Sach(in) a Hero!

"A monster in the making"  - This was the first article on Sachin which appeared in 1988. The article was penned by Harsha Bhogle. 24 years later, the monster has retired. The monster has retired today.

Innumerable articles have been written in each and every magazine , identifying each and every one as the next Sachin tendulkar.However, after 24 years, Only one Sachin tendulkar remains.

Rarely does a sporstman become bigger than the sport. Rarely does that sportsman remains a clean icon all his sporting career. Rarely does that sportsman doesn't endorse any liquor or tobacco brands. Rarely does all these things happen in the world's most chaotic democracy .Rarely Ever!

The BCCI in one way or other owes its present riches to him. He is to be credited for bringing Indian cricket out of the match-fixing fiasco along with Ganguly & co.

He has scored 18k ODI runs, an almost impossible feat and we can be pretty sure it will never be broken.

But what about his test record of 16k runs?

It surely is under threat. To surpass 16k runs, you need to play close to 200 tests at an average of around 53. Playing 200 tests requires minimum 15 years of international cricket . No indian cricketer of current generation can come across this record. 

The only person who can come close to this feat is Alastair Cook. He has already played 97 tests scoring 7801 runs- almost an exact half of Sachin's test runs.

Cricket may get another star but in a way, Sachin is a clean hero and true inspiration for the current generation. Somehow, the Kohli's and the Dhoni's of the world doesn't even come close to the image of a clean hero.

Other related post - here

An open letter to an unknown friend

My Friend, I hope I can call you as my friend. I may have not met you before or I might have. I am quite sure that you might not recognize me. I do not stand out from the crowd. I was not born in royalty nor do I have any special quality to stand apart as one in a hundred men. But I see you every day; I can sense your presence. I might have walked past you in a busy market. I might have gotten down from the same bus that you boarded at the next stop. In spite of my quaint anonymity, my “average-ness” of mundane existence, I sense your presence. I feel it when you fight the same wars as I did. I sense your agony and frustration when no one listens to you. I sense your disappointment when you are deprived of things you think you deserve. I have been there, fought that.

My Friend, Let me tell you a secret. A secret that would bring more joy, than all the victories of yours combined. A secret which would make you feel victorious even though you have lost everything. Before I reveal the secret, take a good look at yourself. I can understand why you are frustrated. You see your friends climbing the ladder faster than you, travelling, earning more, settled down and romancing life. You feel lost when you know you are better than them but you have not seen the brighter side of life. You prepare to fight for what you think is your right. You fight, you spill blood, you fall and you stand up. The cycle goes on forever. There is no end to this.

I am not asking you to stop fighting. Before you got your war tomorrow whatever it might be for, work, love or money. Ask yourself, are you fighting for the right reason? Are you fighting the right war? Are you fighting the right way?

You cannot win a war because you feel entitled to win. You cannot become rich just because you need money. You cannot become a CEO because you worked in a company for 25 years. That’s the war children fight, they want something that they feel entitled to and cry until they get it. That war is not for brave men, that’s how kids fight. It’s not fight in any sense, there is no bravery, and there is just desperation and beggary involved in such an achievement. Shame on those, who fight like that!

Stand up my Friend, fight like a samurai, fight with a sense of dignity and self respect. Go to your war, swing your sword harder, perfect your poise, control your breath, and increase your awareness. When you fight, don’t expect the enemy to fall, don’t expect money to come to you, don’t expect people to hand you victories. They are fighting for themselves as well. Don’t worry if you lose few battles, learn from your mistakes and never beg for victory.

Stand up for your rights but before that, understand whether it is actually your right or it’s your want. What are you fighting for? Look around you and see there are million men fighting for the same thing. Ask now are you better than others? Are you good enough to win amongst these million men? If so why and how do you prove that? The general who commands has more scars than the foot soldier. If you aspire to be the general, get the scars first. Rise every morning with a sense of duty, a sense to perfect your skill and with complete devotion to your art. Earn your scars and earn your crown.

Remember my Friend; the sense of entitlement is the lazy man’s path. He is no better than the gold fish which waits for food in a bowl. Such a fish will not survive in an ocean. The world out there is ruthless, it’s painful and it’s not going to feed you daily. You will have to fight for your food, your want and your ambitions. In this incessant carnage of day to day battle, do not lose your self-respect. Keep fighting but never beg. Keep pushing hard but never crib that you did not win. Kings come and go, but warriors live forever. Be a samurai, fight with grace, like poetry in motion, like a simple folk song with charm. You will fall one day like every other soldier and when you do, even your enemy would stop for a moment to pay respects. Earn that respect from those who defeat you.

Tomorrow I go for my war and you go to yours. Here is the secret “Victory is not permanent, Honor is”

(The above article featured in another site. You can go to the original site by clicking here )

aaRAMBAM REVIEW

First of all, Happy diwali folks! 

மொத்தம் 30 பேரு ,ஒரு ticketku 100 ரூபாய்னு ,3000 ரூபாய் ஒரு மாசம் மளிகை செலவுக்கான பணம் கரி ஆன கதை தன் இது. ஒரு வழியா collega கட் அடிச்சு theatre உட்காந்தோம் .சுத்தி அஜித் ரசிகர்கள் .அதுல ஒருத்தன் steven speilberg kum christopher nolanum சேர்ந்தா கூட இப்பிடி ஒரு கலைக்காவியத்த குடுக்க முடியாதுனு சொன்னான். இன்னொர்தன் மாப்ள படம் தாறு மாறு தக்காளி சோறு,துப்பாக்கி வோட நூரு மடங்கா இருகர்தா dubaiலே பார்த்த மாமா சொன்னதா சொன்னேன்.

இந்த கொடுமையலாம் கேட்க முடியாம கடவுள் புண்ணியத்துல show அமர்களமா ஆரம்பம் ஆச்சு.ஒரு சந்தோஷமான விஷயம் நம்ம முகேஷ் அண்ணன் ஸ்க்ரீன் லே வரல .பேரு போட்ட பிறகு தல வந்தாரு, 1.5 வருஷம் கழிச்சு தலைய பார்த்ததுனால sema கத்தல்.


intro அவர மாதிரி ரொம்ப எளிமையா இருந்துச்சு .policekku போன் பண்ணி bomb வெச்சத சொல்றாரு , அப்பறம் என்னனு உங்களுக்கே தெரியும் ஹீரோ வெச்சதால bomb வெடிக்குது ஏன் எதுக்குனுதெரியாம பாட்டு வந்துச்சு.


இப்டி 10 நிஷம் சீரியஸ் ஆன காமெடி இருந்துச்சு .அடுத்து 20 நிமிஷம் காமெடினு சொல்லபடுற serious கட்சி இருந்துச்சு .


ஆர்யா பார்த்தா சிரிப்பு வரணும்(கதை படி) ஆனா வெறுப்பு தான் வந்துச்சு.என் பக்கதுல இருந்தவன் தல இப்போ அவரோட massa கட்டுவாருனு சொன்னேன் .மாப்ள 5 நிமிஷம் வெளிய பொய் தம் அடிக்கலாம்னு இன்னொருத்தன் சொன்னான் அவனுக்கு ஏத்த மாதிரி en fuse pochunu பாட்டு வந்துச்சு ,என் mind voice la என் பணம் போச்சுன்னு ஓடிட்டு இருந்துச்சு.அதுக்கு பிறகு படம் jet வேகத்ல போச்சு sword fish வோட தாக்கம் (copy ) இருந்துச்சு .sword fish பார்கதவங்களுக்கு பிடிக்கும்.ஆனா இந்த படு பாவி பார்த்துதொலைஞ்சுட்டேன்.அதுனால சுவாரஸ்யம் எனக்கு கம்மிய இருதுஞ்சு.

Ajith aaryava மிரட்டி ஒரு டிவி ஓட networka 10 நிமிஷத்துல hack பண்றார் .எப்டி மட்டும் கேட்கதேங்க swordfishல பார்க்கும் பொது நம்பிநேங்கல இப்பமும் அப்டியே பண்ணுங்க. Taapsee ய வேற கடத்தினதால போசுக்குனு கோபப்பட்டு ஆர்யா தல ய police ல போட்டுதறார். Police லே அஜித்,ஆர்யா மாட்டிகரங்க.நம்ம எதிர்பர்கர்த்து போல interval .அப்போ உணர்ச்சி போங்க dialogue பேசுவாங்க ரெண்டுபேரும் .

2nd half ஆரம்பிச்சு கொஞ்ச நேரத்துல நயன்தாரா நம்ம நினைச்சது போல ஆர்யா கிட்ட அஜித் எவ்ளோ நல்லவர் வல்லவர்னு சொல்ராங்க .படம் பார்த்துட்டு பார்த்து முடிச்சு வெளிய வரும் போது கதை என்ன அப்படின்னு கேட்டா எதாவுது சொல்லனுமா இல்லையா அதுக்காக ஒரு ப்லஷ்பக் நயன் சொல்லுவாங்க அதா நீங்க நம்பனும் .அதுக்கு அப்பறம் வர 5 நிமிஷம் உண்மையாவே எல்லாத்தையும் விசில் அடிக்க வைக்கும் . Multistarer சொல்றதுனால ஏன் எதுக்குனு தெரியாம ரொம்ப பேர் வருவாங்க.minister ஓட உழல் காரணமாக rana சாகரர்.அதுக்கு காரணமான எல்லாரையும் எப்டி கொலை செய்யறார் சொல்றது தான் மீதி.இது மாதிரி mass படத்துல வில்லன பார்க்கும் போது நம்மளுக்கு கோபம் வந்து கொல்லனும்னு துடிக்கணும் .அந்த feeling ரொம்ப miss aaguthu .இந்த உணர்ச்சி மிக்க கதைய கேட்டு ரத்தம் கொதிச்சு அஜித்துக்கு உதவி பண்றார் aarya .மீதி சொல்ல தேவை இல்ல.அஜித்க்கு பைக் ஓட்ட தெரியும்னு சொல்றதுக்காக பைக் எதுக்குன்னு தெரியாம ducati ஓட்டற சீன் இருக்கு .climax ல விஜயகாந்த் படம் பீல் வரத தடுக்க முடியல .
படம் முடியும் போது kishore salute அடிகறாரு அது நமக்கு தான் இருக்கனும் , உக்கார்ந்து படம் முழுசா பார்திருக்கோம் லே அதுக்குதான்.


அஜித் இந்த படத்த class cut அடிச்சு பார்கறதுக்கு ஒரே காரணம் இவர் தான் performance செம.
ஒரே மாதிரி -ve ரோல் பண்றதால bore அடிக்குது .கர்ணன் கவசத்தோட பிறந்தது போல cooling glass ஓடவே சுத்துறார் .அது ஒரு கட்டத்துக்கு அப்பறம் போர் அடிக்க ஆரம்பிக்குது









ஆர்யா-சுமார்


தப்ஸீ-தலைவலி

கதை -கதை பெருசா இல்லாட்டியும் .எடுத்த concept-ku salute அடிக்கணும் .


வசனம் படத்தோட முதுகு எலம்பு இது தான் .ஆனா make it simple சொல்றது ரொம்ப தடவ வரும் கைதட்டலுக்கு பதிலா கொட்டாய் தன வருது

யுவன் இவருக்காக வே நம்ம பல படங்கள் பாத்திருக்கோம் ஆனா இது அந்த லிஸ்ட் லே இல்லை என்னமோ தெரியலை படத்துல யுவன் touch மிஸ் ஆகுது
கடைசியா இத தன் சொல்லணும் பில்லா 2 விட மேல் மங்கதாவக்கு ரொம்ப கீழ் .
review நெகடிவ் ஆஹ் இருக்குரதலே நான் விஜய் ரசிகன் நு நீங்களா முடிவு பண்ணி இருப்பிங்க ஆனா நான் சத்தியமா neutral ஆஹ் தன் எழுதிருக்கேன் உங்கள அடுத்து பாண்டியநாடு ரெவிஎவ் லே சந்திக்கிறேன்

(The above review appeared in blog here)

The battalion on Mount Road - Part II

You can read the first part here

Caste is a parcel of daily life in southern districts. There was widespread violence in 1996-98 period because the government had renamed a state transport corporation after Dalit leader. Schools would remain closed for atleast one week a year because of this violence.

Atlast, the government decided to remove all leaders name from state transport corporations .Kamaraj district was renamed as Virudhunagar district and V.O.C district was renamed Tuticorin district.

When i was in my teens, i heard a dialogue from my friend's grandpa which resonates in my ear to this date.

ஏலே! இந்த நாடன்(ர்) இருக்கான் பாத்தியா ,அவன் பேசிட்டு தான் வெட்டுவான். ஆனா தேவன் வெட்டிட்டு தான்லே பேசுவான்

(a guy belonging to nadar caste will talk and then kill. But a thevar will kill and then only talk)

You can trace why tamil movies still needs punch dialogues! 

There is an interesting but sad phenomenon that happens in Paramakudi district. The ruling classes and the labour classes work together all days in a year but takes leave on 2 days. These 2 days are the birthday functions of leaders from both the castes.

For their functions, the government specifically gives them the routes through which they should go and pay the respects. 

But some people specifically violate them and try to go through other caste's dominant area, thereby making problems and resulting in killings. They even have a count of people they killed last year and this year.

When the one guy is celebrating the function, the other caste guys gather together in a marriage hall and try to be in safe mode. Obviously, hate speeches and tasmac liqor are a must. Once the functions are over, the next day , both the parties return to work as usual!

These things still happen but they may not continue for ever. Guess what is the reason? No enlightenment or law enforcement,the reason is our beloved IT companies. The guys -whose fathers and relatives participate in the procession and gather in marriage halls- are writing java scripts in Singara chennai and san francisco offices.

Till that time arrives, you have to face that traffic on mount road and i have to hear the thevan magan song (போற்றிப் பாடடி பொன்னே.. ) again and again in mike sets outside my house 

The battalion on Mount Road - Part I

I was driving on Mount Road on a weekday afternoon at 2 o clock. I was quite surprised to see a battalion of police on the road.The road was choking with traffic.Men were dancing infront of buses and vans in full "tasmac" mode. Women were taking Molaipari (முளைப்பாரி) on mount road. For starters, molaipari is a function/ritual done during village festivals. All crowd were leading to thevar statue on the mount road. 
     It was a normal traffic day for Chennai. But not for the people in South Tamilnadu. Oct 30 was the birthday of Pasumpom Muthuramalinga thevar. When i asked about thevar to few people, they don't have any clue who this man is. We can't blame those guys for this.


         Oct 30 is purely a terror day for south TN.People from all over the state will throng Pasumpom, a very small village in Ramnad district to pay respects to him.
I think it was around the year 2003.We had shifted our house from Tuticorin to Kovilpatti. The local people had constructed a 10 feet statue of thevar right in front of our house. The statue served as bus stop for local mini bus. Every time, somebody gets down from the mini bus, they will go and worship infront of this statue. It was quite amusing for me to see this.

The government had installed huge grills around this statue and had locked it. Around election time, every local leader has to pay garlands to this statue and talk few words about him.I remember even Vaiko did it once. During pongal , people will fix mike-sets and blare thevar songs all day. 
You will be surprised to know that there are many songs in tamil movies in praise of him. Almost all masala movies portraying violence in Madurai are loosely connected to this particular caste. Kamal too added his tribute by thevar magan.However, nobody wants to listen to the final message of the movie.I really forgot how many times i have heard this song in mike sets outside my house.

If any guy beheads the statue or hangs slipper on the statue, that's it. It is the end of the world. Violence will continue for days and hence the government decided to protect the statues by grilling them. Quite funny for outsiders when they see grilled statues everywhere!

I recently met a friend who was in the know-how of these celebrations at Pasumpon and i was really shocked to hear them. More on that tomorrow.

IPL vs Champions League

The above is twitter map of CLT20  vs IPL2013 . As we can see, IPL generated 7 times more tweets than CLT20.  However, we have to take into account the fact that IPL was played well close to 2 months while Champions League T20 was played over only 20 days

In addition, CLT20 featured 23 matches while IPL has close to 76 matches.




The average tweets per match in IPL was almost double that of CLT20. On an average, IPL attracted close to 50k tweets per match while CLT20 had close to 25k tweets.

UK watched IPL with immense interest while it almost forgot CLT20. Two reasons can be attributed to this. One is lack of interest in CLT20 among Indian population and another is lack of English teams in CLT20

The most convenient thing in this comparison is both IPL and CLT20 happened in same time zone and hence, one more less problem to worry about when handling this data.

A big thanks to @vm1689 for pulling out all the data. A similar article on IPL was published in Sportstar magazine. You can read that here

Vijayadasami Spl: Playschool

It's vijaya dasami time and almost all parents are rushing to join their kids in school . A couple of months back, i happened to meet a friend.  We were discussing how a new play school opened in our area was running successfully. I came to know that the play school was run by his friend. It seems from rough calculations the recovery cost was just 1 year or even less.


 
Particularly, for play schools which don't require much approvals, the cost is even less.
Rental cost of individual house per year is around 4 lakhs. Put funny paints and quotes on the walls, hire around 5-10 people at 10-15k per month, your total cost per year including electricity for fully air conditioned rooms come to around 25-30 lakhs.  Collect 7-10k for a kid per month and if you can manage 30 kids, you can break-even in first year .

Of course, it needs heavy investment and some skills to manage such schools, but consider the fact how many businesses break-even in 1-2 years.  You consider all my calculations completely wrong and call me stupid-armchair-critic who don't know the nuances,struggles and profitability of a business model.A famous playschool invites franchisees in areas around chennai and their website declares their break-even time is one year.


Of course, there are other such businesses which are also fool-proof such as the asharam babu consulting group and the Nithi-Morgan Chase Group. :)