Keep it simple silly!

Female solidarity. An incredibly powerful and important thing that we all need in this patriarchal world that we continue to live in. Yet, there is so little representation of the same in books, on television, or in the movies.  I have had the privilege of experiencing strong female solidarity which I owe to some incredibly talented, kind, and generous women I am lucky to call friends and acquaintances. From dissecting female portrayals in movies to ranting about sexism in public places, they are always there to lend me an ear. They are proof that the oft repeated “Women cannot be friends” belief is nothing but a myth. Which is why I love Sex Education ’s Episode 7 from Season 2.  I re-watched that episode today and powerful emotions hit me all over again, leaving me almost as teary eyed as I was the first time I watched it. The series follows a bunch of high school students in Britain who are discovering their own desires, sexualities, and understanding their bodies while als...

Over the years, I have realised that my patience for small talk has been dwindling quite rapidly. While I do not wish to socialise as much as I used to 7 or 8 years ago, I do enjoy meaningful conversations. It becomes all the more engaging when such conversations revolve around the work that I do which I am passionate about. That is exactly what I was able to do for about 3 months, thanks to the SI (Swedish Institute) Leader Lab. The Leader Lab is a program that I had been selected for, where young leaders from across different countries working towards gender advocacy could get together to learn from each other's experiences, explore the different cultural contexts we all worked in, and learn from experts in the field.  One of the things I am most grateful for in my life is to have wonderfully kind and generous people around me. One such friend told me about this program which she had been a part of and thought I might be interested. Some reading up later, I filled out the applica...

Ever since the pandemic hit, the days and months have become a lot more challenging and difficult for everyone in different ways. While a lot of people have struggled with keeping their means of earning alive and putting food on their tables, others with privilege (such as myself) find it challenging to keep negativity at bay and focus on menial, day-to-day tasks. During such difficult times, a heartwarming movie can offer much needed relief and distraction from reality. I recently revisited one such gem that filled me with awe and love for the movie all over again. A movie that released two decades ago, but that still holds up well in today’s day and age.  Rhythm (2000) directed by Vasanth was set largely in Mumbai and centered around the lives of a journalist, Karthikeyan (played by Arjun) and a bank employee, Chitra (played by Meena). After bumping into each other accidentally a few times, they become friends and start opening up to each other about their past lives, only to re...