Plan for Bourne Ultimatum!

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzz. My new N73 rang. It was Ankit and Piyush calling me for dinner. It had been long when we had gone out for a movie. Not that we didn’t have time, there were no good movies showing. Even at the dinner table the topic of discussions were the complexities of implementing an algorithm. We wanted a break from the mundane routine. Office had got to our heads. It was getting too much. In the middle of eating my stuffed potatoes I popped a question “Hey wanna watch a movie today guys?”. It was 8. “I guess Dhol and Manorama are the only new movies that would be available” Ankit said. “Man I can’t take another pathetic comedy like Dhol, remember what happened when we saw Dhamaal. Lets go for Manorama” Piyush said and we all nodded. When we saw the online list of the movies showing at the theatre, we found that the last show of Manorama was at 8:30 and it was 8:40 by the clock. There were two shows which we could get the tickets of, ‘Dhol’ and ‘The Bourne Ultimatum’. Now Piyush hates English movies coz he is always asking for the translation, he insisted that we go for Dhol then. “You bugger just 5 minutes before you yourself said that you dont wanna see Dhol” Ankit remarked. Piyush was silent. Ishwinder had already left for the room as he was going to get some sleep. We called him and he said that he would go for the show that is the last. Some weird way of choosing a movie. Me and Ankit had seen the two prequels so we knew the background, but Piyush and Ishwinder had not. And Ishwinder and Piyush agreed to go for the movie when we assured them that we would explain the whole background to them while on the way to the theater. So Bourne Ultimatum it was. The show was at 11. It would take us half an hour to reach there, and right now it was 9. We also decided to head towards room. It was 9:45 I asked Ankit to wake Ishwinder. He came back and said “Tu utha sakta hai to utha le mujhse to nahi uth raha”. Now I had to face the challenge. “Hey Isingh dude wake we are going to be late for the movie”. “I wont go, you guys go ahead, lemme sleep” pat came the reply. “Hey Isingh look man they are showing the babes from Ferozpur ur town, they are competing for Miss Punjabi” I said again. This worked as a charm. Ishwinder got up smiling. One big hurdle of making Ishwinder get up was overcome.

Weather was awesome, we made tea, sat on the rooftop, watched TV and killed some time. It was 10:15, we picked up our bikes and left for the theater. The drive to the theater was really soothing. We arrived at the theater and collected the tickets that we had already done the e-booking for. We entered the hall. It was the 11 pm show, so there were not much people. And as usual we looked at each other and sat in one section upper than for what we had bought the tickets for. But I don’t know how the ticket checker sensed it and asked us to show tickets. After much coaxing and much requesting he let us sit there, and the movie finally began.

In the intermission Ishwinder and Piyush asked “Abe ye ho kya raha hai, kuchh to bata do?” Ishwinder said. “Maine to pehle hee kaha tha koi Hindi movie dekhne chalte hain” came the reply from Piyush. Then me and Ankit had to explain the whole plot to them. And then even they could make some sense out of it.

The protagonist Jason Bourne is played by Matt Damon. His journey begins once again when he tries to figure out his real identity. The girl he was with in the previous sequel had been killed while they were hiding in India. Bourne was on the run. Then one day he picks up the newspaper and finds an article written by a reporter on him, stating that he was a part of a mission named Blackbriar. Bourne sets out to meet the reporter. But CIA are on their tail to eliminate them both. Bourne tries to rescue the reporter but fails. He discovers the reporters source as Daniels, a CIA operative himself, from a diary he gets in the reporters bag. Meanwhile Bourne lands up at Daniels office, but he had already left with all the vital documents missing. When CIA come to know that Bourne knows about Daniels, they send two guys to kill him. Bourne kills them both and meets Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles), who says she knows Daniels whereabouts and also vaguely hints of a relation between Jason and her before his amnesia. They both leave to find Daniels. CIA is tracking everything. They send a professional to kill all three: Daniel, Bourne and Nicky. The killer kills Daniel but Bourne kills him and save Nicky too. He then goes after CIA top boss and acquires all the documents on project Blackbriar. He comes to know his real name was David Webb and that he had volunteered to be a part of this program and had gone for a total personal behavioral transformation to become Jason Bourne. He escapes the attempt on his life and the top CIA officials are found guilty of running such a dreaded secret program.

Small Car Comparison

I drive a 96 model Maruti Esteem which is fitted with CNG kit. Not that it is giving me any hassles, for the record it is one of the best no-nonsense cars I have ever driven. You will have to think hard and still I bet you will not be able to point out one low side of that car. Most people tend to believe that CNG fitted cars demand more maintenance, but I disagree. If you regularly (once a month is good enough) take your car out for a date with your mechanic, you will know what I am talking about. All it needs is a little cleaning of the jets and carbutterettor once in a while. One more fact about a CNG fitted car is that you will have to compromise on the pick-up, it reduces considerably. But the fact is that my car is getting old and no its not turning into gold either. Two reasons are enough. So it’s time again to go shopping for a new car. But this time I am not gonna buy a saloon. What I am looking out for is a small car that’s easy to manoeuvre and maintain in a city like Delhi. Now the choice you make will be entirely up to you. If everybody thought alike there would be only one model, one singular brand running all over the roads. But is that the case?

This is where it gets tricky. Lemme just mention the choices in front of me: Chevrolet Aveo UVA and Spark, Fiat Palio/Stile, Ford Fusion, Hyundai Santro and Getz/Prime, Maruti 800, Alto, Zen, Wagon R, Swift, and Tata Indica. 12 cars to choose from. And then you have to decide what variant you wanna go in for in a particular model too. My Gosh! As a kid when I rode the merry go round I usually felt dizzy, with everything around me I could see going round and round in circles. I feel the same. Lemme pick each one chronologically. Please remember I am not getting any paycheck from any of these big names and my thoughts are my own only, any resemblance to somebody living or dead’s thoughts can’t be ruled out . I am not considering pick up and speed as a major factor when your leg comes thundering down on the brake pedal after every 10-15 minutes, let’s face it Indian roads and traffic are like that only. I also wanted safety to be a vital parameter, but alas this is India. No safety standard ratings, no crash tests, absolutely no one bothers about the commuters safety. So here we go….

Aveo UVA: A sturdy car. Has the exact same interiors as the Aveo does, but sans the boot. For the past 3-4 weeks I am continuously covering long distance in my friends UVA and believe me it is as comfortable as it gets. By far the most comfortable small car. A bit expensive though. The top model cost him 5.4 lacs on road. Food for thought – why not go in for Renault Logan in this price. Have been hearing rave reviews about Logan’s performance and low-mileage it delivers. Once inside you don’t feel as if you are driving a small car. It holds its ground neatly at high speeds too cuz the car is heavy, which is a good thing.

Spark: Re-incarnation of the good ol’ Matiz. But has lost that Matizma somewhere. Crampy interiors. Unstable car. Looks like some kindergarten kids came together with the design. The speedometer and all the control dials are in bang middle of the dash. Yeah as if people sitting in the back seat need to know what speed I am doing. Moreover it’s my personal observation that Chevys tend to demand more maintenance later onwards. Initially I thought it’s a dead product from Chevy which can create no sparks. But at a price tag of under 3 lakhs and at a mileage of around 15, no wonder you can see so many Sparks around.

Palio/Stile: When I got my Esteem fitted with the CNG kit my mechanic told me that Mitsubishi Lancer and Fiat Palio give the best performance among other CNG fitted cars. The car has a good solid feel. Comfy interiors. Ample boot space. Go in for the petrol model if you are planning to get CNG kit fitted soon, otherwise diesel model is quite good. Maintenance does tend to go up as the car gets old. And with the new Stile, Fiat is back in business. Haven’t seen much of them on road though. Wondering why? FIAT has been in and out of the Indian car scene too many a times. Would you go in for a car from a company which had its own presence in India, but then disappeared? Palio is being distributed by Tata, which itself is not very famous among its customers thanks to the lousy service they offer. Another reason is that Fiat is perceived as an expensive fuel-hungry car, which is why people have been shying away from the petrol versions altogether.

Fusion: I have seen the souped up version of this car really perform in some illegal street racing in Delhi. The car is like God, most people are unsure even of it’s existence . Moreover Ford to me is synonymous with high maintenance. It’s not priced competitively. Had it been, it would have drawn my ‘Focus’. It has that distinctive executive appeal about it that I love. Ample room inside too. But right now with that price tag it’s a dud any which way.

Santro: Make hay while the sun shines. Hyundai did just that when Maruti had to stop production for a while to be Euro II compliant and Santro registered huge sales. But all in all a neat package. Earlier model looked like an ogre, but Santro Xing looks pretty neat. Excellent manoeuvrability, the best in the small car class. Decent mileage. Low on maintenance. Great smooth pick-up. But I just have one issue. The body panels in the newer cars is like a paper sheet. I saw a biker hit a side panel at a speed of around 60 kph, the biker and the bike showed no signs of an accident, but the car’s panel ripped into two. I mean what is Hyundai doing, trying to save money by cutting down on quality? After this incident I am a bit sceptical. This car is a strong contender in the race still. There is an option that dealers give you of fitting the Santro with a LPG kit. But I guess that will reduce the boot space considerably. Had the company itself given such an option like Maruti did, it would have been much better.

Getz/Prime: A premier segment small car from Hyundai. I just love it’s looks. Decent boot space. Enough leg-room. A responsive engine. Hyundai brand name. And the new Prime with a bit toned down engine (1.1 ltr and 1.3 ltr) gives good performance and better mileage than the original Getz. But the best part: better body than the Santro. If you can spend that extra little I think this is a way better choice than the Santro. Recently the company has released the Diesel version, but I will not like to comment until I drive one myself.

800: is like the Old faithful Horse that will serve it’s master no matter what. I have seen no other car take such a beating and still do the speeds it does. But the fact is sales have plummeted. Maruti plans to slowly phase out the car. Are you still thinking of buying an 800? Need I say more? No I guess I will move on.

Alto: The new face of the common man’s vehicle. And boy has it fulfilled the reputation well. The car has done more than enough than compensate for the dismal sales of 800. Excellent average, the best in it’s class. Full marks in the engine department. Crampy space. This car doesn’t know what’s legroom. So what? We are Indian’s. Haven’t you seen us riding the blue line buses or the 9 am rush in the Metro rail? The fact is Alto still is the most drive-able car in the whole section.

Zen Estilo: Maruti made such an overstatement in it’s commercials about the shape of the car. I think it’s absurd. Looks as if Toyota Innova gave birth to a baby and they named it Estilo . I completely disagree with the commercial they are airing raving about the boot space infact this car has absolutely dismal boot space. A direct competitor to Santro in the degraded body panel quality department. The car is so light it feels it might turn at the first sharp turn you will take. Man they messed up with the entire Zen brand name. And believe me the back seat is actually made to seat two people, three’s a crowd back there. Another dud of a car. Didn’t expect this from MUL guys.

Wagon R: MUL’s answer to Santro. As you would expect out of a decent Maruti this car underlines the characteristic features like low running cost, low maintenance cost and comfort. The car handles well too. For those who like to run on a cleaner and cheaper fuel, this is the first car in India which comes company fitted with a LPG kit. The tank does reduce the boot space a bit, but I bet it is better than getting a kit fitted from a dealer. Now that’s as safe a LPG car gets. The best deal for those folks who want to upgrade from their old 800’s but want to stick with the Maruti brand name. But I still think in the manoeuvrability and looks department Santro is a better choice. Wagon R misses that zap that ‘xing’ which Santro has. Wagon R though has better build quality than Santro, a better service network, marginally better overall look and feel. The other plus point is that Wagon R has a much better resale value than a Santro.

Swift: MUL’s answer to Getz. Retro looks. If Zen was called pregnant 800. This one’s pregnant Zen. An Indian clone of the Mini Cooper. I just love the front seats in this car. Man they should have made it a two seater, cuz the more I love the front seats the more I hate the leg room in the rear. Actually I think they made the car seats separately. They made ‘em big and comfy, but they couldn’t make the car an inch or two longer. Then they went ahead and fitted those seats. It has a really cramped up feel in the back. Rest there is no major glitch in this car. Still a wonderful option as an entry level car. First successful small Diesel car from MUL (remember what happened to Zen diesel).

Indica: You get a mini truck in 3.5 lacs. The newer version is way better than the original one. Every old Indica I have come across has the dreaded engine belt problem. This one though is without any such problem. Hands down and without any second thought the most successful small car that runs on diesel. Sturdy body. Able to take the roughest and toughest of the beatings. If you can get used to the constant hum of a diesel engine in the background while you drive look no further. Decent average, ample room, awesome boot space. I like the new models looks. See from the front and you see as if the car is smiling. Tried, tested and certified by Indian Taxi Federation

Now I don’t think that I will go in for a Diesel small car. The reason is that the Diesel engine requires a good solid housing which most small don’t have. It’s the trademark of a Diesel engine that when you start it, it gives the whole car a good solid jerk, compare it with a petrol one and you will know what I am talking about. Keeping in my mind my own specific needs I am planning to go in for a Santro or a Wagon R, it all depends on which one I can find a good deal from my local dealers. Leave aside the body panel quality, which is the only major issue with Santro, it seems to be a good deal too. But if I wait for 3-4 months, and manage to squeeze in some more bucks I am going for a Getz. 

Also keep in mind the new small cars that will be available in the coming year. Here’s a list: Honda is coming with its small car Jazz, this is one car I am so eagerly waiting for cuz I have heard really rave reviews about this car. Toyota plans to introduce the Indianized version of their hugely popular Yaris. Tata will be launching their much awaited 1 lakh car. Hyundai will launch the newer model PA/i10 which will be somewhere between Santro and Getz. They might even discontinue with Santro who knows. If Hyundai is coming with a replacement for Santro, then how can Maruti-Suzuki not join the race. They are coming with their new B-Segment car (yet another!!) named Splash. Skoda will be launching its first small car in India, the Fabia. Fiat is coming with their new car Punto.

The more the merrier!!

Bomber Man

It was a usual hot sunny afternoon. I was in my 7th semester, so it was that time of the year when you have very few classes in a day but you don’t wanna go home. Lazing around in the college canteen, sitting for hours on the green grass in college ground, wind in the air smile on the face, all the friends around. Seemed that all what mattered was right there. The perfect background score at this time would be ‘Those were the best days of my life….’.

I was known as the Bomber Man back then. I was given this nick name way back in 9th standard, when I put up a cracker in the school building. And the tradition continued till my college days. I just love it. Pure silence. Everybody’s doing their work. Someone is teaching algebra in one room and literature in the other, while some would be delving in which chemical goes where….. and just then it happens BOOOOOOOOOM!!!!! Everybody’s outside. Suddenly they forget whatever they were indulged in. Suddenly all the students are smiling, wishing they were the one’s who could do that. Teachers are out of their classes pondering who did that and catching up on latest gossip. Suddenly for 4-5 minutes its like a refreshing break in their monotonous lives. A sense of excitement. Deviation from the normal, the routine.

It was Diwali time. It was only yesterday that I had planted one carefully in the central hollow of the building, where it would make the most bang. It always had to be the biggest one available in the market. And what do you know it did make the most bang !! The authorities were snarling, fuming in anger at this mockery of their so called decorum. They were on the lookout for this so called Bomber Man. Realizing this I planned to let the day pass without making any buzz. This would be the last day before college was on before Diwali. But little did I know what was in store for me.

I had a little pack of crackers in my bag. We used to call them headbangers. You just need to throw them down with force and they strike with a bang. Nothing to light, nothing to set the timer on, just the kinetic energy from your arm would do the trick.

The classes were going on behind those closed wooden doors. The corridor was so quiet that I could hear the squeaking sound made by my sneakers on the sparkling clean floor. “Hey Kaps, aint the bomber man gonna make some noise today” Jatin my classmate said with a wink. Now I had an image of a studious and simple guy in front of my teachers. And that was what I was when in class. But outside I was the complete opposite. He opened my bag and found the crackers. He playfully picked up one and out of being a total moron that he is, hurled one towards me thinking I would be able to catch it. Now I am not that good at cricket. The result was BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!! The silent corridor provided the Dolby effect. We both attained the ‘lets run from the crime scene’ posture, just then the economics teacher came out and yelled “Stop both of you!”. She called the Administration incharge.

It felt like I was wearing shoes made of stone. Both of us couldn’t budge a bit. The news spread like butter on a hot toast. The administration incharge Mr. Nijhawan came rushing so did all my friends. It was me, Jatin and Mr. Nijhawan at the centrestage while all of our friends were surrounding us in a circle. I was already thinking of whom should I call posing as my father (I have already done this before…. that story some other time).

“Tell me who did this and I will be a little lenient on you”. United we stand, divided we fall. The english teacher was so damn right. None of us uttered a thing. Suddenly Jatin said “Sir it was not us”. The economics teacher had just heard the bang. So we appealed not guily. “Then who did it??” Nijhawan was snarling down our throats.

“Somebody from the second floor threw it”. What the heck was Jatin saying? “Then tell me who it was?” was Nijhawan’s next question. “Sir we cannot tell his name, otherwise he might hurt us outside college”. What a complete nonsense thing did I just say now? “But you two were found at the site, so action would be taken on you guys! Pray that you will just be suspended for a week, principal is a strict man”. The thoughts on who should I bring posing as my father again started crossing my mind.

“Sir that’s not fair! You are also standing here and if somebody throws a cracker right now, would you also be convicted?” Jatin asked. “Yes, no matter who it is action would be taken against them” Nijhawan said sternly. Jatin had just provided me with the solution. My mind was running like a Ferrari’s engine on full throttle. I let my hand slipped inside my bag, picked another cracker and just when Nijhawan wasn’t looking in the crowd that had gathered around us I handed it over to Gyan and winked at him. He knew what to do. BOOOOOOMMMMMM!! There went another one. Nobody could figure out who did it among the crowd. And this time Nijhawan was also there. Oh how he wished he could take back his words. “Sir if that’s what its going to be please go to your seat and start typing your suspension letter too alongside ours”. A Kodak moment. Yes, that was what i would aptly call it. Me and Jatin were smiling down his face and walked away. That was one close call.

…… And the Bomber Man remains a mystery till now .

Indian Car scene….

Hi,

A friend of mine who is an avid blogger just showed me the blogs he has been writing. He has been receiving some awesome responses on the blogs he has written. I went through some of his blogs and I must admit they were pretty well composed. So I thought even I’ll give this a try. So it is Hello Blog World! I’ll write about the topic I am most passionate about – ‘Cars’.

I am from India. Though the past two decades have totally transformed the Indian automotive industry. What was a seed has now become a plant ongoing to become a tree. I distinctly remember that when my father wanted to purchase a new car some 20 years back, we had just 2 cars to choose from (a Maruti 800 and a Fiat). I will hardly call it a choice, so would you! After 20 years now it’s time again to buy our 4th car. But this time the dilemma is which one to go in for. The market is flooded with so many options.

First venture was Hindustan Motors with their hercules models Ambassador and Contessa. Then came the Italians with Fiat in collaboration with an Indian firm. Then came the mighty Japanese, then the Americans and now the whole world is trying to tap into the potential of this market. You have Honda’s, Toyota’s and Suzuki’s competing with Chevy’s, Ford’s, Fiat’s, Hyundai’s. Still you can see those gaps with brands like Citroen, Mazda, Nissan and the likes shying away.

One of the things I rue is that the cars are so damn expensive in this part of the world. I don’t know why the government is not paying heed to the Indian who wants to own an equally good set of wheels as his counterpart anywhere else. If you earn well, it will get you to spend your 1-2 years salary in full to buy a decent set of wheels. Compare it with the situation where the same car is available at 5-10 times lower price elsewhere in the world. How would you feel after dogging the whole day at work just like anybody else, paying humongous amounts as taxes, and then driving back in a rotten old box of steel. As if the pun didn’t end here the government comes forward to play its role. It has made the taxation system of India one of the most brutal than anywhere else in the world. And with each passing year it is topping the charts as the back-breaker of a normal man.

I consider people in developed nations lucky. They have so many brands, and yet so many models to choose from. In fact I consider myself unlucky that I have not even seen half of the major brands here in India. Indians don’t realize this but we are missing on all the action that is happening upfront. Automotive sports are so much a reality which Indians have not fully woken up to yet. Americans have invented drag racing, the Japs invented drift racing. And it ends up boosting the economy of the country. The more viewership you have, the more likeminded people get together, the more sponsors gather. Can an average Indian think of buying a car and using it for this? Do I need to answer this?

But things are about to take a 180 degree angle from now onwards with all the major brands now starting to make themselves available. The used cars market is pumped with all sorts of cars at a low price. There were days when as a kid I used to dream when I would be able to see a two door model vrooming past in front of me. It was considered an exotica! And now it was yesterday only when I saw someone driving past me in a Mercedes Benz SLK. The plans are coming up for construction of a world class F1 circuit being built near the capital. The winds are changing and there’s light showing at the other end of this dark hollow. Till then it remains the ‘Indian Dream‘.

- An Indian who is keeping his fingers crossed.

PS: I’d like to hear comments from like-minded Indians.