Monthly Review: June 2024
I was compiling a few things at regular intervals in June that would eventually go into this blog post but was busy (or was this not on my priority list) towards the end of the month, which made me publish this today, the first of July. A few months back, I made this rule — if I don’t publish the monthly blog post on the first of next month, I shouldn’t be publishing it afterwards. Harsh deadlines, but yeah, I felt it was needed to take away my procrastination. Hopefully, I’ll be back on track soon!
Now, moving on with the monthly reflection, I did have fun this month, in terms of meeting family, friends, and colleagues. I went to my hometown for a few days and met with my extended family, cousins and elders with whom I had fun. We had two events within a week, and it was great meeting my family, having fun banter and a gossip session! I avoided carrying my laptop there to be completely present with them, play with kids, and have fun! I realized I’d be happier by meeting my family at regular intervals!
Also, I met with my friends from the 11th and 12th classes a few times in June. It was amazing to be back with them frequently, and playing cricket with them. We played for 3–4 weekends in Hyderabad in multiple areas and went to cafes that I’ve never been to, in Hyderabad. It was good to meet friends, trolling each other while playing cricket, and difficult to leave them.
Speaking of cricket, I played more in June than in the last few years. I played with multiple friend groups and endured little pains in my shoulders and legs. But the sleep after playing for a good amount of time is incomparable. I have enjoyed playing cricket and wish to play more in the coming days.
Coming to taking care of health, we had a health challenge again in our company. This time, it was a little different — we had to complete 5 activities per week, over 30 days, and complete 1000 minutes overall. So, consistency and effort are required. I did a mix of activities as a part of this — went to Cult, did home workouts at times, walked a few times, and went swimming as well (I couldn’t add the swimming part in that health challenge as I couldn’t track the time). Physically it was draining and I was more active in June, doing various things, and engaging in group activities too!
Did I say group activities?! Oh yes, I went to a cafe with friends where BoarDrama was organizing a Board Games evening. We were three and played a few games with others as well. It was fun throughout, and we look forward to more such gaming sessions. It was a strange experience for me that turned out well.
Overall, I was more putting myself out there — taking part in activities and having fun with friends — than I had time to overthink multiple things. So, I found a way to keep myself busy instead of fretting!
Now, moving on to the regular things — movies, books, etc.
Movies
Though I started off slowly and found it difficult to watch movies, I was able to watch a good number of movies this month, both at the cinemas and at home.
I started with The Terminal by Steven Spielberg. We only have one life, so let’s make it joyful by keeping our chin up and facing all situations with a smile — this is my key takeaway from the film. I thought I’d forward this movie and finish it soon, but I was teary-eyed at a few scenes and smiling at the lead character’s antics and circumstances. I loved this film because it instils hope and makes it light for the heart.
Last month, I had a conversation with a family friend on KV Anand, and we admired his pacy screenplay and his take on the contemporary world — crime, media, and politics. We discussed Brothers (Maattrraan), and that made me watch the movie again. I liked the premise but the movie felt too convoluted and there’s a lot of translation happening in the film that put me off. The sound design is off too — we can’t hear the dialogue for most of the scenes in the second half due to the background score. Although I wanted to watch it, it wasn’t a great experience. I don’t know the reasons, but I wish they had had enough time during the post-production of the movie to make it better.
Dil Chahta Hai
I started watching this movie but couldn’t get past the first twenty-odd minutes. I should be more focused on watching movies at home, I thought. Maybe after I return home!
Delhi Belly
I’ve had this film on my list for a long time now but was postponing it because I couldn’t find a good quality of this film. I compromised and saw this on YouTube (the quality is awful), but I found it interesting. The plot, dark comedy, and language made it fun watch for me. I’m a sucker for crime/dark comedies and loved this film.
Maharaja
I watched this movie without knowing anything about the film. One of the best films I’ve seen this year. It has a clever screenplay that makes it an interesting watch. I was slightly taken aback by the way the filmmaker treated this film as an action thriller but I have no complaints. This film reminded me of two more films from Tamil Cinema — Gargi and Chiththa. The screenplay structure is good, complemented by the actors, especially Vijay Sethupathi who gives a bit by bit, taking us into the story and revealing the incident. His eyes, voice modulation and body language add to his performance a lot, especially during comedy and emotional scenes.
Kalki 2898 AD
This is one of the best theatrical experiences I’ve had in recent years. I watched it on release day in a theatre that’s known for celebrations. I went with my friend and screamed for a few scenes, especially about Amitabh Bachchan.
I’ve been a fan of Mahabharata since childhood — those grey characters, revenge stories, and elevations with strong emotional drama engage me whenever I read a version, listen to someone narrating it, or watch a good adaptation of it. Having seen a few Hollywood films like Dune, I wished our folks here would make movies on that scale and visual appeal. I loved it!
Though the movie has a few flaws in writing (not having an emotional connection is one) and okayish songs, I just ignored them like Nagi ignored Disha Patani after the song. Among all the reasons, the major pull for me was Kamal acting in a straight Telugu film after ages. Also, his reading of Sri Sri’s Poetry towards the end of the film is a different high for me, given that he had worked with Sri Sri for Akali Rajyam, and in one of the Big Boss episodes, he recited the same poetry! I’m looking forward to hearing more about Kalki, especially more about both Amitabh and Kamal.
Fleabag
I had this on my list for a long time and finally watched it over a few days in June. I loved it — the writing, performance, and breaking of the fourth wall — I enjoyed it a lot while watching this series. I’ll probably rewatch it again.
Moving on to books now — I completed one book and am reading another now.
An Ordinary Life
This book is a memoir by Nawazuddin Siddique. It is not as good as the others in the same genre. Apparently, this book was withdrawn within weeks of its release owing to controversies. I skimmed through a few chapters and skipped a few others. There are a few paragraphs on the assignments he used to have at NSD for acting that are good. Other than that, I couldn’t find anything great in this book.
Vanara by Anand Neelakantan
One of my friends, Nageshwar, suggested that I read this book when he saw me reading Shikhandi. He even gave a little context about the book, and as you know, I couldn’t resist ordering it. I started reading it a few days ago and am still reading it. I liked the way he humanized the story and made it contemporary. I will complete reading it soon and share more thoughts.
And we won the T20 World Cup!!!! 🎉 I was with friends, watching the nail-biting match with utmost tension. We all celebrated, and we slept happily.
I binge-watched a few episodes of Shark Tank while having food, and found this interesting.
And this weird
Among all other episodes. And yes, I watched the Sippline episode again 😀
And yeah, we are towards the end of the blog post now. June had it all — burning temperatures, cool winds, cloudy skies, and unexpected rains, similar to the range of moods and emotions I’ve had! I wish July turns out better for every one of us 😀
Until next time…
