A Digital Garden of Things That Interest Me
Padmaavat: Rewatched this with the kids and once again got reminded of how overrated Bhansali as a moviemaker is. And this Bollywood fixation with Rajput valour comes across as a comical farce. John Adams: I didn’t have the time to read David McCollough’s biography of John Adams so instead tried watching the adaptation which is … Continue reading What I Watched – October 2026
Just Like Heaven: When was the last time I watched a Rom-Com? I should do more of this. Need more of such well-made syrupy stuff in life. Franklin: I began this anticipating it to be an entertaining capsule of Franklin's eventful mission to Paris. But the dark tones of the cinematography and the shallow script … Continue reading What I Watched – September 2026
I just finished Steinbeck’s ‘East of Eden’. The 850-page book is being adapted for the small screen, and the seven-episode series is dropping on Netflix in October. After reading this, I can confirm that Steinbeck’s best work is definitely ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ which I wrote about earlier. But nevertheless, the book kept me engaged. … Continue reading The Church and the Brothel: Steinbeck’s American West in ‘East of Eden’
In the 84 years that he lived, from 1706-90, the following is a non-exhaustive list of inventions/experiments/topics that Benjamin Franklin dabbled in: Positive and negative electrical charge terminology Hypothesis that lightning is electricity Kite experiment on atmospheric electricity Lightning rod Lightning-protection systems for buildings Idea of electrical grounding, Concept of capacitors and batteries Observation that … Continue reading Benjamin Franklin
Satluj: Wrote about this here. The Agency (Season 2): Worth watching as it takes off from where it left us in Season 1. Great Expectations (1946): Wrote about this here Great Expectations (1998): Wrote about this here Patriot: Malayalam cinema is slowly learning to make slick flicks. But the writing needs a lot more improvement. … Continue reading What I Watched – August 2026
The Classics bug has taken hold of me and I decided to continue the streak with Dickens. My choice was Great Expectations, based on the feedback from this Reddit thread on Charles Dickens' 'best work'. There’s a special kind of joy in reading Dickens. While he’s never in the league of the great Russian masters, … Continue reading Great Expectations
I watched Satluj a few weeks ago and was disappointed by its overall treatment of a complex subject like Punjab’s militancy. Until the movie hit the headlines, I knew next to nothing of Jaswant Singh Khalra. This full-page profile by the Indian Express was one of the best introductions to the case and Khalra’s life. … Continue reading ‘Satluj’
The Fabelmans: I wasn't too keen to watch it but am happy that I did. Spielberg based it on his own childhood and had to wait for his parents' death to finally make it. It's not easy to make a movie in which your mother's infidelity is and the subsequent unraveling of the family is … Continue reading What I Watched – July 2026
In 1881, America was a relatively young country while Europe was associated with grandeur, heritage and an aristocratic culture shaped by centuries of history. The psychological complexity of America’s engagement with this was the heart of Henry James’ fiction. He was the brother of the equally famous psychologist William James and the two of them … Continue reading Isabel Archer in ‘The Portrait of a Lady’
Emily Wilson’s translation of Homers ‘Odyssey’ is excellent and I was engrossed in the epic over the last few days. Around a decade back, I had read the Robert Fagles translation and even after this reading my opinion of the epic hasn’t changed much. The Odyssey is overrated. I also understand that a lot of … Continue reading Some thoughts on ‘The Odyssey’