Sunday, December 2, 2012

A Bank for the Buck ~ Book Review by Niilesh A Raje



A Bank for the Buck
Reviewed by:  Niilesh A Raje




Author
Tamal Bandyopadhyay
Publisher
Jaico Books
Price
Rs 395/-
Pages
372
ISBN
978-81-8495-396-1



I am sure many would remember those days when Bank employees from tellers to managers were in great demand in the matrimony market. The girl’s father were always appreciative to have a banker as their son-in-law that gave the individual status as well as dignity. Technology and product innovation were unheard in those days.

“A Bank for the Buck” is the story of the birth as well the growth of HDFC Bank which turned eighteen in August 2012. There are many things one can do when one turns eighteen years and it very much varies from a country to country. In India, one can vote and get a license to drive a car, but can’t drink in public places. But, in China, turning eighteen gives one the licence to drink. In the odyssey of past eighteen years the book tries to showcase if life did turn out to be different for the bank’s employees, customers and investors.

The entire journey of eighteen years the author has covered it as a story which spread across thirteen chapters. By writing it as a story the author has kept it interesting by engaging the readers. The objective was not merely to come up with the bank’s history but to revolve a story about the making of this successful bank in India.

Author, Tamal Bandyopadhyay is one of the most respected business journalists in India. His weekly column, Banker’s Trust, in India’s second-largest read financial daily Mint, where he is Deputy Managing Editor, is widely read for its deep insights into the world of finance and its unerring ability to anticipate major policy moves.

Tamal has kept a close watch on the financial sector for over fifteen years and has had a ringside view of the enormous changes in Indian finance over this period. He has been a frequent speaker at seminars across India and has hosted a very successful weekly show (by the same name as his weekly column) on television, featuring some of India’s most respected bankers, policy makers, central bankers and regulators.

He has contributed to The Oxford Companion to Economics in India, edited by Kaushik Basu and published by Oxford University Press in 2007. Banker’s Trust, an anthology of his weekly column in Mint, has recently been published. This is Tamal’s first book.

The journey begins right from how different names were suggested like Bank of Bombay (BoB) or Bombay International Bank before finally settling down with name HDFC Bank. The acronym for Bank of Bombay clashed with the established public sector bank, Bank of Baroda and that was dropped off.

The first four chapters speak about the making of the bank, how it was conceptualized, how the core team was built up. The next four chapters discuss about the business philosophy of the bank and how it is different from the rest of the pack. Chapter number nine and ten talks about mergers. Chapter eleven details about what went wrong with the bank and how it got into a mess. Chapter twelve delves into the story of what makes Aditya Puri the longest serving CEO of any bank in India. The last chapter tells the readers the story as to why this bank is successful.

Looking at the journey today it would be difficult for many to be believe that in the initial days the training sessions were conducted by the bank under a tree at a textile mill compound in Central Mumbai.  It was not an easy task either for the Chairman Deepak Parekh to bring each member’s of the core team to a common level of understanding.

The book is not just meant for new players or bankers but would be a valuable story for business school students to learn how a bank of this class can be set up in India. The author has kept it interesting by maintaining an informal style of narrating the stories. To amplify his thoughts for his first book we learnt that the author left from Mumbai and went to Goa for about two months in search of privacy leaving his family behind. He ended up writing for almost 16 hours per day the end result being an excellent read “A Bank for the Buck”.

Niilesh A Raje, EzineArticles.com Basic PLUS Author

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Chetan Bhagat and Me ( Niilesh A Raje )



With Chetan Bhagat so which novel are you currently working upon . . .

Chetan Bhagat and Me ( Niilesh A Raje )


Coffee with Chetan Bhagat motivational speaker, columnist and author of five blockbuster novels. Time magazine named him as the "100 Most Influential People In The World" . . .


Anil Dharker and Me ( Niilesh A Raje )






With Anil Dharker Indian Columnist, Producer, Anchor, Interviewer and former editor of The Illustrated Weekly of India, The Independent, MidDay, Sunday MidDay . . .

Friday, November 2, 2012

Shobhaa De and Me ( Niilesh A Raje )


With glamorous Shobhaa De India's best selling author who holds the credit for all her 17 books topping the charts . . .

Shobhaa De and Me ( Niilesh A Raje )


With Shobhaa De often featured as the Most Beautiful, Most Influential and Most Powerful Indian Women popularly known for her journalistic contributions . . .

Thursday, November 1, 2012

With Vir Sanghvi Editorial Director of Hindustan Times . . .

Vir Sanghvi Editorial Director of Hindustan Times and me ( Niilesh A Raje )

Saturday, October 6, 2012

NOSSTALGIAAA with Javed Akhtar


NOSSTALGIAAA with Javed Akhtar one of the most popular and sought after lyricists from The Indian Film Industry . . . ( ~ Niilesh A Raje )

NOSSTALGIAAA with the legend Javed Akhtar



Our magazine "NOSSTALGIAAA" with the legend Javed Akhtar poet, lyricist and scriptwriter from the Indian Film Industry . . . ( ~ Niilesh A Raje )

Friday, October 5, 2012


An evening that was with Vidya Balan at the launch and book reading of the novel UNHOOKED . . .

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Happy Birthday Yash Chopra ~ by Niilesh A Raje



Happy Birthday Yash Chopra Ji. 

My numerology assessment of him

Today is the 80th Birthday of "The King of Romance" producer and director YASH CHOPRA. He is a libran ruled by the planet Venus (Number 6) that gives him irresistibly romantic creativity.

Born on (27-9-1932=33=6) his name Yash Chopra adds to (36=9)

Some his biggest hits the names adds to either 3, 6 or 9 which includes

Deewaar (24=6) , Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (78=6) , Trishul (24=6) , Silsila (15 = 6) , Kaala Patthar
(33 = 6) release date was also 6 ( 24th Aug ) , Kabhi Kabhie (its release date was also 27) (27=9) to name a few. Note that extra "e" in Kabhie. Numbers 3,6,and 9 go well along with each other.

Regards,

Niilesh A Raje

Sunday, August 26, 2012

The Sholay Saga of A K Hangal ~ by Niilesh A Raje


On one side we are celebrating the centenary year of Indian Cinema and remembering the legends who contributed extensively in the past 100 years and on the other side we have seen passing away of some of the well known film personalities from the Indian Film Industry like superstar Rajesh Khanna, Dara Singh, B.R. Ishara, Ashok Mehta and today A K Hangal.

Ramesh Sippy's Sholay celebrates 37th year of success this year but very unlikely one can forget the character actor Avtar Kishan Hangal popularly known as A K Hangal who played the notable role of "Rahim Chacha" in the movie keeping great influence on the audiences even today with his famous one liner, "Itna sannata kyon hai, bhai". In Sholay, “I was given the character role of a blind man and to get this character right he used psycho-technique to get the feeling of blindness revealed the veteran actor, when I met him at his modest apartment at Santacruz.

What is creditable while watching the death sequence in Sholay is all eyes automatically focus on A K Hangal inspite of all the stars being present. It is Hangal Saab who has been instrumental in grabbing the viewer’s attention in that scene "Itna sannata kyon hai bhai".

As my conversation continued Hangal Saab's eyes brighten up. “When we were filming Sholay we never thought the film would go on to become such a sensation. Feels good that people still remember my character now more than 35 years after the film’s release". He also mentioned that he was simultaneously shooting for Dev Anand’s Ishq Ishq Ishq at Nepal. “Devsaab had arranged a special helicopter for me. I used to finish my work for Sholay and fly back to Nepal”.

A highly disciplined and humble man Hangal Saab never approached anyone for work. “I have been honest to my profession and have never troubled any filmmaker. All my co-actors respected me a lot and I feel proud about it”, said the actor.

Before coming to work in films Hangal Saab was known for his reputation and extensive work carried out with IPTA. Every role he has played he took pride in it and worked upon it very seriously. A K Hangal had once said this to Sanjeev Kumar, "If you start with a hero's role, that's all you'll remain. You'll never become an actor".

It’s sad that A K Hangal has left each one of us which indeed is a permanent loss for the industry which just cannot be replaced. Hangal Saab was conferred the Padmabhushan in 2006 and had also penned his autobiography titled "Life and Times of A K Hangal".

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Power of Number 4 and Pranab Mukherjee

My observation from Numerology angle with reference to our next President Mr. Pranab Mukherjee

(a) He is set to be 13th President (1+3) = 4
(b) Results were declared today (22nd)=(2+2) = 4
(c) He is 76 years of age (7+6=13)= 4
(d) He married Suvra Mukherjee on July 13 (1+3) = 4.
(e) Took charge as Minister of Defence on 22ndMay again 4.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Actress Kunika and Niilesh A Raje

With actress Kunika who carved niche for herself in hearts of the public in movies like Mr. India, Page 3 and many more . . .

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Nosstalgiaaa Celebrity Interview ( Ramesh Dev and Niilesh A Raje )


Our magazine "Nosstalgiaaa" celebrates Centenary Year of Indian Cinema with the renowned actor, producer and director Mr. Ramesh Dev. Interview at his very own residence. A renowned personality who has been felicitated with many State and National Awards for his work.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Book Review : Everybody Wants A Hit



Everybody Wants A Hit

By Niilesh A Raje

Author Derek Bose
Publisher Jaico Books
Price Rs 195/-
Pages 200
ISBN 9798179925583

There was a time where movies used to be running in cinema halls to packed capacity followed by Golden Jubilee or Silver Jubilee celebrations. But, in today’s age of social media where attention span is very less one hardly gets to hear of movies running for several weeks followed by any jubilee celebrations. So, “Is there a secret recipe for a Bollywood hit?” or it’s just a mix and match one does that projects these thespians in a light that appeals the masses.

In the book titled, “Everybody Wants A Hit” published by Jaico Books the author Derek Bose shares with the readers 10 Mantras of Success in Bollywood Cinema. The ten mantras covered in this book touch on all aspects including, “Content is King”, “Honesty is the Best Policy”, Nothing Sells Like Sex”, “What’s in a Name” and much more.

Author, Derek Bose is a senior well-known author and journalist who specializes in Bollywood and other aspects of India's film industry. An alumnus of St Columba's, New Delhi, he has held senior editorial positions with India's premier news organizations, the Press Trust of India and the Indian Express.

In one of the chapter titled “What’s in a Name?” the author shares his observation citing examples that names do makes a lot of difference in show business regardless of the fact what Shakespeare had to say about roses. Heroines known with their better names include Sulochana (Ruby Mayers), Meena Kumari (Mehzabeen Begum), Rekha (Bhanurekha Ganesan) to name a few. The author’s observation also suggests that the use of the letter “K” is supposed to be “spiritually most potent” whereas “V” spells not for victory but doom unless it vibrates well. However, there have been people like V. Shantaram, Vinod Khanna, Vivek Oberoi and Vyjanthimala Bali amongst the exception. A name means a lot in Hindi Cinema. What might appear to be a casual allusion could actually serve to be the identity of an actor or would mark to be the new beginning for the director.

Where the chapter “Honesty Is The Best Policy” is concerned the author has given the example of Amitabh Bachchan. Even after he was voted as the Star of the Millennium and had a wax image to his name at Madame Tussauds in London he continued being his humble self, never questioned the judgment of his directors. Whatever role he played Bachchan did it with supreme confidence and complete conviction.

The readers get profited with relevant examples the author has supplemented against each of the 10 mantras covered in his book. To make one’s journey in Bollywood a rewarding experience the author says that success in Bollywood is not a matter of chance or luck but involves methodical approach coupled with analytical reasoning. If one adheres to this the journey would indeed prove to benchmark of success.