Chikmaglur - the road less traveled

Going back to school after a tiring stint of corporate monotony is always refreshing. But this was no ordinary school; the future trajectory was based on the success of its launch. As potential future leaders we were expected to be ruthlessly sharp and focused. The beginning of the course was excruciating for most of the students. Term-1, although ended after a brief period of 6 weeks, was nothing less than equal to the semester of a sophomoric life. Needless to say it was extremely exciting as it pumped out the real passion resting inside us for so long. But the sudden death of term-1 created a huge vacuum in our all-time-occupied life, as if the busyness had become the new business of our life. The term gap was hardly a gap but it successfully started eating into our emptiness as the planned trip of our group got canceled. I had very little option then to choose from and fill the void. The only resort was to get along with other moving groups. Luckily, I found a group that was going to "Chikmaglur". And so just like that another exciting journey began.

The journey from Hyderabad to Chikmaglur was long but we chose the option of 4 wheelers to make it an everlasting memorable journey. The journey started at night. Six of us are sitting inside the car and it looks like I am the only one who is not well introduced to others. Naturally the initial hour went introducing each other and knowing each other more closely which was then followed by some useless and funny chitchats and gossips, thanks to the three ladies who kept the whole car journey very lively.

The next morning added to the adventure as we lost our way. And we were quite late to realize that. We had to check the navigation tool- our very own google maps to locate us and the destination.The choice was between two route- one crossing the Bangalore city and the other known to none of us. The Bangalore path was not so encouraging as we could imagine the magnanimity of the traffic that can potentially delay our trip. The obvious choice was the other route. Thankfully it turned out to be the right decision in the end, although we were still late by some margin.

The next 3 days were full of peppy mastikhori. Some exciting games that I had never heard of before. The most exciting part was of course the pool attached with the room. Initially there was no plan to enter the pool as I believe but once it was attacked there was no looking back. This was complemented by awesome mimicry of the professors by one of the dudes and game-chats full of non-sense. There was an opportunity to explore the coffee fields as well.

In summary this was a trip to be remembered for sure. I wish I could share everything from the trip but the best things are better to be kept a secret. 

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

Return of Childhood

''How would you define an ideal Sunday". 'Watching Disney cartoon in the early morning while eating sandwiches - followed by a cricket match against the rival team in the early evening?'. I don't think this definition is applicable today. The definition is long lost - as I see the kids stuck to their smart devices. The playgrounds look almost deserted. It is disappointing to be a witness to such a displeasing display of sheer indifference towards outdoor games. Children don't fight for batting anymore. There is no stack of bricks as a replacement for the triplets. There is no taped willow hitting tennis balls out of the ground. The complain was different in our times. We also used to skip outdoor games for TV video games but the craze for playing a cricket match was always there. The situation is totally different today.

But today's morning was different. Today is Republic day which pushed me to the good old days of my school. The navigation to my childhood brought so many good memories to the front.

The air is filled with melodious Bengali music. The sunshine is just enough to cancel the cold breeze. The playground has got back its old mates. A stage has been set for a speech from the local politician. The ground has been embraced by cyclists too. Two kids (most likely siblings) are trying to learn cycling. Their father is helping them with the balance. It looks like the boy has already laid down few attempts earlier and doesn't need much help while the girl is looking a bit uncomfortable. Other cyclists are just taking a round down the ground. A group of six friends are chuckling at the corner. The bench is good for three but the group knows how to adjust around. That pair in their 40s are enjoying the holiday as well. The smile on their faces is hinting at good times. A perfect reminiscent from the past. I couldn't help but led myself to cherish that feeling for some more time.

It has been more than 15 years but I can still remember the way we used to plan a cricket match a day before. The first step was ofcourse to confirm who all will be coming to the ground. Since the only meeting place to discuss was our school we used to do it just after the last period was over in the school playground itself. The next discussion was on how many bats, balls and wickets do we have among those who have said yes for the next day's match. Plan for extra bats and balls was a necessity in case somebody decides to opt out at the last moment. The biggest problem in the planning and the execution was to wake up everyone at 5 am to come to the playground. Few were disciplined enough to come to the ground on their own. Few required push from the others. Going to the playground while the cold breeze is still playing with the grasses was such a nice feeling. I miss those times. But I wish I dont have to navigate to my childhood to enjoy that feeling. I wish I could gather all my friends to plan another cricket match. I wish.

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

End of 'Comedy Nights with Kapil' -- really?

"It's cheap comedy, it's physical comedy, its mindless comedy. You should not watch it". The comment made me angry but I had nothing much to say as it came from a very elderly person. Apparently for him a comedy should include some deep intellectual element. But he missed the fact that the level of wittiness in that show cannot be easily matched. Exactly what percentage of CNWK is physical comedy doesn't need any debate. To come up with that kind of package is an achievement in itself. And kudos to Kapil Sharma for persuading away from the boredom of saas-bahu soaps. His jokes may be silly at times but it made us all laugh. He did make fun of a few from the audience but I hope it was not grossly offensive. I would love to believe when the celebrities said that the show is regularly followed at their home. And the fact that celebrities come to the show even when they have nothing to promote. Promotion is just an excuse to watch the love show.

But has it really come to an end - a show which I thought would continue for years? The concept of this show is such that even if the humor quotient is less some day, it shall continue to entertain the general populace. I am really not sure why Kapil decided to end this show. There must be something new and exciting in his mind. To me he is beyond formats. From Laughter challenge to CNWK he has only evolved. And I am sure he will construct new pillars of success whatever he is up to.

But all good things ultimately come to end. Lets accept that there will be no Kapil to make us laugh to the end of our weekends. But the thing that is bothering me is the way it is coming to an end. In my opinion, if this was suppose to end, the brand shouldn't have been taken by someone else. No point in destroying the brand. Else if it was supposed to continue it should have been taken by Kapil himself in the form of a new season. Not only that it was initially reported that Colors would not air the last episode. There is definitely something fishy. Something must not be well between the production and the executive team. Only time will tell.

And why just Kapil. There are excellent actors who were part of that team: Ali Asgar, Kikoo Sharda and not to mention Sunil Grover. I don't think I can ever forget his performance when Salman came to promote his movie Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo. And that 'rang de tu mohe gerua' performance was hysterical.

So what next? What can be expect from Kapil now? He made a movie but he is not exactly a movie material. That form of art doesn't allow you to be spontaneous and witty whereas these are his strengths.

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.