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Why is it that every time we go to the cinema, we’re funnelled out the back door at the end? Always down some long flight of stairs, usually dank, dim, and slightly dirty. You walk in through a grand entrance, but leave like you’ve done something wrong. It feels like a walk of shame for making the effort to watch the movie.
Couples should eat from one plate at weddings if they truly care about their friend. Weddings are expensive. Catering costs are set by the plate. Two plates says you came for the buffet. One plate says solidarity. If you love them, you should adjust; you don’t need separate plates of paneer for emotional support. The least you can do is share rice. If that feels like too much, maybe you’re not that close.
And another thing: Fifteen minutes late should be considered punctual in Mumbai. If you’re exactly on time, people get suspicious, like you didn’t encounter traffic or existential resistance.
Wes Anderson’s movies, at this point, are just a Pinterest board. The symmetry, colours, and whimsy remain instantly recognisable, but the stories themselves often feel thin, even incidental. The fact that his entire body of work has been flattened into endlessly replicated Instagram templates is further proof of that.
Please. No more “unfiltered” podcasts. Every unfiltered podcast is just three random people, discovering words as they tumble out of their mouths while recording. Unfiltered used to mean something sensational, something scandalous even. Now, it means you didn’t prepare, you’re not listening to each other, there’s no one brave enough to interrupt you, and you didn’t have the budget to get this edited. Much like the water in Indore, we need our podcasts filtered.
Indian documentaries have consistently outperformed much of our fiction cinema. They’ve travelled better, landed stronger at international festivals, and picked up serious awards along the way. It’s adventurous, politically alert, and emotionally rigorous. And yet, it remains unfairly slept on at home.
Fashion doesn’t have an inclusivity problem; it has an ageism problem. The industry isn’t youthful. It is panicked about growing old, papering over that fear with buzzwords, token casting, and earnest captions, while designing almost exclusively for bodies that haven’t yet lived, changed, or asked for comfort. The joke is that fashion’s most dependable customers are women over 40, with taste, confidence, and serious spending power. But they’re treated like an embarrassment, rather than the backbone of the business. If your clothes only work on a 23-year-old body, that isn’t modern, it’s unimaginative. Real inclusion requires money, intelligence, and proper pattern-making; tokenism is cheaper, which explains the industry’s enthusiasm for it. Age-blind branding is cowardice in good lighting. Do better.
Writer’s block is bullshit. Read Lenin. Dude is thirsting for a revolution, priming you almost. Writing is so much more doable than that.
Celebrity photography works best when it feels mildly inappropriate. Not scandalous, just too real. Dressing like a disgraced socialite is back. I’m here for this, because Kate Moss in her 20s was so unhinged and unbothered – with her 100-hour parties, tired eyes, imperfect posture. That moment felt unscripted. The strongest images now feel less like an untouchable fantasy and more like you’ve stumbled onto something you weren’t meant to see.
Andaz Apna Apna works best when you’re watching it in bits on TV, not all at once like a proper film. Drop in, catch a few scenes, laugh, move on — it’s perfect that way. Sitting through the full three hours can get tiring. Every scene is basically a long joke-off, everyone trying to outdo each other. Comedy needs breaks. After a point, the movie’s humour just keeps coming with no pause.
And another thing: A lot of the love stories from the 1990s and 2000s were just as toxic as Kabir Singh or Animal, we were just younger and far more accepting of it. The stalking, the control, the emotional manipulation… it all got a free pass because there was a beautiful soundtrack playing. Nostalgia has a very selective memory.
Mustard oil isn’t a flavour, it’s a solution. Yes, it’s sharp. Yes, it announces itself. That’s the point. It adds heat, depth, and character without asking permission. Not everything needs to be subtle or polite. Sometimes food needs backbone. Mustard oil brings that. Most cuisines would be better if they stopped being scared of it.
Why is popcorn a movie snack? It’s easily the loudest thing you can eat in a quiet theatre. Imagine being on the edge of your seat watching an intense suspense scene and someone in the audience ruins it with a crackle. Or listening to an amazing musical sequence in theatre but someone adds their own beat as they bite. I think Bring Your Own Snacks could genuinely help Indian theatres. Better food, less overpriced stress, happier audiences.
People would rather spend ₹2,000 on a movie than ₹500 on an indie concert. That feels a bit wild. A film ticket is treated like a no-brainer, while live music somehow needs justification. Two hours in a theatre feels worth it, but discovering a new artist in real time feels optional. We say we love supporting art, but only when it comes neatly packaged, familiar, and already validated. Risk is cheap. Curiosity, apparently, isn’t.
People need to start being better friends. Show up. Reply on time. Check in without needing a crisis as an excuse. Friendship isn’t something you keep on standby for when life slows down. It needs effort, attention, and basic kindness. Most friendships don’t fall apart because of big drama, they fade because people stop trying. And honestly, trying a little harder would fix a lot.
Pop culture has started moving faster than thought, and it feels emptier because of it. Trends and algorithms are built for instant approval. Nothing gets the time to sit, confuse or breathe. Art used to arrive a little late and ask uncomfortable questions. Now it shows up early, blends into the room, takes a few selfies, goes viral, and disappears. It’s everywhere all at once, and still leaves nothing behind.
There’s no such thing as being discovered. Every actor who becomes a star wanted it, desperately, and worked toward it long before anyone noticed. The idea that success just happens to people is comforting, but it’s rarely true. People don’t accidentally end up famous. They aim for it, even if they pretend otherwise.
And another thing: The most beautiful (and also the most annoying) thing about acting is that you don’t actually have to be trained to be a good one. Acting doesn’t always reward effort or education; it rewards instinct, presence, and timing. It’s humbling and irritating in equal measure.
The idea of the “performative male” is not that bad. It is kind of nice when a guy makes an effort just to impress someone. It’s cute. Everyone’s performing anyway — taste, confidence, depth, personality. We’re all trying to show up as slightly better versions of ourselves. So, is it some big moral failure? I think it can also be just effort. And effort is the point.
And another thing: In a movie, just because there’s a lot of yelling doesn’t mean it’s a powerful scene. Sometimes it’s just… loud. Volume isn’t depth.
K-beauty is trendy, but it still doesn’t beat the quieter French pharmacy brands. After I visited South Korea a few months ago, I got curious about their skincare, beauty clinics and treatments. I wanted to see how they compared to those in other countries. The Korean products are well formulated, exceptionally well-marketed, and sometimes overpriced. French pharmacy brands perform better, often at a lower price.
And another thing: Most new products in the beauty industry are, honestly, just news ways to sell. Makeup has existed for hundreds of years without these many categories. Although technology and formulation evolve and improve over time, at the end of the day, it’s just paint, packaged differently so it can be bought again.
Most radical contemporary art is actually very polite. We keep calling work “disruptive”, but if it fits neatly into an art fair booth, passes three committees, and sells before the opening, it’s not rebellion; it’s good manners in expensive shoes. The art world pretends to hate money while being exquisitely trained to smell it.
A collab isn’t two artists’ names with an X in it. It takes two artists to jam together and share their energies to make the song shine. Collaboration takes chemistry, listening, and honesty. And if it doesn’t work out, they should have it in them to shake hands and say “maybe next time’ instead of releasing the song.
Self-care is not buying expensive candles after being exploited at work all week. Lighting candles won’t cancel your burnout. Real self-care is far less Instagrammable: Getting some sunlight, taking an actual walk, sitting with your thoughts, and drawing better boundaries. Log off on time, say no without guilt, and rest without earning it. That’s how you really do self-care.
And another thing: Your detox diet is a scam. Your liver and kidneys already do all the detoxing you’ll ever need, for free. “Detox diets” and “detox drinks” just make you poop aggressively and dehydrate yourself. If something promises to flush toxins in three days, please skip.
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