PACESETTER Nilanjan Choudhry
From IT to acting, he dons many hats
Working in the IT sector as a consultant, Nilanjan is also an author, actor and activist
Vibha Sharma

SOME individuals make one wonder whether they get more than 24 hours in a day or do they have the same quota of time as the rest of people get. Nilanjan Choudhry is one such individual. With an illustrious academic record of being an alumni of two of India's premier institutes — IIT Kanpur, IIM Ahmedabad, and currently working as a professional, an author, a stage performer, an NGO activist — Nilanajan manages to do all with aplomb.

He grew up in Shillong and after studying there till high school, his interest to be a physicist took him to IIT Kanpur. He enrolled in a five-year integrated Master's programme in physics. Instead of pursuing PhD, he went to IIM Ahmedabad to do his MBA. Theatre beckoned him and since then it has been an important part of his life. "Theatre influenced me personally, professionally as well as in my writing", he says. It started with playing Horatio in a spoof on Hamlet.

Soon after that, he did his first serious play, Tara, written by Mahesh Dattani. He continued doing many workshops and plays while working in Bangalore. He has worked with most of the directors and theatre groups in Bangalore in a variety of English, Hindi and Bengali plays. His first book, Bali and the Ocean of Milk got published in 2012. The Churning of Ocean episode from mythology became the basis of his book. Childhood memories of listening to his grandmother read out the Ramayana and the Mahabharata and Amar Chitra Katha comics led to an abiding interest in mythology. He wanted to write a political satire on the lines of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron which wasn't really available in Indian literature. These two strands of thought finally came together in the form of Bali and the Ocean of Milk. He has recently completed his second novel, a short thriller entitled The Chatterjee Institute of Detection, set in present-day Bangalore.

He has been working in the IT industry, primarily in consulting and sales roles. As he says, "The technology space is changing all the time and there’s always something new to learn every day which keeps it exciting. Working with many of India’s leading corporates on their strategic technology initiatives, has given me a ring-side view of the evolution and growth of Indian industry across multiple sectors." His career has also evolved and grown in a similar way. There have been highs and lows, successes and failures, but on the whole it has been an interesting journey. About three years back, he took a sabbatical to join an NGO that works to improve school education. After working there for two and a half years, he returned to the corporate world. He set up an NGO 'Riddhi,' to work in the areas of old age and primary education in Bangalore. His work with NGOs has instilled in him humility, patience, perseverance and a deeper understanding of the many challenges that confront India. "I’m a bit of a dilettante. I’ve enjoyed most of the things I’ve done and I keep rotating hats. This requires some multitasking which isn’t always easy but it is fun."

CENTRESPREAD
Wnning strategy
In times of playstations, video games and mobile apps, the charm of board games remains undiminished. These provide an opportunity for family and friends to spend time together
Neerja Bahadur

THIS year Scrabble will light 75 candles on its birthday cake. Ludo has lost count of its age, Chinese Checkers is well past the three figure mark and Monopoly is going to be a centurion in a few years. Most other popular board games are fit cases for a geriatric ward, and yet, these still have their legion of admirers.

Though the world’s top 10 games may be stuck in a time wrap, a visit to any toy shop will confirm that the board games market is thriving thanks to the arrival of a plethora of innovative games being introduced by leading companies like Mattel, Hasbro, Disney, Nickelodeon, Toys R Us and more.

Hobby board games

Interestingly, the global $900 million board games market is no longer restricted to developing children’s games. Despite the increase in the popularity of video games, gaming apps and on-the-go games on mobiles and tablets, most of the leading toys and board games brands are expanding their repertoire and aggressively targeting the 20-something niche market of hobby board games, which have become the current global rage.

Hobby board games like Blockus, The Settlers of Catan, Risk Legacy and many others require strategic skills, alternate thinking and one-upmanship. These encourage players to out-reason, manoeuvre and upstage their opponents in a fiercely competitive environment. These games involve no-holds barred boardroom-kind of planning to checkmate competition. Most of these are designed to attract young professionals and can be played in under an hour.

In India, the market is still dominated by children’s board games and hobby games have yet to make a mark. The Indian board game and toy industry is dominated by Funskool, which also supplies toys to some of the largest global toy companies like Hasbro, Lego, Disney and Nickelodeon. Even Mattel, which is among the world’s largest toy and board games manufacturer, is moving a part of its production facilities from China to India.

Chinese domination

The Rs 8,000 crore Indian toys and board games market, growing at a compounded annual rate of 30 per cent, has been hit hard by imports from China, which are flooding the market. Only 20 per cent of the market is served by Indian manufacturers and the rest by import of toys and board games from different countries, though China is the largest exporter to India.

The market has seen a steep growth in the last two decades. Attitudes have come in for a dramatic change since the mid-1990s when the turnover was a mere Rs 200 crore. The average Indian who spent no more than 0.33 per cent of the household income in the 1990s is more willing to buy toys and board games for children that improve their reasoning and logic skills. There is an all-round increased awareness of the educational advantages of board games.

Keeping the interest alive are manufacturers of leading board games who are upgrading, refreshing and contemporising their products. Take Monopoly, for example. The decades old board game has now got various versions of the game, including Star Wars, Star Trek, Nintendo and there is also a Monopoly with Disney characters.

Revamped version

In the classical game too, Monopoly has undergone many modern changes. The revamped game sports shiny gold tokens instead of paper currency and you can’t any longer buy London real estate like Oxford Street, Bond Street, Mayfair and Piccadilly. These have been replaced by contemporary popular brands like McDonald’s and Coca-Cola.

Scrabble, on the other hand, has had angry protests after its Facebook version came out with an update — which erased high scores, deleted player contact lists and introduced ads at the end of each turn. Thousands of avid gamers sent in an online petition which stated: "Bring back the Scrabble we love." The response showcased the passionate fan following the board game enjoys even 75 years of existence.

To match the popularity of established players like Monopoly and Scrabble, new game developers like Screenlife are marrying board games to technology. The company’s hit game ‘Scene It’ is an example. Here players have to answer trivia questions about movies, pop music, sports and other popular activities. These questions can either be read from printed cards or viewed on a TV screen through a DVD drive that comes with the game.

Despite the fact that most have online versions, the charm of the board games has not diminished. Even as technology invades the mindspace of more and more kids, the games have stood their ground. That’s because the games present an opportunity to meet friends, spend family time together throwing a dice and move real pieces from one place to another. It’s the thrill of winning and the lows of losing that make board games such timeless blockbusters.

GAMES THAT INDIANS PLAYED Two of the original board games of India were Pachisi and Chaupar, which find mention even in mythology. Both were very similar games and played on a board in the shape of a cross. These are said to be the precursors of the modern-day Ludo. According to a legend, a game of Chaupar between the Kauravas and Pandavas resulted in an attempt to disrobe Draupadi, leading to the Mahabharata war. Chess, too, has its origins in India and was prevalent in the sixth century. As in the present day, it was played on a board divided into 8X8 grid of squares. From India, it reached Persia in the seventh century and then spread to the rest of the world. When it originated in India during the Gupta dynasty, it was called Chaturanga. However, it was christened as Shatranj in Persia, a name that has stuck. Even Snakes and Ladders (Chutes & Ladders in England) has its origins in India. It was developed by the 13th century Saint Gyandev and was variously called Moksha Patamu, Vaikuntapaali or Paramapada Sopanam. The original concept of the game was based on the principals of good and evil. The ladders symbolised the path of morality and salvation while the snakes represented evil and ultimate ruination.

A Game of Thrones Based on the bestselling fantasy novels by George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones draws players into a war-torn world of sun-scorched sands and lush forests. Each player takes control of one of the Houses of Westeros, then sets out to secure dominance through combat and politics. Price: Rs 3,600 ($60)

Pig Goes Pop Kids and adults alike will have a blast playing Pop the Pig. It’s an exciting and entertaining family game that keeps everyone on their toes. Players must take turns rolling the dice to see how many chomps the pig will take. But be careful, if the pig eats too much, he’ll pop and you’ll lose! Price: Rs 1,200 ($20)

The Hobbit The Hobbit is a game of adventure and treasure. Bilbo Baggins is out to recover a treasure stolen by the dragon Smaug. In his quest, Bilbo is guided by his dwarf companions. As one of the dwarfs, you have to aid Bilbo on his journey and ensure that you recover the treasure for him. Price: Rs 2,160 ($36)

Forbidden Desert Gear up for a thrilling adventure to recover a legendary flying machine buried in the ruins of an ancient desert city. You will need to coordinate with your teammates and use every available resource if you hope to survive the scorching heat and relentless sandstorm and win the game. Price: Rs 1,200 ($20)

Tumblin’ Monkeys Tumblin’ Monkeys is a classic game of skill and action that’s easy to learn and fun to play! The game comes with one tree, 30 monkeys, 30 sticks in three colours and a special dice. Players must keep each monkey that drops during their turn. The one who collects the fewest monkeys wins. Price: Rs 840 ($14)

The Settlers of Catan The players in the game represent settlers establishing colonies on the island of Catan. On each turn, the dice is rolled determine what resources the island produces. Players collect these resources to build up their civilisations to get to 10 victory points and win the game. Price: Rs 2,400 ($40)

Scattergories Scattergories is a fast thinking game where each player fills out a category list of articles like clothing or books or popular songs with answers that begin with the same letter. If no other player matches your answers, you score points. The winner is declared after three rounds. Price: Rs 900 ($15)

Mousetrap In this game, the object is to trap mice, while avoiding getting trapped. By rolling the dice, you proceed around the game board, collecting cheese pieces and building a mousetrap. Once complete, you try to capture the opponent’s mice. The one who has the last uncaptured mouse wins. Price: Rs 1,320 ($22)

Risk Legacy Risk Legacy is a turn-based game for two to six players. It is played on a board depicting a map of the Earth, divided into 42 territories, which are grouped into six continents. The primary object of the game is that a player endeavours to get world domination by eliminating all contestants. Price: Rs 2,700 ($45)

Zooloretto In this game, players have to plan a zoo. Each player uses big and small exotic animals to try and attract as many visitors as possible to his or her zoo. But the zoo must be carefully planned. The players, who collect too many animals but have no more room for them will lose the game. Price: Rs 2,400 ($40)

Mystery Garden In this game, 48 picture cards are randomly placed face down around the board. A player picks up a card without showing it to other players who try to guess the picture by asking questions. After each correct answer, the card is moved along the path of the mystery garden till the final entry. Price: Rs 1,200 ($20)

Whoowasit? The people of the castle are in a panic: someone stole the king’s magical ring, which protects the kingdom against the evil wizard. The castle animals saw the theft and can give clues to what the thief looks like. Players have to listen to the clues and catch the thief and retrieve the ring. Price: Rs 3,000 ($50)

Munchkin Munchkin is a card game that captures the essence of dungeon experience. Players have to go down in the dungeon and kill everyone they meet and even backstab friends and grab the treasure and run. Each player starts at level 1 and the winner is the first player to reach level 10. Price: Rs 1,320 ($22)

Magician’s Kitchen The Magician's Kitchen is the magical game of skill with surprises around every turn. Here magician’s apprentices learn the art of magic potions. Each ingredient must be tossed carefully into the pot but they have to guard against hidden areas that are waiting to trip them. Price: Rs 1,800 ($30)

Escape Escape is a cooperative game in which players must escape from a cursed temple before it collapses. Together, they must activate the magic gems in the temple chambers in order to banish the curse. It is played in real-time with all players rolling dice and taking actions simultaneously. Price: Rs 2,400 ($40)