Sunday, September 27, 2015

The 3s of Television Commercials: Stupid, Smart and Sensible!!!

I always believe Television Advertisements are perhaps the most creative and effective form of mass media communication. The incredible imagination of storytelling within few seconds with matching visuals, taglines, jingles and punch lines perhaps the most powerful way of selling a product or a brand that makes Television Commercials most shot after  Not only just mere product selling but Television Commercials are the best way to teach people about the underlying social issues, changing thoughts and trends, innovative ways of looking at things, different perspectives and understanding the gaps between various strata of people.
To be honest, though now days “break ke baad: that involves advertisements” between any program takes me to focus in other work and cores while watching TV but as a kid I was very fond of Ads. Getting little nostalgic I remember it was during the time of Epic serial, Ramayan (Ramanada Sagar “Sagar Arts”), 15 minutes prior to the beginning, there was only advertisements. Elders used to skip that 15 minutes while we kids were more excited to watch those ads. In fact I had even remembered all the taglines and sometime even the entire Ads.
However over the years Television Commercials has become a part of life. In fact sometime if a shopkeeper insists us about a product which is comparatively new, we suddenly try to remember the advertisement first. If we don’t remember or there is no ad for that product…I’m not sure how many of us will buy that product. Such is the clutch of Television Commercial in our psyches. We may shout why brands or companies spend crores of money on Advertisement Agencies, but the truth is without any advertisement, a product is less likely to be sold.
I feel…The entire concept of Television commercials mostly revolves around three parameters, STUPID, SMART AND SENSIBLE. The concept is either consists of one of them or a combination of any tow or all three.
Here are some examples:
“Fair & Lovely” Ad: This is one of the much talk about ads as the concept is often ridiculed as it says “your complexion is more important than your qualifications”….STUPD things!!
But the SENSIBLE part of it is it speaks volumes about how a woman is seen at first. There is saying: “When a man speaks, people hear first then see the speaker, but when a woman speaks, people see the speaker first then hear the speech”. We are by default little racist in nature. The commercial how stupid in its concept, but has a sensible thought in it as well. 
Similarly there is an ad of tea brand, Tata Tea, which tells us to take some actions instead of sitting and just talking about corruption in our country with tag line "Jaago Re". The ad teaches us to be a responsible citizen…isn’t it Sensible??
Every detergent powder is awesome, except this ‘saadharan’ detergent powder which no one has ever seen….OMG!! Really Stupid!!
We can't eat chocolate without smearing it all in our face...Stupid but Still Sensible as Chocolates Brings Out The Child in us.
Celebs would come to inspect your toilet/ wardrobe/ plates/ toothpaste….really stupid!!
But The commercial of soft drink Sprite with tagline “Clear hai…” has a SMART concept. 
Similarly pepperfry.com the furniture brand has  a Smart concept in its latest ad: “WHY WAIT FOR DIWALI"
“An Idea can change your life”, “Walk when you talk” and “No Idea? Get idea”…is really has an innovative, smart and sensible content in it.
At last My most favorite Television Commercials  which I feel really has a very sensible concept in it.
One is The Nescafe Ad On Stammering Comedian That Teaches "Value of Persistence" 
The Second one is Kinley mineral water that says "Truth Has Peace"
A well executed Television commercial has the power to make us experience all kinds of sentiments – laughter, sadness, inspirational, motivational… all in a matter of minutes. An art form in their own right, they showcase the latest trends in design, culture, music, changing trends and thoughts.
Though there are commercial which has other S like Sexism, Stunts and Sensationalism…but the thought is mostly around the above 3s….That how how feel about Television Commercials. 
Stupid, Smart, Sensible or a combination of any two or all three. 
This post is featured in WOW-Write Over Weekend By Blogadda

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.

Friday, September 25, 2015

NEVER WASTE FOOD…A SachhiAdvice by my Father!!!




Have you ever seen a kid serious about food? I guess…No!! So was I. But the difference was my father used to be very strict (in fact very very strict) about “wasting  food”. If he would ever see anybody wasting food, throwing them into garbage bin, quickly his eyes would turn into red with anger. He would right away start lecturing that person. If that person happened to be someone from his family...LORD!! all hell would break lose instantly. He would simply become mad.

One can really imagine now how would he be at home. Hitler - Reborn perhaps!!!At home, we were strictly instructed that, “Only that much should we take in the platter, that we could eat”.  No extra amount which we might not able to eat. In fact we were taught that we should take small portions, finish it first... then take more if we wish.

But we were kids. Sometime if taste wasn’t good then who will eat?? Many a times my mother used to cover us if we were caught by father leaving food in the platter. But many times we were caught sadly though “wasting food” and faced the monstrous red eyes of my father.

I used to feel bad in fact very bad (little confused too) with that attitude of my father. I mean... how would I know food is tasty or not before eating? And if the food isn’t tasty then how could I eat it? Then I have to throw it…right! But did He ever understand that? I guess..NO

Well, as my father was pre - independent born person and also a self made man, he had a great command over all the scriptures including the epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana...etc. Many a time he would tell us the bed time stories from those scriptures. In fact I would say...I have learnt the best lessons of my life through his stories only. 

One day he  told us a story about “importance of food". I swear that story still rings in me and perhaps for the first time lead that foundation in my attitude to care about food and not to waste a grain of it.

The story goes like this…

The story is from the Epic Mahabharat:

The Kurukshetra war was over. King Yudhistir was ruling HastinaPur with all his kindness and generosity towards his subject.  Once there was a severe drought in HastinaPur. So Raja Yudhistira asked his younger brother Prince Bhima to get some food grains and other help from the neighboring states.  

Bhima went and gathered as much food items as possible from all his neighboring states and loaded them in the carts and started his returned journey towards HastinaPur 
On the way there was a broken bridge that stopped his caravan of carts to go any further. He was tensed. Then he learnt Kubera – The Lord of Wealth was staying nearby. He decided to take help from him.

As he reached at Kubera’s residence, he saw a man, clad with a dhoti till his knees, was picking scattered grains from ground.
He said, Excuse me! Can I meet Lord Kubera??

The man said (without raising his head) "I’m Kubera…tell me what you want"

Bhima was confused. He had the idea that Kubera was a wealthy person. And the man before him was picking grains from ground. How could he be Kubera? No Wayy..

He said in a little anger voice (Bhima is known to be l short tempered) “See, don’t play with me. I’m quite tensed as the bridge was broken that stopped our journey. We are carrying food grains that our subjects need badly. Delay would cost us many lives. So please let me talk to Lord Kubera and get some urgent help”

Oh!! This is the problem!! The man said. You don’t worry Prince Bhima. I will sort out your problem within moments.

Then he asked his employees to act swiftly and take “sacks of grain” from godown and put them on the broken bridge making a “grain bridge” so that the carts could move on it.

It all happened within moments. Bhima was quite bewildered. The man was really quite deceptive.

Looking at his perplexities the man came to him and said, “Rajkuman Bhima, I understand your confusion.How could you imagine  "The Lord Of Wealth - Kubera"  picking small and scattered grains from ground. But I value each and every grain. These little grains together only make a sacksful. isn't it? 
I’m not wealthy because I have wealth, I’m wealthy because I never wasted a small grain”. Food is necessary for human’s survival. I can’t see even a small grain getting wasted but I can afford “sacks of grain” put on the bridge so that million lives could be saved”. Because the primary need of food is to save human life.
Then he looked at Bhima's face...

Bhima realized the wisdom given by Kubera. He returned HastinaPur and million drought ridden lives were really saved.


don't remember how many times I have heard this story.  The above story by my father set the foundation in me to understand the importance of every grain of food. Later I learnt how hunger takes million lives every year across the world. The food wasted is nothing but making some people die in hunger. We must realize the importance of food and  food items. 

From that day I never waste  food. I stayed in hostels through out my academic days and i have seen how students waste food. Many time i have stopped them...but its not just one person's work. I also teach the same to my kid as well!!

We should not waste Food… It’s not just becoming wealthy or not but it’s our human responsibility not to waste food.

A grain of food wasted is like a “Human body” becoming lifeless!!

NEVER WASTE FOOD…A SachhiAdvice by my father!!!It still resonates in me. 


SAVE FOOD NOT WASTE FOOD


“I am participating in the #SachchiAdvice Contest by MaxLife in Association with BlogAdda.”

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Marriage are made in heaven but worked out here on earth: A Sachhi Advice by My Brother

I completely agree with the message in this video. No one advice you truly (#SachhiAdvice) the way a elder brother dose!!! 


It’s more than a decade now. I would say, that was one of my worst times in terms of confusion, apprehensions and bewilderment. About a year back that time my family had started looking for an alliance for my marriage. My parents and my three elder brothers were whole and sole to take the decisions (obviously) as in arrange marriages, especially The Girl has “no-say” as the family takes the decisions.

That particular time one of my brothers had opened an account in www.bharatmatrimony.com. He was also handling the same on behalf of me. Many proposals had come. My brother was reviewing by checking the authenticity and truth about the guy and family. After that he would talk to them first to find what exactly they were looking for. Then he would sort out the most suitable one for our family and invite them to our house to meet in person.

Some prospective alliances had already visited our house also. They were supposed to give their decisions after a while. My family was determined to marry me off that year itself (to avoid any delay in my marriage) as the next two three years were inauspicious for me as per my horoscope (we are a family of astrologers).

Things were so much messy. I wanted to concentrate on my career. I had appeared for OAS exams (Odisha Administrative Services) and qualified in the prelims. The Main exams were supposed to be held after three months. I was in no mood to marry at all…let alone choose an alliance from the list.

That day I saw a mail from a person staying in Mumbai and working with Wipro. He had expressed his desire to go for the alliance. I ignored it thinking “just another proposal”. However two days later I heard my eldest brother was going to visit his family that was staying in a city around 200km away from our place.
When he returned, I heard elders talking and discussing that his family was looking for some handsome dowry. They were least concerned if the girl was educated or not, suitable for their son or not. Then I heard “the proposal was cancelled as my family was not interested for some dowry hungry people”.

Next day, my sister-in-law (Bhabi) asked me to talk to a person. As I took the receiver, it was the same person whose proposal had been cancelled on dowry ground. He tried to convince me that He wasn't interested for any dowry. In fact he never favors such nonsense things.   But his parents were like any other parents. He would manage them if I would give my consent to the proposal. I said “No”.

I don’t know what talk that guy had with my brothers. After two days. I heard he was visiting my house along with his parents.

It was exactly 2nd March 2003. They had come. All those “ladki dekh na ritual was going on”. However I was surprised that “my marriage had been fixed, dates had been set and venue had been decided…even before they saw me in person”.

After everything decided, they called me and my Bhabi gave me the news that my marriage was fixed for 12th March 2003.

Honestly…the ground shook from the beneath of my feet. I felt a total hollowness from within. After a while they left.

I started crying and objecting hard to the decision. Within 10 days my world was going to change and I would be in an unknown family and place. The thought itself was so scary that would give me a severe Goosebumps.

 All were taking that as a normal thing as every girl is scared of before marriage especially in arrange marriages.


Next day, My Eldest Brother asked me to talk to him my mind. He wanted me to tell him all my apprehensions.
“I don’t like the guy, I don’t like his family, I don’t want to marry right now as I want to appear in my exams…..blah blah…And finally I’m not sure of the guy I’m going to marry as he is not convincing to me at all….I started emptying my mind and heart. Actually there were lot confusions in me.

The following were our conversation that day….

My Brother said, “If you don’t like it at all, I will  stand by you and respect your decision and being the eldest son…everybody “including parents” would support/abide by my decision. But if you want my advice…I would say go for this alliance”

I said, why? The guys’ family had already shown their colors. Even there were lots of inconsistencies in terms of talks from their side. How could you think that he is the right guy for me??

My Brother: See there is nothing called “Right guy” or “Wrong guy” or “right decision or wrong decision”. A decision is taken and then worked out to make it right. Marriages might be fixed in the heaven but they have to be worked out here on earth. You may marry any person, but the challenges would be same. There would always be something to be worked upon.

Before marriage life is like watching TV without any responsibility in the living room. But after marriage only you get into every corner of the house. That's the fact you marry anyone at any time.

Regarding this guy…I have seen a glimpse of conviction and honesty in him. Of course there are immaturity which are obvious of his age.

But he is trying hard to mange everything as per his capacity. So no matter how is his family, I have a feeling that he would take best care of you and we wouldn't worry for your life”
if your apprehensions are like "may something go wrong, then it is applicable to any guy you marry"

There was Nothing to say more. Even if I was not convinced that much but I had faith on my brother’s advice.After all true advice comes from the own people...you know. 


Today I can proudly say that actually it was a Sachhi Advice from my brother as I’m with “the most right person” in the world! My brother was not wrong in judging him. I’m proud of my brother!!! He helped me take the most important decision of my life amidst apprehensions,anxiety and perplexity.

Still now I take his advice before doing anything new...as I have that faith on him that he would always give me true advice...#SachhiAdvice

I'm thankful to Almighty for blessing me such loving brothers in my life. 


“I am participating in the #SachchiAdvice Contest by MaxLife in Association with BlogAdda.”







Saturday, September 19, 2015

GANAPATI BAPPA MORIYA!!!!

Hello My Dear Family, Friends and My Readers
Lord Ganesha is in tour to Earth!! He is visiting each and every house to bless something!!Somewhere he will bless Prosperity and somewhere he may wipe away a part of problems.

This is My Prayer to BAPPA!!!

Dear Lord Ganesha,
I don't know about the challenges my Friends are facing...
But You know everything...

I hear their silence;
You hear their plead

I see their laughter; 
You see their tears

I see what they receive; 
You see what they sacrifice

I see their happy faces; 
You see their scarred souls

I know their faith;
You know their doubts

I know about their dreams; 
You know about their fears

Today, 
I pray to You to give them everything they need And bless them for all times to come.

Wishing all my friends and their families
Happy  Ganesh  Chaturthi. 




The above prayer is a WhatsApp message sent to me by a dear friend which I really liked and shared here for all my family, friends and all)


Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Do Women Want To Be Treated Specially Or Equally? – Do men know the difference??



World’s Thinnest Book Published…is titled “WHAT A WOMAN WANTS”. It has only one page with only one word “EVERYTHING”!!! ….see "How Simple the ladies are…!!"

This was a message sent by my friend sent when I asked about his opinion on the above question. Of course in a lighter note with a blend of sarcasm!

Well…Okay jokes apart!!

On a serious note:  Any statement or any question anything regarding gender or gender disparity, the response will be a boisterous one for sure. No wonder why this is a very sensitive issue. 

Before giving my preference of vote on the above question, let me put some questions that I had as a woman and time and again tried to ask and looked for the answer throughout my growing years but unfortunately never satisfied with the responses.   


As I child whenever I used to listen to Grandma Stories or Granny’s stories about Kings and queens…in every story there was a king who was all powerful. Even a prince and princess would be there. But Prince was given all types training to become a future King while the princes given care and safety only to marry another prince.

My question used to be “Why there were only Powerful Kings but not a Powerful Queen”? Are women not able to run a Kingdom??

Then came the Education part. I heard how the Princes were sent to Gurukul to have education about the various war tricks as well as other aspect of Ruling and administration. It wasn’t like Princess were not educated but they were never sent to Gurukul. Instead the various teachers were supposed to come to palace to teach them.

What was the problem in sending Princess to Gurukul and have education along with Princes?? Was there a problem of “Accommodation” or Princes wouldn’t like Princesses to get educated along with them?? I really never got the proper answer.

With passage of time I understood that there is a difference deeply rooted in society i.e. called as gender discrimination. In fact I was really perplexed when I found out the hypocrisy in the name of giving “superior status” to the men and “inferior status” to the women.


For example: I was told that men are important as they propagate the successor (Vansh). Well…In that case I don’t know how Lord Ramachndra became a successor of Raghuvansh…because as per the story he doesn’t have the blood of Raja Dasharatha…right!!  He was the son of Maharani Kaishalya who was one of the queens of Raja Dasharath more clearly a Raghuvanshi Queen...Right!

Similarly if blood, DNA of man…etc are the criteria of propagating the Vansh  then even the Pandavas and Kauravas of epic Mahabharat cannot be said the natural heir of Kuruvansh.
Because the actual father of Pandu and Dhristrastra was Adikavi Veda Vyasha who was the son of “Sage Parasara and Satyavati” out of wedlock.  Satyavati became the Queen after She married to Raja Santanu: - A Kuruvanshi King.


So whose blood is there in the Kauravas and Pandavas??


Even I never believed in “Ramarajya; the Ideal State” because it never defined clearly the status of women in that period. When the Queen Sita was abandoned at an advance period of her pregnancy just because someone questioned her chastity then how can I believe that women were happy in that period? One can say there was no complain about injustice to women were registered but I wonder why?? Was it fear of getting abandoned or suppression?? both are Possible...Right?? Then on what sense “Ramarajya is a concept of ideal state??


Coming to the point: We have to accept that “YES” there has been a social injustice with women from time immemorial for reasons unknown.  Women were never given the status they deserved. Their participation in forward growth of the state or country has always been “narrowed”. They were confined to home and the value of chores done by them never understood.

Women have been subject to physical, emotional and intellectual exploitation and persecution in terms of anti-women rituals (though not all), anti- women culture and traditions. Moreover let’s not talk about the misogynous attitudes.
Looking at the past years regarding the treatment toward women and the attitude of men folk...one can really conclude that we are yet to come out of the "jungle mindset" where "mighty is right" is the law and " jis ki lathy, uski vains" attitude. 

May be that’s why there has been extensive f “Violence to women” and "Crime against women" such as Female feticides and female infanticides (even though biologically a female child is healthier than a male child) rapes, acid throwing, dowry…etc. 


Apart from these they don’t have power to

To make Decision

Freedom of Movement

Access to Education

Access to Employment or Financial security

Exposure to Media

Right to have healthy food

Nutrition and health care. ….the list will go endless.

However at present, Women are asserting themselves. They have proved themselves in almost all the fields. The age old sayings like “women cannot do this, women cannot do that” has already been completely nullified. Even women have invaded those forbidden territories as well which were mostly considered as male dominated fields.

There is an increasing demand for social equality in terms of “Status” as well as “Opportunity” by women since some years. Our Constitution also gives equal status to both Men and women. But question is “Is Equal status enough?”

Then why in spite of having equal status still women are suffering the age old problems as well as still considered as “lesser equals”.

The problem lies there only. Women actually need “Special Status” not just “equal one” because that is the way out to a progressive society or nation.

Let me put my words more clearly.

First… any society, state or nation cannot afford to suppress the potential of its half of the citizen if it really claims to be progressive. Every citizen has to contribute towards the strengthening of economic and social status of the nation. So let’s be clear on that we cannot stop women force to remain unproductive.

The Next truth is men and women are not equals but they are complementary to each other. The bodies of men and the bodies of women were created differently so they complemented each other, so that the union of the two would bring a conception which would bring a living soul into the world. This is the truth. So women cannot be treated as men in the name of equality. Both are different with different deliverable.

Women have special needs which should be treated exclusively. In fact I would say since time immemorial the discrimination is mainly done mostly on the basis of their “Special needs”
What I mean to say is it’s a fact that equal opportunity doesn’t have any meaning if the “special needs” of the women are not addressed.


Equal opportunity to have education has no meaning if there is “No toilet” especially for girls in the schools. Perhaps women were discriminated not to have access to education because there was a lack of infrastructure availability to address the special needs.  

Talking of higher education for girls away from their home is meaningless if the institution doesn't have special hostel facility for women. 
Equal employability in the organization has no meaning if there are no maternity concerns for women, flexible working hours, and a special department to address women issues like work place harassment and violations to their dignity.

In fact looking at the present scenario where a big chunk of well educated, efficient and competent women workforce forced to waste the most productive years of their professional life just because the Organizations doesn’t have a “baby care center” in their premises. On what sense “equality to jobs or works” will have some meaning if the “Special deliverable of a mother towards the need of the newly born child” is not taken care of?

For Ex…while answering my question “Why there are no powerful Queens” one wise lady had said:

Queen has to carry a baby for which she might not afford to go to battle field in case of a sudden attack by neighboring king no matter how strong she is as a warrior” which appeared to be a valid one to some extent.


You cannot say men don’t need day care centers then if men and women are equal “why women would need that?”…can we? Resounding No…right!!


Similarly women were denied proper food and healthcare because it was perceived that healthy boy would become a healthy man and can earn money and avail resources to the family. I don’t have any problem with it and i feel yes a man needs to be healthy…of course!


But in what sense it is considered that “Giving birth to a baby and nurturing a child” is less valuable act and needed no healthy girls…I don’t know. I have heard my mother and the women of her times and before, how women were denied proper food almost always by in laws and also in their parent house as well. The men of the house used to have bigger meals and served first in case there was scarcity. The women had to settle with left outs. wasn't it inhuman???   


Women in fact need more nutrition, healthy food and healthcare facility than that of a man. Because their bodies goes complex and rapid hormonal changes throughout their lives. Perhaps nobody understood these realities. No wonder why most of the women are anemic. Even many women have to succumb after the birth of the baby. And the cruel part is...this is still a reality in many rural and semi urban areas. 

The various statistics and data are saying the stories of negligence towards women health. One can  check it.after all we are living in era of "Google-e- ajam and not Mughle- e- ajam"...right!!!

Last few years the law of our country is quite favorable towards women. But do women are beneficiary of it so far…?? No still there is stigma to report rape and molestation cases. Still there is problem to leave an abusive husband and fight a case against him given to the lack of financial as well as moral support. Here I’m talking about the majority of the women folk not those handfuls who misuse the law.


Similarly I also feel girl’s emotion towards her own parents is never considered as a valid one once she is married. I think there should be “Responsibility on the daughters as well” to address the parent’s concerns instead of only sons.


There are complex realities and multifaceted problems on these issues. But the simple thing is Men and women are not exactly equals….they are complementary. But there potential are equal. Their work place productivity are equal but their needs are different. Women need much more facility and opportunity than that of men.


So if we’re saying women should be paid the same as men, I’m in (same productivity). If we’re saying women should be given the same opportunities, of course, I’m in (women are as much human as men). But if we are saying women should be treated like men, then unfortunately, I’m out (women are different body than that of men). And I wonder if why most women wouldn’t be out, too.because that will be like in the name equality the utter inequality...like "asking both men and women" "boxing in the same ring" while the need is women should be boxing among women while men should be boxing among men. 

If we educate a boy, we get an educated man!!
But we educate a girl, we get an educated family and thereby an educated nation.
Similarly opportunity to earn to a boy…yields a rich man and Healthy boy becomes a healthy Man. But when a woman earns, we get a rich and resourceful family thereby a rich nation. A healthy woman means a Nation full of healthy citizens….this is the reality.

So at last I would say “Women Needs special status than equal one”.

Do men know the difference?

Regarding men point of view, yes I feel they are quite aware of the difference but because of the age old patriarchal thought bestowed upon them perhaps they are finding it difficult to practice. They are well aware that women should be respected but the thought inculcated in them that”they are superior to women” throughout their lives has resulted in many absurd behavior on part men folk…I feel.
If women are facing violation of human right in terms of treated unfairly, then men are also to some extent facing “de humanization” to dispose those unfair treatment towards the fairer sex…!!!

So right time to consider the “Special status” to women in terms of infrastructural need, supportive environment and a more progressive thought.!!!