why do I fast on tuesdays?

This was the question asked to me by one of my colleagues. I thought it would be wise to write a blog and share my views on fasting to a wider audience, ha, ha, ha! But before I elaborate on reasons for my keeping fast on Tuesdays, I would like to give you a glimpse of my esteemed colleague, who asked me this wise question.

She is an antithesis to fasting. In fact, even hearing the word "fast" makes her hungry. She eats anything and everything. These days she eats a mysterious seed-like thing, which comes out from and anar dana like bottle. God knows what that seed is. If that is for digestion, then she needs that more than any one on this solar system. Why??? Because, her eating session starts from 9 :30 in the morning and ends at 6 in the evening. She eats paranthas, seeds, sabzis, rotis, chawals, and even pen. Yes, she is the serial killer of all the pen that comes in her vicinity. The back of the pen is chewed continuously with such precision that nothing is left of that. Sometimes, ink from the pen finds its way out in to her mouth.

Yes sir! She is the best person to ask the question. Recently, UN has contacted her to for becoming the brand ambassador of 'how to eat and what to eat and why to eat and when to eat'. (God save me!!!!)
Now the reason for my fasting on Tuesdays:

1. I fast on Tuesdays because it gives me an opportunity of not seeing something that I have been seeing for my entire life; the food. Next day, I am fresh to eating.
2. I fast because it cleanses my body of all the toxins that keep accumulating for all the week.
3. I fast because I believe in the strength of hanuman ji. He is the only god that could give us the strength to fight against the odds that we face in our life. And Tuesday is his day.
4. I fast because it saves food.
   
5. I fast because it gives me the opportunity to understand the pain of hunger, the pain of not eating.

All these reasons may sound old, cliched and boring but they are true and written from the heart; not from the stomach.

Cheers
Kundan

making sense of an ad

Recently, I saw an ad of Aditya Birla Group. It was a visual treat; good shots, great camera work and a very simply tag line- taking India to the world. But the entire ad forced a common man like me to ask a very common question-how these jumping models, walking on fire, sand and water, would take India to the world. Maybe, these ads are not meant for us (remember, common man) or I am not made for these ads. But, for me, the Aditya Birla Group ad fails to say what it intended to speak to its audiences; who ever they are. Let us take a closer look at the ad itself.

The Aditya Birla Group ad starts with a model running on water. He hits the water hard creating a cyclone. Some drop of these water hits an another model that is standing on a sand dune in a desert. And he whirls his kurta and we see a woman doing the same. She, however, is standing on a dragon. Oh! Fire is coming out of the dragon's mouth. Phew!!!

What could be the obvious meaning of this ad?

1. The ad may say that Aditya Birla Group is gaining enough momentum to walk on fire, water and sand. Air, earth and sky were the obvious missing factors.
2. The ad could even suggest that Aditya Birla Group is launching a product, not available in the world that could work alike in fire, water and sand.
3. The ad may suggest that Aditya Birla Group is a textile company that has launched a new textile range that could keep you warm in winters and cool in summers.
4. The ad could even suggest that Aditya Birla Group is an ad that nobody understands.

These are my explanations, I may be wrong. But, what I feel is that Ads are meant to communicate a product and a concept to the possible customers. They have to be simple and straightforward.
An ad may attract tricks to gain attention, but it has to justify that attention. It has to say something, loud and clear. It can't leave its audiences guessing.

Ads and the entire process of making them have evolved. They have become more inclusive.

They may adopt different strategies, but all these are meant to be more engaging, more inclusive. An ad may make you laugh or cry, but it has to convey its message. An ad that manages to convey its message in simple and clear words is a winner. Those who give more emphasis on style part lose out.

Cheers
Kundan

India singing

Singing is the new hobby of India these days, or so it seems. Every TV channel is preparing a new singing sensation that will rock India. And every Indian is preparing itself to become the latest singing sensation.

Let us count the number of shows that are busy churning the great Indian singing talent. Sony has started a whole new season of Indian Idol 3. Zee TV has waged a world war with its show Sa Re Ga Ma and Star Plus is going to compete with its new show.

Indian Idol has 4 judges, almost 10 million singers (the number may be even more!) and two hosts. Anu Malik is the head judge and he is being assisted by three other judges, Alisha Chenoy, Udit Narayan and Javed Akhtar. All the three judges ( Anu, Udit and Alisha), except Javed Akhtar (perhaps), are jobless.

Anu Malik has nothing to do, so he waits patiently, every year, for the new season of Indian Idol. He behavior on the show is close to being rude, and it appears that Mr. Malik feels that without him, the Indian Film Industry would have been song less, or would have been deprived of music. He pretends to be the Mozart of the Indian Music but some of the participants, whom he has rejected, sing better them him. My advise to Anu: Please, please forgive us, for all our sins and retire. We don't want to see you.

Alisha Chenoy gets another chance to showcase her omphs and ahs. She does nothing else, she will do nothing else. No point talking of her.

Udit is freash from the lawsuit filed by her legal wife. He is unemployed..wonder when he sang his last song.... He does nothing on the show-----mujhe lagta hai...un, un, un, apko mumbai aana chahiye---un, un, un, phir mein sochhta hun---un, un, nahi. Oh god! give me a beak.

Mr Akhtar is yet to show his antics. I am waiting.
Do you by any chance know who was the last Indian Idol or what happened to our first idol Mr. Abhijit Sawant. I bet you don't have any clue. Don't worry, you don't need to know.

My Question: Does the 21st century India need a singing idol to take it to the world scene?

I have refrained myself from commenting on the other two shows simply because I have not seen them, nor I intent to do so. Forgive me, all you singing giants. These shows do nothing good to us. They are simply a crude way of playing on the Indian sensibility to churn money.

Cheers
Kundan