After a long home season that saw the Indian team rise to the No. 1 spot in Tests and ODIs, here comes the acid test. Over the next year and a half, the team will be touring South Africa, England, Australia and New Zealand, culminating with the World Cup in England in 2019. We will now know the true mettle of this team. Are they home tigers, or can they roar abroad too? This team has the mettle, skill and hunger to maintain its standings, and while in the last few years, they have come close, they have not been able to cross the line. I believe this team can do it. There's only one weakness that we need to sort out - the form of Rahane. There are many that are knocking at the doors for that spot - Rohit Sharma, Manish Pandey, Priyank Panchal and Prithvi Shaw. If he doesn't find his mark, he will have to make way. So let's see how this team goes about in defending their title.
Ittefaq Review: A Whodunit That Promises More Than It Delivers | Sachit Murthy A whodunit, after a long time! Ittefaq means coincidence in Urdu, and this film is loosely inspired by the 1969 movie of the same name starring Rajesh Khanna and Nanda. I was eagerly looking forward to this film — after all, such movies form barely one percent of Bollywood’s output, which otherwise thrives almost exclusively on boy-meets-girl templates. Sadly, the disappointment was hard to miss. To be fair, Ittefaq sets itself up beautifully. A double murder. Two prime suspects. Both claim innocence. The atmosphere is sombre, restrained, and refreshingly free of songs and melodrama. For nearly the first hour, the director succeeds in keeping you engaged, nudging you to play detective along with the characters. However, as the film inches toward its climax, the narrative starts revealing its hand far too early. The tension begins to ebb, and the supposed twists fee...
Why India Ignores Signage: A Quiet Failure of Design and Empathy Why India Ignores Signage I was at a prestigious IT event today — the Bengaluru Tech Summit. Held at the Bangalore Palace, the show boasted hundreds of speakers, exhibitors, and discussion topics. What it did not boast of was something far more basic: useful signage. A Tech Summit Without Directions It took me a while to figure out where I needed to go, and even that happened only after asking a few people around. There were halls, entry points, and activity zones — but very little guidance on how to reach them. At an event celebrating innovation and future thinking, the absence of something as fundamental as wayfinding was both ironic and revealing. This Is Not an Exception I do not blame the organisers alone. This is not a one-off oversight. It is a familiar Indian trait — a consistent undervaluing of signage. You see it everywhere: roads, railway stations, airp...
Dhanno Ki Aankhon Mein – Kitaab (1977) Song Review | Sachit's Blog Dhanno Ki Aankhon Mein – A Musical Journey from Kitaab (1977) Have you ever listened to a song and felt like you could step right into it? That’s exactly how I feel about Dhanno Ki Aankhon Mein , a timeless gem from the movie Kitaab (1977) , directed by the legendary Gulzar . Composed and sung by the maestro R.D. Burman (Pancham), this song captures the innocence of love in the simplest, yet most magical way. The Story Behind the Song The song revolves around an engine driver named Ustad, who is deeply in love with Dhanno, a beautiful village girl. Dhanno lives in a village near the railway line that Ustad’s train passes through. Every morning at dawn, she climbs a hillock, lantern in hand, and waves to him. In return, Ustad flings a small gift towards her – usually a dress – as a charming ritual of their love. It’s these tiny, poetic gestures that make the song unforgettable. The story is si...
The Queue System: A Civilised Invention Indians Love to Defeat The Queue System: A Civilised Invention Indians Love to Defeat I was listening to a recent BBC podcast that listed fifty — or fifty-one, depending on who you ask — inventions that changed the modern economy. The list ranged from the humble paper clip to diesel engines to the atomic bomb. If I were allowed to indulge, I would like to add one more invention to that list: the queue system. An Invention That Makes Civilisation Possible Imagine how disorderly everyday life would be if we did not have a system where people patiently waited their turn — standing in a line, confident that they will be served simply because they arrived before someone else. The queue is one of the simplest expressions of fairness. No hierarchy, no negotiation, no strength — just order. What a Queue Is Supposed to Be Wikipedia defines a queue as a first-come, first-served arrangement for goo...
With the ODI World Cup less than 18 months away, I think this is the right time to point out a few weaknesses in the team. 1. Dhoni: He's well past his prime. If you look at his last year or so, he has tried to mould himself into a gatherer, than an explosive finisher, which he was brilliant at. What is it with older cricketers refusing to leave when the time is right? I think the selectors need to start phasing him out and develop someone new. There are quite a few in the domestic circuit. Even DK won't be a bad option 2. Kedar Jadhav: Having been given such a long rope, Jadhav has not really proven to be the dependable and consistent No. 5. You can talk about his magic arm, but that alone will not win you matches. His fielding is shoddy. Need to look at someone new. 3. The No. 4 spot: We tried multiple players at this spot - Rahul, Rahane, Manish Pandey, without much success. My personal vote goes to Manish Pandey. His form may have deserted him recently, but he ...