Zindagi Na Milegi Dobaraa...: 3 Idiots

The Talent Sindia Idiots

That's my 3 idiots group. Alex, Me and Sanjay

It's a bonding that started in 2005 and they're my closest friends. The bonding really started once the 3 of us joined IIT Madras. But before that we were taking engineering entrance coaching at this institute called Talent Sindia. If that name sounds funny, that's because it was originally meant to be Talents India. But some legal issue for using the word India in the name prevented that name. But our teacher wanted to create the same image that "Talents India" as a name would create in the minds of students and parents. So, he just changed it to Talent Sindia. :P In fact, this blog of mine was named exactly the same way. I wanted that particular name but the exact spelling wasn't available. So I took inspiration from Talent Sindia and just changed the spelling a bit so that I get the name :)

Unlike a lot of these entrance coaching factories, Talent Sindia is a unique place. We had one teacher and that was it ! He taught us chemistry, physics and mathematics. He inspired us. He was the one who taught me how to learn and how to think critically and independently and that was the foundation for the rest of my life. If I am where I am today, I owe it to him totally ! If it was not for him sowing the seeds of independent thinking in me, I would have been a stupid muggu who would just run after grades like a lot of people do. In fact, before I came to Talent Sindia, I was just an average student academically. I just wanted to get grades so that I can be the center of attention in family discussions or amongst friends. I even remember having by hearted a math problem solution for my CBSE 10th board exams because I thought the exact same question would come and there wasn't any time left to study. Used to mug up text book answers for all subjects and just vomit it onto the exam paper just to get grades. So that was my condition at the end of 10th standard. And the reason I targeted IIT entrance (I didn't even know what engineering meant at that age) was I wanted attention.

Anyway, coming back to Talent Sindia, our teacher - His name is Nandakumar. Running a one-man-army show. He is an IIT BHU passout, had a fancy corporate job but his passion for teaching and creating quality students made him leave his job and start the institute in 2001. He has one person for admin support. Ever since, he's been a one-man-army. That's 17 years motivating and inspiring kids and teaching them all these subjects. He could have been earning how much ever he wants but his will to create a positive impact on society through creating quality students is what drove him. Take a bow Sir ! Complete respect ! The takeaway for me from my 2 years there was "I don't know what I want to do in life. I don't even know what engineering really means and whether I'm meant to be an engineer. Whatever I end up doing, I should be as passionate as Nandakumar Sir"

Once I learnt how to learn, I fell in love with it. Grades were important at that age. But then the kick out of solving a problem using a concept I learnt - Oh ! That feeling was blissful and I kept on investing time studying and getting more kick and like an infinite loop the need for a kick and the kick in itself spoke to each other and kept me going. I remember having not missed a single class at Talent Sindia over the 2 years I went there. I even remember missed a lot of family functions and I was so determined not to miss that once there was a surgery I had to go through and the doctors were asking me to stay in the hospital - I created a big fuss and forced my dad to take me to the class. Even Sir asked me to take rest. But I was very clear that if I miss one class, that might disrupt the flow of the infinite loop of actually getting the kick and the need for a kick. So yeah ! may be now it sounds like a little too much. But that was the state of mind I was in then. Below is a testimonial from my dad I got for an MBA course called Personal Values Goals and Career Options. The testimonial was taken and some analysis was done. Just felt like sharing it here. There were 3 testimonials dad wrote. This was the 2nd one.

From having mugged up math problem solutions for my 10th board exams to clearing the Kerala State Engineering entrance with 8th rank in the state + other entrances with good ranks there also, the value add Nandakumar Sir and Talent Sindia gave me was disruptively immense and my foundation for the rest of my life could not have been set any better. Like I said, if I am where I am today, I owe it totally to my teacher !

Yeah! I know! I used to be supremely fat. I called myself a giant :P. Later on in life, people called me "The Gentle Giant" Lol...Anyway, that's Nandakumar Sir giving me a small trophy at the year end function.