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’
The Housemaid: I predicted the twist in this 'psychological thriller' within a few minutes. I liked Sweeney. There's something in her, probably her droopy eyes? Dossier 137: What a movie! The quality of a democracy is driven by the integrity and professionalism of its institutions. An investigator investigating police misdemeanors tracks the propagators of a … Continue reading What I Watched – June 2026
Perfect Days: Wrote about this here Vaastuhara: Aravindan's last movie. A friend of mine, while helping her parents shift residences from Delhi to Kolkata, reset a password for her dad as 'Vaastuhara' - The Dispossessed. Reminded of the movie that I probably watched decades ago, I found it on YouTube. Mohanlal at his peak, a … Continue reading What I Watched – May 2026
Earlier this month, I saw a few scenes of ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ when my daughters were glued to it. There’s this scene where Miranda Priestley (Meryl Streep) puts Andy Sachs (Anne Hatheway) in her place when she expresses disdain and nonchalance over some high-end luxury garment. In the space of a few minutes, Priestley … Continue reading Luxury, Desire, Economics: The World Behind ‘The Devil Wears Prada’
