MxMIndia

Category: HARD KNOCKS

Anil Thakraney’s view on adland, medialand and more

  • I don't think a few rotten eggs will spoil the big IPL party, it will carry on as usual. Too many people make too much moolah from it, the show will simply go on. The IPL is used to surviving scandals

    Anil Thakraney: IPL: Show will go on

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I write this post at 1pm on Thursday. The latest IPL scandal is still unfolding, and by the time you read this piece, we would have learnt a great deal more, and perhaps more skeletons would have tumbled out of the dirty closet. However, here are my thoughts as of now:

     

    S Sreesanth needs urgent medical help. I said this recently, and wish his family members had paid attention. I am sure they’d rather see this idiot on a shrink’s couch rather than in a police detention room. From what I have gathered so far, the Delhi cops have direct evidence against Sreesanth, which means his cricketing career is finally cooked. But here’s the pity: The man will be invited to take part in the next Bigg Boss season (they love hiring such losers), and therefore Sreesanth will continue to earn revenues from showbiz. Sad.

     

    As you’d expect, the media has gone into frenzy, and as always, there are unconfirmed reports being put out on air, and wild speculation indulged in. We can crib and complain as much as we want, our news channels will never mend their ways. Anyway, lots of easy meat ready for Arnab, Rajdeep and others, am sure they are sharpening their claws even as I write this.

     

    Many trigger happy tweeters and some ill informed TV reporters and anchors have been ranting against the latest ‘match fixing’ scandal in the IPL. Please be corrected; this isn’t match fixing, this is spot fixing, and that’s a different thing. For fixing a match, you will need to take the captain into confidence, and the Rajasthan Royals’ leader is a gentleman called Rahul Dravid. Over his dead body will the high-integrity Dravid allow anyone to cheat with the game.

     

    Regular readers of this blog would know that I have no love lost for the tamasha that is the IPL. Even if I was given a free VIP pass by Dr Mallya, with a guarantee that the RCB cheerleaders will dance on my lap throughout the match, I would refuse to go, and would instead watch Balika Vadhu at home. That’s because the IPL is everything but cricket. And yet, I humbly accept that there are millions who enjoy this ‘entertainment’, and therefore I support its existence. And I don’t think a few rotten eggs will spoil the big IPL party, it will carry on as usual. Too many people make too much moolah from it, the show will simply go on. The IPL is used to surviving scandals.

     

    And yes, looking forward to watching Sreesanth in Bigg Boss. Such is the world we now live in.

     

    ***

     

    PS: All journos must read this article carefully. It’s about how to use (and more importantly, not to use) Twitter during a national crisis. The way some people tweet without thinking, I shudder to imagine what might have happened if Twitter was popular during the 26/11 carnage.

     

    Link: http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2013/04/boston_marathon_bombing_all_the_mistakes_journalists_make_during_a_crisis.html

     

  • Just when you thought the Sanjay Dutt media circus is done and dusted, that he will now be left alone to atone for his sins, the madness rages on

    Anil Thakraney: Dutt teri ki!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Just when you thought the Sanjay Dutt media circus is done and dusted, that he will now be left alone to atone for his sins, the madness rages on. And it’s back to…. yes… ‘Sensational’ news of food arriving from home for the criminal star, and his displeasure with the choice of the cell allotted to him. We already have full details of the ‘perks’ allowed to the macho man inside the prison: Mosquito repellent creams, soft pillows, toilet rolls, etc, etc. Line diagrams of the Arthur Road Jail are being published once again. Soon, ditto will happen with the Yerawada Jail. Is this going to continue right till the time Dutt is inside prison? I fear it will.

     

    Guys and gals, please leave him alone, treat him like just another convict serving out his sentence. The Indian media has to grow out of this insane celebrity obsession, at least when it comes to crime. And we must remember that special attention to one criminal is not fair to the rest of the prisoners. I am quite certain the other convicts, after reading about or watching all the fuss over Dutt, will start demanding mosquito lotions and home-cooked biryani. Perhaps a Jacuzzi too. The jail is a tough place to survive; it’s supposed to be that way, it’s not a holiday resort. The whole idea is ‘punishment for crimes committed’, and that’s the way it should be. In any case our hero will be out sooner than expected (there are enough powerful people holding the candle for him), so kindly leave the dude to his elements for now. If for nothing else, please respect the feelings of the survivors of the 1993 blasts. Some of whom don’t even have a leg left to apply mosquito cream on. Let them feel at least some justice has been done, and that Dutt is being treated like an ordinary criminal. This is important.

     

    On another note, the IPL scandal continues to rock and roll, as the Mumbai cops try hard to go one up on their Delhi counterparts. But the crowds continue to surge into the stadia regardless. And that’s because people want entertainment, they don’t care if the masala being dished out is real or scripted. On the first day of the fixing news break, some over-enthusiastic young journos went on air with the ‘news’ that huge sums of cash were found in the rooms of bowler Shaun Tait and a few other players. Should the channels concerned not issue an open public apology to these guys? They should, if these channels wish to retain at least a modicum of credibility.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Life and times of apna ad agency folks, all captured through graphics and illustrations. Very accurate and quite funny. Enjoy!

     

    Link: http://digitalsynopsis.com/advertising/a-closer-look-at-agency-folk-and-their-habits-infographic

     

  • It all boils down to just one thing: 'Dimag jhakaas hai par sala character dhila hai'.

    Anil Thakraney: Oops! Phaneesh did it again!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    As the saying goes, the first time you make a mistake, it’s an accident. The second time you make the same mistake, it’s a choice. Going by this logic, iGate’s President & CEO, Shri Phaneesh Murthy, who’s been sacked over sexual harassment charges, is clearly a habitual sex offender. There’s no way of ensuring this man keeps his penis zipped up at office.

     

    Readers will remember the tech hero had been sacked from Infosys in 2002, following a sexual harassment accusation by his executive secretary, Ms Reka Maximovitch. That case was settled out of court, and it cost Infosys a fat packet. One assumed that the man, having burnt his fidgety fingers, would have learnt a hard lesson. Murthy got a second chance to start his career when he joined iGate in 2003, and he did fabulously out there. According to trade press reports, he took iGate’s revenues from $2 million to $750 million inside ten years. And that’s a remarkable achievement in the highly competitive IT sector. Well, all that talent and success couldn’t stop him from having a sexual encounter with a subordinate all over again, and the man is fired, all over again!

     

    We can safely assume Phaneesh Murthy isn’t an idiot. His career record tells us so, and add to that the fact that he happens to be an IIT/IIM alumnus. Why on earth would a man with such powerful credentials make the same stupid blunder the second time? To be fair, we haven’t yet (at the time of writing this post) heard from the man himself, so let’s see what he has to say in his defence.

     

    However, two things need to be said right away. Since he’s done it again, Phaneesh seems to suffer from some kind of a sexual disorder, and he must get his head (and other body parts) sorted out. And two, this is yet another wake up call for the entire corporate world, as incidents of sexual harassment at workplace keep happening regularly.

     

    The moot question is: Why would you hit on a subordinate, fully aware of the legal ramifications? Is there scarcity of women outside your workplace? The only reasonable explanation seems to be this: Everyday interaction with the same person, close physical proximity to that person, and if there’s sexual attraction, even otherwise intelligent men can (and often do) slip. Which is why, unless we all work from out of our respective homes, incidents of sexual harassment will never cease.

     

    So then it all boils down to just one thing: ‘Dimag jhakaas hai par sala character dhila hai’. In Phaneesh’s case, that should read ‘Sala character bahut hee dhila hai’. I feel sorry for his wife, she deserves better than this.

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator based in Mumbai. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own.

     

  • As Indian television's biggest annual reality show draws to a close, there are five pressing questions left unanswered. Let me try to deal with them

    Anil Thakraney: IPL 6 FAQs

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Okay, so as Indian television’s biggest annual reality show draws to a close, there are five pressing questions left unanswered. Let me try to deal with them.

     

    Does the IPL have a future following the fixing scandal? Will it shut down?

    There’s no way this tamasha is going to close shop, even if more skeletons tumble out of the stinking cupboard. Frankenstein BCCI has created a huge monster, and there’s no taming it now. The masses adore this monster because the IPL is fulltoo entertainment for the full family. It’s less about cricket and more about all the natak that goes around it. The TV ratings for this year have been good, and the stadia packed to the gills once again (the Delhi cricket ground was full house for the two play-offs despite the home team having been knocked out). And, Sreesanth & Co’s antics had zero effect on popularity. The IPL is here to stay. Period.

     

    Will we see a clean IPL season next year?

    Nope. T20 cricket is a fertile hunting ground for spot fixing, all it takes the bookies and their agents is a few dishonest players to co-operate. And this is particularly easy with the IPL because it’s teeming with players who have either been kicked out of the Indian team or aren’t talented enough to find a place in it. Also, India is a vastly corrupt nation, so to expect all our cricketers to be blessed with squeaky clean genes is being downright stupid. Some boys will sell their souls again, but I suspect they’ll behave more smartly than the three idiots: Sreesanth, Chandila and Chavan. Fixing will continue, the procedures will get refined.

     

    Can’t the tournament host, the BCCI, clamp down on fixing?

    Well, according to media reports, the BCCI boss’s darling ghar jamai is allegedly involved in the betting racket, haha. So to expect that organization to follow Gandhian principles is like expecting Phaneesh Murthy to practice celibacy for the rest of his life. It ain’t gonna happen. Therefore what I predict is hyperactive policing next year (match fixing seems to bother our cops more than rapes) and various sting operations by the maha excited media. And yet, the show will go on.

     

    Aren’t sponsors and advertisers furious over the various IPL scandals? Should they not put pressure by threatening to pull out next year?

    Well, ideally they should, but they won’t. That’s because the corporate suits aren’t out to make India a better place, that’s not in their mission statement. The advertisers are only and only interested in one thing: Eyeballs. As long as the IPL continues to draw in the audiences (which it will), the money will keep getting pumped in. In fact, secretly, some of the sponsors must be elated with all the scandals, they help keep the tournament buzzing on the news channels. That’s a much bigger bang for their buck.

     

    Will Rajya Sabha MP Shri Sachin Tendulkar announce his retirement this Sunday?

    No. He’ll be playing IPL 30 too. Am willing to, er, bet on it. 🙂

     

  • What's the IPL minus all the high drama? After all, it is just a glorified, modern day nautanki

    Anil Thakraney: No effect on Brand IPL

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    There is a lot of chatter going on over the impact of the latest scandal on the IPL’s brand value, and the possibility of advertisers ditching this ‘sinking ship’ next year. In response, let me first put up a daily life situation: Have you noticed how the chana vatana sellers suddenly land up when you are stuck at a traffic signal? In fact, they usually arrive when there’s a nasty traffic jam (somehow these chaps come to know of it!). Also, even as the bad jam leaves us in a foul mood, many of us do purchase the goodies from these boys.

     

    Why am I giving you this strange example? Because it’s the same story with branding and advertising. Think of the car passengers as audiences, the traffic jam as the mega event, and the chana sellers as the advertisers. The chana sellers will only go where the crowds are, regardless of the poor emotional connect between the traffic jam and the passengers. And the latter will buy from these guys because they (the hawkers) have nothing to do with the traffic jam. In much the same way, as long as the IPL continues to draw in the audiences, the advertisers will be there because the numbers is all that matters. Regardless of the scams that engulf the tournament. None of the zillion controversies have dented the IPL’s mass appeal in six years, nor will the latest one.

     

    And equally significantly, the viewers will not hold the IPL’s dirty deeds against the brands advertising their stuff during the tournament. This is because the junta isn’t stupid. Even the layman knows that Vodafone, Star Plus, Pepsi, Yes Bank, etc, have nothing to do with the spot fixing mischief by certain players, or the betting by bookies and some shady team owners. Therefore there’s no question of advertisers giving up on the IPL. As a case in point, news channels have been continuously running footage of Sreesanth and gang while they were busy spot fixing. As a result, the logo of the Rajasthan team sponsor printed in their jerseys, UltraTech Cement, keeps leaping out at you. Would that affect the sponsor’s image or their sales in any way? No chance!

     

    As for the IPL itself, as I mentioned in my previous post, this tamasha is here to stay. The format has won the hearts and minds of the Indian masses, and all the ugly controversies over the years don’t seem to have affected its popularity at all. Even if the BCCI, which is under pressure, finds a way to prevent spot fixing in next year’s edition (a very, very tough ask), IPL 7 will throw up its own set of fresh scandals, and it will be business as usual. In any case, what’s the IPL minus all the high drama? After all, it is just a glorified, modern day nautanki.

     

  • Cricket has given the master batsman everything; it's time to give something back to it, writes Anil Thakraney

    Anil Thakraney: Gavaskar’s silence is deafening

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    For many guys from my generation, Bachchan was the childhood hero. But even at a young age I was smart enough to be able to differentiate real and reel life, and therefore the movie star meant little to me. Today when I see Big B moronically sell us cookies and jewellery (don’t those ads make you cringe?), I am glad I did not make him my idol. My one and only hero was Sunil Gavaskar, and I still admire him for his cutting insights on cricket. I vividly recall Gavaskar taking on the most lethal fast bowlers of this world, wearing only his white floppy hat… that was sheer guts. More than physical strength, it needed nerves of steel. He was THE man to me.

     

    About two years ago I chased him hard for an interview for a magazine. But failed. I can think of two reasons why. Some retired cricketers now prefer to speak only in exchange for money. Or, perhaps my nasty reputation preceded me, and therefore my childhood hero thought it’s best to duck this one. If that was so, he made a terrible mistake. Being a fan for life, my knees will have trembled in his presence; Gavaskar could have had me for lunch.

     

    However, today when I watch my hero desperately play those ultra defensive shots on the IPL scandal, it breaks my heart. This could be because he has been and desires to be on the BCCI’s payroll, and he does not want to risk losing that revenue stream. Therefore in his appearances on NDTV (another paid contract), all he does is side-track important questions, or defend the organization that has ‘Controversies’ enshrined in its mission statement. This man cannot be my childhood hero, this must be an imposter. It deeply saddens me to state this.

     

    I wish India’s finest batsman ever (I rate him above Tendulkar) chooses cricket over money. And takes the bull by its horns. Gavaskar is universally respected in this country, his views will make a huge difference. The IPL mess has put the credibility of the game on the line, and we need heroes like Gavaskar to rise to the occasion. Cricket has given the master batsman everything; it’s time to give something back to it.

     

    Throw that helmet out of the TV studios, Sir. If blokes like Andy Roberts, Malcolm Marshall and Michael Holding could not intimidate you, why would you worry about a businessman called N Srinivasan? Be the hero you always were in my eyes. Take him on, and hit him out of the cricket ground.

     

    PS: Terrific idea. Hold an exhibition of posters containing the worst client feedback, and make a charity organization happy. Indian creatives need to do stuff like this. So much better than indulging in dirty scam ads.

     

    Link: http://www.boredpanda.com/sharp-suits-worst-client-comment-posters/

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • Graduates have been frantically hitting on their institute alumni for jobs bu some of the desperate ones have been going about this is an incorrect manner, rues Anil Thakraney

    Anil Thakraney: Dear fresh MBA, you’re pissing me off

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Yes, I know it’s tough landing jobs for management school grads these days. (As also for mass communications grads, I would imagine.) The economic slowdown hasn’t ended, many companies have frozen or scaled down recruitment plans. There are too many institutes throwing up too many students, and the market isn’t able to absorb all of them. In fact, this year has been particularly horrid, even some IIM grads found it difficult to get jobs. Who would have ever thought the day will come.

     

    And so, desperate times call for desperate measures. Graduates have been frantically hitting on their institute alumni for jobs, with the hope that the ex students, now at senior positions in the corporate world, would come to their rescue. That’s a correct strategy; the date base of past students is easily available, and some business leaders, for emotional reasons, would offer fresh grads at least an interview opportunity, if not a job. So all kosher on that front.

     

    However, some of the desperate grads have been going about this is an incorrect manner. Case in point, the business management school I passed out from. (This institute shall go unnamed, I don’t wish to make their struggle harder than it already is.) A few students from this institute have been relentlessly stalking me, and to think I don’t even look pretty! Regular e-mails, requests for Linked-In connect, Twitter chase, and the worst of them all… phone calls at odd hours. Even this sort of harassment can be forgiven if, and this is the important point, these dudes bothered to do their homework before going after you.

     

    Because if they cared to do a little research, they would discover, without much effort, that I am no longer part of the corporate world, I haven’t been so for many years. I shifted to journalism nearly fifteen years ago. Which obviously means I have no job opportunities to offer these fresh MBAs. So when they pursue me, they are not just wasting their own precious time, they are messing up my mind, and getting me really agitated in the process. Of course, they can contact me if they, too, wish to be journalists, but that will only happen if they bothered to do their goddamned research in the first place.

     

    I’ll end with a strong message to all new business/communication school grads: The worst thing you can do in this trade is to approach someone without doing your homework. That really sucks. And when you do that, I am left feeling that you deserve to be jobless. Digest this very carefully. And then deal with it.

     

    PS: Ah! Brilliant, brilliant Bourneville ad, loved it! India mein bhi aisa ad karo, bhaiyya. We need to anyway kill the excessive sweetness in our advertising.

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • In the advertising context, Pawar's return sends out a strong signal to the rest of the ad world: Take your chances, buggers. Keep encouraging scam ads, you will be rewarded.

    Anil Thakraney: And, Bobby Pawar is back.

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Good for Bobby Pawar. The Ford scandal during his last job at JWT doesn’t seem to have dented his reputation one bit. He’s now been lapped up by Publicis, and life goes on as usual. Hopefully this time around, Pawar will set up tight controls within his agency to monitor ads created solely to win awards.

     

    Incidentally, right after the Ford howler, I had a drink with a few ad pals, and as it often happens, we ended up talking shop. Everyone unanimously agreed that Pawar will be back in action, very soon, at another large agency. No, this wasn’t the consensus because the man is talented (which he must be), but because we all felt this is what happens in India, somehow the powerful people manage to survive scandals. Look at politics, for example. Despite a series of scams, the tainted leaders remain untouched. And the few who do get sacked, find their way back into the power corridors in good time. India is a forgiving nation. So that explains it.

     

    The negative outcome of this situation, of course, is that it encourages rubbish behaviour. In the advertising context, Pawar’s return sends out a strong signal to the rest of the ad world: Take your chances, buggers. Keep encouraging scam ads, you will be rewarded. And if you do get caught with your pants down, chillax for a while, take the much-delayed holiday to that exotic location. Sooner or later you will find yourself back in the saddle.

     

    Before I wrap up, two quick points on Bobby Pawar: I don’t know the man at all, have never worked with him, haven’t even had the opportunity to say hello to him. So I have no personal grouse with him, it could have been any other creative director in his place. It is also quite possible that he had no knowledge of the controversial Ford ads created by his juniors, and therefore wasn’t personally responsible for them. Perhaps Pawar’s a great guy, and good luck to him on his new assignment.

     

    My only little problem: That it will be business as usual in the Indian ad world. Like nothing ever happened. Sad.

     

    ***

     

    PS: My shortlist for the next season of Bigg Boss. Feel free to add your recommendation: S Sreesanth, Gurunath Meiyappan, Pavan Bansal, Phaneesh Murthy, Chandresh (Jupiter) Jain, Ankeet Chavan, Mrs Ankeet Chavan, Ajit Chandela, Suresh Kalmadi, Niira Radia, A Raja, Sudipta Sen, Abhijit Mukherji, Vindoo Dara Singh, Kshitij Thakur, N Srinivasan, Varun Gandhi, Justice Katju.

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • Mahi was at least transparent in his dealings. Maybe this wasn't about honesty, maybe it was about financial naiivete. Either way, the truth is, he put his own name on record. The media must acknowledge this.

    Anil Thakraney: Mrs Dhoni should have invested in Rhiti

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Well, now that the dust has settled on the N Srinivasan saga (for the moment, that is), the media is going after Dhoni on charges of conflict of interest. Apparently, Captain Cool, at some point, held a cool 15 percent stake in a sports management company called Rhiti (what an odd name!), and this constitutes what we call ‘unfair trade practice’. This is because there are a few other cricketers managed by this company, and it would be in Rhiti’s interest if they got selected to play for India. The conflict arises because as captain, Dhoni has a say in team selection.

     

    While technically speaking the media has a valid point, and Dhoni is answerable for this direct investment, I really think we should go a bit easy on the guy, we should give him some breathing space. For three reasons. One, apart from doing commentary, cricketers don’t really have a solid career post retirement, and they have to look for investment opportunities while the going is good. Dhoni can start a restaurant or a hospital or a dance bar, but perhaps these things don’t interest him, his heart may lie in an activity he understands most: Sports. Therefore investing in a sports management company isn’t really out of place.

     

    Secondly, sports is a totally performance based activity (unlike many other professions in India, especially Bollywood, where failed sons of stars keep getting fresh opportunities), and even if Dhoni got Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja (Rhiti clients) an entry into the cricket team, these blokes have to quickly deliver. Or perish. So this so-called ‘conflict of interest’ has a very small role to play in this case. N Srinivasan’s situation is entirely different. He headed the BCCI and owns Chennai Super Kings, that’s a Deadly Dodgy Deal.

     

    Thirdly, we have to admit Mahi was at least transparent in his dealings. Like some of our respected netas, he could easily have invested benaami money in Rhiti. Or even invested in his wife’s or cousin’s or chacha’s name. But he chose to put his own name to it. Maybe this wasn’t about honesty, maybe it was about financial naiivete. Either way, the truth is, he put his own name on record. The media must acknowledge this.

     

    In short, fine, let’s cover this story. But please don’t crucify the man, he deserves better. There are enough big fish swimming in the dirty Indian Ocean to go after.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Haha. Totally cute ad from Taco Bell to push their Dollar Menu. What I like most about this one is how nicely they’ve sold their low price offer without damaging the brand. Rather, they’ve made it rock.

    http://www.fastcocreate.com/1682903/a-spunky-senior-channels-christopher-walken- in-new-spot-for-taco-bells-dollar-menu?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ fastcompany%2Fheadlines+%28Fast+Company%29

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • Only one word comes to mind for Balki: Respect. For taking a tough stand, for making a powerful statement, for finding an honest way to reward his employees.

    Anil Thakraney: Lowe Lintas Awards: The Scam Free Zone

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    In my interviews with Balki, I give him stress for not willing to take part in the Abby awards. I have even called him stuck-up and arrogant. Of course, these are tricks one uses during interviews… in my heart, I have always admired the man for keeping away from meaningless award shows. And with each passing year, as GoaFest gets hit by fresh scandals, this view has only got strengthened. I am now convinced Balki’s got it absolutely right.

     

    However, the agency does (given the talent pool) continue to produce good work each year, and the creative folks need to be recognized and honoured. Enter the Lowe Lintas True Show. An event where the agency rewards itself on work they consider to be brilliant. This is not held annually, I suppose Balki decides which year is appropriate for the event, when he feels enough outstanding work has been put out by his agency. The burning question is this: What value can an award have if it’s not judged by an independent jury? This ‘minor’ issue is irrelevant to Balki, because he doesn’t respect the jury members Goa Fest usually appoints.

     

    The result: No controversies, no bad blood, and most importantly, no scam ads. Everyone has a good time at the event, as did I on Tuesday. I caught up with long-lost buddies, and because I have worked with Lintas in the past, it was almost like homecoming. I was present at the previous True Show event as well, and that was a smaller gathering. This year was a mega affair, the venue was grander, and it was packed with Lowe’s employees, creative directors from rival agencies, members of the press, and some Lowe clients. With such a large turnout, and after a few Patiala pegs, it was difficult to locate people you want to meet, I missed saying hello to many. Booze bottles as trophies is an idea I most liked. Suddenly, after all these years, I want to win an award, hic!

     

    But the most touching part of the event was Lintas honouring its rivals, for work that Balki and his team envy. And what this does is make the show bigger than just the agency, it turns The True Show into an industry event. The award given away to O&M on their work for The Hindu was richly deserved. I am not sure if the work for Gujarat Tourism deserved to be honoured, but that could be because of Balki’s soft corner for Amitabh Bachchan, the state’s brand ambassador. Scam award chhe, Balki! Haha, just kidding.

     

    Net net: Only one word comes to mind for Balki: Respect. For taking a tough stand, for making a powerful statement, for finding an honest way to reward his employees. And most importantly, for having a blast in the process.

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • Fans of bada netas have the right to follow the procession. But was Jiah Khan a leader of the masses? She was just another struggling starlet in an ocean of filmi strugglers. Apart from sensationalizing someone's tragedy, what good did come of this?

    Anil Thakraney: Can we not cover last rites please?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Of course, young Jiah Khan’s suicide had to be covered extensively in the media. She was a member of the showbiz (even if a small player), and therefore public interest would be intense. Also, there’s a ‘lovers’ tiff’ angle to the tragedy, and this makes the incident even more interesting. All very fine, and I am sure this story will be closely followed by the media as the police investigation progresses, which is the way it should be.

     

    However, there’s something not very nice the media did once again, and I am pointing this out with the hope that we don’t indulge in this unfairness in the future. The press covered the dead girl’s funeral, and pictures of her wailing family members were lavishly spread out in the newspapers. (I did not follow the story on television, am certain they did the same thing.)  What is the need for this, what ‘public interest’ does this serve? Performing the last rites of an individual is a deeply personal moment, the family members and close friends are in deep anguish and dazed with shock, why would we want to shove cameras in their faces at this time? I think the media must come to an understanding that the last rites of a dead individual should not be covered. There will be plenty of opportunities at a later time/date to communicate with the family members.

     

    Some of you would argue that funeral processions of departed leaders are routinely covered by the media across the world. I am okay with this, fans of these bada netas have the right to follow the procession, even if via the media. I had no issues, for example, when Bal Thackeray’s cremation was covered on live television. It also helps give their zillion fans a sense of closure. But was Jiah Khan a leader of the masses? Heck, she didn’t even have an adequate fan following in Bollywood, she was just another struggling starlet in an ocean of filmi strugglers (Mumbai’s Lokhandwala Complex alone boasts of tens of thousands). So apart from sensationalizing someone’s tragedy, what good did come of this?

     

    To all editors and publishers reading this article: Can we agree that funeral processions of people like Jiah Khan will be kept away from public glare? Can we agree that even in the mad chase for readership and eyeballs, we will show respect for basic human dignity?

     

    Or, am I asking for too much from the savagely hungry Indian media?

     

    ***

     

    PS: I know, things have gotten a bit serious today. So let me leave you with a smile.  Here’s a cool way to demonstrate the start/stop function in a car, a warm way to humanize technology. Even I bawl like a baby when the traffic light turns red.

     

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • Senior leaders in the party ought to have asked Advani to retire a long time ago. The 86-year-old man is no longer a vote catcher, and his thinking is redundant. They didn't, and now find themselves in a sorry situation.

    Anil Thakraney: Shoot the Old Dog

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Have been watching the ‘Sulking Advani’ drama on television very closely. Not because the man interests me, but because it’s a deja vu feeling, I have seen this before. Not in politics, in the corporate world. It’s the same story: When the grand old man of the organization is past the sell-by date, the board of directors and the young CEO have no idea how to get rid of him, they get badly stuck. I am sure you have witnessed this situation in your own career at some point or another.

     

    I once worked at an ad agency whose creative chief, a few years away from retirement, had failed to evolve with changing times and was stranded in the old school. Basically, he was burnt out. The younger creatives could not connect with him, but were compelled to politely seek his views. The client service people would guffaw behind the old gent’s back, and the clients stopped asking for his presence at important meetings. But the man himself, in complete denial of his loss of relevance, soldiered on, making life difficult for everyone.

     

    The agency leadership could not muster enough courage to ask him to quit. And yet, he was deliberately left out of meetings. Not even, and this is the most humiliating part, consulted on creative department reshuffle. The man was totally isolated, but he would not get the message. Watching it all happen first-hand, I felt very sorry for him. And I entirely blamed the organization for this mess.

     

    Why? Because in this situation, to save everyone the misery, it was the CEO’s job to make that tough call: Amble across to the elderly gent’s cabin, and graciously show him the door. Sadly, this step, which is actually the best and the most professional one, seldom gets taken in many Indian organizations. Which is a pity.

     

    The BJP faces the same conundrum today. Senior leaders in the party ought to have asked Advani to retire a long time ago. The 86-year-old man is no longer a vote catcher, and his thinking is redundant. They didn’t, and now find themselves in a sorry situation. The party, if it lets go of him now, will be perceived as one that does not respect its elders. This directly goes against Indian culture, and could prove costly for the BJP in the coming elections.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Speaking of old dogs, here’s a speech by Dave Trott, a huge inspiration for creative people. Not just for youngsters, for senior creative directors, oldies who have lost their way or feel burnt out.

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney