Vampire Empire Series Part 1 - Vision

DISCLAIMER: All characters in this story are fictitious. Any resemblance to those who are living or dead is purely co-incidental. The characters of this story have not been created to hurt the sentiments of any community.

============================

I had written this story for a story writing competition but I had to edit it and cut it short due to word limit. But on my blog, I decide the word limit. Hence, here I publish the full version of this story which I intend to continue as a series.

============================

Treta Yug – 7292 BC:

The battle of Lanka was about to end. The army of monkeys led by Sugreev and bears by Jaambvanth was destroying the demon army lead by Ravan.

Kalush, the only vampire soldier in demon army who had a human appearance and good looks unlike demons but a cruel heart was seeing himself on the losing side. Destruction of Lanka was hurting him.

Killing all the monkeys around him, he threw his sword and walked towards the sea shore that was away from battle-field.

With tears in eyes, he saw the sea waves. His ears that could hear any sound in this world could hear the over joyous cheers and the chants of “Jai Shri Ram” in the monkey army. He realized that Lord Ram had killed Ravan.

Looking at the sea and the bridge called Ram-Sethu, Kalush thought, “I was born 3000 years ago and I was destined to be a king! I am alive because I am yet to fulfill my destiny! Ravan snatched Lanka from Kuber and established a demon kingdom! Joining the army of Ravan, I fought my first battle for him at Alkapuri against Kuber‘s army! That is when I had the vision of having my own Vampire Kingdom in Lanka! But now Lanka has been destroyed! The arson of Lanka by Hanuman had burnt my dream! My vision!”

Suddenly, Kalush heard the familiar voice of his elder brother Alwar, “There is nothing for you in Lanka, Kalush! Please come home now!”

Kalush turned and was surprised to see his younger sister Ragini with Alwar.

Looking at his siblings, Kalush said, “When Hanuman destroyed Ashok Vatika, I wanted to impress Ravan by defeating Hanuman, rise to ranks and one day overthrow Ravan! But Jambumaali and Aksh Kumar got the chance! When Ravan kicked Vibheeshan, I hoped that one day I would kick Ravan like that! When Ram and Lakshman killed Kumbhkaran and Meghnaad, I hoped that Ram and Ravan would kill each other in war! I would kill Vibheeshan to become king! But Ram killed Ravan! Vibheeshan is all set to be the king that I wanted to be! Having studied so much knowledge in diverse fields over centuries, I am learned! I am fluent in Sanskrit and Tamil!”

Ragini said, “Being a king is not everything! In the end, everyone needs happiness! No joy is bigger than family! Please come home! We are family!”

Just then, Kalush heard the sound of a boat hitting the sea shore. He turned and saw ten men coming out of the boat with some folded tents. His vampire senses told him that those men were werewolves.

Hiding behind rocks, Kalush, Alwar and Ragini heard Avibhuj, the leader of werewolves saying, “My brothers! Ram, the prince of Kosala is here to rescue his wife Sita who was abducted by Ravan! Now that Ravan is dead, Ram will return to Ayodhya with Sita soon! King Sugreev and King Jambvanth were here to help Ram and soon they will also return to their kingdoms once Vibheeshan becomes the king! Ram‘s army for hire has destroyed more than 90% demon army of Lanka! So we don‘t need army! We should not allow Vibheeshan to strengthen his position as king! Once, Ram, monkeys and bears leave, we have to attack the palace, kill Vibheeshan, declare ourselves as rulers, call our army and family and after that, establish a werewolf kingdom in Lanka! After that, if Ram wants good relations with Lanka, he will send his ambassador to our royal court and receive ours in his!”

Kalush had seen enough. Taking a high jump, he literally flew into the sky and kicked Avibhuj on the face. Kalush and his clan were one of the oldest vampire clans in the world. They were among unique vampires that had the ability to walk in the sun. Hence, every werewolf recognized Kalush. They were shocked to see him.

However, Avibhuj was not an ordinary werewolf. His clan was also one of the earliest werewolf clans in the world. They had the ability to turn at will, use their wolf powers in human form and retain their human intellect in their wolf form. Even in his human form, Avibhuj was a skilled warrior with extraordinary physical strength. Kalush and Avibhuj exchanged blows. Both of them had witnessed various battles between vampires and werewolves over various centuries. Their punches and kicks had no end. Avibhuj had the freedom to use his transformation power to turn into a four legged wolf or a two-legged wolf-man.

Strangling Avibhuj, Kalush said, “Lanka could not be mine but it will not be yours either!” Avibhuj turned into his wolf-man form, his throat getting free in the process from Kalush‘s grip by becoming larger. He punched Kalush. As Kalush fall, Avibhuj‘s brother Taraksh and friend Aranyashvan grabbed Kalush. They started scratching and biting him. Seeing this, Alwar and Ragini rushed towards wolves. Seeing them, Avibhuj shouted, “Brothers! We have to leave! More soldiers needed for three vampires! Run!”

All wolves got back into boat and started rowing it. Looking at Kalush, Avibhuj shouted, “Another day Kalush! This is not over!”

In the boat, werewolf Shvak asked Avibhuj, “Are we coming back with soldiers?” Avibhuj replied, “Not now! Kalush‘s presence in Lanka shows that after death of Ravan, he is planning a vampire kingdom in Lanka! We need to plan properly!”

Meanwhile, Kalush was also in a boat sitting with Ragini. Alwar was rowing the boat. Ragini asked Alwar, “What are we going to do if Sursa shows up in the middle of the sea?” Kalush replied, “I always wanted to fight Hanuman! But never got the chance! When I fight Sursa, then Hanuman will see there is someone as powerful as him!” Kalush called out, “Come out Sursa!”

To distract Kalush, Ragini said, “Kalp has been bitten by werewolves! We fed him with blood of animals and birds! In forest, we did not have any home! A kind-hearted man Yavakri and his wife Sushila gave us shelter!”

After an eight hours journey, the vampires reached a sea shore. They reached the cottage of Yavakri after a ten minutes walk. They found Sushila crying over an unconscious Yavakri who had been bitten by a snake. Looking at vampire siblings, she said, “A snake has bitten my husband! Please do something to save his life!”

Kalush decided to heal Yavakri. He bit his own wrist and dropped his blood in Yavakri‘s mouth. Yavakri got cured due to the miraculous power of vampire blood. Sushila was thankful to Kalush.

That night, Kalush was alone when Yavakri and Sushila were sleeping inside the cottage. Alwar and Ragini were busy guarding the cottage. Suddenly, Lord Shiva appeared in front of Kalush and appreciated him for saving Yavakri‘s life. Kalush expressed his desire to have his empire. Lord Shiva granted his wish saying, “Being a vampire king is your destiny!” Shiva gave him a glimpse of future, where Kalush saw the events of Mahabharata, battles of Dracula, British rule in India and his fight with werewolves in Kaliyug.

Seeing that, Kalush said, “My vision is not dead! It is alive! It will come true!”

THE BEGINNING

Art by Amit Kumar

NEXT PART: Vladivostok

A Day in Arkham - Jerome's Birthday

DISCLAIMER 1 - All Batman characters are trademarks of DC Comics.

DISCLAIMER 2 - This is only a fan-fiction, written only for the entertainment of comic-book lovers like me.

DISCLAIMER 3 - All characters in this story fictitious. Any resemblance to those who are living or dead is co-incidental.

DISCLAIMER 4 - The characters of this story have not been created to hurt the sentiments of any community. These characters are purely fictitious.

DISCLAIMER 5 - This story is inspired from climax of Gotham Season 1 and teasers of Season 2.

In the Arkham Asylum, Barbara Kean was walking with a Bewildered look on her face. She was chanting only one name, "Jim! Jim! Jim!"

In a dark room, Jerome Valeska was sitting playing the song "Jeremy" by Pearl Jam.

"Jeremy nowehere"

Suddenly Jerome heard, "Jim! Jim! Jim!"

All lunatics were busy with their activities in their own dream world.

Nobody cared about Barbara walking aimlessly and chanting the name "Jim".

Jerome walked up to Barbara and asked her, "Are you Jim?"

Barbara said, "No! I am Barbara! Jim Gordon was my fiance!"

Jerome said, "Oh! He brought me to this Arkham Asylum! This is a serious house on serious Earth! So boring! I wonder why everybody is so serious! Why did he bring you here?"

Barbara replied, "I loved him! He did not tell me about people he was fighting against! Thinking he was cheating on me, I broke up with him! Later I realized that I was wrong! He was trying to protect me! I returned to him and saw him kissing another woman! I decided to find love in another man! That man tortured me and made me kill my parents!"

Jerome replied, "Oh! That's so mean! I bet your parents were like my mother! Really nagging! But your mean acts remind me of my mother, you know!"

After a pause, Jerome shouted, "I HATED MY MOTHER!"

Barbara was startled.

Just then, Dr. Hugo Strange arrived and announced, "Silence! We have a good news!"

All lunatics now became attentive. Strange announced, "Gotham City has a new billionaire! His name is Oswald Cobblepot! Thanks to his philanthropic donations, now every last Saturday of month, we will order cakes and all birthday boys and girls will cut the cakes! This month, only Jerome and Barbara have birthdays!"

One Arkham inmate whispered to the other, "Last time when I saw Cobblepot, he was rookie walking like a Penguin!"

All lunatics started clapping. Jerome started singing,

"It's my birthday!

It's my birthday!

I must spend my money!"

Avi Launches His Soundcloud Channel On His Favorite Dancer's Birthday

DISCLAIMER: Before you start reading this blog post, I want to make it clear that I have promoted the website of my favorite dancer on this blog. I do not own that website and I am not responsible for the content present on that website. Now you can read my blog post. I hope you enjoy it.

Singing has always been my hobby. I call myself a rap artist but believing in versatility, I sing in various genres that include, pop, rock and R&B.

When I heard about Soundcloud for the first time in 2011, I decided to launch my own Soundcloud channel.

But my day job made me so busy that plan could never materialize. Also, I did not have a band that could deliver instrumental music to my vocals.

However, God wanted me to show my singing talent to the world. Hence, one day, a friend of mine introduced me to Audacity, a software that could remove vocals from a song and add my voice to the music.

I chose to launch it on 5 AUG 2014 as it was the birthday of my favorite dancer, Kalee Carroll.

As Kalee shared her birthday with Niel Armstrong, the first man to walk on moon, I decided to honor Kalee with the song "Girl In The Moon".

Since then I have been exploring various kind of pop, rock, rap and Hindi music that I wish to explore. I hope someday I gain recognition as a versatile singer.

I hope that people reading my blog will enjoy my songs. Click here to visit my Soundcloud channel.

Avi Chooses To Support General VK Singh

Today, in a newspaper, I saw a disgusting column in which the columnist was criticizing former Indian Army Chief Gen. VK Singh who recently risked his life by going to Djibouti and Yemen to oversee the rescue operation of evacuating more than 5000 Indians in the war-struck countries.

To columnist, Singh‘s crime was using the word “Presstitute” for Indian media. He ridiculed Gen. Singh by calling him “a man who did not know his birthday”. In my opinion, Gen. Singh said nothing wrong. Over the years, especially, from 2011, we have all seen various instances about Indian media picking up news to show only when those news went viral on social media. We have also seen instances of paid reporting. “Bikau media” and “paid media” were highest trending topics on Indian social media scene during last year‘s Lok Sabha elections.

Last year, the newspaper publishing a false report, accusing a shopping mall in Ahmadabad (Gujarat) of unfairly charging an entry fee to Muslims. People used social media to expose the truth the entry fee was being charged to everyone and it was refunded to people who made some purchase in that shopping mall.

Presstitutes turned Gen. Singh, into the biggest villain in the world just because he spoke the truth. They forgot the great things he has done for India. He joined Indian army in 1970. And a loudmouth presstitute born in 1973 criticized Gen. Singh for speaking the truth that applies to 99.9% of Indian media. People on Twitter criticized all media organizations that demonized VK Singh. This led to the trending of a hashtag, teaching paid media that an attempt of discrediting a soldier could backfire seriously.

I wish to point out few things about Gen. Singh that presstitutes who demonize him have chosen to forget but I remember.

1. Gen. Singh is a graduate from US Army Rangers Course at Fort Benning, USA and US Army War College, Carlisle. In Rangers course, he came first in combat operations.

2. He displayed remarkable combat skills in 1971 war that resulted in the independence of Bangladesh.

3. For Sri Lanka Operation Pawan, he was awarded Yudh Seva Medal.

4. On the eve of India‘s Republic Day in 2009, Gen. Singh was awarded Param Vishisht Seva Medal by President.

5. In counter insurgency operations in J&K, Gen. Singh was awarded Ati Vishisht Seva for his distinguished service as General Officer Commanding.

6. As General Officer, Gen. Singh has also commanded the Prestigious Strike Corps in Western Sector, before taking over the command of the Eastern Army in March 2008.

7. Gen. Singh has been an instructor at Inf. School, Mhow and Chief Instructor at JLW (Commando Wing) at Belgaum.

8. On 11 March 2011, Gen. Singh was inducted into the United States Army War College (Class of 2001 graduate) International Fellows Hall of Fame. He is the 33rd International Fellow and the first Indian Armed Forces officer (and first Indian) to be inducted.

Had Presstitutes (Indian media) remembered these facts, they would have never demonized VK Singh. Instead, they would have abandoned their practices of reporting paid news.

The act of Gen. Singh of going to Yemen and saving people is something that no minister has done and no minister in future will do. Presstitutes could understand that only if they were stuck in Yemen. I wish Presstitutes were thrown into Yemen.

So much for explaining the concept of paid media and “presstitution” and the greatness of VK Singh. Now coming to the point raised in the column. Columnist said that United Kingdom (UK) and many European countries followed the unwritten rule keeping retired high ranking military officers from active politics. Columnist said that India should follow this rule. I found it stranger that the columnist did not have any problem with criminals entering politics. He did not have any problem with politicians who feed people raising their voice against them to their pet crocodiles, or politicians who order police to find their stolen buffaloes. Columnist forgot that such politicians are not there in UK. All he wants is retired military officers to be kept out. UK does not have criminal politicians. Columnist should have known.

The only General this columnist considered worth his criticism was Gen. VK Singh. Columnist was not interested in criticizing a former General who has molestation accusations against him but has never been investigated because he is a distant relative of a former Prime Minister. According to various media reports, General VK Singh himself accused another Indian Army General of indulging in a dacoity. That General was never criticized.

The bias against Gen. Singh and his hatred for truth was clear to see when in the same column, this columnist expressed support for a journalist who was last time in news for getting bail in a rape case. As birds of same feather flock together, the rapist journalist was also invited as the chief guest of a literary festival that was organized by the same newspaper which published today‘s column.

Now let us have a look at the credentials of this columnist. Years ago, this columnist gained attention as a writer for a collection of erotic stories in English that he published. It would have been better had he wrote an article about molester General. Had he been writing in Hindi, his status would have been no different from small town erotic writers like Mastram who are looked down upon by people.

Hence, people of India can see that Presstitutes are roping in English cousins of Mastram to tell people who they should choose as their leaders. Therefore, it is time for Indians to open their eyes and shun the paid media.

On Batman's birthday, Avi remembers cancelled Bruce Wayne TV Series

Today on the birthday of Batman, I am discussing a TV Series of Batman that never got made and was cancelled during Pre-Production Stage. I said birthday because on 30 MAR 1939, the first comic-book of Batman was released. I am writing this blog after the party that I had in the honor of Batman.

Bat-fans must be enjoying Gotham, a TV series that shows us a Pre-Batman Gotham where Bruce Wayne is 12 year old boy. He will become Batman many years later. Hush, Poison Ivy, Catwoman and Scarecrow are also children right now.

James Gordon is a young police detective. Before this Gotham, in 1999, Warner Bros Television had planned a TV Series titled BRUCE WAYNE which got cancelled. However, story of Episode 1 (only Pilot episode) was planned. Here I am sharing it.

EPISODE 1 - Pilot:

The pilot is bookended by shots of a cavern, with Alfred Pennyworth as the narrator, telling all in flashback. Alfred bails soon to be 18-year-old Bruce Wayne from a London police station, after Bruce has gotten himself into another fight. Alfred informs Bruce that the trustees from his family's company need to see him, and though he'd rather stay where he is, Bruce nods when Alfred tells him he has no choice. After having a nightmare about his parents' murder, Bruce wakes up in his private jet and turns on the TV to see every show talking about him, including one hosted by Vicki Vale.

Meanwhile, Alfred reads a book on troubled teens. Arriving in Gotham City; Bruce ponders why anyone would live in a city like this, as he points out running his company does not seem to be "part of the plan". After being mobbed by reporters, the two finally arrive at Wayne Manor where, after snapping at Alfred for bothering him because he got emotional from seeing his family portrait, Bruce heads out. With Alfred at his side, driving the Rolls Royce, they arrive at the area now known as Crime Alley.

Bruce visits the very place where his parents were killed, where he opens up to Alfred, saying that it was his fault, all because he had to see Zorro, described by him as "a silly movie about a 'hero' who wears a costume and fights crime". Suddenly, thugs appear, and despite Alfred's pleas, Bruce fights the thugs. Using martial arts that he has learned, Bruce fights, disarms, and defeats the thugs. Bruce and Alfred drop the thugs off at Gotham PD, but their report is almost ignored until Bruce is recognized by a 13-year old fan - Barbara Gordon. The two have a conversation, and Barbara introduces her father, someone Bruce already knows from when he was six: Detective James Gordon. Ignoring the board with notes and arrows pointing towards WayneCorp, he asks Gordon who killed his parents.

Gordon shows Bruce the file on his parents, which is now a cold case because the killer was never caught. When asked about the thugs or even his family's company, all Bruce says is that he's leaving soon, because he wants nothing to do with Gotham City. As Bruce leaves, Gordon asks about Charles Palantine, whom he's meeting the next day. While he nods, he notices if Gordon's words are a warning.

Meeting Palantine the next day, Bruce asks about the investigation, and Palantine notes the police commissioner is a close personal friend. As Bruce is about to sign, because of the sight of Alfred and an old friend called Lucius Fox, he explains that he will look over the papers at his home. Now an intern, Fox reveals his father's "accidental" death, while Palantine reminds Bruce that he needs the papers signed first thing in the morning, for his 18th birthday is only two days away.

Knowing the danger Bruce is now in, Alfred suggests a lawyer, and Bruce thinks of another old friend - Harvey Dent. Right in the middle of a costume party, Harvey welcomes Bruce back and says he will look at the papers. Bruce decides to stay at the party, even though he hates costumes, because he spots a stunning woman wearing a tiger costume: Selina Kyle. Bruce is pulled away from Harvey, who wants him to meet his sister.

While waiting, Bruce talks to an attractive girl wearing an angel costume. When Selina and Harvey come into the room, Bruce learns the angel is Susan, Harvey's sister. Because Selina says she is "saving" Bruce from where he is, Susan leaves. Bruce becomes angry at Selina, so she leaves too. Before he can do anything, Bruce is informed by Alfred that Gordon called for him at Wayne Chemical. Arriving there, and noticing the green pool of hazardous chemicals, Gordon and Bruce, only to learn neither one called the other. It's a trap! The access hatch closes and locks, and water rushes in.

Working together, Gordon and Bruce find a tunnel 20 feet overhead, and using acrobatics, Bruce gets himself and Gordon to safety. Both agree that someone wants them dead. Nearby, Palantine watches. The next morning, Bruce and Gordon meet with Fox and his mother, talking about his late father, whom they described him as "nervous" just before he died. As Fox says he will check around, Bruce meets with Harvey, who demands that he does not sign the papers. While this happens, Harvey gets two phone calls from his mother and his father, with him playing both sides. All of a sudden, Harvey's mood swings and he tells Bruce to sign the papers. Bruce changes the subject and asks about Susan, and Harvey tells him the location of where she works. As they leave, two sedans come up behind the Rolls and open fire. A chase begins, and ends at where Susan works: the Gotham City Youth Shelter.

Meeting Susan, Bruce apologizes and asks for a date, successfully getting back on her good side. Back at Wayne Manor, Bruce creates a ruse to explain why he did not turn in the papers yet. Just then, Gordon calls and tells him what Fox found: weekly shipments of hazardous waste. Bruce wants to meet, but Gordon tells Bruce to stay. Bruce gets an idea, alarming Alfred. Later, Bruce arrives at Wayne Chemical, dressed all in black, and follows Gordon, Rupert Montoya and Harvey Bullock. Suddenly, the three encounter the bad guys. Bruce helps, but stays out of sight the whole time. After defeating the last guy (with a banana peel), he and Alfred leave, with Bruce commenting that he may have found something he is good at. Bruce and Alfred meet with Gordon, learning the chemicals were drugs, and later hear that the head bad guy hanged himself.

Later, Bruce is greeted by a surprise birthday party with Harvey and Susan, Selina, Billie and Lucius Fox, Jim and Barbara Gordon, Bullock, and Montoya. It's midnight, and Bruce Wayne is 18! Harvey destroys the papers Bruce was told to sign, as he now owns WayneCorp. Palantine comes to the party, and tells Bruce that their stock might take a beating if word gets out about the drugs. He gives him a book, "Business for Beginners", and after he leaves, Bruce tells everyone that he has a lot to learn and he's staying in Gotham.

The final shot is back at the cavern which is revealed to be The Batcave as Alfred walks up the stairs to Wayne Manor.

SERIES OUTLINE:

In following 13 points, I will explain how the series was going to progress:

1. Continuing from the pilot, Bruce Wayne would think that his family's company might not only be responsible for the decline of Gotham City and corruption within, but they may also be trying to kill him. A story arc would have been centered on crooked businessmen trying to take over Wayne Enterprises, and Bruce coming into conflict with the local mafia, led by Rupert Thorne and Carmine Falcone (later to be taken over by Oswald Cobblepot a.k.a Penguin).

2. Bruce's ally is Det. Gordon, who has his own enemies in the GCPD, led by Lt. Flass. Gordon's story arc would have revolved around his struggle with police corruption.

3. Harvey Dent is Bruce Wayne's best friend, a few years older than him. Rich, spoiled, selfish, and shameless, Harvey's friendship with Bruce might lead him to take a different route later in life. Had the show been greenlit, Harvey's story would have been fleshed out: his abusive father, troubled childhood, struggles through law school, and subtle hints as to his development into Two-Face.

4. Despite the character of Susan Dent in the pilot, Bruce was to have a number of romantic interests in the show's first season, including Barbara Gordon, young TV gossip reporter Vicky Vale, and a psychology student named Harleen Quinzel. These three would play important roles in Bruce's future.

5. A few characters from the Batman mythos would have made appearances in either certain episodes or the entire show. Example of these characters include a mysterious "consultant" in Selina Kyle (Catwoman), a would-be comedian (described as "Sam Kinison but angrier") named Jack Napier (Joker), a psychology professor named Jonathan Crane (Scarecrow), a disturbed con man called Edward Nygma (Riddler), and even a strange kid from Smallville, Kansas. That strange kid, Clark Kent aka Superman, was going to appear in an episode that was planned, though it is unknown if it was to be in the first season or a later one (though interviews suggest it would have been in the first season). All that is known is that Bruce would have met Clark after he came to town for a WayneCorp-sponsored conference of high school journalists; Bruce would dismiss Clark at first as a nice kid from the sticks, before realizing that something is odd about this farm boy.

6. As the series progressed, Bruce would become more and more fascinated by the criminal element, spending time at Arkham Asylum, restoring Wayne Manor, and bringing in a series of martial arts trainers. He would become more of a "night owl", as he notes he enjoys riding his motorcycle with the leather and helmet, which make him anonymous.

7. It was planned to be towards the end of the first season that Bruce and Alfred find a cavern underneath Wayne Manor, which would become the future Batcave.

8. In later seasons, it would be planned for Bruce to take bigger steps, such as joining the GCPD to be with Gordon, and even the FBI. These do not last, the reason being that Bruce "can't work within the system."

9. While primarily set in Gotham, Bruce would have traveled abroad to China, Korea, France, and other parts of the world to learn defense attacks, criminology, detective skills, and manhunting; he would train with heroes such as Ted Grant (Wildcat) and Richard Dragon, and villains like Slade Wilson (Deathstroke) and Ra's Al Ghul, the latter of which was incorporated into Batman Begins.

10. Bruce's skills would increase as the series progressed, perfecting his martial arts, car racing, helicopter and airplane flying, gymnastics, and much more. While the world thinks he's a rich kid living it up, it is actually work for a bigger purpose.

11. Once Bruce gains control of WayneCorp, he uses the companies' resources to help him in his cause. This would include R&D in special weapons, prototypes, and vehicles that all disappear and end up as part of Batman's arsenal. This is mirrored in the later film, Batman Begins. WayneCorp would win the bid to build the FBI's computer criminal database, to which Bruce would have access.

12. Like the pilot, each episode would be framed with bookend scenes of an older Alfred telling the tale through his "memoirs" (a plot element that was used in the television series Birds of Prey).

13. Although it is unknown if the scene was to be in the study with a crashing bat like the classic comics, the series finale would have been about Bruce figuring out the best way to stop the criminal element in Gotham City, by becoming a bat.

CANCELLATION

This series was cancelled in the favor of the movie Batman:Intimidation which would later release as Batman Begins. Producers were against the idea of a TV Series and movie of Batman going on simultaneously because a Batman movie makes more money than TV Series.

Cancelling this series, producers decided to make Smallville, a TV Series about how Clark Kent became Superman.

TRIVIA

Michael Rosenbaum, who was cast as Harvey Dent in this series would later go on to play Lex Luthor in Smallville TV Series after Bruce Wayne got cancelled.

Shawn Ashmore and Trevor Fehrman were considered to play Bruce Wayne in this series. Shawn later appeared in Smallville as Eric Summers in the Season 1 episode "Leech".

David Krumholtz was considered to play James Gordon in this series.

I hope you enjoyed this blog. Thank You for reading.

Avi supports Anushka Sharma on rare occasion

India is out of World Cup and as usual, people of India have found a new punching bag to save their Cricket Gods in the form of Anushka Sharma.

I still have my reasons to hate Anushka Sharma. But here she is not at fault. By blaming her for the performance of Virat Kohli (mind you, I hate him as much as I hate a politician), we are re-enforcing the Taliban mindset about India being a Taliban State who say women are a distraction to pious men.

With this mentality, India does not need a documentary like India's Daughter to get a bad name. India is doing very well in this regard on its own.

All European countries allow their players to take their wives and girlfriends to the tours and even countries like Brazil do the same. Yet their players win Football World Cup. Even if Anushka distracted Virat, what were his other 10 henchmen doing? Sucking their thumb? They did not have distraction. Maybe people thought that only Virat could win World Cup. Then why did India waste money and sent a team of cricketers to Australia for World Cup. India should have sent only Virat.

Before World Cup semi-finals, people used to call Anushka, the good luck charm of Virat Kohli. They called her National Bhabhi (Sister-in-Law). Just loss of Indian cricket team made Anushka, the biggest villain. This is a shame.

A cricket match is won by efforts of a team and is lost due to incompetence of a team. With India being a democracy, there is nothing wrong with wives and girlfriends accompanying sportsmen. We need to abandon the mindset of countries Middle East stuck in Dark Ages which have no morals and culture.

Attitude of people trolling Anushka reminds me of a Telugu movie released in 2007 that marked the debut of male as well as female leads. Story was a typical story about a man who is fighting against all bad guys to save the girl he loves. Despite high power action, on box office, it did not create the impact it was expected to create. The female lead was blamed and she did not get any Telugu movie for next two years. However, the male lead won the Filmfare Award for best male debut just because he was the son of a Telugu superstar of 1970s.

Lastly, I request readers not to count this blog post as admiration for Anushka as admiration. I don't like her. People who are blaming Anushka Sharma for the performance of Virat Kohli at World Cup Semi-Final are among those 160,000 misogynists who follow KRK on Twitter.

With Saina Nehwal becoming the first Indian woman to be No.1 in Badminton World Rankings, India does not need World Cup of Cricket which it has already won twice. My salute to Saina.

Avi Remembers Pran, the creator of Chacha Chaudhary

When Pran Kumar Sharma passed away, I wondered what could I share as tribute. I hit the search bar of the flashback section of my brain after entering Pran's name. Here are my 3 childhood memories that explain my fascination with the comics made by Pran.

****************

1995 - I was a studying in Class 4. My mom was making me study for a science test. I was trying to study my notes but in my mind, there were stories from Chacha Chaudhary Aur Udne waali Car (Flying Car).

My father asked my mother, "What do you think? Iska mann padhai main kyon nahin lag raha hai!"

(TRANSLATION: What do you think? Why is he not concentrating in studies!)

My mother said, "Yeh kyon padhai main dimaag lagayenge! Chale gaye honge apne chacha ke paas!"

(TRANSLATION: Why would he concentrate on studies? He must have gone to his uncle!)

The moment I heard that, I had a vision. In that vision, I was an animated character walking in front Chacha Chaudhary. Chacha was sitting on a couch, eating rasgullas. He looked at me and said, "Aao aao baitho! Arey Tingu Master, ek chair iske liye le aao!"

(TRANSLATION: Hey come, come! Hey Tingu Master! Get a chair for him!)

****************

1995 again - Me studying for history test. Reading about Emperor Ashoka filled my mind with Chacha Chaudhary Aur Samraat Ashok ka Khazana. My mom saw that and said, "You are not concentrating on your studies! Chale gaye hoge apne uncle ke paas! Turban uncle ke paas!"

(TRANSLATION: Again you have gone to your turban uncle!)

****************

1998 - I was reading a comic of Pinky. Pinky went to her grandfather and asked him, "Dada Jee! Aap kya padh rahe hain?"

(TRANSLATION: Grandpa! What are you reading?)

Grandfather: Kavita!

(TRANSLATION: Poem!)

Pinky: Jab aap woh kavita padh sakte hain toh meri kyon nahin?

(TRANSLATION: When you can read that poem, then why not my poem?)

Grandfather: Kyonki yeh kavita Rabindra Nath Tagore kee hai! Kisi nauseekhiye ki nahin.

(TRANSLATION: Because this poem has been written by Rabindranath Tagore! Not by some punk!)

I was so angry when I read that. I said, "Because of Rabindranath Tagore, Pinky got insulted! Over this comic, I take a pledge that I will never read anything written by Rabindra Nath Tagore!"

****************

In school, I had to read Kabuliwala by Tagore out of compulsion as the government that controlled CBSE belonged to the political party that was endorsed by Tagore. Woh meri majboori thi (That was a compulsion for me).

Today, I am a writer by hobby. Comics, novels, articles, blog posts, I read both Indian as well as Western. I write stories, rhymes, articles. Combining comics and novels, I have read many authors. But I never touched anything written by Tagore. Once my cousin requested me to buy Tagore's Geetanjali for her. Out of courtesy, I purchased it and gifted it to her. But I never read it.

I thank Pran for making my childhood awesome. And I also thank Raj Comics along with Pran. In Diamond Comics, I read only Pran. For comedy, it was Pran for me. For action, it was Raj Comics for me. For a change, Bankelal and Fighter Toads.

RIP Pran! May God bless your soul.

What should be next for the winners of Delhi Elections

Congratulations to the winners of Delhi elections. Winners got the massive mandate due to the big hopes that voters have from them. And these hopes came because of dreams that the promises made by the winners before the elections.

5 years means 1825 days. So now according to the promises, the winners of Delhi elections have to bring:

500 new schools in Delhi.

20 new colleges in Delhi.

1500000 new CCTV cameras all over Delhi.

200000 new public toilets in Delhi.

To meet the deadline, winners must bring:

1 new school in 4 days on an average.

1 new college in 92 days on an average.

1 CCTV camera in 2 minutes.

1 public toilet in 13 minutes.

Assuming that winners will finance all these projects with 50% cut in electricity tariff, VAT reduction, free water and free Wi-Fi.

Now I ask the readers in Delhi. How can this be possible? Please tell me if you live in Delhi. And please do tell me if the candidate you voted for has won the elections.

QR And Its Benefits For Social Media

Today, Quick Response (QR) code is not limited to automotive industry. It has become an important part of almost all industries.

It has become popular due to its fast readability and greater storage capacity compared to standard UPC barcodes. It benefits anything it gets used in.

Read More

Social Media For Movies – Part 2

In my previous part of this article, I discussed how social media has been used recently in the marketing and promotion of movies.

The insights regarding cinema fans depending on social media in order to decide whether to watch a movie or not were also explored. Now we will see how marketing industry perceives the trend of social media being used to promote movies.

Read More

Social Media For Movies – Part 1

Today, social media has become an important and significant part of cinema. The proper marketing and promotions of a movie are as important as good content, if a maker wants his movie to be successful.

When it comes to marketing, today social media (especially Facebook and Twitter) has become an important tool that connects the makers and marketers of a movie with their fans (target audience).

Read More

Tools For Measuring Social Media Influence

In the article, “Measuring Social Media Influence” you witnessed the value of social media influence. Now you know the need and benefits of measuring your social media influence. Hence, you must be wondering which social media influence measurement tools are suitable for you. I will recommend you few tools. Read More

Promoted Pins Arrive on Pinterest

When Facebook makes money with advertisements, how can Pinterest stay behind? There are promoted pins on Pinterest to enhance its revenue.

You heard it right! Pinterest has launched an advertising business to target its 46 million users. It is charging brands to place content on users’ “pinboards” much the way Facebook and Twitter allow businesses to pay to put their messages inside streams of updates from friends.

Read More

Facebook Introduces New Changes To News Feed

Every day, we open our Facebook and see the updates from our friends and the pages that we have LIKED on Facebook.

We LIKE, comment and share the updates in the news feed. The updates we share appear on our Timeline.

Given the fact that we check our News Feed when we sign in to Facebook, it would be a big surprise if a new change comes to Facebook News Feed.

Read More

Facebook Merger Part 1 – Merging Facebook Personal Page And Fan Page

Due to some reason Part 1 of this series did not get published. Hence, publishing it now:

Many people have their fan-pages on Facebook. Here we are talking about fan-pages that are owned by people on whose name they have been made or are dedicated.

Recently, some Facebook users were contacted by Facebook and asked whether they would like to merge their “fan-pages” with their personal pages. This would turn their “fans” into “subscribers.” Here, the logic given by Facebook was that user would only have to post all his/her content in one place. Also, the user could determine which content was “public,” (i.e., subscribers, the world, etc.,) and which he/she would like to keep only for his/her “friends.”

Read More

Taking Back Control of Facebook News Feed

Last time, Facebook News Feed was in news when the feature of Story Bumping was introduced to ensure that Facebook users do not miss any important posts of their interest.

Now News Feed is back in news because thanks to some new changes from Facebook, your News Feed going out of your control.

Read More

Measuring Social Media Influence

You spend a lot of time and energy to promote your business on social media. But is your time and efforts are really worth this? That all depends on the visibility and sales that you generate by promoting your product or service online. In simple words, it all depends on your social media influence.

What is social media influence?

Your ability to command attention of people using social media and getting sales from them is your social media influence. Your influence depends of how efficiently and properly, you can use your social media make your product or service visible to people.

Read More

Promoted Pins Arrive on Pinterest

When Facebook makes money with advertisements, how can Pinterest stay behind? There are promoted pins on Pinterest to enhance its revenue.

You heard it right! Pinterest has launched an advertising business to target its 46 million users. It is charging brands to place content on users’ “pinboards” much the way Facebook and Twitter allow businesses to pay to put their messages inside streams of updates from friends.

Pinterest is looking to earn the $2.5 billion valuation it received after its last financing round of $200 million.

Read More

How Helpful Are Twitter Analytics

If you are the admin of a Facebook page, then you can see the analytics of that page in the “Insights” section of Admin Panel.

Similarly, now it is possible for checking analytics on Twitter. Earlier this privilege was available for Twitter ad customers only. The new facility is being rolled slowly and it is only a matter of time before it would be available for everyone.

Read More

Facebook Merger Part 3 – Merging Facebook Place Page and Business Page

Among the great products launched by Facebook, Facebook Places has been one of the greatest. Facebook Places went live on 18 August, 2010.

It is a product for both local businesses and Facebook users alike, especially since the launch of Deals.

What is Facebook Places?

When a Facebook user checks in to a location using his/her iPhone, Android phone, BlackBerry or via touch.facebook.com, he/she is automatically connected to what is called a “Place Page” for that local business on Facebook.

Read More