Saturday, May 26, 2007

Merchants of Drama presents "Playing Along..."

Yaooza!
Merchants of Drama is proud to present
Playing Along...
A riot of a comedy in two acts

Date: 27 May 2007 and 3 June 2007
Time: 6:30 pm
Venue: Yavanika Auditorium
State Youth Centre (next to RBI)
Nrupathunga Road, Bangalore.

Merchants of Drama is proud to present it's maiden production: Playing Along.... It consists of a series of sketches adapted from various sources followed by a self-scripted one-act play. Playing Along... is a much acclaimed comedy which has won awards at four national inter-college theatre competitions in 2005 including at Saarang (IIT Madras) and at Unmaad (IIM Bangalore). The play is in English and the duration is about 75 minutes. The cast of Playing Along... includes
Raj as Detective Andy
Rachana as Sandhya
Gyanesh as Kishore
Ashish as Arjun Singh &
Ajay as Viren

The play will be staged at the Yavanika Auditorium, on Nrupathunga Road.
For bookings
Call ME @ 98862 61719 to book/block your tickets. I have limited numbers for both the shows. Else, to reserve/block tickets, call 99806-44552
or
drop in an email at merchants.of.drama@gmail.com .

Tickets are also available at Crossword on Residency Road, and at the Alliance Française Café.
For more information, visit our blog: http://merchantsofdrama.blogspot.com

We invite you to come and watch what we guarantee will be a riot of laughter. Hope to see you there!

Cheers
Merchants of Drama

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

IBN - Thank you

I feel good as I go to sleep today. Finally, there is someone making noise about something million other people and I are screaming out. What do all of us have in common? Answer - The fact that cancer has touched us somewhere or the other in our lives.
If you scroll down my blog, you would find an article or two closely related to this disease, and why so? Simply because, after having gone through the rigours of what this disease has to offer, one just can't seem to keep quiet and let things happen their way. My motto is to ensure a change in the way cancer is looked at and more so, treated in the years to come.
Firstly, thank you CNN-IBN and specifically Sagarika Ghosh and the entire team at India 360. You are the cause for this post coming up on my blog.
Thank you also to Tanweer Alam. I don't know you man, but I sure can figure out what you are going through at this point of time. For those trying to understand things, Tanweer was featured on India 360 on the 8th of May as a CNN-IBN Citizen Journalist raising valid issues about the cost of cancer drugs in the market today and the price that companies who manufacture these drugs put on them. Tanweer himself is a cancer survivor. An IIMB graduate, he quit his plum job to be a budding entrepreneur when GOD decided to change things around. Today, he says he's run out on his savings and is dependant on his father to pull him through this disease. For those wanting to know more, here's a link to Tanweer's blog: http://www.baawara.blogspot.com/
The entire program and this entire story just goes on to re-iterate my point and that was this. "Why on earth are people not able to understand the magnanimous cause and effects of this disease? Why on earth are people so ignorant to a disease which has statistically proven to have claimed more lives than AIDS itself? Why are health organisations across the world not driving this particular message down the throat of every human being alive today? Why are drug manufacturing companies looking to make business out of this catch-22 situation rather than coming to the aid of the lower and middle class suffering from this disease?"
I hope I find answers to these questions quickly enough. Else I hope I go out there and ensure that I find myself answers to these questions and in the process, help million others make a change in their lives. As someone who has been closely associated with this disease and in the process, has seen hard earned savings over 56 long years just dwindle away, I feel for every person going through the same situation today and that calls me to proclaim, "I'll make a change. I'll do whatever it takes to propagate a change in the way this disease is treated. I'll try my best to ensure that hard earned money is not lost completely on the treatment of this disease. I'll ensure that cancer survivors would long to survive to enjoy and make the most of their life long savings, not worrying about what they'll have to live with, if ever they do survive!!!"
Thanks once again Tanweer and Sagarika. This post is for you guys. And also for you Ms. Harmala Gupta, for your undying support towards this special cause.
Are the right people listening? Will all you cancer drug manufacturing companies come out of your patent wars and embrace something you are all ethically bound too? I hope, wish and pray you do.

Friday, April 06, 2007

To those people @ ABB, whose presence I'll cherish the most !!

It's a time to go but not to leave,
A time to bid good-bye, to mourn and grieve.
Of good ol' days, of non-chalant ways,
Of a life full of brighter days.

I'd rewind the clock to 3 years back,
and relive the joy that filled my stack.
Beer & Coffee, and those sametime chats,
Immortal memories, images that'll last.

Time has passed as the seasons changed,
And we all rolled on in search of fame.
From carefree souls to a mature youth,
The transition made, in a perfect cruise!

I look ahead on my journey from here,
But not without that frequent stop.
To relive the moments, the time spent together.
And thank ye all for now and forever.

The gratitude though, is just the beginning,
As we tide through life, continuing to sing,
The beautiful times spent, a lasting movie now,
Evoking a recreation, every then and now.

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Love you all guys. We've had great times together and I'm sure they'll only continue.

Sunday, February 04, 2007

World Cancer Day

Yes, the 4th of February is considered to be "World Cancer Day" ! I'm not so sure, how many of you were actually aware of such a day even existing !
Nevertheless, for me personally, it carries a lot of relevance. And, on this day, I'd like to reiterate my pledges taken in this regard:
I, on this day, pledge to be associated in the best way possible, with activities working towards spreading awareness of this disease.
I, on this day, pledge to do my bit in helping people across the world understand the causes and effects of this disease.
I, on this day, pledge to do my part in making this world a better place to live in, a world where cancer is treated with as much concern, a world where cancer patients are made to feel at home with life.
I, on this day, pledge to dedicate a constructive portion of my forthcoming time on Mother Earth in doing whatever it takes, whether that be directly or indirectly related to this disease.
I, on this day, pledge to help cancer patients across the globe lead a better quality of life.

I, on this day, also hope that people across the world would stand up and take notice of the word CANCER and join hands in helping build more social awareness of the same. I, on this day, pray to GOD to infuse energy and spirit into all those lives affected by this disease.

I on this day, stand up and respect that one person closest to my heart, who showed me what resilience in life is all about.

Sunday, January 28, 2007

What is strength?

We've all heard of physical strength, and we all do agree that its one form of strength that can truly be quantified. But, what about the other "strengths" that people talk about. The kinds related to your emotions, your mental and psychological state of mind and your being. Can this be quantified? If yes, are there defined yardsticks to quantify them. As I try to think more and more on these lines, somehow, I end up finding the whole reasoning extremely absurd.

At the outset, let me make my stance very clear on this one. Personally, I do not think this form of so called "strength" can ever be equated and frankly, no effort in this regard should be made as well.

Is not shedding tears in public a show of strength? Is hiding emotion a show of strength? Is living life without fear a show of strength? Is being completely disdainful and carrying a lackadaisical approach to situations a show of strength? Is passing off failures in life with a certain amount of carefree ness a sign of strength? Is being able to laugh off some of the toughest of situations, a sign of strength? On the contrary, is fear a sign of weakness? Is crying aloud at the loss of a loved one a sign of weakness? Is seeking for solace in other people a sign of losing strength? Is putting up a fearful face making no facades that you are genuinely feeling scared a sign of a deep internal weakness? If no, then what is? And for all those people who say no, I ask, "Aren't these the same tools you use to judge people of their strength!!!" Think about it. Even as you vehemently deny these charges now, sub consciously we all do it. For me, that's a very sad tale to tell. And if your answer is a undoubted YES, then is it justified?

As ironic as it may sound, and try as hard as we can to ignore it, the words speak for themselves. Yes, this is how we judge people these days. A child not openly grieving over the loss of his parent is told, "You handled it well, very well". Huh, I ask, "and how do you say that, dear Sir", and pat comes the reply, "well, by the way you've reacted to the whole situation", for which I in turn ask myself, "Does he even know the reactions going on within me?", "Are they even aware of the metamorphosis going through me right now", "Can anybody even try and put themselves in to my shoes right now and comprehend things just the way I'm doing?"

Well, it's a situation all of us go through at some point of time in our lives. But is the chemistry of it the same for all of us. No right, then why equate it at all. There is a certain amount of difference in the choice and usage of words here. Handling a tough situation well, is a sign of growing maturity, but doesn't necessarily classify as a show of strength. I do not one bit disagree that there isn't something called mental or emotional strength. What I disagree upon is the mechanism used to compare it with that of others, and in turn quantify it. Just as each one of us are genetically different from each other, so is our mental strength and this is something that should never be compared. So then, that compels me to ask you this; how can you go ahead and utter a statement like, "You showed tremendous strength today". What are the root level basics for making a judgment such as that?

Just as we live in a world where everything is made to feel larger than life, where people/things/situations are made that much more unreal, where no point in any given discussion, however irrelevant it may be, if left unturned, where no topic is not with it's share of pros and cons, where for the most idealistic of good situations, somebody would come out with ten flaws in it, we got to realize that we're bordering on that state on an issue as sensitive as this as well.

We as human beings have learnt to respect each others feelings and sentiments, so that we grow together in a cordial society which would reap peace, joy and happiness for our next generations to come. In the same breath, let us also realize that subjective issues such as emotional or mental or psychological being (I refrain from calling it “strength”) are best left to that individual to comprehend. For all you know, the person you really look up to as an epitome of emotional "strength" might just be the one living his/her deepest fears every night within him/herself. And that person could be you, me or maybe, the next one to read this post.

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This article has also been posted on http://msn.co.in at the following link: http://content.msn.co.in/Contribute/Lifestyle/UCStory738.htm. (Please do rate it to help me improve my writing accordingly.)

Thursday, January 18, 2007

A cut above the rest

Just this morning, I got this calender from one of my channel partners, and what a calender it was ! It happened to be the perfect potion I needed for this year. As I read it, it had transcending effects on my abilities to deal with the situations I have perceived ahead.
And, as I read it, the more was the urge to share it with the outer world and show them some simple things / solutions to the seemingly most difficult of situations. So here goes...

It is titled, "A cut above the rest"
What does it take to be a cut above the rest. Here are a few pointers for you to ponder, think and improve upon.

KNOW YOUR PURPOSE - are you wandering through life with little direction - hoping that you'll find happiness, health and prosperity. Identify your life purpose or mission statement and you will have your own unique compass that will lead you in the right direction every time.

KNOW YOUR VALUES - What do you value most ? Make a list of your top 5 values. Some examples are : security, freedom, family, spiritual development, learning. As you set your goals for this year, check your goals against your values. If the goal doesnt align with any of your top five values, you may want to reconsider or revise it.

KNOW YOUR NEEDS - Unmet needs can keep you from living authentically. Take care of yourself. Do you have a need to be acknowledged, to be right, to be in control, to be loved? There are so many people who lived their lives without realizing their dreams. List your top four needs and get them met before its too late.

KNOW YOUR PASSIONS - You know who you are and what you truly enjoy in life. Obstacles like doubt and lack of enthusiasm will not only hinder you, but will not derail your chance to become the person you ought to be. Express yourself and honour the person who has inspired you to become the very person you wanted to be.

KNOW YOUR STRENGTHS - What are your positive traits? What special talents do you have? List three - if you get stuck, ask those closest to you to help identify these. Are you imaginative, witty, good with your hands? Find ways to express your authentic self through your strengths.

KNOW THYSELF - When you are true to who you are, living your purpose and giving of your talents to the world around you, you give back in service what you came to share with others - your spirit - your essence.
This is my agenda over the coming weekend !!! Yaay..its gonna be one rocking one !

Monday, January 01, 2007

2007 - The road not taken....

Its come....yes..its come....and its the big one for me personally. Yes, 2007 is here and like for many others, its the year of reckoning.. In more ways than one, I've made it that way for myself, but I kinda like it.
As I sat last night on my terrace with some close buddies, sipping on some wine, I stared up at the open laden sky and started to tell myself, "Make it count, make it count!". The theme for me over the next 365 days is simple and I've managed to bring it down to one word, "INDULGE", yes Indulge my friend.
Indulge in what you love doing the most,
Indulge in what you do best,
Indulge in something you've never indulged before.
Indulge, cuz it'll suck you in.
Indulge cuz what you see from the outside, is a bird eye view.
Indulge cuz once you get in, you wont bother coming out.
Indulge cuz now is the time to do so,
Indulge cuz this time will never repeat itself.

Hope I really can live upto it. Lots, infact tons to look forward too. I got quite a bit of feedback for the below poem that I've written, more destructive than constructive. Maybe, it did have some kinda impact on me. Well, not that the bone of contention you guys were using was right, but maybe, it did strike a chord somewhere within me, and I've surely learnt a thing or two from it.

To begin the year on a much much more positive note for me, I started by asking myself, "So whazzup in 2007????"

Firstly and most importantly, is that elusive MBA. A final crack at CAT, and I'll take what I get now. 2008 June - Bschool calling. Which one, I dont know?

Secondly, or rather, should I say, "Jointly first", ACT...ACT....ACT !!!!!!!!!! Yes. I see myself doing atleast 5 more plays this year. Five different characters, ranging from a 8 year old school going boy, to a 18 year old schizophrenic to much much more. Gonna also make my first foray into script writing. Yes, I have two in mind. Put them on paper and then hand them over to someone I think is an able man at direction. Looking forward to making my first short movie / audio visual play in march with the support of my entire Join the dots team. A big big big agenda for me in Q1 2007.


Thirdly, something that has to come back to the professional front doesn't it. Yes, my days are numbered at my job. Can't take it any longer. It's a matter of time, though I try hard not to think on that direction. I really really wanna drive up those high levels of motivation within me again, for whatever limited period it has to stay! Dunno, what it calls for me to do, but I really wanna do it. Wanna stop relating to the TATA Safari ad, where this guy says, " I always felt like quitting every monday morning!" It's something I've been trying to work on for a while now, but presumably, I'm struggling. Need to make it count baby, really need to. Just wanna get on the road back from work everyday thinking, "There was some value addition today, there really was!" It's too short a life to let go of a single day without pleasing your heart, really......
So yes, in pure numbers format, 3 important things to look forward too....and a year from now on, I hope I can come back to read this article and pat myself liightly on my back, "You done it boy, you done it !!!!"

Cheers guys to a eventful 2006 and a much to look forward, 52 weeks of 2007.....
Let the events unfold themselves, but I request thee to put me into a situation, where I'm atleast able to guess, what's unfolding.....