Interviewer: Cutting a long story short, tell us something about each of your roles in Ahvan.

Ashwamedha (to be referred to as Ashwa): Well, we are under a strict non-disclosure contract so we can’t reveal much, but all I can say is this year, we are… different!

Kalpavriksha and Gordian’s Knot (to be referred to as Kalpa and GK): Yeah! Ashwa put it succinctly.

Interviewer: I guess my job’s gonna be tough today. Ashwa, you are probably the biggest star of the enterprise, so all eyes would be on you. You can let something out for your fans.

Ashwa: It’s quite flattering to hear that I am the ‘biggest’ in the enterprise. I am only one of the characters in the film, playing according to the script. Every actor has a justified presence in Ahvan. The star is the director.

Coming to letting something out, so I don’t know whether I should or not. So, at the risk of incurring the director’s wrath, my role is Ahvan has been tweaked a bit from the roles I normally play. Normally, I search for the best manager. Though, in Ahvan, my quest is to find the best leader.

Interviewer: What is the difference?

Ashwa: Read OB, you would understand. (All three break into a guffaw) No seriously, it’s not the same as my previous roles. Rest assured, you are in for a surprise, or a shock! (Smiles)

Interviewer: Ashwa, looking at the way you have performed in the past, I believe it would be the former. What I hear is that here too you are working with a bunch of youngsters?

Ashwa: I don’t know how media comes to know of the news every single time! Yes, I am working with some extremely bright youngsters. Trust me, if you find my performance watchable, it’s just because of them. The kind of preparation and efforts they put in at each step stunned me. They were brimming with lots of fresh ideas and concepts. Every time we used to discuss how to perform a particular scene, they were like “Sir, let’s do it this way”, “This is too clichéd a way”, “We haven’t concentrated on these aspects of the scene”. They were fully prepared for the scene every single day, with all analysis and reasonings in place.

Interviewer: It would have been a huge learning experience for them, considering it was you.

Ashwa: On the contrary, I was the student in the group! They looked like they’ve been in the business for a longer period than I’ve been!

Interviewer: (smiles) That shows that you’re still unsatiated Ashwa. Ohh… our readers will have a hard time to wait another 100 odd hours to see you!

(turning towards Kalpavriksha) You have always played patriotic roles a la Manoj Kumar – the hero who works for the society. Can we expect something of that sort once again in Ahvan?

Kalpa: Society has always fascinated me, and probably that explains why my roles have evolved in the way they have been. It’s important to strengthen your roots, as no building can stand if its foundation isn’t strong enough. I love playing the farmer, the potter, the weaver… roles which reflect the root part of India.

Talking about Ahvan, yes, my role again will be a similar role. As you know our tagline is ‘Imagining India’, so one can’t imagine India without the perspective of society that I represent in most of my films.

Interviewer: How was your support cast? We hear they, again, are a bunch of youngsters?

Kalpa: Yes, they are. I echo Ashwa’s feelings when it comes to working with youngsters. They have a fresh approach and the ability to create something out of nothing.

Interviewer: Your films have been more of an intellectual drama than a physical one – you normally cater to the connoisseurs than to the masses. Is it the same here as well?

Kalpa: If you want to show the real India, it has to be devoid of any frills. In that sense, yes, my roles have been a ‘arty’ if you would say. But in Ahvan, my role might show some dramatic portions, if the support cast agree. Normally, these sequences are cut, but let’s see.

Interviewer: ‘Might’? Isn’t the film ready?

Kalpa: Some post-production work is still left. Don’t worry, Ahvan will release on the 19^th!

Interviewer: And now to Gordian’s Knot! People are intrigued by your character, and it’s an understatement. Many people are dying to know about your role. You are probably the only new entrant who has been aggressively promoted as the heir to the throne of Ashwa.

GK: (laughs) It’s quite flattering and embarrassing at the same time to be compared to Ashwa. Ashwa is a legend, I am just a newbie.

As for my role, all I can say, it’s a role every debutant would die for. I consider myself blessed because getting such a role in a huge project like Ahvan is stuff dreams are made of.

Interviewer: People say you’ve done almost everything a Hindi film hero is supposed to do, and done it with aplomb.

GK: Well, if you put it like that, then yes. My role, if I really have to say something about it, is that of a person who plays with the lives a few individuals; so the character has shades of grey. The role demanded intensity, so I had to go through a series of rigorous sessions with my mentors, understanding the nuances of the character and fine tuning my performance. I thank Arijit sir in particular, for helping me out with that. Plus, I also had to do some action sequences. Mind you, this is the kind of action, never-seen-before on the silver screen. I had to build immense stamina to carry them off. I hope that comes well on screen.

Interviewer: Apparently, you have a character called Indore as well in your story? What is that all about?

GK: (Smiles) For that you have to see the movie! The interactions of Indore and the hapless souls I ‘play’ with are the highlight of the enterprise, in my honest opinion.

Interviewer: How does it feel sharing the same platform as Ashwa and Kalpa? You have been promoted at par with them.

GK: As I said, God has been kind. Ashwa and Kalpa are legends in their own right. To be promoted at par with them is a huge responsibility I have to shoulder.

Ashwa: Don’t worry son, you’ve been exceptional. Mark my words, you are only going to get bigger and bigger.

Kalpa: Yes, going by the kind of response on view from the few people who have seen the rushes, GK is here to, not only stay, but rule!

Interviewer: It’s great to see the fantastic camaraderie among you guys. Thanks a lot for your valuable inputs. I sincerely hope Ahvan more than lives up to the hype it has generated and becomes the blockbuster that people expect it to be.

Ashwa, Kalpa and GK: Amen!

Indian Institute of Management Indore, one of India’s topmost Business schools, will be organizing its annual management summit ahvan ’09, on the 19^th, 20^th, and 21^st of November 2009.

Āhvān ’09 is IIM Indore’s annual management festival and is one of the most anticipated events among top B School participants across India. The showcase events such as Ashwamedha, Kalpavriksha, and Klueless have seen tremendous participation from top B Schools over the years, attracting some of the best minds in the field of business and management. This year, they are expecting to host close to 500 participants from major B schools and Corporate Houses in their campus and another 2000 students and faculty from local institutes. Their theme, inspired by the Nandan Nilekani book of the same name, is “Imagining India” with most events circling around issues that deal with making India globally competent on multiple levels, while at the same time staying locally centric, and, above all, socially relevant.

With Ashwamedha – one of their flagship events receiving over 1200 hits already & 600+ well-informed comments on its blog, the ‘Think’ stage of Ashwamedha can’t be called anything less than successful. The first round ‘Hurdle’ was an aptitude-based round that stressed on out-of-the-box thinking. 70 successful warriors crossed over to ‘Ignite’ where they have chosen to present their ideas on 1 out of the 7 topics like waste management, river pollution etc. Allowing readers to comment on the presentation uploaded on the ’Ignite’ blog has received huge support & enthusiasm. The ‘Act’ and the ‘Lead’ stages will kick off tonight with the announcement of the final 30 contenders, hailing from B-schools like IIM – K, A, L, I; MDI, FMS, XLRI, IIFT. The final winner shall take home Rs.1,50,000 along with the trophy.

Another flagship event of Ahvan 2009 will be Kalpavriksha- the social Business plan competition which is all set for its final presentation round on 20th November. The final 5 teams are from IIM A, IIM K, IIM Shillong, FMS and SIIB. These teams are currently in the mentorship phase where their plans are being looked into by a team from Ashoka Fellows and FINO. The final round will be judged by a panel of an academician, a venture capitalist and a field expert in the area. Kalpavriksha, with an international tie-up with Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition (GSEC) of Foster School of Business and association with FINO as ‘Knowledge Partner’ and Cognizant as Sponsor, promises to be bigger and better than last year.

Gordian Knot is another such event where management students would get down from their ivory towers and be tested on their faculties to make the best use of any situation. A thoroughly challenging event, it has received participation from more than 200 teams across colleges like IIMs, IITs, MDI, IMT, IMI, NMIMS, SPJAIN, IIFT and FMS. The first round ‘Cognitive Knot’ consisted of online puzzles, from where 30 teams that were shortlisted had to make a video introducing themselves in the Creative Knot.  The 6 final teams from IIM Kozhikode, MICA, IIFT-Delhi, IIM Indore, SP Jain and MDI shall now battle it out in the city of Indore for the prize money of more than Rs. 50,000.

Klueless – the online game which in its 5^th year now, reached a new high with a million hits in the first 2 days itself. People from US, UK, Indonesia, Kazakhstan and even Romania have racked their brains to crack this puzzle. The Hall Of  Fame has a couple from UIUC Chicago, a Lt General from the Army, a dentist from Nagpur, a Purdue University student and many such others listed on it. Its popularity can be gauged by the fact that the organizers of the event having received a number of requests to make it more frequent than the current annual format.  Certainly, K5, it is popularly known has taken us all by storm.

And for the grand finale on 21^st November, there would be a live stage performance with Neeraj Shridhar of the Bombay Vikings fame gracing the LiveWire stage. Since 2005, Neeraj has been singing playback for bollywood films and has delivered hits like Bhool Bhulaiya (Bhool Bhulaiya), Love Mera Hit Hit (Billu Barber), Heyy Babyy (Heyy Babyy), Twist (Love Aaj Kal) and most recently Prem Ki Naiyya ( Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani), thus making Neeraj the flavor of the season. It surely promises to be an evening packed with energy and electricity. The promotions have already started and there are many road shows planned at various locations around the city of Indore. There shall also be many exciting contests from winning a free ticket for the concert to a dinner with the artiste himself.

Along with all the competitions, they would also be organizing various guest talks throughout the 3 days under the “Envision” series, where some of the well known personalities would be delivering lectures on the diverse fields of business. Some of the eminent names include Mr. V. Shankar, MD & CEO, Rallis India Limited; Prof. G. Mohan Gopal, Director, National Judiciary Academy, Bhopal; Mr. N. Gopalaswami, Former Chief Election Commissioner;  K. Raghavendra Rao, MD, Orchid Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd amongst others.

Ahvan 09 is co-sponsored by State Bank of India, ONGC & SAIL. Associate sponsors are Gati, Indian Oil Servo Extra Premium & Tata Consultancy Services. Safexpress are the Official Logistics and Supply Chain Sponsor. Event sponsors include Cognizant, Rediff.com, Nokia, Appy Fizz & Grappo Fizz, Max, Smokin’ Joes & iimjobs.com. Nai Dunia are Local Print partners whereas Business Standard are their National Print Partners. Sahara Samay MP is the exclusive Television Partner whereas BIG92.7FM is the official Radio Partner. Dare2Compete.com is their online Event Partner. PVR Cinemas are the Official Multiplex Partner. Greycells is the Quiz Partner whereas Sayaji Hotels are the Hospitality Partners. MBAUniverse.com & ManagementParadise.com are the Official Management Portals of this summit.

- Media & Public Relations Vertical, āhvān ‘09

We will be adding more than a dozen new ideas everyday for the next five days.

Ignite is part of Ashwamedha the flagship event of ahvan ‘09. Ashwamedha is the hunt for the finest leader from among the top B-Schools of India.

Visit Ignite-Ashwamedha

The name might have changed, but the essence remains just the same. So, just like its predecessor IRIS, the grand finale of āhvān ‘09 will be LiveWire, the live musical concert of IIM Indore. LiveWire has historically been the most exciting event of the festival because of all the electricity and passion that a live performance generates in the crowd and on stage. It’s definitely my favorite part of the festival, and also the perfect culmination to the festival, giving everyone involved a chance to enjoy and have a blast. It also gives residents of Indore and other closeby areas a chance interact with the institute and its students. Over the years, LiveWire has played host to some of the most sought after bands. Indian Ocean, Euphoria, Parikrama, Strings and Silk Route have all graced the stage, and each time, the audience was left completely captivated by the performances, crying out for more.

This year, the LiveWire team is more excited than ever, for this would be the first LiveWire under the banner of āhvān!! Team LiveWire has been working frantically for the past four months to try and ensure that the legacy of LiveWire continues. LiveWire is already attracting huge interest from the participants at various B-Schools as well as residents of Indore. “We’re already flooded with enquiries about artist, tickets, event date and timings” says Aamal Mishra, LiveWire Co-coordinator. Kamal Chhabra, also a LiveWire Co-coordinator said “All I can confirm is that LiveWire will be different this time, it will be bigger and better. We have planned a host of activities and so the audience can look for something new and exciting. The details will be out soon”.

November 21, 2009. It will be the same setting, the same venue, but this year, LiveWire promises to be completely different. If the enthusiasm level of Team LiveWire is anything to go by, it will be another addition to the spectacular series of concerts organized at IIM Indore. I, for sure, would not want to miss this one. The countdown has begun; it’s just a month to go now before the festivities begin at IIM Indore.

Keep watching this space for more information.

PS: More details about LiveWire to be revealed in the next post

Cast: Ashwamedha, Kalpavriksha, Klueless, Entrepid, Gordian’s Knot, among others

Genre: Action/Drama/Comedy/Thriller

Running Time: 3 days

This one has to be THE most anticipated magnum opus of the year. And not without reason. With a star-studded cast including icons like Ashwamedha, Kalpavriksha and Klueless, and a supporting cast including the likes of Fin League and Cerebrate, the expectations are but natural. Add to that, re-launch of yesteryear’s superstar Sanjeevani who comes back in a brand new avatar this year as Gordian’s Knot, and the expectations get magnified hundred-fold.

The director of the film, Shashank Jha, though refuses to divulge the story – all he has to say is “It’s hatke!”. “This is one movie which would invite the audiences to not only watch but also be a part of the action. If I really have to define a genre for Ahvan, I would say it’s a dramatic intellectual thriller.”

News from trusted sources seems to re-affirm his statement. According to sources, people who have seen the rushes of the film are blown over by the sheer magnitude of the venture. ”The plot careens through in a serpentine manner. Just when you think you have decoded the plot… Bam! A new twist jolts you.” said an industry insider on conditions of anonymity.

Talking about the new and improved Sanjeevani, the industry insider warns, “Do not make the mistake of expecting another Sanjeevani… you might be caught off-guard.” Perceived as a thinking-man’s actor, Sanjeevani has beefed itself up into a physical powerhouse called Gordian’s Knot. This has added another dimension to its personality, making Gordian’s Knot a rare combination of brawn and brain.

And the enterprise reaches a crescendo with a rocking number by Livewire. “Audiences will be dancing in the aisles… and this is an understatement.” the insider promises.

Well, by the looks of it, we may have the year’s biggest blockbuster on our hands here. The countdown has begun… 24 days to go!

IN PART-II: Comments from the principal cast

Klueless is primarily an online game wherein a participant has to crack the clue at a given level to move on to the next level. Cracking the clue requires some lateral thinking, some googling and quite often just some presence of mind. This year’s version promises to be even more engaging and enthusing. The Link for this year’s klueless will be put up on the website in the first week of November. It goes without saying that there are lots of prizes to be won.

For more, watch this space.

Klueless over the years

Klueless 1

Klueless 2

Klueless 3

Klueless 4

Caution: It can be addictive.

For an event enjoying popularity of that magnitude, Ashwa started out as a brand new concept and has become a trendsetter, pioneering a whole new genre of events across B-Schools. Obviously, the event team is not talking about what it plans to do this year since they re-invent themselves every year. All they say about Ashwa is that ‘The event places the participants in a series of simulated real life scenarios where the participants have to use all their wits, knowledge and passion to prove their mettle.’

The event will be launched on the 24^th of October with prize money of Rs.150000 (tentatively). The initial elimination process of online rounds will bring down the numbers from 1000+ applicants to ‘30 potential winners’. From then on, each one watches the others’ moves and out of this stiff competition, emerges the winner. Meanwhile, sponsors are vying for Ashwamedha, jostling for the eyeballs that Ashwa grabs. The buzz on the campus is that Ashwa in its new avatar is going to be one of Ahvan’s biggest successes. The personal interview round which promises to be nothing short of dramatic will decide ‘the real leader’. The focus is primarily going to be Ahvan’s theme ‘Imagining India’, where we look for leadership that is not restricted to corporate houses but makes a meaningful difference to this nation.

Cerebrate Marketing:

Cerebrate Marketing is a live case study competition. It has 2 stages: first being the online round and the final held at IIM Indore campus. Participants from top 30 B-schools present their solutions to the industry experts and get a chance to interact with them and fine tune their marketing strategy skills with their help.

The tentative launch date of the events first and second round is  2^nd November 2009 and 19^th /20^th November 2009 respectively.

Cerebrate Finance:

Cerebrate Finance is a live case study competition based on finance. It has two phases. In phase 1 an online quiz of 40 minutes based on knowledge of the field of finance will be conducted. Based on their performance in phase 1 six teams will be shortlisted for phase 2. In phase 2 A live case study will be provided to all shortlisted teams and they will be invited to present their cases to the judges on 19^th November in IIM Indore campus.

The online quiz of phase 1 will be launched on 7^th November 2009 and its results will be declared on 9^th November 2009. Phase 2 will start on 10^th November 2009 with the distribution of the case study to the selected teams and it will end on 19^th November 2009 with the final presentation by the groups.

Cerebrate Operations:

This event is being held for the first time looking at the growing importance of operations these days. It is a case study contest in operations field. Objective of the event is “To identify best talents in India in operations management area through soliciting solutions for live issues faced by corporate”.

The registration for this event has started. The case study will be available on the website from 29^th October 2009 and the final presentations by the groups will be made on 19^th November 2009.

With international tie-up with Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition (GSEC) of Foster School of Business and association with FINO as ‘Knowledge Partner’ and Cognizant as Sponsor, Kalpavriksha’09 promises to be bigger and better this year. Kalpavriksha moves a step ahead in assessing the social impact brought about by the business plans by introducing a new factor of “Social Impact Assessment”. Concurring with Ahvan’s theme of “Imagining India”, Kalpavriksha continues to be the torch-bearer of self-sustainable social entrepreneurship.

Testimonials from last year’s finalists speak tons about the success of Kalpavriksha.

“Kalpavriksha happens to be one of the most gruelling and testing B-plan competitions in India. Unlike other B-plan competitions whereby you can impress the judges with a 10 minute presentation to walk away with a prize, Kalpavriksha is almost a month long journey which ensures that only the best and genuine entrepreneurial minds manage to make the cut …”

“We have won many competitions, but the Kalpavriksha experience has been one of the most rewarding, even though we did not win anything! It tested our mettle in strategy, our team cohesiveness, the practicality of the plan among other things … Finally, we would like to say that if you want to rub shoulders with the likes of London School of Economics, Princeton University etc., Kalpavriksha is the shortest way to do it for an Indian team. So go for it!”

Team Kalpavriksha is looking forward to provide a platform to the path-breaking ideas of the nation’s young entrepreneurs and leave a lasting impact.