Inspirational Research on Desi Entrepreneurs and Moviemakers

So this topic is really funny, exciting and inspirational all at once for me. It started with me reading the news on a personalized google homepage which receives news feeds from 20 different news and business magazines I like. Often I am unable to read all the news that pours on my page, so it was sheer luck that something on fortune.com caught my eye. It was an article on Matchmaking Indian-style which is apparently (I should have known given the affixiation Indians have towards getting married) a 300 million dollar enterprise. At the forefront in the e-form of this emerging industry are 2 websites launched in late 90s, shaadi.com and bharatmatrimony.com both founded by Indian-American entrepreneurs.

With usual curiosity, I started to review Shaadi.com's founder Anupam Mittal's career graph. Interestingly enough, this rather bland and boring blurb on Shaadi.com does not do any justice to the creative dabbler hidden in him. A quick google search revealed that Anupam is none other than the long-haired protagonist Rad and producer of the fun indie flick Flavors. I just saw this movie on DVD a week ago and recommended it to my friends and family :)

This fun fact sparked my interest even further and I went on to review the directors of the movie and what they have been up to. I also looked up Gaurang Vyas and Gaurav Rawal two of the Flavors cast members.

The most fun cast member turned out to be the guy who played my favorite character Kartik in the movie Flavors - Dr. Reef Karim. Now this guy is really something! I am impressed - doctor, actor, model, speaker, professor, social activist...the list seems to be endless. How he manages it all is cool but the fact he is doing more than one thing he is interested in at the same time is supercool and inspirational. Same goes for all the other Flavors cast and crew members, all of whom apparently have a different day job.

This means that there is hope for lazy people like me who aspire to do a million different things (a bunch of which obviously fizzle out). I have now Barack Obama's "Audacity to Hope" that one day I will sincerely vest the time and energy to passionately pursue the few things that make me tick and my life happenning enough to make me happy!

On a filmy and fun note I must be sure to check out this new indie movie Khel Shuru.

Great Expectations

I like the challenge of surprising people who underestimate me. Nothing gives me more pleasure than meeting and exceeding expectations of people especially those who have no faith in my potential to deliver.

My theory has not worked out very well for me in everyday life. Since I would like people to give me a chance I try to give others a fair chance. The other day I went for a haircut and when it was my turn at the hair salon I was greeted by the newest member of the salon staff. He must have been a 25 year old young intern or something and I didn't have the heart to turn him down and wait for the next person to cut my hair. Since I did not want to prejudice against his gender and age I let him cut my hair. I gave him enough direction and answered all his questions but the end result was my worse fears come true. Boy I should have resisted my urge!

Oft expectation fails, and most oft where most it promises; and oft it hits where hope is coldest; and despair most sits.

William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)

Colleagues and friends have let me down often enough for me to question my ability to expect. To expect or not to expect that is the question! Shakespeare seemed to agree with me on this topic that is to say that most people you expect from end up disappointing; its the underdog who always has the advantage. The underdog does not have a reputation so fewer people have great expectations off them.

Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.

Diana Spencer

Generally speaking we are all told not to expect. Not having expectations or lowering them certainly makes it easier to be content and happy but is that really practical? Not expecting anything in return for acts of kindness towards strangers or a social cause is plausible. However, not having any expectations from people that we love or cherish is totally impossible. Of course we all have heard that true love is unconditional. On a high level, our parents and family members do love us throughout life unconditionally but even the best parents do have expectations. I think it comes naturally to the animal race to expect. The measure of expectations might vary from little to great but I haven't figured out yet the answer to my question: To expect or not to expect?!