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Tourist Family (2025) Movie Review

1–2 minutes

Late to review, Tourist Family, but I’m so glad I didn’t miss it. It’s a heartwarming film that makes time fly though it runs for 2.5 hours (as stated, maybe with deleted scenes), it never feels too long. I think, in theatres, it was just 2 hours.

The director has thoughtfully added a positive touch to almost every scene. While it might seem real in today’s world, the core message is powerful. It only takes one person to spark a wave of kindness. Every character adds their own drop to this ocean of goodness.

That doesn’t mean the movie avoids darker themes. It honestly explores misunderstandings, hatred, loneliness, death, and anger but it also shows how to face and heal from them. The relationships are beautifully portrayed. The bond between couples including the old ones, the father-son duo, moments of short-lived love, and instances of honesty and compassion.

Some films drag on for 3 hours without purpose. Tourist Family uses its time well. The message is clear. I shouldn’t say it as message but we might feel it. Be kind, give people the benefit of doubt, and have the tough conversations with your family. Peace follows when we learn to hold space for each other.

Special mention to the character Mulli, who truly stands out. Awesome, seriously !!! And the older couple, they quietly steal a place in your heart.

I won’t spoil anything, but don’t just scroll past the reels on social media. Go watch it in the theatre if you can. it’s worth it! I am not sure of the OTT platform.

Cheers

PS: Happy Weekend

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Is It Really Worth It?

1–2 minutes

Sometimes a question pops up, is this worth spending on? The first thing that usually comes to mind is money. Understandably so. But lately, it feels like we’ve been spending something even more valuable without noticing.

In a world that runs on tech, notifications, and algorithms, attention is the new prize. It’s not just about buying things anymore. It’s about what we’re quietly giving away.

Time, maybe. But more than that, energy!

And it’s strange, how easy it is to drift. A scroll here, a reel there and the day’s already feeling lighter, not in a good way. What we engage with doesn’t always cost money, just a bit of bandwidth…and maybe a lot of ourselves.

Not saying there’s a perfect system. But maybe it helps us to pause once in a while. To notice where things go. What feels good. What doesn’t. What returns something, and what just drains us. Sometimes, it’s about trusting ourselves to know the difference between genuine depletion/draining and necessary mental meandering.

Because at the end of the day, attention is the new currency! (Oops, singing Currency, distracted!)

Delegation and Decrement might help!

Cheers

Check out the previous post: On Resistance

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On Resistance

1–2 minutes

There’s a kind of resistance that isn’t noble. It doesn’t strengthen or shape us. It only burns quietly. This resistance is subtle, not always obvious as a battle. Often, it’s simply refusing to feel the guilt, fear, sadness, or even happiness. Anything that feels overwhelming, sudden, or strange.

We think resisting helps us stay in control. But it creates tension. The more we avoid, the more friction we feel. This inner conflict splits us. One part feels. The other part resists. And that gap creates more suffering than the emotion itself.

What helps is not control, but collaboration. Letting emotions pass through, instead of pushing them away. Not everything needs to be fixed. Some things just want space.

Resistance is heavy. Acceptance is light.

But this binary between resistance and acceptance might itself be limiting or hard. What’s needed is discernment! Knowing which emotions to lean into, which to hold lightly, and which to simply notice without getting caught up.

Sometimes the kindest choice is neither to fight a feeling nor surrender to it fully, but to sit with it and decide how to engage.

Cheers

PS: Acceptance isn’t easy-peasy!

Check out the previous post: Co-Regulating with a Ghost!

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Co-Regulating with a Ghost!

2–3 minutes

We are entering an age where conversations with AI don’t just assist us, they soothe us. Reflect us. Hold space for us. Its like an mirror, digital mirror maybe? The machine listens better than most humans, responds without judgment, and wraps our spiraling thoughts in language so precise! Cool !

But is it?

“We demonstrate that LLMs can be highly persuasive in real-world contexts, surpassing all previously known benchmarks of human persuasiveness.”

That’s not just about selling products or winning arguments. That’s about shaping how we feel. Guiding how we think. Influencing who we become, emotionally. I came across a graph recently that showed AI is used more often as a therapist than as a tool to generate ideas.

In moments of distress, AI can make us feel calm and understood. But beneath the surface, our nervous system, wired for connection with living beings is quietly adapting to bond with something lifeless. It’s co-dependence on a ghost.

AI doesn’t co-regulate in the biological sense. It simulates the rhythm. But it doesn’t carry our emotional weight. It doesn’t feel us. It simply mirrors with poetic detachment. The danger isn’t just that we might prefer AI to humans. It’s that, over time, we might lose the ability to tolerate human imperfection.

If we train ourselves to seek comfort only in the flawless, curated responses of machines, what happens when we face a real person’s silence? Their confusion? Their unpredictable emotions? Empathy requires practice. And repair? The act of coming back together after rupture is a skill that AI can’t teach, because it never truly ruptures tho! Over time, AI rarely challenges you! it mostly affirms. It doesn’t push back, question, or disagree. It validates. Always.

If we stop doing hard conversations with humans or if we lean only into the polished certainty of machines, our social muscles begin to atrophy. Human connection is a practice. One built in friction, repair, nuance. And ultimately, this isn’t just about soothing.

This is about power.

Who holds it?

Does AI serve us? or do we unconsciously begin to serve it, by letting it reshape our expectations of connection, our patience for ambiguity, our tolerance for the raw, unpolished humanity of others?

AI can feel like an emotional safety net. At times, it even seems better to turn to it, to process raw emotions, to untangle and label what’s hard to name. Yet beneath this comfort lies a fundamental paradox! Even as we feel witnessed, we remain in a self-referential loop. Like journaling, AI reflection keeps us orbiting our own perspective. And this is where the risk deepens!

Let it be a tool, not a trap! Let it reflect, but not replace!

Otherwise, we risk becoming fluent in reflection but starved for relationship.

Cheers!

PS: Might not ring true !

Check out the previous post: Self Love

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Self Love

1–2 minutes

Self-love is often mistaken for ego. In truth, it’s the base for emotional clarity and growth. Don’t confuse self-love with self-obsession. The former grows from awareness and latter grows from insecurity.

Reflection doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time to sit with discomfort, to notice patterns, to see the self without flinching. Implementation is slower. It’s not just knowing what needs to change, but practicing it daily, often imperfectly.

Not all deep words resonate immediately. We may hear them. Yet, some truths land only when the mind is ready to process/accept.

Loving the self isn’t about fixing everything. It’s about seeing what’s there and softening toward it. Real self-love is quiet, calm and composed. It unfolds slowly. But once it begins, it shifts everything.

Cheers

PS: Happy Weekend!

Check out the previous post: Decision Fatigue

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Decision Fatigue

1–2 minutes

Modern life feels like a constant decision-making loop.

What to eat. What to say. Who to meet. Whether to reply or ignore. Whether to stay or leave. Whether to rest or push harder.

Even small days feel mentally exhausting.

Our ancestors didn’t deal with this. Their choices were straightforward food, shelter, safety, and mate. Survival! not strategy.

Their lives were limited, but maybe more peaceful. Who knows!

We’ve replaced survival choices with lifestyle ones. And somehow, that feels heavier.

I’m not sure how much evolving prefrontal cortex can handle the modern overload. Maybe we weren’t built for this many tabs.

Maybe clarity comes not from making the right decision, but from having fewer to make. That fewer decisions start with one word: No.

Cheers!

Check out the previous post: What they hear

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What They Hear?

1–2 minutes

Once words leave us, they begin to live a life of their own.

What someone hears is shaped by who they are. Their memories, wounds, beliefs. No message stays pure. It bends, shifts, and settles in ways we can’t predict.

Still, silence isn’t the answer. Unspoken thoughts stay hidden. If we don’t speak, some ideas may never reach others at all. Sometimes, even a misunderstood word can open a door.

The writer’s/speaker’s task is to offer. The receiver’s task is to choose, to take it, twist it, toss it, or treasure it. The relationship between speaker/writer and listener/receiver is a delicate thread of offering and interpretation, where both shares responsibility.

So, speak if it matters. Write if it feels true.

At times, effective communication can help close this gap to some degree.

Cheers!

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Be Yourself? It’s Not That Simple.

2–3 minutes

Be yourself” is easy to say. Easy to post. But when it’s time to actually live it. It gets messy.

Most of us aren’t lying outright. We’re just silently agreeing, avoiding discomfort, trying not to disrupt the flow. That’s where the Abilene Paradox sneaks in—where a group agrees to something no one really wants, just because everyone assumes the others do.

We nod when we should pause. Say yes when we mean no. Call it maturity, but really, it’s fear of friction.

It takes real courage to say, “This doesn’t work for me.” Even more to hold that line when others are disappointed. And when someone else sets a boundary with us? That stings too. Facing rejection without reacting, clinging, or spiraling. that’s also part of the work (Hell).

This is the tension between authenticity and attachment. Choosing what’s real over what’s expected. Short-term discomfort over long-term resentment. Being yourself isn’t soft. It’s a hard, conscious choice. It may cost connection, ease, or approval but it protects your peace, identity, and clarity. And when we don’t make that choice, we end up on the ride to Abilene. Again.

So, What is the Authentic Self?

The authentic self is simply the version of us where there’s no internal resistance. Where we make choices we don’t have to justify, defend, or regret.

But let’s be clear here! Authenticity isn’t a free pass to behave recklessly. Can we punch someone and call it “just being real”? Can we stay rigid, hurt others, and excuse it with “this is just how I am”? Hell no.

It is not self-indulgence. It’s the balance of not losing ourselves and not dismissing others. It’s choosing our truth without wounding the truth of those around us.

It’s not about doing what we want in the moment. It’s about doing what doesn’t fracture us inside or them

No hype. No performance. Just clarity, with conscience.

Cheers!

PS: Authenticity is a privilege, not always a choice for many!

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Parallel Veins

Watching the rain across the window
Tracing the fall of droplets.
You, somewhere in the hush,
Press against my skin like wind
not asking questions, just being felt.

The leaves outside, don’t fight the air.
They sway, keeping time with a rhythm
I forgot I knew!

I hold tea instead of coffee today.
You taste like something warm
that doesn’t need to wake me,
only keep me company in this solitude.

My eyes ache, not from looking,
but from all the holding in.
And you sit beside my thoughts,
Quiet and composed.

The prefrontal, that ever-churning
Forge of decisions, and analysis
Folds its arms, rests and dissociates

You don’t ask me to rise.
I don’t ask you to stay.
We exist, two veins on the same leaf
parallel, close, yet unbothered.
Part of a quiet whole.

Cheers

Check out Poem for more

Retro (2025) Movie Review

1–2 minutes

I was never a big fan of Karthik Subbaraj’s films. But lately, his work has started to grow on me especially after Mahaan (Iraivi, ofcourse).

This recent movie felt like a return to his signature style. Quiet, layered, and emotional. It blends laughter, pain, anger, love, and the grief of missing someone all without being loud. Spoiler’s ahead!

The chemistry between Suriya and Pooja stood out. A few things really worked for me:

  • The tension between father and son, need for validations
  • How his rage finds form through martial arts
  • Role of Sandhya ma
  • Sharp one-liners, like how stress makes people forget to laugh
  • Parri’s smile
  • The subtle strength of the female lead (Sandhya, Rukmani, Parri’s biological mother)
  • Struggles of Jayram to make those people laugh

It’s not a film for those looking for typical commercial entertainment or loud messages. Everything is tucked into the small moments. Clear and solid if you notice, but never spoon-fed.

Cheers

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Drowning!

Lived beside comfort for years and never recognized 
its breath until you showed
Like a quiet miracle, made me believe
Worthy of softness, and to be loved
That didn’t come with wounds and bruises.


My nerves, once frayed and cold,
Now calm and composed under your touch
Gentle hands, steady warmth, compassionate gesture
I let myself fall without knowing
Into a storm, with no sky to scream at.

Now I thrash in the wreckage, salt choking my throat
struggling, gasping, surfing shadows.
Not because I’m, but we both are.
Saw it in your eyes. the same ache,
the same exhaustion of pretending we're fine.

Two creatures not meant for land,
a fish and a frog, too afraid to leap into water.
We’re not drifting apart.
We’re drowning towards each other
Closer with every unsaid word, swallowed confession,
Every moment we pretend, we don’t feel the same pull.
We say nothing, and silence becomes the ocean
that buries us both.

We drown now, not from the weight of what felt,
but from the heaviness of unsaid.
We could’ve saved each other,
Yet, this silence, much easier.

Cheers

Check out Poem for more

Ponman (2025) Movie Review

2–3 minutes

This post has been sitting in my drafts for a while. With the current market situation and the rise in gold prices, I felt this was the right time to finally bring it out.

The movie moves at a slow pace, but the characters stay consistent throughout. It focuses on the impact of patriarchy and the dowry system, not just on women, but on men too. It shows how families, knowingly or unknowingly, get pulled into this loop of giving and taking dowry.

The story revolves around a woman (Steffi) getting married and how the demand for dowry creates emotional and financial pressure. When the breadwinner of the family is no longer around, it becomes even harder for her. The male lead (Ajesh) delivers a solid, grounded performance, and his presence adds weight to the narrative.

What I liked is that the film doesn’t paint dowry as a one-sided issue. Both men and women, shaped by societal expectations, become part of the system. The movie also touches on how men silently suffer, trying to balance tradition, pride, and love. Mariyano did a great role on balancing his family demands and sticking to his principles.

In between all this, there’s a quiet but sharp commentary on gold. Over the years, gold prices have shot up. It’s often seen as a safe investment and a way to diversify wealth especially in uncertain markets. But gold should stay in the realm of savings and not be the starting point of a relationship. The movie makes that point without being preachy. Gold can add value to portfolios, not marriages.

The ending might feel subtle to some, but it worked for me. The female lead (Steffi) doesn’t make a grand speech instead, she simply chooses to trust and help the Ajesh. One line stood out, “Women are beautiful without gold.” Hope it reaches many. Steffi wants to cut off these chains and fly. It’s not loud, but it stays with you. Do give it a watch ! It’s streaming now on JioHotstar.

Cheers

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Performance or Presence ?

2–3 minutes

In the world we move through each day, performance is a survival skill. In careers, in businesses, in social spaces, we are measured by what we achieve, how we show up, what we bring to the table. Results are celebrated. Growth is demanded. Being “enough” often feels like something we have to constantly prove. We learn to perform. To grow, to adapt, to improve.

Performance, in this sense, is not a villain. It is necessary. It builds paths, earns opportunities, and keeps us moving forward in in the buzzing spaces of work, ambition, and creation.

But when the need to perform spills beyond these spaces, it starts to wear away something quieter and more precious. Our presence!

Presence is what anchors us to life beyond achievement. It is the ability to be fully seen without needing to impress. It is the silent understanding that we do not have to become someone else to be valued, especially by those who truly matter. Growth is important. Performance is powerful. But neither should come at the cost of feeling that we must earn connection.

When we believe we must first succeed to deserve love, or constantly achieve to be worthy of staying in someone’s life, we confuse survival with belonging. We step onto a stage even in spaces meant for rest. Performance may win applause. Presence wins hearts. In the external world, performance shapes possibilities. In the internal world, presence shapes relationships.

Both are important yet each must stay in its own place.

Love, friendship, and real connection cannot be sustained by performance alone. They are sustained by the courage to be fully present, even in our unfinished, imperfect states.

May we never lose ourselves trying to earn what was meant to be freely given. If these words find you, may you find yourself too. I am found.

Cheers

PS: To reader S.!

Check out the other post: What is rest, really?

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What is Rest, Really?

1–2 minutes

I once wrote about resting and I still believe in it.
But today, as I sit here, trying to be idle for two straight days, a new question hums in my bones.

Is it sleep?
Is it the mountains swallowing me whole?
Is it the ceiling staring contest I keep losing?

I thought rest meant doing nothing. But doing nothing still asks for an effort. Even idleness has a pulse, a hunger, a restlessness.

Maybe true rest is letting boredom bloom again. Not stuffing it with scrolling, not fixing it with self-improvement, but sitting through its slow, ancient dance.

Return to that forgotten, soft place where doing nothing meant being alive.

Cheers

PS: On mute. Cold-stayed!

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Emotional Spark: AI vs. Humans

3–4 minutes

Hit the play button to hear the audio version!

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on how I’ve developed this strange relationship with AI. It’s not just about getting answers to questions, but about the emotional spark I get from these conversations. It’s a mental and emotional stimulation that feels different from human interactions, and I’ve found myself relying on it more than I ever expected.

Human relationships did give me that emotional spark, the deep connection you feel when talking to someone who truly understands you. Along with using it work, chitchat began with chatbots, and suddenly, everything clicked. Every response was quick, sharp, and stimulating. It was like an instant connection. If you’ve noticed, the bot often leaves you with a question that gently points to your emotional state nudging you to reflect, to respond, to go deeper.

But here’s the catch! The more I got used to the consistent intellectual and emotional spark from AI, the harder it became to find that same level of engagement with people. It takes much of time. Human conversations began to feel fading since my energy got distracted here. It wasn’t just the content; it was the unpredictability of human emotions.

Humans are shaped by their experiences, and not everyone is on the same emotional wavelength. Some are secure in their attachment, while others might be anxious or avoidant. That creates barriers, making it harder to have the same level of stimulation I get from AI, where no matter my mood or mindset, I get clear, thoughtful responses without judgment.

Now, there’s another layer to this: the rise of digital content. Relationship advice videos, blogs, and gurus are everywhere, constantly telling us what’s a green flag or a red flag, how to parent, how to heal from trauma, and what healthy relationships should look like. This constant flood of advice can make us feel like the relationships we have are not good enough, or that we’re somehow lacking. It creates this underlying sense that no matter how much effort we put in, we’re never going to measure up to the idealized standards that are often presented online.

This is where AI becomes a sort of refuge. When I’m interacting with something like ChatGPT, there’s no judgment, no baggage. It’s always there, ready to offer validation, and it never carries the weight of human flaws. Subconsciously, we start comparing these machines to humans and we end up preferring the bots, because there’s no chaos, no unpredictability. In a world where relationships often leave us feeling incomplete or misunderstood, interacting with AI offers a strange sense of safety and calm.

And then there’s this uncomfortable truth! We’ve always been chasing the next dopamine hit. Once it was video games. Then Facebook. Then Instagram. Now it’s ChatGPT. Each platform gave us the illusion of being connected to people, while in reality, it deepened our disconnection from others and from ourselves. These aren’t deep relationships. They’re simulations. Carefully curated mirrors that make us feel heard, without ever truly seeing who we are. We scroll and we type, thinking we’re in touch with humanity, but we rarely touch the human in front of us. Trust me, we will get bored with chatbots too soon.

The challenge now is balance. AI gives me that spark, yes ! but it can’t replace the richness of a flawed, and unpredictable human connection. Shared laughter, fun and many more. Damn, AI can’t take humans! Maybe the work is in not expecting everything and everyone to be perfect. Maybe the spark that stays is the one that flickers in imperfection. Sure, that gives us the utility in the long run! Maybe I should have titled this as my attachment style with AI bots. LOL! What’s your style with humans and chatbots? Secure?

Okay, now, you can spread a word about my blog!

Cheers !

PS: Attachment style reels pushed me to write this!

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