Youtube Channel: Idea Matters Production

I started a youtube channel few days back. Uploaded most of the videos - movies, MMs, etc - I have made so far. One of them already got more than 200 views. One can find channel's link over here.

My New Movie

I shot a short movie immediately after the mid terms with the motivation of doing something that I like. Thanks to Vanar and Amod for making it possible . Here you can watch the same.

Page3 Personality

One of the first few activities that I undertook here on IIML campus was making a skit for Parichay - a event for freshers to showcase their talent. There were musical performances which set the tone for the evening and then dance performances and skit. The skit was a big hit and in few days, thanks to TOI, we all became Page3 personalities.

Induction at IIML

So we got a feel of the coming days, courtesy the seniors here in IIML.

4 days were made so hectic that we had no time to even complain about it. The hot weather made it worse. First the loo in 45+ temperature and then the humidity made life really difficult.

The schedule for last week included 9-5 induction program by faculty and Alumni and then Role Play, Case Study, Presentation, submissions and other sessions by seniors in the night till 4AM. There were few complains among people in our batch but I enjoyed. They said people from IITD can never complain about all these :)

There have been too many introductions from the day I reached here and I no longer want to talk about myself anymore.

Committee Presentations have been made and we need to decide about our preferences in a day or two. And than we will have interviews for them. I found this practice different from from my undergrad but with only two years to spend I believe there is no other way out.

Classes began today and with weather becoming a bit pleasant here in Lucknow it was a good start.

7000+ Kms in a fortnight

I travelled around 7300 Kms in a fortnight.

I travelled from Bangalore to Dhanbad (via Kolkata), Dhanbad to Jammu(Vaishno Devi) via Ranchi , back to Dhanbad (via Ranchi) and finally from Dhanbad to Lucknow in a fortnight. This gave me a little time to be at my home but it was good travelling and enjoying with the family.

Thanks to Sid, Chummi and Vivek that I got all my luggage loaded at Bangalore station. Loading 8 pieces of goods in 2 minutes, that too when the bogey you are supposed to get in stops at some distance from you, was no small thing. Then thanx to my childhood friend Batti that I had a good time at Howrah station waiting for my train to Dhanbad. But it was really tough to get used to hot and humid weather after pleasant summers for continuous three years in Bangalore.

I had a unique experience during the trip of Vaishno Devi. We had tickets in 2nd AC. After half the journey the AC of our bogey broke down. And so the emergency window had to be kept open for the last leg of the journey. It was fun keeping emergency window open in an AC bogey for the sake of air.

Its really good to be the only young leg among the people going for a sacred place and thereby getting a lot of blessings from others for your efforts.Overall it was a memorable trip.

I will try to share the stories of reaching Lucknow and intial experiences here in few days.

Busy Fortnight

Last two weeks have been really hectic for me. There are so many things to write about but I am not getting time to bring them on here. I will try to do it shortly.

Last 7 Days

This is my last Tuesday in Samsung. Coming Monday I will be released. Past few days have been marked with parties full of celebration and nostalgia. Especially the treat that I gave to my team mates was full of nostalgic talks. Everyone remembered the last 3 years that we spent together. That recently team got split up made others too remember the good old days.

Bangalore and people (except few Autowallahs) here treated me well for last three years. Many things happened in these years, both personally as well as professionally. So again it will leaving back few good friends, good memories, good times, good place and also good weather. Again a stage in life coming to an end. The best part has been the satisfaction that I am taking along with. Its about leaving in minds and hearts of everybody out here, good thoughts and memories about me. And that I think should be the motive of time spend at different stages of life.

Be it my bakaiti, insights, solutions, listening to people's thoughts and above all humourous behavior, people will do remember me. Be it at breakfast table, be it in cubicles, be it during tea meetings or be it during snacks people will do remember my antics and needless to say I will too remember those moments and people.

Be it my manager, my super manager, my juniors, my colleagues, my old friends, my new friends, my room-mate, my ex roommates or others, I enjoyed the company of everyone and I believe they enjoyed mine too.

Thank you Bangalore. Thank you everybody.

Mumbai Indians Out :(

Mumbai Indians' loss to Chennai Super Kings ensured they are out of IPL2. It left me with a dilemna of whom to support now.

Being a cricket fan from Jharkhand who lived in Delhi for 4 years and now living in Bangalore for last 3 years I need to find a new team to cheer. Mumbai Indians was the first choice for the sole reason of Sachin Tendulkar. Wherever GOD resides followers too reach there. I found that the case with most of the people who are not from the states to which IPL teams belong. Sachin's presence drew a lot of support from neutral people all over India. Infact few from IPL states also supported Mumbai because of Sachin. When Mumbai was playing Rajasthan in a close encounter few days back, I was matching match in one of the Malls here in Bangalore. Except one or two rest of the crowd cheered Sachin's batting and team. Unfortunately they lost and everyone left the Mall disappointed.

I guess I will cheer my present living place for today's match which they need to win at any cost to remain in the league. The opponent tops the points table and have been a dominating side for the whole season. Hopefully Bangalore wins and I will not have to look for the next option again. Any ways the party tonight gives me a chance to watch the match with much more people than the other matches.

Here and There

Last weekend I was supposed to meet someone on the MG Road. I took an Auto from my house for the place. As usual in Bangalore, a huge traffic awaited me at Ulsoor. While waiting on one of the traffic signals, when there was enough time to even get a nap, an uncle started looking inside my auto with some interest.

"Are you alone?" He asked.
"Yeah" I replied back.

"Where are you going?"
"Kumble Circle"

"If you don't mind can we share your auto till there? No empty auto is coming this way. We have been waiting her for last 10 mins." One old aunt, probably his wife, was also standing nearby.
"Yeah sure"

They got into my auto and then we moved on.

"We need to go to Malgudi Road. We took an auto from my place but auto meter was faulty. It usually takes 17 rupees from my place till here. But meter was showing 20. We left him here itself and was looking for another one. Most of these autowallahs do like this. "
"Yeah many of these auto meters are faulty." I myself do take care of auto's meter to distinguish faulty from correct ones. But never tried changing auto mid way. At most few times I complained autowallah about his faulty meter after paying him the faulty amount. But I do always compliment them if their auto meter showed real distances and amounts.

"So where are you from?"
"Jharkhand" I never risk telling people Dhanbad where even Jharkhand sometimes create confusion.

"Oh so from our Dhoni's land. You have come from a far off place. What you do here? Working?Studying?"
"Working"

"Where?"
"Samsung, CV Raman Nagar"

"How long?"
"Almost three years here in Bangalore, but will be leaving it soon."

"Going back to your own place?"
"No, going back to studies"

"Good Good...Study.. work...again study...good."
"Good beta....keep going" Aunty jee complimented too.

Then we talked about how good Bangalore was and what it has become now-rain, climate, temperature, traffic. I also joined them with nostalgic feelings and experience of mine with Bangalore.

I reached my place, got out of auto and paid the money. They blessed me and then went ahead in that auto. It was a good experience talking to them.

IIML Interview Experience

So here I am back again after a long time with my IIML interview experience.

This was my 2nd and last IIM interview of my life and I wanted to make most of it.

Venue: Hotel Monarch Luxur, Infantry Road, Banagalore
Date: 27th March, 2009
Time: 10 AM

Though I have been living in Bangalore for last 2.75 yrs but I was not familiar with the part of Bangalore that contains this hotel. I reached there well in time but had to do a bit of walking (1 km) to search the exact place. When I entered the hotel I was asked to go to Banquet Hall on first floor. When I entered the hall I unexpectedly found a big crowd (around 100) and got confused whether I reached the right place. Then I saw one of my company mate sitting there in that crowd which confirmed I was at the right place.

While I was checking my panel number somebody patted my back. It was one of my hostel mate from IITD. We were meeting for the first time since we left college. I chatted with few people out there and then the process began.

Each panel was allotted a room in the hotel with mine being Room No. 5. We were asked to sit in a pre defined order. My number was 8. No. 7 was the only one missing in the group. We were given a page to write an essay on a given topic. The table was covered with a bright white cloth and the environment inside that small room was peaceful. But the cloth and the table with a spongy top made it difficult to put paper and write. Anyway there was no alternative. Those who had hard file folder used it underneath paper. Mine was a bit spongy so I used the table top . Everyone was allowed to use a rough paper.

GD

The topic was "Patience is like a bitter tree which gives back sweet fruits." I heard better instead of bitter and got confused, so got it cleared. I think it helped few others.

I used 3-4 minutes to jot down the points and then wrote the final essay. After 20 mins we were asked to stop and return back the paper. Aftr a minute we were asked to start the GD on the same topic.

3 people (including me) tried starting the GD but 2 (including me) of them gave chance to the 3rd fellow. He started very slowly with an example. I was the first to interrupt and tried giving a structure to the GD. Various point were discussed and everyone gave others a chance to speak. Everyone participated. I think 2/9 spoke a little less. 5 (including me) did most of the talking. After 20 mins we were asked to stop. Moderator complimented the quality of discussion that we had.

Interview

PR(ofessor): Professor from IIML
AL(umni): He didn't look like a professor, behaved as a dude. He was the person who had conducted the GD. To me he looked like an alumni.
YT: Yours truly.

The candidate before me asked me to step in after 30 seconds. I opened the door of the room exactly after 30 seconds by my watch.

AL: Nishant, give us 2 minutes.
YT: Sure sir. I closed back the door.

I waited for 3-4 minutes.

"Nishant, Nishant" I think AL called from inside.

YT: May I come in sir?
AL: yeah sure.
YT: Good Morning Sir
AL: Good afternoon!! (with a smile)
PR: Take your seat.

Now something interesting happened. As I was in the process of pulling the chair back and sitting, my eyes were on the table. During that time AL lifted the plate filled with eclairs and pushed it towards me. At the same time he spoke something which was not very audible. Moreover, since my eyes were not looking at him directly I was not able to read his lip. I heard something as "toffee" and guessed he must be offering chocolates.

YT: No sir, its OK. By this time I sat on the chair.
AL: What OK? Give me your certificates. He stressed on the last word. Then I realized that the word that i guessed as "toffee" was actually "certi". He had asked for my certis.

YT: Oh sorry sir. Here it is. I started opening the zip of the file folder.
AL: Give it to me as it is, unless there is something inside which you want to hide from us. (with a smile)
YT: No sir, its all yours.

AL started looking into it.

PR: Please introduce yourself.
YT: (hey what a start!!) I am an Electrical Engg......(it contained IITD, my company, my work .... then the number of Patents that I have filed)
I was allowed to complete half of my prepared answer as PR got interested on listening about patent filing.
PR: How many of them have been patented?
YT: None sir. The whole process requires at least 2 years. It gets published between 6-18 months and then after that only it is finally patented.
PR: When was the first of them filed?
YT: 15th August
PR: OK what kind of patents you have filed?
YT: Sir its mainly realted to multimedia and mobile TV, a field in which I have been working. One of the idea goes like this....Explained one of the idea (It is in Mobile domain wherein my MNC company belongs to).

PR: The idea looks interesting and may be technically challenging. But do you think in this kind of world where hardly anyone has time to talk to others, people will have time to use these kind of features.
YT: It depends upon how appealing the feature is for the user. It may not be appealing for you but it may be for others. Moreover, in this world where products from different competitors generally have almost same features, companies use these new kind of features to make a mark in the market and show themselves different from others.
PR:Yeah, I can find one use where in if I am interested to know more about a girl in a video your idea will be helpful.
YT: (smiling) definitely sir....
AL: You have so many extracurricular interests....which one excites you most?
YT: Sir, Dramatics
AL: Which was the last role you played? or is it u r more interested in writing ?
YT: No sir I have acted too....Last time i did a skit in my company.
AL: No... not skit. I think u understand the difference between skit and play.
YT: Yes sir....before that I played a role in play called Sultan.
AL: Who wrote that play?
YT: I don't know sir. It was a local play. The last script that I wrote was about a murder mystery.
AL: From where u picked up the play?
YT: It wasn't picked. We wrote it of our own.
AL: you mean it was original.
YT: yes sir.

PR was listening all this time. He interfered

PR: I tell you something. There was one of those guys who said there is nothing in this world which is original. Everything is a copy. Einstein, Edison everyone used something or other to come up with their invention.
YT: Sir I would say ....that is not copy but evolution. You use your knowledge on existing set of things to come up with things that serves human society.
AL: okok...but someone must have inspired.
YT: For that play it was Byomkesh Bakshi. I watched the serial during my childhood. I thought it is easy to show mysteries in a serial where you can show different places, times,etc easily but how can we show it on a stage where there are so much of restrictions.
AL: hmmm...can u name some writers of mystery genre?
YT: (I thought of saying few names but i was not interested in talking about them in interview as I was not sure about their writings) I was thinking..meanwhile he immediately made the question more generic.
AL:What do u read?
YT: (I thought he is still taking about mystery genre) Sir I don't read much.
AL: What!! You don't read?
YT: I mean I read but nothing specific.
AL: What was the last thing that you read?
YT: The White Tiger
PR: What is this.....it seems everyone these days read the same novel. OK the ntell me..why the novel is named white tiger?
YT: (Thinking....tried to answer something than thought it will not be a good attempt). Sir give me a sec.
Then came up with a answer.
Sir the main protagonist is the novel was very aggressive, emotionless person who was only interested in what he wants and nothing else....like a tiger which is very aggressive.....(PR interrupted)
PR: No no...that is not the case. Tiger is the shyest animal in the cat family.
YT: Yes sir....but when it sets its sight on a prey it doesn't stop before it gets it.
AL: (He was trying to help) This doesn't sound convincing. Anything else which you can draw something in common?
YT: Yes sir...White Tiger is one of the most uncommon tiger which is found at very few places . Same is the case with the novel's main protagonist who turned out to be a very uncommon character.
AL: hmmm...
AL: OK Nishant...what other call you have?
YT: Apart from L I have call from K.
AL: OK Nishant thats all....please send ***** after 30 seconds. (I was not able to understand the name)
YT: Thank you sir.

Overall it was a feel good interview. Interviewers, especially AL, helped me to come up with answers.