1

The Sentimental Terrorist : A novel of Afghanistan


Title - The Sentimental Terrorist: A novel of Afghanistan
Author - Rajesh Talwar
Genre - Fiction
Publisher - CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

A perfect dramatic novel which details the life of a Afghan Pashtun Sunni Muslim as to how he was forced to take up Jihad by Al-Qaida against his wish and what transpired in the end.

I felt the novel was bit lengthy but it was certainly needed to add weightage to the story. Mohsin Khan is the lead character in the story. He was GOD fearing and always believed in doing good things and was completely against killing others to attain Jannat. 

He falls in love with Mumtaz who was given a perfect certificate by him when she was interviewed by his superior officer from DRAC. Once he left the country for another assignment, Pierre comes into picture. Unlike his counterpart, Pierre did not give any chance to Mohsin to be with Mumtaz and at one point in time, he uses his position and persuaded Mumtaz to accept him as her better half.

Mumtaz was a poor soul. Though she had liking towards Mohsin, she never revealed it and the fact that her mother was suffering from the beatings of her uncle made her to accept the offer from Pierre as he promised to take her also along with them, once they got married.

Once Mumtaz went away from his life, Mohsin had a different perception to life. What happened later was even more gruelling for him since he lost his only sister, nephew, nieces and uncle as their village got bombed. This was ordered by none other than K-Jim who was once a counterpart of Mohsin.

This is where Mohsin takes to Jihad. He was forced to accept it since he had no other way to redeem his revenge. There was simultaneously another story where Amala, a economic scholar from Bangladesh and James Stewart had been working on another project.

Finally, when Mohsin attacks the place where K-Jim was residing, he had some surprise on store. What was it? Was he able to take his revenge? Read this perfect war-torn nation story to find out the end.

The story shows a different perspective of what we perceive in real about the so-called terrorists may not always be true because as the saying goes " A child is born good but it is the way, the child is brought up and the circumstances that forces him/her to take the wrong path"

The book is available in Amazon.

I won a review copy from The Tales Pensieve as part of Reviewers Programme. Register on #TTP for lots of #book fun and activities.

Blood in the Paradise - A tale of an impossible murder


Title - Blood in the Paradise - A tale of an impossible murder
Author  - Madhav Mahidhar
Genre - Fiction (Thriller)
Publisher - Frog Books
ISBN - 978-9352017102

Blood in the Paradise is a thriller novel by Madhav Mahidhar. It all begins with Madhumitha who wanted to end her life by consuming cyanide along with her twin daughters as she was not happy with her husband Vikas who became a drunkard and started developing lot of other bad habits. She even consumes poison and just before she could give that to her kids, her husband comes in and finds her in the brink of death and calls for an ambulance.

The next scene takes a dramatic turn where even Vikas has consumed poison and he dies in the hospital but Madhumitha gets saved. This triggers suspicion among the cops who begins their investigation. The team comprising Mallika, Vijay and their superior Vishwaroop analyses it correctly and brings out various facts but could not present any concrete facts to support their theory.

Anupriya, a feminist activist and socialist comes to the rescue of   Madhumitha, her close friend and she hires one of the top lawyers in the city to fight the case and eventually the judgement was given in their favour.

Was Vikas murdered in real or was it just an accident? If it was a murder, who did it and why? You might have your own notions but in reality, you would be surprised for sure as to who devised the plan. Read the book now which is available in Amazon and find out the answer.


I won a review copy from The Tales Pensieve as part of Reviewers Programme. Register on #TTP for lots of #book fun and activities.

Let The Game Begin


Title - Let The Game Begin
Author - Sandeep Sharma
Genre - Fiction
Publisher - Inspire India Publishers
ISBN - 978-93-85783-46-3

Do you like Chess?
Do you like History?
If your answer is YES, even to one of this, do not miss to read ths book.

The book is set in two different time period - one that of epic age and one that of present day. How a King gets betrayed when there was a cold war between Chaturanga and Sarprakt and what happens in the present day is the actual story but the way, the characters had evolved makes this a compulsory fiction thriller to read.

I loved the interconnect between the two periods involving lot of characters and though I felt bit bred in the initial stage, as soon as I got to know about the great plot being formed, I could not stop reading all the 35 characters in one stretch.

There was love. There was deceit. There was revenge. There was redemption. One could find everything in this novel.

The story begins with brutal murders from across the country and the killer leaves a hint with a chess piece along with some strange message. How it gets decoded and what leads to the killer is the story line which the author has handled it with perfection and just before one could come to a conclusion that this is the end, the story begins from there. Yes. There is Part 2 to this story and having read the first part, I could not stop waiting for the second pat to arrive.....
nexGTv Acquires worldwide digital telecast rights to the animated series from HT Media

nexGTv Acquires worldwide digital telecast rights to the animated series from HT Media

Inline image 1

This Diwali, relive the timeless legend of Ramayana on nexGTv’s web and mobile platforms!


Underlining its commitment to deliver the most-relevant entertainment solutions, nexGTv, India’s largest subscription-led video entertainment app, has announced securing the worldwide digital telecast rights to Ramayana from HT Media Ltd. As a part of the move, nexGTv users across the globe will be able to view 30 episodes of the animated series on its web and mobile platforms.


With the festival of Diwali just around the corner, nexGTv’s latest content addition highlights its focus on delivering highly-relevant India-centric entertainment solutions to viewers around the world. The platform has also recently tied up with several reputed content developers and media firms such as Culture Machine and Inavit Digital Pvt. Ltd in order to add more diversity to its content library, already including 150+ Live TV channels, movies, shows and videos.



Speaking on the acquisition, Abhesh Verma, COO – nexGTv, said, “One of the biggest festivals in India, Diwali is celebrated with great zeal and enthusiasm across the country. With the festival fast approaching, our acquisition of the global digital rights to Ramayana could not have been timed better. We are confident that our viewers will be delighted with the latest addition, as they get a chance to relive the quintessential triumph of good over evil on-the-go through nexGTv.”



Made available for seamless viewing across multiple devices and platforms, nexGTv viewers can watch 30 episodes of Ramayana as a part of its free content catalogue. The series can be accessed be either through www.nexgtv.com or through the nexGTv mobile app, available on both Android and iOS.



About nexGTv and DigiVive:



With over 25 million downloads, nexGTv – the flagship, multi award-winning application from DigiVive – is the unmistakable TV button on your mobile. Offering unlimited and compelling entertainment across multiple devices (mobile, tablets or laptops/PCs), nexGTv offers its users an unrivalled suite of 150+ Live TV channels aside from a huge content library comprising movies, TV shows & videos for every mood. The app has won numerous awards including 'The Best Digital Experience' at the prestigious World Communication Awards 2014, in London, and is ranked amongst the Top Entertainment applications in app stores.
In keeping with its mission of providing the most relevant entertainment solutions to consumers across age groups, nexGTv has launched several dedicated apps for its users around the world. It launched nexGTv Kids to curate and deliver the most entertaining and educative content meant especially for the kids aged between 2 to 10 years. The platform’s exclusive news app, nexGTv News, has been launched as the go-to destination for mobile-based video news content aimed at revolutionizing the way news is currently consumed in the country through enhanced accessibility. Through its partnership with One Network Entertainment Pvt. Ltd (ONE), nexGTv has also launched the Comedy One, a first-of-its-kind comedy app having premium original comedy content ranging from stand-up, gags and spoofs to sketches and web-series. iFaith, nexGTv’s exclusive devotional app, will enable anytime, anywhere access to devotional content for nexGTv users. nexGTv has also delighted fitness enthusiasts by launching an exclusive Yoga app, nexGTv Yoga, which enables access to a host of videos on meditation, breathing techniques and yoga postures anytime, anywhere. The nexGTv Movies n Music app has been launched specifically for movie and music buffs around the world, and boasts of a library comprising nearly 2500 movies including titles such as Singham Returns, Holiday, Ragini MMS 2, Buddha In A Traffic jam, Dirty Politics and many more. Moreover, in order to enhance accessibility, the company has rolled out My nexGTv, a wrapper/aggregator tool that allows users to manage, install and access multiple nexGTv apps such as nexGTV Kids, nexGTV Yoga, nexGTV News and nexGTV Comedy One etc through one consolidated platform.



nexGTv has partnered with leading channels such as B4U, 9X Jalwa, Tashan, B4U Music, M Tunes and 9XM Music to showcase high-quality entertainment solutions on its platform. Meanwhile, its partnership with India’s leading digital media firm, Culture Machine will enable access to various digital channels like Being Indian, Put Chutney, Blush, Epified, What's Trending India, Whack, Old Delhi Films, Rascalas, Vendhar TV etc to its viewers. Moving towards international web series content, the platform has acquired the digital telecast rights to UK-based Daehan Drama’s popular comedy web series, At the Counter, as well as its French-Chinese web series, Ex-Model, in order to diversify its offerings with high-quality international content.



But that is not all. SPOTLight, India’s first mobile talent discovery platform, has been introduced by nexGTv with ace director and master storyteller Imtiaz Ali as the creative judge, as a medium to enable both amateurs and professional video enthusiasts to not only showcase their talent pan-India, but also earn off it. nexGTv also unveiled an original 14-part mobi-series in association with Priyanka Chopra and Fluence, ‘It’s My City’, in order to provide relatable and engaging video entertainment content to the country’s new-age digital viewership. In her inimitable style, Priyanka Chopra appears in and as herself, assuming the mantle of an official landlady, unofficial guardian and protective friend to the young protagonists.



Conceived by technology professionals together with deep consumer insights, DigiVive focuses on creating offerings in line with trends, with best-in-class content, ease-of-use, availability and affordability, giving consumers an unparalleled and immersive viewing experience. Its partners include leading telecom operators and OEMs. Established in 2010, DigiVive is a group company of Media Matrix Worldwide Limited which is listed on the BSE. It provides expertise across Direct to Consumer and Managed Value-Added Services.


For further information, visit http://www.nexgtv.com

HER2 Breast Cancer? IAMHER2 is here

Surekha was pregnant in 2014. At the same time, she came to know she had HER2 Breast Cancer.

Though she was confident that her sister-in-law also had it and survived, her delivery date which was just 8 days away by then made her worried.

The treatment cost was pegged at Rs.12 Lakhs which she couldn't afford and her son was already suffering from untreatable heart problem. She then heard about a doctor of Jaslok hospital who asked her to undergo all the 18 sessions and introduced her to IAMHER2.

Who made her face the tough times that year since her father-in-law had an heart attack and so as her father where her father passed away on the second attack was really a touching one.

Breast Cancer is treatable and cannot be contracted with physical touch. All these patients need is support - not necessarily with money but moral one. HOPE is all you need. Do share this across on your social media channels. You never know who would you be helping out.....



Delightful Diwali with Vodafone


Diwali is the festival which we all celebrate it with great enthusiasm and delight. Diwali is special in many ways. Firstly, like other festivals, it comes once in a year but it differs from other festival as it is celebrated by people of all religion. I remember as a kid, when I use to burst crackers, my friends from other religion use to join me and burst the crackers.

The evening is even more awesome because it is then we would start lighting the lamps across the house and the sky gets adorned with colorful rockets. You would only see fun and laughter around your place. It is this festival which brings family and friends together because I always made it a point to visit them all.

We buy lot of sweets not only to consume it for ourselves but also to give it to others. New clothes and jewellery use to find a prominent place in our shopping list. Off late, it was the gadgets which has occupied the mindset of all. With ever improving technology and affordability to buy the gadgets with lots of promos and offers,there was no doubt that these had found a special place in our shopping list.

I have always bought gadgets to be opened up only during the Diwali and start using it as I considered that day auspicious but when you keep buying gadgets, especially the smartphones, you have to buy the sim cards to support them as well.  This time, I decided to go for The brand which I loved the most - VODAFONE.

If you would like to know as to what is in store for you, continue reading.



The store wore a festive look. The executives were at their cheerful best, as usual.  No wonder they were the best with 200 million customers and this Diwali, it is bringing in a "customised offer" where each customer who walks into the store, whether they are taking the product or not, would be given a surprise gift which includes special chocolates, mementos like fridge magnets, greeting cards and more.

This is amazing isn't it? In fact, the postpaid customers of Rajasthan were given a surprise, where they had written a message to their family member or friend who were residing anywhere in India and Vodafone delivered it with a box of Diwali Chocolates. I would say it is a perfect way to make it #DiwaliDelights

This offer is valid from today which is 25th October till 28th October. What are you waiting for? Rush to your nearest Vodafone Store and pamper yourself with gifts and tailor made offers which you certainly cannot resist. When you walk out of the store, you will not be coming out empty handed :-)




Top Apps that help you plan a perfect Diwali this year

Top Apps that help you plan a perfect Diwali this year

The biggest festival Diwali is here, and the festival is another big reason for Indians to celebrate. We have listed out eight interesting Diwali apps for your smartphone that would help you celebrate the festival in a smarter way.


Whether you prefer to enjoy your favourite lilting bhajan, to watch devotional movies or listening to a Laxmi Ji ki Arti on this Diwali, you can now fulfil all your spiritual needs at the touch of a button on this Diwali. iFaith is a spiritual offering from the family of nexGTv. Watch devotional Live TV and video on your mobile.  Through this iFaith app, nexGTv makes you to re-instil your faith and grow devotionally and spiritually with videos/ Live channels specially selected for you.

Inline image 1


Cleaning your House - Hire professionals who will do the job while you relax and sip your favourite cup of coffee. This way you can also bid goodbye to the endless arguments you have with your roomie or partner over cleaning. You can hire professionals from UrbanClap exclusively for Diwali cleaning and painting. 

Saloon at door step - UrbanClap, India’s largest mobile services marketplace, curated beauty service providers for various services such as facial, cleaning, pedicure & manicure etc at your doorstep just a click away.UrbanClap beauty at home are much in demand this festive season.

Inline image 2


Diwali seems like one of the biggest shopping festivals in India since it is auspicious for buying new things. Paytm helps you to buy all things under one platform. On the first day of Dhanteras it is considered good to buy gold and silver coins as well as jewellery. Kitchenware like utensils too are considered a good buy on this occasion. Electronics, gadgets, furniture, clothes, etc. people buy for themselves and also for gifting purposes.

Inline image 4


Teen Patti online – Flash Card Game by Junglee Games is India's twist on 3 card poker. Teen Patti, also known as Indian Poker, Flush, Flash or 3 card Brag to be enjoyed in India around the festival of Diwali for good luck and fun. People play Teen Patti for generations now, and it is quite customary to socialize and play the game around Diwali.

Inline image 3


Don’t be short of cash: Transfer Money Socially while playing cards this Diwali! Are you still planning to bet with cash this Diwali? We all fall short of cash in card parties during Diwali. And it’s always a task to borrow from your fellow players at the table. Probably it’s time for you to move to the next level and go cashless! There are multiple apps nowadays which are offering you options to just send money on social media or just transfer from digital wallet! Download Udio mobile wallet for liquid cash available at just a touch. With transformation of mobile wallets, one can also opt for social gifting which will be much appreciated in the card parties.

Inline image 6


Diwali is known as the festival of lights but the four days of celebrations have become just as popular as the time for giving. Big Basket can help you navigate the interesting options for gifting hampers.

Inline image 5


If you’ve ever dreamt of dressing like a Bollywood star, this Diwali is your time to shine. Users can take hold of the fashion trends in Bollywood music, take Katrina’s lehenga or John Abraham’s cool T-shirt for instance. The app will provide users with different options where the exact same or similar outfit is available, compare the prices and make the entire buying process completely effortless for its users.

Inline image 8


Shower Greetings with a selfie based sticker app. You can click a selfie, and get unlimited stickers with your face. It’s an Android and iOS app to make mobile conversations more expressive and personal. It’s a Diwali sticker pack to make it more quirky yet trendy.


Inline image 7

Apart from the above apps, you may also want to check Katrina's Lehenga

TATA HEXA Experience

What do you expect from a vehicle?

Safety?
Looks?
Comfort & Convenience?
Performance?
Features?
Brand Name?
Trust?

If your answer is YES to all the above mentioned attributes, continue reading this as you have reached the right place. I am talking about the all new TATA HEXA here.

The vehicle is yet to be launched with bookings starting from November and the delivery is scheduled from Jan 2017 onwards.

Why TATA Hexa?

There are few reasons behind this.Firstly you should understand that I am promoting the vehicle not  because I was invited for the pre-launch to be one the firsts to try experiencing the vehicle first hand but like all others who were present, I was really really impressed with the vehicle, overall.

It is one of the biggest passenger vehicles TATA has ever made but having said that, when I drove this, I felt like handling a baby as the drive was like a breeze.


Firstly let us see as to what went into making this amazing vehicle and why we all were so very impressed.

The person in the pic is none other than Mr.Richard from the UK designing team and as you can see, the design has been conceptualised by three teams - one from India, one from UK and one from Italy.


TATA Motors believed in essentials for a modern SUV and what they believed, they put it in action by bringing forth the HEXA.


As you could see on the above pic, the features were many and you cannot remember all of them, honestly until you get used to it.


The above seen pic gives in detail what this beautiful beast is comprised of :-)


I was thoroughly impressed with the above because it was a mammoth 800,000kms of testing which was done prior to the release of HEXA and it is not a mean task.

Available in Automatic and Manual transmission modes, this vehicle comes in 6 variants. We had an opportunity to test drive both Manual and Automatic variants. While the grey ones were Automatic Variants, the Blue ones were Manual ones.


The flag-off happened at 6:30 in the morning. We took the automatic variant to start with.


Ananth, who was nominated as our Team Captain took the lead. 


Satheesh and I were in the team and we were joined by a team member from TATA Motors.


We drove 85 kms one way. We took turns in changing between ourselves to drive and we clicked few pics during the change over :-)

Now, you may have a look at some of the interiors and also the exteriors of this amazing vehicle.










Now, let us see some of the features that I managed to remember among the very many, it has to offer.

19" Alloy Wheels.
ABS which enables you to apply brakes at very short distance.
6 Airbags.
10 JBL Speakers/Woofers to give that ultimate music experience.
Spacious Interiors.
Attractive Colors.
Huge Tail Lamps.
Power Steering and Power Windows.
Rear A/C Vents and Music Provision.
Superior Upholstery and interiors.
High Driver Seat giving the person who drives the vehicle, a perfect view.
App Compatible Navigation and Entertainment System.
4 Driving Modes (available only on Manual Transmission).
Ground Clearance - 200 mm.
Mood Lighting Option.
Sound Control from/through the Steering.

There are many more features available in this stunningly designed beast which is real easy to handle because even when we cruised at 120kmph , we could hardy feel any difference as there was not even a slightest jerk and the suspensions were really stupendous as it maneuvered on potholes with ease which is the best part when it comes to Manual Transmission. The Manual Transmission can not only climb the steep roads but can also help you climb down as well. The grip is of superior quality which means, you can even drive this vehicle with ease on a slippery surface.

Check some stunning videos at:















Check more amazing videos on my Channel -> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfa5pLbBJbPCA9PYGWwrOxA

Also check my own experience of driving the TATA Hexa by clicking here - https://www.facebook.com/sarathbabu.s/media_set?set=a.10157582317710587.1073741877.752690586&type=3

You may also my fellow blogger Shrinidhi's write up by clicking here

My heartfelt thanks to TATA Motors and Indiblogger for this amazing opportunity :-)

The Mahabharata Secret


Title - The Mahabharata Secret
Author - Christopher C Doyle
Reprint - OM Books International
ISBN - 978-93-83202-31-7

This story is a perfect Hollywood Thriller material. The way the story gets unfold in front of you will make you read from the beginning till the end without giving a second thought. 

If you wonder, what this book has got to do with the Mahabharata, you need to read it yourself to find out the answer. There were lots of unexpected twists in the story. There was trust and then there was a betrayal and amidst all the chaos, there was a beautiful love between the two lead characters.

This is the first ever book I had read of Mr Doyle and I must say, I did immediately fell in love with it. Also I am looking forward to read his other two books which I bought it along with this.

As they say, our ancestors were technically superior - there were lots of myths around it. Not all may be true but at the same time, not all of them are lies as well. The usage of celestial weapons and pushpak viman in our epics - Ramayana and Mahabharata has come back to haunt us by being used in an incorrect way in various places, though they were not as good as the ones that were believed to have been used many centuries ago.

All I can say is to believe in our glory but at the same time to try and protect the age old secrets because as a nation, we never had the history of invading any one but being invaded and this should not pave way to the dark forces to catch hold of our real secrets which would keep us in peril.

A Flying Jatt on Zee Cinema - 8PM on 22nd October 2016

This Diwali is going to be really special because you can watch one of the most exciting Super Hero movies of all time.

When - On October 22nd 2016 at 8PM
Where - Only on Zee Cinema
What - A Flying Jatt movie




Why to watch this amazingly cool movie?

There are few reasons behind this. I would list out the major ones.

1. India's First Super Hero who can fly
2. Super Mom for this Super Hero
3. Young at Heart and Age
4. Dancing Super Hero
5. Not born but made by accident
6. Flying Jatt
7. Obedient Son at home
8. Conscious Super Hero
9. A kid at heart
10. He will be here

Now we can see the the above pointers in detail.


He is the first ever super hero from India who can fly. Not only that. He can give a tough fight as he is an expert in martial arts too.


Unlike others, this super hero has a Super Mom who keeps reminding him to use his powers when he was reluctant to use it.


Unlike othehs, this super Hero can dance and can make others go crazy over his dance moves.



He is the youngest super hero because Tiger Shroff who is playing the role of the hero in this movie has bagged this role at just 26 years.


Being a person with powers of flying, he is both kind and pious which makes him one of its kind having incorporated both the qualities in him.


He became a super hero not by choice but by chance. Yes. He became one by an accident. Since this was the case, he has the human intuition of fear but still fights for the cause, when he was needed the most.


Despite of having these super powers, at home, he is an ordinary man doing all the household work with great dedication.


This super hero believes in protecting the environment and keeping them free from pollution.


In spite of all his super powers, he is still a kid at heart which makes him unique.


Yes. He is coming to meet us soon. Stay tuned to your television without fail on 22nd October at 8PM to watch this super hit movie.


If you are a cinema buff, you should certainly be bookmarking their website on your favorites so that you would get to know all the information first hand. The site address is http://www.zeecinema.com/