So, you thought it would be a lecture on acads,eh? Surprise! Get used to this term. IIMA is probably the only place where you are expected to be surprised all the time(you will learn more on this when we get to the surprise quizzes, etc). Hence, you will see a lot of people walking around with this expression imprinted permanently on their kissers.

Surprised Dork

Surprised Dork

In keeping with the surprise sentiment, we have a guest/surprise lecturer today. Veggie_Bong is a distinguised member of our group and can be often spotted in the previously mentioned obscure, shady places (brush up on the previous classes’ notes). I will let him take over from here …

Today we look at IIMA and how it has created deep impressions on thinkers, poets, song writers, MBAs, fishermen and doodhwalas alike. Contrary to what you may think, the references to IIMA in pop-culture are numerous and have instigated deep, insightful debates, over various interpretations, that are mostly hogwash. Given that we have a limited amount of time allotted to this course, we shall, for once, allot everyone CP marks and hope the ones who survive on it keep their traps shut.

John Lennon, when he sang Imagine, referred to the darkest days of his life in IIMA. Of course, he wasn’t known as John Lennon then – he went by dorm name JaybLo. The first line of Imagine refers to IIMA in a very obvious way(“Imagine there’s no heaven”) – it brings to light the disillusion typically faced by a PGP1 since those days. It is indeed easy if you try. He hasn’t been the only dreamer of course; deep in the core of every “Wimwian” we all have a dream. When professor Sober_Mallu refers to lonely nights during which the Harvard Steps seem like the steps to a parallel universe, he displays his characteristic awareness of the references built into the song.

Immortalised by Billy Joel, the oft quoted line “Sharing a drink they call loneliness, but it’s better than drinking alone” is another obvious reference to the great college we all revere.  The only drink you get here is loneliness, indeed! It’s a dry state goddamit!! The pianoman and the waitress who practises politics are the ravings of a hallucinating mind, that’s ALL! And I double dare you to ask me any more questions on that.

I’m given to occasional emotional rants. Please bear with me. Even better, please Child Bear with me.

In order to understand the next section, you would need to be familiar with a few terms. WAC – Written Analysis and Communication. In other words, the “science” of writing business reports. It is a much dreaded course that you will have to take during the first year. RA – Research Assistant. They correct all our papers and decide our grades. On an entirely unrelated note, they’re awesome. They rock our worlds.

Moving to the arts of film-making and literature, Doug Adams recalls his young days as a PGP1 as days of inebriation (my lips are sealed – I will NOT talk about the illegal channels(drop me a personal message for details(potshot at Sober_Mallu who thinks using a lot of paranthesised sentences makes up for being unfunny))) and depravity. The experiences of these days led to his fairly average book about hitchhiking and what not. A little known fact is that the first draft talks of a failed love affair he had with a WAC RA. Being very embarrassed about the incident, he chose to omit it in the final version. Folklore has it, that Douglas Adams was found whispering sweet nothings to a tree after having smoked something at Rambhai. The jealous RA ditched him, gave him an F and subjected him to endless nights of writing report after report. Some people also claim that the tree obtained a restraining order. Of course, we do know how Douglas had the last laugh by writing an average book (according to the WAC book of standard English writing) and earning unparalleled fame and the attention of scantily clad women the world over.

“ONE HUNDRED YEARS of SOLITUDE”. Need I say more? Marquez was not a very Ibank-y PGP1 and hence he suffered.

Many movies have also taken inspiration from life at IIMA. One of the more popular ones is Shawshank Redemption. Originally intended as a satire on the lack of hope for a PGP1 at IIMA, the pranksters became the prankees(sue me) when this movie turned into a message of eternal hope for millions (haha, suckers!). Hope, is as abundant as snowfall here. Unlike Tim Robbins, you can’t escape this brick walled prison alive.

Various other songs were actually written by PGP1s. Dennis Leary wrote a pretty famous one about himself as a super competitive PGP1. I forget the name …

As you can see, this series of lectures has a vast course outline. For today’s class, this is all we have. Hope you will come prepared for next class.