He has a cellphone. But you can’t call him. His sleeping hours are in the range 0-5 hours a day. Not one minute more. He has to wake up at 4am daily, throughout his stay. But he is not sure when he would sleep at night. He lives in dehradun, but knows only one place here: Indian Military Academy (IMA). He is a cousin of mine & there are many like him!

There is only one day when you can hope to meet him: Sunday. So I had the distinct pleasure to catch up with my dear cousin during the last two Sundays (being in doon luckily)! And what followed was a riveting account of ‘Living life on the edge 24*7’…

If you thought: ‘Rules are made to be broken, regulations are only on paper & disciplined behaviour is out of fashion’. Think again!
Because when you enter into the hallowed portals of IMA, Dehradun reality bites!

Its when the very definition of ‘difficult’ & its horrid synonyms changes! I have been through quite a few ‘tough’ situations during my life. But nothing can beat the rigorous schedule of a normal day at the academy. A brief snapshot:

0400 hrs: The alarm clock rings, but there is no option of snooze. You have to wake up now. You have to complete the morning ablutions, bath, dress-up and get ready in exactly half an hour.

0430 hrs: The uniform check is done. A proper dress up means: Only three buttons of your shirt should be visible, the rest should be inside your trousers. The tie should be perfectly aligned with the shirt & the trousers. The shoes should be well polished at all times. And the whole uniform should be neatly pressed. If you fail to comply by even one of them, then its punishment time.

0500 hrs: The PT starts which goes on &on with different exercises, followed by a yoga session, then running 10 km everyday on the field. And all this for 180 minutes!!!

0800 hrs: Breakfast time. The basic funda is to eat as much as possible. Because you are not sure whether or not you would get a chance to eat again during the whole day!

0900-1300 hrs: Theory classes in state of the art classrooms. No physical activity is involved here. And if you are lucky that any teacher is absent, then there is some rest, much to everyone’s relief.

1300-1430 hrs: The Drill test. The toughest of them all. It involves completing tasks of the gravest kind in minimum possible time. Usually, it takes more time than the allotted period. And once it is over, most of the people are totally exhausted & near a state of unconsciousness.

1430-1530 hrs: If you are lucky enough to survive past the drill test in time, then you can have lunch but only at your seniors mercy. Well there are three types of students in the academy. The first term’s are called ekkis, the second term as dukkis & the third term as teekis! One of the ‘teekis’ is your overstudy. He is responsible for all your actions & the way you behave in the academy. In return, you will have to complete all his tasks. From bringing items from shops, to searching for his bike and cleaning his room also. So you can eat only if the teekis allow you to do so.

1530-1630 hrs: Sports time! The most enjoyable time of the day. Here you can play all the games of your interest and based on the competitions ahead. Excelling in sports is considered to be of special significance in military & all the senior personnel in the academy are distinguished sportspersons! So even sports is a serious business here…

1700-2000 hrs: After a half an hour tea break (again only if you don’t have to complete any punishments or the order of teekis), this is Study time! Non-stop for three hours at a stretch…

2000-2100 hrs: Dinner break! Time to get some food in after a long day out :-)

2100-…… hrs: And now begins the dreaded part: The night time :-(

Because now you return back to your respective rooms and the dukkis & teekis are waiting for you there! No its not ragging… Infact, it is discipline being taught to the juniors by there kind seniors… You have to do everything: somethings which are uncensored to be written here and others which are physically draining, to say the least!

Hmmm… anybody reading this would have been terrified by now!

But not everything is so menacing... Their is the other side too!

Starting on a humorous note:
A conversation between a teeki and my cousin (ekki)…
Teeki: Hey you dumb ass come here!!!
Ekki: Yeeeeeeeesssss siiiiiiiir….
Teeki: What happened to you?
Ekki: Noooooo siiiiiiiiiir…….
Teeki: What yes and no? Bring fruits for me from the market you doper!!!
Ekki: Okkkkkkk sirrrrr….. Whiiiich onesssss?
Teeki: Some bananas, apples, mangoes etc.
Ekki: How maaaaaaaanyyyy……………….. Siiiiiiiiiir!!!
Teeki (now in a rage): Jitne milein! Now go. Fast!!!!
Ekki (floating like a drunkyard): Okkkkkkkkk….
(Slips and falls down!!!!!)
Teeki: Ok get up! Tell mishra to do all this. You go doper!!!

& so he manages to esacpe… With a drama act!
So its not only the physical stuff but your personality which develops on all fronts!

And once your over with the first term, life becomes more & more smooth…
As they say: First termer is an ‘orderly’. Second termer is the ‘master’. And the third termer is the ‘king’!
A movie is also screened every Saturday evening in the IMA’s world class auditorium known as “Khetrepal”! Another welcome change for the students!

And the icing on the cake is the famous POP. That is the “passing out parade”…
A once in a life-time experience…

So as this rather intriguing conversation came to a sudden end with a voice from behind. It was my cousin’s overstudy calling him from behind!
My cousin: Hello sir! How are you? Meet my elder brother. He is from dehradun only.
Overstudy: It’s a pleasure to meet you. (Then pointing to my cousin) Have you completed that…….
(But before he could finish)
My cousin: Oh brother I think you are getting a bit late now. Lets go. See you soon sir…

So as I get a real time experience of my cousin’s trickery at display…
I moved out of IMA with mixed emotions!
Life may be really tough here… but then at the end of the day: Its worth the pain!

There He was standing waving me “good-bye” and assuring me that he would call me from my cellphone again whenever he is allowed to meet people from dehradun! The dehradun that exists outside Indian Military Academy!

They say: “First impression is the last impression”…
But not always…
For if that had been the case, this post would not have been possible!

While watching Ocean’s 13 in gurgaon, I stumbled upon the trailer of Chak De! India and almost instantly made up my mind: I can live happily without bearing this stuff for sure!
Well first there was Hockey ( I am a sports lover, but never have been a die-hard ‘our national game’ fan), then it consisted of a terrible (yes that was the first word that hit my neurons) looking song: ‘Ek hockey doonge chak ke’, casting few not-so-beautiful girls ( now that does matter to some extent) and finally there was SRK again!!! Not that I hate him (Infact I think he is one of the best actors around), but he simply didn’t fit there.
So I made sure that this pathetic 2 minute-trailer immediately evaporated from my senses…

Then the last nail in the coffin: The movie was not receiving very healthy publicity owing to its (s)hocking origin! Moreover, I had still not completely recovered from my last bollywood movie hangover of ‘Jhoom Barabar Jhoom’. It was a third-degree torture to say the least. Conveniently, the worst movie of the year by a long margin for me!!!

So the odds were heavily stacked against me watching ‘what I previously thought’ would be another bollywood disaster…

But then, that’s what this movie has achieved so beautifully throughout: Winning against all Odds!

The way it tackles different issues, brings them to the forefront and then blends them all into ONE, makes it a rare masterpiece.

If there is caste discrimination in the form of coach ‘Kabir Khan’, then there is gender biasing in the form of ‘women’s hockey’. If on one hand, its about the glory of nationalism & patriotism. Then on the other hand, it also symbolizes the triumph of ‘Girls Interrupted’ with determination & team spirit!

From the harsh ground realities & corruption in the sports authorities to the complete neglect of hockey in general & women’s hockey in particular in India. From the media- villain: ‘gadaar’ Kabir Khan who sold national pride to Pakistan in a World Cup Final to the media-hero: ‘desh ki shaan’ Kabir Khan who made the whole country proud by leading India to the World Cup crown.

Chak De! is about how a bunch of 16 girls from all over the country play as a TEAM. Something that is easily said than done. How they prioritize their game: First, the country. Second, the other players in the team. And lastly, in SRK’s words: ‘agar thodi bahut jaan bach jaati hai to’ for urself! How they grow as individuals: from being state players to being a part of team I N D I A…

The rift between the seniors & juniors and subsequently between the ‘sweet sixteen’ on one side and the coach on the other side and how matters get sorted out! The feeling of being so close but still so far in the men’s hockey match & then finally making it to down under. Then the crucification by the mighty Aussies in the opening match to the rejuvenation: rising from the ashes like a Phoenix to beat the kangaroos at their own game!

Well I can go on & on & on…

That’s because rarely a movie depicts various seemingly unique problems & then interconnects them with utmost ease and most importantly shows the way ahead: The solution. And Chak De! manages to do this without being very serious & boring. It remains a complete entertainer for the masses (read SRK fans) & also puts the message across very firmly indeed with a touch of sarcasm, here & there (the continual cold war with cricket). In a nutshell: A winner all along.

So as I moved out from the theatre, having watched the movie for the second time in one week after its release (the only other Hindi movie which got this privilege before was: Rang De Basanti), a few thoughts played hockey in my mind:

Would this turn out to be the best bollywood flick of the year? Maybe…
Any chances of being nominated for Oscar from India? Not sure…
& then winning it??? NO!

And then a smile broadened my face:
Leave all that, how about completing a hat-trick of Chak De!??? DEFINITELY…

Believe me: Its worth a watch anytime!

Hence, Proved: “First impression is not always the right one… Beware”!!!

P.S. To all those kind people who bear to go through this: Where would you rate this movie among your all-time favourites?
And to all those who have still not seen it: Hurry up & watch it soon! (And then return here again to answer my question.) Thanks :-)

No, its not inspired from the so called numerical movies: 300 & 7 etc.
Infact, ‘10’ is the product of a business analyst at work. Where ‘work’ refers to a curious analysis of the unique species in a professional environment. As I complete a half-century of eventful days with this breed of Profo-sapiens, I have suddenly become a firm believer of the saying: “Man is a social animal”! For every single individual here can be categorized into one of these 10, courtesy- animal kingdom…

The COW: “Yes sir, Ok sir, Thank you sir” This species is Innocence personified!
You will see him/her sitting at the desk, working day in & day out, to meet the required deadline. Never asking a question, never hurting anyone. A shy & reserved character only concerned with WORK!

The ASS: “ Oh I dint knew this was my work, yes I will do that now” They are the real assholes in office. They don’t understand what is required of them & even when they finish there own work, they are usually busy with their pal’s work! Very easily befooled & taken advantage of their feelings. They usually crib about tons of workload, when mostly it is none of their business.

The PARROT: “ I wholeheartedly agree with my friend, that this would be the best course of action”. Zero on ideas, creativity and knowledge. They still tend to survive & flourish more than 1 & 2 because they never contradict anyone. By taking other’s ideas & implementing them as their own, they move upwards!

The RABBIT: “Couple of days!!! Ha… this project would be over in hours…” They are infinitely inspired by the movie: ‘The Fast & the Furious’! Always in a hurry to finish everything & stay one step ahead. But sometimes they crash due to rash driving. Overconfident and unreliable.

THE TORTOISE: “Slow and Study wins the race” This is not a universal truth, but still holds true most of the times. This breed takes its own time but unfailingly delivers the goods. Mr. Dependable in office. But they are not recommended when the need of the hour is: Quick thinking & decision-making.

THE ELEPHANT: “Behind the scenes: Chhupa Rustam” The people who drive the organization forward, albeit working backwards! The ‘heart & soul’ of the company. Calm, composed & proactive: their hallmark. But most importantly, they have a ‘mast chaal’… Very positive!

THE PEACOCK: “The Bold and the Beautiful” Men love them, Women loathe them. Yes you guessed it right: the Eye-candies in office! Their progress is directly proportional to their looks & friendliness ;-) They don’t possess brains but does that matter??? Mostly there is scarcity of these species but EVS is lucky :-)

THE CROCODILE: “Warning: Stay away from them!!!” They rise, when others fall. These are the solemn practitioners of every unethical activity in the corporate world. The Cow, the Ass and sometimes even the tortoise are their miserable victims. So who handles them & takes proper care of these scavengers? Read on…

THE LEOPARD: “The Commander: Fast,Efficient,Dynamic,Intelligent” When the going gets tough, the tough gets going! They are the ones who steer the ship to safety even when the tortoise & the elephants fail. They move exponentially upwards everywhere, not because they are clever and sharp! But much more than that, a 10 0ut of 10 on every scale. They are simply the best and Yes, they are the ones who keep the crocodiles at bay…

THE LION: “The Master, the King of the Ring: Numero Uno” The Leader who commands the group… He/She motivates the Cow, gives self-respect to the Ass, keeps an eye on the Parrot, optimizes the Rabbit, encourages the Tortoise, salutes the Elephant, hails the Peacock, restricts the Crocodile and guides the Leopard…
In a nutshell: The Fountainhead…

Hmmm…
So, now even you believe: “Man is a social animal”!!!