BRAToSPHERE

Author: Bharat Jhurani

  • Chanakya’s Chant – Book Review (rating : 7/10)

    On a rainy evening here in Bangalore, me and Naveen were sipping beer and having chicken tikka at the oasis mall, when we realized that we need to rush. I had a bus to catch at 8:30, and it was already 7:45. It would take me more than half an hour to get to the bus stand.

    In spite of the rush, I could not resist getting into Shankar’s book store in the mall, for a magazine to aid while travelling. My eyes fell upon a golden color interesting looking book, and I could not help but buy it in a hurry and rush out to the bus station.

    CHANAKYA’S CHANT – ASHWIN SANGHI

    Very well researched. Creative. And catching.

    The book runs alternatively between 2300 years ago and the present day. One chapter speaks about the legend chanakya who helped unify India and bring in the golden rule of Chandra Gupta Maurya as the emperor of India, while the other is the present day account about GangaSagar Mishra, Chanakya’s modern avatar, with the same narrative, where his protégé is the oxford educated slum child Chandini, who becomes the eventual prime minister of india.

    The book narrates excellently the parallel stories of both Chanakya and Gangasagar, who with their cunning intellects, and manipulative techniques, twist their respective surroundings and political environments without an iota of self doubt or remorse.

    The writing style of the author ( Ashwin Sanghi, his first book the Rozabal line now commands a read!) is captivating,  especially the frequent use of proverbs, and quotations. The protagonist’s observations, and the dialogues are witty and sharp. Also, each of the episodes seems well planned out and executed to be fitting in the overall scheme of things.

    There are times when you feel that it is Chanakya (or gangaSagar) running the show, and their respective proteges are mere puppets in their hands. But I guess, this much was important to highlight the character of the shrewdest Brahmin india has known.

    Sanghi demonstrates very convincingly that the core of politics and strategy has not changed much with time, and the basics still apply. Information is still wealth. The parallels drawn between the two eras are also quite interesting – Chankya’s Vishkanyas versus Gangasagar dancer-whores and B-grade film starlets, Chanakya’s tantric versus the present day pavement astrologer.

    Twisting the facts, gossip, blackmail and removing of obstacles are all part and parcel of this dirty job, and very well depicted here. The book shows us that politics is not about only pulling each other’s hair, but involves much more and requires the understand of a lot of varied fields. Also the present day story hints at the present day happenings around us and gets the reader thinking.

    For example, R & S is shown as a business house bestowed by political favours. It is shown that the two partners display a public fight just to attract more political favours, and expedite their business growth. ( Ambani’s anyone?)

    In the last chapter, it is written that the husband dies in an air crash suspiciously. ( Sanjay Gandhi anyone?)

    The book fails on predictability, with the ending being anyone’s guess.  But the way to go about it is quite interesting. The book manages to keep the reader engaged and compelled to read through to the very end. Overall, this should be a must read book in your shelf this summer.

    Rating: 7/10

  • India vs. Pakistan – National Holiday!

    Tomorrow is a national holiday. WHY?? Tomorrow is just a normal working Wednesday, 30th march 2011. Gandhi was not born on this day.

    Ah! I know, I don’t need to explain. The Indian cricket team has made it into the semifinals of the world cup, and the match is against Pakistan. THE MOTHER OF ALL MATCHES.

    The match would be beaming over a billion TV’s across the world, and people would all be glued to it not wanting to go for a pee break too, in spite of the bottles of beer creating a ruckus in the belly.

    Hope, we get to see more of the match and not the ads. (The broadcasting channels are making a killing, obviously!)

    Hope, the electricity department does not play a spoil sport.

    Hope, the rain Gods do not come in the way to wash it out. (Btw, having the CM named baadal, this cannot be ruled out, in spite of the summers!)

    Hope everything goes on well, and everyone gets a HAPPY chance to make Mr. mallya a little more rich. ( Win or loss, liquor would anyways flow!)

    And lastly, hope we get to see the match and not be stuck in office!

    Imagine. India vs. Pakistan. A world cup semifinal. In Mohali, Punjab (people are the most expressive there!) and it is a month end of a year end. Can it get any better?? You would be balancing the sheets, and writing reports on what went well and what did not? Well, if you are doing that, your personal life is sure not doing well!

    All my friends, across industries, generations, age and sex are just talking about one thing – how do I get a leave tomorrow? Why a leave? Most of the offices are anyways arranging a screening in their offices itself? “I want to watch it with my friends over loads of beer and pizza, and not with a group of grumpy old people”, says Akansha, an IT professional.

    “I want to be discussing the statistics of the match and not about how many soaps were sold last month”, says uday, working for a FMCG major.

    “Ah! I am just going to pelo maal in the morning, and head home by 1:30PM max. This would be the fastest month end closing I would have ever done”, Says Dinesh, who works for a minor FNCG company. Right, the cheque bounces can be taken care of later!

    Well, need a good reason to bunk your office tomorrow?

    DO NOT ASK FOR A HALF DAY LEAVE DIRECTLY, the boss could just reply,  “Okay, take it in the first half tomorrow morning!”

    It would be tough to believe that you are down with viral flu tomorrow, unless you consume a lot of virus tonight, and actually puke at your boss!

    Maybe you can try the “SENTI FORMULA”.

    “Boss, last time india won against Pakistan, I was at with my girlfriend on the bed, and watching it. Need to do this much for the country boss!”

    “yeah right. Have you already taken permission from the husband and two kids of your then girlfriend?. good luck needs to be replicated my boy!”, your boss would howl!

    Maybe you can try this.

    “boss, I need a leave tomorrow”

    “You F%&^% want to see the match while closing?”, your boss screams.

    “What match? Is there a match today? Who is playing? I have an appointment with the dentist!”

    Not working? Your boss just assumes that all your dentures are perfectly fine?

    Try this.

    “Boss, tomorrow is my Charity day. I would do my compulsory CSR activity tomorrow”

    “And how would that be?”

    “For every ball that I watch, my wife has agreed to donate a bone of mine to the dogs!”

    Well, would not work!

    Truly speaking, nothing would work tomorrow. Even if you meet with an accident on the way to your office, and everybody knows that you are not much of a cricket buff, they would still assume that you purposefully banged your bike into the auto.

    So totally unfair. Even the PM, and his coterie are taking a holiday tomorrow in the name of diplomacy. Inviting Zardari and Gilani to the match is the best anti terrorism insurance they could think of!

    So, forget the reason, just bunk the office ( jo hoga, dekha jaega!), stock up a case of beer and enjoy the show. Aise mauke baar baar nahi aate!

    I am off to get my case of Kingfisher premium. A case of 24 pints! nothing less would do!

  • Change

    This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton Season 2 edition 18; the eighteenth edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.

    A very good friend of mine from MBA days, MoBulAri, is getting a sex CHANGE. He is fed up being the guy and being responsible for everything in life. He is fed up of all the changes that he would have to bring upon himself after a month (he is getting married), and just wants to be a woman.

    I swear. He told this to me on his own last night.

    He seemed to be pretty serious about it, and actually searched for the contacts of the quacks who do it, on google. (trivia: “sex change quacks in Bangalore” query gives out 82,600 results from google!). phew! That sure is a big market out there.

    This got me thinking to the basic premise of the phenomena called CHANGE.

    The Only Thing That Is Constant Is Change – Heraclitus

    There cannot be a statement truer than it. Change is an obvious thing to happen across our life, and for good that is. How boring would our monotonous life get? But well, one doubt here, will this statement also CHANGE with time?? Just asking.

    CHANGE. A six letter word, with so many meanings and definitions. First thing that comes to the mind on hearing the word “change” is to reach out to the left pocket and pluck out the lucky coin.

    In fact, Change is such a deep word, it helped a black guy become the president of the most powerful nation in the world.

    Such is change – a meaningless nothing in this giant play called world. The waves change, they may knock you down. The seasons change, they may make you sick. Everything around changes, and we inn all our stupidness look for stability in life. (pun intended!)

    Change is growth, and well as reliance has put it – growth is life. A person who does not change with time, would not be able to see, hear, feel, know or go towards anything more than what he has today. And what he has today would surely dwindle. Heard of a beast called inflation. Last heard it is hovering around 15%.

    People like change so much, that inspite of all the 2G, 3G talks on and crores of their money being robbed in broad daylight on their face, they are more concerned about changing their service providers.

    The thing with change is trying to manage it, and the trends that are inherent. How does one manage change? Do an MBA? No. Just choose. Change is nothing but making those choices.  For the better, or for the worse, time would tell. But change for sure.

    CHANGE, I say again, IS THE ONLY CONSTANT IN LIFE.

    p.s.: MoBulAri was completely drunk last night.

    The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective posts can be checked here. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.

  • Off to New York?? – Part II

    Till now, in Anaisha’a journey to NY, we have seen her getting prepared to be off. What happens next?

    It is 4 in the morning, and the cab guy has arrived. Karan, Aniasha’s FRIEND, and she get ready to start for the airport now.

    They hug tightly, and after a real long kiss and a smooch which could not get any wilder,  karan took the bags in his hands.

    “Ah! I so wish I could lift her rather”, Karan thinks within himself.

    Peskina, is also there in her cab. Ready to go.

    They dump it all in the rear of the car, and sit comfortably holding each others hand, in the overtly built Qualis. A quails was necessary to hold that entire luggage.

    She takes comforts resting her head on his chest, and they talk again about the long gap of three months. They have been talking only about this single topic all evening and night now.

    They reach the airport at 5, and it seems like it is just 5 minutes back that they had started from their homes. Yes, the airport, which is a good 30 KM from the city, seems near now.

    After getting the entire luggage on the trolley, and a parting hug and a kiss without giving a hoot to PDA, and the curious looking gaping early morning travelers, they part.

    Karan probably thanks that it is time, and he can now rest to sleep finally after the long sleepless night. He gets back into the same cab immediately and is off home.

    Anaisha, trying to hide her moist eyes from Peskina, who by now is standing next to her in the entrance queue, holds her trolley. She gets her entire house( which has been packed in those huge bags) screened at the x-ray counters.

    She proudly hands over her british airways ticket to the ticket counter lady, and gets herself a boarding pass with BRITISH airways prominently written on it, besides her name. She is proud. Those moisty eyes were now confusing – sad, happy or just sleepy?

    She then heads to the immigration counter, proudly still holding the boarding pass, and thinking of the nice days ahead in New York. She then hands over the immigration form to the officer there, along with her American passport.

    Anaisha was born in America, and lived a considerable part of her younger days in the US, thus the American passport. She has a dual citizenship.

    After looking at her passport, the officer there very calmly tells her,

    “Ma’am. You can go to the “some” office today, and come back tomorrow for the flight”, and carries on with his work.

    Anaisha with a confused look, “You are not serious right?”

    “NO, Ma’am. I am very serious”, he replies with a firm tone this time looking straight into her eyes.

    “You should get this passport stamped at “some” office, but you have not got it done, and without it you are not allowed to board ma’am.”

    He takes her boarding pass, which she has been holding so carefully till now, and scribbles there in bold words – OFF LOADED!.

    She just could not bear that sight. More than anything, I guess the fact that her good looking boarding pass getting smeared was troubling her the most. She was nearly into tears, when the Airline ground staff come to her rescue.

    “We are sorry. You can come back tomorrow ma’am”.

    Her colleagues, 6 in number, all bid her bye and get off from her sight with their equally huge hand bags. Anaisha is there at the airport, all there, alone.

    Flashes of the previous night come across her mind.

    “I so wish I don’t need to go!”, she tells Karan hugging him

    “No Baby. This is your chance. You should”

    “NO. I don’t want to go. I don’t want to be away from you”, She hugs him tighter.

    Little did she know, or desired, that God was listening to her then, and was in a Dabbang mood to be granting her verbal wish.

    It is 8:30 AM, and she has been at the airport for a good 3 hours now, and there is no jugaad that seems to be possible. No other option, but just to get back home, and see what can be done in that “some” office.

    She calls Karan.

    He does not answer. She tries again, he still does not answer the call. After a couple more tries, to the extent, that the telecom authorities might actually consider levying charges on missed calls, she stops calling.

    “He must be sleeping”, the caring girl in her tells herself.

    She waits for an hour there at the airport, hoping for some divine intervention. Nothing happens. Not even the expected call from Karan.

    She, without an option, takes a cab, and heads back to the city.

    All her dreams and thought of the good times ahead are dead for the near future. All that she is left with is her british Airways boarding pass with huge scribbling on it – OFFLOADED!

  • Off to New York?? – Part I

    This story is about a friend and a rather funny incident that happened to her.

    Anaisha. Just a week back she was full of excitement, confusion and in a complete dilemma. She was shifting jobs, and was confused if she should actually take it up. The previous job in a start up was going good, but too taxing, and here she had an offer from an established consultancy. It seemed like a no brainer, but well there were issues. Not too interesting, and so we leave out the details here.

    Well, the most important part, she was flying down to the US for three months for some training by this established consultancy ( let’s call it EstaCon). She was all excited. Anybody would. She was flying down to the US!!

    She was supposed to be flying on 23rd january sunday, and was getting all prepared for it. I remember meeting her on the Thursday before that, and she had just completed a wild wild shopping spree that evening. She had more than 5 bags in her hand, and Ahen, who unfortunately accompanied her to shopping, was carrying another two. She had bought like everything possible, and I had to continuously remind her that she was flying to new York, and not kazhakasthan, and everything would be available there. For gods sake, I am sure RICE of all things would sure be available there!

    We had dinner together that night. Actually it was less of eating, and more of she telling me about all her shopping, and trust me, it took the entire evening to complete the list. I have no clue how we managed to get all that stuff on my Activa driving back home, dropping her on the way. It helped that both of us are not bestowed upon very generously on the body.

    Anaisha’s flight was scheduled at 8 AM on sunday morning, in british airways. Saturday night, she was at her friends place, all night. One of her colleagues ( lets call her peskina) called her at about 9PM asking her if she would join her on the way to the airport next morning.

    “NO, My boyfriend is coming to drop me”, Anaisha replies back in complete haughtiness and with full on attitude.

    “Oh! But can we three not go together?”, Peskina asks desperately.

    “Damn, the cab would get paid for by the company. Why does she just not take a separate one?”, Anaisha anguishes.

    “Oh! No, We got to spend some time together”, with a i-can’t-get-more-on-the face- look Anaisha replies.

    “OKAY. Can you atleast follow my cab on the way to the airport. I am scared of travelling alone you see!”

    YES I SEE.

    “Sure”, and Anaisha hangs up.

    “She wasted precious three minutes sweet heart”, she hugs her guy Karan.

    All night, karan and Anaisha are awake, talking senti stuff about the long gap that they would have to be separate from each other. Anaisha had just, six months back, shifted base to Bangalore to be with him full time, and here she was off seven seas away for a complete three months.

    This is the first part of this journey to new York. The second part would be out soon!