Movie Review : Allah Ke Bande

This is a movie, which might not be missed for many reasons. Few of them are, it’s about children's who lose their childhood due to their entry into crime world because of poverty and splendid direction that portrays multi-dimensional issues which are plaguing our society right from poverty, illiteracy up to atrocities done over children and corruption.

Story is about two children, Vijay and Yakub, who live and grow in a suburb slum, how they earn their ‘livelihood’ and their entry to bad bad crime world.

Film could have become a normal story, if director had not cleverly portrayed stark truth with heart wrenching emotions, thus forcing us to think over where we are failing while building this society. Be it torture made on young children's in juvenile prisons or lose of precious human lives due to poverty which happens with protagonist's mother or problems a teacher faces who tries to bring these misguided children to main stream.

Few scenes are heart touching and make us to think over them. In one scene, a police inspector takes instructions from an underworld goon regarding which sections of criminal law should be slapped on children so that they get penalized on a false murder case. This itself says much about how far criminals have gone in understanding the law and twisting it for their use. While children are being trialed, pain their mother experiences reminds us how many parents are suffering because of such situations. When these children get to ‘Juvenile Prison’, warden who drives many illegal activities within prison, makes children get physically abused by other prisoners. When an institution, established to ‘correct’ misguided teenagers/children, has become itself a breeding ground for many future ant-social elements, then where is the hope?. In one more scene a teenager who has joined ‘gang’ built by protagonist, tearfully says he can’t get to school because, his ‘work’ earning his family full meals after a long time. Here poverty stricken families finding it difficult to get food whereas wasting food is rampant in functions, hotels and in government storages by rats, ants etc.

One dialog from the film, where wife of teacher asks, ‘Is this a good world to invite our innocent children?’, reminisces us of time where we are living.

Retail industry Biggies, are you listening

Retail industry in India has redefined the way consumers do their shopping. It has introduced plethora of options and freedom for consumers while shopping, better pricing for agriculture products to farmers, employment to many people, directly and indirectly.Many big industry houses have entered into retailing with big bang. and they have achieved that much success as well.

Now, the question is, whether consumers are getting proper (If not good) services?

Being retail shopping savvy person i always tried to observe and get answer to this question. And to the certain extent i am always disappointed towards poor services being offered.

I would like to share two of my personal experiences :

Once i had gone to purchase some jeans to a retail shopping mall. As some discount offers were going on at that time, i usually asked an employee/sales executive there, whether discount is available on certain brand of jeans. At that time Employee told me they are not offering any sort of discounts on that particular brand of jeans. So i proceeded towards other shopping. But later while wandering there, what i observed is that, employee to whom i have made inquiries regarding jeans discount, is actually making fun out of me, by telling to other colleagues, "see that guy was asking about discounts, If discount is not there, then it's not there. Why should he ask reason to not offer discount on this brand when all other brands are offering etc". I got shock, this person is employed to help the customer, whereas whenever somebody has approached him for help, he is utilizing their inquiries as a way to poke fun at them. what a blasting experience of shopping.

Next time i went to another retail shopping mall, and made some purchases. On paying the bill, in change i got a Rs 10 currency note which had some color splashed on it (i think it has also celebrated its 'Holi' at some time!). Thinking that this currency note will be accepted anywhere else, i have not asked for exchange of some good note. After that, on the whole day nobody has accepted that note, making me to think of returning that note to shopping mall again.

So, i went to the mall and asked for exchange of currency note explaining the reason. Employee standing over their asked a cashier to exchange the note and left for some work. i waited there. When i again asked for exchange, cashier shown me some torn notes and told she do not have any good notes. I said, you can get a good currency note from any of your colleagues and later on you can return a good note whenever you get them from customers. In reply, she rudely replied, why don't you do that yourself?. I got annoyed and asked is this the way you are asked to behave with customers. She stared at me with anger and told, "I am not the person who have given the note to you, check with the person whenever they come" (person who had given that note was not on that shift). Again when i asked is this the way you are asked to behave with customers, this time she turned to some customer and collected a Rs 10 note and given it to me, with ferocity.

Above two examples point at biggest problem of such malls, absence of hospitality and little interest towards serving consumers by sales executives. Though sales executives does exist, they never bother to serve consumers and have no knowledge of how to behave with customers, replying to their queries, how to say 'No' without hurting/insulting consumers. With such apathy, these people make our shopping experience miserable.

So my question to all retail industry Biggies is, do you impart an introductory level training to your employees/sales executive on 'how to behave properly with consumers'? are they equipped with etiquette towards serving customers? are there any 'performance reviews' of hospitality shown by these employees towards consumers?

If you answers to above questions is not, then please initiate programs of training to your employees. This not only helps you to improve your business, it also creates a good impression of your employees within industry, by their smooth behavior towards customers. Because when they 'Switch' to other malls, obviously their behavior is gauged by experience from their previous companies!

Terror on the INDIAN roads

whenever I walk on the roadside footpaths (If it is free and available!), or beside any road, only worry which eats me is, if some vehicle hits and goes-off what can I do?. This is because though I may be cautious and traffic and law abiding person, but the way people rush their vehicle with absolutely no sense makes me to worry.

nowadays, Indian roads have become literally battlefields, where war is going on between fellow drivers with ammunition like nil or NO commonsense while driving, breaking signals and traffic rules, mindless honking, being impatient on the road, rash and negligent driving. These are only few, but you may find/add more.

Everyday lots of vehicles are sold and being released to the traffic chaos. People start driving them recklessly with some of below ill effects:

1. Taking turns on the road curves with vehicle being in top gear

Little commonsense is sufficient to understand that, while taking turn on curves vehicle needs "Grip", rather than "Speed". If vehicle does not have that grip, then it is assured that misfortune is at your doorstep.

2. Rash and negligent driving

Driving with prohibitive speeds with “Zero” respect towards fellow drivers lives, Screaming/shouting while driving, bullying over others are few examples of rash driving. Doing so will only increase fatalities and does not provide any facilities on the road.

3. Mindless honking

This is most annoying threat. You’re at traffic signal and can clearly see “RED” at traffic signal, but still you can’t resist yourself from honking. That’s how our attitude nowadays!

4. Breaking traffic signals and rules

This ‘habit’ is rampant and growing rapidly, right from small cities to metros. For ex, stopping vehicle on ‘Zebra Crossings’ in traffic signals, not following lane policy, rushing from wrong side etc.

By doing so, we are ‘enjoying’ following ‘advantages’:

1. Loss of precious human lives

2. Stress induced diseases like BP, psychic problems and loss of hearing capacity due to mindless honking. If this happens near hospital fatalities will be more.

3. Loss of ‘Productivity’ in industries due to “Mood-off” on the road while coming to office

4. Increasing case of handicaps due to accidents.

5. Road rash leading from petty quarrels up to petty crimes or murders due to enmity induced by the same.

Amazing part of this serious issue is, most of problem creators are well-educated and sober people.

Fellow Indians, try to understand, by not following manners and rules and also not observing commonsense on the road, you are killing yourself. To understand the seriousness of this issue does not needs to be exemplified by the loss of our own lives in mishaps!

An Invasion into the REICH

World War 2 had changed the scenario of global politics and power equations in a dramatic way. If Japan would not have bombarded the USA navy base Pearl Harbor, then USA was not in a mood to get engaged in the war. It was just mere supporter of allies.

Since the bombardment, USA started preparation of war. It had a skilled force of scientists, army people, business tycoons and the BEST leaders, who prepared the country, which was always ahead of the world. In the earlier, USA had UK as its role model for war strategy. But as days gone, Americans felt the need of their own plan and implemematation methodology.

The methodology which brought Nowadays CIA into picture. Before to CIA, there were 3 divisions of intelligence and all worked as separate groups and with internal clashes, like any other organization.

But, when war loomed large, America brought all organizations into one roof and formed, Office of Strategic Services (OSS). It was William J. Donovan, who realized the need and proposed to dissolve the present 3 divisions into one single unit which would work efficiently to collect and arrange the intelligence information in a more professional manner.

OSS started its operations under the aegis of Donovan and reached its peak. As Germany was much ahead in technology and science, so America started its plan of invasion into the REICH (German equivalent of Government, Raj).

Invasion into Germany was not so easy. Hitler’s regime was so tight that every house in and around the capital was hub of the ‘Agents’. Every house was transmitting the movement of ‘Strangers’ to SS (Reich’s intelligence unit). So, OSS people collected pile of info about people who oppose Hitler, where all manufacturing process is going on, how the military works, uniform, ID Card and ‘Code’ assigned to each army personnel, what are the main newspapers, where ‘High Ranked’ army person stay etc.

OSS also collected the cloths, buttons, valets, lighters, ID Cards from the people who are migrating from the REICH. This cloths and IDs were used for the people who invade into Germany. Because a single mistake could have rendered the lives of many people into the DEATH as well as might pushed the war into a longer time. Each person invaded into the Germany was trained to establish the group of people who oppose the regime of Hitler and in turn get info about Ammunition manufacturing plants, Army bases and the ‘Gas Chambers’, where people are forced to death by poisonous gases.

So many people like ex army captains, lawyers, and even to some extent war prisoners also used as invaders (Though treaty of the war was prohibiting the use of war prisoners, but still, everything is fair in LOVE and WAR, right!). One ex-army captain who made an invasion was captured and detained by SS in the Gas Chambers. At the end his situation was so critical that his thighs had become of the size of his wrist. Even a minute late in the attack on the chamber might have pushed him in to the death.

This invasion also produced some technical advancement in the aviation and telecommunication. So is the migration of millions of people from Europe to America. It gave America and Soviet Russia, an opportunity to become world super powers and proving a ‘Free Nation’ by allocating the people from all walks of the world.

Finally in 1947 or after, OSS was restructured to CIA. Whatever may be the achievements and advancements of the world war, human community should not dare to embrace one more world war, because this will bring the world to an END.

Rage of Violence

Civilization might have brought many facets to human history, but not what is necessary,i.e. PEACE.

If we observe incidents happening around us we can easily identify increasing intolerance of people towards simple issues and spreading voilence.Recent example is from Alipur, a village in the outskirts of Delhi, where a 10 year boy is burnt alive. The reason was, his bicycle had a collision with a car which was bringing a groom to marriage. The people inside car were heavily drunk, who, on demand of money by boy, for causing damage to his bicycle beaten him severly. Later on his burnt body was found in a field. Now tension prevails in the village for letting the culprits to escape from the clutches of Law.

Boy had only mistake that he demanded compensation for his damaged bicycle. After all people were heading to a marriage, an auspicious part of a human life, and they inturn made a hasty act which nobody can compensate. They could have given some money, which in no way was bigger than what they were throwing towards marriage.

Some days ago, in a bizarre incident, a bridegroom was shot dead a day before marriage in a row over dancing in the marriage. Here also culprits were drunk and could have stopped the mistake from happening.

One more hasty example was, 10 years before, in Dharmpuri(!) of TamilNadu, some 8-10 college girls were burnt alive in their college bus by a mob of a political party.

Both above incidents and many more recent incidents show where 'Civilization' is heading, towards the same 'Stone Age'. Where killing other person is like smashing a mosquito. Can't it be stopped, so that the next day we read newspaper our photo should not be in the 'Victim' list?

Marilyn Monroe - Alltime BEAUTY

Marilyn Monroe - name itself is sufficient to spread a rage in the minds of moviegoers all over the world. She rules the hearts of every person who might have seen her in photos or in movies though for a second. Whenever i see any of the photos of Monroe, her beauty blows my mind like RDX, it leaves a everlasting impression in my mind. You can find her acting copied by actresses of her time in hair style, walking, Close-Up shots while singing and of course in costumes.

Born and brought up in California, USA, she had a troublesome childhood. Married to James Dougherty at an age of 16. At the time of World War 2, her husband had gone to Merchant Marine, so Monroe started to work in a company which was owned by a famous Hollywood actor. While working she was photographed for a survey, which eventually paved her way to Modelling and then into Hollywood.

After many hiccups she gets established in 1953 with the film NIAGARA. Later, all his history, she ruled Hollywood like no one before or ever after again!. Its her photos with PLAYBOY, which gave more publicity, so like her movies.

Her own production company also churned out some successful movies. It was her beauty which mesmerised people along with her acting splendidness. She acclaimed by her directors as one of the "Finest actress" of the Hollywood. But somewhere she was also under gruelling mental pressure which can be found in her quote"Hollywood is a place where they’ll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss, and fifty cents for your soul."

Finally before start of the shooting for the film "Somethings Got to Give", she found dead in her home on August 5,1962. Still today, her death is controversial, whether its accident or a murder.

But truth was that she found a new place in the world, that is Hearts of the People!

Want to laugh...?

In todays fast paced life, we are not getting enough time to indulge with overselves.We do everything online from checking bank balnce to bill payement.

Now,For your joy, here is a link(http://www.rinkworks.com/said/) which provides you online laugh. it deals with real life quotes of people in different situtaions.

Follwoing are examples from "Excuse Letters"

1 "Dear School: Please ekscuse John being absent on Jan. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and also 33."

2 "Maryann was absent December 11-16, because she had a fever, sore throat, headache, and upset stomach. Her sister was also sick, fever, and sore throat, her brother had a low grade fever and ached all over. I wasn't the best either, sore throat and fever. There must be something going around, her father even got hot last night."

3 "Sally won't be in school a week from Friday. We have to attend her funeral."

Bill Gates Daughter

I have received a mail from my friend saying the above picture is of gates's daughter. When i searched on the net at one link (http://www.nndb.com/people/435/000022369/), i came to know that his eldest daughter was just 12 years old! and her name is Jennifer Katherine and was born on 26-Apr-1996.When gates had married he was 39 years old(one more techie a.k.a Sabir Bhatia of HOTMAIL fame, is readying to marry at 40+).

Now question rounding in my mind is who is this girl........?

If anybody knows just write a reply in my blog....:)

Unification of ATM Systems

Its been observed that every bank which is providing ATM service are using their own procedures in withdrawal of money from ATM. Some M/c(i.e. Machine)ask us to insert the card and some ask us to just insert and remove the card etc.

Instead of using their own procedures, its better that all banks should adhere to a standard procedure and all machines should be identical in their operation. This gives a simplification in ATM operations for users and will avoid card loss in cases where we need to insert the card to machine.

STAR CRICKET: BE LENIENT

When on the cricket ground problem arises between players of a continent to another continent, then it is blown out of proportion by media. But when media itself is doing or promoting bad things, who going to control them?

A contest ad of ‘STAR CRICKET’ channel on 23/01/2008 has a slogan as, ‘AUSSIE KI TAISI’, which is defamatory. Because it shows intolerance towards other country. Ads must be descent and meaningful to promote any product or contest. They should not be defamatory to somebody or to a nation. To promote its contest Star channel must not deviate from ethics of advertisements.

In the past also India vs. West Indies series advertisement had also some defamatory depictions, which was later on drew back after protests. So, being a famous channel ‘STAR’ would stop or remove this ‘AUSSIE KI TAISI’ slogan from its ad.

Suicide Of The Indian Farmer

If you have observed the newspapers, you could have come across the news about farmers’ suicide in various parts of the India. After having everything in place to assure a good crop like seeds, fertilizer companies and various government departments catering to the needs of farmers, we still can’t stop suicides. In most of the cases the reason was bank loan non-repayment. Why is this happening?

The reason is obvious; marketing for agriculture products is at its worst condition. If farmer gets good value to his crop, he can become financially stable, there by reducing the death rates. The reason lies in that most of the profit from selling agro goods goes into the pockets of commission agents, businessmen, vendors and not to farmers. When tomato was sold by farmers at Rs 2/Ton (Believe! It’s true), it is purchased by customers at Rs12/Kg. Other instance, a farmer sets afire his sugarcane crop, which was there in the field from last one year, jumps into it and commits suicide. Because government has permitted to crush only 1500ton sugarcane/day, so no sugar factory purchased his sugarcane crop, making him to suicide.

These are only tip of the iceberg. Observing both the instances, it is clear that in both cases farmer was the victim. So how to resolve this. Government should devise plans to introduce innovative direct marketing of agro products, supporting corporate retail sectors like Reliance, Subhiksha etc, providing facilities to export their goods through ‘Single Window’ method, reducing commission agent’s role in selling and avoiding unnecessary imports when we have plenty of production.

Summarily, it is the innovation in agro goods marketing which can only save lives of farmers and ultimately ours also. Because if farmer stops to plough the field, nation will start starving.