For Advertising professionals, the world revolves around client briefs, presentations, CMYK, layouts and artworks. While they love producing lovely ads which sell, they hate their client’s idiotic demands to make the logo bigger by 12 percent or facing their god- knows- what- it- means “maza nehi aya” kind of comments.

I am one of them. This huge urge of doing something just for myself, without any client’s brief, brought me down to the busy colourful streets of Delhi, one sunny Sunday morning. It was probably an effort to prove that I have a better understanding of composition and layout than my clients.

Few shots from that day. Hope you will like them.

May your 2010 be as vibrant as these pictures.

Lucky me!

Finally, fortune is smiling at me. I am on my way to be a millionaire. Soon you will find me indulging in all finest things in life. I will be seen at the page 3 hangouts of the town wrapped in an Armani tuxedo and flanked by pretty girls.

Must have done something good some day. Otherwise why this lonely lady suddenly chose me to donate her 14 million dollars?

My stars must have shuffled their positions after decades. Otherwise how this born loser could win a 4 million pound worth lotto sweepstake even without participating?

The girls must have found out from their secret sources that I am an eligible bachelor. Otherwise why should these broad minded pretty ladies from Ukraine, Russia and Brazil send me these lovely invitations for open relationships?

The phrase – “Bhagwan jab deta hai to Chappar phar ke deta hai”, now I think it’s kind of believable.

Surely getting lucky off late. They say, luck never knocks twice. Don’t want to let go these opportunities.

I am almost there.

I reveal my secret account details and the entire fortune will be mine. I will be laughing my way to the bank. I click on those invitation links and I will be surrounded by these eighteen something hot pretty blonde ‘firangs’.


Not such a bad idea to become a millionaire this ‘recession’. What say?

2IC (Second in Command)

8:45 am sharp. He is at the workplace. 10:30 pm, he is still there.

A man who quit his MNC Banking job and joined the agency to give the CEO a helping hand. A man who believes in Management by walking around. Seldom is he found in his seat.

A thorough gentleman. Someone whom you will never see in sports shoes while in office, even if it is a casual unofficial working Saturday. Quite an unusual mannerism for someone who is into advertising.

A man who believes in a unique Korean concept - cleanliness of the washroom says a lot about the organizational efficiency.

A connoisseur of IMFL. Whisky to be precise. But doesn’t mind giving others company over a neat peg of Vodka or Dark Rum either.

The man who is responsible for the first coffee vending machine for the office.

A terror to the trainees and creatives. An element of irritation to accounts. But somehow gels quite well with the sevicing probably because of the proximity of the workspaces that they share.

A man who won’t even spare the clients by displaying his irritation whenever he notices any wastage.

A man who is a witness to several hiring and firing in the last five years.

A cyclist. A performer. A perfectionist in his own domain. A man whose contribution can never be quantified.

A man whose attitude cannot be matched.

A maverick, I must say.

They have Balki and we have Balu. A small town guy who has made it big in this big bad world of advertising.

Kudos!!!!

- “Balu, ek cup coffee pila de please!”

Swinger at 40

On a bright sunny morning, a few weekends back, I met this elderly gentleman on the 4th hole whowas waiting for someone to tee off together.

The gentleman’s honest T-shirt said “At 70 and still swinging”.

He was on the wrong side of the seventies probably, nonetheless was swinging like a pro. The swings were a treat to the eyes.

3 wood, the ball landed right in the middle of the fairway. Another 120 yards to reach the 4th green. Next, a 9 iron and its bang on… a few feet left from the hole. A putt and it’s a par. A par on the 4th hole. Yessss….

No, it wasn’t me! My struggle was still on to get my ball out of the roughs. The fellow players’ never ending wait for me at the greens made me all the more nervous. Why did I ever come here? Even if I was here, why the hell did I meet these gentlemen at the tee who play a million times better? At this par 3, I lost my count of strokes.

While walking to the next tee, heard the ‘swinger at seventy’ say something – “ You have a great swing, son”. Yep, I am sure he was addressing me. I was the youngest one in the lot. And if I remember correctly, he said ‘son’.

Can any young (am at my 40, and yeah… compared to the other club golfers am pretty young you see) golfer ask for anything more? That too from a seasoned golfer who still swings like a pro at his seventies.

Thanks! A beer for you Sir. Need to get rid of my frequent mood swings (that’s what you call “The middle age crisis”, if I am not wrong) and concentrate on my golf swings.

See you at the course next weekend. Happy golfing.