Journalism or sensationalism?

Watched Mumbai Meri Jaan yesterday. As you may already know the movie looks at how the lives of five people are affected by the 7/11 local train blasts. One of the five people is television reporter Rupali Joshi (played by Soha Ali Khan), who loses her fiance in the blasts. The movie shows how her life changes, and how she is forced to take a second look at what goes on in the media - especially the television media - in the name of journalism. And the director Nishikant Kamat has really hit the nail on its head. Of how the television media in India - well, I'll talk about India because of my ignorance of what goes on in other parts of the world - will almost do anything to garner TRPs and viewership ratings. Of how almost anything is sensationalized by the media today. Right from frivolous things like a cat on the roof (see image), to people's personal tragedies and battles. The movie shows a scene where Rupali is shown covering a story on caste-based murders in some remote village. The scene shows the women bemoaning the death of their husbands, and the reporter (Soha's character) thrusts a mike into their faces to ask, "Abhi aap kaise mehsoos kar rahen hai?" And suddenly, a similar visual from a popular television news channel came to mind. The setting was very familiar. Communal tension. Deaths. Protests. And the television reporter asking a family member, "Ab aap kaise mehsoos kar rahen hai. Aapki kya apeksha hai, ki sarkar ne kya karna chahiye?" One feels that the media in India would not hesitate to sell it's soul to the devil, if they were to be guaranteed the numero uno spot in the TRPs war in return! In the movie, the television team Rupali works for is shown huddled together in the meeting room after the blasts, looking at possible 'hot' stories to be aired at 'prime-time'! She zeros in on the case of a young 25-26 year old who loses his life in the blasts. This young man is the only earning member in his family, which includes his wife and kid, and his ageing parents. Rupali asks her team to get every bit of information they can on him, and his family. It will strike an emotional chord with people, she says of the story. And so it's decided that the story will go on air 'Saturday night, 9:30 PM, primetime!'

Is this what has come to pass in the name of journalism. Sadly, the answer may be yes. While the media does do it's bit in creating awareness, and may even help in securing justice (the Jessica Lal case), one wonders (yes, it may seem cynical) whether it does even that with the sole aim of getting the truth out? Or is it another attempt at garnering TRPs?

Mumbai Meri Jaan...

Today evening, talk during a snacks break turned to different cities - the city culture, the people and how 'livable' the city was. And as two of us had lived in Mumbai (your's truly having lived in Mumbai almost all life), the topic moved to the madness that Mumbai is. My friend was talking about how the city is not very 'livable' - thanks to the maddening, suffocating rush in the suburban trains, the crowds, the traffic congestion, congestion in general. After all, Mumbai is just a group of seven islands, forever short of space. But one thing that even my friend, who disliked the rush and commotion of the city, could not deny was the attitude of the city, of the people who make the city. Yes, the attitude of Mumbaikars is truly amazing. And it's something that can be felt, not described. You've to live in Mumbai to know what I'm talking about. I've lived in Bangalore for a couple of years now, and honestly, I like the city. The city, like every other, has it's plus points. It's truly a cosmopolitan city, and a vibrant one. But I feel that the city is not professional enough. I've lived in Mumbai all my life, in Bangalore for a couple of years, keep visiting Pune frequently, and have been to Chennai, Delhi (Noida), Hyderabad on work trips. But I've honestly never seen a work culture like Mumbai. This is a city where people are prepared to work hard for a living. They are prepared to go that extra mile. Shopkeepers are prepared to bend over a little backwards to please their customers. Sample this - in all these years, I've never come across an auto-rickshaw driver who has demanded extra fare (in Bangalore, if a auto driver does not demand extra fare, I pinch myself to check if I'm not dreaming). I've never been to a restaurant which does not have something that's on the menu card on offer. Bangalore, by contrast, is much laid back - people do not seem to have the same drive. In commuting as well, Mumbai rocks! Or rather the suburban trains rock! Yes, they are over-crowded (that's an understatement!), yes, there's barely breathing space. But you're guaranteed a train every 5 minutes. Want to travel to the other end of the city? Simple, just hop into an auto or a bus, reach the nearest train station, take a train (or two), and take an auto from the other station to your destination. Simple. Even in road traffic, in my experience, Mumbai has the most road discipline, compared to any other city (In Delhi, he road is your very own personal property, free to be used as per your whim or fancy. And every single guy on the road thinks the same!). Well, I'm not going to rave and rant about how Mumbai is the best. It has it's cons. But the point is - that the people of this wonderful city make it what it is. The commercial capital of the country. A city where millions come to chase dreams - and see them being fulfilled. A city which is bursting at the seams, and yet is accomodating more and more people. A city where everyone is in a mad scramble - to get into a train or bus, or to reach home, or just because it's a sin to slow down. But this city has a heart of gold, and the mind of a shrewd businessman. This city is.... Mumbai Meri Jaan....

The Pursuit of Happyness

A colleague happened to remark today - if the work's good, the boss is bad, and if the boss is good, the work happens to be bad! The discussion we were having was a typical workplace discussion about work, bosses, projects and so on. But her remark got me thinking. It's true with most of us, isn't it? As professionals, it seems to be our destiny that we can only have one thing - either a good boss or good work. Seems like a case of 'You can't have your cake and eat it too'!! And so, it seems like while we can pursue happiness, we can't (always) expect to actually lay our hands on it. If you ask my take on this colleague's remark, I would say that of the two I would choose good work. Bosses, good or bad, are people, at the end of the day... Like you and me.... It takes all kinds of people to make a world! And bad bosses just end up teaching you about managing difficult people. Now in a corporate environment, bad work is bound to come your way at some point of time, but doing good work is finally what gets you noticed finally. Not only in your organization, but outside as well. And however philosophically one might look at it (no work is truly bad, there's a bright side to everything, blah blah), there's no denying that having work that's not proving to be any value addition over a long period of time, is going to harm chances of further growth. To sign off, how do you know if you're really doing 'good' work? Or what's the definition of good work? A friend of mine had this to say: "If you open the Times Ascent, and see the (kind of) work you are doing figuring in the work profiles, you're doing good work!"... Neat, I would say...

Window shopping... but at a price!

About half an hour of browsing in the Pepe Jeans store proved costly for me today! The cost of the browsing - 300 bucks :( ... Had planned on meeting a few friends, and we decided to meet in Cafe Coffee Day (CCD) at around 6 in the evening. To avoid the peak hour evening traffic, I left early and was there at our rendezvous point about half an hour earlier. After parking my motorbike on the pavement in front of CCD, decided to check out some of the brand stores next to the CCD outlet. After spending some 25 minutes checking out the new arrivals in the store - and talking to a friend I ran into - I came back, only to find my motorbike missing from the spot I'd parked it in! A guy standing by the 'parking lot' told me that a towing van had come a few minutes back. Now I'd thought that the parking was for CCD customers, and parked it without a second thought. To get the motorbike back had to go to the nearest police station, and pay the fine and towing charges. Well, one helluva costly round of window shopping!!

A White Elephant?

So the iPhone 3G has finally launched! With Airtel and Vodafone going in for an unprecedented mid-night launch. But has it really generated the kind of interest that it generated when it was launched elsewhere (in the US, in Europe)? For starters, the price of the set is bound to be a dampener. The 8 GB model is priced at INR 31000 and the 16 GB at INR 36000. So the iPhone risks ending up as a luxury device that many can covet, but only a privileged few afford. But the pricing apart, there are a few other aspects too which put a question mark on whether the iPhone will really catch on in India. Here's a review in the Economic Times. But the question that begs to be asked is whether an iPhone owner will really be able to exploit it's features, when 3G roll-out in India is still quite a while away. For the iPhone is really a internet and multimedia device, that you can make calls using it is quite incidental! A few practical issues exist as well. The change of battery being the most crucial one. You can get the battery changed only at a service provider outlet (Airtel and Vodafone being the only ones currently). Now this does not seem like a tough thing to do, but Blackberry users will definitely tell you otherwise. Another reported issue is about call-dropping and battery life. And then of course the fact that you cannot forward messages! All this apart, the interface is really cool (especially the accelerometer, which is sure to enhance the mobile gaming experience)! But will this really drive me to buy the iPhone (assuming that I could afford one)? Well, probably not. But a few months to an year down the line... With 3G rolling out in India, and hopefully a lower price tag, and better features (forwarding of messages, better battery life)... Well, I might go for what I feel is a "White Elephant" right now... 

Road Trip

Yesterday was a road-trip of sorts, what with traveling from one end of the city to the other. But I must admit that I actually liked this road-trip, even though before I (or rather, we - my parents and I) set out, the prospect appeared a little daunting. My parents were here for the long weekend, and they really wanted to see the ISKCON temple in Bangalore. Now our apartment is near Whitefield, and the ISKCON temple at Rajaji nagar, and the distance must be a good 35-40 kilometers at least. Anyways, since we do not have a car (yes, in these times of rising fuel prices, we're amongst the lucky few ;) ), we decided to travel by the BMTC buses. Now I haven't traveled a lot by the BMTC (that's the government bus service), and honestly, I didn't consider it a very viable option either. So far, that is. But after yesterday, I've become somewhat of a convert! Yes, to the fold of people who would vouch for public transport. Well, so we set out early in the morning. Now there is no direct bus to Rajaji nagar, so we took the bus to the Shivaji nagar bus terminal, and decided that we would change buses there. Now, being a Sunday, the buses were a lot less crowded than usual, as were the roads. And luckily I got a seat by the window. For a change the sights of the city, which otherwise are a blur as we zip by on our motorbikes or cars, started holding my attention. The same streets of Bangalore which other wise seem so drab, seemed to come alive. A man selling potted plants by the road. The cobblers by the road-side getting ready to ply their trade. Kids running through the roads. Construction workers getting ready to start the day shift on the Metro Rail Project. The names of the areas which in spite of being in the city for just over two years now, were just that, names...  Up until now. Now as the bus found its meandering route through the city, I saw the city that really is Bangalore. Honestly, this is the best way to see a city, to explore it. Hop on to a bus, and then just soak in the sights, sounds and the smells. And suddenly, before I realized it, I was in love with the city. With its streets, the very streets which I'd often curse for the horrible traffic jams. Now instead of the car or truck or bike in front of me, I saw the tree-lined streets (alas, some of these very trees may be felled for the Metro Rail), and the various establishments that dotted them. All very mundane, and yet, today the ordinary seemed different. May be because I never stopped to look at the so-called ordinary goings-on. As in Davies' poem (Leisure), 

What is this Life if, full of care 

We have no time to stand and stare?- 

Indeed, yes, we scarcely have time to really see, observe the city around us, and the city within the city. And this road-trip gave me a chance to do that. Observe the city, hitherto almost unknown. And most of the route to Shivaji nagar, and then on to Rajaji nagar was through old parts of Bangalore. The city of Bangalore as it was 8-10 years ago. And so there were the wide avenues, tree-lined, old stone buildings rising up not more than three stories from the ground. The stone buildings harking back to the period when Bangalore was a pensioner's paradise - going about it's business in a slow, leisurely way. None of the concrete eyesores that we see today, filling the sky-line. Well, they say the journey is more interesting than the destination. How true it was, yesterday. Scarcely had I imagined that this trip would show me a different face of the city I've lived in for the last couple of years. 

IT (Impossible Traffic) City

OK, as you must have guessed, I'm about to start rambling about the traffic in Bangalore. Sorry to disappoint you, mate, but while this post is about the traffic in India's IT City, I am not going to curse and swear at the horrible traffic. Instead let me contribute my tuppence to another issue, which is definitely related to the traffic snarls. As I was driving to work yesterday, I was stuck in yet another traffic jam. Well, nothing unusual about this, except that the complete traffic stand-still was before 8 in the morning! And I had thought that commuting at non-peak hours would be pretty much of a breeze! So as I was stuck in the traffic, I just glanced around myself. And noticed all the cars around me. Now in a random sample of cars, I noticed that about 9 in 10 cars had single occupants. The odd car in which there were more (well, two to be precise) was a father dropping off his kid to school. A couple of days back I read a post somewhere about how the state of California guzzles more gasoline than all of India. The post went on to remark how almost every family member there has a gar of his/her own, and BIG cars, at that. Now, while we are still a fair distance away from this situation, I would say that we are getting there - in the metros or IT cities (like namma Bengalooru). OK, so every family member definitely does not own a car here. But because of the sheer numbers - the population - the situation is alarming. Now besides the environmental aspect - fuel demand, quality of air, there is the aspect of the traffic snarls that this gives rise to. In the absence of a good Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, people cannot be faulted for resorting to private transport. But think about the snarls such as the one I was caught in - and I'm sure many of you must have been in, too. The situation can only get from bad to worse, if the government and public do not do something about it. On it's part, the public can definitely resort to car pools, or using the company transport. Or taking a two-wheeler and commuting at non-peak hours. The government can do it's bit by proper urban planning. Whoever thought of putting a two-lane bottleneck in the way of traffic from a four-lane highway?! (That was the bottleneck I was stuck at, and I couldn't help but be exasperated by the lack of planning.) And starting a good MRT system. And once such a system is in place, heavy dis-incentives for private transport. And finally, creating awareness through print and electronic media. Otherwise, it woudn't be long before our cities are shrouded in haze and a clear blue sky becomes consigned to picture postcards.....

Winds of change...

And so it's time for a change... I'm talking about a change of jobs... Friday was my last day at Siemens, and I'll be joining Samsung from Monday. The two years at Siemens were a lot like Life - a mixed bag of experiences. I must say I learned a lot in these two years... As I look back at those two years, I feel that yes, He indeed gives one what one needs, not what one wants. The real world is a place infinitely more complex than University, and He gave me what was necessary to deal with this world. To deal with different kinds of people - it takes all kinds of people to make a world! To deal with situations when things do not always go your way. But most importantly, to have a positive outlook irrespective of the challenges Life throws at you. Sometimes, you do not realize the significance of the goings-on around. But I'm a great believer in Destiny - whatever happens, happens for a reason. There were times when I thought, "Man, why am I stuck with this lousy work?", or, "Definitely, this is not what I'm here for!". But as I look back upon such times, I feel that those were the times that shaped me. I guess when we are fresh out of University, we all have very lusty ideals, about the kind of work that we'd want to do. And when the script doesn't play the way we want it to, we start feeling disappointed, or frustrated, or both. But then, everything has a place of its own. You just have to slug it out. And be patient. Yes, I think that is a virtue which is the most important in this world. And my first job taught me that. Finally, I think a part of learning is to learn How not to do things as much as how to do them right! Well, I've made my share of mistakes on the job. Each of them taught me something. Success is what you get when you achieve what you set out to do. Experience is what you get when you don't.... I'm looking forward to start a fresh innings tomorrow, learning from the successes and experiences of the last couple of years....

Cheers!