On April 1, four years ago, piqued by the incessant jokes in the village at his expense, Bandu Barve decided he’d had enough. It was time for him to turn ‘smart’. His dead granny’s voice rang in his ears — “Read the papers, Bandya, they tell you all.”

So, off went Bandu to the stash of newspapers on his father’s desk. As luck would have it, the first paper Bandu got his hands on was The Hindu businessline. The stock recos, in particular, had him in thrall. Soon, Bandu metamorphosed into an ace investor and trader.

These days, Bandu picks five stocks each Sunday, which he believes will be blockbusters over the next week. Here’s your chance to match step with Bandu.

Guess the stock that will give the best return by next Friday (BSE prices). By this Wednesday noon, mail us your pick and its expected price rise to bandublockbuster@gmail.com with your name, mobile number and address. One lucky winner will get a prize of ₹2,000.

To know the winner selection process, please click: https://tinyurl.com/Bandu-selection

Bandu’s picks

Star Cement

Vardhman Textiles

Voltas

Bharat Dynamics

Bharti Airtel

Last week’s winner: SV Srinivasan

Last week’s winning stock: BLS International

Closing price (Dec 6): ₹429

Closing price (Dec 13): ₹467.55

Return: 8.83 per cent