your attention and make it read in one go. Most importantly,no loose ends or logical flaws that laughs at your face. Above all, the final twist in the tale. Yeah, I love the story that has a surprise at the end!

As well, certain parts of the story are more predictable but it gels with the over all plot and the theme. So no complaints on that part.

The author is anonymous. May be it is a marketing gimmick or may be a real story where the author really wants to be anonymous. The story is so convincing enough to give you a make belief feel,that it might have happened for real but fat chance. At the same time i couldnt help wonder, whether has it took too many cues from the Satyam saga?

The story is being set in Hyderabad, a multinational audit firm, auditors jailed barred, missing promoters, political connections.Anything more, i would be telling you the story.

It also reminded me of the movie, "Fun with Dick and Jane" where Jim Carrey gets promoted only to be left holding the bag. The final interview part by the hero reminded me of the interview of the Robin Varghese in the Dork book. Above all, certain "very romantic" parts were so artificial and seemed like the editor suggested, "Hey why there is no sex at all? Can you add that up to spice as it is an important ingredient in the formula?"

You can buy the book here for 130 or wait and possibly spend 200 + to watch as movie in a multiplex ;)

R.S.S

RSS என்றால் மசூதியை இடித்தவர்கள் மட்டும்தான் என இவ்வளவு நாள் நினைத்திருந்தேன். பார்த்தால் பாவிகள் காந்தியையும் கொன்றிருக்கிறார்கள் என்பதை பாரா எழுதிய ஆர்.எஸ்.எஸ் படித்து தான் தெரிந்துக் கொண்டேன்.


அது மட்டுமல்ல. ஆர்.எஸ்.எஸ் பிரமாணர்களின் கூடாரமல்ல, சாதியை ஒழிக்க விரும்பியவர்கள். கோவாவை கொண்டு சேர்த்ததில் முக்கியப் பங்காற்றியவர்கள்.தேசபக்தி நிரம்பியவர்கள்.கலாச்சாரக் காவலர்கள்(!) எனவும் கண்டு கொண்டேன்.

மோடியின் அனைத்து செய்கைகளும் சுமாராக புரிந்தது. எடியூரப்பா புரியவில்லை. அவர்களின் மிகப்பெரிய சாபக்கேடு இவர்தான்!

இயக்கமென்றால் இப்படித்தான் இருக்க வேண்டும் என்று இவர்களை பார்த்து கற்றுக் கொள்ள வேண்டும். வெவ்வேறு கொள்கைகளுக்காக வெவ்வேறு கிளை நிறுவனங்களை நிறுவும் புத்திசாலித்தனம் தான் என்ன!

ஆர்.எஸ்.எஸ் இயக்கத்தின் வரலாற்றை அதன் பின்புலத்தோடும்[பிரிவினை, காந்தி] பல்வேறு காலக் கட்டங்களில் அவர்களின் செயல்பாட்டையும் நிலைப்பாட்டையும் படிக்கும் போது அந்த இயக்கத்திற்கு கொடுக்க வேண்டிய மதிப்பையும் முக்கியத்துவத்தையும் நாம் தருவதில்லை என்று தான் தோன்றுகிறது.

இவர்களின் கட்டுக்கோப்பு, கொள்கைகள் மற்றும் மதச்சார்பு தான் இவர்களின் பலமும் பலவீனமும்! மதச்சார்பு மட்டுமில்லாமலிருந்தால் எனத் தோன்றும் அதே சமயம் மதச்சார்பு இல்லையென்றால் இயக்கம் நீர்த்து போகும் என்னும் உண்மை உரைக்கிறது. மதச்சார்பு கூட இவர்களுக்கு கிடையாது ஹிந்துச்சார்பு தான் என்றும், ஹிந்து என்பதற்கும் இவர்கள் தரும் வியாக்கியானம் எத்தனை ஆர்.எஸ்.எஸ்காரர்களுக்குத் தெரியும் எனத் தெரியவில்லை.அது எல்லாம் அவர்களுக்குப் புரிந்து நமக்கும் புரியும் முன் கரசேவகர்களின் சேவை கண் முன் நிற்கும்!

ஆர்.எஸ்.எஸ் தவற விட்ட தருணங்களையும் தெரிந்தே செய்த தவறுகளின் பட்டியலையும் குலைநடுங்கச் செய்யும் கோர முகத்தையும் காணும் போது ராகுல் காந்தி தான் இந்த இயக்கத்தின் தீவிர சக்தியை நன்கு புரிந்து வைத்திருக்கிறார் எனவும் தோன்றியது. ;)

அதேசமயம் புத்தகத்தை முடித்த பின்னர் ஆர்.எஸ்.எஸ் மீது மதிப்பு கூடவில்லையென்றாலும் வெறுப்பு குறையும். யார் படிக்க வேண்டுமோ இல்லையோ ஒவ்வொரு ஆர்.எஸ்.எஸ் காரனும் படிக்க வேண்டிய புத்தகம்.

இது மாதிரியான புத்தகம் எல்லாம் என் தேனீர் கோப்பைக்கானதல்ல என நினைத்திருந்தேன். ஆனால் என்னையும் விடாமல் படிக்க வைத்தது! இதோ இதை எல்லாம் எழுதவும் வைத்தது.

மதம் மதம் மேலும் மதம் என்று வைத்திருக்கலாம் என்பது அடியேனின் எண்ணம்.

Buzz Fizz

Right now, we all know that Buzz did not create, quite a buzz but was a fizz. Nobody would have even given a damn to this, if it was not creating the privacy havoc!

Why did Buzz fail??

It is just against the laws of nature!

In their book, "Origin of Brands", Ries and Ries, state and argue that, "Convergence is Crap", Divergence is Divine. They go on to give examples and prove the above mentioned statement.The book compares the origin of brands and origin of species and gives recipe to successful brands.

Now compare this with the so called social media!!Twitter is for tweets, Blogger is for Blogs. Picassa is to share pictures. Gmail is to send mails. Gtalk is for chat.

You dont mail all people who are in your network in a networking site.You dont chat with all the people to whom you send mail.

Nowadays you have your blog friends, tweet friends, chat friends, mail friends and orkut/facebook friends.
 
Definitely you dont want to bring all this together. In fact it would be better if they are all kept apart.[and you would want it that way]
 
And when you try to bring any of these together, all you get is a mess like buzz or a wave that dont reach the shores!
 
So even for social media, the origin of species do apply! and even here "Convergence is Crap" "Divergence is Divine"
 
p.s
After reading this post, if you feel, "something is missing in this post" "there is quite something wrong that i cant lay my finger on" voila I(Ries and Ries) have proved my(their) point.
This is what happens to a reader when an author tries to converge a book review and product review.

அன்றும் இன்றும் மனிதன் மாறிவிட்டானா?

ரொம்ப காலமாகவே படங்களை நியாயமான முறையில் தான் பார்த்து வருகிறேன். MoserBaer-ம் Big Flix-ம் தான் காரணம்.Pirated DVD களின் தரமும், Online Download Speed-ம் மற்ற துணைக் காரணங்கள்.

சில நாட்களாய் புத்தகங்களிலும் இதே நிலைமை. எல்லாம் காசுக்கடக்கமான புத்தகங்கள். அடங்க வில்லையெனில் ஒழுங்காக வாங்கியவர்களிடமிருந்து ஒசி வாங்குகிறேன். அனாயசமாக Online-ல் படிக்க முடிந்தாலும் கண்களை கருத்தில் வைத்து Avoid செய்து விடுகிறேன்.

என்னை மாதிரி ஜீவன்களுக்காகவே LandMark-ல் தமிழ் ஆங்கிலம் என வித்தியாசம் இல்லாமல், எவ்வளவு குறைவான காசுக்கு வாங்கினாலும், Free Shipping மற்றும் Discount உடன் Online-ல் புத்தகம் விற்கிறார்கள், அருமையான Packing, சரியான Delivery உடன்.[இதற்கு முன் ஒரு புத்தகத்தை 58-கு வாங்கினேன்]

Site-ல் Filterகள் எல்லாம் போட்டு,தேடுவதற்கு மேலும் வசதி செய்யலாம். இவர்கள் தரும் போது கிழக்கில் ஏன் தருவதில்லை?

எங்கள் அலுவலகத்தில் இருக்கும் ஒரு கடையில் 20% தள்ளுபடி இருந்தும், கேட்ட புத்தகங்கள் மெயின் கடையில் இருந்து தருவிக்கிறோம் என்று சொல்லி டபாய்த்ததால், மீண்டும் LandMark Site-ல் Land ஆனேன்.

இதற்கு இவ்வளவு அறிமுகம் என்றால், குறுந்தொகை ஒரு எளிய அறிமுகம் என்ற புத்தகத்தை வாங்கி படித்துக் கொண்டிருக்கிறேன் என்பதை சொல்லத்தான். :) :)

சுஜாதா எழுத்தைப்ற்றி புதிதாக பிரஸ்தாபிக்க எதுவுமில்லை.
ஆரம்ப பக்கங்களே ஆபாரம் தான், ஆனால் மூன்று பக்கங்கள் தாண்டும் முன்னரே மூச்சு மூட்டுகிறது. கனமான சாரம் தான் காரணம். புத்தகமும் Hard Binding இல்லாமல் PaperBack இருந்திருக்கலாம்.

பாடல்களை விளக்கம் இல்லாமல் படித்தால் ஓன்றும் விளங்குவதில்லை.
சங்க கால தமிழுக்கும் சமகால தமிழுக்கும் கால இடைவெளி பல மாற்றங்களை கொண்டு வந்திருந்தாலும், மனிதனின் அகப் பொருள் வாழ்வில் அன்றும் இன்றும் அதே பிரச்னைகள் தான்!

My Statement on 2 states, the marriage of my life

It took three days and a couple of calls to courier company for the book to reach my home rather room from landmark. As soon as i reached home, i laid my hands on the book, even before i removed my back pack. I removed it only after finishing the book. Well i usually finish my fiction in one sessions.
Five point some one did bring chuckles and i was laughing to myself like crazy. 2 states too did the same but in multifold than five point some one.Well writing gets better with your experience.Considering I felt, reading One night at call centre and three mistakes of my life as two mistakes of my life, two states was quite gripping.Hats off to Mr Chetan Bhagat for bringing back his magic.

The unexplained sudden change of heart by his father is the weakest link in the novel.

Fiction or truly inspired, he really have did his research well with depiction of chennai so close to reality.[Couldnt help wonder, did he really knew the meaning of the few tamil words he uses!!][I could have suggested with much more toned down lighter words! :) ;)]

As well could have toned down the stereotypes, northie southie stuff. Far from reality dude.

For sure he has learnt a thing or two about marketing in IIMA, if not why to insert references from "Five Point Someone" which might tempt you to read it again[it definitely tempted me]

Well the dramas in his stories make me feel that [ in three mistakes that trip to australia] [In two states, the concert, atleast here it gels well with the story] he writes them such that they could be easily adapted to movies[Again an IIT engineer would know a thing or two about reusability too.]

At the same time Wondering why he has to throw some robin sharma kind of stuff in his novels?

Why Such lashing out on the Silicon Valley/Techie NRI's? [In two states, it is Harish, in one night at call centre a guy from microsoft?]

The dedication at the beginning of the book is different and well deserved too[ I have always felt, sudha's dad never got his due credit for the success of narayanamoorthy!] But why the asterisk/footnote/disclaimer over the dedication? Oh I get it, that was to pacify your mother right :) :)

Is that the blue blooded back ground of IIT and IIM that makes him tick? Would [he] would have gained this attention or reputation with out his alma maters.

Well I dont deny that he writes well, but his stories or plots are not that great. They are successful because he writes well about what the english reading adult male or female in the age group of 18-40 could really associate very well. He knows his customer profile pretty good and it helps that this demography is pretty large contributing to his numbers.

Once the tamil writer sujatha remarked, Mix the facts and fictions together in proper proportions and leave the reader wondering[or confusing] which is the fact and which is the fiction. Chetan Bhagat does sticks to this in a holistical manner by making it a point to blatantly accept/hint his stories are
based upon true life incidents.[ even dan brown does the same but just in an altogether different bigger plane]

Hope he does not runs out of steam from good real life inspirations to keep us laughing like crazy all alone in the middle of the night.

The White Tiger By a Couch Tiger

There have been some movies, which have quite disturbed me. If there was a book that left me in awe,dazed,confused, enraged and in lots of other feelings that would be WHITE TIGER.The uniqueness is not only on the premise, setting,twists and turns, the plot but blending all these without exaggeration still making it an interesting read. The fiction is so close to be a non-fiction, that I was so tempted to mail boss@whitetiger-technologydrivers.com.Mr Aravind Adiga, you really deserve the booker for your first novel.

Having said that, I would be glad if you could share your secrets of success, just like you shared the secrets of balram halwai to the chinese premier.

Did the title, bangalore tigers inspire this title?

Did you write the entire novel on a machintosh?

Do you write only at the middle of the night?

Do you have a fascination or liking towards the chandelier?

Do you practice one hour of yoga daily?

Do you own a maruti/toyoto qualis/honda city?

Are you afraid of lizards?

Do you really like those three poets you mentioned?

Who the hell is the fourth poet that you never mention?

Where and when and how did you get an inspiration for the novel?

How much time did it take to write/research this novel?

Enough questions for Aravind Adiga,

Likes of Danny Boyle, haven't you yet bought the movie rights for the White Tiger? I can't wait to see another OSCARS in the hands of A.R Rahman.

When and who will write and publish this book in Tamil?

if you ask me why this post now? Did i took my sweet time to read? Was i lazy enough to blog about it? Or am i just posting it now which i wrote some months back?

Well it takes time for a guy like me who is yet in the darkness,yet who hasn't come out of the cage to lay hands on the book where the total price is more than the number of pages of the book even to borrow it!

p.s
Well some of the answers could be seen here, here and there