What An Intern-Shit.

This post is not a mere rant. I'll not be using names because I don't want defamation charges on me, but I feel its really important for people for all those who've interned, are interning, or plan to intern with production houses or any company whatsoever need to keep in mind before working.

My friends and I, as really enthusiastic BMM students wanted to intern with a production house, and after a lot of hard work - we got through. One of the biggest non-fiction shows on one of the biggest GECs, produced by a very well known production house. One day before the auditions in February, I spoke to a friend who was working with them and he said we could intern, and that we had to report the next day for the same. Happy as we were, we didn't know what was coming our way.

We slogged our way through the auditions, working sincerely, learning everything. Oh, did I mention that it was unpaid? But, we were still okay with it. Because 'exposure'. That's how companies exploit interns, I tell you. We were promised that we'd be given certificates of experience within 10 working days. The 'brand name' on our CV was enough to make us happy.

Then starts the real struggle. The struggle of actually getting there certificates in hand. After talking to the people whom we were coordinating with, on sets, we were given the contact number of the executive producer. 'Much executive. Such producer.'

She started giving us vague dates and would never follow up post that. She'd ask us to come to office on a particular date, and on that given date, she'd not pick up her calls. Thankfully or not, I knew a few others from the production house and I thought I'd get assistance from them. And oh, was I wrong? Hell, yes.

Each of them stretched the heights of unprofessional behavior. We waited for 7 months. Yes, 7 whole months for a simple letter of experience. Unjustifiable. Unprofessional. Annoying.

We thought we'd talk to the HR of the production house and guess what he said?
'Volunteers aren't given certificates.'
Volunteers? We were clear interns in the reality team. There were people who could vouch for that. Another girl asked us to wait for 1.5 months more because they were 'tied up with the ongoing show!' Such an amazing way to treat interns, right?

And finally, the EP replied and asked us to come on the 3rd of September to the office. Aaaaand again, no reply post that. And apparently she blocked me on WhatsApp. So much of arrogance, I tell you. But then, we called her from a different number and she picked up. Yay. She asked us to reach office by 4 pm, and we did. Add an hour of waiting post that. And then, she finally came with the certificates, put it on the reception desk, where we were sitting, and walked away. Not even a word of appreciation. Great going, professionalism.

This issue raises a question in my mind, and I'm sure it raises a question in your mind too. What makes these companies behave like this? Playing on the interns' vulnerability and lack of options, are we? Voila!

For people who know me, they know which show, which channel and which production house I'm speaking of. And I felt this was really important to share to make sure no one else suffers like this. Finally, after 7 months of madness - we got our certificates today on the 3rd of September. And I'm so glad I'll not be associated with them anymore. Burn. 

How Twitter Changed My Life

Why are you always on Twitter? What do you even tweet?'
'I don't understand Twitter. 140 characters is way too less, man!'

Being a social media enthusiast and a twitter bug, I've heard the above lines way too much. If I got 10 rs for every time a person told me that they don't 'understand Twitter', I'd have been REALLY rich.

For me, however, Twitter isn't JUST a social networking site. Its a platform that has given me the opportunity to grow into the person I am today, at the mere age of 19.

'Digital PR Consultant' - that's how most people know me in the industry. 'How did this happen in the span of one year?' I often ask myself, but I never get the right answer. And I never will, I think. There are things that just happen, out of the blue. And this 'Twitter love' is one of them.

I still remember, it was February 2014, and my board exams were due in less than a month. Back then, I had about 2 thousand followers on Twitter, and more than 25k tweets. (Yes, I'm addicted!)
A friend who worked with a social media agency messaged me and suddenly asked 'Hey, want some extra pocket money for vacations?' OBVIOUSLY I DID. WHO DOESN'T? 'What do I need to do?' I inquired. 'Intern with us. Do what you're amazing at - TWEET!'

Now, isn't that a dream cum true? Getting paid for tweeting? Till then, social media as a career was a concept unknown to me. But I decided to give it a try. And I'm so glad I did. That's why I stand here today, being one of the youngest PR professionals in my 'group'.

Yes, brands pay me to tweet for them. But its not just the money that makes me love Twitter. I've met one of the best people, thanks to Twitter. I've had my biggest heartbreak, thanks to Twitter. I've attended the best events, thanks to Twitter. And I am where I am, thanks to Twitter.

Its a site which grows on you. From 'Good morning' to 'Good night', I'm an open book there. And no one judges. So yes, that's how Twitter changed me from '@SulCjee' to '@BeingChatterjee' and from a direction less 18 year old into the '19 year old founder of The India Diaries'.

Varsha's Story.

The dim rays of the sun worked its way past the closed window and the curtains and fell on Varsha. The honking of the vehicles on the main road, and the constant ringing of the alarm woke Varsha up. With sleepy eyes, she looked at her phone. ‘7.30 AM’, it flashed. ‘’Oh no! I’ll be late for the airport.’’ She thought.

She got up with a jerk, quickly took a shower, packed her red American Tourister bag, and rushed out of the hotel room. Her flight was at 9.20 AM, and it was already 7.50 AM. She thanked ‘Ganpati Bappa!’ for getting a cab instantaneously. ‘Last & Final Boarding Call For Mrs. Varsha Dheeraj Iyer.’ – Thankfully, she didn’t miss her flight.

The flight from Mumbai to Kolkata was approximately of 2 and a half hours, and each moment seemed like a year for her. After all, it was a special day. She looked at the Swarovski ring that Dheeraj had gifted her, on the wedding day, and grinned ear to ear. It was their fifth marriage anniversary and she was traveling all the way from Mumbai to Kolkata to give him a surprise.

These five years had been a roller coaster ride, full of ups and downs – fights and love. Dheeraj was the CEO of Perfect Pictures, India’s leading Ad Agency, whereas Varsha was the General Manager of Regal Palace – one of the best luxury hotels in India. Being workaholics, both barely found time for each other. But it was their anniversary, and Dheeraj was in Kolkata for a conference. There was no way they’d spend their anniversary apart. So Varsha had decided to surprise him.

‘Welcome to Netaji Subhash Chandra Airport..’ – no sooner did she hear the Captain say this than she started smiling. Finally, she could surprise her Dheeraj. He’d be so thrilled to see her. 

‘Taxi, Park Street?’ she called out. In the cab, she finally fixed herself. She put some blue kohl, and combed her hair. He loved it when she kept her hair open. ‘When you keep your hair open, your look like a princess.’ He’d tell her. It was the same mad, passionate, intense love and longing for each other. That was the only thing that hadn’t changed over these years.

One last time, she checked herself in the mirror of the lift, smiled to herself. She had the spare keys to the apartment Dheeraj was in, and she opened the door, oh so softly. She didn’t want him to wake up. Putting her luggage near the door, she tiptoed to his room, with a bottle of wine and a bouquet of roses. As soon as she opened the door, she looks surprised. There was no one in the room. 'Itni subah kaha gaye?' She dialed his number. 'Hello?' said Dheeraj. 'Hi baby! Kaha ho?' she asked. Dheeraj halted for a moment and then said - 'Um, office mein! Baad mein baat karta hoon!' and hung up. Varsha looked upset.

On the other side, Dheeraj halted an auto and asked 'Bhaiya? Bandra chaloge?' with a bottle of wine and a bouquet of roses.

Love & Pain: Joy's Untold Story.

With love comes pain, I knew that. But the pain that I was going through today - nobody could decipher it.
I woke up to the constant ringing of the doorbell. I opened one eye, then another and sighed at being woken up so early.
The entire house was filled with heavily dressed, makeup laden people whom I detested.

Today was Richa's wedding. My Richa, my true love. Ever since I knew what love meant, I knew that I loved her. I tiptoed to her room, and watched quietly as she wore her earrings, and did her makeup. 'Stupid girl! Doesn't she know she's naturally pretty and doesn't need any makeup?' I thought to myself.

I had been standing there for almost 15 minutes, but she didn't notice me. I was quite used to that by now. Ever since she had met that Vishal guy, she had stopped noticing me. How I loathed him! What was so special about him? What did he have that I didn't? I could've sang Taylor Swift's 'YOU BELONG WITH ME!' right now but I resisted.

I knew for a fact that I was in deep, irrevocable love. The kind of love that makes you happy, the kind of love that also makes you vulnerable to pain. Yes, I was in pain. Nothing pains more than unrequited love. But them, I didn't know what went wrong. We had a connection for sure - a special bond. I still remember the day we first met. It was the best day of my life. She was wearing a blue summer dress, and black kohl. I was mesmerized. Her dimples, her chirpiness, her curls that she tucked behind her ears every five minutes - everything made me fall for her.

Today was when she'd leave me forever and go to the United States. Why was I having mixed feelings? I should've been happy for her? Right? I tried justifying the feelings to myself. I could feel a strange hollow in my stomach. I couldn't stand being here anymore.

The day passed by and I didn't see Richa till the time all the ceremonies were done, and it was time for 'Bidaai!'
Everyone was howling and crying. Pretentious people, I thought. And them finally she came to me. 'Joy!' she exclaimed, with tears in her eyes.

Was she crying for me? Wasn't she happy? Did she love me? Did she see my pain? A million questions ran through my mind. She hugged me and kissed me on the forehead. I froze. 'You're my best friend! You know that, right? Take care of yourself!' she said and walked away.
She didn't turn back but I wanted to call her back. And I did, only to be unheard. 'Woof!' I exclaimed.
I was Roy, Richa's best friend. Her German Shepherd.

Of Hushed Whispers And Giggles.

Its funny how, just because I openly and strongly support LGBT rights, every time the topic comes up, everyone looks at me & starts laughing. And then they'd say 'Oooh! Guess you're into girls too!'
I don't get it. These are 18-21 year olds I'm talking about. I don't get it. If people of our generation cannot accept sexuality, forget it being accepted by others.
Why is there this mentality that you need to be coy about your sexuality, straight or not, to be accepted as normal?
Yes, my friends and I talk about sex
Why do we have to be so insecure about sexuality?
Its pretty weird how, the moment you start talking about anything related to sex, there's hushed whispers and giggles.I think its about the kind of environment you've grown up in. In my growing up years, my parents haven't been coy about sex scenes in movies. Instead, we'd laugh about it. I've never had to hide having a crush or a boyfriend from my parents. Its about opening up and accepting.
When I'd have delayed periods, my mom would laugh and say 'You sure you're not pregnant?'
Yeah, its about how open your surroundings are.
Sex isn't a taboo.
Nor is bisexuality.
Its as normal as being straight.
Also, its not a choice.
Just like being straight isn't.

Get over it!

That Green Little Thing

Her heart was pouncing. She could feel it. Her throat was dry. Netra looked around the room nervously. Her brown eyes were shimmering with excitement as she waited for the HR Manager to come inside. It was finally the day she started her medical internship at Lifeline Hospital. Ever since she knew she wanted to be a doctor, she wanted to work here. A special place it was - After all this place saved her from the claws of death at the mere age of 12.

She looked around. For the 5th time, she read through the list of doctors. For the second time, she noted the temperature of the AC. Her heartbeats were so fast that she could feel it. The HR manager finally arrived with a fellow doctor, and handed her an appointment letter. 'Hi Netra! This is Dr. Shraddha. You'll be assisting her in the ER today. All the best!' she smiled and Dr. Shraddha head out of the room with Netra. She indeed was a bright kid - chirpy, sensitive and mature. She was the perfect potential doctor.

As Netra stepped into the lift, she glared at the logo of the hospital - The little green thing - the lines of the heartbeat - full of ups & downs. 'This depicts my life.' she thought. Life, like the green lines is full of ups and downs, but that is what makes us feel alive. Without struggles, life would just be a little green straight line - dead.

The choice of being a doctor, of saving lives was what gave Netra a reason to live. She smiled at the thought. Today was just the beginning of a new journey..A journey of saving others..A journey of the little green thing called life.

~ This was an assignment given to us & I thought I'd just publish it. You tell me, what's the first thing that comes to your mind when I say 'That Green Little Thing!' ?

Celebrate Father's Day with the Lokhandwala Running Club (LRC) on 21st June, Sunday

 

Celebrate Father’s Day with the Lokhandwala Running Club (LRC) on 21^st June, Sunday

~Do it for Dads Day – A 5Km Run/Walk~

June 2015: Its Father's Month all June! Give a unique gift to your fathers ...the gift of running and experience a never-before Father's Day celebration in true LRC style!

The one person who stands by you and is the "go-to" person is always Dad.  So come, this year run side by side with that person who marks your presence in this world by giving you his most precious asset - his name! Without whom, you wouldn't be known.

If you have a father or a father figure who means a whole lot in your life, we want to see you burn those roads with him. You can even run for him or in his fond memory J

Join us in this celebration. It's not a race....It's not just about running or jogging or walking...it's a fun event where you can create memories to cherish for a long time and maybe start something new with your dad!

All participants will receive a medal and refreshments.

Date: Sunday, 21st June 2015

Venue: Lokhandwala Jogger's Park Entrance

Time: Assemble by 5:45am, race flags off by 6am.

Where- Lokhandwala Joggers Park Entrance (Andheri West)

Entries: Rs.150/- per pair.

Registrations on till 10^th June

For registrations, please call - Shashin Rao- 9619438685 OR Sanjana- 9619841588

6 Reasons Why The Pretentious Duo Rocks It Every Time.

"Hi guys, and welcome to Pretentious Movies Reviews, and this week's movie is..."

Yes, I'm talking about Kanan Gill and Biswa Kalyan Rath and most certainly - PRETENTIOUS MOVIE REVIEWS. Every now and then, these two young Youtubers post reviews of the craziest movies, which we wouldn't even think of watching otherwise. Like, Jaani Dushman - Ek Anokhi Kahani, which indeed is the most Anokhi Kahanis of all Anokhi Kahanis. No, they are not critics. No, they don't rate the movies. What they do is that they make us laugh madly. How? Why? Why would you watch it? To answer these questions, here's 6 reasons why the PRETENTIOUS DUO ROCKS IT EVERY TIME:

1. The crazy catch phrases:

They make sure that they get the funniest phrases and dialogues from the movies that they choose, and use it. "Hi AUNTY!", "Mujhe yeh haseen dard de do!" and "Toh Problem Kya Hai?" surely nailed it!

2. Biswa's hilariously funny expressions:

Now, people usually think Biswa is underrated, but I swear I'll kill anyone who says he's not funny. In reality, Biswa is funnier than Kanan. He can express the "Pagalness of the pagal i.e the pagality" in a fewer words, and in the most hilarious ways. "I think the book is better than the movie.", "Which book?", "Any book!" Oh Biswa, you beauty.

3.  The expressions:

They don't just speak. They emote. "EXERCISE?"

4. The choice of movies.

They don't just choose mainstream bad movies. They choose movies that may have done madly amazing, but certainly, at some points defy logic. Like, DDLJ. (SRK, I still love you, kay?) You're not just genius, you're indi-genius.

5. The lack of crass behavior.

They prove the fact that you don't have to be crass, or vulgar in order to be funny. Their content is good enough to send people ROFLing.

6. The best possible choice of scenes.

Whoever of  them does the editing surely knows how to make people laugh just by showing the funniest scenes. How can we forget the "Aaj Sadak.." kid!

In closing, we'd like to say "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ, WE LOVE YOU!"

Yes, this was a fangirly post- but Kanan-Biswa, you guys rock.

Also, subscribe to Blank Space - Soon launching. Tadaa!

Follow me on Twitter: @BeingChatterjee

7 Signs You Have An Amazing Friend.

Friends - They're that integral part of your life that is indispensible. Be it an ugly heartbreak or a crazy crush, a true and an amazing friend is always there for you. They have been there no matter what, and have never said "I told you so!" when you fall down. There'll be people who will call themselves your "friends" throughout your life, but during the darkest nights and the worst storms do you find out who your true friends are. So, if you think you have a friend who has always been there for you, here are _ signs they are amazing friends worth keeping:

1. They don't get tired of your rants and complaints.

They will never get irritated of your continuous "I hate him." and "My life sucks." It doesn't matter if you're telling it to them for the first time or the millionth time, they are great listeners every time.

2. They don't judge you for your obsessions and your addictions.

They have seen you in your vulnerabilities and have also seen you in your craziest moments. They have seen you fan-girl over random people, and they still love you just the same.

3. You can share your deepest, darkest secrets without any apprehension..

They are like your psychotherapists - you can pour out your heart, and they will keep the secrets with them till they die, and after that.

4. They give you your personal space, and aren't clingy.

They know and accept that you have a life outside your friendship zone, and they accept it. And if you're lucky enough, they become good friends with your other friends too.

5. They will stop you when you're wrong, and tell you the harsh truth easily.

They don't sugar-coat things or manipulate them. They know when they have to be harsh with you and when they need to give you a shoulder. They will stop you from doing the wrong thing, no matter what.

6. They don't carry grudges along the way.

You both might fight madly, might stop talking for a while, might curse and abuse - but after the fight ends, there's no ego in between. EVER.

7. And, lastly - They will always be there for you when you need them.

They will never let you go - no matter how many years have gone by. They are always one phone call away, and they'll be there crying with you, laughing with you, and hugging you in the worst of times.

You should consider yourself very lucky if you have a friend with these qualities. Times will test your friendship, and when you cross them with hands held together do you know that they are worth keeping. 

An Afternoon With Pt. Shivkumar Sharma and Juhi Chawla

I checked the time: 3.15 PM. I had been invited, along with two of my friends to an informal interaction session with Pandit Shivkumar Sharma - The Santoor Maestro, and the very beautiful heart-throb Juhi Chawla at her Malabar Hills house. Nervously and excitedly, we entered the room which was huge and with minimalistic furniture, and beautiful paintings. Natural light made it look even more glorious. And there they were, the people we've grown up listening to and watching. People die for a glimpse of theirs and here we were - all set to interview them in regards to their upcoming Musical Evening organized by Anand Trust.

After waiting for a while, as commercial journalists took the interviews, it was finally out turn. We took our seats - confidently and gleaming with joy. The prior journalists had asked them already about a lot of basic stuff which we already knew due to extensive research. So, we decided to stick to the topic of the concert and the entire Anand Trust initiative. On being asked as to how the entire concept of the trust came into existence, Juhi asked her sister in law Madhavi Badyani - also the main organizer of the event to brief us about it. "We had launched an album of Shlokas called Upanishad Amrit, and whatever money was earned was donated to the Swami Shivanand Hospital. That was the when the trust was made." She has known Panditji for over 40 years and the first concert they held in Nairobi with Zakir Hussain and Pandit Shivkumar Sharma.

When asked about his rapport, and bonding with Zakir Hussain, he very happily responded saying that their music has grown and evolved over the years, and that Zakir Hussain has been an active participant in the process. "He has seen my transformation." he added. "There's a different energy, and beauty when we perform together." he said with a smile.

Santoor was never something that the Indian Classical Music field knew of before Panditji started playing it. "I got a lot of non approval and criticism from the Gurus then, but it never bothered me." He knew that he needed to give a distinct style and character to the instrument - Santoor, which was till then used only in Kashmiri Sufi.

Juhi Chawla, who has been attached to the initiative since over a decade now laughed heartily when we asked whether she wanted to perform on stage or not. "In the beginning, I never understood Classical Music and its technicalities. But now, when I'm listening to the concerts, it's bliss." she smiled. "But I'm too scared to learn as I don't know how well I'll be able to do. I stick to singing melodies and Bollywood songs."

"What about the future of the trust?" we asked as a final closing question. They nodded and just said "We just want to help people." We didn't even realize that we had been speaking for over 20-25 minutes. Then we rose and clicked some amazing pictures. Not everyone gets a chance to meet their role models, but I was indeed lucky.

Music indeed is the best way to express yourself. It makes you smile, cry, or it simply calms you down. Don't miss the "Musical Evening with the legendary maestros - Pt. Shivkumar Sharma and Zakir Hussain on the 15th of January at Nehru Centre Auditorium, Worli.