A cube of cheese...

From time to time, one revolutionary idea changes everything. That idea often in form of a multinational multibillion dollar firm survives for decades and often guides the industry into the incredible innovations of the next few decades to come, until some other new idea re-revolutionizes the whole game and a new era starts. In this series I want to talk about the 5 most influential and innovative ideas of our current generation. These brands have not only created multi-multi billion dollar business setups but have also been marred with biggest controversies (more often than not). Lets see if u agree... Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley once endorsed Coca Cola The Coca Cola Company- The first bottle of Coca Cola was sold in 1886. Since then, it has become a 200 Billion dollar company and has created a massive market for soft drinks. Rivals like PepsiCo USA and RC Cola are not far behind either. The iconic cursive logo is one of the most identifiable across the globe. In fact C

Music is eternal. Its definition changes through generations. But its an art, no matter what. From Whitney Houston to Nicki Minaj, all singers big or small have contributed positively (Dhinchak puja too!!) to the library. But every now and then, you find that one artist and that one song, which changes your life and who you are!!! The first time it happened to me when I discovered my first music obsession, in 2006 and it was the longest and most loyal relationship I was ever in- Shakira. Since then many such obessions came and went, the first one still holds that special place. Since then I have fell for Lady GaGa, Melanie Martinez, Nicky Minaj and most recently Lana Del Rey. Almost every singer sings about love- but their are few, who you can tell, once, had really loved someone and lost it. Their music speaks volumes about those stories, and their passon feels real. When the music is not about money, you sooner or later realize, how powerful is music and the words that make t

So few days back my friends took me to an undecided detour on an evening for a supper. After careful evaluation and debates, it was decided to visit a seafood restaurent. My cute Marathi friend just came back from abroad with a lust for sea food, which he used to hate before. So we went to this place which looked cheap on the outside but passably elegant on the inside. And we were the only customers there. So this aged waiter with a wide grin and a massive forehead comes to us and asks us for our order. We sent him back to discus our order. But he would keep returning every 5 minutes. So I guess, on his 6th visit we asked "whats special??" Next thing u know we have an assortment of live and dead animals on our table to choose from, but we had crabs in our mind. So we were shown two types- one small orange kind and the other- a massive mud crab, that looked eternally beautiful. So obviously we choose that. Later we find out it costed us a buttload but whats done is done.

So after much anticipation we watched Thor Ragnarok. With the rising tide that is Feminism, we are seeing more Female protagonists and antagonists in Hollywood than ever. So this one had one of my favs, Cate Blanchett as Hela, the goddess of death and super-powerful big sis of Thor, the god of thunder who was exiled and imprisioned (or something like that) by her father Odin since her ever growing thirst of conquering and winning would have put an end to the universe as we know it. As God daddy passes away, she is released and starts a journey of revenge and conquest beyond the imaginations of Asgaurd. Standing before her are Thor, Loki and Hulk. With amazing displays of the powers of each one, its ascertained that Hela is invincible. So they fight together along with Heimdall and a lost Valkyrie warrior. Still losing they leave her on Asgaurd with a big fiery monster who was sure to defeat her, but isn't shown, leaving crumbs for a sequel later on(I guess). Asguard is lost in

So its official!!! Today Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe laid down the foundation stone of India's first bullet train project- 509 kms long, worth 20 Billion USD, running between Ahmedabad in Gujrat state and megacity Mumbai. The project is to be completed in 5 years, and to be started on 15th August, 2022. Japan is Financing 90% of the project through a soft loan @ 0.1% rate of interest. This was mighty generous of Japan, made possible by mutual diplomatic interest and understanding between Modi and Japan, over the years. This is beginning of a brand new phase of the friendship of India and Japan, and also signals greater the ever closeness between the two, to the dragon. Politics aside, the train will cover the journey of 509 kms in 2 hours, which takes 7 hours right now through Indian Railways. With a top speed of 350 kms/hour, Japanese bullet trains boasts of being one of the safest train system in the world, more than

This is 5th and final episode of the fiction- Darkness Within, pls read the first 4 episodes before reading any further if u haven't already. Last night was tough. Talking to Leo was intense for Sabrina. She had no idea how fraudulent every facet of her friend Avantika was. She couldn't sleep all night. Thinking about everything that has happened, hoping for it to get over soon enough. What she didn't knew was this was the lucky day. At sharp 10 the phone rang, Sabrina dare not pick up the phone once again, like the last day. It ran a full 11 rings and peace returned to the living room, but alas! it started again. Sabrina grew anxious with each passing ring. She finally decided to face the unknown. Picking up the phone and bringing it to ears felt like too much of work for her, her heart was pacing while her mind was lost in all the possibilities of what might be in the call. A faint Hello was all she could utter.... "Hello Ms Sabrina, Ajay Maakan here. I hop

This is 4th episode of the fiction- Darkness Within, pls read the first 3 episodes before reading any further if u haven't already. Sabrina was living the dream. The amazing stock in the kitchen, the closets, the exotic wines and the massive television was to die for. Its been 3 weeks since the UBS incident and Sabrina has let her guard down. The best part of the day was when she would put on Avantika's expensive clothes and stilettos and play X-Box. She never knew being rich makes life so comfortable. But deep inside she had no idea where she was heading. Morning 7:00 pm Tuesday- The phone rang. Sabrina generally wont answer any rings but out of her drowsiness in her super soft bed, she dived her hand onto the night stand and picked up the call. "Helllooo..." There was no reply. Its then Sabrina realised what a big mistake she just did. She sprang the  phone back, jumped out of the bed and crawled into the balcony to see if she could notice any police vans or

The Metropolitan Museum Annual Gala event theme of 2018 has been released and its freekin' good one. FASHION and RELIGION!!! In the past, this very-exclusive event has been used to collect funds for the functioning of the Museum. But thanks to Anna Wintour, (Editor-in-Chief, Vogue USA) this event has become the epitomy of Fashion and Relevance. A seat at the table costs 25000 USD, and that's in case you get an invitation. You are either an a-list actor or a grand musical phenomenon. Every year, biggest names in the world like Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Rihanna, Madonna, J-Lo, Kanye and the Kardashians etc show up and dazzle up the place in dresses according to the theme pre decided by Wintour. It is considered the biggest A-list event of the year and you have to know Anna Wintour, the Devil in Prada, pretty closely in order to get in. Last year amazing things happened and not one, but two Bollywood superstars were invited. Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone. The theme wa

This is the 3rd episode of the fiction- Darkness within, pls read the first 2 episodes before reading any further if you haven't already. Avantika was a good friend. She was diametrically opposite of Sabrina but the two complemented each other very well. Avantika, a real Delhite, was outspoken, extrovert, night owl, disco freak, bold and gorgeous. Sabrina was precisely inverse. While Sabrina often helped her stay on ground and not getting knocked up by 4 guys when she is drunk, Avantika helped her open up and enjoy the life as it is. Of Avantika's many boyfriends, Sabrina liked a few, hated some but was scared of one. Missing her friend for so long and not hearing from her, Sabrina hopped on a bus and reached her apartment. Several newspapers, magazines and letters lying around, it looked like either she fired another maid or she has left for a vacation or something. She knocked several times and a reluctant old man opened the door "Madam nahi hai, baad mein aana.

This is 2nd episode of the fiction- Darkness Within, pls read the 1st episode before reading any further if u haven't already. Isolation is not necessarily the worst thing in the world. Some like Sabrina have longed for it and enjoyed it subconsciously since departing from Bashol, Himachal Pradesh. Away from the noise of the pressure cooker, away from the abuses of her mother, Sabrina would often enjoy reading a romantic story late night in her one room apartment and as the silence of the night grew louder, fall asleep inside a thick blanket in the cold winter night of Delhi. But the isolation of being locked down in a tiny white room with nothing but a bed and no windows was not her dream scenario. Absolute silence, a metal bed and a food tray delivered by guards were her only company. The food tasted surprisingly good. She guessed that must be the difference between a custody and an arrest. Its been 3 days since the incident. Sabrina has been subjected to two episodes of

Every thing that shines is not gold, but something that does not shines can be gold too. Obviously I'm talking about my matte black iPhone 7 Plus I bought exactly a month ago. My first iDevice and also my first high end phone. The ride ever since is one heck of a roller coaster. Here is my amateur analysis of using this magnificent beast for a month. THE GOOD... Every thing you see, touch and feel is remarkable. That's some strong words for a person who was using a cheap Chinese iOS imitating android phone for the last one year. Either way, I'm totally floored. The matte black finish is a total looker, the cold n sturdy metal finish, the curvy Corning Gorilla Glass is to die for, the magnificent display even at 1080p, the speakers, the water resistant IP67 rating etc etc, everything about it is flawless. But one thing that mesmerises me like a child at Disney Land is the camera(s). The Dual setup of cameras at the back essentially for lossless optical zoom is to die

Half dry and half dripping, Sabrina arrived at her office 25 minutes late. It was a rainy day in New Delhi and traffic was worse than usual. Closing her inverted, broken umbrella she looked ahead to find everyone standing away from their cubicles. Bipin, sujoy, Abhishek, Aparna etc everyone. They stared at her but did not spoke anything. Walking forward she looked at the boss's glass chambers. There were a few people sitting and a few standing- and Mr Jain was desperately trying to explain something to them. All sweaty and tearful, his statements suddenly got aggressive and loud and people throughout the floor could hear him- "YOU GUYS HAVE NO RIGHTS TO DO THIS...." "Ms. SABRINA!!!" someone yelled at her from her cubicle. Sitting in the dark was an old but tall, dark man with a hefty build. She moved closer and noticed he had humongous mustache and eyebrows. He stood up, to a towering 6 and a half feet. "I am Mr Ajay Maakan, from Anti-Corruption Bureau.

Browsing through YouTube when I should be studying for the exams that are already over my head, I saw concert videos of my heart throb Shakira and Coldplay together. There was no stopping me now, Exams who!!! I dug in and realized Shakira and Chris Martin (and rest of the Coldplay) performed together several of each others songs together live in Hamburg, Germany in front of a massive audience. those songs include Chantaje, Me Enamore, Yellow and A Sky Full of Stars. It was a brilliant moment and they had an amazing chemistry together, far beyond what I would have asked for. They mesmerised the audience with instrumental versions of each others songs and it was so beautiful to watch. Here are some videos for you to see. I hope they come together later on for some groundbreaking original collaborations in the near future. Amen!!! :D :D <3 <3

Ever since I got out of my tiny pond called Nokia, I realised there's a whole vast ocean called Apple. Since then, on and off I have been dreaming about the amazing over-priced products they make. And finally today I have become an 'isheep'. I bought my first idevice- the IPhone 7 plus and its magnificent. Sure I had to do everything short of selling kidneys but I finally got there and as of now it seems like a place worth being. Its gorgeous, its fast, its powerful, buttery smooth, intelligent, its everything and beyond in a smartphone. Out of a lot of choices I chose the IPhone over Android primarily for a change of taste. Sure Android phones offer you all those stuff (for the first six months, LOL!!) but then again what's living if it aint adventurous. Here are some pics of my unit. Pls don't mind the bad quality pics, it was taken from a very old Samsung phone. So initially I was fixated on the Galaxy A9 Pro, but my choice kept changing with each passing we

More than the heroes its the villains that entice me, in general and in entertainment. Over the years the spectrum of con characters was widened incredibly. Its not just black and white anymore. Every person has a balance of goodness and darkness in them, which is now thankfully reflected more and more in entertainment world. I like my antagonists whimsical, bitchy and glamourous. I have written a lot about actors and icons so I thought why not bring spotlight to some brilliant villains. Here's my list. Let me know your views... 6. Captain Chantel DuBois (Madagascar 3) Wikipedia says " Captain Chantel DuBois (voiced by Frances McDormand) is a Monegasque animal control officer and the main antagonist of the third Madagascar movie. She is the best animal control officer in Monte Carlo with a perfect success record. She is a big-game hunter and has extraordinary tracking skills, as well as superhuman strength and a habit of mounting the heads of every animal she has caught

So I started watching this amazing sitcom called '2 Broke Girls' for the lack of any other thing to watch and I very soon fell in love with the characters. The title refers to 2 poor women called Max Black and Caroline Channing, the lead persona brought to life by Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs. While Max Black is a hardy girl with no hope, expectation or optimism about her future or life in general, due to her traumatic childhood, no father and an alcoholic mother who did not care, Caroline Channing on the other hand is a rich, spoilt, brought up like a princess, daughter of a disgraced billionaire called Martin Channing who lost his Billions after the government found out about his Ponzy scheme of loot and put him behind bars forever. Hence Caroline is left with nothing, no money, no friends, no home and is forced to streets and work as a waitress at a 3rd class diner at minimum wage, where she meets Max Black. The story depicts a comical journey of two ghastly different

As a little kid many years ago, I was scrolling through various channels on the TV in search of something interesting when I came across this amazing movie about witches that gave me nightmares later on. I could only watch half the movie and never knew the beginning or the end of the movie and I thought I must watch the whole movie some day. Since then it was out of sight, out of mind. This was at least 10 or 12 years old and guess what? This afternoon I was browsing through web and found an article about the best transformations of actors through make up in Hollywood and there it was, Anjelica Houston as the Grand Empress witch, which brought back that day and the horrid scene I saw. I googled and found out the movie is called 'The Witches' by Warner Brothers, released in 1990 and based upon Roald Dahl's novel of the same name. Heres a still of Anjelica Houston from the movie as the Grand Empress, and you can see why I had the nightmares... So there was no stopping

Melanie Martinez is one of those up and coming singers who are immensely talented and have a career brighter than sun ahead of them. She was discovered through the American singing contest 'The Voice' and was groomed by Adam Levine. Even though she couldn't win the contest she is doing way better then many of the winners of the show. As I just read that her first Album 'Cry Baby' released in 2015 got certified Platinum in the US last month which is a huge deal for any debutant singer, even though it happened two years later. A very hearty congratulations to you Melanie. This was a very well deserved recognition for the album and we expect even greater works of art from you in the near future. For those of you who don't know about her first album, its called 'Cry Baby', a well though metaphor as she likens the pain and suffering of adults to that of babies, and also dresses like one and behaves like one. Seriously!! All of her songs are so mat

We have all been there. We have all felt that. At School, College or a trip to the shopping mall. Its painful to be obsessed with something or someone. And its kind of a thing you cant really talk to someone about, especially when you are a grown-up college guy. People discard it altogether cuz its silly and petty to them but its you who knows how much you crave it. I have been through a fare share of obsessions since I was a teen. From pop sensation like Shakira to Apple devices in the recent days, and a few people sprinkled here and there. Obsession is probably like a psychological addiction, you don't really need it to survive but your brain thinks the other way around. People to I-devices, you can live on your own but once they start showing up in your dreams you know you gotta get them. By hook or by crook. While addiction to objects can be harmless mostly as long as you are not selling your kidney for them, but obsession with people is devastating. Some may call it one