Maha Shivratri 2020 at Isha Foundation

I've been listening and watching Sadhguru's lectures and videos for about an year and a half, and i have to say that, the kind of change he brings to the way we think or perceive almost everything in our lives is surprising and at least gives a different dimension of hope or understanding or viewpoint or sometimes even solutions to most of the clarifications we sought.

The Maha Shivratri, as Sadhguru says, is one of the days in the year when there is a natural upsurge of energy, and staying awake that night helps in utilizing it for the benefit of mental and physical health.

I have been to few temples for Shivratri during my school days, and it usually be the vedic chanting all through the night with abishekams and prasadams.  Last year, i planned to attend the event at Isha Foundation in Coimbatore and made bookings, but couldn't go due to personal works.  Instead, i made it to Ramakrishna Mutt in Chennai that night filled with Bhajans and Aartis.  I wished i was there for that grand event at Isha when i watched it on YouTube later.

This year, i wanted to attend the event at any cost, and planned well in advance with the bookings and leave permissions.  I made it successfully and I should say, it was an experience at a different level altogether.

All the passengers of the few buses arranged from Chennai by Isha Foundation were requested to volunteer themselves at the annadhanam counters that evening (from 6pm to 12am).  Honestly I was eager to attend the cultural event from 6pm, but had to be standing for about 6 hours serving lakhs of people thronged to witness the extravaganza.  I felt disappointed at first, that i won't get a seat to enjoy that night, but once the annadhaanam counters were opened, it was straight 6 hours with a couple of little breaks serving hot sakkarai pongal and super hot mixed vegetable sambar rice.  These counters were about 750 meters from the cultural performance stage and we neither saw nor heard anything from that far.  Finally, when the crowd subsided at midnight, we filled our stomach lightly, and moved on to join the audience in the open-air sitting area.

Though we couldn't see the stage from the zone where we got few seats, screens and speakers lined all the way up there helped to watch it as closely as we watch it on TV.  The way people danced, meditated, and enjoyed is something that I have never seen in my life.  All were so deeply absorbed and some of them were so stuck in meditation that won't feel anything that happens to their body.

The vibes and energy from the songs and drum-beats, I should say, was an experience at a different level.

I thought I was the one of the very few who was kind of addicted to Sadhguru's lectures, but saw the reality there.  Sadhguru is a massive massive crowd puller.  I really haven't seen many who had been followed as God-like personalities.  The way people were attached and dedicated to Sadhguru was incomparable.  It was an all-in-all Sadhguru's night I should say.  The organization (Isha Foundation) is predominantly driven by volunteers, and I was amazed to see the drive and dedication of all of them in organizing such a massive, grand event.  It's not a joke to host such a mass gathering at a vast open space without anyone tiring off.

One mention before i end this post, the sunset that we can see towards the Velliangiri mountain range was breathtaking.  The moment Sun was completely behind the mountains, a part of the sky turned golden to say the least.  Such a wonderful sight it was.  Ardent photographers will find every minute of an evening so interesting to click the beauty from various angles.

Here I leave the YouTube links of the event.

The speech by VP Venkaiah Naidu was a classic.  Don't miss it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDu6uqAlyAw&t=3757s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LijDG42qbcM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_qK6gbJEnw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI2LIuihrUo

3 Important Financial Lessons From the World's Richest Man

3 Important Financial Lessons From the World's Richest Man

1.  Diversification
One lesson investors could learn from Bill Gates is the importance of diversification. Despite what many people believe, most of Gates' wealth is not in the form of Microsoft(NASDAQ: MSFT) stock. In fact, since he's sold many shares over the years, Bill Gates isn't even Microsoft's single largest shareholder anymore.  Most of Gates' wealth is in his investment company, called Cascade Investment, LLC, whose portfolio looks more like that of Warren Buffett than what you might expect from a tech billionaire. Gates makes a wide variety of investments through Cascade, including stock and venture capital investments, but just a few of the biggest publicly traded ones that we know about include AutoNation, Canadian National Railway, Ecolab, Deere, Liberty Global, and Waste Management. Additionally, Gates owns a large chunk of Berkshire Hathaway stock, essentially expanding his portfolio to include all of Buffett's stock picks.  The point is that even if you make a lot of money from one investment, it's unwise to leave all your eggs in one basket -- doing so leaves your wealth extremely vulnerable. Because of Gates' smart diversification of his wealth, he isn't too dependent on the success of any one of his investments, including the company he famously founded.


2.  Long-term focus
You can learn a lot by listening to what successful people have to say, and Bill Gates is no exception. One of his statements sheds light on a concept critical for successful wealth-building: a long-term focus. In his 1996 book, The Road Ahead, he said, "We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten. Don't let yourself be lulled into inaction."

The statement is telling, because in a variety of ways, Gates' company, Microsoft, significantly underestimated unfolding changes. The company was famously slow to see the value of the Internet, and it also lost ground being late to appreciate how rapidly the mobile world would grow, not to mention cloud computing and open-source software. Gates has clearly learned the lesson he imparts the hard way.

Gates's statement is instructive for investors in several ways. First, of course, it reminds us to not be short-sighted when it comes to companies we invest in or think about investing in. We should think critically and broadly about them and their futures, lest we be caught unaware when they don't keep up with change or position themselves well to capitalize on it.

We should also bring a long-term view to our investments' performances. Don't buy a stock expecting it to pop within a year or two, because anything can happen in the stock market over short periods. Do think about what kind of growth you might expect over the coming decade. Look for companies that aren't just mispriced slow-growers with a 25% upside in them, but ones that have great long-term growth potential, that can multiply your wealth many times over – over the long haul.

3.  Understanding why we want to make money

An important lesson investors can take away from Bill Gates' success is that Gates has a strong understanding of his long-term financial goals. He doesn't invest just to stay atop the Forbes Global 400; rather, he understands that money is a powerful tool that allows us to fulfill our dreams and aspirations.

In his case, Gates is passionate about making the world a better place through philanthropy via his Bill and Melinda Gates foundation. Though he needn't ever work another day in his life and could pretty much buy anything his heart desires, his portfolio decisions are based on what is best for the ultimate objective that leaves him feeling most fulfilled.

Understanding the reason we want to make money is important, because not only can it help us to live richer, happier lives, but it can also keep us from making foolish, short-term decisions that can result in a large permanent loss of capital.

For example, say you're 50 years old and investing to secure an income source for your retirement that's 15 years away. Your time horizon and goals mean that you probably want to avoid riskier stocks such as Tesla Motors or SolarCity in favor of more conservative blue-chip dividend names such as Kinder Morgan or ExxonMobil.

Most importantly, during times of market volatility, as we've recently seen, your long-term goal's emphasis on safe and growing income means you're less likely to panic and sell at a loss. Rather, the falling share prices and rising yields you can now obtain represent an even greater income stream in your golden years. 

Reference: 
http://www.msn.com/en-in/money/personalfinance/3-important-financial-lessons-from-the-worlds-richest-man/ar-AAe2LSJ?li=AAaeRVN&ocid=wispr#page=3

Five tax things that will help you ensure financial freedom

1. Invest according to your goals and not just to save tax
   One of the most important points when it comes to taxation is that there are several tax deductions that are available for individual when they invest in specific instruments. One of the most popular routes is the benefit of a deduction under Section 80C. Here investment in specified instruments like Employees Provident Fund, Public Provident Fund, National Savings Certificates, Senior Citizens Savings Scheme, Equity Linked Savings Scheme, Life Insurance premium etc is eligible for a deduction upto Rs 1.5 lakh a year. This is a golden opportunity for an individual to plan their goals and then ensure that the amounts are invested that would achieve the goals and at the same time save tax. Often this angle of combining goals and tax savings investment is missed out. People do not invest according to their goals which leads to a position where they struggle to complete the tax requirements and at the same time their goals remain unmet. This is something that needs to be avoided so that one investment can yield multiple benefits.
   
2. Boost for retirement planning
   The biggest financial goal for every individual is to plan for their retirement and this requires a huge sum of money. It often takes decades to plan and invest for retirement and the challenge on this front is big. A little bit of attention to the tax aspect can ensure that there is little to worry about on this front too. There are instruments like the Public Provident Fund and the Employees Provident Fund which provide double benefits. On one hand the amount invested gives a deduction from the taxable income to the individual under Section 80C but even greater is the benefit that is received on the payout. The amount earned on these schemes as interest is tax free so this reduces a huge burden when this is earned or when this is received. This can help in ensuring that the goal of retirement planning is tackled and freedom from this tension is achieved for an individual.
   
3. Medical expenses taken care of
   Protection of the family of an individual is a big part of the entire financial planning process. This is the reason why medical insurance is a must for every individual so that any medical expenses do not prove to be a financial burden that can devastate the finances of the individual. A look at the tax aspect can once again provide double benefits as the premium paid on medical insurance policies upto Rs 25,000 for individuals upto 60 years and Rs 30,000 for those above 60 years is available as a deduction under Section 80D. At the same time even preventive check up costs upto Rs 5,000 are covered. This should encourage people to get freedom from the worry of medical expenses as well as get a tax benefit in the process.
   
4. Powering education
   Most parents are worried about the education of their children due to the high cost involved. This is an area that provides for an improved career and earnings prospect in life. There is however a large cost that can come for achieving as this has spiraled in the last few years this but some small tax steps can ease the situation for the individual. An education loan for the purpose of higher education will ensure that the financial aspect of the process is met but at the same time it will also give a tax benefit to the individual when the loan is repaid. The interest that is paid on the loan will be allowed as a deduction for 8 years. This will also remove worries about meeting the high education costs and making it affordable.
   
5. Wealth creation
   Equity is the best asset class that can help in the process of wealth creation and this benefit can be multiplied by also ensuring that the tax benefits are taken with it. Equity oriented investments like shares and equity oriented mutual funds have double benefits as the dividends are tax free and at the same time long term capital gains is charged at zero per cent rate which also makes the gains tax free. This can be used for the necessary asset allocation and the tax benefit will ensure that the goal of wealth creation takes place without taxes eating into the effort leading to another area that provides financial freedom.

Reference: 

http://www.msn.com/en-in/money/taxes/five-tax-things-that-will-help-you-ensure-financial-freedom/ar-BBlGdZe?li=AAaeRVN&ocid=wispr#page=1

http://www.msn.com/en-in/money/taxes/five-tax-things-that-will-help-you-ensure-financial-freedom/ar-BBlGdZe?li=AAaeRVN&ocid=wispr#page=1

Every great idea has to have a technology backbone…Strategy without technology is no strategy at all

Every great idea has to have a technology backbone…Strategy without technology is no strategy at all

Keep Listening...

There are articles written on various subjects.  Those on arts, culture, science, religion, sports, nature, etc... and most of them are predominantly on the subject with highlights of personalities and masters of the field.  

A man who evolved and is one of the masters of the game of cricket has brought so much against his name that it shall be compared with S&P 500 index.  Anyone who is buying this stock will only find profit.  The portfolio with just one stock will yield higher returns than most of the top mutual funds that are in the form of premier leagues.  This heavy weighed solo stock with the name "Sachin Tendulkar" is ruling the entire industry and can be listed under any index in the market.

How much ever we write about him, there is always something special that makes us narrate more in different ways, and still grab attention in countries sandwiched between Indian Ocean and the Pacific and the Atlantic.  So much can be written about this man that the number of pages on him will tick more than the pages from all the volumes of each epic.. Bhagvad Gita, Ramayana, Bible, Quran, etc.

If there is just one battle field in Gita, there are many cricket stadiums for this man.  If the battle field reverberates when Lord Krishna blows his conch shell 'Panchajanya'; the cricket stadiums all around the world reverberate when this man just walks in to the field.  
It is a 5 man army of Pandavas, here is this man who himself is as powerful as the 5 and the Lord in his game.
Arjuna's weapon is three feet long, so is this man's weapon.  Both drastically destructive.

Recently I was watching the highlights of his classic innings of 140* in the Irani Trophy 2013 played at Wankhade, Mumbai and then his 1st test century against England at Old Trafford in 1990.  The 2013 knock was merely a highlights of the 1990.  Absolutely similar shots and most of them driven straight past the bowler.  The plant in the pot with a single flower then, has now blossomed with hundred flowers each of those as beautiful as those in Ikebana.

His shots, each of them looks to represent different ragas, he has so many...  and the end of each song comes in the form of a dismissal.  We have heard of Lalgudi Jayaraman baani, Madurai Mani Iyer baani, Semmangudi mama's baani, GNB's baani to name a few...  Sachin's baani has a touch of all.  His weapon plays different musical instruments now !!!

Keep Listening...  The Kutcheri continues...

Series Analysis

What happened in this series is a lesson for any team playing without a plan. Sehwag's dismissal of the first ball doesn't dilutes the momentum, but the way Dravid plays. He concentrates more on staying in the crease than scoring runs. This is like shielding that gives the opponent ample time and ways to think further on pushing them to the backfoot. That's the way Dravid plays and he alone can withstand the increase of speed and swing, but the rest of the team like to play shots and eventually perish when the bowlers get well settled in a rhythm gifted by Dravid. It wouldn't be a bad idea to play Dravid at 6 or 7 that will give the top order to play an attacking game early on. We have seen India losing wickets trying to defend and see off the new ball in test matches, but the same team scoring 300+ on similar pitches and tough bowlers in one dayers. Dhoni played his usual way and scored runs, and only very few of them came of edges and poor bowling.
A point to note here is that most of them played with straight bat on these swing friendly pitches in England. Masters play more horizontal bat shots in swinging conditions and strait batted shots on bouncy pitches. Sachin Tendulkar & Mark Waugh are good examples to learn from. Both of them go down on their knees bending their right elbow to get enough room to play a square drive or a cut over the point for good length deliveries outside off stump in swinging conditions. Moving to the line of the ball reduce the chances of playing tentatively. High bat lift gives more power and timing to score runs easily. Shots like these are so safe and has the touch of elegance that we have seen them (Sachin and Mark) playing so well.
There were big shots played towards the end of India's 2nd innings with Swann bowling continuously conceding more runs. This is a good strategy by England to entertain the Indian fans and to fill in the stands for the next match.
With the series lost, "India should play the 4th test as an one off test" Harsha says. It'll be good for the Indian team to take a step back and plan well before the one day series. Sure a 5-0 Indian win is on the cards if they play with a plan.

Way to play - being the natural self

Just few months being crowned as world champions in one day internationals, India reclaimed with inspired performances over the last couple of years. Flying to England as favorites and a very much anticipated high profile series is turning out to be a host dominated series so far with two more test matches to go...
Between the good and unexpected levels of performances in the World Cup and England series respectively, India had the IPL followed by the tour of West Indies. Pity that India didn't had time to share the joy and feel proud of winning the WC. As rightly said by Nasser Hussain, India doesn't seem to be playing with the pride of being the number one team in the world. They don't seem to have the guts to stand firm to fight as a champion. Harsha Bhogle says... "It's rather easy to reach the top of the rankings than to keep hold of it for a period of time".
There could be several reasons for being 2 down in the test series, but the bunch of players aren't playing upto the standards of test match cricket. Not one player barring Rahul Dravid seem to be playing confidently or with a plan. Dravid plays in a way that deceives the bowlers to get better and better and be more attacking which is uncomfortable for the rest. A Sehwag kind of start is what will work for India at the moment. We have seen India play better in the shorter versions of the game, but definitely not after the world cup triumph. They lost 2 out of 5 matches against West Indies without Chris Gayle after IPL. A worrying factor is whether India has drafted a plan for the next one year. If this hasn't been done, it would be better to play a second string team for the upcoming series as it would only give youngsters a chance to step up and keep the frontline players on toes.
The current batting lot is playing an unnatural game by getting to a very defensive mode. They are looking to occupy the crease as long as possible. These guys are good one day players by nature and it would be better if they play in the same way. They should try scoring 5 runs per over and not be worried too much about losing the wicket.
The current bowling unit doesn't seem to bowl as in a test match to get 10 wickets in each innings. 90% of the wickets taken by the Indian bowlers aren't wicket taking deliveries in this test series so far.
Spin has been the strength for India and they should persist with its capabilities. Harbhajan could have been given the ball in the first 10 overs. Or even could have opened with Praveen Kumar who oscillates the ball well but not accelerate it.
Parthiv Patel would have been a better choice to open the batting instead of Mukund. Murli Kartik has done exceptionally well in this county season and would have been handy in this series.
Where are the bouncers, yorkers, slower ones, cutters, or atleast bowling to a set field ? It's silly to think that they wouldn't have thought of these varieties, but doesn't matter to be silly.... "Don't they have these options in their minds ???"
The only good thinking from India is that they aren't playing negative cricket, but definitely lack planning. Shame that they couldn't get a wicket in the first 47 overs in the 2 day match against Northamptonshire.
All the hype about Sachin's century has faded away now.
What's going to happen ???

A Gentleman's Game - only played by few...

They call it (Cricket) a "Gentleman's Game"... We have seen many instances of it all these years where the friendliness in the game is shown. However, it gradually started fading in late 80s though few thoughtful 'gentlemen' played/playing it with good spirits. Who other than 'Sachin Tendulkar' could be a better example with perfect sportsmanship and maintained friendship & respect. Hansie Cronje was one to have played it with good heart but unfortunately left his mind to think crazy. It really needs the same strong mind and heart to admit it publicly and rightly staying away from International Cricket.
Adam Gilchrist was another guy who can be called 'A Gentleman' among the rough and tough Aussies.
Incidents like Sachin's run out in the test match against Pakistan at Eden Gardens, Steve Waugh handling the ball in the test match against India at Chepauk, Michael Vaughan handling the ball in a test match against India, Peter Kirsten's dismissal in a match against India (Kapil Dev incident), Sachin's dismissal of Glenn McGrath when hit by a delivery that didn't bounce and given LBW, a player's helmet falling on the stumps, ball popping out of Gibbs's hand in '99 World Cup, etc., do happen. These dismissals leave a dark spot on everyone and in the game. They were unexpected (except the Kapil incident), but a lesson to be learnt and a bonus for the media to fill in their dailies.
The recent one on Bell's dismissal turned out with showering praises on the Indian captain and the team. But it's a shame on Bell to argue on the field and later coming on to bat after the generous decision by the Indian team. Though Bell admitted later, he had the same time to think and decide as Dhoni had and did at tea. Bell should have walked off and that would have shown professionalism. India had to decide and let Bell play play down safe on the dismissal.
If this could be revised, then each of the incidents mentioned earlier could have been reviewed and the decisions revised.They call it (Cricket) a "Gentleman's Game"... We have seen many instances of it all these years where the friendliness in the game is shown. However, it gradually started fading in late 80s though few thoughtful 'gentlemen' played/playing it with good spirits. Who other than Sachin Tendulkar' could be a better example with perfect sportsmanship and maintained friendship & respect. Hansie Cronje was one to have played it with good heart but unfortunately left his mind to think crazy. It really needs the same strong mind and heart to admit it publicly and rightly staying away from International Cricket. Adam Gilchrist was another guy who can be called 'A Gentleman' among the rough and tough Aussies.

Incidents like Sachin's run out in the test match against Pakistan at Eden Gardens, Steve Waugh handling the ball in the test match against India at Chepauk, Michael Vaughan handling the ball in a test match against India, Peter Kirsten's dismissal in a match against India (Kapil Dev incident), Sachin's dismissal of Glenn McGrath when hit by a delivery that didn't bounce and given LBW, a player's helmet falling on the stumps, ball popping out of Gibbs's hand in '99 World Cup, etc., do happen. These dismissals leave a dark spot on everyone and in the game. They were unexpected (except the Kapil incident), but a lesson to be learnt and a bonus for the media to fill in their dailies.

The recent one on Bell's dismissal turned out with showering praises on the Indian captain and the team. But it's a shame on Bell to argue on the field and later coming on to bat after the generous decision by the Indian team. Though Bell admitted later, he had the same time to think and decide as Dhoni had and did at tea. Bell should have walked off and that would have shown professionalism. India had to decide and let Bell bat again to play down safe on the dismissal.

If this could be revised, then each of the incidents mentioned earlier could have been reviewed and the decisions revised.

passion for the job

Education became the X factor in deciding the future, meaning we specialize on a subject that is going to yield money in the form of a job. Jobs are not made for education, but actually the other way around.

"How much has this world changed ?" is a simple question that can easily tire a mind for answers.

There are innumerable factors that have completely changed in the last century.

* Those days, humanity was "just for living" and not "just for earning".

* We were living comfortably (just enough to live with necessities) with much lesser earnings.

* Life was peaceful (atleast to some extent) without many thoughts.

* Every day activities were simple, regular and planned.

* We had a healthy mind to take the best decisions of life.

* We lived with nature.

* We followed a balanced diet, stayed healthy, and lived longer.

* We were united in a joint family.

* There was quality education. Less subjects and more exploration.

There are many like the above mentioned that have given way "just for earning".

* We either spend beyond our income in enjoying a luxurious life or bring our expenses below the minimum for the future. This is like a two way balance (like what we have in vegetable markets for balancing the quantity of items with the weight bar). Just imagine, you are sitting on one side and your income on the other.

In the first case, we spend a lot from the other side and stay lower.

In the second, you don't spend at all and be at the upper side.

In both the cases you will reach a saturation beyond which you cannot extend to reach your income or savings.

* We have put ourselves in a stage where we have many things to think and worry about.

* We have too many activities everyday and thus get tired mentally and physically very easily.

* Decision making has become tricky with many options in place.

* We go against nature.

* Eating habit keeps changing and life span is varying.

* There is no question of a joint family.

* Quality education has dropped to a very few in number. More subjects and less exploration.

With changes like these happening in the way of living, how many of us think of our life after employment ?

Say that we will continue working for another 10 years ??? and then would have planned to stay home and spend time with family.

I bet we will not stay home throughout.

We usually talk upfront, but we realise later.

I have been thinking deeply about Sachin Tendulkar especially during the last two months, and am amazed by the passion with which he is still playing after two decades.

Just imagine that you are a senior manager in a company and earning in lakhs per month. You shoulder lot of responsibilities, answerable to many, risks in the job, physical and mental stress apart from your family responsibilities and worries. You have just completed 20 years of strenuous employment duties, and in the course have earned in crores that should be more than enough for generations until the global warming become wild.

What will you do at this stage ?

Will you continue to do the management job ?

Have you ever thought about that ?

The moment we are graduated, our prime aim is to get an offer from a top company.

We see staffs of our designation and next superiors.

After an year, we are close to most of them.

One more year, we get closer to the leads.

As years pass on, we get closer to the managers, senior managers, etc,....., top level management.

And in the meantime, we look for a bigger organization.

And, the same goes on... wherever we go.

The moment you feel you are financially very healthy to support the next generation without having to go for a job in spite of regular expenses, you eventually start thinking of ending your professional career.

This man "Sachin Tendulkar" is financially supersonic, and his passion for the game is stronger than his body and fitness.

This man is still too good for quick singles, fielding in the out field, bowling better than some of the regular spinners and medium pacers, batting in his prime class, leading the team, etc...

I feel he is at his best in leading a side. Given a chance he will lead any team in the world with ease.

And most of all, the way he is handling the press and addressing the public is exceptional.

He can answer in the most diplomatic way than an IFS officer or an IIM graduate or any entrepreneur. Have you ever heard a negative statement from him ? He bat the words in a way that they don't hurt anyone.

It's surprising to see why he has to continue playing and strain himself after 20 years. This definitely is not for earning, not for any other motive, but just his passion for the game.

Will we have the same sort of passion for the job we are doing ?

Ghajini - a remake of Ghajini

Ghajini is in problem on and off the screens. Case against screening the movie in Tamil Nadu due to copyrights sort of issue. Madras High Court raises interim suspension over screening the movie in Tamil Nadu that was all set to hit theatres on the Christmas day. Politically fortunate enough as usual that the Madras HC showed green signal for the movie.

24th December, i was browsing through the sathyam theatre website and found only one ticket left over for the 25th December 7:30 AM show and in the excitement of the website successfully loading, i booked that only available seat and took a printout of the ticket.

25th December, i woke up at 6 AM, was in double mood whether to go for movie or not. Decided. Am going to watch the movie. Got ready within an hour. Went to Saravana Bhavan and had 2 idlies and a coffee before going to the theatre at 7:15 AM.

Show started exactly at half past 7 and there was not much crowd as the confusion of whether the movie will be released or not prevailed till the previous evening. However the hall was full in an hour with only few seats left unoccupied.

I haven't seen the complete tamil version of the movie, but with the bits and pieces i have seen, it was like an exact remake of it with only the hero and villain being different. It was something like a recollection of each and every scene of whatever i have seen of the tamil version.

Different looks of Aamir Khan was interesting with each excelling on its part in the movie. Aamir had definitely put in enormous effort for the 8 pack abs and was perfect in the body structure. However, i feel his biceps was exposed too much in his character as a businessman which made much of it over his formal attire.

Asin had a fantastic debut in Hindi and was so easy and natural in acting, Aamir pairing with a debut actress after Lagaan, Asin was extremely professional than in the tamil version.

There seems to be a turnaround in the climax though when comparing with the tamil version, the cinematography by Ravi K Chandran was excellent that made it very colorful. Music by ARR was already a hit before the release and it was noticeable that Aamir is not so good in his dance especially in Behka Behka song which he managed to make it but was not free flowing to say, something like how Rajini in Oru Koodai Sunlight from the movie Sivaji.

The first song of the movie was Aye Bachu which was the intro of Asin and followed by Behka Behka and Latoo in the pre-interval phase. The best scores Guzarish and Kaise Mujhe were in the post-interval, Kaise Mujhe defeating the rest of the songs and really pulling the concentration of the audience to it that it was emotional. It also has the touch of Ismail Darbar's in Devdas, and what is more surprising is that, why the song "Aazaadi" from The Bose - Forgotten Hero didn't hit the top of the chart but Kaise Mujhe did very early. However, the background score of ARR throughout the movie was not as it used to be due to frequent change in the focus of artists and more action.

Aamir was at his best during the last 30 minutes of the 3 hour movie. The stunts looked very powerful and Aamir has done it exceeding well. His rock solid body came into action during the stunts and his eyes poured fire.

The movie has a finishing touch of TZP and that will definitely make it a successful one for Aamir. However, Ghajini is no way near to Dil Chahta Hai.

Overrated HSB - Hotel Saravana Bhavan

HSB (Hotel Saravana Bhavan), the brand that stands as a rock among all the hotels in Tamil Nadu is the nucleus for any South Indian to drop out their tongues to taste the delicious traditional South Indian cuisines. Anyone who goes to the hotel should enter pocket full to come out stomach full. It's one of the costliest South Indian hotels that is spread across many places in Tamil Nadu and some important cities of India, USA, UK, Singapore, Dubai, UAE, Australia, etc. In fact it is the only South Indian hotel to have established so well geographically.
It is one of the hot spots for so many people with no age limit. They always have Kripanantha vaariyaar greeting them at the entrance to have a wonderful food and pay for it.
We (SNMS 98 group) have been to HSB so many times in the past and have thoroughly enjoyed all the treats that our guys have offered. Today's at the Ashok Pillar HSB was no exception.
We were all at the terrace of Kishore's house as usual, and decided to go to HSB for Subbu's treat. The moment the place was decided, the "Never Say NO" person of our group Mr. Vinod was in no stage to control the sudden hunger that erupted inside his stomach like the lava that comes out of volcanos (don't know when the lava comes out of his volcano). He and baya didn't wait for anyone there and rushed to the hotel and were waiting in the queue. Kishore as usual took his time to get ready leaving Subbu and Guru sharing thoughts on Bhagvad Gita at the terrace. Kishore was ready and they left for the hotel to join the waiters. They had to wait for few more minutes before being called to take their seats. Menu cards were placed in front of NSN Vinod Rao and the lone family man Guru bhai. Vinod passed it on to Kishore and was waiting for others to get an idea of what to order as if he hasn't tasted Indian food. Idly, 14 idlies 2 plates, ghee roast, onion rava dosai, sambar vadai, gobi, etc... the first round of order started with these. All of us were served and we were busy tasting our dishes. However, a white half spongy head was rotating like a compass with its leg on its plate and its head smelling others dishes. Yes, it was none other than Vinod who never says NO to whatever you give to eat at anytime in 24 hrs until the lava comes out with enormous sound. All of us felt for that innocent hungry eyes of Vinod and offered him for formality to have a taste of our dishes. But this formality is just a normality for him, and he jumped into everyone's plate and started playing hard. The first round was over in minutes. A glass of water for all and rest for few seconds. The mixture of so many dishes were carefully transported from Vinod's mouth to different parts of his body in various proportions. Second round: Onion Utthappam, Kal dosai, paper roast, 2 rasmalais plus two more rasmalais and then one more. No stomach was empty there and a cyclone inside Vinod's. The left over sambar, chutney, etc, etc. didn't go waste; Vinod was there to take care of them. It again took only few minutes to finish the second round. Three more rasmalais were ordered to finish the dinner and all the eyes were on Subbu who was well prepared to pay the bill. 1500 rupees... No No 1200 rupees.... around 800 rupees.... came the bill amounts from each one as if it is an auction. Subbu was silent with fingers crossed waiting for the bill. And it was 848 rupees ONLY!!! We definitely overrated HSB and had this known to us earlier, we would have been served with many more from the list. A Lesson learnt.

The Tour of Lords

Recently i happened to visit the United Kingdom on an official assignment for a good period of 35 days. It was good, in fact great that almost everyday was different from the previous and was an invaluable learning experience that has opened the gate of confidence in me.
The tube railways operating in UK is the best in the world i've traveled by so far (i haven't been to Germany and Japan).The landscapes, old houses, parks, museums, ........., my office were all fantastic. But there is one place that took me out of the world - The "Lords Cricket Ground", that i visited on a bright and sunny day.
The Lords Tour is organized by the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) in which you will be guided to the Most Prestigious Pavilion to be in (of course as a player or atleast as a visitor), the Lords Museum (here you can see the cricket gears used by the Father of Cricket "W.G.Grace", trophies, medals, and so many things..... that were history), the ICC Meeting Room (any decision related to the cricketing stuff is made here. Like, if there is any change to the Laws of Cricket, it will be decided by experts around the table right there.), the boards that are painted with the names of the players who have scored centuries, taken ten wickets on the Lords Wicket (just imagine if your name is listed on the Centurions or Wicket Takers... you are there forever whether your century or wickets were out of merit or luck). The Lords dressing rooms are the only one in the world where all the players of each team will share the one big dressing room of theirs (no separate rooms for players).
There are totally 7 pitches on the ground, of which 3 are used for international matches (tests and ODIs) and the rest for practice/county matches.
The whole outfield was plowed for facilitating proper drainage system and was laid back after works on that, and now it's one of the best cricketing grounds to play on. In 2004, on an eve of a test match, the outfield was flooded by heavy rain and the match was stopped at 12 noon. It poured down heavily for exactly half an hour and by 12:40 the match resumed!!! Thanks to the wonderful drainage system laid in.
It was in 1999 during the memorable event of the World Cup hosted by England that an all new Press Box was constructed exactly opposite to the majestic pavilion. The oval shaped tablet press box sits on a single pillar, 100% sound proof, and the glass wall facing the ground has been designed in such a way that it will not break off if ball hits it up to 90mph. The tablet is shaped convex with the ground so that the impact when the ball dashes on to the glass wall will be minimum.
It was so emotional to be there where so many greats like W.G.Grace, Sir Don Bradman, Viv Richards, Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Shane Warne, Steve Waugh, and so on.... have played and been there in those dressing rooms. Also, few players have lost their lives in this historical cricketing arena. These cannot be written off.
A very interesting point to note is none of the contemporary greats have scored a test century or scalped ten wickets in a test on this ground. Some of them include Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath..... So you can't see these big names out there in the list of centurions on the wooden board mounted on the walls of the two dressing rooms. Of course, even my name was not there :-)
I had a very good guide in "Keith" who took me out of the world to all these places. It was great. The moment the vision of my eyes fell on the ground, i forgot myself and thought what other place you need to visit that's going to be better than this.
The Lords tour was for 1 hour and 40 minutes and it was absolutely fantastic and worth the 12 pounds i paid for the ticket.
If ever you get a chance of flying to UK, please don't miss out this place.

How to trade in Futures?

How Futures work
Buy a contract
When you buy shares, you can buy any number you please, even if it is just one share. In Futures, you buy a contract which will have a specific lot size depending on the stock.Let's say you want to buy an Infosys Futures contract. This will comprise 100 shares. Or, you want to buy a HPCL Futures contract. This will be a lot of 650 shares.In Futures, you buy a lot. The lot size is set for each futures contract and it differs from stock to stock.

Margin payment
When you buy a Futures contract, you don't pay the entire value of the contract but just the margin. This margin amount too is prescribed by the exchange. Let's say you buy a HPCL Futures contract. And the price of each HPCL share is Rs 311. This will amount to Rs 2,02,150 (Rs 311 x 650 shares). You don't pay the entire amount of Rs 2,02,150. You only pay 15% to 20% of that amount and this is called the margin amount. The margin depends on what the exchange sets for the day. Based on certain parameters, it declares the margin for each stock. So the margin for Infosys will vary from, say, HPCL.Let's say the margin for the HPCL Futures is 15%. So you end up just paying just Rs 30,322 (not Rs 2,02,150).

How you make or lose money

You purchased a HPCL Futures contract and the underlying price is Rs 311 per share. Let's say, the next day it moves to Rs 312. The difference is Rs 1 per share. You get a credit Rs 650 (Rs 1 per share x 650 shares). The following day, it dips to Rs 310. The difference is Rs 2 per share (312 - 310). Since the price has dipped, Rs 1,300 (Rs 2 per share x 650 shares) is debited from your account.This will go on till you sell the Futures contract or it expires (last Thursday of the month). So, on a daily basis you make and lose money.

Why Futures are popular
No delivery
There is no delivery.When you buy in the cash segment (where investors buy and sell any number of shares and hold them in demat accounts), the shares are delivered to you and sent to your demat account. Over here, there is no delivery so you do not need a demat account.
Lower brokerage
The brokerage in Futures is much lower. It will be around 0.03% to 0.05% of the transaction. These are the rates given to regular investors. An occasional investor may end up paying up to 0.1% as brokerage. In the cash segment, the brokerage will be around 0.25% to 0.75%.
Margin payment
When you buy shares in the cash segment, you have to make the entire payment to your broker. Let's say you buy 650 HPCL shares for Rs 311 per share. You end up paying Rs 2,02,150. Within two days, you will have to make the full payment to your broker. In Futures, you just pay the margin, not the entire amount.
Can effectively short sell
When you sell shares without owning them, it is known as short selling. You would do so if you believe that the price of the stock is going to drop. This way, you sell it at a higher rate and buy it at a lower rate later. With Futures, you do not have to square your transaction at the end of the day. You can square the transaction whenever you want or wait till it expires on the last Thursday of the month. But, in the cash segment, you have to square your transaction by the end of the day, so you can short sell just for a day.

Where the cash segment scores
Price differential
It is worth noting that the price of the shares in the cash segment is mostly lower than the Futures price. So, if it is available for Rs 311 in the Futures segment, you should get it for Rs 308 in the cash segment. Though, on occasions it may even be slightly higher.
Tax
In Futures, you pay a tax of 33% on the your profit. In equity, it is a flat rate of 10% (short term capital gains) if you sell within a year and no tax if you sell after a year (long term capital gains).
Flexibility in purchases
In the cash segment, you can pick up however many shares you want starting from just one share. In Futures, you cannot buy less than the lot size prescribed. If you want to buy more you can, but they must be in multiples of the lot. So, you can buy one or two contracts.
Risk in Futures is higher
If you are an investor who wants to buy shares and hold on to it, you should invest in the cash segment. Since Futures is a trading tool, the risk is also much higher. Let's say the shares of Infosys are going at Rs 2,700 per share. And, you buy 100 shares in the cash segment. You end up paying Rs 2,70,000.The price dips to Rs 2,200. If you sell the shares at this rate, you make a loss of 18.5%Now let's say you purchase an Infosys Futures at the underlying share price being the same. You pay the 20% margin of Rs 54,000. Let's say the price dips to Rs 2,200.You have to pay out Rs 50,000. Since you invested only Rs 54,000, you have incurred a loss of 92.5%. Hence, your losses can be much higher in Futures.

Where can you trade?
All stocks are not permitted for trading in derivatives. To check the list of stocks available for trading, go onto the National Stock Exchange website. You can also check the Bombay Stock Exchange website to read more about derivatives trading.But do note, to trade in futures, you will have to approach a broker who is authorised to trade in derivatives.