Finding Goodwill

When celebrated and hugely talented, talismanic South African cricketer, AB De Villiers retired from international cricket yesterday, there was legions said and written about his cricketing prowess and breath-taking records by players, writers, peers and veterans of the cricketing fraternity world over. However, overriding it all was the adulation for a modern-day super-star with grace and humility rarely seen on the field and off it, who’d never let any discordant note or controversy surround his actions, and admiration for a role-model, playing a ‘gentleman’s game’ !

Accepting that AB D was extraordinary and a class apart, what happens in the lives of normal people who call it a day. It’s often seen that after their proverbial long innings of professional life and that stint from the seat of power and authority is over, most people slowly become relics and their names get submerged only to remain in the record books having served in the institution once upon a time. The ‘Ex’ factor stops being exciting whether attributed to a Boss or a partner/friend !

It’s not always that the compulsive ‘out of sight, out of mind’ theory is intentionally followed, for the world must move on and new must replace the old as a natural consequence. But even with the dynamics of change, some old faces, voices, acts, names and memories linger on because of that intangible asset they created in their time – called ‘goodwill’ !

The world of accounting looks at this concept of ‘goodwill’ as the value of a company’s brand name, solid customer base, good customer relations, good employee relations and any patents or proprietary technology. Break it down to core human elements and we have those stand-out qualities of amity, benevolence, altruism, grace and human compassion which create that ‘goodwill’ which keeps alive the memory of a person long after he/she has gone. Appreciative, humane, compassionate and the friendly, irrespective of positions they held, spread happiness at work making others around feel nice and wanted. They are truly missed when they leave and faces light up in recognition if they happen to walk in !

However, some individuals, specially those occupying high positions in their professions or organizations, very involved in clinging on to their authority and sense of entitlement and cut-off from the lives of people serving under them, assume that the same largesse will continue when they demit office. It’s amusing but ironic that many top executives have been seen lonely and unsung after the trappings of power are gone. It was a shock to a retired Top Boss, known to be irascible and curt to staff in his heydays, when juniors and subordinates didn’t stand up and even acknowledge his presence – it was their idea of pay-back time !

It’s not about being the best on the job but making a difference to the lives of the people and making it better and happy. Finding goodwill is a journey and not a destination – it’s not tangible but makes you so rich !

AB De Villiers

‘Somewhere between Nowhere and Goodbye’

There are times when some words (or phrases) get stuck to your memory – either from a book, a film or even a random expression from a lay person ! For movie and lit buffs this can happen often, for writers do come up with lines, which in context appear path-breaking and pithy but taken outside, compel reflection on the larger meaning that can be attributable to them.

A phrase that recently quite caught my imagination were the intriguing lines – “..from somewhere between nowhere and goodbye” as said by the wise, down and out prize fighter, describing the main protagonist of the movie, whose past was made up of dereliction and deprivation of life’s basic needs (from the 2004 Oscar winner, film-drama ‘Million Dollar Baby’). But was it more of a metaphor than an expression ?

Taken in a larger context, what do such words signify ? It can be the story of those who fight an identity crises (being nowhere), struggling to find a new one for a better tomorrow, perilously jumping off beaten paths ( goodbye ).

Many people living ordinary lives, working in firms and offices, feel they are not in a good position in life, not really heading anywhere and they know given half a chance, they’d love to say good-bye to all of it.What a gutted feeling and what it does is to keep away positivity and happiness at arm’s length.

On another level, aren’t we all (specially those battling mid-life crises and onset of old age) hanging between the imagery and physicality of beauty and the realization that it’s time to say goodbye to the impetuousness of youth and its trappings , yet fight the perennial struggle to remain somewhere in-between !

All of that and am still wondering – that being somewhere can still be better than being nowhere (and with no meaning for existence) and it’s hard but better to say goodbye to those things and people, that time and life have decided for us.

Million Dollar Baby

The Lost Art of Repartee

What’s it about the classic repartee like ‘ Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go’ ( from the inimitable, Oscar Wilde ) that makes us applaud – the sarcasm, wordplay or the sheer witticism ?

Revisit the past and we discover that great minds and iconic leaders have often exhibited the ability for riposte with memorable quips that legends are made of. Sample this reply – A friend to Albert Einstein, “You walked up a whole block of this city and nobody even looked at you. While, only this morning, Marilyn Monroe ( the quintessential actress ), walked up the same block and thousands of people stopped in their tracks and gaped at her.” Einstein retorted, “My friend you seem to forget that she has a good deal more to show than I have.” Not to be outdone by men, is one from the actress, Cher “The problem with most women is that they get all excited about nothing, then marry him”.

As usual, politicians of yesteryears provided the most sparkling repartee – First woman British parliamentarian Nancy Astor took a potshot at Winston Churchill by saying “ If you were my husband, I would poison your coffee”, to which Churchill retorted “ If you were my wife, I would drink it “ ! Another, classic – somebody asked Benjamin Disraeli to tell a difference between misfortune and calamity, he then responded by taking on his opponent Gladstone, Benjamin retorted, “Well, if Mr. Gladstone fell into the Thames, it would be a misfortune; but if someone pulled him out, it would be a calamity.”

In today’s times, rejoinders and retorts (and specially witnessed in the social media trolls, political discourses and panel discussions in free-for-all channels with ‘Nation Want’s to Know’ kind of fire and hype ! ) no longer come in the form of subtle innuendos and repartee, but through personal attacks, wild allegations, barbs intended to hurt and embarrass. Here one will always find discord rankling openly as against sparkling wit !

The social media in all its inventiveness, also comes up with in-the-face cartoons, quips and howlers on the group or party that is to discredited. However, the most fascinating has been the popularity of ‘Memes’ – an image, video, piece of text, etc., typically humorous in nature, that is copied and spread rapidly by Net users, often with slight variations which bring altogether different connotations and meanings to the original text or context and cause great amusement to the viewers, at the cost of it’s victims !

Mahatma Gandhi was once asked “What do you think of the Western Civilization”? He smiled innocently saying “ That would be a good idea” ! Which of the present leaders match that repartee and ironical humour ?

Einstein

Why Not Kishoreda ?

Had the iconic singer, actor, producer, director, composer, writer and stage artiste extraordinaire- Kishore Kumar, been alive, he’d be 88 years old – but legends never die, they live on in our hearts swaying us with untold happiness and creating pure magic for generations to come ! So much has already been written and said about the eccentric genius and how he inspired innumerable singers to emulate his inimitable style –some to achieve great heights but most as mere imitations of the gem !

That Kishore was a musical masterclass with no formal training and an absolute maverick akin to a rock-star, is part of Hindi film industry folk lore, as he yodeled his way in trademark style, across an incredible life journey and career starting from the film ‘Musafir’ in 1954, spanning nearly four decades, including phases of near oblivion and a remarkable come-back in 1971 as the voice of then rising superstar, Rajesh Khanna (and later of Big B himself and most other leading actors in the 80s !).

What is lesser known is the altruistic side and sensitivity of a reticent, lonely man in love with nature, seeking perfection in his relationships and craft he loved. Inspired into singing and acting from legends like K L Saigal, and elder brother Ashok Kumar and Satyajit Ray, in the art of film making, an outright protégé of the great singer-composer, S D Burman (and later the favourite singer for his son, R D Burman) some of Kishore’s best works were reminiscent of gentility of Rabindra Sangeet and Western Classical Music !

Why is it that such an legendary performer of extraordinary talent, who completely dominated Hindi film playback singing in the 70s-80s, could never have been honoured with a national award in his lifetime ! While so many forgettables in the ‘neta’ and ‘abhineta’ category have been recognized and decorated with the highest national awards, that unforgettable voice that brings joy to millions even today, seems to have been overlooked in the era of imagery of overrated achievers created through marketing hypes, promotions and connections.

But icons of the likes of Kishoreda, Rafi Saheb, Manna Dey and Hemant Kumar do not really need certificates of excellence – they have millions of fans of all ages for their evergreen melodies which have stood the test of time. Possessing immense pride, hugely gifted in their craft yet with the humility of truly greats, such maestros would never crave for awards.

For Kishoreda, ‘Jhumroo’ was a musical masterpiece but even he would agree that fans will not allow him the sorrow of “Koi Hamdam Na Raha, Koi Sahara Na Raha ..” but march along singing those beautiful lines written by him “ Aa Chal Ke Tujhe Main Le ke Chalu…….Jahan Gam Bhi Na Ho, Aansoo Bhi Na Ho, Bus Pyar Hi Pyar Pale..”

Kishore

Bike Runners 2018

As an exuberant youth in the 1970s, I was very fascinated with the vroom, zoom and ‘dhoom’ speed at which some my friends with more machismo and muscle could handle motorcycles with one famous brand appropriately called ‘Bullet’ ! In fact the scooters (and scootis) that we softer guys used, were a very poor cousin to these mean machines and the then heroes could manage all their filmy stunts and romance heroines equipped with those shiny symbols of power. Those cool dude with wheels, people would rave !

Cut to 2018 – in Mumbai’s horrendous traffic with innumerable autos, cars, buses, vans and trucks on roads with world-famed pot-holes (as in all major cities), we have the indefatigable bikers ( motorcycles are known as bikes by today’s youngsters ) all over to add to the general mayhem – with their foot on the gas, swerving, weaving, lane cutting, overtaking from the left and grazing the poor vehicles and motor cars which happen to be in their way – all done with alacrity and with the effrontery and bravado worthy of a crown prince ! But now, all this is so scary and hair-raising !

To look at the brighter side – bikers today almost always wear helmets ( ever vigilant cops make them pay heavily otherwise) and with backpacks, are well protected in case of unfortunate mishaps. However, not only does this make them oblivious to others on the road ( I’ve often driving the car, tried many types of preventive actions through hand signals to them with no effect!) but with such great acceleration, there are always hazards out of the biker’s control, like bad weather, gravel or sand, potholes, and bad drivers and yes, pedestrians walking on roads with mobiles on their ears !

Young bikers with lady pillion riders tend to become more adventurous to ‘show-off’ their driving skills and expose them and others to risk. Knowing and staying within your limits can help keep you safe and choosing a bike that’s within your skill level can lessen the chances of a needless accident.

As a senior citizen and also regular car owner-driver, I am in a comfort zone that both my sons are not into bikes but I can easily understand that macho feeling of speed and power that attracts young to mo-bikes apart from their being far more affordable than cars. Someone had once said ‘.. riding a motorcycle is one of the most glorious and romantic activities I have ever come across’ – so true, but I would recommend, if it could be approached with a proper mindset and not as the race of life !
Bikers

The Problem With Talent

In Satyajit Ray’s iconic Bengali film ‘Pratidwandi’, a friend asks the protagonist why he doesn’t clear job interviews, though having such good intellect. He replies sardonically ‘ Who wants intellect ?!’ One of the great paradoxes today is that while there is no dearth of talent but only few eventually make it to the pinnacle of success and get the recognition they deserve, leaving room for plenty of mediocrity at the top ! The modern jargon exhorts ‘ working smart’ is the way forward never mind the art and craft.

If the parable of ‘hard work is the only way to succeed’ is true why then do only a handful actually realise their full potential (professionally or in chosen fields ) despite being talented and industrious. It’s probably not just the intense competition that disfavours them but how to compete and edge out others in the race that is the crux. A bigger issue remains that many are not aware of their forte or strength areas which need to be nurtured

For that matter are the employers really looking for talent (with originality and creative thinking) or identities matching the boxes of selection process ! There’s this familiar case of Mr. Competent (C) and Mr. Slick-smart (S) – both started out as freshmen with ‘C’ showing greater proficiency, very quick-on-the-uptake and so work-obsessed that lunch breaks would be foregone. ‘S’ shrewdly focused on that side of the bread which had butter, made sure of being at the right place at the right time, making the right noises suavely to the right people. At the end of their careers, C had been able to manage just three promotions in 30 years (and accumulated huge working knowledge) while ‘S’ became the darling of those who mattered and made it to the top.

This appears to be happening in all spheres of work, govt. services, banks, private sector firms, corporates and even the creative fields.

Also, one of the problems that most talented people face is pride in their skills which demand recognition rather than to seek it. Operational capability and good contributions failing to get appreciated is a common occurrence in organisations where individuals matter only if they represent a part of management which must project its own image rather than those of its team. The talented are more focussed on honing their skills and lose out on self-promotion. Those less talented are more adept at it !

Experience has shown that prestigious projects are mooted to enhance owner’s image – however, that’s where the ownership ends ! Implementation, results, outcomes is the hard task of the appointed ground-staff, shortfalls in targets even if justified, are not tolerated and accountability fixed on staff as per guidelines. Success and glory of the project, on the other hand, is credited to the foresight, vision and sagacity of the makers – in some cases forming part of their best-seller memoirs too !

Unsung talents

Bumping into Each Other – After Ages !

There are some people one would like to happily forget having ever met – conversely losing all track of one-time close friends can be frustrating too. In the current scenario of the hyper-active social media and whatsapp groups surging all around, there are innumerable cases of long lost old chums and class-fellows and even ex-soulmates getting reconnected and picking up the threads for another innings at wonderful relationship building on the back of old memories and associations !

The first few moments of such reunions are generally spent on exchanges (from pictures shared) on the physical metamorphosis that necessarily goes with passage of time- ‘wow, you’ve really lost weight’; ‘oh you’re still the same’ ; ‘you seem to have so matured’ (meaning lost hair and/or started looking old !) and such happy exclamations. The next round is devoted to sharing personal details – professional and personal, and for those in mid-life, the family’s progress and their notable milestones, which become a source of great amazement to others-‘Super!’, ‘Really!’ ‘How Wonderful !’

Having gone through all of that, what’s more spectacularly exciting is unexpectedly bumping into an old, dear friend one fine morning and the belated recognition that comes a split second late ! This, like all true stories, happened to me, on a day which started uneventfully. Catching an early morning local train to work I barged into a guy in a hurry and lo and behold we came face to face– ‘Good Lord, imagine meeting like this after 17 years’ he said, but only after a massive bear hug of sheer delight ! Purushottam Jhalani and I had spent three exciting years together, working in our overseas office in Nairobi, Kenya back in 2000 but had somehow lost all contact after we went our ways.

What was astonishing was that not only had we instantly recognized each other (both being perennially youthful !) but had actually been living in the same city (Mumbai) and in the same locality for the last seven years without our paths ever crossing till this fateful morning at the station. But then as we know, Someone above has his own ways of mending things … in his own time !

It’s not said without reason ‘Happiness is meeting an old friend after a long time and the feeling that nothing has changed’ !

The Eye of ‘Raazi’

From the first few frames of ‘Raazi’, one can brace oneself for a classic, period film (based on history fictionalized) and in the genre of nerve-wracking spy-thriller ‘Eye of the Needle’ based on Ken Follet’s brilliant novel that we’d thoroughly enjoyed back in the 80s ! Yet, despite being so gripping and crisp in its narrative, it doesn’t carry the gore and coldly ruthless aura of Frederick Forysth’s celebrated spy-yarns ‘Day of the Jackal’ and ‘The Odessa File’.

The challenge primarily lies in the theme of pulling off an overtly daring espionage operation in tension filled Pakistan, preparing for full scale conflict against India, yet depicting it sans chest-thumping and jingoism that would normally be part of the patriotic fervor that gets generated on such issues. The other remarkable aspect are the subtle characterizations of the principal players, almost all of whom are Pakis, but display quiet grace and humane dignity not usually associated with sworn foes even on celluloid – justification, each one must owe allegiance and protect the motherland.

The film entirely belongs to two super performers – Meghna Gulzar, the Director who seems to effortlessly create magic from behind the camera with a taut, suspenseful screenplay and riveting background score and Alia Bhatt, the star, simply stunning in the lead role. However, Vicky Kaushal is quite superb in his understated act as the guileless and devoted husband, caught in crossfire of treachery and murder in his own backyard. The others are also so quietly impressive.

The message, apart from the selfless sacrifice of many unsung warriors for the nation’s cause, is that in war and survival, there are no explanations sought or given for the toll that it takes – it’s unrelenting, heartless and comes with a heavy price to so many.

Raazi film

Remembering ‘Mom’

After a certain age (say upwards of 50) most of us start to idolize our parents who are no longer there, forgetting that like all mortals they too had their share of strengths and frailties (not to talk of idiosyncrasies !) but were remarkably, so special in their own way ! Whenever I remember our Mom, I think of a true fighter, someone who could take on a big fight and emerge victorious, an old-world ‘Mary Kom’ without the red boxing gloves !

Her big battles, we recall, were ones she combated against all forms of dependence, infirmity and old age, which she always found so exasperating. Back in 2005, during her stay with us in Mumbai, she fell very seriously ill and had to be hospitalized. Our good family doctor didn’t give the 75 year-old much chance but after many trips in and out of nursing homes and our home, she pulled through. This amazed Doc so much that he’d say to us in Guju-Hindi ‘Mataji has a tryst with God, Bless her !’ Within a year she was back to her favourite place, her home in Lucknow and her own pursuits.

In 2014, she was still 84 years young but one day suddenly, as it happens, she developed acute hernia needing immediate surgery. The senior surgeon declared that at her age there was equal risk in surgery or avoiding it. Mom agreed to get operated but asked to see her son before it was performed. I did reach while it was going on and to us the rest was history. She had again beaten the odds – within months made fair recovery albeit slowly this time.

Two years ago, Mom went into coma, never coming out of it and passed away on 10^th February, 2016. In my profession as bankers with mobility, we had always resisted transfers out of our comfort zones in our service life. Figuratively speaking, I think our Mom didn’t resist this last transfer too much – maybe it was peaceful and painless and she was eager to meet Dad !

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