Insanity

On another doom scroll run Found out, a close friend lost his mother Numb, tears incoming while I text him Some condolences along with my number Don’t know how I’ll help him, but still. A friend shares a funny video I see that right after my existential crisis I laugh at the video The tears still waiting to be realised Maybe shocked, at the sudden plot twist. The open screen in front of me Suddenly hits me on the head I prioritise the impending week ahead Of Monday blues

Radha Blank Defies Time, Embraces Vulnerability In 'The Forty-Year-Old Version'

“Dark, f***ed up, seedy-ass tenements The roof is where gangs rape old ladies just for sentiment, yeah Now this s**t is getting real ghetto prolific Ain’t no hipsters gentrifying Gotta keep this s**t authentic” The moment Radha put on her headphones, flipped open her notepad and blurted out the lines mentioned above, it sounded like a scream of catharsis. She was meant for this and suddenly the black and white scene from Blank’s movie The Forty-Year-Old Version seemed to light up in a s

The Relevance of Manto's 'Mottled Dawn' in Today's World

‘He is not dead. There is still life left in him.’ ‘O leave it, my friend, I am exhausted.’ Exhausted. That’s how many of us have been feeling lately. This isn’t something that only those part of the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests are feeling, or those devastated by the recent bloodbath in Northeast Delhi. Or perhaps, even the pro-CAA contingent and the police personnel. As Indians, we are all writhing in anger, anxiety and maybe a certain sense of unending anguish, worrying about

My Emotional Intelligence: An ongoing journey

The more I read, listen, and then speak, the more I am learning that I am not a single entity, but a small part of a greater collective of people. Yes, I have my own personal goals, interests, but I am beginning to realise that all of this is rooted and embedded with the people who are around me. A very minute percentage of these aspirations can be fulfilled if I don't have the relevant stakeholders helping me at the right time. This is where emotional intelligence (EI) comes into play. I just

Musings of an Anti-National

I live in a country which was founded on love and faith But now I’m being taught to fear and hate Come share with me this collective fate Where the people are prisoners by the will of the state. I feel numb, succumbed by these insecurities Where the roads are wet with the blood of minorities The rich are safe in their high security Tearing us apart with corrupt authority. Sometimes I think I’m living a nightmare How easy it is to kill, but so tough to care? You killed a man who

How Gully Boy is inspiring me to push myself everyday

I am a movie lover and I have always perceived certain film characters as my teachers rather than mere actors pulling off a script in brilliant fashion. Andy Dufresne from Shawshank Redemption, Micheal Corleone from Godfather, Bruce Wayne from Batman to name a few, have given me invaluable life teachings which I try to incorporate everyday. Recently another character of a movie joined the above list of on-screen personas who is affecting my life incredibly, everyday. Murad aka. Gully Boy (playe

Adapt: My Mumbai episode till now...

Recently we got some framed pictures of motivational quotes in our office. It's a new office so naturally people are quite excited to start a new journey as our company rises through the ranks. Just behind my desk, I have the "Think outside the box" quote while other pillars have frames comprising of "If not now...when?" and the often heard "Your only limit is you." We even have a quote by Stanley Kirk Burrell aka. MC Hammer! Quite the thug life we are living here. Mumbai is the fourth metro c

Why admitting mistakes in a company builds trust and fosters learning?

As a part of my job in content marketing, I write social media content for anything which goes on the online platforms. Seemed like an easy task at first as I am quite active on social media myself on a personal front, but it wasn't to be so. Writing for a company is not that easy always, at least for me. On one occasion I wrote a caption for a particular event which was posted on the company's official social media page as well. My supervisor saw the caption and I was called and posed with que

Debate: 'Gully Boy' is Not About Identity – And That's Okay

These pieces are in response to the piece”‘Gully Boy’ Strips Hip-Hop of Its Crucial Link With Identity”, published on The Wire on February 23, 2019. While I strongly appreciate the value of identity-based representations, Pranav Kuttaiah’s article fails to explain why identity formation cannot take place on economic lines, a unique and unifying element in slums across India. While Gully Boy may have passed over explicit caste references, it expressed quite well the entrenched occupational hered

Debate: In Defence of Sanjay Dutt and 'Sanju'

Since June 29, Indian theatres have been filling up with people – all there to watch Raj Kumar Hirani’s biopic of the controversial Sanjay Dutt, starring Ranbir Kapoor. This is not a review, instead, I want to talk about something I read recently – an article, titled ‘Sanju is no saint. He is a convicted criminal caught with AK-56′. The crux of the article is based on two things. One, a paragraph from a 1994 chargesheet from the illegal arms case, produced from a judgment issued by a  constitut

It’s time to exercise patience, or stop calling for a legacy at Chelsea

This word at this point in time is a centre piece of the Premier League. With Pep Guardiola winning the league title in emphatic fashion, it is claimed to be the start of a legacy in the blue half of Manchester. In London, a legacy comes to an end after 22 long years, as Arsene Wenger calls time on his reign at the Emirates. At Chelsea, this word gets thrown around a lot as well. José Mourinho was ready for a(nother) legacy after 2015’s title win, but in more general terms, whenever we appoint

Jerome and Jeremiah: The Duality Of Gotham’s Jokers

Jerome and Jeremiah: The Duality Of Gotham’s Jokers Gotham is one of those series which I acquired a taste for during the time I was watching it. It was like beer, something I did not like when I first experienced it but eventually when I started drinking it regularly, I ended up loving it. I was quite skeptical of the series at first because simply the characters did not pull me. Even the pilot episode, something which I always think is the “hook” with which a series grabs the viewer, was not

5 Arrested After 14-Month-Long Probe Into Russian Embassy Cocaine Smuggling

An Argentine police official and a former Russian diplomat were among the five people arrested following a 14-month-long investigation, which started after hundreds of pounds of cocaine were found at the Russian Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2016, authorities said Thursday. According to a report by the New York Times, Patricia Bullrich, Argentina’s minister of security, reportedly said during a news conference Thursday, “We have dismantled an international cocaine trafficking organizat

Father Allegedly Raped, Assaulted Twin Sisters And Impregnated One Of Them Twice

Two sisters with diminished mental and behavioral capabilities were allegedly raped, beaten and starved for long periods, and held captive in chains by their father in their home in south Minneapolis. According to a report by Star Tribune, criminal complaints and court filings alleged that the twin sisters were abused for many years until one of them escaped from the residence and informed the police authorities about the incident in May 2017. The father of the twins, Jerry Lee Curry, 51, was

Carroll County Plane Crash Kills Everyone Onboard Cessna, Police Say

A plane, which was flying from Indianapolis to Green Bay, Wisconsin, crashed in Carroll County, Indiana, Thursday night. According to a report by WRTV, an ABC-affiliated television station, the Cessna 441 plane crashed in a field near the County Road 600S and 500W north of the town of Rossville, Indiana. The plane took off from Eagle Creek Airpark in Indiana just before 7:30 p.m CST (8:20 p.m. EST). There were at least three people on board the plane, WRTV reported. According to Indiana State

NYPD Officer, Accused Of Sex With Teen, Made Videos Of Sexual Encounters

A New York Police Department (NYPD) officer from Bronx, New York City, who was accused of having sexual intercourse with a 15-year old girl and having a threesome with the teen and his adult girlfriend who is a sister of the minor, took videos of his numerous sexual encounters, police authorities said Wednesday. According to a report by New York Daily News, investigating detectives discovered videos and photos of sexual encounters of the accused NYPD officer Raul Olmeda, 40, on his home compute

Doctors Remove World’s Largest Brain Tumor Weighing Almost 4 Pounds

Doctors in India have successfully removed what is believed to be the world’s largest brain tumor, weighing 1.8 kg (3.96 pounds), from a man. According to a report by The Hindu, a six-hour surgery was performed on Santlal Pal, 31, by doctors at the Nair Hospital, Mumbai, on Feb. 14. The doctors said that the tumor resulted in Pal losing his eyesight but hoped that he would regain his vision now. Pal, post-surgery, is recovering in the intensive care unit at the hospital and is in stable conditi

University Students Protest White Nationalist Rally Which Was Actually A Hoax

The students of the University of North Carolina (UNC), Chapel Hill, came out to protest against a rumored white nationalist rally Wednesday, which later turned out to be a hoax. Kevin Guskiewicz, the dean of the UNC’s College of Arts & Sciences sent a message Tuesday to other deans and department chairpersons, which said “individuals not affiliated with UNC-Chapel Hill” would be conducting a “Rally for Nationalism.” Guskiewicz also wrote he was not able to confirm if the rally would take plac

Man Attempted Kidnap, Rape Of Coffee Shop Worker, Gained Access Using Window

A man carrying a knife came through the window of a coffee shop in Kent, Washington, early Tuesday and attempted to kidnap and rape a barista, police officials said. The attacker came to the window of the Hottie Shots Espresso located at 21237, 84th Ave .S. around 4:45 a.m. PST (7:45 a.m. EST) and ordered a drink from the woman working at the coffee shop. Madeline Guinto, 30, a resident of Bonney Lake, Washington said she started to get the order ready when the man climbed through the window,

Who Is Mujahid Ramzziddin? Off-Duty Cop Fatally Shot Trying To Save Neighbor

An off-duty police officer was fatally shot in Maryland, Wednesday morning, when he “stepped in to protect a woman threatened in a domestic situation," officials of Prince George’s County Police Department said. Corporal Mujahid Ramzziddin, 51, a former Marine and the recipient of the Medal of Valor was shot by Glenn Tyndell, 37, a resident of Brandywine, Maryland. Tyndell was then shot and killed during a police confrontation. Prince George’s County Police Chief Hank Stawinski said, “He [Ramz
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