Blog Full - Ashok Karania

6 Aug 2019

Core Values – Defining Your Guiding Light!

Creating a life of purpose requires us to be in sync with our true self. And I believe knowing our core values is an important aspect of life design.

Core Values are usually associated with organisations. But all of us also have our core values and principles. Our behaviour, decisions and actions are driven by them.

Core values are our guiding lights! Core values are our true north! Core values define us! They help us to understand what is important to us and what we really cherish! Core Values enable decision-making. When we are confused, our values can direct us to the right road. It can help us make the choices that are consistent with our belief systems. And that creates happiness and bliss. If our actions are not aligned with our core values, we feel frustration and stress.

What are your core values? How do you define your core values? Core values are not created – they are discovered. Over a period of time, our values emerge and become our compass. So, reflect on yourself, the journey and list out all things that come to your mind – when you define yourself and what you stand for. Be honest with self and only list the real values – no need for cool or nice words.

My core values are:

Authenticity – Being honest, straight-forward and sincere

Simplicity – Less is more

Loyalty – Dependability, sticking to commitments

Creativity – Being different, versatile and trying new things

Generosity – Share the success. ‘Live2Give’ is the mantra!

My professional values are:

Purpose – Always be goal-driven

Passion – What is life without passion or enthusiasm?

Promise – Deliver the commitments, keep the faith

Performance – Results drive professional life

Play – Add life to work with fun and joy for self and everyone around!

Once the core values are determined, live the values! The details are in action! Let the behaviour be aligned with your values. It will help you take the right short term and long-term decisions. It will help you to live life to your own chosen standards. And that is a bliss!

Image Credit: Joshua Hibbert

3 Aug 2019

Judgementall Hai Kya Review – Rocking Performances In A Courageous Movie!

The new Bollywood is making brave choices and Judgementally Hai Kya is a shining example of the new experiments of Bollywood. It is a courageous movie – which will challenge you, divide you, confuse you! Better than ‘leave-your-brain-at-home’ cinema.

Kangana and Rajkumar Rao are at the top of their game. Both play the characters with impeccable conviction and bring out the multiples shades of the quirky characters remarkably. It is an ode to Kangana’s art that she looks so natural in the role. Rajkumar is a perfect match to her.

Kangana is suffering from acute psychosis and identity disorder. The troubled mind has a troubled past and a challenging present. Rajkumar Rao moves in as a tenant in the house with his wife – who is murdered. The movie catches edgy thriller style after the murder. The Ramayana theme is invoked in a modern style and Sita is seen as the victim of male violence. The movie keeps you guessing and your loyalties to the character are challenged again and again.

The director is the real hero. He paints the pain and anguish of the characters with rich colours and textures. The change in the backdrop and the mood of the film between Bombay and London is nice and consistent. The conflict and the struggles of a troubled mind are beautiful depicted in the title song – noteworthy are the street art that complement the mood of the mind. Spot on!

The director could not have asked for a better actor to demonstrate the anxieties and troubles of a psychotic mind. The scene where she explains that demons are following her – it affects you. She cannot trust anyone – the fall in the drama with Jimmy Shergill again explains the state of mentally unstable mind.

Kangana’s current off-screen controversies and perennial persona helping in adding richness to the character. Is she giving message from her real life – domestic violence, misunderstood, feminine voice? Who is the real mad?

The movie has its flaws. The second half is problematic. The Jimmy Shergill track is not given the proper treatment. The finale could have been better.

The jury is out on the choice of using mental health patient as the protagonist. I know that it has not depicted all the challenges of mentally ill patients – but I guess it was never meant to be perfect on technicalities. More importantly, I think it helps in opening a dialogue on mental health. Bollywood has impact in India that is too big. The movie is creating awareness of the challenges of mental health patients. It stops us from dismissing their problems as madness. It stops from being insensitive to their challenges. It helps in telling us to educate ourselves and be more sensitive about understanding the troubled minds.

The movie has taken the important topic of Mental Health and given it the right and sensitive treatment. The movie has a significant message for the world – mentally ill patients are different and need their space. Understand them, support them, lighten their mental distress and accept them unconditionally. And yes, do not be judgemental!

A must watch – a difficult watch, a complex watch – but yet a must watch!

31 Jul 2019

Suicide Is Not The Answer

Shocked and saddened by the suicide of V G Siddhartha – cannot believe it!

Siddhartha founded the Cafe Coffee Day chain and changed the way India drank coffee. He created thousands of jobs, a great brand and shared wealth. He also backed Mindtree and underwrote Infosys shares. He made other IT investments and gave support to the founders.

Why did he do this? We will never know the reasons. He came from a strong family, had great political and business connections. He was a successful entrepreneur. There are talks about the pressure of PE investor, Income Tax harassment and Debt woes. But an entrepreneur knows all such challenges – at what point did it really get too much? Or was there something else?

It is impossible for us to judge what he must be going through. No one can imagine his situation.

My point is simple….Suicide is not the answer. Life is a gift. Setbacks give way to sunshine. Today’s problems will go away.

Suicide means end of a great talent and human potential. It means failure of the human spirit. It leaves behind emotional scars for family and friends for life – a guilt that they could not do enough.

And yes, no individual nor any organisation is worth giving up our live for.

When one feels low, please talk to friends. Listen to music – a cure for everything. Spend time with nature. Or help others – world is full of more unfortunate people and helpless situations than us – help others. Instead of giving up life, help others live a good life and one could find our own meaning of life.

Reach out fo self-care group, suicide prevention helplines like Sneha, Parivartan etc.. Organizations like Moodcafe, White Swan Foundation, Live Love Laugh Foundation, MPower Minds can help as well.

Choose life. Suicide is not the answer. This too shall pass.

Image Courtesy: Faris Mohammed

21 Jul 2019

Prakashotsav – An Intoxicating Evening!

Intoxication found at Gujarat Vidyapith premises! Intoxication of love, respect and admiration for Prakash N Shah (પ્રકાશન. શાહ ka નશા)

The occasion was the public felicitation of Shri Prakash N Shah – the many with many roles! The auditorium was overflowing with double its capacity and people occupying the aisles, areas between dais-chair, service area – whatever space one could find. The Saturday evening distractions or the 40 degree heat did not stop the admirers to throng at Gujarat Vidyapith. The audience grabbed every word like a gem and the 2.5 hour event ended too soon – never mind the endless sweating!

Prakashotsav – The festival celebrating Prakash N Shah was organised by his friends, well-wishers and Sarthak Prakashan team.

The evening started with a mock court where the most loved culprit Prakash N Shah was produced in the court of judge Hashmukh Patel. The lawyers Ketan Rupera and Urvish Kothari conducted the proceedings with the help of Ashish Kakkad. The public prosecutor Urvish Kothari produced a stellar list of witnesses to prove the charges against Prakash N Shah. Ratilal Borisagar, Ashwin Chauhan, Ashish Mehta, Binit Modi, Biren Kothari, Nayanbahen Shah and other stellar figures accused Prakash Shah of several crimes – the burning ambition of being a prime minister, torturing the world with his cryptic and incomprehensible language, creating a cult of his own, communist leanings, hidden acting skills etc. The court proceedings were ably proved with strong logic, evidences and confessions of the witnesses.

The mock court was followed by the release of Urvish Kothari’s book on Conversations with Prakash Shah. Prakash N Shah was felicitated by a section of citizens of Ahmedabad.

The grand finale was the speech of Prakash N Shah. He expressed his gratitude for the great gesture.

He recounted his journey. His central thought was – Yukta and Mukta. He spoke about Gandhi. He spoke about the impact of three primary books on his life. The audience was listening as hypnotised by David Copperfield but time came calling….

Prakash N Shah’s intoxication and values will remain…An evening to remember for a human to never forget …..

Prakashbhai & Ash:

The white clothes, the simple spectacle and the straight from the heart laughter is how I visualise him whenever we say Prakashbhai. His simplicity, his vision, his clarity and his friendliness is his magic that drives us to him again and again.

Thanks to Vipool Kalyani and Gujaratilexicon, I have the greatest fortune of spending lot of time with him and knowing him. The Nireekshak Digitization and other initiatives got us working together. Gujaratilexicon briefly operated from his residence during a difficult time in our journey.

Prakash N Shah is a towering personality but he is our Prakashbhai. Our DadaGuru….Sri Sri Sri Dada Guru…Not many can see the Halo behind him…So you see he does have a cult! He is also the business partner of my spouse – they are still searching for their Eureka moment!