From:

High Five   

Posted On Friday, July 15, 2011

From books, music to films, the city corporates bare their hearts out on things beyond business...

Books

Hotel by Arthur Hailey and A Hotel Is a Very Funny Place by Shelley Berman: Hotel prodded me to contemplate a career in the industry but what sealed the deal was the second book. While one highlighted the complexities and magnitude of a hotel operations, the other proved to be a funny account of how a guest perceives it. While both books were written in the 1960s, they are both extremely relevant in the day-to-day operations of a hotel, to this day

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle: I would recommend everyone to read this one, especially in today’s context. It talks about the journey of the soul through the human experience. Hard hitting; it helps you put things in perspective and prioritise your life

Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell: For one, it is offbeat..and for me this one broke several myths and helped me understand how once social behaviour (among other factors) crosses a threshold it can cause rapid changes in both your personal and professional life.

Blue Ocean Strategy by W Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne: This book emphasises the importance of effective business strategies in a competitive market place, raising the bar to an extent that it renders the competition irrelevant.

Leading on the Edge of Chaos by Emmett C Murphy and Mark A Murphy: The relevance of this book is even more pronounced in the wake of global economic slowdown. It provides insights into managing your business in times of crisis…

MOVIES

Sholay: This is an all time favourite

Hatari: The first movie ever watched in a cinema hall as a child

The Star Wars trilogy and it's 'prequels', that followed: Each movie was better than the previous one (usually not the case in sequels). They still stand out in my mind as a bench mark in science fiction films

Sound of Music and Mad Mad Mad World: Can be watched innumerable times and has turned out to be a great bonding agent for my wife, daughter and myself

Crash: A brilliantly made, thought-provoking movie that begins with multiple short stories that subtly come together as the movie progresses. Very effectively depicts the harsh reality of racial biases that still exist in the real world

MUSIC
Predominantly retro rock

Doors: An all time favourite

Pink Floyd: The Wall. The most-listened to album while I was growing up

Rush: A hugely talented, though a vastly underrated and lesser known band

Queen: Freddie Mercury will always be remembered for his exceptional vocal talent supported by a band who once again were outstanding in their musical ability

Bee Gees: An evergreen band that has churned out some of the greatest hits of all time

The band Hip Pocket has turned out to be one of the most pleasant surprises that the city of Kolkata has to offer. An evening of listening to renditions of songs from this genre has been a great experience.

(Zubin Songadwala is general manager of ITC Sonar)

FAB II

Books

The Ascent of Money by Niall Ferguson: It is a comprehensive and easy read of history about money and I liked the fact that it educated me about money

Intelligent Investor by Ben Graham: For people interested in investment analysis it is like a Bible

The World of Psuith by PG Woodhouse: I loved the British humour in it. It made for an intelligent read

Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer: It is a classic story that takes you through the rivalry of two men for both business and personal reasons. I liked how the story unfolded

From Midnight to the Millennium by Shashi Tharoor: I like the fact that it talks about the post freedom phase in India in a very easy to read manner

Movies

Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi by Satyen Bose: Starring Ashok, Kishor and Anup Kumar, this black and white film has a nice, feel good factor to it

Amar Akbar Anthony by Manmohan Desai: This classic 1970’s Amitabh Bachchan masala flick has all the ingredients to entertain you

Gladiator by Ridley Scott: This period film starring Russell Crowe has a powerfully told story of one man against an empire that hooked me to it

Animal House by John Landis: It is a typical guy movie which brings back fond memories of watching it with friends during my college days

Angoor by Gulzar: Starring Sanjeev Kumar and Deven Verma, it is the best Indian comedy of errors and is a laugh riot

Music

Every Breath You Take by The Police: It has engaging words and the simple rhythm refuses to leave you

Russian by Sting: Extremely thought provoking lyrics of this song made the words linger on, making me ponder days after I first heard it

Brazil by The Vengaboys: The fast, foot-tapping fantastic rhythm makes you want to dance

Roadhouse Blues by The Doors: It is my favourite classic rock band and I like almost all their songs, this being a special one

Mission Impossible theme song: This engaging instrumental piece evokes mystery with every tune.

Jehil Thakkar is partner, KPMG

FAB III

BOOKS
Maverick by Ricardo Semler: This book has radical theories. Very interestingly all of them have been proven. A must read to unlearn all that you have known till date

Identity & Violence: The Illusion of Destiny by Amartya Sen: This book discusses violence in/by Islamic states/people of Islamic origin and how it is taking the colour of global terrorism

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma: The book covers self actualisation in life

Gitanjali (in English) by Rabindra Nath Tagore: One must read this book for its spiritual depth and interpretation of reality

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho: The book teaches one how to pick up learnings in life through observations and experiences

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson: This well-written book is about our amazing planet. This was an eye opener.

MUSIC

The kind of music I like listening to depends on my mood. I enjoy instrumental and spiritual music while in my car. It de-stresses me. I also enjoy fast-paced Bollywood music during a Sunday afternoon with my family.

Mohd Rafi’s Mein zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya: This melodious song teaches you to live with your problems when you realise that there is no point in thinking over the issues which practically have no solution

Kishore Kumar’s Mera jeevan kora kaagaz: This number paints the picture of a life that has lost its essence and is thus futile

Kishore Kumar’s Kahi door jab din dhal jaaye: This song from the film Anand is about living life to the fullest as a life time is too short to fulfil all your dreams.

Kishore Kumar’s Aap ka kya hoga: This fun song gives the message of being satisfied with whatever you have

Rabindrasangeet singer Indrani Sen’s Chandi ka hasi bandh tute re: I also like this gentle number.

MOVIES

The Godfather: This is one of those rare movies that was made better than the book. Also being a fan of Marlon Brando, I could not have missed this. Great script and characterisation

Mughal-e–Azham: An epic love story with great direction, cinematography and acting skills. Dilip Kumar was truly awesome

Namesake: A very sensible manifestation of the journey through life and the obstacles that thwart it

3 Idiots: The movie directed by Aamir Khan zooms in on the present education system where everything is not really well

A Wednesday: This thriller is about the status and power of common man — aam aadmi. Even the minutest of details has been taken into consideration exhibiting excellent screenplay and a very non ‘run-of-the-mill’ conclusion.

(Dogra is MD, CARE)