I was at Taj lands End on last Friday for the first MQ- media Quiz- or Media Quotient contest- what ever you want to say. The first of its kind- sponsored by STAR NEWS and organized by Exchange 4 media. I might have turned back- after being in a JAM next to Leelavati Hopsital- but then I realized maybe I would still be on time- and how right I was.

Anurag Batra the ever happy person said that the idea was just some 100 days old (sounds better than 3 and a half month- he said ) and my reaction was ‘oh well I had this for so long that I could walk through it’. But then hat’s off to them for getting it off ground. So rightly the Idea belongs to them.

There were people who smell money and wanted to break this into RADIO, OUTDOOR, PRINT and TV quiz. Not a bad idea- if the four winners could play the national Media Final- but my sincere request to such people is not to attempt any such thing. This is a good property and I hate Anurag not to have spoken to us before they spoke with STAR NEWS- all efforts should be to ensure that this just becomes bigger.

Was I there to take part- NO, I was not confident enough to qualify. Must say that later on I felt I should have participated as the standard of questions was not really tough. I know I would have flunked Picture (which serial of past) round. Next time I will participate to know if I really make the grade- or will somehow be associated with this event which I think Media side of the business needs.

SAM was just great. I think he is a natural for such a job. Quick on the pick, confident never hesitating in saying anything and willing to laugh with you. He does have a way of making people comfortable and then slowly pressing the wrong button. His comments, one-liners were apt for the moment. He continued giving hints and then destroying the confidence of the participant if he dare took on the bait. Add to that distinctive SAM voice and you just found a true winner.

Dear Vikram Sakuja was fabulous in his mannerism and controlled aggression. I feel he could have been a bit more relaxed and enjoyed the whole show far better. Maybe I am wrong and that’s his style. Still the pair made a very good team of Quiz Masters.

Sridhar (from E4M) I believe was the brain behind the questions and they were well researched. Infrastructural they could have done better in projection- pre-coded Audience round questions and replacement questions being with the quiz master and not being given time to time.

Well MQ was organized in one of the smaller rooms and that must be due to the recessionary view and curtailed audience or a clear understanding that we did not expect the first MQ to pull audience like Brand Equity Quiz. And yes our audience will never learn to be silent. If you are that good- take part and get on the stage other-wise just keep your trap shut.

Now I was in for few surprises.
Hardly any Media or Publishing or TV companies made to the final. The lone representation came from a combined team of NBT and TV Today. I understand that in the preliminaries there were a few of them. So no surprise that SAMRIDHI FINANCE (hope I spelled right) won the round. (Let me add they were by far the best of the lot). Only one lady made to the finals. And well for the first time in an E4M event there were very few seniors from the business. What could be the reason?

I do think ( please note I said think not that I know ) they got 1 answer wrong or may be Derick got it wrong a few years back- as the question about the first advertiser on DoorDarshan- answer Gwalior Suitings or Topaz Blade ?- or maybe I am wrong and TOPAZ was the first colour TVC on air !

What I will like to see
1. More women team participation: maybe we could look at special incentive for their participation. And yes may be incentive for a gender biased team too.
2. No joint teams- let them play for their own organization Glory
3. Some really great prizes
4. Buzzer round
5. Penalty for wrong answer
6. Sponsored questions- a Plug ins and hence more money- you can even play that as buzzer round and the prize then and there goes to the winner
7. Better bar service- and when you open it once you keep it open.

And I thought why not add some points tally- a proper evaluation

Event Relevance : ▲▲▲►►
Entertainment value : ▲▲▲▲►
Would want to attend next time round : ▲▲▲▲►

Sam Balsara : ▲▲▲▲►
Vikram Sakuja : ▲▲▲►►
E4M: ▲▲▲▲►

Things do have the way to heat up- and am I feeling so.

Maybe Maybe not- my usual self.

So here is another of the rejoinder from Blast from Past- keep searching under ESCAPE  or Life experiences and you will have the links laid bare.

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hi…i know its stupid an i know its really late in the night…and this when i sat down to work further ( deleted ) …felt like sharing it with you…guess you’ll see it and wonder if i’ve gone completely insane
 
 
Chalo aaj ek nayaa silsila shuru kiya jaaye
jise dekh kar saans chalti hai aaj bhi
chalo usse dil se bhulaane ki koshish ki jaaye
jo aaj bhi sajaata hai mere sapnon ko
uss khwaab ko aaj mitaane ka samaan kiyaa jaaye
chalo aaj ek nayaa silsila shuru kiyaa jaye
 
Manzilen aaj bhi dhundhli hain
raaste aaj bhi sabhi uss dar pe ruk jaate hain
chalo in raaston ko ek naya morh diyaa jaaye
chalo aaj ek nayaa silsila shuru kiyaa jaye
 
har sahar har shaam ki mehakti khushbu mein
aaj bhi shaamil hai
mohabbat ki woh tarhap
saawan ki boondon mein
in ashkon ko milaane ki koshish ki jaaye
chalo aaj ek nayaa silsila shuru kiyaa jaaye
 
kahin door ufuk par dhalte sooraj ko samjhaya jaaye
aasmanon mein urhte panchiyon se kahaa jaaye
uss dar par koyee nishaan mere saaye ka na chodh jaaye
chalo aaj ek nayaa silsila shuru kiya jaaye
 
is bheerh mein gum insaanon ko dhoonda jaaye
aaj phir mohabbat mein vishwaas dilaaya jaaye
aaj phir woh geet ishq ki galiyon mein gungunaaya jaaye
chalo aaj phir ek nayaa silsila shuru kiyaa jaaye
 
aaj bhi meri saanson mein ghuli hai jiss ki chaahat ki kashish
ab uss gumnaam saaye se
haath churaya jaaye
ab bhi aayeene mein dikhta hai woh chehra mujhe
aaj uss aayeene ko paani se dhulaaya jaaye
khud se aaj chalo khud hi ko ik baar milaaya jaaye
apne chehre ki lakeeron mein apni zindagi ko tarasha jaaye
 
chalo aaj ek nayaa silsila shuru kiyaa jaaye

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Breathless reading this- and left to imagination the thoughts that could be lurking in space- ready to be plucked !!!

ADVERTISING- MEDIA-MARKETING-COMMUNICATION EVERY TUESDAY

Contrast what I wrote the last week on Vodafone with almost ideal couple of Madhavan and Vidhya Balan, emotionally strong, no egghead but humanely human taking you through short 30 second episodic incidents through their life and in process demonstrating the power of services being provided. They both were signed in early 2008 first for the communication targeted in south of India. But the success of the pair has allowed the brand to take them across the nation. 

You do smile and that smile is more genuine then the smile eggheads of Vodafone can generate. I always held that unlike the model-type wife in detergent and FMCG, this so called actress that is more like a girl your mother will feel comfortable with is better suited for such endearing communication. She has also proven a lot many people wrong by finally showing expressions in her face and eyes.

I quite like the expressions she gives when Madhavan says- Pyaar mai koi cutback nahi hona chaihyeh. (There should be no cutback in love) and the sheepishly look inside the tent (a very up-market prop). The earlier in the train commercial where they demonstrate how payments can be made. .

I feel the creative team deserves a pat on the back for such simple execution. And for the client to have given go ahead on these situations from a lot that would have been presented. (Ex-advertising agency person know what all goes behind the scene)

Yes once the fight is one, you tend to suddenly agree with Harit Nagpaul that audience gets bored by seeing the same light on the humor communication and hence you need to create a lot of them.

There is a sort of underplayed chemistry between the two actors and they have now managed to transfer that to the brand. In a way that it would become slightly constraining within the brand scope for communication. They are couple and can not be boyfriend-girlfriend, sister or brother. And in no way would the brand be willing to experiment and include a kid or pregnancy in this episodic communication.

If the brand wishes to extend this communication for some time, they better allow for entry of another character in the storyline,. I personally believe they should and can. In Indian context it could be saala (wife’s brother) which may allow better demonstration and explanation of the services.

Airtel otherwise from rare- kid calling father or Impatience ( broadband ) has suffered with some communication creative block to have made 10 celebrity commercial for digital TV.

I some times feel that I am partial to real human beings than the kids and women stuffed within confines of a well designed character suit. Ask me if I was to choose between the two- I would choose the TVC of Airtel and services of Vdafone. Who said life is supposed to be fair or you could not ask for more. (No ad slug).

After Vodafone and Airtel, there is no point in commenting on the AIRCEL communication with Dhoni being the Brand Ambassador for the brand. Its rustic, immature and totally dried of ideas. It’s the oldest trick in the trade when you want to demonstrate the multi faceted services possible. Maybe the brand does not have the media weights required to treat the services separately or maybe they had only a day or two of the brand ambassador time. 

Client : Airtel ( Hemant Sachdeva ) Buzziest brand

Category: Cellphones

Agency : Rediffusion ! DYR

Production: Footcandles Films

Director : Vinil Mathew

ADVERISING- MEDIA- MARKETING- COMMUNICATION EVERY TUESDAY

Vodafone carries the legacy of Hutch in strategically experimenting (I am not calling it innovating) in creating unique brand assets in terms of communication. Unplugged and unleashed on the unsuspecting public busy watching successful second season of IPL T20.

Truthfully speaking professionally and personally (Yes I have been a Hutch / Vodafone customer and plans to remain one) I admire, get enthralled, enjoy and understand their simple communication. I would want to believe that where the credit goes to client to experiment with this and as the story goes even briefing the agency to create a unique character, credit should naturally gets shared by Ogilvy India. I would bet next year these silly sounding communication pieces will have a few awards coming their way. 

The PUP which took advertising and common man by surprise earlier, connected with the masses at a very endearing emotional level. The communication like the current one used simplistic formats to drive home their point.

The ZOOZOOS (I prefer calling them EGGHEADS) are another example of creative brilliance that leads to differentiated communication in a high decibel category. The story lines are self explanatory, use of characters (cartoon style) with limited set of expressions allows for varied edits. Layer that with black and white treatment and the unique red swipe that has also been successfully exploited in outdoor and print – communication stands apart.

Each of the characters and the story brings smile to even a poker faced grumpy man tired through the days work. More important you do not lose the message in humor. There is a clear brand and message cut through and a strong Brand message association. In a parity technology market- at times Creative is a differentiator and the reason for the customer to choose the brand. it means a lot.

These are all upping the ante in VALUE-ADDED-SERVICES (VAS) category – does that mean that the PUP will be back- I would think not.

So what we have

Share-market exploits alerts in current market situations. Slightly moron macabre humor. I would not want to see this fall after knowing of the share indexes. But then truly that fear of missing on the information is really what will move you to subscribe to it. Cricket updates is fine. Fighting with myriad sources in the Information Sea. Only hardcore Cricket fans (and in India there are a lot more than you would suspect) will only be tempted to take that. Update phone or copy directory is great. Great one thing that all of us fear is not loosing the phone as much as loosing the information stored on it. I am not in a rare situation if on losing a phone I wish to migrate to the new service, the point of influx - who owns the data- as I have paid for it- will I be able to import this data from the earlier service. Yet I am yet to understand how do the black eyes on photocopying comes back hollow and the black mole mouth as a differentiated expression.  Blocking unwanted calls is my favorite as the mood is set between the egghead couple and situation is very relatable. Next to that will be Chota Credit- all explained with rarely a phone in sight. Magic box endears you with the simplicity of its communication. Beauty alert ; a bit of complex and least endearing of the series. The cricket commentary – is a thing of past and is a futile attempt to add on a service that may not be desired.  Live games, musical alerts, download and greetings being few more services. Sending Voice mail and you start feeling strain of trying to stretch the idea and living within the constraint of boundaries created by advertising agencies called Campaign feel.  They would have their own reasons and maybe later on I may have to eat my words. Will EggHeads have an expression for it too?

I also read somewhere that there are 25 such commercials planned and currently only 10 have been made. I am all for this almost serialized communication but it is going to test the longevity of concept. It is always a problem if you set such high standards.

The social networking site and you-tube are abuzz with EggHeads. Microsite adding to the speed of virus like fast spread of concept. But I am yet to see how this egghead concept is taken on to the Print and radio.

Client : Vodafone ( Harit Nagpal ).

Agency : Ogilvy India  ( Rajiv Rao )

Production : Nirvana Films. ( Prakash Verma ).

Location : Cape Town

Local Support : Playtus

Maybe I am the last one to comment on the new Vodafone Communication and tell me how important is a timely fast reaction in this word of blogs in the sea called internet. But then this delay allows me to regroup my thoughts and make them a impact-full (Hopefully).

Next week take on the AIRTEL Madhavan Vidhya Balan communication.

This summer I have tried two of LALU versions of train travel. SAMPARK KRANTI and something called GARIB RATH. Before I talk of the two experiences let me add0- there is good news- summers are on and even the long distance trains seem to be on time. Someone better try understanding where the process- accountability or the attitude changes have happened for the notorious 13-17 hours delay to be squeezed into 5-15 minutes.

‘SAMPARK KRANTI’ between Delhi and Jabalpur. The train first halt was in Gwalior. Not Mathura and Not Agra. Seems it was meant for the people residing in MP (Madhya Pradesh) and hence the stops started only after the train hit MP. If this is the logic and is consistent- I must bow to the smart logic. Clean stations clean bogies- smart ticket checkers and on time trains what else do you wish form Indian railways. Keep it up.

GAREEB RATH. Wow what an experiment. This time it was between Jabalpur and Mumbai. Green colored bogies- sure that helps as a differentiation. I know Shatabdi is Blue and Regular trains are red. Liked the differentiation created through color coding, but the brand name sucks.

Unfortunately it may not be possible to fire the guys who named it- as it smelled of Lalu flavour. Gareeb Rath- so that all should be able to travel AC. Ticket is 40% cheaper. But why call it GAREEB RATH and remind the travelers that they are on this train because they could not really afford the higher- normal AC train travel. Use anything but GAREEB.

Now there is Digital display to tell you average speed of train, approximate distance from next station etc. But surprise – even after the minister having announced that railways are taking back the ill advised third sleeper on the side- they are still being allotted.

This is where railways went wrong. Yes give me 40% less and I will jam pack you in the same space with some 15% more seats (berths). So while everyone may be paying the same, the poor guy on the side middle berth is an unlucky person. There is no set pattern of berth numbering and so even a habitual train traveler will get lost.

Now mother if all. There are normal 3-3 seating and sleeping berth in the open coupe area. These are the one which are perpendicular to the tracks (the other sets are called side berths). Now as we have increase berth from 72 to 86, as each sub section now has 9 seats instead of 8, on the side still only 2 can be seated. So the rest of 7 have to be divided into a 3-4 combination. Depending upon which side of the berth you are- you may be squeezing 4 in the space meant for 3. And right opposite will be more relaxed 3 people sitting rightly in the space meant for 3 passengers. It does not matter that all have been paying the same charges.

More so in trying to place heating and storage space instead of Pantry cars- you have squeezed the 8 sub coupe into space meant for 7. So what happens the berths are slightly less wide then regular berth in other normal trains? The leg space is cramped. And with more passenger in this cramped space who never learnt the art of traveling light- well more fights for space to park luggage.

Now Gareeb Rath is terrible in service. Food is restricted to Veg Biryani and Paranthas. For blanket and pillow, you have to ask and pay Rs 25/-. So come winter in some ways we may really be encouraging the HOLDOL (self set of quilt and bed sheets) carrying and I can imagine what pressure that will create in the limited cramped space of the AC Bogie.

Gareeb rath could do with 1) removing the side middle  berth 2) including charges for Bed sheet and blanket 3) better food choice 4) Fridges that really cool 5) Better mannered staff 6) Addition of Pantry cars 7) Resist temptation of widening the scope by extending the trains beyond their current runs

I must confess I have never seen these books at Crossword where I normally pick my books or the traffic signals. So they must not be doing too well or the pirated copies would have made their mark. So seeing a National Bestseller tag was just intriguing and then a smile crossed my eyes as I saw that quite of lot of other books flagged this claim.

Maybe its like those mundane cricket stats hitting century on a Cloudy Saturday in Wankede stadium ( where you now rarely have matches )  while batting first or the channels claim to be most viewed on Saturday at 9.24 pm while all other channels were running commercials.

So while on Transit at Delhi stations (Nizamudin to be exact) I saw this proudly being displayed and picked it up along with “Anything for you Ma’am” by Tushar Raheja, more on that later after I finish it.

I am a sucker for picking up books by new authors. It’s a feeling of my contribution to encourage new authors. I know I will be one of them soon and then I wish people will pick my books even if for reasons like this. It’s a different thins that when I read that the authors are pass-out year 2008 It pains a 1987 pass-out who has been dreaming of having his own names on the books.

It’s another of those on campus stories in grab of self experience written in first person. A trait started by Chetan Bhagat and every one trying to cash on it. This time it is the DCE (Delhi College of Engineering) with loud interaction and comments on Miranda house (famed girls college) and SRCC (Sriram College of Commerce). Unfortunately the authors have tried mixing on-campus and Mills&Boon art of romance. So the book in real life will not be addressing any specific kind of readers, Ok for the first but problem for book number 2.

It brings alive the kind of friendship and internal interdependence that exist within the groups. There are bunches or subsets of students that are totally for each other. There is a process of inclusion and polarization of favors. And yes friends forever- enemies as per convenience.

The title is a reflection of sayings within college campuses of deprived sexual encounters within the two sexes. Tu Nahi toh Koi aur sahi, woh nahi toh koi aur sahi. If not you then someone else would do and if not her than some one else would do.

After having blasted the novel above, let me share that I did find it worth the money I spent on them. That’s a neat enough yard stick.  Ease of story telling seems to be a forte of new authors as they have no fixed style and are willing to experiment.

It seems a true reflection of life in these campuses, matching what I have heard from many friends from these colleges. Much needs to be done if the authors really wanted to exploit and bring alive the class divides the cultural barriers and the basics gap in understanding of desires between sexes.

Yes, it was definitely interesting enough to make me ask the passengers to keep the lights on a bit longer till I complete the novel. Good I must say by a first time authors but could have done a lot more with some more editing and a better narration. It was a story waiting to be told I believe.

OF COURSE I LOVE YOU… TILL I FIND SOMEONE BETTER. Durjoy Datta and Manvi Ahuja . Srishti Publications (I have noted that and will soon be trying t get in touch with them with my manuscripts). 231 pages Rs 100 on stands

I must complement Srishti Publications for encouraging young Indian authors choosing to write in English. I am for one going to experiment with my standard choice of reading and read each of these new authors.

I just finished PAUL COHELO ‘The Winner Stands Alone’. Intrigued by the way Igor the telecom giant tries sending message to Ewa his lost love. I realized that in the current era it is possible to niche broadcast within a mass communication. Cell Phones do it all the time. Beamed through the tower as a mass broadcast, the coded message is interpreted by one cell-phone that is willing to understand it.

Maybe it is possible even when you write an article. Terrorist are known to create messages in text and pictures. So me who ever welcome experimentation and a sense of attempting impossible?

Here is an attempt to try doing same. There is a message in the small story that follows this prologue. Truthfully the message is intended for just one person. A person I will also share this story with. And I will wait to see when will this reach me with a reply ’It was for me’. I am sure that it will happen-not that I in my happy married life am looking forward to this but then this is an experiment I can not ESCAPE

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The STORY : ESCAPE

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ESCAPE. Simple three vowel word. His thoughts propelled by the simple word stared at him from within. He wanted to stop this monologue with himself. He was once again proved wrong. Life was not about adaptation, acceptance and adjustments, it was about Escape. At every stage of life, he had been trying to follow routine, a path that was comfortable in its outlook. A path of least resistance.

The opportunity or the threat, with a valid identity has cropped up in his friends section of social networking site. Past always catches up with you. There is no escape. You always carry those memories within yourself. Memories etched in brain, the natural hard drive where data can be corrupted and seemingly non-retrievable, but has a tendency to pop-up at the least desirable moment.

He reminded himself escape was never an alternative. It can’t be true. He will have to find a way to escape those unfulfilled desires and possibilities that today stare at him. ‘Blast from the past’ the inbox mail said. The picture was grainy so that only he knew who it could be. Was he right in assuming the identity of the person?

He has been a simple man of simple taste and demands. Why after so many years - 13 to be precise, someone has come out of the grave of life and stare him on the face.

Stop visiting the networking site. Close the account. He knew this escape route was not practical. He was now known to exist with details flashed on the internet. Close and common acquaintances redefined. No, that was not an answer.

ESCAPE. But was he really thinking in that direction. Maybe he was and maybe he was not. He was lost at the precise moment in a winter evening at a well frequented hill station in upper north India. He in not naming it was trying to escape from reality.  Soon reality would bite. The moment of truth will present itself in the stark contrast to the feelings now erupting within.

The moment when truth prevailing he would have found courage to negate the existence was over. That moment when he could have escaped has passed.

He decided to live through the memory lane, giving in to the mental infidelity a most charmed emotion of married life. They, that is him and her, were at the edge of the serpentine road that led upwards to stop at their hotel. Deep inside the non-shadows of the tall pine trees.

He was sitting on the culverts that defined the edge. She was standing in front of him. Talking, yes they had been talking for a long time.  Enjoying each other’s company in that chilling soft wind.

His mind warned him to stop, escape it said. The body knew it was not the time to hear silly voices that come from the top. He was there, encircling her with his arms, loosely he reminded himself. In a way she was free to have broken that hold and he would have said nothing. There was nothing to be said. There was nothing that had been said even before that day. But she wanted to further hold the moment; yes it was about the moment and not really the physical touch to the whole episode. That was true or that was the truth he knew all these years.

There still was time to stop this conversation; while after so many years she was holding on to the line, waiting to hear his voice. Unfortunately she will have to wait; he was having a conversation with himself. How true, nothing had changed in these 13 years. He was one of those who had to have conversations with themselves before they venture to expose their emotions.

ESCAPE was one of things that did not happen the way it could have. Had he acted otherwise that night, he would not have been having this conversation with himself. Soon two young heart and body were getting deep in the romantic mood. His hands had already moved along the lines that he had earlier just imagined existing. Without his being aware, his arms had got new confidence and his hold on her stronger. His hands moved towards top a bit, for the first time exposing flesh to touch of his bare fingers and his lips found its mark.

ESCAPE. He could have escaped, when the solitary car with its dim lights passed them, momentarily revealing them to the outside world. Immediately darkness engulfed them into zone of comfort. They just moved a bit ahead so that they could see the next car well in advance and not be caught with surprise. What was his mind thinking then? The moment car lights had lit the space; she had held him real tight. That defined a moment of no return. Must have been that, he rationalized many a times in past 13 years.

He has always rationalized and has been sure, at some stage even her mind would have asked her if she wanted to escape. But they were at that moment enacting automated predestined script. Her hands were roughing through his soft hair. Almost tender, rhythmic and caressing. He was not mistaken; at times they were pulling him nearer to where he wanted to be. Two buttons had fallen on the way, giving him further access.

ESCAPE. His mind had to shout really hard for him to be jolted. This is not something that he would want to do. This is just a simple moment of biological needs voicing them through opportunity available. There is nothing called love or even Lust. It is pure heat of the moment. But by then the lips had found its sweet spot and the hands were becoming more adventurous.

Something snapped and he never knew what it was. There was nothing to know. Some control within him took charge of his mind. He pushed her away- stepped away from her. Somewhere it was also the moment that simultaneously she sensed the futility of it and her eyes were asking ‘How did we move so far ahead?”. It was questioning him, were you not the senior of us two to have stopped me. Where you and what were were your intentions.

The questioning stare still haunts him at times. He has not been sure what happened at that particular moment. Did he push her or did she push him. Or were they destined not to move along the predictable lines and had stopped simultaneously.  He has been living through perceptions that helped him live through the haunting questioning eyes. He had never asked her. There was nothing to be asked at that moment.

Now ‘Blast from the past’ as someone had coined for him, could step up after these years and may be help him escape those eyes. Just tell him- what happened then.

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Trust me pick it- ITS WORTH EVERY SECOND INVESTED IN IT.

I have read all books by Paul Coehlo and was always hungry for the next one.   So this red jacketed just released thicker than his earlier books was pulling me at the airport. Sincerely, released this April tag was too much to resist.

Paul’s books are short doses of sharp thinking. Many a times they leave deep impressions on the way one approach things in life. At least it has been true in my case.

The book seriously warns at the start that it is not a thriller in the real sense. Well I must say that the warning is well placed, it is a thriller and yet not one.  It is action packed 374 pages, summarizing within it a full 48 hours of episodic events ending on 19^th March 2008, the last day of the film festival at Cannes. Post reading one does understand what is called signature of a writer. Paul can not write a thriller, until unless the thriller has a high dose of learning’s.

So you find a different Paul narrating a complex story in his typical easy way.  Settings and time of the story is lot different than what you would expect. The novel cover and the title do suggest a new experiment in writing.

I must confess, In some way I do like the new Paul ,  if I can use a term like that. Paul liberated from the ancient learning’s opens up a news set of readers. This one is set at Cannes film festival,  great locale description and deep insights into the working of the tamasha that film festivals are. In the process within the stretched boundaries of intrigue and deceit, love and search for it, debate of ways, means and end; Paul is able to leave you with few nuggets of questions and that’s where Paul scores above so many has been.

This is classical thriller style of story telling. Strong character destined to cross paths, each with a story that is full of insight, emotions and the most apt logical explanation for the behavior. They are perfectly crafted, rather chiseled characters and it is tough to find fault in the way they react or live their life; yet they are fallible in every aspect. There are facades kept by each of them, hiding the real her or he as the case may be. The brutal truth of lies is highly intriguing and well handled. These cross-linked webs around incidents play magic on your imaginations pushing you to finish it in one reading.

The characters are strong and yet fragile in their own ways. Igor the telecom giant from Russia around whose passion the whole story revolves , like all heroes is ambitious, possessive, ruthless but also full of doubts about his acts. Not one who would leave things to chance.

But you miss the trademark search for the master or anyone to guide or impart wisdom of time, it’s more about self realization or should I say self actualization. Like the trend in current books the end is ambiguously left unfinished. May be the film rights would define it at a later stage. I am sure it is not Paul’s idea to create a sequel.

The marketer with in me loves portion of the book, where he describes SUPERCLASS and the set of people who set trends. I think I can use this paragraph to explain the term PROSUMERS  to any trainee within the organization and may even suggest my agency EURO RSCG to use it in their strategy explanations.

There are hidden insights in understanding human behavior, political moves and the sheer magnitude that ones ambition can push. Maybe it is not acknowledged but something tells me that Martin Lindstrom has some part in the whole deal.

PaulCoehlo’s 12^th Novel- The winner stands alone- published by Harper Collins Publishers:374 pages.

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Next blog on 4^th May 2009. I will start an experiment. Just like Igor the telecom guy- send out a message and see what I get in return.

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