A-maddening Spiderman

For the first time ever I walked out of a movie - midway - today. Amazing Spiderman was screened tonight on my campus. A lot of people, including me, were quite upbeat about it. We planned to finish all our meetings before the screening began - yes, we have late night meetings here. That's our way of acting all important in a B-school (kidding!). Anyway, so dinner and meetings were hurried away and then began the much awaited movie. I had heard some trash reviews about it but I thought just how much could somebody spoil a Spiderman story. Guess it was too early to have my hopes pinned up optimistically. No surprise then that they fell flat on their faces!

After what seemed to be an hour and a half, I checked my watch and realised the nuances of the Theory of Relativity. Only 45 minutes had passed, and the movie seemed to slower down with each passing frame. In another minute I was told that the run time was 140 minutes. It is not in my basic nature to walk out of a movie in between. So I persuaded myself to sit through a little longer. In another six and a half minutes my patience gave way. The amateur special effects, the juvenile antics of the so-called Amazing Spiderman, and an absolutely disgusting lizard monster made it impossible for me to take it any more. Another annoying thing, Irrfan Khan (extra R inexplicable) stars in the movie as a villain. He added the comic factor. I do not know who directed that movie, I'm not even going to find out. But he did a wonderful job messing it up. Marvel should adopt a more thorough procedure before handing out the rights. They can surely do better.

I'd consider this movie, perhaps, at par with Saawariya. I had slept off in less than 15 minutes into that outlandish piece of motion art that Sanjay Leela Bhansali insisted on calling a masterpiece. I don't think I can handle the multiple nightmares. It's taken me an hour of crazy banter and three bars of ice cream to get over the trauma. I'm just glad I did not pay for it.

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Something Bookish

When I am old, I think, children of the neighbourhood will call me the crazy book lady. I cannot figure how and why I find myself in the possession of so many books all the time. By the time I get to being the crazy old book lady I do not know how exactly book-wealthy I will be; but I know for sure that the heir to my books - I will explicitly give them away in my will - will be one hell of a lucky person. At the moment I am in a very makeshift phase in my life where I am living in one small room in a hostel. Yet, you have to see to believe how many non-academic books I have stacked up here. The academic ones are no less though. I do not have a book shelf to fit them all in, so I have turned the window sill into a  make-do bookshelf.

Every new book I read adds value to my life. However, quite sadly, I have been very irregular with my reading lately. I've been so unjust to MacLean. It's taken me weeks and I am still not through his Puppet on a Chain. Princess Diana's biography by Sarah Bradford also beckons me. I wish I could have a job where all I had to do was to read, and watch movies, and sitcoms too.

It was my birthday last week, and thanks to my dear friends it rained books on me. I will, thus, get to my favourite task in sometime - signing my name, the date I got the book on and the place where I got it at, on the first page. This only brings my books closer to me. I have received more than half a dozen titles as presents. Makes it slightly easy for the one who is gifting. Not that I resent this. I would prefer a good book over a typically girly gift any day. I could live in a library for all it's worth. When I am at home, it is pretty much like that though. There is seriously no count of the number of books in my house. The trouble will arise when I it's time for me to move back. My parents, sister and I have our individual book collections. We have our own shelves, but now we find each other trying to sneak a book here and another there in various nooks and crannies on each other's shelves because we are so out of space. When I get  withhome a huge carton of books, it is a possibility that I may have to camp in the lobby just so that my books have a shelter above them. Exaggeration, of course! Everything said and done, there are two must-haves in life. Books, and friends who gift you books!

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Latest on Loop

Now here is one song that I cannot seem to get enough of. It is a beautiful blend of meaningful lyrics and soothing music (it is definitely 'inspired', but nevertheless). KK's melodious voice carries the song along very well. There is another rendition where Shreya Ghoshal get to sing a verse. I do not really like that one as much as KK's version. But good work.

Though I feel somewhere that 'technology' interferes too much with the final presentation of music these days. It refines the output to an artificial perfection. The music that we got until a few years back too used technology for enhancement, but somewhere a raw originality was retained, and it definitely added charm to the song.

Nothing else about the movie interests me, but Abhi Abhi from Jism 2 continues to play on loop in my room. Either my neighbours also like the track or my speakers aren't doing a good enough job of disturbing them at this time of the night.

 

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I Have Arrived

This one comes a tad too late, but better late than never. It was day zero and the most prestigious job on campus awaited its claimant. My feet flurried along with the swarm of hundreds of others that morning towards the auditorium. I had been very anxious the night before and was too on the D-day, but all through it was a strangely positive disquiet.

It was one of those amazingly 'right' days, where everything just falls in place. Carrying nothing but eerie aplomb, I gave it my best shot and left the rest to the guide who was directing the show all along. After a  few hours - that seemed like ages - of restless waiting, I finally heard what I had wanted to. I had achieved what is perhaps the most awaited milestone of a student's life. My first job. Additionally, this one came with a lot of frills. Hello Asian Paints! 

Glad and satisfied as I may be, this was made possible by a bunch of people who are in various parts of the world right now; a bunch of people who came into my life at various stages and have made a major contribution towards what makes me what I am today. I am not taking any names here, but I owe this to my family, teachers, mentors and some friends - all the people who have touched my life and  made a difference. I thank them for having faith in me, and giving me all that they did. And of course, the innumerable hand shakes and the laudations I received will always be cherished. With my confidence in myself reinstated and sang froid intact, I will now enjoy the last lap of my student life. And 26th Spetember, 2012 you are one date I am going to remember.

(the picture above, courtesy : Harshad Lunavat, batchmate at IMT-N. Brilliantly done for Sankalp and I, after we made it to AP. Thanks!)

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For F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

If we were living in the sitcom F.R.I.E.N.D.S, it'd be Ross Geller's 45th birthday today. What a strange co-incidence that I just watched the last episode of the final season of one of the most loved sitcoms of all times. It took me less than a month to complete the entire 10 seasons, and I am just so sad it had to end. Like a good friend, F.R.I.E.N.D.S was my perennial companion all this while. I have lost count of the number of nights I've fallen asleep to an episode playing in the background.

All good things come to an end. Not always to make way for something better though. It is true that life goes on, no matter what. And there are some things in life that nothing can replace. The wonderful times, memories, tears and laughs stay with you. F.R.I.E.N.D.S is one such thing for me. I never knew I could get so attached to a bunch of fictional characters in this way, especially those that are not in a book. The only gang on celluloid that comes as close as this in my radar of affection is Sheldon Cooper and friends from the Big Bang Theory.

Even though I know I can just pick out any episode and watch it whenever I want, thanks to the technological advancement of modern age, I have a strange feeling in my stomach. The kinds one gets when you lose something, and especially after I know how it ends. Nevertheless, splendid job David Crane and Marta Kauffman. Thank you!

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Well . She . Is

Priyanka Chopra has to her credit her own international single now. Social networking sites had been fairly abuzz about it since its release. Today I finally gave it a hearing. Incidentally, I happened to read a few comments from people who'd heard it before I did. I shouldn't have.

The poor woman's attempt has undergone autopsy and biopsy all at once. The song has invited censure of a very severe nature. Some listeners have criticised her 'fake' accent. The song has an apparently stupid 'concept'. Autotuning is what makes her sound so American - and why did she try to sound American in the first place -  but the quality of her voice is not really anything to talk about. Technology is what has made the song whatever little it is. Compared to the US/ Brit pop singers, well, she is paltry. The song features Will.I.am, but he wasn't used well. Why does she pronounce certain words the way she does?

Priyanka Chopra can now take a bow. So many people have paid attention to the minutest details of her track. Who gets that kind of attention these days? And all the people who've had so much time to criticise the lady, get over your jealousy and go get a life! Take a break fellows. Just listen to it and let it be. If you don't like it, don't listen to it again. Even if it is shoddy, somebody definitely put in some effort and a lot of money into it. Everything in the world does not need to be dissected and criticised. There must be way better things in life to dedicate time to. The song per se may not be a lyrical wonder, but as far as I am concerned it gets a thumbs up.

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The Sound of Music

"After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music ."

~

 Aldous Huxley

What is it in music that touches one in a way nothing else can? It spares nobody. From a martinet to a wonky hippie, everyone relates to some genre of music. Perhaps one of those rare forms of art that one can indulge in even without having any prior or specialised knowledge in the field. The connection is automatic and one never knows when and where it'll happen, let alone why. Music has the power of bringing people together - even though everyone may have a different interpretation of the same thing. The takeaways may differ but all of it is strung through a common thread.

Music will be your companion at all times, in any state of mind, at any time of the day (or night). You blend with it, and it embraces you as its own. Like that friend who needs no words to understand what you are feeling. No questions asked. No opinions thrust. And more often than not just the apt expression of your emotions. It just goes on and takes you along.

Peace!
~

My Tryst with the Quadrupeds - Vol. IV : Bovine Beauty

Last Sunday, my classmates and I embarked upon a little tour of a village near my institute. This was part of our course work for Rural Marketing. We were required to spend a day with the village folk in order to catch a glimpse of their lifestyle. In the process, I met a lot of four legged fellows. But the one that took my heart away was a calf named Soni.

I have seen a number of cows, bulls and their calves in my life, and some from very close quarters, but never has any bovine offspring caught my attention the way this one did. He was not only the smallest calf that I had ever seen but also the most beautiful. As I continued to gaze at him, he turned 24 hours old.

Soni's mother was away, his father was working in the farm, and he was all by himself in the shed.  I wondered how he must be feeling? Just a day into this world and he was left all alone. He could stand on his feet and walk around right from the time he was born. Can we even imagine this in case of human babies? In retrospect, I wish I could read his thoughts. Did he miss his mother? What did he think of all the people around him? What did he understand of what was happening around? 

Going back, in the excitement of the moment I could not resist petting him.  He was so petite I could almost carry him in my arms, though I did not. He had fleece like fur, and was quite literally as white as snow with little brown spots; a lot like baby Bambi with the exact contrast colour combination. I had never before touched a cow or it's child. I had had my own apprehensions, and in the next few minutes those apprehensions were about to vanish in thin air. A little hesitantly, I stroked his back. He seemed scared initially, but calmed down after a few strokes. I too got comfortable, and cuddled him playfully. I had merrily forgotten that we were there with some work at hand and could have sat there all day. But that was not to be. With the indignation of a child I left the shed unwillingly.  I stroked his beautiful face one last time and went on.

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Meg-O-Land Madness

A movie called Rockstar had a ridiculous song in its album that went "Sheher mein hoon main tere..", meaning "I am in your city". Nothing ridiculous about the idea as such, but the composition in its entirety is. My rather wacko alter ego takes charge sometimes and makes me listen to this track - on loop! Why this random thought strikes me now is because in one particular late evening lecture (details withheld obviously!) I took a little walk on the path taken by the song writer of the afore ridiculed song and came up with an original ridiculous composition. I wouldn't dare to call it a poem.

At the blank white wall I am compelled to stare,

Not daunted by the professor's glare,

Given a choice I'd rather be elsewhere,

But you don't always get what you want so here I am in class, rocking on a chair.

The coffee I had has done me no good,

I was promised it'd ward off my sleep,

Yet I find my drowsiness digging in deep,

I suppress my yawn not wanting to be rude.

As the minutes pass my concentration continues to dwindle,

My eyelids hurt as though being pricked by a needle,

Why did Rowling invent the Bard called Beedle?

Now the only rhyming word I can think of is swindle!

One of those occasions when the sleep deprived me gets high on caffeine,
All senses beginning to drain.
My distractions definitely evident, as attentiveness I cannot feign,

And wouldn't care come storm or rain!

The wacko alter ego - break dancing now - tries to hi-5 me. I pass, with a straight face. Let's play JLo and Pitbull for consolation, we concur.

~

The Art of Deception: Stealth Marketing

N.B. - The following is an award winning article, written in January 2012 for Mark Darshak - the  marketing magazine of NITIE. Publishing it here as it might interest a few souls out there.
Co-authors: Kaavish Kidwai, 2012 pass out from IMT-N, and self. 

Stealth marketing can be described as a covert form of marketing where, neither the marketing intentions behind the campaign are obvious, nor is the identity of the marketer revealed. One of the first instances of stealth marketing was actually a psychological experiment.  During the course of a movie, the Coca-Cola logo was flashed on the screen for a fraction of a second, such that it went largely unnoticed by the conscious mind but it had registered in the subconscious.  During the interval snack break a steep increase in the purchase of Coca Cola, compared to the daily average, was noticed.

Setting up third party websites, profiles or creating seemingly anonymous videos is a great way to create stealth marketing campaigns online where easy and cheap resources offer a plethora of opportunities to catch people’s attention.  Marketers often have their own people comment or post as a consumer for products on review and discussion forums.  From posting glowing reviews to a movie that has taken in mediocre reception from the critics to posting favourable and satisfied opinion posts about a newly launched technological gadget, marketers indulge in various forms of unethical stealth marketing online.

A big risk in some of the bolder stealth marketing campaigns, where the customer is not supposed to realise that he has been part of an elaborate set up for a marketing campaign is that it may generate negative feelings about the brand/product.  Basic human psychology states that a person does not like to feel cheated or being at the wrong end of a scam/prank.  The ideal situation is to leave the consumer feeling he has had the upper hand in an encounter.  But Viral Marketing campaigns, some of which are often judged as stealth marketing campaigns, are different.  Here, part of the allure is to try and guess the source of the marketer/promoter.  When the customer is gently lead towards the answers with clues he or she may actually feel smart and better about himself or herself for having arrived at the right answer.  In this case, long or repeated exposure to the campaign actually helps in conditioning the consumer towards the product/service and its attributes and features.

The situation is actually analogous to men sitting in hotel/restaurant bars in Las Vegas.  They end up striking conversations and having a great time with attractive women. It is only next morning that they find out that they have actually availed themselves the services of an escort which leaves them embarrassed or feeling foolish.  The strategic placing of these escorts is in fact an instance of stealth marketing.  Casinos use atmospherics, pheromones and periodic releases of pure oxygen to create a sense of light-headedness and euphoria that keeps the customer engaged at the gambling tables in spite of losing streaks.

Stealth pop-up windows have been associated with many websites where a window to an alternative site pops up in the background, often noticed by the customer only when the main window has been closed. Online engagement and use of planted trained salespeople to engage in one to one conversation helps develop a personalised target and approach but on the flipside, the more personal a tactic the more is the sense of indignation one feels when the truth is revealed.  Stealth marketing is often dangerously personal.  People are hired to move and mix among oblivious throngs and crowds of people publicly using the products and exclaiming about their benefits and features.  The rest is left often to the “Keeping up with the Joneses” Syndrome or else the hired salespeople might casually strike up conversations with members of the crowd and introduce the product into the conversation.

The flattery aspect is tapped in when an attractive or comely person shows apparent interest in an average person and strikes up a conversation.  Though the person feels better, what is worse is the sense of betrayal if and when he/she senses the deception.  The sense of understanding and similarity of wavelength can lead a customer in but more is the sense of being wronged or feeling cheated when it is revealed to be a gimmick.

Product placement is often a variation of stealth marketing where the personality and traits of the characters are carefully chosen before having them endorse the product in the course of the movie or episode.  This forms a subtle subliminal connect with the audience who feel the need to acquire those products.  The subliminal context is that using those products will imbue the consumer with the traits of that particular character.

Spreading exaggerated or misleading statements and opinions or targeting oblivious people psychologically through subliminal or reinforcement techniques are unethical aspects of stealth marketing that many marketers indulge in. They view it often as damage control or a perfectly normal phenomenon, but anything that violates rational thinking or free will cannot be termed ethical.  On the other hand, stealth marketing also offers opportunities to engage customers dynamically and play on their ego or induce a feel good factor into the equation that leaves them with a slight sense of elation.

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