Admin, Author at GUJRAT INDIA

Urban Indians – The Car People

Cars define urban India. Everybody you know has one and in every shape and size you could imagine. Like the Americans, the urban Indian is in love with his car, and is not afraid to flaunt it to the whole wide world. To somebody born in the India of the nineties and afterwards there is probably nothing remarkable about this. But for those of us who were born in the decades preceding the nineties this is a miracle which unfolded in front of our eyes. Till the seventies and well into the eighties, India was a largely a land without privately owned cars.

High officials in the government or in public sector undertakings went about in their officially provided Ambassadors. So did very senior army and police officers whose cars could be identified by their flags and registration plates that bore stars on them (defining the occupant’s status in the organisation’s hierarchy). Private cars were owned only by those wealthy denizens of the city who had mastered the fine art of running a successful business in the license raj dispensation, or the leading doctors or lawyers of the town. The rest of the world either used local buses or two-wheelers, preferably scooters of which a plethora of brands were available-names like Bajaj-Chetak, Lambretta, Vijay-Super etc would be familiar to a lot of people who grew up in that era. Among the cars there were only three brands-the tank like and officious Ambassador, the nifty Fiat (also known as the Premier Padmani) and the stylish and sporty Standard.

Most people genuinely did not aspire to buy a car as they knew they would probably never be able to afford one, and in a milieu where horse drawn carriages (tongas) were a regular means of commuting within a town there was no automobile culture to speak of. The only people who had some sort of a passion for cars were members of India’s aristocracy like the former maharajas and zaimndars (landlords) and officers serving in the defence forces. For the lay people Hindi movies were their only exposure to flamboyant American cars (Impala) driven with flair by film stars like Rajesh Khanna and Feroze Khan. Young boys and girls studying in the leading public (private) schools in the many hill towns of India did have a fair bit of information about the goings on of the automobile world thanks to the western slant of their education. They would source information from overseas magazines, the leading international best sellers they would read and from watching action paced American or British (James Bond) movies.

This was how things were until the Maruti- Suzuki tsunami hit urban India in the early eighties. Here was a nifty and fast car powered by a small but surprisingly powerful engine that zipped and darted on the roads of Delhi and other Indian town and cities like no car they had seen before. The fact that it was small and affordable, delivered great performance and mileage ignited the urban Indian mind to the tantalising prospect of owning a car of their own. What started as a trickle became a deluge, and the fact that the launch of Maruti 800 coincided with the opening up of the hitherto moribund Indian economy to the free flow of global trade that spawned a mammoth Indian middle class of professionals with aspirations and money to spare was what fed this unprecedented growth. Unlike their parents this new generation of young professionals was not at all risk averse and thought nothing of borrowing from banks and other financial institutions to fund their purchase. This easy availability of finance was itself an outcome of the frenetic pace at which the Indian economy was trying to replicate what was happening in the leading western countries of the day.

Today India is one of the largest car markets in the world with virtually every brand in the world being sold here. Mercedes, BMW, Ferrari, Toyota Lexus, Volks Wagon, Skoda, Toyota-they are all here. One of our home-grown automobile giants, Tata Motors owns the marquee British brand Jaguar- Land Rover, and Greater Noida near Delhi is home to India’s very own Formual 1 Grand Prix circuit. The transformation it seems is complete.

Not quite. In spite of being one of the most important car markets in the world, India ranks quite poorly on most human development indices averaging a number of 150 out of some 200 odd countries. There is still abysmal poverty, appalling education and health care shortfalls, creaking and inefficient infrastructure, endemic corruption and myriad other ills. While the country makes admirable progress in all these spheres it is definitely not out of the woods and trying to recreate the American automobile obsession here is going to have mixed results. While the growth of the automotive industry in India has been humongous and has generated much employment and revenue, the impact in terms of the environmental costs and the burden on our cities’ clearly inadequate roads has been nothing short of a catastrophe.

The countries of the North American continent are blessed with very large land masses with relatively sparse populations. India may be a large country but its cities, towns and other urban centres are busting at the seams. Thing cannot be like the US or Canada where large numbers of people can think of owning two cars and a large suburban house (the recent economic woes make that a tad difficult). Instead India needs to look at countries like the UK and Singapore where there are embargoes on the usage of private cars. In countries like Holland, large numbers of people commute to work on cycles. Thing have come a full circle in India and perhaps it is time to re-think the national urban obsession with cars.

Raavan Gone, Ra 1 to Go

A lot was expected from Mani Ratnam’s colossal film Raavan starring real life couple Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai in the lead. This was a much hyped movie which did not click well. Something Bollywood is quite well acquainted with. Colossal much hyped movies failing at the box office. But the failure of Raavan leaves a lot of intriguing question unanswered.

We know that we have SRK’s Ra.1 releasing early next year. Now how do the filmmakers go about the movie? Do they create the same amount of hype and publicity which Mani Ratnam’s Raavan had created or do they go for some alternative publicity. Shahrukh Khan’s Ra.1 will face the problem of a bad name which has already has a dire reputation amongst the people. The masses have declined Abhishek Bachchan’s Raavan and now they have another thing coming there way which spells the same affect on them. After watching Raavan, a lot of people have lost hope on bigwigs and hype Bollywood creates before the movies release. They feel betrayed and cheated after they have watched the movie. Owing to this, they develop a hatred for the forthcoming flicks which promises to deliver the goods. And SRK’s Ra.1 is no different. It’s at the receiving end here.

But the matter of the fact is Shahrukh Khan’s Ra.1 has no resemblance with Mani Ratnam’s Raavan, not even the spelling. The only thing that binds the two is the way you pronounce the name of the movie. Where Mani Ratnam’s Raavan is an adaptation of Ramayana,(one of the greatest epic ever told) set up in the present world, SRK’s Ra.1 is a Bollywood science fiction superhero film. Shahrukh Khan and Kareena Kapoor will be seen pairing opposite each other after a long time. The last movie they were seen together opposite each other was in Asoka. Apart from that, Arjun Rampal will be seen playing the villain in Ra.1.

The movie is produced by Red Chillies Entertainment and directed by Anubhav Sinha. This one has left no stones unturned as the movie has a foreign writer, the special effects team is being hired from Hollywood, American rapper Akon would be seen crooning in the movie etc. Now that’s a hell lot of dose for any movie to do a good business.

The latest buzz is that SRK will be seen driving the fastest car in the world i.e the Volkswagen Bugatti. But that’s not just it, to add to the beauty of it, the technicians from ‘The Pirates of the Caribbean’ will teach Shahrukh to drive. The movie may be the most expensive movie made in Bollywood leaving behind the likes of Blue. Kareena will be seen in Milenge Milenge which is set for the release. It will be a treat to watch SRK and Kareena pair up one more time on the silver screen. Hope this Ra.1 does a better job than the former. Rest assures one thing is confirmed that time is the best healer and by the time Ra.1 releases people will not recall the Raavan they detested.

Rich and Varied Heritage

India is always remembered as a land of diverse cultures. The geographic position, climate and the extent of exposure to foreign cultures have totally influenced the traditions and culture of the different regions at different periods. The greatness of Indian culture has been in adopting the best from all the invaders and intermingling their customs and styles with the existing and this is visible in all aspects of culture.

Indian culture have always been attached to the great river systems, the watersheds of the Indus and Ganges, the Deccan plateau and South India.

Secular India is home to Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and other innumerable religious traditions. Hinduism is the dominant religious faith followed by the majority of the population. Colorful traditional festivals are almost 400 that have been happening for centuries. Not a single day passes by without a festival in one region or the other. It is an occasion for men to put on a new traditional costumes and jewelery.

Traditional wears like the silk saris, cholis have fascinated many a traveler over the centuries. Men in villages are still more comfortable in traditional attire like kurtas, lungis, dhotis and pyjamas.

Indian literature, Indian poetry, Indian epic poetry Ramayana and Mahabharata, Painting, Sculpture, Architecture- everything is depicted and interpreted through religion and philosophy.

Well known classical styles of dancing on the Indian stage are Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Odissi, Kathak, and Manipuri. Folk dances also contribute to the plethora of Indian dances. The common root of all classical dance forms can be traced to Natyasastra, ascribed to Sage Bharata who is believed to have lived between the 1st and 2nd Century AD

18 Indian languages with 1600 regional dialects are spoken and the linguistic lines are drawn by State boundaries Besides Hindi and English, the other popular languages are Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Oriya, Telugu and Urdu

Indian Cuisine skill lies in the subtle blending of a variety of spices to make various delicious recipes. These spices are used as home medicines too.

A typical North-Indian meal would consist of wheat. Rice is the staple diet in South Indian food. Coconut and oil are essential ingredients in all the meal. A meal is rounded off with betel leaf which holds an assortment of digestive part.

Women are the mirrors of culture of a society. Indian women are becoming increasingly visible and successful in the professional and public sphere. Whether it is Barkha Dutt, Arundhati Roy, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, they have all heralded the arrival of Indian women professionals.

Latest outsourcing of technological agility, quality, flexibility, cost control, time-to-market and competitive advantage have made India well known in the business world.

India exports software to 95 countries around the world, outsource high quality brain-power 82% of the US companies ranked India as their first choice for software outsourcing.

Your Professional Growth and Type of Blocks in Career Path – Which Block Are You?

Introduction

Though I belong to northern part of India but in my professional life, for maximum number of years I have worked in southern and western parts of the country. It is only now, since 2005 that I shifted my base to northern India . Sometimes, people ask me the difference that I noticed in terms of work-culture, workplace environment and practices in northern and other parts of the country, during my professional journey. Usually my reply to those queries is: “People in western and southern parts of India compete for success and growth. They have constructive and positive approach. They value their and other’s time. Where as, in northern parts of India , people love to grow at the cost of others…by harming others. They have political mindset. They have destructive mindsets.

In western and southern India , the attitude is, “Lets grow together. You don’t harm me and I will not harm you; you have your own strengths and I have mine, we will grow together”. But in other part of the country, people want to be in lime-light. The philosophy is, “Only, I will grow. You, either perish or live in my shadow”.” This is the general attitude, perception and behavior of people. However, exceptions are always there.

Growing together – The Importance of Team Work

How good are you, when it comes to team-work? Do you understand the importance and synergy of team-work? To my knowledge, “We Indians” are very bad players of team-work. Each member of the team wants to hog the lime-light, wants to take the credit for the “Success” of the team and “Love to Blame” his team-member for the failure of his team. Be it any team; as small as a team of two members or as big as a team of fifteen members, we have always failed as a team. Hard to digest but this is a fact. Some of the factors our failures as a team are:

1) Personal Ego (Larger than life ego)

2) Its only “me” and no one else

3) Lack of knowledge (Subject Matter Expertise), Confidence and Self-Belief gives rise to self-doubt and “insecurity”.

4) They love to “Demand Respect” rather than earning respect.

When you have ego, arrogance and insecurity, you tend to block others’ success. You tend to harm them. You tend to play “Political Games” with your own team-members.

Team-work in Corporate World

Now, let me narrow my write-up to “Team-work in Corporate World” and “Team-work within a department”. You cannot do all the work that is expected from you and hence, there is a need of a team. “Delegating your Work”; Outsourcing; Vendor Management is nothing but steps towards “Team Work”. We talk about man-hours and man-hands. For example, I as an individual is capable of doing X work in seven days but along with my team of three people, I should be able to complete the task in three days.

But it’s not me who has done that work in three days; it’s my TEAM. Many times, knowingly or unknowingly we harm our own team. In the process of showing others “my control over my team”, people hurt the team, insult the team and thereby affect the morale and sprit of the team. There is a saying, “Don’t kill the hen laying golden eggs”; but some people divide the team because they feel insecure. They divide the team. They back-stab their own team members; they gossip about one member to another and they insult their team-members in front of others. They do all this because, they don’t have subject matter expertise, and they are not sure about their position. They don’t have self-confidence and self-belief. They feel that the only way that they can survive is by using the old tactic of British India , “Divide and Rule”. Just like the British rulers of that time, these team-leaders and team-managers are aware that “if I let these people unite, I will not be able to survive. A very bad tactic, isn’t it??

Role of Team-Leader / Team Manager

There is a saying in Hindi, “Yatha Raja, Tatha Praja” (As the king, so the people). Hence, the Team-Leader or a Team Manager have very important role to play in “Team Development and Management”. As is understood that to be a Team-Leader or a Team Manager one should have at least one person to supervise and manage. Team Leader should have confidence in his own abilities, knowledge and skills. If he does not have enough confidence in himself, I will doubt his abilities and skills to boost the confidence and morale of his team. To be honest and fair and based on my personal experiences, I do feel that 90% of managers have sense of insecurity from their subordinate. They feel that their subordinates will grow faster. They feel that their position is not secured. They have very low Emotional Quotient. Hence they try “to block” block the pace of growth of their juniors / subordinates. Here are some blocks that Managers / Team Leaders put on the way of their subordinates growth:

Dam – When you construct a dam on a river, it does not stop the growth of the river; rather it generates electricity, helps farmers in irrigation and control floods. Similar is the role of this block in your profession. He guides you. He mentors you. He grooms you. He sharpens your skill. He helps you to grow. He is a catalyst. He knows that he is big enough for you to harm him in any manner. It’s like an executive reporting to a President. This is a positive hurdle.

Hurdle on the road (Rock, big & heavy stone) – Imagine a situation when you are traveling to some place and happen to face this hurdle on the road. What will you do? Either you will remove the hurdle or you will just pass by its side. Another example that I have is roundabouts in Chandigarh . You can not drive over them but need to drive around them to move on other side of the road. In a similar manner, there are blocks in your professional life and you can grow only by ignoring and avoiding them. They feel that they have put, big enough hurdle on the path of your career to slow-down you and/or stop you. It might take some time to over come this hurdle but this is not permanent. This is arrogant / egoistic but temporary hurdle.

Wall under-construction – This is a positive hurdle that you can face in your life. As you grow, the other also grows. He is intelligent and knowledgeable. He is willing to learn all the time. He is a person with high-self esteem. He has high expectations from himself and also from people around him. He is not afraid by the growth of his subordinates. He does not harm the growth of his subordinates. He does not sabotage their growth. The more his subordinate grows, the higher he increases his own level and his competencies.

Closed Door – This is a negative block. Whatever you do, you will face rejection. Things will just bounce on you. This person is afraid of your success and pace of your growth. When in open and competitive market, he feels insecure. He feels comfortable and secured when he is in closed room and that is why he keep the doors closed. If you want to grow in the presence of such superior / boss, you should either be pleading him or buttering him (making him comfortable) or requesting him or you should wait for the right opportunity. (You should look for the ventilator to enter in).

Conclusion

If you want to draw a line, longer than the one which is already drawn, the best way and constructive way to do that is to draw a new line, parallel to existing line and longer than that. Same way, the best way to grow in professional life is to always keep yourself updated with the latest in your domain; to sharpen your skills; to have dreams and to have confidence in yourself. You cannot grow by suppressing someone lower to you. Even if you manage to grow in this fashion, you will not be able to sustain that growth. Be honest to yourself and to your team-members. Don’t lie to them. Share the credit. Most importantly, “Learn to Work in a Team”. Talent Acquisition is Important but Talent Management is Equally Important.

Gone are the days when people use to “butter” their bosses and use to say, “YES Sir” for every order / instruction of their bosses. This is the era of competition. You want to grow then come compete with people.

That’s an end of the write-up. Do share your views and comments.

With Love

Sanjeev Himachali

(BLOG: http://sanjeevhimachali.multiply.com/ or http://sanjeevhimachali.blogspot.com/)

Trademarks In Film – Best Practices

Coca-Cola, Nike, Reebok, Adidas, UPS, McDonalds, FedEx, Dairy Queen, Kodak. You may ask what these brand names have in common. These brand names (and many others) all represent trademarks. “That sounds expensive! How can I afford for the protagonist in my film to be drinking a Pepsi and eating a slice of Dominos pizza during dinner? I will have to cover up all of the labels.” Unfortunately, this is how most filmmakers think. The thought that producers must obtain permission and cough up more of their dwindling production budget to use every label, sign, or shingle in their film is not entirely true. This concept is a very misunderstood notion of trademark law.

The important part of a trademark is what the mark represents. A trademark represents the source – it identifies who made the goods you are buying or who provided the services you are enjoying. So the big question remains, “Can I use someone else’s trademark in my film?”

The good news is that as a filmmaker, your right to include a trademark in your film is clear. You have a right to include the trademark in your film as long as the trademark or the product bearing the trademark is used as it was intended to be used without any consequences of its use being abnormal or out of the ordinary. Therefore, as long as a filmmaker is using a trademark or logo as it was intended to be used, and do not disparage or tarnish the trademark or logo in your film, you may include such trademark or logo without asking permission to do so. Simple, right?

Like any other rule, there is always one caveat. You as a filmmaker do not have the right to commit trade libel, not even in the name of entertainment. Trade libel occurs when a product or service is falsely accused of some bad attribute. For example, if you showed someone in your film eating a McDonald’s hamburger, then that person immediately keeled over because the food was poisonous, that would libel the trademark.

Another major question that arises sounds something like this, “So if I can use a trademark in my film in a non-libelous manner, why would I want to pay a license fee to clear it?” While the law does not require the filmmaker to obtain permission to use these items in film or television shows, there may be some good business reasons to do so anyway. For instance, broadcast television is an advertiser- supported medium. Therefore, if you used Coca-Cola labels on every beverage, and these beverages are prominently visible on the television screen, you have essentially given Coca-Cola free airtime.

I do not think the network broadcasting your show would be too thrilled giving away free airtime. Additionally as a filmmaker, you may potentially create more than one film. By showing goodwill and possibly paying or asking permission to use a trademark in your current film, the trademark holder may be willing to support, or even finance a portion of your project (assuming of course the trademark holder liked the use of their product or trademark in the film). So while permission to use a logo or trademark may not always be necessary, it might make good business sense to get permission anyway.

Slumdog Millionaire – Jai Ho 81st Academy Awards

Jai Ho ! This seems to be the preferred greeting for many Indians across the globe. And why not? These two words are ringing in every Indian’s ears , resonating from deep within. Jai Ho Danny Boyle, Jai ho A R Rahman, Jai Ho cast and crew of Slumdog Millionaire , and Jai ho 81st Academy Awards!!! What a wonderful gift to the Indian Film Industry! Eight Oscars to a basically Indian film is how it is being perceived. And why not, why ever not. Though the film is technically a British film, it has maximum participation of Indians. Various other reasons why it should be hailed as an Indian film are enumerated below. Take a critical look :-

The film is based on a novel titled Q&A by an Indian diplomat-cum-part-time writer Vikas Swaroop.
Total cast of the movie is of Indian origin.
Co-director of the movie is a Delhi girl , Loveleen Tandon.
The film is completely shot in India.
The quintessence of the movie is Indian.
A third of the movie is in Hindi.
Director Danny Boyle confessed that, “it is the ultimate compliment for me that people in India see Slumdog Millionaire as an Indian film.”
Most technicians are Indians including Oscar winner for sound mixing -Resul Pookutty.
All songs in the movie are in Hindi.
Vanity Fair magazine recently mentioned that Slumdog Millionaire is inspired by Black Friday and Satya – both Hindi movies. Even Danny Boyle acknowledged that.

There are many more subtle reasons. The list goes on and on. The film is entirely a Bollywood genre film with its unique masala (spice) and that is undisputed. The scene of the two small kids falling off the running train and getting up as grown up kids is typically Bollywood. We have seen all that in many a Hindi film. So when the soul and the body is Indian one cannot but submit that Slumdog Millionaire is essentially an Indian film. More so when even the inspiration for the movie is two Hindi films – Black Friday and Satya.

In saluting the Indian spirit of the movie, Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre resounded with the beats of Jai Ho and O Sayya with Western dancers in dazzling pink Indian Lehnga costume and drummers in traditional Indian dhoti. The audience swayed to the lilting Indian melody spun by A R Rahman.

It is reported that Times Square has people testing their lungs singing O Sayya at the top of their voice. Jai Ho already has a remix version in English, sung by Pussycat Dolls and the video is filmed at a Vienna Railway station.

So why are critics in India so confused. Why are we so perturbed that the underbelly of Mumbai has been exposed? Some have even accused that poverty in India has been showcased to Western audiences for exploitation. I fully agree with Aupam Kher when in a TV show he remarked that maybe some critics take on the task of criticising Slumdog Millionaire just to be noticed. Consider the following points and make your own decision :-

The film is based on lives of two kids from a slum in Mumbai. So what is the big deal? Doesn’t every developing country has this problem of slums. Favelas of Brazil and the slums around them are very well known to the world for their abject poverty and crime. Kibera in Nairobi is the largest slum of the world and conditions there are pathetic to say the least. In fact one third of world’s urban population lives in slums!

Poverty has not been underlined in Slumdog Millionaire. In fact it is the human spirit which has been showcased. Where do you see poverty as the central theme in the movie? On the other hand the movie highlights the fact that two kids with imagination and courage make it on their own in cities of India. Poverty is nothing new to the Western audiences. They see actual poverty in images from Africa and war devastated countries. What has been shown in the movie is nothing in comparison to actual poverty existing in today’s world.

Flash back to 1970s and you find Indian parallel cinema actually showcasing abject poverty in India in good measure. The central theme of those movies was poverty in India. Those movies and their directors were hailed by the same critics as they took those movies to world fora for recognition and acclaim. Why the double standards now when poverty is not the main theme of Slumdog Millionaire. It is simply a rags to riches story with adequate dose of Bollywood masala.

Now just look at what Slumdog Millionaire has done to the Indian Film Industry. In this Economic Downturn when the poster boys of Indian Industry are busy protecting themselves from being wiped out, here is the Indian Film Industry which is going to be hugely benefited by Slumdog Millionaire. Sample the facts below:-

World has recognised the talent of Indian technicians in film making. As cost cutting measure, work from Hollywood will now be outsourced to India. This will be similar to the saga of IT outsourcing to India.

Indian producers have now realised that with few changes to Bollywood masala that they churn out, they can now target world audience. Acceptance is not an issue, only if the Indian curry is not too spicy for global audience. This fact has been amply brought home by Slumdog Millionaire.

Instead of targeting 2% Revenue, Indian Film Industry can now target the rest of the 98% Revenue that the Global Film Industry has to offer. Just imagine the scaling-up that this Indian Industry can get, only at the cost of slightly shifting its focus to global audiences and their preferences. Slumdog Millionaire has not only shown but opened up that door for Indian Film Industry.

Joint ventures will spawn as global producers see the magic of Indian Film Industry, right up to its song and dance sequences, being heartily lapped up by global audiences. Just sample the bottom line of Slumdog Millionaire- the film has already raked in $163 million in box office against a budget of $15 million. Doesn’t it make pure business sense?

Yet there are people in India who are not happy with Slumdog Millionaire. You decide whether Slumdog has been a blessing in disguise for India or not. Indian Film Industry in India is poised to take the place of Indian IT industry, courtesy Slumdog Millionaire. Let us all celebrate. Jai Ho!

7 Skills To Develop To Be A Successful Content Writer

A Content Writer in some ways, is a journalist, as they contribute articles and content matter to businesses and corporate for their blogs and websites. By definition, Content writers are those who are assigned the task of writing content exclusively for a website. To become a successful creator, one needs to master a few marketable skills.

Research:

A writer must spend a considerable amount of time researching before actually dishing out material. They must understand the audience who will be reading their content and write specifically for them. One important part of research includes studying the competitors. Researching will add to your credibility and overall value.

Editing:

Most of what a creators job entails, is rewriting. At the end of the day, the objective of a writer is to make the company or brand they are writing for, look and sound virtuous. They have to re-read and edit their write ups at least twice before sending it in for publishing. Sometimes he/she also have to edit content sent by clients which can be a tedious task. Very rarely are first drafts perfect, you will need to revisit your article, correct grammar, spelling mistakes, watch out for punctuation and overused words.

Innovativeness:

Content writers face loads of competition. They have to write information that already exists, in a unique way. Hence, they have to be imaginative, creative and innovative. Since the goal is to attract attention, you need to do something pretty exciting to gain exactly that. The future of content marketing relies on Content Writers ability to innovate, and find new ways to wrap stories around current problems and scenarios.

SEO Expert:

Along with creating useful content, content writers also include trending and relevant keywords that will help drive traffic to your website and increase your viewership. Even the best of the best content won’t help you if the readers can’t find it!

Time Management:

Our current business approach runs on deadlines! Clients have deadlines that they have to meet, and so a content writer needs to effectively manage their time in order to stay professional and be accounted for, as a reliable content writer. If you have 5 days to complete an article, aim to finish it within the first two days itself. It isn’t about the challenge but rather an easier way to approach time management. You will still have plenty of time to revisit the article and make edits if needed.

Social Media Buff:

For so many businesses, social media is their entire market! Social media makes everything available for you to grasp. Apart from being one of the ways to create effective word-of-mouth marketing, it also provides a platform for viral content marketing India. The viewers interact and share work they feel relevant to them. Content writers need to become social media butterflies. And with the way things are functioning today, if content does well on social media, it shows up on search engines as well.

Language:

It goes without saying that a writer needs to be well versed with a language, be it English or Hindi (for content marketing in India). Every language has its own style and a he/she should be able to use flair and their ability to create phrases. Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation, word usage are some important traits that can help improve your language skills. Keep writing articles, it will only help you improve.

A content Writers talent is more than mere ‘writers’. They are SEO specialists, marketing experts, social media geeks and they are always on watch for the next big thing. Along with the skills mentioned in the articles, there’s no saying how high one could go!

The Indian Film Industry

Indian films began in 1896 when an agent from France brought his movie equipment and showed moving pictures in Bombay. That was an important point in Indian history and the start of the development of the Indian film industry.

The first film made in India was released in 1913 by Dadasaheb Phalke. The film’s title was Raja Harishchandra. It was a mythological film that has since been produced several times.

There are now different types of film industries in India categorized by their regions. These are: Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Oriya, Punjabi and Assamese films.

The first Indian film shown in India was the movie Alam Ara which was released in 1931. It was also the first movie that had sound effects; the movie was called a “talkie” because it was the first time the actors were heard talking in a film. This was again the beginning of a new era for the Indian film industry.

During the 1930s and 1940s Indian films began to have a modern outlook and adopted the emerging societal ideas and practices of the decade. Film makers added major innovations to their films. In 1935, the movie Devdas was released. It wasan important film of the decade. The film was directed by Pramathesh Barua. The movie was based on a love tale and presented the distinction between femininity and masculinity.

The world-famous Bollywood was a Hindi film industry that started in the 1970s. It is inspired by the American film industry’s Hollywood. Bollywood is now one of the leading film industries in the world which has released many movies and introduced popular actors and actresses.

The Golden Age of the Indian film industry began in the 1940s. Some of the best films were produced during this decade until the 1960s. The films Pyaasa and Kaagaz ke Phool were two of the movies produced during the Golden Age.

In the 1950s, the Parallel Cinema movement began, led by the Bengalis. Some of the movies produced during this era were Neecha Nagar and Two Acres of Land.

The Indian modern cinema was introduced in the 1960s. It was when romance movies and action films became popular in the Indian film industry. During the mid-1970s until the 1990s, Indian cinema began producing films about bandits and gangsters.

The Indian film industry continues to produce and release movies that reach the world beyond Bollywood. Indian film producers are known to make lengthy movies, with some films lasting three hours or more.

The Science of 16 Shringar

Since time immemorial, Indian brides-to-be have been taught the importance of ‘Solar Srringaar’. The sixteen pieces of adornment are not only the symbols of a bride’s marital status, but have deep rooted implications. Even the Indian mythology has some interesting instances. Remember the episode in the epic Ramayana by sage Valmiki when Anusuya gives her ornaments to Sita and tells her that a married woman must always be adorned with Solar Shringaar! We also find references to Shringaars in the epic poem Geet Govind by Jayadeva when Radha asks Lord Krishna to adorn her body with jewellery, her hair with flowers, put a hindi on her forehead and earrings on her ears when it is time for her to go home. The pieces of Srringaar not only serve the purpose of gracing the woman but they are important tokens of her social status.

Popular culture would have us believe that our heritage, our customs and rituals have no logical base to them. However, contrary to this, these rituals are a development of scientific study and research. Indian sages and seers were scholars of Astrology, Ayurveda and Astronomy. Their research provides us appropriate explanations behind the adornments.

There are only sixteen items of a bride’s beautification and not more or less. It is because the Solah Shringaar corresponds to the sixteen phases of the moon which are linked to a woman’s menstrual cycle. This has a negative effect on a woman’s mental and physical wellness. Our ancient sages believed that these effects could be nullified by wearing the sixteen items of cosmetics and jewellery. There are scientific reasons behind each element of Shringaar which enhances a bride’s beauty. The reasons help in making her more adept at her wifely duties.

Shringaars that add colours

Sindoor is the most important element of the Solah Shringaars. It symbolises not only the beginning of a woman’s marriage but also the commencement of her sexual life. It is applied in the middle parting line of the brides hair where lies the brahmarandra aperture which is a woman’s point of balance. The mercury present in sindoor helps in cooling down the bride. After marriage the free spirited girl transforms into a woman and has to shoulder the responsibilities which can devitalise her. The sindoor is very important for a bride as it will help her in maintaining her serenity and peace.

A bindi, worn on the forehead between the eyebrows pretties up the bride in an instant and makes her fair features even more gorgeous. The bindi not only accentuates her features but activates a woman’s Ajna Chakra or the forehead chakra through the pressure which is applied by the weight of the bindi. Ajna, translating to ‘commando’ is believed to be the eye of intuition. This chakra acts as a gateway for all the spiritual energy coming from the environment. It also protects the chakra from the surrounding negative energy. The bride is expected to perform her duties proficiently for which her Ajna Chakra must be properly activated to let her maintain her mental balance in her new house and absorb the new energies.

Mehendi, the most basic component of the Solah Shringaar, not only lends colour to the arms and feet of the bride, but has medicinal properties too. Weddings are serious business in India and can get very cumbersome. Therefore on the night before the wedding, mehendi or Henna is applied on arms and feet- home to our body’s nerve endings, to destress and relieve them. Also, mehendi heals the minor cuts and bruises the bride might have sustained during the preparations.

Kohl, used since the times of Greek queen Cleopatra not only makes a bride’s eyes look expressive and innocent but it is believed to purify the eyes from the pollutants. It also protects the eyes from the sun’s harmful rays. Weddings tend to get exhausting for the bride since many preparations are involved which takes months.

Hindu brides wear dresses having colours like red, maroon and pink on their wedding day because these colours signify fertility and passion. Red and orange are associated with the rising sun, which connotes the beginning of a new life for the bride. Also in Hindu tradition, the planet Mars which is reddish in colour is linked with marriage and hence these colours are preferred by Hindu brides. These colours fill the bride with vitality and fire that’re important for her married life.

Shrigaars that add rhythm

Nath, not just a symbol of marriage, but has an Ayurvedic significance too. Having the nose pierced on the left side is customary for the Indian brides for a good reason. The spot for the nose pierce is linked to the reproductive organs of a woman. It is said to ease menstrual and labour pains. Not only this, the piercing also contributes to the general reproductive health of the bride thus making her fertile enough to procreate. The nose pierce is also associated with protecting the nasal track of the bride, thereby preventing her from any kind of infection when she enters a new milieu. The modern version of nath is called the nose stud/ring which is smaller than its older version and can be worn with any outfit.

The choodicur/chuda looks divine on a bride’s hands. Besides being a mark of her siihaag, the choodian and paval aid the bride in maintaining her energy levels throughout the day. Her strength, which gets consumed while doing the house-hold chores gets vibrated back to the body through the sound waves produced by the choodian and papal. Also, a payal prevents inflammation of foot soles and aid in general blood circulation of the body. Hindus also believe that the crackling sound of the choodivan and papal helps ward off the negative or evil energy. The modern bride prefers to wear bracelets and anklets which are much sleeker and trendier.

Jewellery is the most prominent element of a woman’s bridal attire. They grace the bridal look like nothing else does. Ornaments made of gold and silver, like mangalsutra, Kamarbandh, Bajubandh, Harm: Karnphool, Maangteeka and Bichua etc. are worn by the Indian brides. Gold is believed to have a hot effect and silver has cooling properties on skin thus helping in maintaining body temperature. These metals are used in abundance in a bride’s trousseau as they have cancer averting properties. Emperor Akbar is believed to have gifted many pieces of unique navratan and kundari jewellery to his beloved Mumtaz Mahal.

Shringaars that add fragrance

Gajra is a bunch or a string of flowers, usually made of jasmine, which is worn by the bride in her hair for making her hairstyle stand out. They not only beautify her hair but their aroma lends a sense of freshness and calmness to the bride on her wedding day when she is tense about leaving her parents and going to her husband’s house.

Itra (perfume) besides making the bride smell heavenly, stimulates the bride’s senses. Itra made of fragrant ingredients like rose and sandalwood lifts the bride’s spirits and moods on the day of her marriage. Scents trigger the bride’s emotions and enhance her mood on the day when she has to leave her parents.

Meaningful adornment

On her wedding day, the bride is the centre of attraction and must look divine. Hence the Solah Shringaars is of utmost importance for a bride. She is adorned from head to toe to capture her groom’s attention forever and prevent him from going astray. Not just on their wedding day, women wear all the Solah Shringaars even on festivals like Karvachauth and Teej as a mark of love for their husbands.

However, the modern brides have given a modern twist to the items of Shringaar. For example liquid Sindoor has replaced the traditional powdered one. The Gajra has been replaced by various hair accessories like artificial flowers and metal hair pins. Nowadays instead of Menendi which takes hours to apply, brides opt for Mehendi tattoos which are quicker to apply. The vermilion bindi has given way to sticking ones having Kundan or Zircon stones on them that can be worn with both the traditional and Indo-Western outfits.

Bring back the charm

Indian brides, though not so conventional anymore, but haven’t forgotten the significance of these items and are still rooted. Looks are God’s gift but beauty is what you can acquire and solar shringar will help you achieve that.

So brides-to-be and all the other women bring out all your fine jewellery and cosmetics from the confines of your lockers and flaunt them proudly, for now you know how very beneficial the Solah Shringaar is. Not only will you benefit yourself, but make your husband go crazy about you by waking him up by the rhythmic sound of your choodian or papal and by asking him to decorate your hair parting with sindoor and your luscious hair with gajra. So adorn yourself more ‘meaningfully!’

Kareena Kapoor in Hindi Movie Jab We Met

Jab We Met is a Hindi movie released in 2007. It is written and directed by Imtiaz Ali. The story is about coming across of a girl and a boy during train journey. Jab We Met can stands among classic due to its subject, characterization and plot. A coincidental meeting changes the destiny of both. When two strangers meet, transition starts between them while they were ignorant of the fact that this could lead to next level of understanding. This transition at a point makes them realize that their frequencies are same and they are for one another.

The story begins at a railway station where a young desolated guy, a successful businessman Aditya Kashyap (Shahid Kapoor) boards a train without knowing the destination. In fact he is in devastated condition after the death of his father. Another factor of his distress was the hastily marriage of his mother with her boyfriend; biggest cause of his shame among his circle of friends. Aditya’s girlfriend faithlessness added flavor to his condition and he decided to run away from his life There a girl named Geet Kaur Dhillon (Kareena Kapoor) starts talking to him as a compartment mate to avoid boredom. She was a non-stop talking machine and when she observes that the boy is not paying any attention to her as he was not listening to the ticket checker. She pays for his ticket and again starts talking. He feels very irritated and decides to leave the train at an unknown station. Geet who is very concerned about the condition of Aditya, starts looking for him and trying to bring him on board again. While trying to bring him back she misses the train as well.

Geet blames Aditya for missing her train and becomes liability to Aditya and reluctantly he starts journey with her to leave her securely to her parents. As we all know the rule of nature, when two strangers spend some time together they get familiar with each other and some sort of affection develops. Geet shares her plan of elopement after reaching house. Here the important point is that his girl friend betrays him but Geet is ready to do anything for her lover. After sometimes innocence, naturalness, and playful behavior of Geet bring out liveliness of Aditya. He finds in himself a determination, hope for life and plans to change his views towards life. At last they reach Geet’s house where they are welcomed and considered lovers. However situation resolves when Aditya introduces himself as a musician and friend of Geet.

Later on, same night when Aditya is silently leaving the house, Geet comes out and elope with him. Hence after this incident the entire family was sure that they were lover however reality was different. Aditya leaves Geet to Anshuman’s (boyfriend of Geet) and goes back to his business and life. Everyone in office finds a new Aditya in him a transformed personality. He reaches the height of success by keeping Geet as his role model and introduces his calling card in the market with the name of Geet. Geet’s family sees him on TV and rushes towards him to meet with Geet. Both parties were surprised as Geet was disappeared from the scene. Aditya becomes upset and starts finding her. To his utmost surprise, she is in the same condition after betrayal from her boyfriend as once he himself was. He starts her counseling and convinces her to take revenge from Anshuman. She yells at him and feels better but the story shows a twist when ashamed Anshuman asks her to marry him now. Aditya becomes happy and brings them back to the family. The story turns the table upward down and Geet expresses her love to Aditya. He find immense happiness as he admires her a lot and in love with her as well.

No doubt story is so convincing and appealing that I can’t help stop myself to jot down it again. While writing I enjoy it as I am seeing the movie once again. Story is excellent, plot is foolproof and characterization is the most powerful object of this movie. Kareen Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor are in full form and they perform so realistically and naturally that movie becomes a hit. Kareena Kapoor is a talented artist and there are so many movies that make her actress profile very good. “Jab We Met” proves to be her one of the finest works. Noticeably without any intimation scenes and unlike traditional love story this movie provides full amusement.