One Year Anniversary!

On May 28, 2009 the first Indori video happened. Literally. It was a Newtonian moment. I was working from home that day. I was eating lunch around 12:30 and contemplating something - the Canon 1150s digital camera was next to the laptop and something happened. I put down the lunch plate, turned the camera towards me - in video mode - and started talking. When I ran out of words, I stopped. I reviewed the video and I couldn't stop laughing. It was as if I was listening to someone else and it was seriously funny. That's the unedited, unreahearsed, unplanned.....un-anything  Indore Video number 1.

And as they say the rest is history.

• 40 Indori Videos 
• 410,000 Views
• 442 Subscribers
• 3 fan clubs: 2 on Orkut, 1 on Facebook
• .........And a 1 yr. anniversary gift from my dear wife-y: http://www.rajivnema.com/

Indori GPS - the latest Indori video

Not too many people know, but I live on the wild side. In addition, I am going through the ubiquitous mid-life crisis. My friends buy convertibles, 2-seater cars, Harley, Race bikes.....since I am different from the crowd, I bought a Prius. Yes, Toyota Prius...the car with Optional Braking system.

But coming to the point, it came with a GPS.....the built-in navigations system. As soon as I heard that thingie talk to me, about a month back......I have been thinking. What if there was an Indori voice.

This is how that would sound: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NCoFIzoPkM

Currently rehearsing for Naatak's next play Tughlaq (June 11-20, 2010) San Jose, California

Tughlaq is a highly acclaimed drama from the Indian stage. Manish Sabu directs a highly accomplished cast of actors (i.e. me, me, me) to present this fascinating drama to Bay Area audience for the first time. (Visit http://www.naatak.com/current_event.html). English super-titles will accompany the dialog. There will be 7 shows of Tughlaq in downtown San Jose.

Tughlaq is based on the character of Muhammad Bin Tughlaq (1325-1351), who has been labeled as the most eccentric sultan to rule Delhi. Was he really eccentric, or was he the most misunderstood Indian sultan? What were the fascinating contradictions in his personality? This play highlights some of the most interesting incidents from Tughlaq’s life to portray the enigma that Tughlaq remains for historians to this day. Was Tughlaq a futuristic ruler, whose vision remains relevant to our times and our generation? Was he a genius, was he naive, perhaps both?

The naatak Tughlaq created socio-political waves in the post-independent modern India. The audience saw parallels in Tughlaq's whims and the reality of Nehru's India. And it made Girish Karnad famous -- Tughlaq won the most prestigious Sangeet Naatak Academy Award.

The symbolism and imagery, and the dulcet Hindi-Urdu of this drama will transport you to a different world and give insight into the contradiction that Tughlaq was. You will be discussing the characters, the drama and the brilliant story-line for a long time to come.