Sharks v/s Dragons

'Shark Tank', the new series on ABC premiered last month on ABC. An ardent fan of the UK version 'Dragon's Den', I was excited to finally watch it without being at the mercy of youtube. So how do Sharks compare with the Dragons? Well its a mixed feeling.


The UK Dragon's looked like a good mix of individuals working well with one another. The camaraderie between them was unmistakable. The Sharks on the other hand seem like trying to establish their expertise in their field. They constantly work at pulling fast ones on each other. Unlike the Dragons, the Sharks seem to cling on to their individual claims to fame as well as the expertise that they bring to the table. Daymond John, though accomplished in the fashion industry, does not step out of his comfort zone. Same can be said about Kevin Harrington, who does not entertain the idea of dealing with ventures outside of the infomercial realm. Barbara Corcoran brings her real estate experience and does not bat an eyelid to enter into a venture outside of her industry if she is convinced to invest. She is spiteful at times and gets into deals with the intention of getting under the skin of another dragon.

That brings me to the two Sharks that make this show worth a watch. They are the 'Good-cop Bad-cop' routine which works magic on screen. Not sure how that goes down with the participating entrepreneurs though. The Bad Kevin as he is called, Kevin O'Leary coins a line worthy of competing with "You're Fired" by Trump as well as "It's Hot" by Miss Paris. Every time someone turns down his advances he says "If you turn your back to me. You are Dead to me!". It makes great television. He is unashamed to paint himself as someone driven by money and money alone. He goes after any opportunity which has a promise to get him dough. The good cop, Robert Herjavec is the best shark on the show. He is polished, polite and is unwilling to let go of his morals when an entrepreneur is in a rut and about to give in more than he/she can comprehend later. He comes across as someone who has had success without trading his soul to the devil. Kevin and Robert are at each other on every deal possible. But they end up partnering on almost all deals that either one goes for; Which makes us learn an important lesson. You don't have to like someone to work with the person.


So what's missing from the Shark rendition of the VC story? For one, there is no money on display. And it shies away from the warehouse set. The show could use some more charm. Theo Paphitis and Duncan Banatyne were amazing Dragons keeping the UK show interesting. Another stark difference from the Dragons, is that the Sharks seem to be all about wetting their beaks so to speak. Although that is the case with all VCs, it is something that can be masked a little. Sans a few entrepreneurs who are able to heckle the Sharks, the others seem like getting a medium rare if not a raw deal. In terms of approach, James Caan had an amazing way of getting a deal with each entrepreneur. He offered to get a good amount of equity from them but was willing to relinquish part of that on the condition that the sales numbers are met. Now that really feels like a business deal rather than the quest for 51% stake on the Sharks' part.

New York: Review

Rating: 4/5
New York was one of the most awaited films of the year. John Abraham and Katrina Kaif together for the first time promised eye candy for both sexes. On the flip-side John and Katrina in the same film raised a big question on either one's acting capabilities to shoulder the film. After the well made semi documentary Kabul Express, expectations were high from Kabir Khan to deliver. So how does the film turn out?

The film opens with Omar (Neil Nitin Mukesh) being framed for terrorism charges. The FBI officer Roshan (Irrfan Khan) offers Omar a deal to be acquitted of the charges. He has to become an FBI informant to unravel the sinister plans of a sleeper cell operated by his college buddy Sameer (John Abraham). A short flashback takes us to the New York State University where Omar meets Sameer, a know-all college jock and Maya (Katrina Kaif), an immensely like-able Indian American girl. Omar instantly falls for Maya. But Maya has feelings for Sameer. Omar is shattered as his best friends profess their love for each other. The personal story takes a backseat as 9/11 changes their lives. Seven years pass and Omar meets his college friends. This time though he is thrust with the task of snitching on them. The rest of the film is a mature look at both sides of the coin of terrorism and living as a Muslim in the post 9/11 world.

The movie is on the lines of 'Khuda Kay Liye', Pakistani film. It does not go into as many complexities as KKL, but is expectedly better in production values. Kabir Khan manages to keep the film interesting all the way to the end. The climax could have been better written. The editing is crisp. But the song 'Mere Sang' could have been trimmed to make the film shorter. Every other song is well embedded into the storyline. 'Tune Jo Na Kaha' is definitely the best of the lot. The background score blends with the films theme. The dialogues, in addition to being non-filmy, are well written.

John Abraham shines in an author-backed role. He carries off difficult scenes with aplomb. Katrina Kaif uses her Hinglish diction to embellish her Indian American Maya. She expresses well with her eyes in some well enacted scenes. Neil Nitin Mukesh does well in what seems more like a lead role than a supporting one. He is a part of the new brigade of actors who underplay their roles instead of hamming over the top. Having said that, he does have to get over his sometimes rehearsed dialogue delivery. Irrfan is impeccable as usual and raises the bar for the other actors in every scene.

All in all, the movie definitely deserves a watch. It is a unique combination of a good cast, story and intentions. Go for it!

BJP: On the crossroads!

The Indian elections threw a surprise for once - a pleasant one too! The mandate circumvented the usual anti-incumbency factor. It seemed like regional aspirations and religious fanaticism were abolished. Congress got a definite majority from the Indian people.
So where does that leave the other big party in the country - Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)? BJP has been the only other practically workable choice for India since the country was procreated out of the British Empire. The seeds of the BJP bore out of the agitation against the immense power abuse by the Congress establishment and the Gandhi-Nehru family bastions. The Emergency was sort of the first step towards a multi party democracy. But after several half-baked results, there was the need for a big bang launch. The Hindu sentiment against the pseudo secularist Congress provided BJP the much-needed launch pad. L K Advani was in the forefront of this event. The politics of Ram and Ayodhya were revived out of extinction as Advani led the RSS supported BJP towards establishing itself as a Hindu right wing party. The first chance India got to get a 2 party working democracy was thus severely affected by the Congress policy of using minorities as a vote bank on the one hand and an equally ugly manifestation of the other end of the spectrum against the minorities on the other.

The next decade saw the Congress lose its sheen over a barrage of Hindutva and the third front - consisting of miscreants like the communists and regional parties. The debate that separated the Congress and BJP came down to the garb of secularism and the nationalistic Hindu fervor. India went through some of the worst third party establishments throwing incongruous and embarrassing prime ministers like HD Deve Gowda onto the national stage. The country was ready for a stable government. It came in the form of a newly discovered beast called a coalition. The BJP led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) swept the polls under the able leadership of Atal Behari Vajpayee and gave the nation a moderate leader from an extremist party the keys to India's future. This coincided with the growth of India as an economic bigwig. BJP at the same time had enviable bench strength of second-string leaders - Pramod Mahajan, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Uma Bharti. This was a time; India could imagine a future with a party that had a democratic and corporate way of giving able people an opportunity to make a difference. On the other hand Sonia Gandhi was a minion within the Congress establishment with nothing going for her but the family name.

The Gujarat riots disturbed the equilibrium within the BJP. The eggs of extremist Hinduism hatched as they had in the Mumbai riots of 1992. Vajpayee could not save the BJP from losing the 2004 elections. The state sponsored pogrom could not be balanced by the realization and promises of a shining India. Though BJP lost the elections, Congress did not get a full mandate. It was just about enough for them to be offered a shot at the government. Sonia Gandhi grew exponentially in stature by refusing the top slot. She gave way to one of the most non-controversial and intelligent individuals in the country -Dr. Manmohan Singh.

The BJP failure was not an orphan for long. Oliver Twist was taken in by Fagin instead of a Good Samaritan. The moderate ideology was killed off in a hurry. The one lesson to be learned from the defeat was bunked by the whole class. They veered towards extremist ideologies again. The result oriented clean government he leads in Gujarat accentuated the rise of Narendra Modi within the BJP. Vajpayee retired and LK Advani picked the gauntlet of the party. Over time, LK Advani tried to paint over his extremist image PR exercises such as the praising Jinnah in Pakistan, which in his nick of the woods was blasphemy to the T.

The next 5 yrs of the government were a tight ropewalk for the Singh govt. It was laden with great economic developments and terror attacks all over the country. The BJP painted the prime minister as weak and impotent due to the lapse in security measures. Narendra Modi became the boy wonder for the party. Advani was projected as the strong leader who could rule the nation with an iron fist. Fortunately the campaign failed instead of marginally succeeding. India was saved from getting a fractured government. The bonus was the defeat of feudal corrupt leaders like Laloo Yadav and Paswan, as well as that of the Communist parties in West Bengal and Kerala.

Almost two decades after the Rath yatra, BJP is again at a crossroad. What is the guiding principle of the BJP? Would they be driven by religious sentiments? Would they act as grown-ups and think about what the country really needs? All these questions depend on one question that they choose as the future leader. Pramod Mahajan's demise has taken away an acceptable option. Uma Bharti's whimsical feud with the BJP rid them of a ticking time bomb of uncertain unruliness. Narendra Modi has the same problem as Advani. He may be able to convert Gujarat into Shanghai. But he would never be able to wash his hands off the anarchy and the pusillanimous massacre of minorities in Gujarat. Arun Jaitley though the brightest spot on the spectrum is far from being a mass leader. The choice thus lays between the enigmatic Sushma Swaraj, the geriatric Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi and the seasoned Jaswant Singh. The answer to the question is really going to define BJP's future and that of the country to seriously be able to create a 2 party democracy based on policies and not on religious aspirations. I look forward to how they are able to either make that switch or be at the crossroads again after Modi has lost the elections for them in the near future.

When life throws you a Lemon!

"When life throws you a lemon.....Make Lemonade"

Sounds like a mantra out of the 'Who moved my Cheese' book. You read it. Feel good about it. Seems like something you wanna follow. And then the concept just loses its sheen in due course of time. The reason I think is life is not as simplistic as that one line. Or is it?

You are sad. You got a rap from my boss about my work. You got dumped by your girlfriend. Your car broke down in the middle of the road at 1 am. Damn why did it start snowing the very next minute. Your Mom is calling on your cell phone. You bet shes gonna ask you what You are doing out so late in the night. Reject Call! You called a friend who took a freaking hour to pick you up.

You are happy. Your boss cares enough about your work to give you a chance to improve on your shortcomings. You wish she was the one but good that you found out early and you learned so much from your relationship. Your car broke down in the middle of the road at 1 am. The snow looks so beautiful and makes you feel like you are in a serene place. Feels good to hear your Mom's lecture when you are in such a bad place in life. Gosh do you miss the old days when you could lose all your worries with a hug from Mom. You called a friend who picked you up in an hour. Thank god you have a friend who is willing to lose his sleep and help you at this ungodly hour.

Well beyond everything else. I think life is all about how you look at it. Everyone goes through a bad phase. The best thing to do is to dig yourself out of the ditch one step at a time. The tiniest achievement can be cherished and celebrated with a smile. Be it completing a tetris game beyond level 2 or knocking 4 pins in a bowling game. Happiness is a state of mind that each person defines for himself/herself. So depending on the situation just lower expectations from life. Appreciate what you have as against what you don't and you will have bounced back before you know it!