……And 9 Months after….

It was 20th August’08…I was coming for the Interview in Connecturf……Gautamm gave me address. It was something like Sitaram Mills Compound, N.M.Joshi Marg, Lower Parel (E).

I got a cab and told driver “Sitaram Mills Compound Jana Hai “...he took me to all compounds in Lower Parel except Sitaram Compound. Lol. After the lower Parel darshan when I finally reached Sitaram Mills Compound I saw all the old mill buildings and I thought where I am? It seemed as if time had stopped, koels chirping merrily. The hot blazing sun silently continues to throw more heat. No noise of cars…it felt like I was far off from Mumbai. I started wondering is this the right place for me? After the nomadic roam around for half an hour, I called up Gautamm several times to help me navigate my way. I finally reached & to my amazement the office seemed exceptionally larger-than-life, serene & full of positive aura.

Looking back now, when we started Search Department, we were only 3 people and we had only 2 small projects to handle. But things changed very rapidly after that. We had the opportunity to work with reputed clients. It’s just the beginning...Goodwill spreads eventually & here we are- NOW looking out to grow our Search Team...And after almost 10 months…with Jai Ho Congress, MOT and may more clients. Sparks like Ignition happening, I can safely say that this is the right time to dive into Digital Marketing & Advertising. I am proud to be a part of Ignitee which has a blend of talent, creativity, madness & lots of fun…great people to work with…hardcore foodies…hilarious dancers…crazy workaholics…singers…actors…& what not!

- Kamlesh Ek Sawal?

Bombs, Bullets and B***ards

My apologies for the use of expletives upfront. I know it’s no match for the kind of explosive debauchery we’ve been seeing over the past few days, but I had to get it out of my system, somehow—feeling absolutely powerless hurts. Really does.

My heart first goes out to those victims who were trapped or who had their dear ones trapped behind enemy lines, as it were. Commiserations won’t do, I’m sure, but that’s all I can give you at this moment—along with a sense of hope that ONE DAY, we can send children to school in a bus without having to think about the religion of the bus driver—terrorists do not deserve the stamp of religion, anyway.

My salutations to our brave commandos, policemen and army officers who put their lives in the line of fire. They are the real heroes—not the plastic (or cardboard, whatever you wish) ones we see on 70 mm almost everyday, using body doubles, stunt doubles and what not. There’s no ‘replay’, no ‘double’—just one shot at either saving a life, or losing yours. This makes me think—I wish we had an army of James Bonds or Max Paynes. Now maybe is not the right time to discuss movie/video game characters, but they’re needed—cold-blooded, hardened professionals who will show no mercy. Professionals with a license to kill, not bound by the red tape that so often slows down the most critical operations.

I’m rambling now. I don’t know what else to say. My mind has been too murky these past few days. I will take some time to recover. But we need to stand up for ourselves, before it is too late. Is it already too late, I wonder?