Life of a Budding Entrepreneur

A long pending post....I'd written this article for a dear friend - Ruby, when she asked me about my journey as an entrepreneur....

This was written in April 2017 and hadnt seen the light of the day, until today!

Read on for a snapshot of the last 3 years of my life :)  

10 years of IT and I had begun to feel rusted...and deep within, I was feeling worthless!!!! I was going about my job, it was paying me well, and we were the perfect Dual Income Single Kid family. But, the satisfaction and happiness that should have come along was missing! So much so that I hated going to office by the end of 2011. And, finally I put down my papers in Jan 2012 and honestly, that was the single most best decision I had taken for myself until then!

I began to enjoy my life with my older daughter and somewhere along, my younger one came along. It was on seeing the milestones achieved by my younger one that I realised how much I missed of the growing years of my older one! Amidst all this, the only thing I missed was my financial independence. And, that’s when I happened to talk to a senior from college and the discussion went ahead with them offering me a position in their start up! But, I soon realised corporate life was over for me! I was not doing justice to the position and salary offered and we bid an amicable goodbye! During the series of goodbyes, I met up with Ruby. We chatted over chai, carrot cakes and more. The cake is relevant and the turning point of the story! Ruby had forever wanted me to bake for her (the after effects of some of the gorgeous pictures of food that my husband clicked). A good bye seemed an apt moment for some "sweet" talk. While we were talking, she popped the question "Why don’t you take this skill of yours forward". I brushed her aside because, honestly I never thought I was "entrepreneur" material...

I went back to life...kids, school, home and the routine! But, the itch to "work" remained. Some well-meaning friends encouraged me to open my kitchen out to the public. There was nothing to lose and I decided to give it a shot! My mother and I decided that we would do "after school snacks". This was well received and orders began trickling in slowly and steadily. People began appreciating our food and they began to spread the word amongst their friends and family too. When we started in November 2015, it was a small WhatSapp group of just about 10 friends. When I closed for the summer holidays in March 2017, the group had nearly 100 members and all within my apartment complex of 300-odd flats alone!

Ruby asked me a very poignant question “What are my learnings when I made a business out of my passion”?

I hadn’t ruminated on it before. But when she asked, I began to ponder -

When I joined Global eXchange Services in 2003, the HR head told me "The day you wake up in the morning wondering why on earth I am going to office, is the day you should realise, you have nothing more to offer to the job". That advice has stuck to me for all that I do since.

Kerala cuisine or infact any cuisine is an art! And, in Bangalore I have only seen this art being murdered! "Authentic Kerala Cuisine" is a board that you'd see at aplenty across Bangalore! And, trust me they are all anything but authentic! This is the gap that I aimed at filling when we started out! Our motto was simple "regular Kerala style food that you will find when you visit a friend in Kerala". This meant using coconut oil for our cooking. We were initially apprehensive regarding the reception of coconut oil, thanks to well-meaning doctors and nutritionists who have certified that coconut oil is your one way ticket to hell or heaven! But, all our fears were thrashed when even north Indian friends took an instant liking to our food! And, they said "Oh, so this is how coconut oil tastes, it’s actually ok!"

So, learning #1 - stay true to your roots!

Nothing can match the high one gets when hard work is appreciated! During my stint in IT, I've slogged days and nights. But 7 times out of 10, the reaction would have been "Ok, is that your best". And, frankly, that is the most demotivating thing you can do to someone else. During the 1.5 years our kitchen has been open to the public, the gratification has been instant. And, that instilled within us a deep sense of pride and achievement. This made us want to make our next dish better than the previous one!

So, lesson #2 - there is no better motivation to do well in your career/life than being genuinely appreciative of another's effort, however little. This has made me a better parent too, where in I have learnt to appreciate even the little things my daughters do without asking "Is this your best".

As clichéd as it may sound, love what you do and particularly, so when you cook! For the love's out there for all to see at the end! My paternal grand mom was a genius when it came to cooking! She could make even the most boring vegetable a delectable affair! Such was her love while cooking for her family! There is no space for a half-hearted effort!!!! And, her life is our lesson # 3!!!!

It will be 3 years this November, since we started our home based business. I have ventured out into a full time job as well...but our kitchen is still open to orders! 

There have been many moments when both mom and I felt beaten up and too tired to even wake up the next day! We have had our downs, our not so great moments in the kitchen, but the ups have been enough and more to keep us going! And, hopefully, when we reopen after the holidays, it will be better than before! After all, the progress has been from "after school snacks" for 4-5 friends to a full-fledged Kerala Sadya for nearly 30 people! And, my heart swells with pride each time I remember what my friend said after the sadya "Will you cook for my son's shaadi!!!" And, the son is just 11 years old!!! That, my dear people, is all it takes for us to go on and on!!!!!

Mumbai Police

One of the better movies this year, Mumbai Police is a good watch. The biggest plus was that I didn't feel the irresistible urge to strangle Prithviraj. Infact, I was so busy looking for clues that I didn't notice his permanent smirk :D

Story - Nice effort from Sanjay-Bobby. Antony Moses (Prithviraj) is a daredevil IPS officer. The movie begins with a near fatal accident involving him. He loses his memory in the accident, thereby losing vital clues of the high profile case he was investigating. However, the commissioner of police (Farhan) stands by him and hands over the case back to him. How he solves the case forms the crux of the film. Will not reveal more since it will be a spoiler for those who havent watched the movie yet.

There are lose ends here and there, but overall the presentation and the lead actors were very good. Personally, felt the motive for crime wasnt convincing enough. A stronger reason would've made for a better story. Prithviraj is effective as the cop who loses his memory. Loved Rahman, such a charming man ;) Jayasuriya has a small role, but nice. The ladies hardly make an impact. Riyaz Khan has a small, but suave role. His attitude as the know-it-all professional killer was super cool!  

Rating: 3.5/5, Better than DVD material :D

Red Wine

Red Wine by debutant director Salaam Baapu begins with a lot of promise. But the director loses grip and the story simply meanders along lazily, testing the audience's patience. The cast included the two best names in the Malayalam film industry but sadly, Salam Bappu couldnt capitalise on his biggest advantage. The story is about a political murder that takes place in Kozhikode, with the involvement of the land mafia.

Fahad essays the role of CV Anoop, who is a theatre enthusiast. He is associated with a local theatre group in Kozhikode. The movie opens with a performance by this group. After the performance, Anoop and his friend Navaz leave the premises to catch up over a few drinks. Anoop is then dropped off at his lodge by his friend. He engages in cheerful banter with the receptionist and retires for the night, never to wake up again. .

Enter Mohanlal as Ratheesh Vasudevan, the ACP who is investigating the crime. Here on, the movie progresses in past and present mode. This has been done to death of late in Malayalam and frankly, gets on to the viewers' nerve after a while :D

Anoop's past is unfolded through the investigation. He is an engineering graduate from NIT. Anoop is a man with leftist principles and  the local committee member of his party in Wayanad. Theatre is his passion, for which he finds time in between his social commitments. Widely loved in his little town, he makes sure he is at the forefront of everything progressive. He is also shown as a man who cares deeply for the environment and his interactions with the Adivasis in the area further establish this. He is supportive of the establishment of a medical college, hoping that deserving candidates from even the lower strata of society have a window of opportunity. However, he opposes the launch of an Ayurvedic Resort for it means displacing Adivasis from their natural habitat.

I will not go into the nitty gritties of the movie, becuase it doesnt deserve it :) I love crime thrillers and watch movies trying to second guess the motive and the 'killer'. This one robs the viewer of that experience. The murderer, the reason are all revealed much before the interval. This killed the suspense and my interest :)

Performance-wise, Fahad is excellent and a complete natural. Two releases in a week and you see two completely different faces of the man. Though the movie was nothing to rave about, Fahad had me floored. Maybe I'm partial here :)

Mohanlal had no business in this movie, except 'upping' the star quotient. The role could've done by anyone and an actor of his calibre wasnt needed. He sleepwalks through his role. ACP Ratheesh Vasudevan pales in comparison to his cop-act in last year's Grandmaster.

Asif Ali, in a small role looks confused. He had the "what am I doing here" look on his face all the time. And, about time he went for some acting classes. Thankfully, we dont have to endure him for a large part of the movie

Suraj Venjaramood as the party member is passable. The plus was that he had a serious role, and hence no jokes that tortured the audience. Saiju Kurup as Navaz is good. TG Ravi as Narayanettan, Anoop's mentor, is lovable. You feel the man's love for Anoop and his pain at learning about his death.

The less said about the ladies in the movie, the better. They are all mostly blink and miss. No real relevance here. The villains are real jokers too! They hardly create an impact and that isnt how it should be in a movie with a political murder as the backdrop.

Wayanad has been beautifully captured in a number of scenes.

Rating : 2.5/5, watch on DVD.

Friday

Debutant director Lijin Jose's Friday has nothing new to offer. The multilinear story telling method is adopted here as well. There are a lot of characters, some we can identify with and others not so, but they are all bound together in one way or the other.

There is no one protagonist here. Multiple stories unfold at the same time on a single day. Fahad Fazil is a hassled auto driver, who struggles to make ends meet. He tries hard to portray the ordinary auto-driver, but I felt he is far too sophisticated to carry it through. Not a role that requires a lot histrionics, he's done his bit sincerely, but we have seen better things from him in the recent past.

One of the first few characters we are introduced to is a family out shopping for the upcoming wedding in the family. The bride and the groom are shopping separately, but keep in touch via phones. Shopping all done (incl. gold), they dine at a restaurant before calling it a day. They hire an auto to their next destination. A few scenes later they discover that bag with the money and gold is
missing. We do know where this story goes from here. Sure, enough, they get everything back and the auto driver is lauded for his sincerity. (But was he actually so to begin with...? )

Then we have a childless couple who are caught in a legal tangle over adoption. The wily adoption officer makes the process difficult for the couple who have come all the way from Bangalore to complete the formalities. Now this story didnt fit well with me. Yes, adoption is a very noble deed indeed, and I salute people who welcome a stranger into their lives as their own. But, here, the couple married for a few years is childless. Treatments are ongoing. However, the compelling need to adopt is because the lady's sister is pregnant. Now, that cannot be a good reason to adopt. And, no matter how busy one is, you dont just come down for a day to complete the procedures. Normal people set aside a couple of days' atleast. But, perhaps, they weren't normal people :D

We are also introduced to a college going couple. They seem to be in love. A chance holiday at college and the love birds choose to spend it on the beach. A little bit of moral policing is thrown in here and the couple are picked up the police and taken to the nearest police station.

We are also taken to a govt. maternity ward, where a woman has just delivered her first baby. The husband has come to visit, but he doesnt get to see his baby since the new born is in the incubator. Meanwhile, another patient develops a complication and the young father has no option but to help. The apathy in government hospitals is shown here where the mother and new born are discharged from the hospital late evening due to unavailability of beds.

The climax is a boat journey where most of the people we see throughout the movie come together. They are all going to their respective destination, when calamity strikes. How they overcome form last few scenes, which did not appeal to me :)

I do not see the necessity to write about the performances of the actors, simply because this isnt a movie that requires any kind of histrionics from anyone.

Rating : 2.5 out of 5. Watch it on TV/DVD.

Amen!

Now this was a movie that I had no plans of watching :D But, a lazy Sunday afternoon with nothing else to do changed our minds and we quickly booked tickets at the nearest cinema :) And, I should say the experience was far from disappointing.

The basic  premise of the movie is set during the initial sequence itself. The story takes place in a small village somewhere near Alleppy. The opening scene shows Tipu and his soldiers trying to attack a church in this sleepy village. But a divine intervention occurs & Tipu and his men bear a hasty retreat. Cut to present times, where we are introduced to some of the characters in the movie through toilet jokes. And, yes, we do come across such characters very often in our lives.

The story then moves forward with a prayer in the church for the new year and a subsequent meeting of the church band members. Now, this was a band that won may laurels for the church, but not anymore after the death of a few talented members. Our protagonist is the son of one of the deceased members. He renders the clarinet much more beautifully than his father. The only hitch is that he cannot do so in front of an audience. The only person who's ever heard him render the clarinet is his lady love Sosanna. Now, this is where the film falters I think. The audience knows where the story is heading from this point on - a competition and the under-dog outplays everyone to win the cup. Predictable in that sense, but the director has managed to create visual treat for the viewers so much so that we can forgive the predictability :)

Fahad Fazil is brilliant as the underdog who manages to overcome his inhibitions to prove his worth to the whole hamlet. His blends in splendidly so much so that you forget that he's the hero in the movie. It's a pleasure to watch the man perform. And, a refreshing change from his recent metrosexual characters where he's almost always sleeping with someone or the other :)

Indrajit as Father Vincent Vattoly is in his elements. A truly talented actor who hasnt been given his worth yet.

The female lead, Swathi, is a riot. She has a mind of her own and is unafraid to stand up against her father and brother who oppose her relationship with Solomon. Some of the scenes showing her interactions with the other characters are truly hilarious.

Kalabhavan Mani is restrained as the Band Master who has pinned all his hope on his band members for that elusive victory.

The supporting actors have all done their parts with sincerity and it is reflected in the final outcome :)

The climax was least expected and beautifully executed.

Overall, a very watchable movie

Rating: 3.75/5

Bavootyude Namathil

Bavootyude Namathil is also along the lines of Nandanam and Pranchiyettan, where audience is made to feel presence of the Almighty in the protagonist...it's a feel good film...story-wise, A loyal and sincere driver in a wealthy family, helps them out of some tricky situations. In the end, he becomes the knight in shining armour for the leading lady as well as the villian! Predictable, yet enjoyable :D

Bavooty is very safe in Mammooty's able hands...but, we have already seen him in this avatar many times...the all sacrificing valyettan in Valsalyam, the loving servant in Raapakal and so on...this one is also just one of those characters...unfortunately, not as memorable or lovable as Pranchi :)

I've always liked Kavya Madhavan, and this time was no different. I loved the way she speaks in the movie...it came quite naturally to her, though she doesnt look like the mother of two...Vanaja would still have been likeable with one daughter!

Sankar Ramakrishnan repeats his Spirit act. But, again, I have trouble with the characterization. The wife has been sincere in all their years of marriage, never ever straying. But he decides to have an extra-marital affair...why - the reasons are unknown!!! And, when the wife's ex from her student days surfaces, he gets disturbed as he should be. But when Bavooty mentions an extra marital affair that the husband thought no one knew about, he decides to forgive the wife!!!So, was the director trying to say that the wife wouldn't have been forgiven if the husband didnt have an extra-martial affair ?? ,

Vineeth essays the typical villian - someone who wants to earn a quick buck by milking the ex. The climax shows Bavooty succeeding in reforming the man or so we are made to believe.

Kaniha and Rima Kallingal-passable. Infact, I really didnt understand the need for their presence in the movie. They could've been essayed by just about anybody!

Overall, a nice movie by Renjith and GS Vijayan! Watch it on the DVD....

Rating : 3 out of 5

Molly Aunty Rocks

Molly Aunty Rocks: First impression - "Blah! What was all the hype about ?"

Second Impression: Yet another movie with a message ! While the message is all good, an overkill definitely tires out the audience! The movie fell woefully short of my expectations, for all the hype generated. There were individual performance that stood out, but story-wise no great shakes!

Revathy, in the title role is good, but lacks the spunk that the story demands from her. The "nalla eri" dialogue in the movie seemed like an attempt to take the viewer back to her Kilukkam days, but like always, nothing matches the original masterpiece. She's portrayed as a gritty lady who's ready to put a fight for what's right. Her sense of righteousness, perhaps influenced by her many years in the USA, is endearing. But to imply that such qualities come only with years of living abroad, is quite a shame! Molly aunty isnt the kind who cows down under pressure and is fearless in giving a piece of her mind when required. You see it in many places in the movie, but only to less important characters in the movie. There were a couple of instances where her reactions ought to have been sharper & stronger. Two such instances are her interactions with the Asst. Commissioner (played by Prithviraj). He, with no justifications whatsoever, provokes Molly Aunty with outrageous & unforgivable statements. Both the situations, she challenges him by saying -

1. She will not heed to his threats and fight it out (1st istance). She does fight, but somewhere down the line, lacked the conviction that I'd have expected from a character with Molly's strength & perseverance!

2. Make him apologise (2nd instance) and this situation wasnt given the closure it deserved. This particular situation was more intense than the first, and I for one would've slapped him and then faced the repercussions later. Perhaps it's her "American sense of righteousness" as Prithviraj's character says. However, an apology was due from the character played by him, never came anywhere in the movie. Reminded me of the famous situation in Udayananu Tharam where Superstar Sarojkumar refuses to apologise even in front of the camera saying "Njan maappu chodikkano, athum ithiri ponna oru penninodu!!! Njan innu vare oru cinemayilum aarodum maapu chodichittilla, venenkil aval ennodu maappu chodikkatte".

Performance-wise, I loved Lalu Alex's and Mamukoya's character. Mamukoya was truly adorable and such a refreshing change from the kind of roles he's been performing over years. And, Lalu Alex - boy, would I love to have a husband as understanding and lovable as him ;) @Arun Parameswaran, hope you are listening :D

Prithviraj: Here's a character who's arrogant from the word go, and he quite fits the real life image he has in this rather short role ;) And, what on earth happened to his overall build? Wonder if the look was during the preparation for his Bollywood debut. But, to quote from Nivin Polly in Thattathin Marayathu 'malayaliku enthina 6 pack abs' :D He looks lean and malnourished !!!!

The other characters perform as expected. Nothing outstanding, but not too bad either.

A word to the director: Loved Passenger and thought you made a fantastic debut! But the graph dipped with Arjunan Sakshi and MAR. Buck up, you showed promise and we'd love to see more good work from you!

Final word: DVD material!

Rating : 2.5 out of 5