RUP(ee) Tera MASTANA - the Currency CHAGRINS

Hi All

Over the evening, I happened to be at the Mumbai IIT where there was a felicitation of Mr. D. Uday Kumar by the Calligraphic Society of India. Who Uday? The guy who happened to give a shape and font to something that we hold very close to our hearts and minds and wallets. Yes!!! The person whose design for the symbol for the Indian National Rupee.

Finally, after long deliberations, India has its own form of currency. The others being the Dollar, the Pound, the Euro and the Japanese Yen.

That this was passed unanimously shows one aspect of Indian politics - in matters of money, we are all united. Another case in pertinence was the recent hike demands on their salaries. The demand was so unanimous across all

party lines.

A Rose by any other name smells just as sweet - quoted Shakespeare in Romeo & Juliet.

A Rupee by any other form is just as dear - quoted Sharad Pawar!!!

Laloojee was a bit harried about this new change- his concern? Making all his children learn how to write this and make this as their new goal would be some evenings spent with them!!! He had earlier put a currency note as their goal in life but now that has to be replaced by this new font and format.

Suresh Kalmadi was heard grumbling - if only this had come out earlier, probably he could have used this font as an emblem or symbol for the Common Wealth Games. The objective of both the symbol and the event would be in synch then.

He was heard discussing with Jairam Ramesh (the Minister for Environment and Forests) that he was getting pressure now to keep a common advertisement for both CWG and Tiger campaign!!! Save the Tiger!!!!!

I was chatting up with Uday on what are his plans now that India has a new currency. He came up with a very interesting answer. Some countries have approached him to design currency signs for them as well.

He started recounting what he had in mind for some of the countries who have approached him.

SRI LANKA

Our Southern neighbour, it seems, is trying to follow us very fast. They have almost approved one font and are waiting for a future result for the other.

The one approved is -

The currency will be RA (inspired by their single most famous claim to fame- the demon King Raavan). The currency will be RA 1, RA 2 etc.

This format of their Mani was almost approved but then the movie released and bombed big time. Mani Ratnam's refusal to premiere the movie in Lanka during the IIFA added one more thorn. The Lankan Government is now contemplating a more simplistic version of the font.

This, Uday was inspired by SRK's upcoming movie Ra...One.

PAKISTAN

Yes!!!! Even Pakistan has approached Uday to redesign their existing currency with something more relevant and contextual. The one liner given to Uday by the ISI chief (Yes ISI does this as well!!!) - make it as different from Rupee as possible and most Pakistanis should relate to it.

After a lot of brain storming, Uday came up with this (very different from the Rupee and very contextual!!!) -

The currency is Rife (basically inspired by Rifle and Strife caused by the former)

One Rife will equal to 6 gols.

SOUTH AFRICA

South African Government, after the stupendous FIFA success- has now approached Uday with a proposition - the SAR (South African Rand) has lost its significance. The country is emerging after all its dark years of fighting its own internal demons. The new emerging SA needs a new symbol of currency and glory.

Uday spent some time pondering has has come up with this -

He has named it as Vela (inspired from the cultural symbol Vuvuzela which became a deafening rage (pun intended here) during the FIFA.

AFGHANISTAN

Uday's name and fame is now spreading like wild forest fire. Even a Taliban representative turned up at Uday's place with a request. As Afghanistan will successfully come out of the US control (like it did when USSR had taken control)- the country would be looking for changes. New aspirations, focus on economy and trade etc. For that- a symbol of currency was an apt instrument.
Initially, Uday was a bit perturbed and perplexed. He tried to explain to the Taliban officer that currency is something of a mode of transaction which is used to buy an effort or value of one person by providing effort or value of the buyer (a great, detailed speech by Fransisco D'Anconia at Jim Taggart's wedding reception is given in Ayn Rand's perennial favourite - Atlas Shrugged.It explains the origin and creation of the term Making Money from an Objectivism perspective.). The Taliban rep was insistent so Uday went about working. He came up with this-

The currency has been named as Opia (inspired by Afghanistan's second most significant export to the world- the first one been Terror)

Uday mentioned that these things are keeping him quite busy as he has also started giving value adds like unicoding of these images into Keyboards. He has tied up with keyboard manufacturers to get these symbols into new units.

I came back home impressed and amazed by some of the choices of currencies that we will, in the near future start using in normal parlance!!!!Sriky

Sriky