WHAT'S IN A NAME?

AKA Wake up! Speak up! 

When I was a kid, I used to ask loads of questions, and have an opinion on everything. I was given the nickname Nani meaning grandma, which I detested. It conjured up images of an interrogating old woman who poked her nose into everything. Did it stop me? Did it hell! But I wonder how many nicknames from childhood did stop people from developing skills. 

Decades later, I realise I am just the same, but classify myself differently. I am curious about everything, hence ask a lot of questions to everyone I meet, from ministers to chai-wallahs (tea sellers) and put these views together. Consequently, I have clear views on many topics and know what to say to help someone see the other side of the coin. 

My curiosity and ability to ask questions was picked up by the late Alyque Padamsee. In the few years before he passed, while we were writing his last book, he used to say to me “When you come round, you wake me up! My goodness you are like something ringing in my ears!” And the Human Alarm Clock was born. 

Around the same time, I was working with the globally-renowned ace photographer, Ritam Banerjee. I used to ask him also sorts of questions and occasionally he would get infuriated with me. Never one to lose his temper, he would laugh and good naturedly say to me, “V, you are like a porcupine – you poke, poke, poke until I have to answer! You are like a porcupine.”  

So there I was – the Human Alarm Clock who acts like a porcupine. And with that, I became a bit of a ‘namer’ finding great nicknames for great people who had something special to give the world. 

Enter @Aman Zaidi – now re-christened Merlin and The Falcon. (https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6695936081877049344/) 

Aman and I were both panellists on Between the Lines, curated by the brilliant @Advait Kurlekar.  We reached out to each other after the event and discovered that we were similar in the way we value free expression, humour and human thriving. 

We care about creating a world where human beings can discover and unleash their potential for the benefit of everyone. 

We discovered that we both cared more to improve the system than to preserve it. 

And we discovered that a sense of fun was important to use both. 

So we decided to create a TALK SHOW where we will have the important conversations that will help bring positive change into our world. Conversations that are not being had but need to be. A show where we will challenge norms, examine things, basically awaken everyone's brain. 

The Human Alarm Clock and The Porcupine together with Merlin and The Falcon are excited to bring you WAKE UP, SPEAK UP, a show where we will discuss everything that must be discussed and where you will add your voice to the issues. 

Come join us in finding out what you can rename yourself as and how we can rename society as something we want it to be, rather than what it is not.