Ramblings of a 20something girl

Life imitates art far more than art imitates life.  This quote from an essay by Oscar Wilde went through my mind when I saw an article in the newspaper (mentioned below) after watching the movie  Sthanarthi Sreekuttan.  . Sthanaarthi Sreekuttan is a Malayalam movie directed by Vinesh Viswanath in his debut, starring Aju Varghese, Saiju Kurup, Kannan Nayar, Anand Manmadhan, and Johny Antony, among others. The film follows the story of 7th-grade students at   K.R. Narayanan U.P. School in Kerala.  Sreekuttan (our hero), along with his best friends  Sharat, Anoop, and Anas, are the backbenchers of the class; t hey don't like to study (like every other kid), and would rather be out playing cricket or pulling pranks and inevitably getting into trouble. There is a constant struggle between this group and the good kids in the class, with whom they are always compared by the teachers. The most studious one, Ambadi, is their direct competition.  The main ...

It's July of 2025, and it's time for my annual review of movies I watched last year. The movies released last year were extremely interesting. No points for guessing which Indian film industry shone through last year ( hint: it's not the Hindi film industry :p) Honestly, there were so many good movies I watched last year, it took me a lot of effort to pick just a few for this list due to space constraints. Anyway, if you don't find your favorite movie here, don't fret. I might have watched it, or I will in 10 years :p  Now that it's here, read on!  Malayalam Of course, I will start with the Malayalam film industry (it's my bias, I know). The Malayalam film industry went through an absolute whirlwind last year, with its back-to-back record-breaking successes. Were there bad movies too? Oh, absolutely! But here's my list of movies that made me laugh, cry, and go through all sorts of emotions!  1. Premalu    I didn't like this film (JK!). It's a mo...

There are a few movies that come along once in a while and really sweep you off your feet. "Laapata Ladies"  (2023) is one of them. An absolute gem directed by Kiran Rao and produced by Aamir Khan films, this movie is easily one of my favorites from this year. Heads up, there may be spoilers ahead! Set in 2001 in India, this story revolves around two girls (Ladies, if you will) who get caught in an accidental swap and embark on a journey of self discovery. The movie starts with Deepak and his wife, Phool who board a train to go to his family's house. Phool wears her traditional lehenga and covers herself with the veil, as married women are not supposed to show their faces to non- family members. The day they board the train is considered very auspicious; hence, it is crowded with other brides and grooms (all married on the auspicious day), going to their respective houses . At night, when they reach the station, Deepak in a hurry, takes Phool's hand and exits the trai...