First Foreign Coach

Written for MyDC quarterly magazine 'Anukruti'

Can you guess the first Non-Indian cricket coach, we Indians had?
Did I hear John Wright?
I’m afraid, that’s a wrong answer, fellas.

Long before John Wright took command of the Indian cricket team, there was another Indian team which got the services of a foreign coach. The team not only went on to win the match but rewrote the history books. It paved the way for the expansion of cricket roots and culture across India.
It was the hot summer of 1893 when Elizabeth Russel became the first foreign cricket coach of a team from India. She transformed the common villagers into ruthless performers. Before she took charge of the team, the players didn’t even know the C in ‘Cricket’; leave other letters in the word.
Champaner was like any other ordinary village in the hinterland during the British raj. It all started with Bhuvan’s tryst with destiny. Bhuvan was a born cricketer par excellence. He was Sachin, Kapil, Dhoni all rolled into one. As all heroes in history, he too didn’t know his talent. It was only when he hit the Miandad-style six of the last ball, to shatter the pride of Captain Russel and win the championship; he came to know that he was the superstar Indian cricket so desperately desired. 108 years after that historical match, Indian cricket captain Dhoni gave his fine tribute by hitting the six to win the 2011 World Cup.

Elizabeth Russel was an avid cricket lover. She was visiting his tyrannical brother posted in Central Province when she came to know about the championship. She offered her coaching services to the villagers who had never played cricket in their life.

A complete professional, Elizabeth started the rigorous routine with explaining the rules of the game and then organizing the batting, bowling and fielding drills. She also gave all the technical mumbo jumbo tips to every player. The cool and composed demeanor also helped her to earn the respect of all players. A huge hype was built over the match and people from different parts of country started to pour in to see the preparation. Shunning the limelight, she went ahead with her work calmly. Using revolutionary and modern coaching methods of those times, she trained the team for 3 months. Players were marked for their individual strength and she worked on their weak areas and technical aspects. New bats and balls were made under her supervision. She gave the free rein to the players and asked everyone to play their natural game. The Dil-scoop shot which is attributed to Tilakratne Dilshan was in fact invented by Guran, one of the team members of CCC (Champaner Cricket Club). Kachra was taught the loop, drift and dip in spin bowling.

A strong character and a model of integrity, she instilled the spirit of the game into her players. She informed the Anti-Corruption unit at once when she found that one of her players, Lakha, tried to fix the game. A trial ensued and Lakha pleaded guilty. He apologized to everyone. Being first time offender, he was pardoned. Eventually, he played a pivotal performance in lifting the team’s game.

She had to return to England shortly after her team won the championship but her contribution towards Indian cricket will always be remembered.

An epic movie ‘Lagaan’ was made on her epic achievement by noted period filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker, which was later nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Foreign Film category.


Disclaimer: Most twisted facts in this article are a figment of the author's imagination (but you already knew that , didn't you?)

A tribute to my college seniors

College life makes a man out of a boy. It teaches you every possible lesson in life. Sometimes, you feel cheated and hate the place and sometimes you wish to stay there all your life. This blog is dedicated to all my seniors who influenced and changed my life for better.

My tribute to my seniors:

Chetan Mehra: If someone asks me to name a person who really influenced me and changed my life then it’d be one and only Chetan sir. Being a stupid that I was, he was the one who always tolerated my mistakes. He never ragged any junior. He was always calm and jovial. He always respected the difference of opinion( Very rare quality). Whenever we sat together,out banter used to turn into such a philosophical and deciphered talk that his peers and my peers(if they are around) would always get bored and left us in our world.
The most defining moment for me (which has an indelible impression on my mind) was in second year when he participated in an event just to make me participate. I didn’t want to participate in that event due to my fear of speaking on stage in public but he persisted that I should go. Just to avoid his persistence, I told I’ll go if you go. And bang, he went there next, spoke hell better than lots of participants and came back with his eyes rolling.What next? I had to go.I went to stage, my leg shivered, my voice fluttered and I uttered a truckload of garbage. It was a debacle but that attempt made me do something for this. Failure teaches you more than success. I was different person after that.
My legs still shiver, and my voice still flutter and butterflies still make a chaos in my stomach, but now I know how to overcome them. Thank you sir.


Himanshu Garg: People love to hate him. I never liked few of his thoughts( I don’t like those, still) and being a junior I take pride that I openly criticized him for that( and he hated that and probably still do :) ). But for me his goodness, intellect and his spirit outweigh his frailties. He never had very high regards for me, in fact he was dismissive of me in most part of first three years. But from third year onwards, (And I have no idea, how) we started talking a lot about a lot of things. We’ll delve into philosophy, history, politics and what not. I shared a different kind of bond with him. Perhaps he was my first friend in seniors(Others were seniors only). He didn't quite get what he deserve but I reckon he'll someday. Today, I wish and pray that he achieve what he’s capable of. From Himanshu sir, I learnt multiple facets of life. Thank you sir.

Ankit Srivastava: You won’t find anyone else so entertaining and happy-go-lucky. He has his unique charm and he's one of the coolest head on his shoulders. His outer appearance is so foxy that when you hear him speaking seriously on serious/non-serious topics (That happens very rarely, though) You won’t believe he is the same person. He's this zeal to do something substantial and whenever he did something, he moved to next. I learnt my pursuit to do something good from him. And I can bet all my money that he’ll achieve something big. I haven’t achieved anything substantial yet, but I have the spark ignited by his character that will go on in the pursuit. Thank you, Sir.

Kavindra Joshi: I have never spoken to or interacted with him.In fact,I don't think he still has any idea who I could be. He was in final year when I joined KNIT but he gave me something which changed me forever. Quizzing. And with that came the hunger to know, know everything. I participated my first quiz organized by him and it was my first quiz in life. I qualified the screening round, finished second last out of eight team and lost into oblivion after the event. But that moment on stage with top quizzers from my college gave me the confidence that I can belong here. From there on, it was only an upward journey. I also decided to organize a quiz , Just like Kavindra, sir. In fact I did that but poor participation and apathy for quizzing marred my enthusiasm.
After that my first quizzing attempt, I tried many more, won a few but I’ll always remember and cherish my first outing and Kavindra sir. Thank you sir.

Gaurav Singh(EE): A very fine man. A true gentleman, which is a rarity in engineering colleges. Poetic and romantic. Something to do with his great gazal singing capabilities. He was the man everyone paid respect. Calm and composed. You’ll never see him without simple and affectionate smile. I had (and I still have) a crush ( is there any bigger word for that?) for *****a Mishra, A fine lady two years senior to me in college. In fact, I was mad for her.( Well, I still remember her face fresh like daisy.. coming in the class during sessionals. and I still yearn to see her :) ) . I din’t tell this secret anyone except my close friends and they laughed like hell. In my face, huh.
But Gaurav Singh sir, he was compassionate, understanding and great when I told him that. I still remember my foul mood( well, it was more than a foul mood but I don’t want to spill any more beans) and Gaurav sir consoling me . I never got a chance to thank Gaurave sir and this blog is my way to say my heartfelt thanks to him. Thank you, sir.

Sheel Mishra: If you want to see a modern Chanakya, you need to see Sheel sir. I still admire his finesse in difficult situations, his knack of politics and his smooth talking. Apart from all these qualities, he was literary giant too. His poems were a delight to read and his prowess in hindi and hindi literature was something really special. He taught me lessons which no one could have given.They were lessons in life for life. Thank you, sir.

PS : There are lots of seniors who were great not just for me but for everyone. I just penned down whatever I could remember . I might update it if my memory serves me some other jewel from past.

अंतर्द्वंद

बिखरे से पल , बिखरा हुआ मैं ..
हर पल उलझन , उलझा हुआ मैं ..
क्या सुनु ,क्या कहू , क्या करू ,
समय से लड़ता हुआ मैं ..

एक सोच थी या बचपना ..
साथ हसीं था , मंजिल भी नजदीक लगती थी ..
सूरज भी था मुट्ठी में ,
और आसमा शायद अंत था जहाँ का ..

न सोच थी न ही बचपना ..
टूट के चुभे जब तो एहसास हुआ ,
सब कुछ एक सपना था .

सब झूठ लगता है अब ..
हर एक सपना टुटा हुआ लगता है अब ..
समय जल्दी बीत गया या मैं ही तेज़ चला ,
सब कुछ छूता हुआ लगता है अब .

जिंदगी खूबसूरत तो है पर हर पल नहीं ..
सुलझती है उलझने पर हर दम नहीं ..
कुछ उलझनें अनसुलझे ही अच्छे होते हैं ..
कुछ सपने टूटे हुए ही अच्छे होते हैं ..
उलझनें ना हो तो , जिंदगी जिंदगी कहाँ ??
सपने ना टूटे to, जिंदगी सच कहाँ ??

Not in IMDB 250 but worth watching- Part 1

IMDB-250 has been a reference to watch movies for quite some time. Most of the movies on the list are watched by everyone. So I ‘m going to list few movies which are good but somehow miss out from the IMDB 250.



The man from earth ( imdb 8.2) Even after having a rating of 8.2 the movie doesn’t feature on IMDB’s 250 list. The movie got popular by word of mouth and now it’s an extremely popular movie among the downloaders. The producers of the movie thanked torrent for making the movie popular. Filmed in a single location (mostly a room) with an average camera and at very small budget, Movie boasts an extremely novel and powerful script. If you haven’t watched it and you think yourself a movie buff then you should seriously rethink.


Babel( imdb 7.6) Third and last in the death trilogy of Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Babel is underrated with quite a distance. A bullet is fired by a kid in Morrocco and lives of characters spanning 3 continents change dramatically. With chilling background score by Gustavo Santaolalla and a great script by Guillermo Arriaga and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu makes it a must watch.

Dead man walking (imdb 7.6) Directed by Tim Robbins (aka Andy Dufrense :P:P ), this movie depicts the last few months of a prisoner waiting on the death row. An Oscar winning performance by Susan Sarandon , an awesome Sean Penn as sexist, racist , unrepentant prisoner waiting for execution and a superb screenplay (adapted by the novel by same name) by Tim Robbins makes this a must watch.

Road to Perdition ( imdb 7.8) Adapted from the graphic novel of the same name, Road to Perdition is a critically and commercially acclaimed film. Joseph Conrad set new benchmarks in cinematography with this movie. Packed with powerful performances by Tom Hanks, Paul Newman and Tyler Hocehlin as young Michael Sullivan Jr. and well directed by Sam Mendes, the movie is a must watch.

Lost in translation ( imdb 7.9) Written and directed by Sofia Coppola, Lost in translation is a beautiful movie. A strong screenplay and great direction, this movie is worth every penny you spend for the DVD or every minute you spend on downloading it. Bill Murray has given such an assured performance that you wonder many a times whether he is acting. Scarlett Johansson also gave a fine performance which is still considered by many as her best.

Born on 4th of July ( imdb 7.1) Another underrated movie. Based on the autobiography by Ron Covic, it depicts the post war trauma suffered by a soldier who is crippled below the waist. One among the Oliver Stone’s Vietnam War trilogy (Others are “Platoon” and “Heaven and Earth”), the movie is full of patriotic fervor and emotional quotient. Tom cruise gave his career best performance and earned his first Oscar nomination. (He eventually lost it to Daniel Day Lewis in “My Left Foot”).

Borat( imdb 7.6) No story line, no ensemble cast (only four actors -Rest of the characters in the movie are real life characters), no chilling stunts.Nothing. But this mocumentary movie will have you in splits. IT's an absolute laugh riot. Sasha Baron Cohen in the lead role is extreme fun. If you want to laugh, get this movie.

My cousin Vinny (imdb 7.3) This light and funny movie will surely tickle your laughing bone. With Joe Pesci and Marisha Tomei putting in a great performance, the movie never dips and makes a refreshing watch.

Why do I hate Chennai?

I always considered Chennai as great place. Not because I lived there for sometime or I had any personal connection or pleasant memories but for some not-so- pertinent reason. Chennai has a stadium called Chepauk(well,the actual name of the stadium is MA Chidambaram but I like to call it Chepauk which is the place where stadium is located) which witnessed most memorable innings in the long cricket career of Maestro. He produced gem after gem of an innings there. Be it immortal yet heartbreaking 136 against PAK or 155 against the mighty AUS or 101* against ENG after Mumbai Terror attacks.


But more prominent exposure Chennai got on my thoughts when my friends were posted there in a bulk. It gave me a chance to visit the city which was subjected only the negative comments from almost everyone from north.
As the time went, I visited Chennai for a number of times and the myths, prejudices and negativism exploded with each visit. Each visit brought new things which negated my earlier projections.

Chennai is hot-> But North is hotter, the heat there takes lots of lives every year. At least you don’t die by heat in Chennai.
Chennai is not cold-> But better than the chilling cold of north. At least you don’t die by cold in Chennai.
Unfortunately, the rainy season too brings death to lot of people in north. Out of 12 months in a year, only 6 months are livable in north and I guess same thing can be said about Chennai. (Don't get any wrong notions with the world livable- for people living in Sinai desert or Tundra, those places are also livable)
Food is bad-> Which place on earth will you get good food without paying some good bucks? In North?? Spend the same amount in Chennai and you will get similar results.
Transportation-> Chennai has a great transportation system. Why curse Chennai if companies built their offices 60 kms far from city?
Chennai is Hell-> So are other places anywhere in the world apart from your room in your home town.
Humidity-> Ohh, I never thought that other coastal cities Hyderabad, Kolkata, Trivandrum, Mangalore, Mumbai or Goa don’t have humidity. :P
Language-> We feel so proud that India is a diverse country. Then why can’t we respect that diversity?
Autowallah-> Well, this one is the most immature argument. Does anyone find good and honest autowallah anywhere in India? (Exceptions excluded)
Discrimination-> Yes, it happens sometimes. A hindi speaking guy pays more than a tamil speaking guy. But for few exceptions you cannot jump to such stupid conclusions.

I gauged the frustrations in my friends living there but it had nothing to do with the city. It had more to do with the distance with the office. Every day they spend 1.5 hrs back and forth in travel, 66 hrs a month in trains, buses and autos.

I tried to argue these points, uselessly of course, whenever someone raised these points. People are so hell bent on proving their prejudices correct that after sometime I gave up. Instead of arguing, I added one more point to their repertoire which was the only stupid and extremely frivolous reason I, yours truly, found to hate Chennai. :):)
So why do I hate Chennai?? Coz Chennai has very limited brands in Liquor. Well, that point is true, unfortunately. And if by any chance, you drink vodka then you might return thirsty. :)

Every place has its own history, culture, shortcomings and qualities. Then why not trying to soak the cultural differences and start giving respect instead of trying to create your own futile and highly prejudiced environment. Rise above the stated boundaries. They were made only for the better administration and decentralization.

Stop complaining. Start Adjusting.
Hail India.

Of realities and entertainment-- PEEPLI live( a review)

"So extraordinary is the development in India that it's easy to overlook the fragility and unevenness in the economic boom.As you leave Gurgaon and drive down the Jaipur Highway, it is like heading back in time to an older, slower, pre-modern world.Within twenty minutes of leaving the swanky malls and headquarters of Microsoft and Google Asia, cars and trucks are begining to give way to camel and bullock carts. Suits and denims to dusty cotton dhotis and turbans.This is very different India indeed, places suspended between modernity and tradition." William Dalyrmple in his book 'Nine Lives'.

The inequality between haves and have-nots in the society has grown.But Peepli live is not only about the inequality.It is a film which shows the uncomfortable truths which we try to avoid knowingly or unknowningly. It hits hard on the face. You laugh throughout the film but come out thinking and that is where the film scores.Coming out of multiplex, I watched the faces of those coming out,thinking about why this movie hit me hard? Wasn't it supposed to entertain us? We don't come to watch this kind of cinema. We want to relax and have fun. The brooding faces tell the impact of movie.Few of them might not have liked the movie because they don't want to know that reality really bites and farmers do suicide.

It's not only a satire on media as hyped but satire on the every pillar of democracy.It has every type of characters. From elitist to sychophant bureaucrat.From domineering to castist local politician.From a sensation monger to a conscientous journlist.From a poor farmer who dies while digging soil to sell to a CEO of a news network who wants only eyeballs and TRP.

Cliched with all the negatives everyone know, the movie sores high due to its black humor and a definite lack of emotional atyachar. The movie never intends you to teach but to make you think.

Movie: Burdened with the guilt of losing the land due to loan, a naive farmer,Natha is manipulated by his elder brother Budhiya who looks suicide as only option,though reluctantly. Media makes a circus out of it and in all the chaos Natha's feelings are totally ignored and politics takes centrestage.

Direction : Bollywood is somewhat devoid of good and creative female directors (though Farah Khan has carved her own kind of cinema but... ). So Anusha Rizvi is like a breath of fresh air.I must admit I never felt that I am watching a movie made by a debutante director. I'll keep few of my own apprehensions for her next movie though.She was a journalist herself so the cynicism and satire which was centric to her story came from her forte. It will be intersting to watch her next movie.

Performance :Movie derives most of its authencity from its terrific casting. Most of the casts are from Habib Tanvir's Naya Theater.Omkar Das Manikpuri as endearing Natha is marvellous. He depicts his naivete and sufferings with an amazing ease. Raghuveer Yadav is great as always.Farrokh zafar as Amma and Shalini Vats as Dhaniya are superb. Apart from these the characters of Rakesh, the local journo with a consience, Kumar Deepak the hindi news journo and Nandita Mallick ruthless english news journo make their presence felt with their strong character portrayal.

Music: Great background score by Indian ocean and french composer Mathias Duplessy. Its amalgamtes into the soul of movie. Folk song ' Mehangai Dayan' sung by Raghuveer Yadav(The song wasn't recorded in studio. Raghuveer yadav sang it live directly for the movie) is already popular.

Editing: Crisp editing keeps the movie taut throughout.

Cinematography: Super photography. I liked the scene where the camera trembles and goes from the muddy streets to the billboard which says More luxury More space depicting the inequity in indian society. It covers the problem of iniquity with a stroke of camera work.


Verdict:: A must watch movie. Realistic cinema. Go and watch it even if it doesn't entertain you like a masala film, even if it makes you face the harsh realities.

Please don't call cricket a religion.

As per Wikipedia, Religion is the belief in and worship of a god or gods, or in general a set of beliefs explaining the existence of and giving meaning to the universe, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.

Cricket is one of those ritual observances of India which unites its diversity into one. It has its own set of beliefs and it gives meaning to lives of many. It has score of devotees to the length & breadth of the country where people eat, drink, sleep, talk or rather live cricket. So can we call cricket a religion?Can we accept the cricket as a religion with all the flaws inherent in a religion?

If you ask me, my answer would be a straightforward no. I believe that world is much safer and better place to live without a religion.

Though religion is defined to be containing a moral code which governs the conduct of human beings and tries to curb the animal instincts with different concept of heaven and God,it also gives a chance to redefine and distort the very base of religion. It provides everyone a moral compass to tell how one should lead one’s life. Religion paves the path for redemption of souls and penance for the mistakes but for few vulnerable mortals, religion grows and it covers them to make them a fanatic.

With accepting cricket as a religion we have to accept the fanaticism it brings in. Sachinism is a bright example of cricket fanaticism taken the root from this religion. The fanaticism not only hinders to think constructively but also makes to argue incessantly about how only THE ONE can give you redemption if you are seeking one through cricket. This fanaticism leads them to demean and belittle every other mortal in the religion.

The fanaticism gives excessive intolerance for opposing views and often leads to unyielding and futile discussions and comparisons. Winston Churchill once described a fanatic as one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject.

Calling cricket a religion will not be of any help instead it will compartmentalize a nation on a number of deities. How ironic it is that cricket is called a religion for opposite reasons.

If cricket is religion then I will opt for atheism.