Recently I was to meet a friend for some work. He felt we meet after working hours at his office, so we could talk at ease. When I reached, he wasn’t at his desk and the staff outside the training room informed me wisely “Meeting chalu hai, lagta hai 8 baje tak chalegi, Boss sabki ‘class’ le rahe hai. Aap friend ko whatsapp karo !” Having worked for decades in a Bank, I knew what ‘Class Lena’ meant if Boss wasn’t in a happy mood. In reply to the message my friend asked me to wait or come back after about one hour.

The wait seemed endless to me, counting minutes, then hours. The meeting went on for excruciating 125 Mts, the length of an OTT film, which if chosen well, could’ve engaged & spurred staff to action for the results that the Boss was so laboriously harping upon. The indispensable ‘meeting’ culture is still alive in our offices despite the all round debate raging on about work-life balance, extended working hours & employee fatigue affecting productivity. Late sittings and working 12-14 hours is still signifying diligence.

Winding the clock back to the 1980s and our early work-years, for us it was all ‘baptism by fire’ working through the week. In those days, Saturday half-day was converted into a full day for backlog clearance and Sunday reserved for full day meetings with Higher Authorities. Relentless one-way tirades on management’s unfulfilled expectations from operating teams, further dented officer morale. After great persuasion by Associations, Sunday meets stopped. With holidays on each 2^nd & 4^th Saturday, banker’s were happy. Then ‘Covid’ came – a ‘WFH’ culture & all day on-line meetings have since taken over !

Official meetings generally revolve around focused discussions & the steps to be taken on issues for determining the way forward & presided by Seniors to groups of officials. The word is being loosely used by almost everyone. Often when you call the answer is ‘Will call later, am in a meeting’ even if people are engaged in a chat in the canteen or fixing errands or getting the car repaired but wouldn’t like to be disturbed. ‘Customer Care’ is uncaring when you call – the reply you’ll get ‘All operatives are presently busy.’

Meetings in the offices are just as important as having interactions with family members from time to time, to remain updated on things. Systems are in place for sending directives through written communications in form of circulars, DO letters which reach employees’ desks but it’s not always ensured that the contents are read & assimilated. Reminders have to be sent periodically. Face to face meetings with staff can do away with one-sided talk and involve healthy interactions & views rather than a monologue.  

Steve Jobs said ‘Meetings must achieve a purpose’. Discussions must result in decision-making. Aimless ‘end of day’ harangue, can’t be a recipe for the organizational success !

Let’s recall our school days and the way everyone looked up at the person with awe, when first three position holder’s names were announced (at least it was in my school !) in the morning Assembly post the exams or competitions. Sadly, today we have the dubious distinction of being 71^st in the Paris Olympics medals tally taken with the fact that we’re the world’s most populous and fastest growing nation. What’s tougher for our pride to endure is we’ve managed six medals in all (one still on trial)& there are six star performers who secured the fourth place and were edged out of medals by narrow margins. Our logicas loyal fans- why couldn’t they have strived a little more !

At the highest level where seconds& inches can make a difference, fortune & fortitude play a part on the finishing line. Let’s not forget two historic ‘close misses’ resulting in heart-breaking ‘fourth’ at Olympics – ‘Flying Sikh’ Milkha Singh (1960) in the 400m race falling short by a mere 0.1 seconds & legendary PT Usha (1984) in 400 m hurdles by 1/100^th of a second ! Coming ‘fourth’ is tragic, ‘so near and yet so far’ the loser isn’t less deserving, just there’s no place on winner’s podium for more than 1,2 and 3!

That doesn’t mean that the fourth position is less vital, not only in sports but in life’s other spheres as well.Let’s look at the ‘Fourth Estate’, the prestigious name bestowed on the ‘Press’, the veritable powerhouse called the media that’s being now given many names by various parties & who’s over dominant role in influencing views is palpable.   

Coming to ‘aamjanta’,people (seniors) while booking flights, opt for seats somewhere not right in front and too far back, fourth row would be fine !  Ditto for a sold out movie theatre, quite a few have seen a film sitting in the fourth row when they were the only tickets available. If you’re fourth in a very long queue (in a bank counter or for a job interview), chances are you’ll make it with some luck ! In cricket, a batsman coming fourth (at two down) is probably the most valued player. That’s where Sachin played !

What about those who are fourth in the family lineage ? After all it’s the eldest who’s expected to lead by example and many do ! But here are virtues ascribed to the Fourth born children -they often develop the ability to deal well with people, with all of those personality types growing up. They may turn out to be great thinkers& able to manage challenging situations. They may even be analytical, hard working, pushy or passive.

Being the fourth born, a boywith three elder siblings (sisters) and one younger sister,  I was treated the same in our family with liberal parents, except that I had my own wardrobe and never had to wear my elder sisters’ hand me downs ! In all humility, I may possess some of the above virtues but as our dear Dad had always wanted, we all big turned out to be compassionate &humane ! Being fourth wasn’t such a problem !

To rephrase the lines of a beautiful Shelley poem ‘if winter is here, can woollen jackets be far away’ !Being the preferred apparel specially among trendy millennial in the areas that have cooler climates, elite, fashion conscious too will adorn them even in peak summers.The craze for sporting jackets and their variedavatarsby both men and women of all ages for sartorial statementshas started to make the traditional coat look outdated. Recently when we met an old friend over lunch attired in suave suit with a natty scarf tucked in, he looked quite formal compared to us in our colourful jackets !

Just like sneakers have stolen a march over black leather shoes of yester years, jackets have become increasingly popular. Largely classless, they are now quite affordable to all sections of society. A warm traditional coat costs more, it needs to be treated with care & have to be maintained. Simple jackets offer a practical combination of warmth, protection from the elements (like cold, wind and rain) and combine versatility in style with rough and tough use and wear, allowing people to adapt their looks to different situations while maintaining comfort and functionality. This had made them a staple item in most wardrobes across various climates and fashion trends all over the world. 

Apart from the above universalised features, their wide range of designs, materials, and cuts, jackets can be dressed up or down to suit different occasions, from casual to formal. Different jacket styles can reflect the individual’s personality&fashion tastes. From rugged, macho to the elegant, classy look, it allows people to express themselves through their clothing choices. Then there are specific types of jackets designed for particular activities like hiking, cycling, horse-riding, swimmingor skiing, providing tailored features for optimal performance. 

Without being a fashion expert, one has observed great evolution of ‘Leather jackets’ modelled by the rich and famous, the film heroes and pop stars, often associated with cool, edgy style. Trend possibly started with Hollywood movies and the ‘tough guy’ image created in Westerns. On a humbler level were ‘Denim’ jackets:classic, versatilecustomized with patches or embroidery and having a timeless appeal for all. Then are the Puffer jackets with excellent insulation for cold weather, lightweight and packable for easy carrying. We all grew up wearing the ‘College’ Blazer with the school badge. Sports-stars don the country colours in smart blazers that gives them much pride !

In our country, the traditional official wear has the veritable ‘jacket’ as its integral part when it comes to political class, netas& party leaders, though the corporate honchos, staid bankers& business class still subscribes to the formal suit and tie when in office. Outside the workspace, bandh-gala jackets are preferred by men in light winters while fashionistas have wide range in ‘haute couture’ for women that suit different dresses.  Wedding outfits now include ethnic jackets along with the conventional ‘sherwanis’.

Does everyone love wearing jackets ?John Krasinski said ‘My main focus is to always try to be myself firstand then dress. And hey, if I wear a cool jacket, that’s a bonus !’

Poet WH Davies wrote the poem ‘Leisure’ during a time (1820s) when the Industrial Revolution hadfairly transformedEngland’s aristocracy into a society bustling with energetic work, so much so that it begins with the line “What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare”. A plea for what the HR professionals call ‘Work-Life Balance’ butcan’timplement.Some now say, there’s no work or life to balance !

Those like us, who started working in 1970s, would recall certain jobs (like banking) had undefined stretchable working hours for officers but were lucrativeto the award staff who’d get extra hours incentivised by substantial ‘overtime’ payouts based on agreements worked out with the managements. Those were facilities of the past, later compensated somewhat by thewage revisions and pay hikes across the board, while organisations tried cleverlyto prune increasing staff& costs to save dwindling profits.

Cut to the last two decades and with the looming cost of living crisis and energy bills playing on everyone’s minds, all realise importance of earning enough to make a fair living.We’re growing increasingly more connected through newer technology and social media. WFH (working from home) has become the new normal. It’s becoming more and more difficult to separate work from personal lives& find ‘Family’ time. It’s commonplace to check emails at all hours, take business calls at the dinner table and work on laptops on weekends. Old folks look with sadness at a ‘strained’ millennial.  

Employers and Bosses expect more from the employees, which leads to them feeling more pressure to achieve greater results. Wheneverthe top leaders recommend longer work hours there’s resentment but when recently a Corporate Honcho suggested 90 hr workweek, his exhortation had pressures reach a breaking point from all quarters. More so, his innocuous remark about one aimlessly‘staring at the spouse’ rather than working on Sundays, has been met by wild memes & jeers & no cheers fromanyone !

If this Gent had read the Davies poemat hisleisure any time in life, he wouldn’t use the word ‘stare’ loosely. The poet meant ‘gaze’ and gentle reflection. But all married people (barring newly-weds) know ‘staring’ at your spouse (&definitelyatother’s! ) is quite fraught with big risks. Normally the home-makers react tersely ‘Why are you staring, is my new hairdo soawful ?’ or ‘Stop staring and get busy, there’s lots to be done !’. When the Mrs stares at her better-half, it often means ‘This explanation had better be a good one !’. Yet ‘loyalty is the best policy’& Mr.Anand Mahindra gallantly says ‘I love staring at my Wife’. Others express words meaning leave ‘Sunday’ alone !

Maintaining a proper work-life balance is not only important for health, well-being & relationships, but it can also improve an employee’s productivityand ultimately his performance and life in general. Put simply, if our people don’t view work as a chore, then they will work harder, make fewer mistakes and will be there to spend more time with the family and for leisure, even stare lovingly at the spouse (in extreme cases ) !

Many of my friends chastise me for ‘taking, walking, speaking’ cricket in most things I write and talk about. That’s not too strange in a nation where the game is a religion. However, when a living legend like Ravi Ashwin who’s been around for 18 years and has become India’s second highest wicket taker, suddenly decides to hang up his boots with no ostensible reasons offered, it’s Ashwin’s ultimate carrom ball to his followers& fans compelled to ask ‘Why now ?’ to his fast in-cutting delivery – ‘Why not now’ ?

For better part of last week, glowing tributes and statistical eulogies have pervaded the social media ,from past legends, ex-team-mates, gloomy dressing room comradesto rivals in the opposite camps and ace-presenter Harsha Bhogle to sports scribes like Boria Mazumdar, all have shared their admiringly personal takes on their association, interactions & experiences with the great ‘Offie’ & India’s thinking ‘Anna’ of Cricket. Shocked, sad, disappointed are understatements to fans who followed fascinatingly Ashwin’s tumultuous journey the crescendo of high fives and silence of ‘sitting it out’.

As a movie buff, I recall our love for Western movies where the impassively tough guys after vanquishing baddies, would ‘ride into the sunset’ not waiting for laurels & despite his unceremonious exit (some would say), Ash remains a hero of many battles. A highly illustrious career was obviously drawing to a close but to end like this was an Alfred Hitchcock thriller building up to a climax but curtains came down too soon. Since we’re not averse to drawing parallels, when ‘God of Cricket’ Sachin played his final match at Wankhede & gave an emotional speech, Mumbai stopped for few hours. Why’s India’s most celebrated off-spin wizard not being celebrated for lofty standards in taking a life-changing decision on his terms and make way for many in the wings ?

A lot has been said and we’ll hear more on ‘Ashwin’ saga but what comes as a truly heartwarming tribute is from the person closest to his heart, his wife Priti, that we found in this Sunday’s TOI ! The piece is below – emotional, beautiful and inspiring !

Wemust concede it’s at times toomany ‘words’ (in the pieces that we write) that have elicited views of some friends about being lengthy and consequently less readable. In our old friends’W’App chat, I was asked to give my views on an exhaustive article which I did in an explanatory style. Curt response from acynic friend was ‘Executive Summary Please !’ (yes, quite likeones we used to submit to our Bank Bosses since they were supposed to be loaded with plethora of bulky notes & files). To me it was a reminder of the academic importance of that ‘French’ word called ‘Precis’ !

For the uninitiated, word ‘Precis’ means summarizing the process of writing a lengthy passage that can be described in a few words without changing it’s main theme or idea. ‘Precis’ writing got us fair marks from teachers but working at our Bank it was more challenging since a ‘Summary’meant a well-presented form of statements or notes containing headings& sub-headings, that Bosses could put the fingers on.The catch was workmanlike details were left for officers to incorporate in main proposal.But, retired citizens like us now have an unhindered liberty to express without a word limit and many have the propensity to talk & write at length!Of course, they repeat !

However, this is the age of short forms, abbreviations & minimal one-wordresponses since millennial and Gen Zee have little time to read. This is often attributed to ‘low attention span’ & ‘let’s get on with it’ syndrome ! If a heartfelt, emotional message receivesa one-word reply (or worse, is ignored), that’s sad for thesender. It’s heart-breaking getting a cryptic ‘Thanks’ toprofoundly expressed thoughts. An anecdote goes that late EnglishCaptain& ace commentator, Tony Grieg was once giving a longish speech at a felicitation ceremony. Turning to his wife in the audience he asked “Did you ever in your wildest dreams, think I’d come this far..’ to which she promptly countered ‘But, you’ve never appeared in my wildest dreams’ !

The incomparable Shakespearegave us the famous lines ‘Brevity is the Soul of Wit’ ! When it comes to humourand reparteeit must be crisp, shortand have punch in it. Every stand-up comic artist these days uses a maximum of three sentences before the final punchline to get the laughs, else he must face the boos !A much-married family man was asked to say ‘Do Shabdh’ at the family event where the relatives were speaking endlessly. He got up, said ‘Thank You’ and sat down, having played his part.

What’s the ideal length forarticles (or talks)?At times they’re fixed by thepublishers. Organisers request speakers to be short. Butunhindered freelancers write their hearts out their own way to make an impact. Yet, there’s no guarantee that they’llbe read !

At the outset please accept my apologies for this inordinate delay in acknowledging your beautiful thoughts in the birthday wishes for me expressed with the flair and flavour of the accomplished writer and person we all know &admire !Tandra and Iare fortunate to have such thoughtful friends and I’m blessed to be the recipient ofsuch accolades that are more than what I deserve ! Turning 70, I’ve discovered more than ever before, thatfor ‘joie de vivre’ and fulfilment in life, we need the camaraderie &goodwill that comes only from old and loyal friends who become our ‘lodestars’ !

We’ve followed with much interest on social media, the constant stream of awards and recognition that come your way for your outstanding literary contributions while your repertoire of skills extend beyond writing to poetry, painting and photography. We know from personal experience the pleasure of being associated with your work.

Today being 31^stDecember, three resounding words ‘Happy New Year’ echo through excited voices and messages everywhere as we cheerfully ring out 2024 and usher in New 2025 !Please accept our heartiest greetings for a rich & rewarding ‘New Year’ for you and your family. May your pen & paintbrush vie with each other for excellence !

With Warm Regards,

Somnath with Tandra

31.12.24.

Switching on the TV on a cold, murky morning in hometown Lucknow. I was rewarded by some brilliant rearguard action from India’s most in form batter on show on this Indian tour ‘Down Under’.Young Nitish Reddy, deservedly earned his Test Cap from his idol Virat Kohli and as per team management’s logic he was slotted to bat at No.6being selected as an all rounder in place of Shubhman Gill.

However, as it’s often been happening the top order (barring Jaiswal’s classy show) faltered against the Aussie pacers – it was left to the level headed, technically perfect butinexperienced batter, Nitish, to achieve a remarkable record 8^th wicket partnership with the dependable Washy who’s maturely‘Sundar’ batting inspired him- both then blunted the Aussie attack after our senior pros had left the team tottering again ! 

Against the predictable run of play with all going the Aussie way, Nitish and Washy completely caught themoff guard with their steady yet sparkling stroke play and rotation of strike with defence that seemed impregnable, till Washy edged one to the slips. Suddenly, it seemed Nitish, now in his 90s was running out of partners and it was the dauntless Siraj to who held his end and finally with a flourish came, the most masterly century by the third youngest Indian batter against cricket’s best opposition. The match that was heading one way till Nitish came, now’s become anyone’s game !

After this stupendous performance Nitish Reddy deserves to go up the order possibly No.4. It’s also time for Rohit to rethink onhis own position in the team but let’s see…

Starring : Abhishek Bachchan, Ahilya Bamroo, Jayant Kriplani & Others

He hasn’t yet become a Bollywood superstar (notwithstanding his legendary heritage) but Junior Big B combines gravitas with classiness, humourand loads of acting talent and a distinctive baritone that’s his own. His latest film titled‘I Want To Talk’ helmed by renowned maker Shoojit Sarkar hit the theatres in Nov’24& it predictably bombed, not having the star power&hype of blockbusters. OTT is right place forniche films and we buffs,presumptuously feel that such films deserve wider recognition !

The film’sslow first half hour appears a bit gloomy and depressing, reminiscent of the terminally ill in poignantfilms like the philosophical ‘Safar’ &‘Anand’ that had great positivity. The protagonist is a marketing whiz-guy settled in US, Arjun Sen’s future suddenly appears terminatedasthe doctorsdeclare ‘you won’t live for more than 100 days‘! Howdoes any man react to such a deadly prognosis ? His customary bubbly spirits start taking a nose-dive to point of breakdown. Attempt at suicide is thwarted butfrom then on, urged byhis very compassionate nurse, Nancy, ‘survival’ becomes watchword for him.How does go about fighting the Big C and medical opinions ?!

Senresearches medical histories, works on published longevity averages and sets out to defy established medical theories& norms. One by one he undergoes 20 surgeries starting with laryngeal cancer. Though despite surgery, the cancer spreads all over his body affecting his colon and stomach, he somehow emerges triumphant after each major medical encounter. In this long ‘painful’ roller coaster ridehe meets Dr Jayant Deb, a maverick ace surgeon with quaint sense of dark humour. As their relationship grows, the Doctor realises his recalcitrant patient is stubborn with guts of a maniac !

The film explores from another level, Arjun’s distraught personal life in managing a complex relationship with his daughter (Reya) as a single parent. His wife divorces him leading them to co-parent their daughter Reya, who’s growing up, rebellious and critical of her father’s hiding his operationsand neglecting her. Slowly she comes to terms with his mental condition and will power, becomes his anchor and it’s through regular hospital trips,the relationship is healed. Avoiding spoilers, it’s an exhilarating and inspiring experience that surprises and amazes you as does the film’s ending !

Shoojit Sarkar blends the despair of cancer survivors with pithy humour.In one scene the message is death has 1% point against Arjun’s 99% forwill to live and in another, someone remarks his surgeries bring good luck to his business. Yet, it’s an Abhishek Bachchan show, vulnerability & helplessness in facing the odds to a growing strength to challenge critical illnessesto physical transformation after each surgery, he nails it.But why doesn’t he speak any Bengali ?Young Ahilya Bamroo plays daughter, Reya with effortless ease while the veteran Jayant Kriplani as Dr Deb is quite marvellous.

Here Comes‘2025’ !

The three resounding words ‘Happy New Year’ echo through our excited voices and messages everywhere as we cheerfully ring out the Old 2024 and usher in New2025 !As if a season of fresh optimism starts with boundless hope, New Year’s is the perfect time to reflect on the year gone by. It’s a chance to motivate yourself, uplift others, set new goals and embrace exciting opportunities ahead.

Thinkers and writers often raise the question, is this year-changing time the beginning of a new chapter, a new verse, or just the same old story? We should decide, it’s our life and the choice is ours.We all get the exact same 365 days but the only difference is what we do with them. Sure, if you don’t like something, change it and if you can’t change it, change your attitude. And there are enough instances to show that you are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.

For my septuagenarian contemporaries, what can we look forward to this year ?The four ‘H’ factors should be the focus of our lives, Health, Happiness, Harmony & Hope. We all make resolutions about diet, yogaand exercise for our physicalwell being that we often forget specially on those frequent celebratory occasions.It’s to each his own. ‘Harmony’ and ‘happiness’sound so good on paper but are elusive in adodgy world of ideological differences, inflated egos andrelationshipissues.

You realize there is much more to the book than the page you were stuck on.Look beyond themundane, broaden your horizons, empathise with others, condonetheir lapses that seemedgenuine, make peace with big aspirations, own up to your faults.Revel in company of old friends,visit new places, let serene music lift up your spirits.  Oprah Winfrey says“Cheers to theNew Year and another chance for us to get it right.”