Deborah Liu's Take Back Your Power or A Philosophy of Life for Women to Live with Less Editing

In the last year or so I have become a sort of an YouTube connoisseur, should be clearly evident from my posts here. This has led me to wonder whether I should keep my only streaming service subscription, Netflix as I rarely find time to indulge in its myriad shows anymore. My only current gripe about YouTube is there are no channels about women's life/philosophy from a personal angle or general woman-related career woes channels. 

I have not had success in finding some generic woman-hosted channel where a generic woman talks about anything and everything. I have found a few good ones by women navigating life solo or after-sixties-advise, but even those are about a specific topic like solo 60 year old leading an RV life – that is a very specific niche if you ask me. I want an everyday person talking deep thoughts, giving away random information no one is asking for. Maybe I should start one.

This also brings me to the book I want to talk about today - Deborah Liu’s Take Back Your Power. It is a kind of book I have not seen many women write. There is Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In and Brene Brown’s books, but they are experts in their areas, not regular Janes. I want to read ordinary women talking about their life, struggles and careers and their woman-on-the-wire acts. Deborah Liu is closer to the terrafirma most of us regular women inhabit than Ms. Brown or Ms. Sandberg. Although Liu was not that much of a normie either – her last job was as the CEO of Ancestry.com. So she has clearly played at a higher level than most of us.

The reason I connected with her book is that she writes about the awkward middle part and her entire career has been in tech, just like me. She felt like a woman like me dealing with the strange human politics that come with being a woman trying to operate in spaces that were not necessarily built with women in mind. And having spent most of my career in technology, this part landed harder than I expected.

I have lived some version of almost every story she tells. I have been the woman in the room who knows the answer, a titled leader of the team and still has to calculate whether saying it will create a problem. I have been talked over. I have watched someone repeat an idea I just said five minutes ago and suddenly everyone becomes fascinated because a man said it.

Liu talks about Hillary Clinton being criticized in law school because some people felt her presence was taking a place away from a man who could potentially avoid being drafted. What struck me was not just the unfairness of that situation, it was the psychological message underneath it: a woman's ambition is not neutral. Her success changes the equation. She is not just trying to win, she is making someone else uncomfortable by existing there. After enough exposure to that kind of message, you learn to manage yourself. You soften your words. You add disclaimers. You make yourself easier to digest. And then one day you realize you have become incredibly skilled at editing yourself!

This is where Liu’s discussion of women being caught in a double bind really resonated with me. I have personally experienced the strange contradiction of being told to be more confident while also being subtly punished when I am confident. I have also been told to be more vulnerable by male leaders, and I understand what they are trying to say. They want everyone to see my human side. They want me to establish an emotional connection. But what my male bosses do not understand is, vulnerability does not always carry the same meaning depending on who is showing it. A man in a leadership position can admit uncertainty and people often interpret it as authenticity. A woman in a leadership position can do the same thing, and while people may show empathy in the moment, and I believe many genuinely do, there is often another calculation happening quietly in the background. Is she overwhelmed? Is she weak? Did she really know what she was doing? Maybe that sounds cynical, but when you have lived inside these environments long enough, you notice patterns. You start understanding why many women become careful. It is not because women naturally want to be guarded. Sometimes the armor is something we build because we learned that walking around without it has consequences.

One of the ideas Liu puts forward in the book with some statistics is, lesser percentage of women have sponsors, and there is a distinction between mentors and sponsors. I think many people, especially women, are given the advice: “Find a mentor.” And that is good advice. A mentor can teach you, guide you, help you avoid mistakes. But Liu says women do find good mentors, but successful men usually have sponsors not mentors. A sponsor is someone who puts their own credibility behind you. Someone who says your name when you are not in the room. Many people who succeed have had someone along the way who opened a door. The myth of the completely self-made person is one of our favorite stories because it makes success feel clean and simple. We are all standing on somebody else’s shoulders, whether we like admitting it or not.

The Arianna Huffington story about burnout also felt painfully familiar. We have built a culture where exhaustion is often treated as evidence of commitment. The person answering emails at midnight is dedicated. The person who never takes a break is ambitious. The person who sacrifices everything is serious. But sometimes people succeed despite those sacrifices, not because of them. There is a difference. 

I do have some complicated feelings about Liu’s book-title though, the phrase “take back your power” has the danger of making everything an individual responsibility. Yes, people need agency. Yes, we cannot spend our entire lives waiting for someone else to rescue us. At some point, you have to speak, act, take chances, and move forward. 

But sometimes the issue is not that someone lacks confidence. Sometimes the environment is actually difficult. A person can be resilient and still be exhausted. A person can be capable and still be fighting unnecessary battles. I have no interest in telling women, “Just be tougher and adapt.” That is how people end up spending 30 years becoming excellent at tolerating things they should have questioned. But I also believe in the power of individual choice. There is a moment where you stop waiting for permission.

So after reading Take Back Your Power, I do not think the lesson is simply “be more powerful.” That feels like a very corporate interpretation of a much deeper idea. The more interesting question is: what kind of power are we actually trying to build? The power to impress people? The power to win every argument? The power to finally prove ourselves to everyone who underestimated us? 

Or something quieter? The power to speak honestly. The power to create. The power to stop shrinking. The power to live a life that actually feels like yours. Maybe taking back your power is not about becoming someone bigger. Maybe it is about spending less energy pretending to be smaller.

Read More

Youtube Channels for Grown-ups and GenX Women

For about two decades, I had held off on hitting any SUBSCRIBE button on YouTube. But finally I bit the bullet button last year and started subscribing, instead of bookmarking oft-frequented channels in my head.

Below are some of my favorite non-celebrity personal /single-person-production channels, befitting my age and sensibilities. I am trying to find more older women youtubers (GenX+) who rambles about life, philosophy or nothing in particular - can't find as many women rambling on these subjects as men. No wonder 99% of philosophers are men. I am not interested in musings on beauty, makeup, fashion, health, fitness or cooking. If anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to drop a comment.

Anthony Chene Production: Anthony is such a grounded person. It took years for him to even show his face on his channel. I have watched all the videos (not shorts) on his channel, as I have been frequenting it sans-subscription for more than a decade. The description of the channel is unassuming as Anthony Chene: "Documentaries and interviews about who we really are."

Deb's Road To Freedom: This is one of the 50+ old ladies channels I am interested in, but can't find many. She is a single lady, living in an RV (not Nomadland style, less grim.) 

Here is Deb's own description of her channel : "This channel is about choosing freedom - not someday, but now. After years of living a traditional life, collecting things, working nonstop, and feeling stuck, I made a decision to simplify. I sold my house, downsized my life, and discovered that having less actually gave me more: time, clarity, and meaningful experiences. Here, we talk about living intentionally, choosing experiences over stuff, navigating fear and anxiety, and creating freedom at any stage of life. This isn’t about perfection, minimalism rules, or escaping responsibility - it’s about designing a life that feels lighter, more aligned, and more honest."

Goobie and Doobie: Many people will remember the viral YouTube video of a young neurosurgeon in throes of an existential crisis, standing on a trail near a creek, swatting mosquitoes. That was Goobie, with his dog Doobie (aka Baby) and Goobie and Doobie is one of my comfort-food-channels. Goobie's calm voice , freewheeling about life, universe and emotions, with almost no real-editing is often a calming balm to my chaotic days. 

Here's Goobie's description of their channel: "I'm Goobie, and my dog is Doobie.  We share our adventures listening to, seeing, and walking through the Universe.  Goobie shares stories, poems, and songs about the curiosities of living as a human being on a 4.5-billion-year-old planet." If I can find an older woman Youtuber who talks like Goobie, but from a woman's perspective that will be a great find.

Life After 60, With Resting Witch Face: One of the grown-up channels I like on Youtube, by a Youtuber named Dawn, who is 64 years old and trying to navigate her life chronicling some of those events and thoughts in her channel. Here is Dawn's description of her channel: "My name is Dawn and I am 64 yr's  OLD and that's Okay. Old is not a bad word, it just means I've lived a long time , not broken down, worn out or decrepit. My channel is about celebrating the "youth" of my senior  years! I like to say I am aging "grate-fully"! Join me as I try to navigate through these crazy times, trying to keep up with the world around me and refusing to grow old gracefully 😁I follow a simple philosophy and that is , Just Be Kind!"

Life With Sandra Hart: At 88, Sandra must be one of the oldest Youtubers. The wisdom and the humility of intelligent older people with decades of life experience is an unattainable feature for the know-it-all, confidence-masked-as-competency younger folks. Here is Sandra's description of her channel: "I’m Sandra Hart, and welcome to my channel! I am 87, and I share intimate chats about life. I’m here to dispel the fear of aging and to help us all navigate life, no matter how old or young you are. This is our time to shine, and it is a remarkable adventure we are all on."

Asian Dad Energy: This is a recently laid-off, ex-big tech Asian Dad figuring out his life and posting those thoughts on YouTube. Here is his description of his channel: "Hello World!  This is a journal of my life as an Ivy-League educated, ex Big Tech, middle aged Asian Dad figuring out life   It is a cocktail of anxiety, existential dread, and techy know-how.  I'm doing this journal as a form of therapy!"

The Doctor Investor: A middle aged health professional, a woman, talking about investment and smart decisions. Although I have no investments, I like to listen to smart women, talking. Here is a part of her description about her channel: "This channel is different. I’m here to help you understand enough to think clearly, ask better questions, and make confident financial decisions—without needing to become an expert."

Dad, how do I?: YouTube's own Dad for young people and people like me who just want someone to explain like I am a teen, how to do something. Here is the description of the channel: "How To" videos by a Dad who has raised 2 adults (and we still talk) -  How to Tie a Tie | How to Shave | How to Change a Tire | How to Cook | How to Manage Money"

The Functional Melancholic: I like the subjects he tackles, even though his videos/talks are harsh reminders of the reality we live in. But I still enjoy watching this channel for the raw truth it delivers. It is somewhat reassuring that there are people like The Functional Melancholic thinking, alerting and talking about the truth, out loud, in the open, on YouTube, for anyone who cares to hear.

Here is the description of the channel: "Think deeper. Question everything. My honest thoughts on the human condition, philosophy, psychology, socioeconomic and social issues, dark humor, relationships, personal growth, self improvement, human nature, literature, critical thinking, spirituality, meaning, intellectual discourse, consciousness, history of ideas, cultural commentary. "

There are all these channels and 👇here below is my channel 🤣😂🤣🤣 No idea who this one unfortunate subscriber is, who must have signed up 20 years ago when I posted my first few videos and never posted again. Probably an old account someone forgot (password) about.

Read More

Say it With Love, soup Dude chronicles suck

After a long hiatus from Tamil movie watching, I recently watched a few Tamil movies. A couple of them I even tried to watch back to back the same day - With Love , followed by Dude. One of them left me scratching my head wondering what Tamilians see in perpetually melancholic/sacrificial-lamb type of male leads, while the other reminded me even though all the love stories have already been told, we can still find a unique untold angle that makes a story engrossing.

With Love (2026)

Let's start with the disappointment that is Dude. Here's my gripe: why is Pradeep Ranganathan being packaged as yet another soup boy in the Dhanush mold? I don't understand Tamil cinema's obsession with heroes who look like they've been personally victimized by the universe since birth. What's worse is watching Mamitha Baiju's spunky, electric screen presence get absolutely wasted in service of this melancholic male fantasy. The woman has talent that crackles off the screen, but instead of letting her shine, she's relegated to propping up our brooding protagonist. It's like buying a Ferrari and using it only to go grocery shopping, technically functional, but criminally underutilized.

Now, With Love is a different beast altogether, and I mean that as the highest compliment. This is new-age filmmaking done right. Anaswara Rajan is basically playing herself here, and yet there's an authenticity to her performance that feels refreshing in an industry often drowning in artifice. My only complaint? Abhishan Jeevinth, in his 'lead'-acting debut lets his older version hide behind that beard. Come on, man, you have a jawline. Flaunt it! Youth is fleeting, beards are optional. Director Madhan, kudos for a simple yet entertaining debut movie.

What makes With Love work is that it doesn't pander or apologize. It's unapologetically a GenZ movie – the pacing, the emotional beats, the relationship dynamics all feel contemporary without trying too hard to be cool. There's a easy-going naturalness to it that Dude desperately lacks. While Dude is busy manufacturing angst and positioning its hero as some tortured, self-effacing type, With Love just lets its characters breathe and let them exist in their messy, relatable reality.

The contrast between these two films is stark. One treats its female lead like an accessory to male suffering, while the other gives its actress room to be a fully realized person. One feels calculated to hit tried-n-tested emotional notes and fails (IMHO,) while the other trusts its young audience to appreciate something genuine. I tried to give Dude the benefit of doubt and tried even watching it by fast forwarding, but I could not even get past the half way mark.

If you're picking between the two, skip the soup boy dude chronicles and go straight for With Love. Your time is precious, and Mamitha Baiju's wasted potential in Dude will only make you sad about what could have been.

Read More

Rob Reiner's Flipped (2010)

I have a soft spot for Rob Reiner movies. The moment I see that Castle Rock Entertainment logo, I settle in for two hours of human connection stories steeped in history and nostalgia.

Flipped is Reiner doing what he does best – taking us back to a version of America that feels like sunshine filtering through trees, where the worst thing that could happen is the girl next door not liking you back. Set in the early 60s, this coming of age romance follows Juli Baker and Bryce Loski through their middle school years as they navigate the messy business of first love, told from both their perspectives.

The dual narrative is the movie's secret weapon. We flip between Juli's and Bryce's viewpoints of the same events, and suddenly what seemed like typical teen awkwardness becomes this tender examination of how two people can live the same moments completely differently. Madeline Carroll and Callan McAuliffe play the leads with the kind of earnestness that could have been cringe but instead hits you right in the chest. What gets me about Reiner's period pieces, whether it's Stand By Me or this, is how he captures that specific ache of looking back. The sycamore tree Juli loves, her chickens, the carefully manicured lawns of suburban America – it's all shot with this warm nostagia. The production design nails that early 60s aesthetic without being showy about it. The supporting cast is stacked too – Aidan Quinn and Penelope Ann Miller as Juli's parents, Anthony Edwards as Bryce's dad. There's a dinner scene that escalates from uncomfortable to devastating that shows Reiner hasn't lost his touch for quiet, powerful moments.

Flipped won't punch you in the gut like some coming-of-age dramas. Instead, it reminds you that first love, family dysfunction, and learning to see people for who they really are - these things are awkward and messy and occasionally involve chickens and eggs.

Read More

Bernie (2011) comes to Carthage

Small town Texas, a true crime story told like a languid Sunday afternoon conversation over sweet tea. Richard Linklater's Bernie has Jack Black slowly rolling into the town and finding a job as the assistant mortician at a funeral home in Carthage, TX.

The movie is the real-life story of Bernie Tiede, the beloved assistant funeral director of Carthage and his unlikely friendship with the town's most despised wealthy widow, Marjorie Nugent. Linklater treats this bizarre true story with his signature unhurried grace - life unfolds naturally, meandering like those East Texas back roads, revealing character through accumulation rather than exposition.

Jack Black disappears into Bernie with such completeness that you forget you're watching Jack Black. He embodies this paradox of a man - devoutly Christian, genuinely kind and impossibly generous. Then he has an unexpected glitch in his personality which makes this story a story. Shirley MacLaine captures Marjorie's brittle cruelty with precision, showing us exactly why an entire town could hate one lonely old woman. The genius move here is Linklater's use of actual Carthage residents as a Greek chorus, commenting on the events with the kind of unvarnished Texas frankness that no screenwriter could manufacture. These aren't actors playing small-town Texans, these *are* small-town Texans, and their authenticity grounds this strange tale in something achingly real. I thought there was a Somerset Maugham quality to it all, if Maugham had traded colonial Asia for the American South. That same keen eye for human contradiction, the understanding that people contain multitudes and morality exists in shades we'd rather not acknowledge. Bernie loved that town. The town loved Bernie. And then a thing happened...

What stays with you isn't the action itself but the uncomfortable questions about justice, loyalty, and whether goodness can be measured by a single terrible moment or by decades of genuine kindness. Linklater never judges, he simply observes, and trusts us to sit with the complexity.

Like the entire populace of Carthage, I too loved Bernie, didn't at all like the character Matthew McConaughey portrayed in this movie - Danny Buck as was intended by the director. Anyway who can hate Jack Black, right?

Read More

Dhurandhar - The Long Game

There has not been a decent spy thriller made this well in Bollywood since forever. Dhurandhar, Aditya Dhar's ambitious action-espionage epic that dropped on Netflix last week, is what happens when a director decides to challenge the mediocrity that has plagued mainstream Bollywood cinema for years.

I, a detached viewer, on other side of the globe, tenuously tied to India by my Indian roots, didn't get the impression that it was your typical flag-waving, chest-thumping Bollywood fare. This is methodical, deliberate filmmaking that treats its audience like adults capable of sitting through a three-and-a-half-hour narrative without needing an item number or comic relief sidekick.

The film tells the story of Hamza, played by Ranveer Singh, a composite character based on real Indian intelligence operatives who spent lifetimes embedded in Pakistan's hostile territories. These are the invisible soldiers and spies who played the long game after devastating terrorist events on India like the Kandahar hijacking, the Indian Parliament attack and 26/11 Mumbai attacks. The movie follows India's intelligence apparatus methodically infiltrating and dismantling terror networks. If The Godfather had been a spy thriller, it might have looked something like this.

Ranveer Singh is excellent. This guy gives you a thousand dollars' worth of performance for every dollar you pay him. He's one of those rare actors in this era of fleeting stardom who consistently shows up and delivers, film after film. But the internet has lost its collective mind over Akshaye Khanna's Rehman Dacait, his style, his delivery, his entire presence has become the talk of social media. Sure, Khanna is magnetic, but this is still Ranveer's movie. I do agree there are some political undertones. R. Madhavan's character basically exists to deliver one-liners glorifying the current Indian administration. But here's the thing, I haven't been dialed into Indian politics for more than a quarter century, so I watched this like any other geopolitical thriller. The film portrays India positively but doesn't dehumanize Pakistanis. It shows Pakistan as a complex political landscape where gun-trafficking and terror training are unfortunate realities of their geopolitical business. What impressed me most is that Dhar made this as a mainstream commercial film, not as some niche arthouse project. He had the guts to demand more from audiences, to trust that they'd appreciate sophisticated storytelling over formulaic "for the masses" entertainment. The film's box-office returns, multiple-viewings of the movie by many cinephiles and the excitement and life it has brought back to Bollywood, tell us that Aditya Dhar's gamble has paid off. The climax action sequence alone, from the slow-burn tension building in a car to the relentless pursuit and brutal hand-to-hand combat is some of the finest action choreography Bollywood has produced.  

At 215 minutes, I wanted more when it ended. Part two arrives in March 2026. I'll be watching. 

Read More

Sreenivasan: The Genius Who Wrote Himself As The Loser, Completes His Earth-Internship. Moves On.

Sreenivasan - script writer, actor and director, was the sharpest mirror Kerala (cinema) ever held up to itself. He excelled at playing guys who got laughed at on screen while he stayed as the invisible genius behind the scene. Like Socrates annoying the hell out of Athens with uncomfortable truths, Sreenivasan spent the 1980s and 1990s poking Kerala society right where it was faking the truth, through characters who were losers, dreamers, and perpetual underdogs.

While Mohanlal became a superstar playing the charming rogue in films like Nadodikkattu, Pattanapravesham, Gandhinagar 2nd Street or Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam, it was Sreenivasan's scripts that made those characters iconic. He literally built Mohanlal's career in the eighties, all while playing the bumbling sidekick who suffered all the humiliation. The man wrote himself as the butt of every joke and saved the hero moments for others. That takes something rare, the confidence to know your genius doesn't need validation from playing the hero, and the humility to look foolish for the sake of a better story.

Sreenivasan wasn't just cracking jokes for time-pass. Through his scripts and stories his intent was to point out everything that was fake about Kerala society, the pseudo-intellectuals quoting Marx without understanding workers (while playing that pseudo intellectual in Sandesam) , the corrupt politicians wrapping themselves in party flags, the broken education system churning out certificates instead of thinkers, the phonies climbing social ladders on other people's backs. 

His dialogues became memes decades before the internet made memes a thing. Even now, Malayalis quote his lines like they're quoting their own grandfather's wisdom because they cut through pretense without mercy. And even if the man has exited stage left, no one should still say anything about Poland (Polandine patti oraksharam mindarathu!).

What made him dangerous was his refusal to dress up the truth. No diplomatic language, no careful word choice to avoid hurting feelings. His characters said exactly what everyone thought but kept bottled up inside (except in Kannur, where Sreenivasan was from.) Through films like Vadakkunokkiyantram and Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala, he exposed life's casual cruelties, society's convenient double standards, and people's Olympic-level talent for hypocrisy, all while keeping audiences entertained that they forgot they were getting an education.

What separated him from every other satirist was, Sreenivasan never climbed on a soapbox. He understood something fundamental about human nature that most artists miss entirely. The common man doesn't wake up wanting philosophical lectures or moral lessons delivered with a wagging finger. He wants to be told a story. He wants to laugh at something real, recognize himself in a character's failures, and maybe, just maybe, see his own life a little more clearly by the time the credits roll.

And so Sreenivasan became the fool/loser. Not because he lacked the talent to be the hero, but because he understood that truth arrives more gently when it's wrapped in laughter. He made himself small so his ideas could grow large. He took the beatings, the rejections, the humiliations on screen, knowing that somewhere in the audience, someone was seeing their own struggle reflected back and felt alright, there were other people too like them in this world.

In every room he entered, whether as writer, actor, or director, Sreenivasan was the smartest person there. But he had the wisdom to hide that intelligence behind a self-deprecating smile and a character who couldn't catch a break. Because the greatest teachers don't announce their lessons. They tell you a story, make you laugh, and let you discover the truth on your own, long after the laughter fades. 

That's not just craft. That's grace.

SREENIVASAN
April 195? - 20th Dec 2025

P.S - I am lucky our Earth internships overlapped 

Read More

End of Year List - Podcasts I found in 2025

This is my customary end of the year list post, probably the only one this year. Somewhere along our evolutionary path in 21st century, I have also mutated into a headphone wearing biped like many you encounter on subways/buses/sidewalks. I have also became one of those people who listens to books or podcasts more than reading books – a development that would have horrified my younger self. But here we are. 

These days, with AntennaPod (a podcast app ) as my faithful companion, I'm satisfying my intellectual curiosities through my earbuds rather than turning pages. Maybe it's the multitasking appeal, I can absorb fascinating content while fixing dinner on weekdays or taking walks. Or maybe podcasts just hit that sweet spot between casual consumption and serious learning that books sometimes miss.

I've deliberately left out the podcasts I've raved about in previous year-end posts that I continue devouring – the usual suspects like Philosophize This, Memory Palace, 99% Invisible, The Fall of Civilizations etc. This year's list is all about my fresh discoveries, the shows that made 2025 intellectually richer.

Telepathy Tapes with Ky Dickens: This newer podcast had me questioning everything I thought I knew about consciousness and human connection. Dickens explores documented cases of non-speaking individuals with autism communicating telepathically, backing these extraordinary claims with scientific rigor rather than new-age hand-waving. As someone fascinated by the intersection of consciousness and quantum mechanics, I found myself completely absorbed by the implications. It's the kind of podcast that makes you stare at the ceiling at 2 AM wondering about life, universe and everything you think you know but you do not, even though you know the answer is 42, not 67.

The Civil War and Reconstruction with Richard Youngdahl: Sometimes you need a no-nonsense deep dive, and this podcast delivered exactly that. It methodically walks through the entire chronology of America's bloodiest conflict without getting bogged down in academic jargon or trying to be too clever. Perfect for someone like me who appreciates history but doesn't want to slog through a 900-page biography of Grant just to understand Vicksburg.

Heavyweight with Jonathan Goldstein: How did I miss this gem for so long? Jonathan Goldstein's approach to human interest storytelling is absolutely addictive, he helps people resolve decades-old mysteries and interpersonal puzzles with the persistence of a detective and the heart of a therapist. Each episode feels like emotional archaeology, digging up buried family secrets and forgotten friendships. I binged through multiple episodes like they were potato chips, still got a long way to go - which is a good thing.

The Neuron: Since I already subscribe to their newsletter, having the audio version felt like a natural extension. It's become my go-to source for understanding how emerging AI technologies are reshaping our world, delivered without the breathless hype or apocalyptic dread that plagues most AI coverage. Just solid analysis of how these tools are actually changing how we work and think.

The Pie: An Economics Podcast: Economics has become one of my late-blooming intellectual interests, and this offering from the Becker Friedman Institute at UChicago hits the perfect educational sweet spot. They tackle complex economic concepts through varied lenses without assuming you have an MBA, making it ideal for curious minds who want to understand how money actually moves through the world.

ThinkFuture: Chris Kalaboukis manages to marry technology and philosophy in ways that feel natural rather than forced. His exploration of how emerging tech intersects with age-old philosophical questions about human nature and society.

The End of The World with Josh Clark: This 10-episode series from the Stuff You Should Know co-host consumed my attention like an audiobook thriller. Clark examines various apocalyptic scenarios with scientific rigor and dark humor, making existential dread oddly entertaining. It is a very short podcast series which is more like an audiobook. I binged through it in a few days.

Tech Brew Ride Home: My daily dose of Silicon Valley water-cooler gossip, delivered with just enough snark to keep tech news from becoming unbearably dry.

Search Engine with PJ Vogt: Vogt's approach to making sense of our chaotic world one question at a time feels perfectly suited to our current moment of information overload and cultural confusion.

History of Religion by J.A. Graham: Currently working my way through his deep dive into Christianity's origins and evolution. It's academic but accessible. 

There are undoubtedly more podcasts worth mentioning. Maybe that's next year's list. For now, these podcasts have kept my brain happily occupied while my reading pile gathers dust.

Read More

Homebound (Netflix 2025) with Neeraj Ghaywan and Vishal Jethwa

Vishal Jethwa is my actor discovery of the year. I had no clue this guy existed until Netflix dropped Homebound into my weekend queue. What makes his story even more compelling is learning about his journey - a kid raised by a single mother, taking the scenic route that outsiders are forced to navigate in Bollywood, yet still managing to hold his own against the more pedigreed Ishan Khatter (Neelima Azeem's son and Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor's brother).

Vishal Jethwa(l), Ishaan Khatter(r) - a scene from Homebound (2025)

The real kicker though is Homebound marks the triumphant return of Neeraj Ghaywan - my and probably India's rediscovery of the year. Ghaywan, the blogger-film critic ditched his corporate cubicle to chase his filmmaking dreams. His debut film - Masaan back in 2015 wasn't just groundbreaking because it launched Vicky Kaushal into Bollywood (tauba tauba..) it was revolutionary because Ghaywan tackled heavyweight themes like caste, class, and discrimination with the subtlety of a master craftsman and it made its all the way to Cannes and won a couple of awards.

Homebound took him back to Cannes again this year, above is the proof.

What sets Ghaywan apart is his authentic understanding of humiliation and institutional cruelty experienced by the downtrodden and lower caste/class people in India  – the kind that comes from lived experience, not research papers. Although Ghaywan grew up in urban in India of the 80s and 90s, going to prominent schools and almost never came out as 'Dalit' till he entered the film field later in his life. As a Dalit filmmaker, he brings a visceral understanding of what it means to navigate a world designed to keep you out. This is filmmaking from the trenches, created from blood, sweat, and tears rather than market research and focus groups. I have zero patience for fantasy fiction that exists in some make-believe bubble, but Homebound is cinema that matters.

Homebound continues the Ghaywan's unflinching style taking us along the life journey of two lifelong friends – young men from different discriminated backgrounds, one facing religious prejudice, the other caste discrimination. Jethwa and Khatter completely shed their Bollywood personas (though I'm not entirely sure Jethwa had one to shed in the first place) and deliver performances so grounded and vulnerable you forget you're watching actors.

The story unfolds before and during the pandemic, which hit me like a revelation about how differently COVID played out across the globe. All I experienced in my small-town America was minor 'conveniences' like working from home for a month and the great toilet paper shortage scare, India faced something entirely more devastating. The sudden shutdown didn't just pause life – it destroyed livelihoods overnight, forcing millions to walk thousands of miles back home when the entire transportation network collapsed. It was an unnecessary human catastrophe layered on top of an already devastating health crisis.

Throughout the film, B.R. Ambedkar's framed portrait appears like a gentle reminder - the Dalit statesman who studied at Columbia and LSE and architected India's Constitution. His presence in these frames speaks to unfinished promises and the persistent gap between constitutional ideals and street-level reality.

Homebound isn't just probably the best Hindi film of 2025 – it might just be the best, period. It's the kind of movie that reminds you why cinema exists in the first place: to show us ourselves, warts and all, and maybe help us figure out how to be a little more human in the process.

Read More

Ouseppinte Osyathu (2025)

Ouseppinte Osaythu is one of those rare Malayalam films that sneaks up on you. What begins as a taut thriller gradually transforms into something more profound, a deeply human story that lingers long after the credits roll.

The movie rides primarily on the shoulders of Dileesh Pothan, who delivers a performance that reminds you why directors-turned-actors are becoming such a compelling trend in Malayalam cinema these days. But this movie isn't a one-man show by any stretch - Shajon, who could easily be considered a co-lead, matches Pothan's energy with a nuanced portrayal that keeps you invested in the story's emotional core.

Director Sarath Chandran R.J. crafts the narrative with remarkable restraint, allowing the thriller elements to breathe without overwhelming the character development. The film's setting across various towns in Kerala's Idukki district becomes almost a character itself, with the mountainous terrain and small-town dynamics providing an authentic backdrop.

What impressed me most was how the supporting cast elevated every scene they appeared in. Vijayaraghavan, as the family patriarch, brings gravitas without falling into the trap of melodrama that such roles often demand. His presence anchors the film's emotional weight beautifully. Lena, Zarin Shihab, and Hemanth Menon round out the ensemble with performances that feel organic to their characters' world.

The film's greatest strength lies in its understanding of pacing. Where many thrillers rush toward their revelations, Ouseppinte Osaythu takes its time, building tension through character interaction rather than manufactured suspense. By the time the thriller mechanics give way to the story's more human concerns, you're so invested in these people that the genre shift feels natural, even inevitable.

The cinematography captures the beauty of Idukki without romanticizing it, presenting these locations as places where real people live real lives rather than picture-postcard destinations. The technical aspects never draw attention to themselves, which in a film like this is exactly what you want.

If there's a minor quibble, it's that the film occasionally feels a bit too measured in its approach, but that's hardly a fault when the alternative is the breathless pacing that mars so many contemporary thrillers.  In a year where Malayalam cinema has delivered some impressive outings, this film stands out as one of 2025's better offerings.

Read More

Ponman, featuring the "actor" Basil Joseph

Basil Joseph has been having an identity crisis for sometime now or maybe this was his endgame - to be an actor. Basil figured out that the best way to get the exact performance you want is to give it yourself. He hits an incredible home-run with the 2025 movie, Ponman, directed by Jotish Shanker. 

Following in the footsteps of Dileesh Pothan, who made the seamless transition from behind the camera to in front of it, Basil has delivered what might be his strongest acting performance yet in Ponman. It's funny how all these directors are suddenly discovering they can act better than half the people they've been directing.

Ponman arrives as one of 2025's better offerings, showcasing Basil's metamorphosis which has been happening since Jaya Jaya Jaya He (2022). Gone is the slightly awkward energy we've come to associate with his earlier acting attempts - here he's completely comfortable in his skin, delivering dialogue with the kind of natural rhythm that comes from understanding exactly what the scene needs. You can see the director's brain working behind the actor's eyes, but instead of feeling calculated, it feels precise. 

What makes Ponman particularly effective is how Jotish Shanker has positioned it in Kollam and captured the suffocating nuances of the dowry system. This is not just another family drama - it's a surgical examination of how gold becomes the measuring stick for a girl's worth. The entire narrative revolves around the crushing weight of expectation that families work their entire lives to accumulate enough gold ornaments for their daughter's wedding day. 

 The supporting cast, particularly Lijomol and Sajin Gopu, complement Basil's performance without getting overshadowed by his transformation. Lijomol especially brings a quiet dignity to her role. Sajin Gopu, as always, delivers with that effortless naturalism that makes you forget you're watching someone act. 

Jotish Shanker's direction keeps the focus tight on the family dynamics without getting preachy about the social commentary. The dowry system critique emerges organically from the characters' actions rather than through heavy-handed dialogue, which is probably why the movie works as well as it does. By the time the wedding sequences arrive, you're not just watching a celebration - you're watching the culmination of a system that has consumed everyone involved. 

Ponman might not revolutionize Malayalam cinema, but it does what good regional cinema should do, holds up a mirror to a specific community's practices while telling a universally relatable story about family expectations and the price we pay for tradition.

 

 

Read More

Monkey (2025) - another Stephen King story-turned-into-movie

When Stephen King christened his malevolent wind-up monkey back in 1980, he probably didn't envision Theo James wrestling with the cursed thing decades later. But here we are with director Osgood Perkins (fresh off his Longlegs success) bringing this particular nightmare to life. It's about time someone tackled King's shorter works without completely butchering them.

 

The Monkey follows twin brothers Hal and Bill, both played by James in what amounts to a one-man show of familial dysfunction. The premise is deliciously simple, a toy monkey bangs its cymbals and people die in increasingly creative ways. It's King at his most straightforward, which is probably why Perkins manages to keep the adaptation relatively faithful without drowning it in unnecessary subplots.

 

James does solid work carrying the dual role, though the film occasionally stumbles when it can't decide if it wants to be darkly comic or genuinely terrifying. The horror beats land well enough, but the comedy feels forced at times, like watching someone try too hard to make you laugh at a funeral. Perkins has a good eye for atmosphere, but he's still finding his voice as a director - you can see flashes of brilliance buried under what feels like studio-mandated crowd-pleasing moments. The real star here is the monkey itself, a genuinely unsettling piece of practical effects work that puts most CGI creatures to shame. There's something deeply wrong about watching this thing move, and Perkins knows exactly how to frame it for maximum discomfort. King adaptations are tricky beasts, too faithful and they feel stagey, too loose and they lose what made the source material work. The Monkey finds a decent middle ground, even if it doesn't quite reach the heights of King's best screen translations. It's competent horror film making that respects its source without being enslaved by it. A decent and quick onetime watch.

Read More

The Women in Cabin 10: Where Netflix goes from Dumb to Dumber

The Woman in Cabin 10 is Netflix's latest attempt at a psychological thriller, and it is as predictable as they come. Keira Knightley stars as the protagonist who seems hell-bent on being the most insufferable person on a luxury cruise ship, which is quite an achievement considering the typical clientele. The movie follows the classic formula of "everyone's hiding something while the main character loudly points it out to anyone who'll listen." Knightley's character has that particular brand of self-righteousness that makes you wonder if she's ever heard of reading the room. She's like that person at a dinner party who insists on talking politics with your conservative uncle – technically not wrong, but man, does she make it everyone else's problem.

 

What really gets under my skin is how her crusade for truth becomes a collision course for everyone around her. Her ex-boyfriend, played by David Ajala, gets caught in the crossfire of her moral grandstanding. It's the kind of collateral damage that happens when someone decides they're the main character in everyone else's story. The dude's basically there to validate her journey, which feels pretty tired in 2025. The cinematography is decent enough, those ocean shots do their job but the script feels like it was written by someone who binge-watched too many Agatha Christie adaptations during lockdown. Or it is one of those more recent dumbed down scripts. The ending does wrap things up in a way that'll satisfy people who like their justice served with a side of vindication. Without spoiling anything, let's just say virtue gets its reward, even if the path there is littered with unnecessary casualties. It's the kind of resolution that makes you think, "Well, I guess that works," while simultaneously making you question if it was worth the two-hour journey. Bottom line: if you're looking for something to have on while you fold laundry, this'll do. Just don't expect to discover your new favorite thriller. There are better options out there - on Netflix and elsewhere.

Read More

The Man Who Haunted Himself (1970)

The Man Who Haunted Himself is Roger Moore doing something totally different from James Bond. This 1970 psychological thriller shows Moore as Harold Pelham, a buttoned-up London businessman whose life gets turned upside down after a car accident. 

The thing that grabbed me right away was how this movie is basically a time capsule of 1970s London. Many people are wearing proper hats, speaking in that clipped British way that sounds almost old-timey now, and the whole city looks different from what you'd expect. The cars, the clothes, the office buildings - it's all very much of its era. You can practically smell the cigarette smoke and aftershave through the screen.

Moore himself is interesting to watch here. This is the first non-Bond movie of his I've ever seen, and he's playing it completely straight. No winking at the camera, no charm offensive, just a regular guy slowly losing his mind as his life gets hijacked by someone who looks exactly like him. The poor guy goes from boring businessman to paranoid mess, and Moore sells it pretty well. The plot gets pretty wild as Pelham discovers that his mysterious double is living it up - gambling, having affairs, making business deals he never agreed to. It's like someone took his life and turned up all the dials to eleven. The corporate intrigue stuff feels very 1970s & British too, mergers and hostile takeovers in wood-paneled boardrooms are very gentlemanly compared to the slimy dramas taking place in 21st century conference rooms. The movie definitely takes its time building the paranoia, and the ending is dark for what starts as a straightforward thriller. Worth watching if you want to see Moore stretch beyond his comfort zone, or if you're into that whole "what if your life wasn't really your life" thing. Plus, the 1970s London backdrop makes it feel like you're watching a lost episode of some old BBC series.

Read More

Death by Lightning: Netflix's Contribution to U.S History & Politics 101

President James A. Garfield, the college educated farmer & Congressman from Ohio should have played a transformational role in U.S history and politics than the couple of months fate had allowed to helm United States of America in 1881.

Netflix's latest historical offering, "Death by Lightning," brings this forgotten giant of American politics into sharp focus. If you're a student of history and politics, especially of U.S. history like me, we should be thrilled by these contributions Netflix is making towards our historical and political education showcasing some of the forgotten figures that shaped the United States. Garfield holds the unique distinction of being the only sitting member of the House of Representatives to be elected president, and his resume reads like a greatest hits of 19th-century American achievement - preacher, lawyer, Civil War general, and finally, a tragically brief POTUS.

The mini-series, based on Candice Millard's exceptional book "Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President," doesn't shy away from the complexities of both Garfield and his assassin Charles Guiteau. The casting choices are nothing short of spectacular. Michael Shannon's portrayal of Garfield is so convincing, his beard looks eerily similar to the president's historical photographs. Matthew Macfadyen's Guiteau made viewers genuinely uncomfortable each time he appeared on screen - which is precisely what a good portrayal of an unhinged assassin should do. Betty Gilpin delivers a convincing performance as Garfield's wife Crete. Nick Offerman as Chester Arthur is so amazing that Netflix, if you want it, you could almost tease out a sequel based on Arthur's presidency.

What strikes you most about this series is how faithful it remains to historical facts. I am sure the personal moments probably didn't occur exactly as depicted or might not have happened at all, but they help building context and fleshing out each character. Guiteau really did join a free-loving commune and failed spectacularly at everything he attempted in life. Garfield truly was one of the last "log cabin" presidents, rising from poverty through sheer intellect and determination. The assassination attempt itself unfolds with disturbing accuracy - Guiteau hiding the gun in his pocket, the black physician being one of the first doctors on the scene, the pioneering use of the first metal detector on the wounded president.

While the series does not really capture the magnitude of Garfield's popularity and the nation's grief on his assassination, that did not stop me from going digging after binging on this engaging mini-series. His inauguration drew 100,000 people to Washington D.C., while his funeral in Cleveland attracted 150,000 mourners - one of the largest presidential funeral turnouts in U.S. history up to that point. He was mourned as a national hero, his death marking a pivotal moment in American political consciousness.

The 4-part series does take some liberties with period-appropriate language - the liberal use of f-word and phrases like "quality time" that wouldn't appear for another century and feels anachronistic. But these minor quibbles don't detract from the overall impact of seeing this transformational figure brought to life.

Interestingly, Garfield's legacy extends beyond politics into pop culture. Jim Davis named his famous cartoon cat after his own grandfather, James A. Garfield Davis, who was himself named after the President Garfield following his Republican nomination in 1880. The score, composed by the same talent behind Game of Thrones and Iron Man, perfectly complements the dramatic tension.

One of the reasons "Death by Lightning" succeeds is its perfect length. Four episodes allow enough time to develop these historical figures without overstaying its welcome. Perhaps a deeper dive into Garfield's impressive Civil War career would have strengthened our connection to him, but the focus remains laser-sharp on this pivotal moment in American history. As a student of history and politics, this series got me digging deeper into both Garfield's and Chester Arthur's presidencies - exactly what good historical drama should do.

Read More