Posters from an unreleased art project

Been working on a little art project, whose release seems to be "delayed" indefinitely. We'll see when it sees the light of the day, but until then, I have some cool posters to share from the project.

A very stylish Vada Pav

Is that a five-star restaurant serving a Vada Pav? No it's just the local IKEA's food court having a very good lighting and wooden interior. I think this was one of the cheaper, and value for money Indian snacks I have had in the Bay Area.

A Shift in movie preferences

I used to enjoy dark-gritty thrillers, and serious subjects a lot. Some of my favourite movies of the 2010s were Omerta, Gangs of Wasseypur, Raman Raghav 2.0; my favourite shows included Mindhunter and Westworld. I was admittedly a sucker for anything dark and thought provoking. There was a certain kind of thrill to these movies.

My dad--my frequent co-participant in movie nights, absolutely hated these movies. His favourites were old-school actioners like Raees, or love stories like Dil Toh Pagal Hai or even Jab Tak Hai Jaan. It's not like he didn't like anything dark, but his threshold for dark was Drishyam or perhaps Talvar. I remember this one time, we went to watch Tamasha together, and his reaction in the first half was absolute disgust! :D (It wasn't a dark movie, it was just way too preachy for him)

I always wondered, how come my dad who was practically as big a movie buff as I was, never really enjoyed serious cinema. I asked him once, and he told me it was age; at my age he, too saw the niche Hindi and (some) international films. But something changed a few years ago. After his passing, gradually I drifted away from the kind of movies I enjoyed a few years ago. My favourite genres now are the entertaining crime capers and old-school actioners; I seldom watch anything too dark now. While I do like the occasional serious movie like Gargi, or more recently Stolen. I just don't feel the same urge to watch them as I did when I was a few years younger.

Am I turning into my dad? Most likely not. But to me, I understand his perspective way better now. At some point, the tumultuous nature of life catches up. Life itself can be so grim and gritty at times, that watching the same when you're desperately trying to unwind feels like a chore; at that point you want something light hearted, something fun, something that makes you forget the quotidian troubles. A dark-crime drama about a stolen child, no matter how good it is, hardly satiates that appetite.

Patterns in a Bollywood musical

This year I've been watching a lot more older Hindi movies, early 2000s, late 90s cinema; back when songs used to be a big part of every Hindi movie, regardless of the genre. Something I've discovered during the process is that each film has ~5-6 songs that fit a pattern. The pattern being:

Song 1: Introducing the male lead
Song 2: Introducing the female lead
(Optional) Song 3: Introducing any other main character, who plays a significant part
Song 4: Pre-Intermission act change : This is an up-beat song where; in love stories this is just before the conflict is introduced
Song 5: Post-Intermission song : The only purpose of the song is to act as a loo break for people who weren't able to go to one during the break
Song 6: Pre-Climax song : Raising the beat of the film before the final act. Usually happens 30-40 minutes before the end of the film.
Song 7 - 9 : If the filmmakers are feeling particularly generous, they'll add different songs at the beginning and credits too and maybe add another song post-intermission if the film is longer and needs a change of acts.

Some examples:
Movie: Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na
1: Opening Credits : Tu Bole Main Bolun
2: Introducing the Male and Female Leads Kabhi Kabhi Aditi Zindagi
3: Pre-Intermission, change of act: Pappu Can't Dance
4: Post Intermission song Nazrein Milana
5: Additional Conflict Song: : Jaane tu Mera Kya Hai
6: Pre-Climax: Kahin Toh


Movie: Kal Ho Naa Ho
1: Introducing the Male and Female Leads Pretty Woman
3: Pre-Intermission, change of act: It's the time to Disco
4: Post Intermission song Kuch toh Hua Hai
5: Additional Conflict Song: : Kal Ho Na Ho
6: Pre-Climax: Maahi Ve

The Berkeley clock has been fixed

A few days ago, I discovered that the UC Berkeley Campanile clock on one of the faces of the tower was broken. Happy to report that as of this week the clock's been fixed. I walk by the campanile almost every day, and it's so fascinating to see that it took them this long to see the broken clock and fix it.

July 7, 2025: The clock facing the North Gate shows incorrect time.

July 18, 2025: The clock is now showing the correct time.

Bagel Art

Boichik Bagels is excellent btw.

Provocation

When you have a new idea, you're bound to have provoke people. You're bound to get a strong reaction, because it's new and unheard off; so people don't immediately know what to say to it. Sometimes I feel it's important to have that, because the opposite of this is no interest, indifference, i.e. the idea having no impact at all.

And it's not necessarily a bad thing, it's a very natural thing. When people hear new ideas, there'll always be some that connect with it, there'll be some that disagree, and then sometimes there'll be people who feel attacked by the idea and a strong visceral reaction to it. Such a strong emotion to me is the validation of the idea. For something that results in such strong an emotion, is actually forcing people to think about things, including their axioms and assumptions. To me that's a win, if what you've got to say, is a result of well researched, honest, and disciplined practice.

My Desktop Organization Strategy

So the way I organise and keep my desktop clean is, I take all the desktop files and store them in a folder titled Desktop Files followed by the current year, month, and date; I then move that folder to a folder called "Desktop Files" in my Documents directory. Creating this rather temporal map of all my files.

Essentially something like this: Documents > Desktop Files > Desktop Files 2025 07 17...



The funny thing is, I was talking to a friend yesterday, and they mentioned that they use the same strategy for cleaning their own desktop. And I have heard this from at least one other person (whom i can't remember right now). What a funny coincidence that two people independently reached at the same organisation concept.

Curious if anyone knows if this filing system has a name. If not, maybe I should write a design thesis on it and name it after myself. :P

Perks of daily public transport commute

Just finished a book in less than 7 days. This is the fastest I've been reading in a while. I've read 8 books this year, and gonna start my 9th book tonight. IMHO, that's just been possible this year because I have spent so much time on BART and Caltrain this year. Commuting for work, commuting to network, commuting to save money. Public transport is great for just sitting and reading.

Atlantic Hotel's the name of this book, written by João Gilberto Noll and translated by Adam Morris. IMHO it's an "OK" book, it tries to be dark and mysterious, when it's really just a meandering tale spoken from a first person narrative. I liked how the first person narrative is followed in such a disciplined manner. Sadly, don't have much opinions on this book. Good read, may make for a fun crime caper, but I wasn't particularly blown away by it.

Why hustling is not important to Mastery of Craft

So Zomato (the Indian food delivery company) launched a new ad campaign recently, very much styled visually like the Crazy Ones ad. They got some of my favorite icons to present in the ad, and they had some cool visuals. It's all fine and well, but their messaging was rather disappointing. They seem to be promoting people to "Hustle" to be successful.

Now this seems like a common misconception amongst people, the idea that if you work yourself to the bone, if you devote your life to your work, have sleepless nights etc, i.e. you hustle, only then can you master your craft. As someone who has tried doing that and as someone who has seen the downside of the hustle culture, I can tell you that this is a bullshit practice.

What makes you master your craft is not hustling, it's hardwork combined with humility, patience, perseverance, and sanguinity. It's the willingness to be humble enough to recognise that in the grand scheme of things our work is insignificant, but how we conduct ourselves, how we are with the people around us, and how we show up when the chips are down; that makes us be better at who we are and what we do. Doing this repeatedly, is what makes us master our craft, not, living in the hubris that the more work one puts in, the more it makes them entitled to successes in life.

Ad in question:

India's loss at Lord's today

I'd be remiss to not include the devastating defeat India faced at Lord's today. What makes the defeat so devastating is not the fact that the team practically collapsed, but it's the fact that despite all adversities we came so close to winning the match (just 23 runs away!) and yet lost it to an odd ball that spun backwards!??!! I've never seen a leather ball spin backwards, and hit the stumps with such accuracy. Siraj's dismissal was comical, unfortunate and sad at the same time. It makes the defeat sting even further.

Not to add to the fact that this loss is juxtaposed with the famous win from 4 years ago, when Kohli and the boys gave the British batting lineup "60 overs of hell" in Kohli's words. Well we got pretty close to exactly that this time around. Batting wasn't easy on day 5 at this Lord's pitch and Carse, Archer and Stokes didn't make it any easier.

But the loss is also a reminder of two very important life lessons that I've grown to learn the hard-way: 

1. You may do everything right, yet end up on the losing side and face failure. Hardwork and diligence is no guarantee of success. 
2. There's hardly ever one failure point in a failure. We didn't lose this match because of Siraj's unlucky dismissal, we lost it because the dropped catches, the 61 extras across both innings, the unncessary run out of Rishabh Pant in first innings, all these things added up. 

Anyway, hopefully the team will bounce back. I've been pleasantly surprised by the young-ish team's performance this year. They've shown a lot of grit.

What makes a great Pizza?

Years ago, I was at a Pizzaiolo training at the AVPN (Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, the standardization body that protects the Neapolitan Pizza's authenticity) and the chef / my instructor for the day, answered a question on what defines a good pizza. If you see the AVPN rules for a Neapolitan Pizza, you'd think it'd have something to do with water content or the region from which the tomatoes come from, or the flour. But the chef's answer was extremely simple.

He said, that the best Pizza was one that was easy to digest (you shouldn't feel bloated after eating it, you shouldn't have to rely on a fizzy drink i.e. when it leaves a dry aftertaste) and that used simple but fresh ingredients; in other words a pizza that wasn't hiding its poor quality produce under multiple ingredients. Ofcourse, to make an easy to digest pizza you need a well fermented dough, you need it to have a minimum amount of hydration (65% by bakers fractions is usually the suggested hydration) and shouldn't over / under bake your pizza. To get fresh ingredients, well, you get fresh ingredients.

As simple as it sounds, the process is extremely challenging and one that is hard to perfect. By the said metric, I've had a good pizza in very few places, in fact some of the famous Pizzerias in Naples, fall flat in digestibility. My favourite places are 50 Kaló (Both the Naples, and London locations ), La Notizia 94 and Gino e toto Sorbillo (Naples).


50 Kaló: I admire their craft and hospitality. Their Marinara and Marinara Reinforzata are exceptional, the tomatoes are fresh and the flavours simple. This is the quintessential Neapolitan Pizza. Perfect representation of the flavours; and they scale very well! I had the opportunity to visit both their Naples and London outlets and both of them had no compromise on the taste!

La Notizia 94: When you bite into this Pizza you don't even realise it's vegan, it's so soft, and so full of flavour that you never realise that there's no cheese in it. The dough is perfectly fermented, the pizza is perfectly baked with the right amount of leopard spotting and the flavors are perfectly balanced.

Gino e Toto Sorbillo (via Del Tribunali, Naples): It's the classic ~100 year old pizzeria. Big lines, big brand name (and yes, the taste varies between outlets, their pizzeria in Milan was less than ideal); but the Pizza I had at their original location in Naples was fantastic. Another vegan pizza, and another Pizza where the quality of the dough and the freshness of the tomatoes was so impeccable, I barely thought about anything else.

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P.S. Fun Fact: The plural of Pizza is Pizze.

Almost Gray Scale

Fascinating how almost all of these images (barring the fourth one) are naturally shot without any filters and yet appear gray scale, with just about a hint of color. I really enjoy taking pictures that have a lot of natural patterns.

The idea of Making and Learning vs Learning and Making

I was at an event this Thursday, and an idea struck me. I think the people who make first and then learn have a greater chance of innovating and making cool products than the people who spend a lot of time learning, and then making.

Don't get me wrong, I still value the desk research and user interviews in the process of making something and they remain important parts of the design process. But here's an example. How would you design a UI for a mythical ambient computer that doesn't exist yet. Let's say it's got a projected display. It sits on a desk and it works as a study companion. Design Thinking handbooks will tell you to follow the double diamond process before you put pen to paper, you must do the user research, you must conduct interviews, you must follow the heuristics, you must do X, Y and Z.

Here's the catch. None of this exists for the said platform yet. Now what? Well you make something and then test if it's working. You gotta start from Making and not learning when doing something radically new. You have to be humble enough to make big changes if it's not working. But it's important to follow your instincts, and put your idea to paper, even a sketch to me is an act of making. And then you must show it to the people who will use it, learn from them, adapt to their needs. And that's how you build out something new. Double Diamond fails here.

The biggest problem with the Double Diamond is the lack of trust in a designer's instincts and knowledge. Ideas aren't isolated, they form from a variety of experiences, it's important to acknowledge those experiences to truly understand a problem and possible solutions. Pretending we know nothing about something doesn't help. Starting with a sketch, a paper prototype, an idea of how the solution looks like doesn't hurt anyone. Show it to people you're designing for, then dive deeper into the problem.

Having something to begin with is so much more effective for learning than just mindlessly meandering in different directions. The risk with such meanderings is a) Spending too much time researching and too little making. That leaves less room for iterative learning, and b) conforming to our own biasis.

Just my two very rough cents. Make first, and then learn. But learn for sure.

Pain au Chocolat

A couple of years ago, I was in Europe, and had the opportunity to have one of the most delightful breakfasts I've ever had. A Pain Au Chocolat at this vegan cafe in Zürich (Roots), and it's the best Pain Au Chocolat I've ever had.

Two years on, I've been to Europe once more, and I've spent some time in US. I have not been able to find better vegan Pain Au Chocolat (Pronunciation Tip: | pan oh shoh-ko-lah |) anywhere.

Just thinking about this today, as reminiscing the delightful breakfast, as I was craving for one and struggling to find anything that comes close to it.

Wandering...

Went on a short walk in Berkeley hills yesterday, wandered astray into the fire trails just to see if the road lead to the other side of the campus towards the Botanical garden. The route was a bit of a dead-end, but I discovered some really good views, which are even better on a sunny day. Sometimes wandering is fun! Especially if the city is so beautiful.

Trying to give meaning to the meaningless

Are you, like me tired of phrases like "It'll all be ok in the end", "All's well that ends well", "Whatever happens, happens for the best", "Just hang in there, everything's gonna be ok"? If so, this is a fun observation. IMHO, The world doesn't have a greater meaning. It's chaotic, and random. So none of the above make any actual sense.

"But but it's ancient wisdom so it must be true?", kind off. Basically when we experience the world in its chaotic, uncontrollable self; it's terrifying, and we desperately want comfort, and we seek comfort in thinking life's a puzzle, the pieces must fit together. "Everything's there for a reason", When it's just our projection being put on to it. We come up with rituals, superstitions, all in desperate search of meaning, when there's none. It's just us comforting ourselves. But in doing so, we start believing the stories we tell ourselves, and we subconsciously start seeking opportunities that would prove our superstitions (manifesting).

Things might not end well. Whatever is happening could be happening for the worst, everything might not be ok. Sometimes we can do something about it, and we should act, without thinking about how things will be alright, and sometimes we can't do anything about it; then we must leave it to ancient wisdom, and indulge in the ignorance of thinking everything happens for the best. 🙃

Watching older movies

So I was working on something last night and instinctively set a movie on the side to stay focused while working (yea, weird hack but works). So the way I picked this was just because I was listening to radio (My Station) on the Apple Music app and one of the songs from that movie started playing.

Funny thing is I saw this movie last, ~21 years ago. And in a similar setup. Me and my dad had one of those rare late movie nights watching this at ~1AM at night because DD Sports had just finished the Olympics 2004 live telecast and the cable operator decided to play this movie. Ofcourse, the 9 year old me was just ecstatic at the idea of a new movie being broadcast on TV, and my dad perhaps got engaged into it once he started watching it (that was the thing with us, if the movie was engaging we'd just sit and watch, we didn't really care if it was 1AM at night or 3).

Anyway, fun movie night memories of watching this film and I found the coincidence of watching it again late at night to be interesting. I've been thinking of that night 21 years ago very fondly since morning.

Privilege

Not the most positive post today. Was just thinking about how I've been professionally designing apps for the last 14 years now, and even now people tell me I am a "UI Engineer", when I clearly am not. At the same time I see people who started after me, climb up the ladder, get opportunities I can still only dream of having, and make an impact with their work.

I joined the MDes program at Berkeley nearly two years ago, hoping that this would open up opportunities for me to work in Emerging Tech. But it's done nothing to further that. In fact, I just feel more humiliated, as people look at me, and see apps on my portfolio and go, "Oh! Indian, makes apps, so must be a software developer". I have had a person repeatedly tell me to look for UI Engineering roles, even as I protested that I am a designer. That's the bitter truth of having a skill-set that spans through Software, Hardware, Engineering and Design. It doesn't open up more opportunities, it just confuses the recruiters.

Belated Post of the Day: Making and not judging

Arrgh!! Missed my streak of making one post a day. This was in my drafts (my head) for the entire day yesterday, and I just didn't get to sit down and write it down. So here's a rare back-dated post.

Make → Show → Learn is an often cited design strategy. It goes by many names (the double diamond is one of the fancier ones), but something that it misses out on is the fact that a lot of people start doing all three of these processes together. The worst is Making and Judging (a combination of looking at the work yourself and trying to draw things to learn from). Ideally you don't want to do that, it slows down the making process, and worse yet, risks you not putting out anything at all! But it's so hard! In fact, I'd say it's the challenge you must master to make something.

I am redesigning my portfolio right now, and it's difficult not to take a step back and judging my own very rudimentary graphics and feel overwhelmed by my inability to communicate ideas. It's a humbling experience, but I must remind myself to not judge my work until I've made one iteration of it at least, and put it out. Right now, putting out something is way more important than perfecting it.

Yep, this is equal parts note to self, and equal parts me sharing wisdom gained from my experience.

Pizza Day!

Ever since moving to Berkeley, there have been fewer and fewer occasions where I made Pizza for only the two of us: Me and my Brother. So I took the 4th of July holiday as an opportunity to do that, so both of us could have some us time.

Pizzas didn't turn out to be that great though, I have a love-hate relationship with my Ooni Volt (their Electric Oven) it's convenient but the temperature control is so finnicky. It's either not hot enough or too hot. Destroyed one Pizza because the oven was too hot and it stuck to the peel while turning it midway.

But I did make two good ones, the Margherita (not photographed here) and the P3 Pizza i.e. Peppers, Pistachio and Peaches.

Love this shot of me sprinkling extra pistachio on to the Pizza.


More Pizza Shots! :)


I got this Oliera from my previous trip to Naples. It's a traditional handcrafted Copper and Brass oil cruet. I enjoy using it a lot, but more on that later.

Modern Art?

Bonus Second Post for the Day. I love this style of turning meaningful things into something so utterly messy. It's like a reflection of our chaotic lives.

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P.S. Yay, There's a new tag on my blog now. Hoping to share more art soon.

Anchors

Half-Price Books is shutting its Berkeley store. It's such a downer. This building has been my anchor to Downtown Berkeley ever since coming here for the first time in 2017. Everything about this small city changed, the downtown landscape changed significantly but Half-Price and its neon signs had remained exactly as they were when I came here.

It just sucks that come December 2025, the city and the street would be devoid of this place, all this for a petty leasing dispute. It just shows the impermanence of things in our life, things could be thriving one day, and then suddenly for no major reason, and for nothing in our control they'd be gone.

Anyway, So long, and thanks for all the fish! 🫡

Resilience

Last year at UC Berkeley, I took this class called Applied Resilience, which was all about developing the resilience muscle for your startup. I like to think of it as "mental health for your startup". Great course, that I would highly recommend every student to take, even if you're not an entrepreneuer.

Central to the idea of resilience is the ability to bounce back after repeated failures. We all fail at some point in our lives, whether it is a failed exam, or a failed startup or a self imposed goal that we fail to achieve. Failure is common, not bad, and in-fact sometimes good in helping us learn something new. But it also takes a lot from us, it downs our confidence and forces us to rethink that once went well for us. It takes a lot from us to bounce back and be back to winning ways, for who wants to keep failing? Right?

Anyhow, These last few months have demand every ounce of Resilient muscle from me. Having Applied to 500+ applications across the board and still struggling to get a full-time gig in Creative Technology and Prototyping has all but humbled me. I joined UC Berkeley to pursue a career in designing emerging technologies that helped people (a focus on social justice as my program mentioned), 2 years in. I have the ideas, the portfolio and the connections to pursue a career in the field, yet the jobs aren't there. Hard to get hired in the Bay Area if you have an ounce of moral compass is what I've learnt in the last 6 months.

Pray I survive this.

Book Recommendation : Annie Bot

AI bots are everywhere. The AI Girlfriend industry supposed to be this multi billion dollar industry where people just talk to an AI chatbot that’s been anthropomorphized to the point that its conversation is almost Human. It’s an industry that’s a perfect representation of Silicon Valley greed and its parasitic relationship with human suffering (loneliness in this case).

Annie Bot begins there. But goes well beyond that. Yes, Annie is an AI powered humanoid, designed to obey and please her human owner Doug; but it quickly becomes apparent that the book is not just about that.

Yes, that’s the hook, but truly Annie Bot explores the complex relationships and how our actions onto others, especially things we don’t consider “equals” are often a reflection of our own state of mind. Through Annie, we see Doug’s state of mind going from mendacious, to twisted, to diabolical. Doug’s actions are what he would do, if his previous partner had no agency.

And of course, Annie is more sentient than your run of the mill AI chatbot, in fact its emotions are more complex than some of the other humans in the world today. Yet her place in the world remains interesting, as Annie gets nuggets of agency, she keeps developing character, yet she's held back by some fundamentals that seem unshakable, the more that happens the more the duality of Annie's sentience and "bot-ness" become apparent.

The book goes beyond than just forcing us to consider the humanity of both the bot and the human, it also beautifully shows us the complexities of human nature. For all his horrific actions, Doug isn’t a monster (or at least not in the traditional sense of the word), there’s another side to him, a side that’s broken, lonely, ashamed, jealous and frankly alone. All these things add up, they add a dimension to his actions. Never condoning them, but always giving them meaning.

What didn’t work for me though was the broad strokes world building, especially with the Stella-Handy, the company that supposedly runs the Annie Bot robots. For starters it was a bit weird that they would just disclose stuff to Doug over a phone call which would otherwise be under an NDA. Their partnership with Doug and Annie was also weird, given they seem to be collecting all the data to improve their products anyway. We also never really get to understand their true motives. It’s a weird chink in the armor for what’s an otherwise perfectly crafted story.

I also felt that the lead up to the final act could have reflected more on Annie’s inner turmoil and Doug’s life changes. The end feels abrupt, even if the final act is beautifully executed.

Annie Bot is a one of the most profound Human-AI-Bot interaction books of our times that offers us two complex, layered characters. Just wish the world building was just as strong.

Rating: ★★★ 1/2 (Highly Recommended)

Walking down Mission

Was walking down 24th and Mission towards Reeem's, for lunch with a friend when I wondered just how similar the streets look to a market in Delhi. Maybe it's the small market, the street hawkiness nature of the stores, or the fruit sellar's carts arranged outside and not inside a giant air conditioned store, or then again maybe it's all of it. Oddly feels closer to home. I know it's one of the more "dangerous" neighbourhoods in the city, you must stay vigilant, yet the vibes are much nicer with this one than say, the more posh areas like Pacific Heights.

There's something to a place, when my patronage is a little more than a transaction. People are out here to make money, but they can be kinder, and nicer to one another. And that's where I think Mission succeeds.

New Personal Challenge: One Blog Post a day

I'm trying to get back to blogging and this space has only been reviews for a while, and I miss when it wasn't so heavy handed (I literally had to go back at least 15 years to find non review posts! Crazy!). So starting yesterday's post. I am going to (try to) write one pots every day till 31st August, which is when this blog turns 19.

These will be short, slice of life posts that generally stay away from critique (if I do critique something it'll be a separate post).

Habits Change. Social Implications? Not so much

An oft cited example when people talk about the social implications of surveillance like technology (Think Ray Ban Meta Glasses with a camera in front of them) is the malleability of people’s habits and social norms, “Just like AirPods which were ridiculed at first, have become social norm today, glasses with a camera on them could too” is something I’ve often heard.

Here’s the thing. Habits change. The AirPods are personal computing devices that have zero impact on the people around them. The first AirPods customers looked goofy, that’s it; and people eventually found them to be more convenient and started wearing them more often. It did not have an immediate impact on the people around them.

Glasses with a camera attached to them are another issue entirely. They have an immediate impact on the people around you. Put a camera in front of a person and they immediately become conscious of what they’re saying. There’s an implication of recording. It’s almost as if the camera lens gives the “affordance” of this being surveillance tech. Do we expect people to become comfortable with such technology? Do we expect people to just start being ok with being recorded without consent? Heck no.

Look at the amount of crime, and creep that people face every day with surreptitious “recordings” (Sure that’s unheard off, if you’re a cis-het male in the most posh neighborhood of Silicon Valley, but there’s a world outside that bubble). The social reaction to such tech becoming mainstream will be visceral, and for good reason; for its not just a change of habit, it’s the change of social dynamic.

Movie Review: Sitaare Zameen Par

Despite being overly simplistic, rather repetitive in its preachings and a tad too predictable, I thoroughly enjoyed Sitaare Zameen Par. It's a heart-warming movie that's breezy and fun in its entertainment.

Sitaare Zameen Par works best when its stars (the team of neurodivergent basketball players) are having fun. It's watching these absolute gems work their way through a basketball tournament that's so delightful. The writers give the characters ample depth and never turn them into caricatures. The humor is sensitive and the movie will have you consistently break into giggles.

Ashish Pendse (Sunil) and Rishi Shahani (Sharma Ji) are absolutely incredible. Pendse lights up the screen every time he shows up, his comic timing, his acting is all top-notch. Shahani (an olympic gold medalist IRL) speaks more with his expressions than his dialogue.

What doesn’t work: It’s a movie that has few new ideas. It wants to teach a lot in a very short time, and it wants to coach people into the dos and don't, that hardly works. If the goal is to sensitize people to be empathetic towards neurodivergent people, it's not gonna win over any fans, for it's too preachy for those that most need the lesson.

Overall, difficult to dislike the movie, I had a good time watching the movie wish it was a tad shorter though.

I am glad we finally have a Bollywood movie that's not about the blood lust, breaking bones, or revenge. Pleasant change this is.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ (Good, but not great)

Book Recommendation: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

This book should come with a trigger warning. Its depictions of the every day struggles of running an indie-business, crooked friendships, and loss and death are unnervingly accurate and real. While reading the book there were many a times that I had flashbacks of memories of my own past. It’s both a testament to the quality of work Zevin’s put out and a reminder that some stories can be a painful read.

I related with Sadie, on her artistic instincts and creative endeavors, her resistance to the corporate greed and being told to work in the confines of a system. I related with Marx being the adult in the room, gluing their friendship together. Related with Sam’s grandparents who found solace in caring for their grandson, and celebrated every small win of the kid (my grandmother was like that). I related with Sam when he felt love and care must be shown, not told. I also loved the fact that this is not a romantic love story, we need so many more stories about real, authentic and messy friendships!

At the same time it was frustrating to see Sadie and Sam struggle with communication, there were times when I felt I wanted to steer the book in a certain direction because the way it was headed was inevitable and foreseeably disheartening.

All this is to say that the book had me more than invested. It’s a great book and that’s what makes it a gut wrenching read that weighs on you heavy with its hyper-realistic and authentic emotions.

Rating: ★★★★★ (Hall of fame level good)

Pizzeria Antica Port'Alba - Oldest Pizzeria in the world

Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba is the oldest (and arguably the world’s first pizzeria). Established in 1738 they started as a roadside cart where they’d offer the fishermen fresh pizza (tomatoes on a flat bread sometimes topped with anchovies).

Sadly the pizza there didn’t live up to the hype. I tried their Marinara (the only vegan item on the menu); The dough was dense, the bottom charred and the tomatoes lacked flavor.  What made matters worse was the fact that they were selling artisanal Neapolitan oliera at an exorbitant markup, almost like a tourist trap.

Book Recommendation: Autonomous

I really enjoyed reading Autonomous. Surprised it's not a movie remake yet.

Despite the busy writing, world building that never really stops and characters that barely get time to develop, writer Annalee Newitz is able to raise pertinent questions about addiction, gender, identity and freedom in a story that’s entertaining and prodding in equal measures. I loved the Futuristic, Spy Thriller setup of the book. Very fun!

Rating: ★★★ 1/2 (Would recommend despite the flaws)

Movie Recommendation: Merry Christmas

A mille-fueille noir that delights and surprises in equal measure

Merry Christmas as the name suggests, is a Christmas movie through and through, the undercurrents of Christmas themes are strong here, and Crime exists to add the extra punch. I love the idea. For people like me who cannot stand saccharine holiday films after a point, this is a perfect concoction of crime and the holiday spirit. (Alas the movie released 3 weeks later than it should have.)

Sriram Raghavan’s crime noirs are full of references to other classics, sly tricks and clever writing. Merry Christmas is no different. It’s been 24 hours and me and my brother are still finding little details that we missed, such is the layering here.

The buildup in the first hour is intense. It’s practically a slow-burning rom-com but as a viewer there are enough hints that there’s something off. Enough to keep your eyes peeled for any hidden clues, hints of crime or something being off. (Why isn’t the door locked? What’s that sound? Why did the record stop?) There are many, but it’ll probably take a couple of more viewings to grab them all! Vijay Sethupathi’s deadpan humor keeps you entertained along the way.

The second half picks pace and that’s when things get really interesting, as the Who? Why? How? of the crime unfolds. It’s a ride with delightful little cameos from Vinay Pathak, Ashwini Kalsekar and Radhika Apte.

The story is well paced, twists are timed well, I kept waiting for the next twist to drop given how sinuous the whole film is. Plus the whole film is littered with hints and foreshadowing which acts like an icing on the cake. You couldn’t ask for more intrigue honestly.

Vijay Sethupathi and Katrina Kaif are perfectly cast. Their performances uplift the movie even when the writing threatens to slag a bit.

Given how good the movie is overall, its minor foibles stick out even more. The ending could’ve landed better, I personally felt it to be just a bit unsatisfactory (again, perfect ending for a holiday movie, does it make sense when not in the festive spirit, probably not that much. I also felt that they played all their cards a little too early in the second half. I kept waiting for that one more twist that would end the film on a great note but it never came. And then there was that intriguing subplot with Radhika Apte which was left hanging without proper closure, I still wonder what happened there.

Overall, minor issues aside, Merry Christmas is a delightful, twisted holiday-noir film that cannot be missed.

Rating: ★★★★☆

OK Computer Review: “Pav Bhaji!?”

Vidit Bhargava
A self driving car mutilates a human. But it “couldn’t” have. Robots are sacred in this world, they can do no harm to humans. A few moments later we get to see the car’s number plate, it aptly begins with “GAO MA”. It’s hilarious, it’s also the tone that the show takes throughout, one that’s delightfully absurd.

OK Computer is not a vision of the future. It’s future telling us just how messed up our present is. A commentary about all that’s wrong with our world today from the perspective of a world that many assume we’d be in. Be it the unwavering faith we so readily put in just about anyone or how enamoured we are with technology and the corporations that sell that technology to us. It’s a show with a lot to say! Perhaps a little too much.

If there’s one thing that’s clear from the start, it’s that the show has no room for seriousness. It’s much closer in treatment to "The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy", than say “WestWorld” or “I, Robot”. The creators are very clear here, it’s a show that just loves its H2G2 references, they’re hidden everywhere! (The name comes from Radiohead’s OK Computer which itself is a reference to a dialog from the series that goes something to the tune of ‘OK Computer I want full manual control now’). It’s futile to expect a serious plot here. The murder mystery is just hook to tell you about something completely different. It’s also not a show that’s in love with the futuristic science and technology. It’s one that is admittedly frustrated about it (I don’t blame them, Honestly it’s all of us at this point). This is a setup ripe for deadpan humour, and the show is great at it.

Writer Anand Gandhi whose recent previous works have had a cult like following is on a tough journey here. The Absurdist Sci-Fi comedy demands a constant stream of gags while keeping the show tethered to a core story. He doesn’t always succeed. The gags are great! Gandhi gets the absurdist comedy part of the show on point. He possesses a deep understanding of the world he’s created, from Robotics to VR, it’s a future of all the elements we are seeing germinate today. And the humour is just sliced on the fine line between this futuristic tech world and the socio-political landscape of today. It’s brilliant satire.

An elusive inventor of a futuristic technology is named “Satoshi” (Satoshi Nakamoto anyone?); her username “notSatoshi” fooling no one but the AI. Wet robot parts are placed in a bag full of rice, before moving on to a conveyer belt. The gags on technology cover everything, from the hilarious incompetence of our AI models, to our rudimentary techniques that are bound to live on even as tech progresses.

But the show falters at creating a relatable story to tether to. The thing is it’s too absurd for you to care about any thing else. There’s just no time given to the shows many subplots. The writers have so much to say, that what could’ve been important plot points are mere blips in this 6 episode series. There’s no time given to develop characters either, so when the matters come to a head in it’s final act, you couldn’t care less about anyone. Human or Android. It doesn’t help that the show’s robotic protagonist AJEEB (a reference to the faux automation object perhaps?) has an agonisingly shrill voice. Making it unbearable at times. Not sure if it’s intentional but AJEEB makes it difficult for you to like it. Actually, I had no sympathy for any of the bots. In fact, I had little sympathy for any of the human characters either.

A question for the creators, if the robot really is gender fluid as it claims, why does it restrict its preferred pronouns to He/She, does the bot’s sentience and intelligence not teach it that gender isn’t binary? What’s the extent of the robot’s knowledge, does it get all of it from its human creators, or can it read the web at its leisure. In general, I felt the topic of sentience and the extent of the robot’s knowledge could’ve been explored further.

What the shows characters lack in depth, is made up for by their actors. Kani Kusruti as Monalisa Paul and Vijay Verma as Saajan Kundu are excellent. Their comic timing is impeccable, Verma especially seems to be having a lot of fun as the cybercrime officer. His sullen, frustrated character gets the biggest share of screen time and Verma makes the most of it. He infuses the character with relatability and knows how to land his jokes. He’s having fun here and is in with the madness. Kani Kusruti as his assistant on the crime plays the exact opposite character. While Verma’s Saajan is full of emotion, even if most of it anger and hatred towards the bots; Kusruti’s character is emotionless and is enamoured by the robotic creatures. Kusruti makes more than what she gets to work with here. Her comic timing nicely complements Verma’s. Together two help the gags coming even as the show’s pace slackens a bit towards the end, they give us the only two characters that’ll be remembered far longer than the show. It’s a feat!

Radhika Apte (Laxmi), Vibha Chhibber (DCP DCP) and Ratnabali Bhattacharjee (Trisha Singh from ZIP) are great in their roles. I just wish they had more to do here. Jackie Shroff is impressive in the small cameo he gets.

Shroff gets little to do but has an impressive cameo as the leader of JJM, a cult of anti science, anti technology members, basically a modern rendition of the Luddites. The members of the cult wear masks that harken back to a terrorist clan from the 60s, it’s the sort of gag that could’ve gone awry really quickly but is masterfully pulled off. Sadly the whole subplot lasts a mere minutes until the show meanders over to the next one.

At one point in the show a characters phone spontaneously bursts into flames, robots attack him, and his own toaster prints out a skull image on his morning toast. Practically making his life a nightmare. It’s a reminder of just how much we’ve given our lives into the hands of tech giants, and just how quickly that technology can turn on us. It’s not hard to imagine a person being locked out of the digital world, their voice silenced and their work tarnished if a suitably big corporate takes umbrage from their actions. It’s the perfect encapsulation of what this show is. We’re living in the absurd future right now. We’re just too enamoured by the “progress” to see it.

The show also falters when it tries to take itself too seriously. Honestly, there’s no need to hammer the message in, when you’ve already alienated anyone looking for a straightforward drama here. (You lost those viewers in the pilot, you’re not getting them back in the final episode)

This presents a more broader question though. Who is this show really for? It’s a very small niche. As a country, the majority are still basking in the glory of tech, special effects, science fiction and what not. So a WestWorld or a Blade Runner gets so much more attention than say Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (honestly, outside of a cult created by high school kids in late 2000s and early 2010s, I haven’t met many Indians who read it and actually enjoyed it). OK Computer is sadly going to end up being a one season show, even if there’s so much to like about it. Perhaps that’s why the creators wanted to stuff everything in, in such a short span? A more receptive audience and a more patient writing could’ve seen Gandhi get his own “Trilogy of five parts” ;)

“Pav Bhaji!?” The show’s protagonist asks in puzzlement as he prods over a body lying in a pool of blood, mutilated beyond recognition. It’s a great gag that still makes me laugh. But it’s also a clear reflection of the films story. It’s like a Pav Bhaji, with so many vegetables but none of them gaining a dominant taste. It’s good for the dish, I am not sure how good that’s for the show.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching OK Computer. I can’t remember the last time I’ve laughed so much at such satire. At the same time it’s equally distressing to see it fail in the places it does. Nevertheless, it’s uniqueness and awareness of technology alone, is rare and worthy of appreciation.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ ( I liked it, you may or may not )

— 

42 is the size of Saajan’s shoes. So now you know without doubt where Gandhi is looking for his Answers. :P

Show Review: WandaVision

Vidit Bhargava
I’m not a big fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Marvel movies that are good are good because they have something to say, and do so in a format that is far more approachable than any other drama. I loved Black Panther, I thoroughly enjoyed the original Iron Man but I don’t really enjoy the mass market entertainers that the Avenger’s films are. The constant need to create an ever expanding cinematic universe only seems like a big money grab. “You liked this one movie? You must watch all others to make sense of this next one.” It’s a terrible way to make people watch your stories, it’s a great way to make money. But I digress, for now I wanted to write about Marvel’s latest offering, WandaVision. A nine-episode show presented as a Disney+ Original. Instead of something you’d have to go to a theatre to watch.

WandaVision’s uniqueness and perhaps its biggest strength, is its storytelling, it’s the way it masterfully integrates with the episodic format to tell the story it wants to, is an amazing testament to how creatively the medium can be utilised. This is what kept me coming back to the show. It’s smartly written, ties in what seem like random, disjoint events and leads the show to a climax where, even though predictable, sets up the good narrative that crescendos towards a probing end. It’s good to see Marvel asking questions like the one it tries to ask with WandaVision and they almost pull it off.

Almost. Marvel’s urge of compulsively tying everything into the MCU acts as a double edged sword here. On one occasion the tethering to a previous movie’s events gives them room to be even more creative and lead the show to a place where they do. But on another occasion it completely takes the show off the rails with the consistent foreshadowing of future content. It’s a shame that the show ends in the way it does. A subplot involving Vision trying to figure out a popular paradox barely does much to restore the depth that the show is stripped of when it gets over ambitious with its “universe expansion project”. It’s a pity to see such an exceptional show fall so steeply in its last two episodes.

This sharp linkage to previous works makes me wonder, just how important this Marvel Cinematic Universe strategy is for Marvel. Is it more important than the story it’s trying to present? Sometimes it’s best to focus on telling a story, not creating a world where other stories can spurt out. And that’s my biggest gripe with these shows and movies, it’s hard not to look at it as a corporate money grab, even when the art tries to shine so much brighter. At the end of the day, they really just want you to come back and watch what happens in the next one they just showed you a glimpse off, is it not? Alas, it seems like such strategies are here to stay until the public tells them otherwise.

In terms of acting, the usual suspects are effortless, Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda, and Paul Bettany as Vision are dependable. I particularly enjoyed watching Kat Dennings (Darcy Lewis), Randall Park (Jimmy Woo), and Teyonah Parris (Monica Rambeau); the trio give some of the shows best moments. It’s a pity we don’t see them often in other Marvel movies. (Sign me up for a Darcy Lewis spin-off!)

WandaVision had a lot of promise, far too much for its own good. And when it all comes crashing in the final episodes, the steep decline is so much more disappointing. Sadly, I’ll remember WandaVision for what could’ve been Marvel’s most innovative content in years only to be squandered by an overly ambitious MCU expansion strategy. Move beyond the MCU and Marvel’s content may be fun again.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Show Recommendation: Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story

Vidit Bhargava
For someone as disinterested in stocks as me, Scam 1992 came as a pleasant surprise with its gripping storytelling and careful placement of stock market jargon, making the show approachable without dumbing it down. Scam 1992 is a very good attempt at historical re-telling, it largely skirts away from drama and focuses on its central characters instead.

The casting choices are top notch. Pratik Gandhi (as Harshad Mehta) and Shreya Dhanwanthary (as Sucheta Dalal) are great picks for the lead characters. Supported by an ensemble that includes good actors like Nikhil Dwivedi (Good to see him back after a long hiatus), Satish Kaushik, and Rajat Kapoor in a cameo role.

The filmmakers do a good job setting up a period drama. The cars, the computers are all on point. There’s a scene in the show where Harshad Mehta’s character can be seen using Lycos(dot)com; it’s the sort of little detail that pays off and gives a proper nostalgic vibe to anyone who used computers in the late 90s or early 2000s. (My first email was on Lycos Tripod, it was a moment of nostalgic accuracy to see that website pop-up on Mehta’s computer)

But good acting and such consistently engaging screenplay only invite further scrutiny. And that’s when the cracks show up. Harshad Mehta’s story is a tightrope walk between the illegal, the morally questionable and being a wolf in a wolves world. It’s not easy to tread a story like this one. And despite its best attempts, Scam 1992 does falter on numerous occasions. The makers show Harshad Mehta’s story as one that of rags to riches, a shrewd businessman, a family man, and his fall as ultimately one that of someone being made a scapegoat in an industry that worked actively to protect its incumbents. While much of it is true, it’s also a lopsided take. In reality, Mehta’s schemes weren’t very smart and were designed for him to profit off them through means that can only be described dubious at best. The story however, draws sympathy towards Mehta’s character but never really makes the viewer fully appreciate the wrongs of his deeds. It’s never able to show the extent of the greed that powered him.

The show’s dialogues aren’t particularly great either. The characters, especially that of Harshad Mehta consistently talk in Idioms (in all three languages at that!). Perhaps Mehta talked in this manner, but the way they’re presented never really come off as genuine. It sticks like a sore thumb in an otherwise impeccable performance by Pratik Gandhi.

Another major issue with Scam 1992 is it’s choppy characterisations. While the leads get enough to sink their teeth into. A lot of characters I felt were left under developed, or their arcs rushed through. K Madhavan’s (played by Rajat Kapoor) character for example never gets a proper character arc. It’s a two episode cameo that’s rushed through. Sucheta Dalal’s is another character this time a leading one, that also falls prey to some poor writing. It’s a character that vacillates between professionalism and being easily offended. The two traits that often collide when in the presence of the show’s other lead. Dalal’s character seems to randomly pick between the two.

Despite the choppy characterisations though, these are characters that left a strong mark, primarily due to the exceptionally talented actors that portray them. Rajat Kapoor as K Madhavan leads by example. He packs a punch in the small role he gets. It’s just two episodes but Kapoor’s performance stayed much longer in memory than a lot of others. Same for Shreya Dhanwanthary, who makes Sucheta Dalal’s character believable despite its flaws. She’s done a far better job than the character that’s been written for her.

The show’s creator, Hansal Mehta reuses a lot of tropes from one of his previous films, ‘Omertà’ ( a spectacular yet under appreciated drama), for example mixing real world footage with the shot frames. Using a different viewport for showing the “recorded” information and finally leaving much of the judgement to the viewer, this final thing is both good and bad. While Omertà was a clear black and white character study of a person whose crimes need no explanation for their heinousness, Scam 1992 is a little more nuanced and involves a lot more gray area. And leaving the judgment to the viewer’s intelligence is on one hand asking for a lot, but on the other it’s good that a show leaves you with something to think about. It’s a double edged sword, it could leave people with a well rounded view of the scam, but could also lionise a largely imperfect figure.

Despite its flaws, Scam 1992 is a consistently engaging watch. It’s incredibly well acted, and leaves you with something to think about, and sometimes it’s all you want from a show, something engaging and sensible. The creators of Scam 1992 provide that in ample quantities. Making the show much greater than the sum of its parts.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching it, even though the show’s not perfect.

Rating: ★★★ ½

Movie Review: Pagglait

Vidit Bhargava
Pagglait is perhaps the most misleadingly sold movies I’ve ever come across. From the trailers and marketing channels the makers seemed to insist its a “dysfunctional family drama with dark humour”. The movie however, is anything but that. It’s a doleful small town drama. Just like wedding movies, where everything involves around a central wedding event, Pagglait is a death movie; where everything involves around the events post a young man’s death.

That’s an innovative premise to begin with. It’s a new perspective at drama. The characters are ripe for what could be an engaging two hours of your time; and the actors are in sublime form. But unfortunately, the film wastes all that opportunity with weak story telling.

Unnecessary subplots mar what’s a straightforward story, what’s worse is that sometimes the writers just leave them hanging without any closure. For example, we never really fully understand why Sanya Malhotra’s character unable to grieve, decides to gorge on Chips and streat-food instead? Is it shock? Did she not know him well enough? We never really know for sure, we only get hints of an understanding of her view point in other subplots but there’s never a full picture, as the movie moves on to give her character other motives.

The film delves too deep into the post-death traditions; and the shrill, scheming, or just narrow minded characterisation of the family members provide no relief either. By the time we reach the final act, its gotten too melodramatic, too stuffy for its own good. The final act salvages the film’s rather run off the mill small town treatment to some extent but it’s too little too late. It’s a good premise and setting that’s just squandered away by heavy handed storytelling.

Pagglait is not all bad though. It’s got a strong cast that shines throughout. I didn’t find one actor that felt miscast or underperforming. Together they uplift the movie from being barely watchable to something that holds your attention for the entirety of two hours.

Rajesh Tailang, Aasif Khan, Sheeba Chaddha, Ashutosh Raina, Raghubir Yadav, Jameel Khan or Sanya Malhotra’s acting skills need no introduction. They’re great actors who have a knack of making most of what they get. And they get ample time to showcase their talents here. Particularly of note though is Chetan Sharma, who brings a unique vulnerability and fragility to his character of the deceased’s brother. It’s a character that’s been given responsibility way beyond he was ready for, and Sharma just aces the part.

A word about the film’s excellent score too. Arijit Singh’s surprisingly potent as a music composer. It’s his first film as a composer and the background score is top notch, and never really comes in the way of storytelling, it almost always compliments it.

I’m going with two out five for Umesh Bist’s Pagglait and an extra half for the spectacular performances by the ensemble. It’s a movie whose performances will be remembered for much longer than its story.

Rating : ★★ ½

Movie Recommendation: Gamak Ghar

Gamak Ghar is literally like watching paint dry. Except you form an emotional connect with the paint in which case you’re invested in watching it dry. That’s the best way I could describe Gamak Ghar, Achal Mishra’s film that follows the life of an ancestral home as it ages over time.

Houses thrive when they have house people who care about them. Gamak Ghar’s ancestral home is no different. The house survives major floods and disasters but what it can’t survive is people moving on from it. From, once a lively home visited oft by an extended family, to a novelty, to just standing there, dilapidated and stripped off everything but an old caretaker. It’s a reflection of how time passes, creating memories along the way.

It’s an obvious and rather monotonous ride at 1 hour 30 minutes, given how the film’s a tad too predictable for anyone who has seen ancestral homes age. 

But Gamak Ghar’s brilliance lies in its evocative nature, the nostalgia is real. It takes you back in time to your own childhood, to your own old home. Gamak Ghar is worth a watch for the memories the film evokes alone.

Rating: ★★★ 1/2

Available on: MUBI

Jio's Ambitious push into AR

Some thoughts on Jio’s ambitious push into consumer electronics and specifically Jio Glass:

There are things that can be solved by throwing money at a problem. Jio has no shortage of that. Setting up a cellular telecommunications service is one of that. It’s not rocket science. The tech’s out there, it’s been worked upon for years and Reliance was able to quickly build a team that over the course of a few years built a strong system. The R&D is low in this field. It’s primarily a money problem. If you’re ready to invest in this business, you can set it up with the right people and the right monetisation strategy. 

The average streaming service is also a money problem. If you can cough up enough money to bid for the rights for a show, you can run a streaming service in the short term, even the strategy for long term success is a monetisation strategy. There’s little tech stack you need to develop.

But when it comes to consumer electronics, and more specifically emerging technologies that are still very nascent. The stakes are much higher. It’s not only a money problem. It’s a technology problem too. You don’t just need a team of management experts to decide on how to make the profits. You need a team of experienced inventors to be able to create the tech that successfully creates your vision of the future. (You also need a vision by the way). These teams aren’t built in a single day. It takes years for them to mature. Imran Chaudhry’s first patent wasn’t the slide to unlock screen. He wasn’t the only one who worked on the iPhone. The team involved people who worked to build the WebKit engine, people who had been in the industry, leading changes in user paradigms for much before the iPhone ever existed. Some even worked on the first personal computers. The manufacturing and industrial design teams were also working on the processes for more than a decade. These and many more combined together to form the tech stack that powered the iPhone. You can’t just throw money at a problem like that.

Can Jio build a tech stack of any reasonable quality to power their Jio Glass? Not today. Simply because they haven’t been in this field but also because there’s a dearth of R&D on future interactions and hardware that will empower the electronics of tomorrow. 

Do investments from Facebook and Google enable them to build this stack? That would be incredibly naive to think so. Both Facebook and Google are competing with Jio in augmented reality. This isn’t charity. Microsoft didn’t help Apple build OSX or Safari when they invested in them to keep them alive. They invested in them because they could ride on the money if Apple indeed pulled back, but would never have been a threat to their PC business. Over the years, Microsoft exited that investment. Moreover, if you think an capitalist American corporation would help you, simply because it has an Indian origin CEO, you’re living in a fool’s paradise. They’re in it to ride on the wave of revenue that Jio’s services will generate; they will exit the day they don’t have monetary skin in the game. 

I’d love to see Jio or any Indian company for that matter to build innovative and high quality consumer electronics. Unfortunately, that day hasn’t arrived yet, and Jio Glass seems more like a move to appease investors. Their demo looked unfinished at best but likely dubious vapourware.

Thoughts on Apple TV+'s Dickinson

Dickinson starts off on a great note. The mashup of many genres gives a very slick and witty outlook to the first few episodes. A period drama, biopic, that raises questions that are still relevant today, with dialogue written like a 21st century teenage comedy series, is a very compelling description and it works for a good part of the series. But constantly switching gears between genres is a short lived trick, and ultimately, after a few good episodes it seems like the creators don’t really know where to take the series. They meander into different subplots, often confused between modern day questions, showcasing life in the 19th century and in general staying true to Emily Dickinson’s story.



With Dickinson the creators had a great opportunity, and to their credit there are moments of inspired brilliance, which stay for much longer than the show. And there’s a greater point that the show is ultimately trying to bring home. However, it does end on a note where I felt that Dickinson could have been more consistent with its wackiness. There are just too many ideas here, and you tend to tune out on more than a few occasions. Amongst the actors, Hailee Seinfeld as Emily Dickinson and Toby Huss as her father stand out.

We don’t hear much about American poets in India and even less so about their lives. So I am very curious about where the story goes from here, but here’s hoping for a tighter script and more of the wacky wittiness from Season 2.

Rating: ★★★☆☆