Kabali Rajini: The Tsunami that Shook the World

The Rajini Effect

The Kabali Rajini effect shook the world - the chanting of “Rajini Rajini” were heard far and wide and across both sides of the Atlantic.

Records tumbled, the cash registers of the theaters kept ringing and the lines never abated! The egos of some fellow artists were shattered! Divisive forces were dismayed and the united fandom enjoyed the Kabali Rajini! When it’s “Rajini” the force is always of unifying!! Cost creed colour position nothing mattered! People from all walks of life left in one direction: To see Kabali Rajini on the first day of release! Newspapers from New York to New Zealand profiled Rajini. Massive celebrations were seen at the theaters that were showing Kabali and this was from San Francisco to Shanghai and from Pennsylvania to Perth.

Even business schools have now have plans to introduce a case study: “The Kabali wave that shook the world – Path breaking lessons in Promotion Strategy”. People always forget one thing it is not the story of the superiority of the film that led to this tsunami. It is the “Brand Rajini” that did the trick.

How widespread was this effect?

Board meetings were cancelled, offices were closed and volunteers from across the spectrum of society came down to celebrate on the day of the release. A festival mood was created spontaneously by the sheer force of the enthusiasm of the fans. It was not an assembled crowd; it was not the crowd that was given money or packets of food to assemble. It was a wholly voluntary crowd that spent its own money.

People mistake it as the rush of the masses that eulogized their ideal hero MGR/NTR in olden days. But now it is not the addicts, neither are they the fan club members only. It is people from all walks of life right from a member of the Board of Directors to a person who carries the broom in the company. Even age is not a factor, be it 8 or 80, Rajini fans are visible.

For me personally, I generally go for select movies only after reading reviews or watch those that have been recommended by friends. But I went for the first day show for Kabali bringing with me a team of 50 associates! We all watch the movie together in Dubai. Even at the theaters the crowd was an eclectic mix of high flyers to common workers. People who are generally very dignified and who would never shout at public places were surprisingly seen shouting “Rajini, Rajini” and cheering along the actor. This is a first-hand experience and no newspaper report. I experienced it myself!

The greatness of the man can be gauged by his humility. At an award function, he remarked “I, Rajini, a bus conductor am standing in front of this illustrious audience to receive an award today. This by itself makes me believe – ‘Miracles do happen’

At the top of the Mount Everest of success, Rajini still keeps his head firmly on the shoulders - the embodiment of humility even at the pinnacle of his achievement! That is Brand Rajini!!

He was never mesmerized by the aesthetics - the ego that sits in the mind. That humility of Rajni creates automatically an effect on the minds of people. His fans are not just fans, they are his well-wishers. That’s why Rajini’s success is their success.

It is not just the obsessed film buffs, but enlightened minds that come to support Rajini. That even erases the negative effect of mixed reviews. Who cares for these reviews? People care for “Rajini” and by the time the film review sinks in the minds of the people, whopping numbers 400 Crores - 500 Crores have already been collected!

But why didn’t this Rajini effect work on all his films? Many people ask this question. I believe the answer is as follows:

The well-wishers of Rajini support him in all his movies as long as it aligns with his age. Some of the heroics that he did in his 30s, if he does now, the well-wishers will not volunteer. Maybe the hard-core fans can cheer. But the success of the film cannot be left only to the hard-core fans. Hence fan films of Rajni do not do well, while those targeted towards the well-wishers will always be roaring successes.

He is not just a Man of his Fan Masses – But Rajini is a Man of People’s Mind. Courage in crisis, calmness in success - Thy Name is Rajini!

A Rajini like hero - “Rudra”, a humble man who learns the secrets of Bramhastra and has mysterious powers over the earth lives and walks in the era of Alexander, Chandragupta and Chanakya. When charges of scheming against his sovereign, his king were framed against him - how does he save his kingdom from plunging into chaos? This and much more in the upcoming thriller- “The Indus Challenge”. Soon to hit the stands!!

HOLIER THAN THOU: A HATE FILLED APPROACH

IF love, compassion and brotherhood is what the world is aiming for, then the last month has been
especially bad. We have had a huge number of incidents.

- We had two massive suicide bombers killing in excess of 200 in Iraq.
- We had police brutality on full display in the shooting of two black men in the US. Both incidents have video evidence. In fact one was live streamed on Facebook.
- An equally irrational reaction was the killing of five police officers by a sniper who had come out to control a protest against these killings.
- We had suicide bombers blow up at one of the most sacred sites in Saudi Arabia.
- There was also a good amount of racial abuse hurled at foreign looking workers in UK in the aftermath of the Brexit vote.
- We had a massive hostage killing spree in Bangladesh were about 22 people were hacked to death.
- The senseless violence of a terrorist in Kashmir is still simmering.

What all of these are? These are simply attacks where the motivation can be racial, religious, class conflict, personality flaw or simply a political struggle.

In today’s information age, where audio and visuals from conflict zones and scenes of tragedy can be broadcast within seconds, the reactions to such incidences are also extreme. In the olden times, there used to be a cooling-off period. A good amount of mature reflection happened between such tragedies happening in the news spreading to large groups. This, was a natural dampener. Today’s Internet is also very reactive. You can give your comment, leave a tweet or post your own reactions in seconds. And this is where outrage takes over reason, spontaneity takes over maturity and preaching takes over reflection.

Perhaps the single largest contributor to inertia for change in the modern times is the excessive preaching of what is right and what is wrong. And this preaching is mostly done by people who have no apparent connection to the incident in question. No group of people, religion or political class appreciates an external group telling them what to do. It’s not in human nature. The most successful reformations have come when things have been changed by people from within.

Perhaps the best way to handle this hate filled environment is not to be reactive and not adopt “a holier than thou” approach. Be sensitive to the unique characteristics of every problem and above all acceptance in moderation in all interactions of your daily life.

Alexander’s Wife: Sister of King Poros?

Poros and Alexander

MOST Indians would know the very famous Rakhi Festival. In the festival, women tie a sacred thread or an embellished thread to the wrists of their brothers. The brothers in turn are expected to provide respect and protection to the sisters and protect their honor. In this great tradition there have been numerous examples where women have tied a Rakhi to the arch nemesis of their husbands thereby ensuring a modicum of protection for their own husbands.

If true, this one example of a rakhi brother honoring his promises to his sister may have had a profound effect on the history of India. Alexander was a Macedonian conqueror who called himself the God king. He had amassed by then the biggest Empire conquered by a single person. Alexander had many marriages. The marriages were mostly exercises in trying to forge alliances and not that of love or attraction. But he did have a favorite wife. The one he met in 327BC and married while in the Afghan region of Balkh- Soghdia in Bactria (modern day Afghanistan - Mazar-i-Sharif) was Ruk Sana, Roshanak or Roxane. Legends mention that Roxane actually did tie a rakhi to Poros.

When he reached the borders of the Indian subcontinent, he was faced with the formidable Poros. A mighty regional king with a large army and a large contingent of fighting elephants the likes of which the armies of Alexander had not encountered till then. Alexander was a mighty strategist but no strategy can overcome the deficit in the morale of an army. Seeing the mighty elephants it is said that the courage of the victorious army of Alexander wavered. They were ready for battle but for the first time were not very confident of the outcome. Even the weather then was the rainy seasons and the whole ground around the mighty Jhelum River was soft and slushy. Although this was equally bad for Poros and his chariots, the elephants were a game changer in that weather.

When news of such hesitancy and lack of confidence reached Roxane, she was fearful for the life of Alexander. In consultation with some ladies who are familiar with the customs of India, she settled on using the ancient bond of Rakhi to try to ensure that at least, in case of a defeat, her husband’s life may be spared. She met Poros and tied a Rakhi on his hand, thus ensuring protection for Alexander. It is said that it was this Rakhi tied hand that weighed all the decisions of Poros during the battle.

History tells us that Poros was defeated but Alexander was also impressed by the bravery with which the battle had been fought. He made Poros his satrap. This epic battle was not without its consequences. Elephants , as a tool of war were introduced in Western lore. This battle was also the last major battle of the Army of Alexander. The calls to return back to Macedonia increased in pitch.

The above story does not have a lot of historical records as its basis. Perhaps the story got stronger and was asked onto the collective memory and record of Alexander’s conquest in the last century. In 1941, a movie called ‘Sikander’ was released. It started the doyen of Indian cinema Prithviraj Kapoor. This movie had scenes where Roxane meets Poros and ensures an agreement to spare Alexander’s life.

Whatever may the case be. What would’ve happened if Alexander would’ve been defeated by Poros? How would the history of India be shaped? If not for Poros, would Alexander have had time enough to embark on trying to find the ancient sciences and secrets of India? Did the cultural legacy and honor in the form of Rakhi had unintended consequences? To find out this and much more, read the book “The Indus Challenge”. Hitting the bookshelves soon…. 

Alexander’s Wife: Sister of King Poros?

MOST Indians would know the very famous Rakhi Festival. In the festival, women tie a sacred thread or an embellished thread to the wrists of their brothers. The brothers in turn are expected to provide respect and protection to the sisters and protect their honor. In this great tradition there have been numerous examples where women have tied a Rakhi to the arch nemesis of their husbands thereby ensuring a modicum of protection for their own husbands.

If true, this one example of a rakhi brother honoring his promises to his sister may have had a profound effect on the history of India. Alexander was a Macedonian conqueror who called himself the God king. He had amassed by then the biggest Empire conquered by a single person. Alexander had many marriages. The marriages were mostly exercises in trying to forge alliances and not that of love or attraction. But he did have a favorite wife. The one he met in 327BC and married while in the Afghan region of Balkh- Soghdia in Bactria (modern day Afghanistan - Mazar-i-Sharif) was Ruk Sana, Roshanak or Roxane. Legends mention that Roxane actually did tie a rakhi to Poros.

When he reached the borders of the Indian subcontinent, he was faced with the formidable Poros. A mighty regional king with a large army and a large contingent of fighting elephants the likes of which the armies of Alexander had not encountered till then. Alexander was a mighty strategist but no strategy can overcome the deficit in the morale of an army. Seeing the mighty elephants it is said that the courage of the victorious army of Alexander wavered. They were ready for battle but for the first time were not very confident of the outcome. Even the weather then was the rainy seasons and the whole ground around the mighty Jhelum River was soft and slushy. Although this was equally bad for Poros and his chariots, the elephants were a game changer in that weather.

When news of such hesitancy and lack of confidence reached Roxane, she was fearful for the life of Alexander. In consultation with some ladies who are familiar with the customs of India, she settled on using the ancient bond of Rakhi to try to ensure that at least, in case of a defeat, her husband’s life may be spared. She met Poros and tied a Rakhi on his hand, thus ensuring protection for Alexander. It is said that it was this Rakhi tied hand that weighed all the decisions of Poros during the battle.

History tells us that Poros was defeated but Alexander was also impressed by the bravery with which the battle had been fought. He made Poros his satrap. This epic battle was not without its consequences. Elephants , as a tool of war were introduced in Western lore. This battle was also the last major battle of the Army of Alexander. The calls to return back to Macedonia increased in pitch.

The above story does not have a lot of historical records as its basis. Perhaps the story got stronger and was asked onto the collective memory and record of Alexander’s conquest in the last century. In 1941, a movie called ‘Sikander’ was released. It started the doyen of Indian cinema Prithviraj Kapoor. This movie had scenes where Roxane meets Poros and ensures an agreement to spare Alexander’s life.

Whatever may the case be. What would’ve happened if Alexander would’ve been defeated by Poros? How would the history of India be shaped? If not for Poros, would Alexander have had time enough to embark on trying to find the ancient sciences and secrets of India? Did the cultural legacy and honor in the form of Rakhi had unintended consequences? To find out this and much more, read the book “The Indus Challenge”. Hitting the bookshelves soon….