Deep Impressions

  100 years of Salim Anarkali  : Love, Legend and Longevity There are certain faces that make certain stories legends. Besides other factors, adaptations and the reward system too play a key role in the process Also published in The Quint                - - - - - - - - - - - - - -          - - - - - - - - - - - - - -         - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  Yes. You are reading it correct, the story of Salim Anarkali is only 100 years old. The legendary story was penned by the eminent playwright Syed Imitiaz Ali Taj in 1922. And since then, this story has been experienced by audiences in multiple formats - Radio Play, Theatrical play, Silent film, B&W film, Colour film, Book and Broadway style musical.   As a legendary story, its uniqueness lies in it actually being just 100 years old. Most legendary stories that have survived the time are actually several centuries old  - be it Romeo & Juliet, Laila Majnu or Dhola Maru. Legendary stories, in their kernel, have some special element

      The Survival of Bollywood….How & Why ?      The problems with Bollywood are far more structural than cost management. And survival of Hindi cinema and cinema halls is not for their employment potential, but for more strategic causes                     - - - - - - -    - - - - - - -   - - - - - - -   - - - - - - -    - - - - - - -   - - - - - - -    Lot of discussions have been around the disastrous numbers reflected in Box Office collection of Bollywood. Initially, it was believed that the Bollywood is under attack from South films. The state of Bollywood then was like that of the high cost American car manufacturers of 1970s when they, for the first time, felt competition from the cost-efficient Japanese cars and did not know how to react. But now with Telugu film industry also feeling the cost pressures, it is clear that the problems of Bollywood are not just restricted to costs but are far more structural.     Incorrect measure of growth    During the last 15 years, Bol

   Co-op Housing Society….A game changing act  Also published in Times Realty Besides creation of housing for middle class, cooperative housing societies  have had a much bigger achievement. They have ensured a resilient and sustainable democratic framework for the nation.                                                     *           *           *          *           * It is AGM times for many Co-op Housing societies. The functioning of cooperative housing societies more often than not gets attention due to the disputes among the members. However, amidst this cacophony what gets lost is the big impact that the various Cooperative Housing Societies Acts (CHSA) and other regulations like the Apartment/Condominium Ownership Acts etc. have created by providing a clear definition of property rights.    A decco of the Indian housing history is essential to appreciate the gravity of their contributions. Till late 1950s, urban housing for the middle class was restricted to tenanted premises

    Pallonji Mistry….the unforgettable innings     The war-struck Indian economy of the 1960s was struggling with economic slowdown, food grain crisis and high levels of unemployment. Agriculture thus remained the focus area of the government.      Even during these difficult times, the family business of a Parsi family was doing well. But a young family member in his 30s chose to see the problem of India has his own problem. He realised that while the present belonged to agriculture, the future of India lay in show casing its engineering prowess to the world.    Indian engineering (then largely dominated by civil engineering) never had a chance to showcase its talent outside India. Previously completed projects play a critical role in bagging civil contracts. Therefore, with no proven past track record outside India, it had become a catch-22 situation for Indian contractors.    Leaving his well-settled life within the comfort of south Bombay, and risking both his time and money, Pallo