This anecdote is best enjoyed if you have some knowledge about the socio-economic, cultural, and political context of Pune, India, around two and a half decades ago. Back then, Pune could still lay its claim to the sobriquet ‘Oxford of the East’ in the sense that the spurious race for academic institutions to get graded by some hyped national commission was yet to catch up. Honestly, it didn’t matter much either. Marketing of education in the modern sense was an unfamiliar te

Fiction Disclaimer: Though inspired by real-life characters this is purely a work of fiction and resemblance to any person(s) living or dead shall be strictly coincidental. Lifelong lessons...Life changing moments Many years have passed since this nightmare became one important signpost that stood as a scar in Manish’s life. The Instagram obsession had yet to take control of people’s lives in this part of the world. And while it was unfolding then, and now looking back at it

A captivating tale set in the Mumbai of 2005 this full of mystery and intrigue short story runs high on emotions.

Rishi Bhat, now in his mid thirties is staring at a mid-life crisis. Though he is very conscious of his fitness, his personal life is not going the way he would have ideally wanted it to be. On the professional front, he is managing well so far. However, deep down he has still not been able to get over his rejection by the armed forces for selection to the Military Academy. A scar that has stayed with him even today after thirteen years. It is precisely this setback that has

Can anybody force the agency of expression on an artist? Or, can anybody try to control how an artist is supposed to think and articulate their thoughts? In the first place, this question may sound weird. But, sometime back I came across as much a weird fellow who expected me to key in all those creative and not-so-creative thoughts on the machine (PC). Somehow, the idea of writing everything down on paper felt out-of-fashion and old-school to him. I was slightly put off when

A month of action-packed copywriting fireworks for a local agency leading to a presentable content marketing portfolio for myself has turned out to be an indeed rewarding and fruitful exercise. At least that is being compensated, for one, and secondly, as far as the metrics go, I am sure my uber-creative posts will have, by now set the internet abuzz. (kidding as they did not). But they will surely be at work 24x7 in the days ahead and get higher traffic for the clients' busi

Meaningful content that has breadth, depth, and ease of relatability is the key to building an outstanding reputation across platforms for brands and individuals. While the author strives to engage audiences for different businesses through distinctive expressions of ideas, some emerging trends listed here lend themselves to further critique and analysis. Separating the needle from the stack There are far too many misconceptions surrounding the selection of the right candidat

Shooting straight from the heart... Event: 'Dynamic nature of Media Platforms' organized by Callidus Academy, Pune Day & Date: Saturday, 18 June at Patrakar Bhawan, Pune He made the house roar with laughter with each of his anecdotes...and today his every single turn of phrase and line would have given any stand-up comedian a hard run for their money. Vijay Gaikwad introduced himself as a trained foundryman who accidentally ventured into journalism at 45. A brief counseling s

A desire to reach out and tell your story your way When it comes to making your presence felt in the digital arena, Short Videos have proved to be the currency of quick and effective communication that also qualifies for User Generated Content. With a plethora of easy-to-use tools available online, most of them absolutely free, short videos are easy to create and build one’s online presence effectively and quickly. If you are looking at creating a social media presence or lev

A celebrated journalist’s firsthand account of the mystical forces The story so far… Hridaynath, an edgy journalist has unearthed a big scam in the nondescript Kure village of the north Maharashtra region in India. The scam revolves around conducting hysterectomy operations on illiterate women farmworkers under the name of the misleading government scheme. A couple from the village has hosted and extended their hospitality to Hridaynath as a goodwill gesture for his role in s

The universe did come to my rescue, eventually. By far Medium has emerged as one of the best platforms to showcase our love for the written word. Some talented minds who are strategically placed in the designated geographical territories, also benefit from the partnership program and are financially rewarded for their efforts. For the rest, all their work on Medium helps garner recognition in the form of claps, views, new friends, and followers. This was a revelation. I am on

A celebrated journalist’s firsthand account of the mystical forces Disclaimer: All the characters’ names and places are fictional and bear no resemblance to anyone living or dead. As Hridaynath and Shailee hastened to get up from their slumber, the wooden pole attached to the corner of their bed hit some old ledgers and piles of papers on the mantle above. It caused an old dusty hardbound book to land straight on Hridaynath’s head. In otherwise what would have been a slightly

A celebrated journalist’s firsthand account of the mystical forces Disclaimer: All the characters' names and places are fictional and bear no resemblance to anyone living or dead. After returning to Kure, I had a word with the mukhiya and briefly sought his permission to counsel the women on the perils of compromising their well-being. Upon securing his nod, I sent for them to assemble at his courtyard. As I started deliberating on the severity of the issue and how their repr

A celebrated Journalist’s firsthand account of the mystical forces Disclaimer: All the names of the characters and places are fictional and bear no resemblance to anyone living or dead. Prologue: Hridaynath, a celebrated journalist, is openly sharing the hard facts of his illustrious career journey. He suspects it could lead to unsavory feedback from his loyal readers and followers. Especially, his community of peers might not appreciate such a revelation. And this may also a

A celebrated Journalist’s firsthand account of the mystical forces Disclaimer: All the names of the characters and places are fictional and bear no resemblance to anyone living or dead Year 2003. This was the time when Hridaynath had freshly graduated from the reputed School of Journalism from Pune in India. Mobile telephony and internet had just started making inroads in the subcontinent. More than Entertainment, Lifestyle or Fashion, he was driven by ideals of a just societ

There's a world of health, wealth and opportunities awaiting to be tapped in the farming sector today. And now is the time that informed investments are being undertaken by both private and state players in this largely neglected* sector that is said to be the backbone of our country's economy. More money translates into some tangible benefits for all the stake holders including me and you. Yes, from #Farmfresh and #freshfarm produce that reaches our doorstep to all the allie

“In response to Coffee Challenge: Why I want to be a better me in 2022” I want to step in the new phase of life with this motto “Good, better, best, Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best.” Reflecting upon the gliding into the horizon year is a challenge in in itself. Nevertheless, I now have to face it to be able to step into the year 2022 with a clean slate. Thankfully, I have my humble diary to rely upon and complete this herculean task just i

Memories of you and me tumble inside my head… June 2005. That was the last when we met. I must have accumulated a hell of a lot of good karma whose positive outcome was all at once doled out to me on that strange day. In the sweltering heat of Mumbai city, we spotted each other precisely at the same moment on the bustling Andheri* suburban railway station. One look at her and I knew she was in a tearing hurry just like me. But she looked at me taking in every pixel of my face

An aspiration that is shared by all the wordsmiths If life’s experiences and books are anything to go by, I would safely place myself in the row of millionaires. Of course, a lot and lot of books remain to be read and experiences written about. For which, a lifetime would invariably fall short of browsing through them all. But, what fills me up with pride and complete bliss is the mere thought of possessing quite a few of these gems. Lunging at me from stacks and shelves lini

In response to Coffee Challenge; Why I am a pro shoutout movement How did they all know I desperately needed that boost of encouragement to keep going? How did I not understand that like me there could be so many other writers struggling to find a foothold (read followers)in this vibrant community of writers? And, why did I ignore the fact that just one recommendation from all those in our network could do wonders for garnering support? The answer to all these questions lies