Law No: 4: Follow the heart: Both immersed themselves in work and tried not to show they were hurting and when the pain became unbearable, both said to hell with the world and got back together. Their bond was stronger than they had anticipated. After a glorious victory when Virat kissed his bat and blew the epic kiss over to his lady love, it was not just Anushka in the stadium balcony but lovers all over the world stopped suffering. Year 2016 was about expressing uninhibitedly and news of their impending wedding was in the air.

Law No: 5: If committed, say yes: There is a time for attraction and a time for commitment and those who have delayed courtship will confess how rot sets into an ageing romance. Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli were riding the crest of their careers and were madly in love. Their marriage is the kind of stuff fairy tales are made of. While the duo worked hard for their break, their families strived for a perfect destination wedding at a picturesque location, stunning costumes and intimate guest list. The media got the ceremony pictures and the fans got to see the videos that went viral, in short all were happy in 2017.

Law No: 2: Confidence in choice: Come 2014 and both Virat and Anushka were spending a lot of time with each other despite their busy schedules and when they were spotted enjoying a football match together in Pune the media was quick to speculate.  To give them credit Anushka and Virat never issued a statement on the relationship and continued to visit each other on their work tours. Anushka was always in the stadium when Virat was playing and he often made surprise visits on her outdoor shoots.

Law No: 3: Lovers quarrels: Every relationship goes through its curve when recurrent motifs soil the fragrance and a relationship as high profile as theirs was not without its share of controversies and heartbreaks.  The year 2015 was a traumatic year. First came the trolls, every time Virat missed a ball or did not perform, the audience was quick to blame Anushka.  When the detractors did not stop, a sensitive Anushka withdrew and an angry Virat hit out at the trolls, said Anushka was his motivation not distraction but troubles continued and an anguished Virat and Anushka broke up and even unfollowed each other on social media. To be continued

The idea for this column comes from my young niece who got married around the same time as Anushka Sharma and said that for her generation, Sharma-Kohli is the biggest and the best love story. It set me thinking, every relationship travels a journey that encounters laws of attraction and how you deal with the laws defines your relationship. Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli are a perfect example of the laws of attraction.

Law No: 1: Acknowledge destiny: In the winter of the year 2013 destiny provided an opportunity when Virat and Anushka came together for a commercial. If the brand had chosen someone else the love story would never have happened. This had to happen and that is why it was instant chemistry. When the shooting concluded, the two could have gone their separate ways but that they lingered on, exchanged numbers, texted and maintained communication, they recognized a divine intervention.

To be continued

Insecurity breeds manipulation: Kaleen Bhaiya’s son, Munna is the inheritor of his legacy and is groomed for the crown. But rather than revel in his position of authority, Munna destroys himself feeling threatened by his employees. He is all the time insecure and therefore easily manipulated by those around him.

The first lesson for every employee on a new job is to have faith in yourself.  Your colleague is not your competitor but supporter, so conquer your negative emotions for there is nothing more embarrassing than an insecure team member. If you are on a higher post and playing games, it is all the more pathetic, so consult a coach and sort out your demons.  I seriously recommend every company must have a private coach.

In a specific scene of the series, Bablu tells his father, ‘My job is like any other profession. It calls for commitment and I look forward to appreciation and promotions. 

Haven’t all of us said this to somebody at some point in our lives? Let’s hope, this time the big bosses are listening to us.

concluded

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Indulge at the right time: Guddu and Bablu Pandit were Kaleen Bhaiya’s most devoted employees and served him selflessly. But an over confident action set a rot in the trusted relationship. The tension could have been resolved via dialogue but both built walls of hurt leading to bitterness and multiple tragedies. When an employee is part of an organization, he is absorbing the ideology of the company. He is absorbing the skills of his seniors and with time, he blossoms to become an asset to the organisation. It is always foolish to let go off such an employee for the sake of extra money or attention. A good leader will always find a way to retain his devoted employee because losing him is sprouting yet another competitor.

Never underestimate your competitor: Kaleen Bhaiya has ample opportunities to eliminate Guddu and Bablu but he bids time because he undermines their prowess.

That is his biggest folly because Guddu snd Bablu prove fatal for both, Kaleen Bhaiya and his son Munna. During most of our review meetings to analyse our performances, we are so focused on our immediate competitors that we invariably overlook the dark horse steadfastly galloping ahead of us. The moral of the story therefore is to never underestimate anyone, anytime!!

To be continued

Rewards motivate: When Guddu requests Kaaleen Bhaiya for a Luna/ Moped, Kaleen Bhaiya presents him with his Royal Enfield inscribed with ‘King of Mirzapur’. Now this is a gift beyond Guddu’s imagination and propels him to work harder and aspire higher. Kaaleen Bhaiya is an astute leader and knows when to overwhelm his employees, he further surprises the boys when he invites them to join his family for dinner and the boys are overjoyed. Almost all corporate offices today, grant special budgets for the recreation of their employees. All bosses know that all work and no play make office a dull place, which is why they pep up the surrounding and offer incentives to build up team spirit.

A wise CEO knows that a team that laughs together, excels together! 

Never abuse authority: In one of the crucial scenes of the Mirzapur narrative, Guddu, who is now soaring as Kaaleen Bhaiya’s aide, makes an unsolicited decision of killing their business rival. Naturally the boss is outraged that his protegee has crossed the line of authority.

The conflict becomes a turning point in the relationship. This should be a forever learning lesson for all of us at work that no matter how qualified we think we are; we don’t have the authority to surpass/ supersede and break the protocol.

To be continued

Train well, understand better:  Kaaleen Bhaiya personally trains the boys, assign them tasks, test their potential and when they succeed, gives them bigger challenges. Guddu and Bablu know they are being watched and they have faith that if they falter, Bhaiya will not allow them to fall. In all corporate companies, the employees have to learn some things and unlearn many things and this trial-and-error process is called training. Some are unable to handle the vigorous training and quit. Some, in excitement, mishandle a project but like Guddu and Bablu know that their seniors will do the damage control for them. 

In business the client is always right: When Bablu discovers that old customers are not any longer buying guns from them, he decides to distribute free guns to all traders to regain their trust in the product. Bablu is able to strategize this because Kaleen Bhaiya entrusts responsibility on him. In every organization, there comes a time, when the product becomes mediocre and the services fall below standards and yet nobody is accountable for it.  However, whenever a team/ individua is specifically held responsible for a task/ project, the result has always been positive. The best feedback is always directly from the client.  

To be continued

Many years ago, it was Ram Gopal Verma who said that the D company is exactly like a corporate office except that while the corporate does normal business, the D company deals with crime.

Over the decades, the other crime films have taken this formula further and the latest series Mirzapur has emerged as a Mantra for Management Course.

So, for those who have not watched the series or don’t intend to watch it, here’s a recap of the plot and the characters. 

A tycoon, Kaaleen Bhaiya is a carpet exporter and a mafia don heralding from a small town, Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh.

He hires two boys (Guddu and Bablu) and prepares them for a dangerous journey. 

My take away from Mirzapur is not the crime, not the illegalities, not the violence and certainly not the cuss words but the magical management lessons – so are you ready for the 8 Mirzapur Mantras?

Hire the best and follow your heart: In Mirzapur, Kaleen Bhaiya hires Guddu and Bablu purely on instinct. He likes their audacity and their attitude and takes a chance. The guys are inexperienced with no background in crime on the contrary, Bablu is an IAS aspirant and yet both are ready to explore a vocation they know is dangerous. This is what happens in all IT companies all the time. During recruitments the offices pick candidates not necessarily on qualifications but on the basis of a spark and spirit. There are so many instances when a mechanical engineer is offered a chemical placement and a biotech engineer, offered an electrical placement. The recruiter knows he is taking a chance and so does the candidate, and yet, both are willing to travel the path unknown because adventure is so attractive.

To be continued