Gandhi - the Musical - Review

Play: 'Gandhi - The Musical'

Writer & Director: Danesh Khambata

Cast: Chirag Vohra, Nivedita Bautiyal, Abhishek Krishnan, Nishi Doshi & about 20 others.

Featuring: Voice of Boman Irani

Rating: 8.1 / 10 (See Rating Chart below)

I was fortunate to be invited to the opening night of 'Gandhi - The Musical'. Actor Boman Irani opened the play. Mr. Tushar Gandhi was also present to watch this work of art.

'Gandhi - The Musical' tells the well-known story of Bapu in the most heart-warming way possible. The play starts with a young Mr. Gandhi (played by Abhishek Krishnan) entering South Africa and ends with the tragic assassination of the Mahatma  (older version of Mahatma Gandhi played by Chirag Vohra).

The first half is not only colourful and musical, but also has some rather comical moments. There is a court-room scene which is one of the high-lights of the play. The second-half is emotional and dramatic, but Gandhiji's witty remarks and conversations with the British-Raj (personified by the voice of Boman Irani) provide some comical relief.

Although the play does depict Gandhiji's involvement in the freedom struggle, the more emotional and dramatic scenes are those from his personal life and conversations with family and close friends. 

The music and lyrics are to be applauded and blend well with the style of story-telling. The characters act, sing, dance and several times during the course of the play, do all those while walking around the audience's seating area, giving one the impression that one has actually witnessed the freedom struggle first hand.

The set up and props are elaborate and detailed. The play has a huge cast of over twenty. Abhishek Krishnan's acting is commendable. 

In short, if one wishes to see a Broadway style musical in Mumbai, one should rush to watch this gem. For a musical of this scale, timing is crucial, and the actors, stage hands and all those involved, delivered. No Indian can watch the play without feeling patriotic and proud.

Do watch the same as soon as possible: https://in.bookmyshow.com/plays/gandhi-the-musical/ET00043919

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I hope you found this helpful. If you want me to review any other play/movie/event, please say so in the comments below.

Rating Chart:
1.0-2.9: Torture.
3.0-5.5: Waste of time.
5.6-6.9: Decent. But can be skipped.
7.0-7.9: Good. 
8.0-8.6: Great! Don't miss it.
8.7-10:  You can miss the birth of your child for this. This is a greater miracle.

Quikr NXT: The Future of Online Classifieds is Here

I had  this old car, which runs smoothly, but which had become too old fashioned for me. I needed something more fancy. I knew looking for a buyer was going to be hard, but it turned out looking for a good car at a reasonable price was even harder. Few people referred me to brokers who guaranteed a good deal, but the commission was so high that it could no longer be categorized as a 'good deal'. I didn't want to use classifieds, as I didn't want to disclose my contact information.

Then my friend, Ashok, showed me an app, on which apparently one can miraculously buy and sell products at the best prices, by communicating with the seller/purchaser via chat. I was apprehensive at first, of course, about the privacy issues involved. Ashok then told me that my mobile number would not be revealed and would be kept completely private.  

Quikr NXT has completely changed the face of online classifieds markets in India. Earlier, one could post pictures and give specifications and description of one's products and the prospective buyer was left at the mercy of the same. It was not easy for prospective buyer to ask any follow up questions or seek clarifications from the seller. The seller would also be hesitant to give away contact details to the public. The basic rule of consumer law was that the buyer should always be aware, but there was little scope for due diligence as far as online classifieds were concerned. Therefore, such prospective buyers were hesitant to proceed with the transaction. However, thanks to Quikr NXT I could check out cars and make further inquiries. 

The seller is also well protected. His contact details are kept private, and the same need not be disclosed at any point of time of the transaction. After posting the ad of my old car I was more than happy to answer the queries that I received. Since I was able to better guide the interested buyers, I got a buyer almost instantly! It was so easy, that I could hardly believe it. The immediate next day I met with the buyer. I went with my car which I disliked and returned home with a cheque of Rupees Two Lakhs which I desperately needed. I used the money to buy another car. 

As you may have guessed by now, the new car was also purchased by me from Quikr NXT itself. I purchased the car after extensive inquiry with the seller, which was made possible only because of Quikr NXT's online chat feature. 

I urge all my friends to stop complaining about their need for any product or for cash, and download the Quikr App right away. The Quikr App is available on the Playstore here. No Fikar, Chat Quikr. 

Also see my previous post on Quikr here. 

Asus v. Asus - A Difficult Choice

Being a hardcore techie I need electronic devices which are quick and strong. I expect nothing short of the best from my devices. Also, being a banker, I need devices which are not just functionally efficient, but which have a smart look. Currently, I'm in bit of a dilemma. I can't choose between two amazing devices- 

(i) the Compact and Light Weight ASUS EeeBook X205TA

and  

(ii) the Simple, Versatile and Powerful ASUS All In One PC ET2040.

Now, both these devices are manufactured by the most reputed brand in the field of electronic devices, i.e. Asus. Both devices are easy on the wallet. So lets take a look at the other factors that, which I need to take into account, before making my decision. (Man! If this was 'Sophie's Choice', it would be a much shorter movie.)

ASUS EeeBook X205TA
(Image taken from here.)

The ASUS EeeBook X205TA comes with a 2-cell battery which will ensure that I can work continuously, without having to look for a charging point every two minutes. Its full-sized chiclet keyboard is amazing, to say the least, and can endure over 10,000,000 keystrokes. 

Furthermore, Eeebook currently comes with a one year subscription to full versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Powerpoint, Access, Publisher and OneNote. But that's not all, Asus is also offering 1 TB of online cloud storage. I would never require an external hard disk ever again. Also, the device weighs merely 1 kg. So if I was ever deciding between taking your girlfriend for a trip or taking the ASUS EeeBook X205TA, I would always choose the ASUS EeeBook X205TA, its lighter, more sleek and definitely smarter.

ASUS All In One PC ET2040
Image taken from here.

They say Superman can run faster than a speeding bullet. Well, the ASUS All In One PC ET2040  is even faster. It also features a 19.5-inch HD widescreen display with such a high resolution that you will never feel like watching videos on anything else. And you've heard the phrase 'sharing is caring' haven't you? The ASUS All-in-One PC ET2040 comes with three SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports that are capable of recharging other devices that can charge via USB much faster. Not to mention, transferring data between devices is also quicker. Worried about compatibility of the USB 3.0 with existing USB 2.0 devices? No worries. Its fully compatible.

Want to feel like Tony Stark? Want to be able to use your electronic device from a distance simply by hand gestures? Well, your prayers have been answered. With the ASUS All In One PC ET2040 you can control browse the internet, use applications and do much more from up to 5 meters away because of its Hand-Gesture Recognition Software (HGRS). If I take this device I'm going to have to start saying good bye  to my key board and mouse. In fact I can gladly wave good bye to ever having to even touch my screen. 

So which one do I choose? Well isn't it obvious. I'm taking them both!

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Check out all the features of ASUS EeeBook X205TA and ASUS All In One PC ET2040, and lets see if you can make a choice. I dare you!

Let's Paint the Town Red

A few weeks ago I read a blog which said that that the common housefly was the most common bug in India. I completely and respectfully disagree. The most common Indian bug is by far the Great Indian Litterbug.

Do you know why more law suits are filed in USA than in India? The population of India is much more, we have a more diverse culture. So, then why is litigation not on the rise here? The answer is – if Indian Courts gave even a dime to a person who, let’s say, slipped over a banana peel, every citizen in India would be in Court. Our streets are not paved with cement or tar, but rather, with paper, plastic and other sorts of garbage. Our ‘Green India’ initiative does not mean growing plants or trees, but instead growing algae and moss. It achieves the final goal –a green India.

Indeed, we Indians are the best at letting things go. Especially things like wrappers, bottles, tickets and waste.  Even if a dustbin is two feet away, we prefer to throw our stuff on the street, because we think it adds to the décor. How chic!

Garbage Maze!
(Image taken from here.)

Its not all bad, though. The thrash offers to be a wonderful play thing for children. The thrash is so thick that children often play hide and seek or try to find their way out of the maze created by the garbage. There was an article in the newspaper the other day about a boy who jumped off a building, but whose fall was broken by the garbage accumulated outside his building.

But we have to give it to ourselves; we really know how to paint the town red. Because of paan the government is saving millions on red paint. Railway stations and government offices just get painted themselves.

Swimming pools maybe a rare sight in some countries, but not here. Outside every other house you will find a pool of water which was once used to clean houses, clothes and what not. Kids love it! And not just kids, its fun for all ages. Who doesn't like crossing a puddle of muck on their way to work?

“Wash basin? What’s that?”  We are world renowned for our ‘Spit Anywhere’ policy, whereby we not only litter the streets, but also our own shoes. But who cares, right? I think its time we all connected turbines to our mouths, so that when the country spits, enough electricity could be generated in a day to power an entire city for a week. Energy crisis resolved!

Thus, I salute us, the Great Indian Litterbugs, who will read this article on their phones while eating a frankie, and who will throw the frankie wrapper on the street as soon as they are done with it. 

(Visit http://greatindian.timesofindia.com/ for more.)

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In Bangalore? Bech Quikr, Without Fikar

 So here’s the thing. I’m shifting to Bangalore next month and until yesterday I had a thousand problems in my mind. New city. New life. Limited cash. But yesterday when my friend told me about bangalore.quikr.com, I felt as though somebody lifted an anvil off my head. All my problems were suddenly solved. When I have QuikrBangalore, I know I can overcome any obstacle I may face in this city to which I am a complete stranger.   

Here are some of the problems I had and the solutions I found on bangalore.quikr.com:

Problem #23:- Makaan: Roti and Kapda is fine. But it is so hard to find reasonably priced accommodation in a city like Bangalore.

Solution: My problem was solved in 3 simple steps. 1) Go to bangalore.quikr.com 2) Look for apartments on rent 3) Pick my favourite. Simple, isn’t it?

Screenshot of
bangalore.quikr.com

Problem #146:- Mobile: I’ll be needing a new dual-sim mobile, so that I can use my Bangalore number and Mumbai number.

Solution: Thanks to QuikrBangalore, I can choose from hundreds of affordable and attractive phones.

Problem #689:- Going places: I’m told that public transport is a pain in Bangalore. Unfortunately with my limited funds, I cannot afford a brand new car.

Solution: Check out cars or two-wheelers on bangalore.quikr.com.

Problem #348:- Companionship: I have no friends and family in Bangalore. I’m going to get lonely. (Sniff... Sniff...)

Solution: On bangalore.quikr.com I can get the most adorable pets. I never have to be lonely again!

Screenshot of
bangalore.quikr.com

Problem #753:- Girls: Can’t live with them. Can’t live without them. My grand parents have been running behind me, pestering me to tie the knot. When I told them I got a job at Bangalore, they sighed, “Now we will never get to see our grand kids.”

Solution: Quikr Bangalore has thought of everything. Indeed, they try to satisfy all your requirements and needs. When my friend told me that Quikr Bangalore also has category called ‘Matrimonial’, I knew I was sorted!

Problem #892:- You’re fired!: The only reason I’m going to Bangalore is because I landed a job there, and I was concerned what I would do if I lost my job. (And trust me there is a very good chance of that happening.)

Solution: Varied sub-categories of jobs can be found on Quikr.

  

Problem #1000:- I have so much stuff: So when I get cool new stuff from Quikr, what do I with my old stuff?

Solution: Sell it on Quikr! 

I can go on and on, but I think I’ve made my point.

I must now bid you all farewell in advance. The next time you beloved readers will be seeing my posts, they will be ‘Made in Bangalore’. Luckily, I do not have much to pack, as I will arrange for most (or rather all) of my things through bangalore.quikr.com. Thanks to Quikr Bangalore, I do not have to take Lock Stock and Barrel. I can now travel light and also light-minded!

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Waking Up on the Wrong Side of the Desk

“Hey the Cops are coming! What do we do?”

“Quick! Go to sleep!”

Indeed, while earlier the Police needed a warrant to arrest you, now they may also need a warrant to wake you up.

Everyone knows what they’ll see as soon as they put on the ‘Lok Sabha’ channel on T.V. Many even criticize our politicians for taking long naps whilst laws are being discussed and passed. But aren’t they just exercising one of their Fundamental Rights?

This year the S.C., in a judgement which is a beacon of hope for all students who snooze on the last bench in class or those public servants who take power naps during work, had declared that the ‘Right to Sleep’ was a ‘Fundamental Right’. Probably taking inspiration from the movie ‘Inception’, the S.C. has taken a ‘leap of faith’ by incorporating these ‘radical notions’ in its judgment. The judgment is definitely a step forward. Surely, when nothing goes into my head when I pay full attention in a lecture, there is no harm in resting my eyes and letting my subconscious try its luck. After all, the brain does perform 20 times faster in sleep. And counting sheep does sound much better than counting the number of case laws I have to read this year. Who knows, maybe the ‘Facebook’-ing or ‘Whats App’-ing may also be Fundamental Rights someday <Fingers crossed>