Maximum City!

Bombay: Lost and Found

The time I first visited Mumbai, the city fascinated me. Everything seemed so beyond my comprehension. I tried expressing whatever I'd felt in an amateurish manner, whatever I felt, unknowingly then about the world's most complex city. The article was fun, almost a humorous attempt to tell a touch-and-go story of a dream-city. But a senior (I forgot his name!) took strong exception to it, and termed my mesmerization with the city as "musings of a lecherous voyeur" and pelted a serious advice, “Bombay is lot more than just that”. Although, it kinda hurt, I knew that the guy was passionate about Bombay, and frivolous attempts to talk about the city would only draw flak. So I let the thought sink in and then said calmly to myself that "I must know this city!, in whatsoever manner".

And the journey has indeed been long. And I still cannot figure out how far I've reached in my self-committed attempt to decipher the city of dreams. But it sure has been an exciting, perplexing, sensational and at times even invigorating journey.

I've read many Bombay books (that have a varying degree of this mammoth city assimilated into them). But this book, stands out of the league. It's an insider's view and is undoubtedly the best nonfictional account of the megacity. It's refreshingly new and tells very recent (and true) stories. It has all the elements that define the city's diversified identity, and Suketu reveals them in such passionate way that "his" Bombay rises from the safe restraints of his own individual mind to capture the imagination of the reader. Every story is shockingly honest. You can feel what the author felt. You live with him in Mumbai and Mumbai starts revealing itself to you; layer by layer.

There's no "planned" way to understand the whimsical and unplanned Mumbai. But an interesting way to get into the skin of it is to read some curiously told stories. What makes us curious about Mumbai? Movie stars, gangsters, painted women, cops and a huge sea of people who are all free to tell their own fascinating versions of the story. Why is there an inherent fascination for the morally compromised? Suketu chose these people as the heroes of his story. They according to him are "characters of freedom"! They live on the edge, on the extremity, of moral confusions. And in this extreme city, they are the liberated ones.

Entire book is well knitted with the help of stories (that are all true!), all combining to create a wholesome silhouette of the maximum city. Suketu uses such a convincing tone that one can almost experience the things first hand, can talk to the gangsters, know Balasahebthakeray (the mystery man), experience the life behind beerbars, walk through the lanes of Mira road and can even sniff the humid addiction of this extreme city. The book deals with blatant truths, and that too without and apologetic worldview! Underworld, communal riots, mean politics and even Rent Act which is sole reason for the existence of pathetic and shabby structures right in the heart of Mumbai.

Suketu has an acute sense of being an Indian, perhaps we all have but do not realize it unless we are in a strange world; he finds us "individually multiple, severally alone". To understand the significance of this, better read the book. You’ll like it.

If you don't like it, come beat me up! ;)

Année finale

So I move into the final year of engineering. It feels slightly weird and unconvincing as I still do not see myself even an iota of an engineer. Not that I haven't learned anything, but because of the strange feeling of being unable to picture myself as someone working in formal pants in a pretentious office. Three years have passed much sooner than I'd imagined. Last month has been busy with placements and now having a job has completely transformed my worldview. I'd have to reset my priorities, redefine goals and lot more. It means a complete overhaul of me as an individual trying to make something significant out of my career.

Placements actually brought in a lot of learnings. (not "earnings" as the meagre salaries these IT companies offer hardly impress our parents :( , unless it's Microsoft which has deemed it suitable to select only one student from our institute) They have boosted my confidence, (although a slight shock was there but it only helped me in the end!) and have instilled in me the gut feeling of believing in my own self. Interviews & GD's do not scare me as much as they used to do earlier. :)

The year ahead is going to be a great learning experience as a lot of things would happen!!!
Come what may, and I'm ready to embrace it!

Rough Days

There are days when I don't know what I must do. Those aren't as bad inspite of the confusion. The real rough ones are those when I do know what I've got to do, but I still don't do it. Past few days have been more or less like those rough ones. The inspiration has been there consistently and I clearly have the goals in my mind, but still I just can't get along well.

Where do I wan't to be?

The question regarding my future wasn't this complicated before. But from some time it has grown up into a scary monster that keeps troubling me every now and then. I'm still not entirely convinced with the answers I have to this question for myself. But then I may not have introspected myself deep enough looking for the "real" answers.
The trouble is that I'm still not focussed towards a single goal. I'm still clueless as to what is best for me. Placements aren't much far and there are hardl y 8 months to CAT, so I'm in heavy pressure to make up my mind soon and head into a single direction. I really need to compensate for the average acad performance till now, beacause I'll find it hard to explain the acad in Interviews if it goes all the way like this.
Now the time is good to go by the book if I decide to go for CAT and start preparing on a regular basis. English preparation has be planned and spread over a considerable period of time.
All this calls for a drastic change during the oncoming months. I must resolve to bring in that change asap....
After all "Where would I be in a year or two ahead?" entirely depends on this....

Paradoxical learning!!!!

I'm heavily confused right now. The confusion that I'm in right now is not just regarding the state of being indecisive. It's something more. The usual parameters that I use to reach to conclusions are generating a conflict, and that too a paradoxical one! Though I've already made the decision, I'm still not very sure as to what have I taken into account and why have I done so.
The most usual factor that shapes one's thinking is the public consensus that's prevalent regarding the topic. (though most of it is statistically uncertain and driven by the desire to point out flaws, but more or less it's always a major factor). Another factor is your own contemplation of aftereffects as per your experiences and with the aid of extrapolation. This one varies largely from person to person and once shaped by intuition, it largely drives the course of action. Third factor is the social and peer involvement, which implants the need to be consistent with one's past record and hence adds a deterrence to try out things that don't go along consistently with one's image. There can be some other factors as well.

The paradox arises when the conclusion reached by reasoning conflicts with the one which has been arrived upon by collective opinion and accumulated wisdom that one has. Which one has to be chosen now? The intuitive feeling added to the chaos. I wasn't sure as to reasoning was absolutely flawless or not, neither was I confident regarding the public consensus.

I did made a decision though, my conscience helped me out of the paradoxical situation. I chose the option in which I could answer myself in the best possible manner. I cannot boast that it's always right thing to do, but there didn't seemed to be a better alternative that could sort out the confusion.

"River of Fire" - Qurratulain Hyder.

Urdu literature has always fascinated me. But the pity is I cannot read Urdu, so I have to read the translated Hindi and English versions of the available books. Translations done by someone else than the author himself aren't that effective always. So there is always a chance of being disappointed in spite of the great original work.

The case with Qurratulain Hyder was different. She has herself translated all of her classic Urdu novels. Qurratulain Hyder is one of the most celebrated of Urdu fiction writers. She wrote at a time Urdu fiction was still trying to grab roots in a poetry-dominated world of Urdu literature. She is widely regarded as the "Grande Dame" of Urdu literature. Born in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh in 1920 the author did her graduation from Lucknow University and moved to Pakistan during partition of 1947. Onwards she lived in England up to 1951 and then returned back to India which has been home for her since then. This transition period with the background of Partition has been a regular canvas in her writings. Qurratulain Hyder's 1959 novel "River of Fire" reflects this as well. But there is more to the book than just the transition period.

The book explores through the Indian culture across ages. In her characters she has explored the past up to present. The novel starts from Vedic age and literally explores thousands of years. The characters though have recurring themes across the ages. Gautam Nilambar's "ego" lives across the ages and repeatedly appears at different times along with other characters. This seamless and interesting transformation sweeping entire Indian history has made the book one of the most celebrated novels.

Aag Ka Darya (Book’s original Urdu name) is a landmark novel that explores the vast sweep of time and history. It tells a story that moves from the fourth century BC to the post-Independence period in India and Pakistan, pausing at the many crucial epochs of history. The Times Literary Supplement wrote that, "River of Fire is to Urdu fiction what A Hundred Years of Solitude is to Hispanic (Spanish) literature".

The book has a very descriptive and detailed account of North Indian history parallel to its characters. Descriptions of some worn out (culturally i.e.) cities like Jaunpur, Lucknow etc certainly make a person curious who has his roots in this part of North India. After reading the novel one realizes that the now worn places have once been at their cultural apogees and there’s much hidden inside the layers of history which isn’t visible. This realization is one of the major themes in the book.

Hyder tells a fascinating and fast-paced story, and she is generally able to sustain the narrative through the short and often separate episodes of the novel. From Gautam wandering through the forest as a student in ancient India to the troubled modern times of partition Hyder offers many vivid and powerful scenes. Many a times reader is overwhelmed with the surprisingly rich amount of historical information that Hyder reveals. But one does enjoy it. The colonial period is also well-covered, with the English intruding into the text (and country). Describing India's difficult relationship with the English, both in colonial times and after, is among Hyder's greater successes here.

It’s not that the author abhors the British; rather she brings out a more convincing cultural friction which is quite apparent in the book.

Overall River of Fire is certainly an interesting, valuable, and entertaining read which provides one an insightful peek into India’s past and the way it has shaped us. And the wit and sensibility of Hyder make it even more worth reading. Once you start reading it, there’s no putting down. Qurratulain Hyder is one of those rarest jewels that Urdu literature can claim to have.

Amazing!

There are things that simply amaze you. You wonder and can't help saying, "How on earth...?". Watching K-PAX was one such wonderful experience. The movie constantly amazes you and makes you ponder, entire story is gripping and I must confess "convincing". Sci flicks DON'T convince me at all, but this one was altogether different. I was bored and on the verge of a night-out, so asked Harsh to suggest a nice movie. He suggested wacthing either "The Wind that shakes the Barley" or "K-Pax". I opted for K-Pax just casually and was really delighted by the movie.

The story is a lot more than sheer exaggeration of Science. It's cinematography at it's best. Simplicity, the elegant convincing force of the dialogues and Kevin Spacey make it a story that's gripping. Based on Gene Brewer's novel, the movie is awe-inspiring and derived out of inherent complexity of life. Story is bound to cheer anybody up, not for it's humour but due to intensity of little tricks it uses for storytelling. It's simply marvellous cinema by Iain Softly.