A Maverick Heart: Between Love and Life

When people of similar frequencies come together, output is not a simple sum of individual work, but exponential. In science we term this phenomenon as resonance. Output at this stage is beyond any logical limit. Three young kids, with different family backgrounds and outlook meet during their graduation days at IIT-Bombay campus and become close friends. Although, individually they are in sync, but the same is not true for their interaction with the world. How will their relation withstand the conflict of family and society pressure? How do their characters shape out, as they traverse from an educational environment through the corporate world to the realm of the social-political world? Inspired by the real events across the globe from the last decade, Ravindra Shukla brings you the characters based story – struggle and triumphs of young generation and their relevance in the current socio-eco-political era.

Plot/Context -

Book is inspired by some of the most prominent IITian’s personality and their journey from academic world to the social-political world. It is based on the actual events from the last decade across the globe (IIT-B campus, Silicon Valley – California, Wall Street – NYC). It covers the journey of three youth - their peak vibrant period between 18 years and 26 years and three critical phases of life – Academic, Corporate and Social-political world.

The story revolves around the lives of three friends in IIT, one girl and two guys. The book goes through the ups and downs in their lives (college life, personal life, professional life). Depiction of love relation and friendship during academic life is very meaningful and realistic. In corporate and professional section – plot covers the glamour and up/down of Wall Street. Difference in Silicon Valley entrepreneur’s passionate interest vs glamour and manipulation of Wall Street has been described beautifully.  Finally journey takes you to the current social struggles people facing in country and their transition to political level.

We can relate to protagonist a lot who in one line is "a brilliant mind who chooses to follow his heart". The best part of the book is the discussion between characters which stimulate your mind and heart at the same time, a great mix of philosophy and logic in these discussions. Language is very simple, which makes it a very easy read as well.

Character based story inspired by international events – 1996 thru 2006

- Campus academic life (Relation between three close friends, Richita-Rahul love relation, students-faculty elation, Craze for credit race in academic world)

- Middle class family conflicts – Decision based on security/insecurity, generation conflicts

- Silicon Valley VS Wall Street in US – Entrepreneurship (Creator) VS Wall Street (Deal Maker)

- Glamour of making millions/successful life, The Rat race and Quality time concept

- Corporate world: USA Wall street life, Multi Billionaire IPO, Internet/wireless/emerging technology Boom/Burst

- India social-political reform movement (RTI) – Entry of young and rich self-made persons in politics

- Integrating educational institute and channelizing youth energy to single platform to address issues country facing today

Main Characters

Richita – She is combination of beauty and brains. She comes from an upper middle class. Her father, Dr. Deen Dayal, is a professor in Lucknow University and is in very powerful position in state politics. He is very protective of Richita. Mother plays a key role in shaping Richita character. Richita – a smart and beautiful girl – tries to follow family and society norms till the end when she cannot ignore her own consent.

Rahul – Son of an Air-force fighter pilot officer, who lost his life in Kashmir in 1990 when Rahul was still in school. Very sharp but highly emotional character, he goes with his heart and believes in instant action (Genius in mind, socialist by heart, rebel against anything wrong in society). Although miles away from glamour and charm of any girl, he could not resist Richita beauty and attitude. Their relation attaches new meaning to eternal love.

Neerav – Comes from a wealthy businessman family. He knows what is right/wrong but flows with current flow in life. He follows predefined path, focuses on career and success. He is capitalist in belief. Rahul is his best friend. Neerav enjoys life to full extent, is not an emotional character but knows where real talent lies in society and corporate world.

About Author –  Ravindra Shukla

Ravindra Shukla is based out of San Diego, California (US citizen/Indian OCI). He shuttles between California-New York and Bombay. He is subject matter expert in emerging technology and service oriented architecture. He is married to Stuti Misra and living with his wife and two kids (Anchita and Richita).

Educational background –

• Graduate from IIT Bombay
• Published white papers in technical journal
• Conducted webinar on latest technology and Architecture

Profession –

• Subject Matter Expert/Lead in the Emerging Technology Div (SAP HANA – Real-time Business/Data Analytic) of IBM ISA South Asia Pacific
• 19 Year of IT Experience
• 16 Years of USA experience with top consulting firms (PriceWaterhouseCoopers and IBM)
• Managed Business Accounts in Wall Street – New York and Silicon Valley California
• Owner of Business Analytic firm in USA

Creative Interest –

• Author of the book – A Maverick Heart: Between Love and Life
• Author movie script - Richita
• Trained script writer and Director from New York, USA
• Guest speaker in many social events
• Members of Film writer association
• Other interest – Sports, Literature and Movie direction/writing

MISC –

• Native Place – Allahabad UP
• College – Ruia College, Matunga, Bombay
• Graduation – IIT-Bombay
• Father – Retired – Faculty (English, Parel, Bombay), now settled in Allahabad
• Brother – CEO/Head for Solar Power Energy – Asia, Europe, Middle East. ABENGOA, Spain)

 

 Download Sample Chapters

Grab your copies from Flipkart | Homeshop18 | Infibeam

Reuters: Cheaper iPhone story withdrawn after 'substantial changes' to China report

Rumors of a more affordable iPhone for emerging markets took an interesting turn Friday, as the major news organization Reuters opted to rescind a story originally filed, based on comments allegedly made by Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller.
Reuters issued an update Friday morning informing readers that it had withdrawn the story, which featured the headline "Apple exec dismisses cheaper iPhone as a market share grab — report." It was based on a report from the Shanghai Evening News, but that original story was later updated with "substantial changes to its content," which prompted the significant retraction.

AppleInsider also cited the same story on Thursday, noting that Schiller allegedly told the newspaper that Apple is not interested in making a "cheap," low-profit iPhone. The Next Web had reported that it confirmed with Apple that Schiller's comments came from an "official interview," as did the report from Reuters, which is now rescinded.

It's unclear exactly what the "substantial changes" made to the story are. As of Friday morning, the original story remains hosted at jfdaily.com, claiming that Schiller said Apple will not develop "cheap smartphones."

The original Chinese report gained considerable attention due to recent rumors claiming Apple plans to build a more affordable iPhone this year. The Wall Street Journal said that the device would be geared toward emerging markets such as China, where cheaper smartphones that can be bought without a service contract dominate the market.

Currently, Apple's cheapest iPhone model is the iPhone 4, which can be had for free with a new two-year service contract. But when bought contract-free, the iPhone 4 costs $450 in the U.S., and taxes increase that price to $490 in Chin and $750 in Brazil.

A walk through the city of Seven Pagodas

Mahabalipuram is believed to have influenced temple architecture in Cambodia and Java too

The little girl runs and crouches behind the big boulder. She catches me smiling at her and puts a finger to her lips. It is a pleasant Saturday afternoon and the soft rays of the sun light up the sandy shores. l follow my gaze and see small hillocks, big boulders, rock cut temples and carved caves set amidst casuarina trees.
The blueness of the sky and the waves stand out against the sandy shores and the stony sculptures. A bunch of children are playing hide and seek. All of a sudden, I feel like a child again. The weight of three decades is removed from my shoulders as I go back to my childhood. We are a bunch of motley kids looking pretty in our uniforms and running and screaming wildly as we find freedom from our classrooms. It is the annual excursion to Mahabalipuram.
Several years later I am in Mahabalipuram again, lost in the sculptures. I am not seeking academic information or a place to picnic. It is an eagerness to explore, a childlike curiosity, a joy in discovering something new that overwhelms me.
The crowds soon gather. There are swarms of touts, tourists, vendors and visitors vying for attention at the historic site. The history of the coast, however, goes back to ancient times when maritime trade flourished here with Rome, China and other South East Asian countries.
Mahabalipuram became a thriving port during the Pallava reign between 6th-10th centuries. Referred to as Kadalmallai or Mammalapuram, after Pallava king Narasimhavarman 1, who was nicknamed Mammala or ‘wrestler’ it finds mention in works of ancient travelers and historians like Periplus, Ptolemy and Hiuen Tsang.

The structures at Mahabalipuram are among the oldest existing examples of Dravidian architecture

Interestingly it is documented in “Carta Cartalana”, a 14thcentury Spanish world map as “Setemelti” referring to “Sette Templi”, the obvious reference to the Seven Shore temples, of which only one remains today.
Standing tall against the ocean, the World heritage site, houses three shrines dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva. A guide tries to lure me by narrating the tale of the “tsunami temple”, referring to some sculptures that were found under water after the tsunami. “Underwater excavations are still happening madam”, he says, adding that the locals believe there could be a city buried underneath the waters. A local gypsy walks with beads and necklaces on her arms, trying to grab my attention.
There are three temples of which two Shiva Temples face east and west respectively built by Narasimha Varman II. The third is the Vishnu Temple built by Narasimha Varman I. Carvings of various Hindu Gods and Goddesses, such as Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Lakshmi, Parvati, Ganesha, Skanda , Narasimha and Durga, are depicted here.
The central shrine is in the form of a rectangle. Here the sculpure of Vishnu is found reclining; hence, the deity is known as Sthala Shayana Perumal or Ananthasayana. It is said that Vishnu reclines on the floor listening silently to the sounds of names. It is pretty dark in there and one has to strain to catch the glimpse of the reclining God. The grand temple is surrounded by mandapas and compound walls.

Hundreds of highly skilled sculptors toiled to create the wonders at Mahabalipuram

Legend has it that a great flood consumed a city of the east coast of India, more than 1500 years ago when the Gods grew jealous of its beauty. The sea has its secrets and some were uncovered post the tsunami, when recent underwater excavations have shown some structures hidden under the waters.
Excavations on the shore revealed the remains of an ancient temple dedicated to Shiva located to the south of the shore temple. A beautiful ring-well made of terracotta, a shikara stone are among the others which were found within the temple complex. According to the local traditions these structures are the remains of one of the six temples believed to have submerged. More temples were unearthed and we went in search of them.
We walk over to the monolithic rathas which are carved out of a single boulder. A tribute to the Pandavas of the Mahabharath, the Pallavas have built five Rathas or chariots called Dharmaraja  (Yudhishthir), Bheem, Arjuna, Sahadev-Nakul and Draupadi. The monolithic temples are called locally as Rathas as they resemble the processional chariots of a temple. They were carved during the reign of King Mahendravarman I and his son Narasimhavarman I. Gods, kings, mortals and animals are sculpted on these temples as some of them are three storied like the Dharamaraja ratha and single storied like Draupadi ratha.

Erosion has taken a toll on several monuments but what remains, still speaks eloquently of the brilliance of Pallava architecture

I then see a beautiful bas relief which is sheer poetry on a single rock. I am looking at Arjuna’s  Penance which narrates the story of Arjuna as Kiratarjuniya obtaining the weapon Pasupatha from Shiva after a severe penance. Set on the banks of the river which depicts life running its own course through images of nature, wildlife, man, it is also interpreted as the story of the descent of the River Ganges.
We walk past more rathas, cave temples and mandapams and watch as more stories come alive. The Varaha Cave, the Mahishamardini Mandapam, the Trimurthi cave, Ganesh Ratha, Govardhanagiri Panel, Konheri Cave, the Pindari Rath, the Krishna Mandapa – one is lost in the world of sea, sand and sculptures. I head to Krishna’s Butter Ball near Ganesh Ratha. It stands out there as everyone loses their balance while attempting to pose against the rock, even as it balances precariously on its own. A bunch of children were playing hide and seek. All of a sudden, I felt like a child again lost in the past.

INTERVIEW: Study tips to crack GMAT

Mihika Yadav scored 690 in her GMAT.  She is now studying PGP at IIM Indore. Mihika shares her study tips with us...

Tell us about yourself? Which course are you pursuing at IIM?
I am an accessory designer and currently pursuing a 2 year full time PGP course from IIM I.
Being trained from NIFT, Creativity is an integral part of my persona. I have always had an inclination towards fashion and dream to build my own Global Fashion retail chain. To fulfil my entrepreneurial dream I have chalked out a career path for myself, which entailed gaining requisite knowledge and experience. I realized to build a brand along with creativity one needs to have business acumen too. And thus, I decided to do an MBA course..

How did you prepare for GMAT?
Having decided to do MBA I started preparing for GMAT. I took a 2 month sabbatical from my job. I started with brushing up basics of quant and verbal through Official Guides.
For verbal I referred to Manhattan Sentence correction and Powerscore Critical reasoning. Quant is fairly easy for Indians and one should focus on solving faster the easier questions rather than cracking hard questions and wasting a lot of time.
As far as IR is concerned one should not fret about it as it is just a warm exercise before you hit the real goal. Though it is widely known but I still want to emphasis on the fact that in any case do not leave the last questions unanswered. There is a huge penalty for it.
Another tip I would like to share is that when you are running short of time and you have to trade off between time and accuracy try the “alternate correct answer” style.
It is self developed style but works wonders. Say you just have 5 minutes and 10 questions to solve. Our tendency is to solve the first 5 questions accurately and then for last 5 just mark randomly. Instead solve alternatevly one accurately and next random guess. This way you don’t end up 5 consecutive wrong questions which again fetch huge penalty.


 *Thanks to India.com

Rahul Dravid can play a pivotal role in turning Indian cricket around

For a decade and a half, Rahul Dravid had shepherded the Indian top order, establishing sanity in the face of crisis and turmoil.

Now, as he celebrates his 40th birthday, he may have moved away from his timeless presence at the batting crease and in the first slip; but given the current condition of Indian cricket, there are many ways in which his serene sagacity and cricketing common sense can be of immense use.

If we look at the present scenario with detachment, stripping the plethora of loud voices that ring out of the associated frustration, agenda, emotions and – in some cases – retribution, Rahul Dravid indeed emerges as someone who can play a pivotal role in transforming the fortunes of Indian cricket.

No, not as a miracle man. With Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Dravid himself and Anil Kumble in their primes, miracles had been daily affairs and easy to perform. Times have changed. Dravid is one man who understands that the team is going through a transition and expectations need to be rationalised based on the availability of talent and experience in the playing eleven.

Dravid himself can be an excellent candidate to facilitate this transition.
  Voice of reason
Dravid does his job as a commentator and analyst with a difference. While he has his views about tactics and decisions, he is the first – and may be the only one – to admit that the suggested ploys could go wrong as easily and it is always easy to criticise in retrospect. Perhaps the green fields he has walked on, for so long and with such dignity, have left a lasting honest stain on his boots. Or perhaps his playing days are too recent for him to wallow in a manufactured ideal past. But, he has kept his feet firmly on the ground, and the antiseptic air-conditioned environment of the commentary box has been unable to delude him into becoming a divine voice that can utter no wrong.

Amidst the turbulent calls for chopping and changing, the bloodthirsty demand for important heads to roll, Dravid’s voice has rung out balanced and sensible, following the same glorious way his bat had done the talking over the years.

While from all possible nooks and crannies of Indian cricket voices have clamoured for the head of MS Dhoni, Dravid has backed the skipper firmly.

There have been arguments for Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir getting the top job, important voices have claimed that Dhoni does not merit a place in the Test side. If these suggestions had been put under a rational microscope, eggs would have landed conspicuously on the faces of these backseat drivers.

Not only have Sehwag and Gambhir struggled to justify their respective places in the side, Dhoni, a wicket-keeper batsman, has had a better run with the bat in Test cricket in the recent past than the two openers. And the day an ex-selector came out all guns blazing, proclaiming that Dhoni did not have the technique to play Test cricket, the Indian captain batted through a full day in Nagpur on a difficult wicket. However, riding on the waves of fanatical emotions, the unreasonable voices have transcended logic and enjoyed heady popularity.

Dravid, however, has a much more realistic view of the situation. He understands that Sehwag and Gambhir have not performed for a long time, and cannot take up the reins in these circumstances. He is aware of the figures – a trait curiously uncommon in an Indian ex-player turned critic.

He is also pragmatic about Virat Kohli, and rightly says: “I believe it's a little early for him. At the moment, he is a growing, developing cricketer. I would love for him to get the job after India has played another 15 or so Tests, which means after the England tour, in September 2014. If he can keep his form and develop till then, it will be a good time for him to take over. He is a long-term prospect as batsman and captain, but giving him the Test captaincy at this stage might be risky.”
In Dravid’s vision – pleasantly long term –  the next 15 Test matches, consisting of  the home series against Australia, the tour to South Africa, New Zealand and the English summer of 2014, are crucial for India, and this period can see the transition coming along. And he believes that Dhoni can lead this transition fully, before leaving the reins in the hands of an able successor.
He speaks highly about Dhoni’s ability to lead from the front. “We saw this in the Nagpur Test match - and not merely from his 99. Because the wicket was slow, Dhoni came up to the stumps to Ishant Sharma, who was bowling at 140kph. To do that was gutsy, because it had ‘break your finger’ written all over it. Dhoni was willing to take that chance, and to me, in some ways, that shows leadership.”
While these views, aired across the media by someone of Dravid’s stature, do work wonders to apply a layer of reason on the tumultuous thought-space of Indian cricket, perhaps his contribution to the transition can be more direct.
Dravid as coach?
With the faith that he has demonstrated in the Indian captain, he can be the ideal candidate for the role of the coach, or at least a close advisor in any designated role that can be created to involve him with the team.
“It will require from Dhoni a change in the way he captains, a recognition that he can’t do everything all the time, and the willingness to ask for and accept help,”Dravid has gone on record voicing. By a logical extension, Dravid himself can be the one to advance the required help as and when required.
For the captain too it is easier to work with the supportive Dravid than some others who have hacked away at his credentials with a relentless sense of purpose.
Tactically, Dravid was the most brilliant skipper India ever had since Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi. He has played alongside Dhoni for a long, long time. The two have been the only captains since the eighties to have won major Test series outside the subcontinent. Collaboration between the two can result in the perfect captain-coach combination to turn around India’s fortunes.
If we look through the annals of cricket history, the side that comes closest to the sudden depletion India is currently experiencing is perhaps Australia of the 1980s, when Greg Chappell, Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh left the scene together. It took a while, but Allan Border did turn things around. In the first four years, he won three Tests while losing nine. But, he managed to win the World Cup, and then convert the Australians into a world beating unit in Test cricket before passing his baton into the deserving hands of Mark Taylor. Close at hand, he had the wisdom of the canny Bobby Simpson to fall back on.
Dhoni’s case is slightly different. He had taken India to the pinnacle in both Test and One-Day cricket, he has already won a World Cup apiece in both the short formats of the game. The transition has affected the side in the very middle of his tenure. However, with Dravid playing a crucial role, the two can combine into a Border-Simpson like combination to guide India into becoming a winning force yet again.
(Arunabha Sengupta is a cricket historian and Chief Cricket Writer at CricketCountry. He writes about the history and the romance of the game, punctuated often by opinions about modern day cricket, while his post-graduate degree in statistics peeps through in occasional analytical pieces. The author of three novels, he can be followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/senantix)

Addicted to Facebook?

 

From your teenage sister to your dad, your uncle in Bhatinda to your grandpa in Bengaluru, everyone’s addicted to Facebook.
99% of you reading this article have a Facebook account; 50% of you have your Facebook page open in your browser as you are reading this.20% of you check your Facebook when you wake up and before going to sleep!
 If you are one of those people who spends hours on Facebook updating your status and pictures, browsing through your friend’s friends’ albums, checking out potential new friends, installing applications, liking everything, farming and planting and NEED to make life seem like such a la-la-land constantly; you are definitely addicted to Facebook. Because Facebooking has taken precedence over work, family, friends, affecting your personal and professional life.
 Is it time to get a grip and use Facebook as a tool rather than having it validate your life and existence?
 Here are a few tips to fight the Facebook Addiction –

1. Admit it. You are addicted to Facebook. It gives you the same rush, the same heady high of that first cigarette of the day. Admission is the first step to rehabilitation. This applies to any kind of addiction.
2. Be honest with yourself. Your virtual life has taken over your real life. In fact, you end up thinking I need to update/upload this on my profile. Your need to take perfect holiday pictures overrules the actual enjoyment of the holiday. You need to focus on staying in the present.
3. Pause to think before you log on to your account next time – what am I looking for? Why am I here? Making a mental note about what you plan to do once you are logged on gives you a direction to follow. Make a physical note if you must.
4. Reflect on what you did once you logged on – Did I click on random feeds and pictures? Did I upload or commented once I logged on? Reflection will help you assess how much you were able to keep up with your plan. Most importantly, reflect on how you felt about what you did or read. Did it make you feel good or bad about yourself? If the answer to either is yes each time, your self-worth has started to depend on your virtual life rather than the real you.
5. Ask yourself if you can go without Facebook for a day. Remember, you had a life even before Facebook came into existence. Reclaim it. Now your virtual avatar has taken over your real life.    
6. Stop wasting time – decide on time limit before you log on. Set an alarm if necessary. No, setting 2 hours as a limit is not acceptable. No wonder you are addicted. 20 minutes maximum – that’s a good limit. Twice a day should suffice.
7. Start ignoring the pokes and the feeds that are constantly bombarded at you. You don’t have to check every single thing out. And turn those notifications on your smart phones off!
8. Disconnecting your account or the internet connection is an option you can consider. Though, that may not be advisable at the beginning. The withdrawal symptoms would be too much to handle. Instead, you can stop using the Facebook application on your android so frequently. Believe me, out of your 800 odd friends, maybe only 3 really care if you are stuck in traffic or wondering what to cook. 

What you can do is maybe take up ballet dancing. Practice swordplay. Occupy yourself so that you don’t think about Facebook. Do new out-of-the-box things. Get addicted to life!

Oscar Awards 2013 nominations: Life of Pi, Lincoln & Silver Linings Playbook make India proud!

All three Hollywood movies have an Indian connection and are frontrunners for winning the Academy Award for Best Picture for 2013

The 85th Oscar Awards nominations list was declared yesterday, and three films with an Indian connect have been selected. Steven Spielberg’s presidential drama Lincoln, produced by Reliance DreamWorks, is the frontrunner for the Academy Awards with 12 citations, while Ang Lee’s Life of Pi starring Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan and Tabu follows close behind with 11 nominations, it was announced early Thursday. Bradley Cooper’s Silver Linings Playbook that also stars Bollywood’s Anupam Kher has received eight nominations.
Lincoln, which is also leading the nomination pack at the Golden Globe awards, the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards this year, is a biopic on US president Abraham Lincoln’s struggles during the Civil War. The movie has been nominated across categories including best picture, best actor (Daniel Day-Lewis), writing – adapted screenplay, actress in a supporting role (Sally Field), actor in a supporting role (Tommy Lee Jones), directing (Steven Spielberg), costume design, cinematography, film editing, music – original score, production design and sound mixing.
Life of Pi, a fantasy adventure drama, widely shot in India, is the adaptation of Canadian author Yann Martel’s Man Booker Prize-winning eponymous novel. It narrates the journey of an Indian boy who survives a storm. Some key categories in which the movie has been nominated are best picture, cinematography and directing.
A total of nine films are competing in the best picture category. These are Amour, Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook and Zero Dark Thirty.
The talents vying for the best actor trophy include names like Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook), Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables), Joaquin Phoenix (The Master) and Denzel Washington (Flight), apart from Day-Lewis for Lincoln.
Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty), Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook), Emmanuelle Riva (Amour), Quvenzhane Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild) and Naomi Watts (The Impossible) are in the run for the best actress title.
Apart from Spielberg for Lincoln, other nominations in the best director category are Michael Haneke (Amour), Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of the Southern Wild), Ang Lee (Life of Pi) and David O Russell (Silver Linings Playbook).
The foreign language films nominated for the golden statuette include Amour (Austria), Kon-Tiki (Norway), No (Chile), A Royal Affair (Denmark) and War Witch (Canada).
Overall, romantic comedy-drama Silver Linings Playbook is third on the list of top-scorers in the Oscar nomination list with eight nods, while political thriller Argo and musical Les Miserables are in a tie with seven citations each.
Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty and Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained too are in a tie with five nominations each to their credit. Bond film Skyfall has four nods.
The Oscar presentation ceremony will be held February 24 in Hollywood’s Dolby Theater.

India vs England 2013 Live Cricket score: England win toss, elect to bat against India at Rajkot

England captain Alastair Cook won the toss and elected to bat against India in the first ODI at the new Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot on Friday.
Despite losing the three-match ODI series against Pakistan, a consolation victory in the third and final ODI has give MS Dhoni & Co. the momentum ahead of the five-match ODI series against England.
Dhoni will also have one eye on the ICC ODI Rankings as a 5-0 victory in the series will take India to top spot. With criticism coming in from all quarters, Dhoni would love his team to come on top at the end of the series.
As far as England is concerned, this series will be a test of their number one ranking in ODIs. Currently they are marginally ahead of South Africa and will hope to stun the home side like they did during the Test series.
England have handed Joe Root his ODI debut while India have not included Cheteshwar Pujara, giving Ajinkya Rahane another chance at the top of the order.

Teams:
India: Gautam Gambhir, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (c&wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Ashok Dinda
England: Alastair Cook(c), Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Craig Kieswetter (wk), Samit Patel, Tim Bresnan, James Tredwell, Steven Finn, Jade Dernbach

MATRU KI BIJLEE KA MANDOLA movie review: Vishal Bhardwaj disappoints with this predictable tale

Pankaj Kapur, Anushka Sharma, Imran Khan and a bottle of Gulabo swirl impeccably to the steps choreographed by Vishal Bhardwaj. Yet, they fail to take your breath away…

Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola is a movie set in the rustic locales of Mandola (a village in Haryana). And same is a part of Haripool aka Harry Mandola’s (Pankaj Kapur) name, who turns into Hariya after four pegs of Gulabo – a (local) brand of alcohol. Gulabo – either in the form of a bottle or a cow – keeps appearing in the movie every 15 minutes. But try to keep your mind off this (obvious) detail or the movie will become as predictable as a Monday morning.
The movie roughly revolves around the fertile land owned by the dwellers of Mandola that Madam Politician (Shabana Azmi) and Mr Mandola are eyeing for their personal gain. So how does Matru (Imran Khan) figure into all this, you may ask. Matru is Mandola’s rugged man Friday, who tries his best to save the villagers from Mandola’s evil intentions.
Anushka Sharma aka Bijlee plays the role of Mandola’s daughter and is her usual chirpy self who does a great job of prancing around with an ear-to-ear grin pasted on her lovely face.
Then there’s Baadal (Arya Babbar), who is Madam Politician’s son – a dumb, rich kid whose sole purpose in life is to get married to Bijlee so that he and his Mommy can enjoy Mandola’s wealth thereafter.
The movie moves at an easy pace as all the characters get sketched at leisure. Vishal Bhardwaj has taken enough care to incorporate ample songs that allow tiny loo breaks throughout the movie. So, don’t fret if you missed out on popcorn during the interval; you always stand a chance to buy it during one of the numbers where nothing actually gets added to the storyline.
While the pace or twists are nothing to boast of, we appreciate the way Bhardwaj has kept the rustic flavour intact all through the movie. And adding to it all is Pankaj Kapur’s flawless performance that makes us fall in love with him right from the opening scene.
Imran has done a good job at looking rugged, though he did slip into his usual guy-next-door persona a couple of times. But on the whole, commendable.
So if you have an option of watching the movie at a theatre or waiting for it to premiere on television, we suggest you choose the second. Trust us, you won’t be missing out on anything.