Okay another attempt at publishing on the last day of the month failed. But here we are.

May was weird in all ways. It felt like I always worked and didn’t make time for myself, but surprisingly I consumed a decent number of podcasts, movies, and YouTube videos.

Before we begin - news!! I have curated a list of the Top 50 South Indian movies. These aren’t the usual SI films you’re familiar with (like Bahubali, Pushpa, KGF, etc.), but the underrated gems driven by beautiful stories.

You won’t need to do anything. I’ll send the pdf here once it is ready; you can access it directly. No catch because it’s the least I could do for reading my work for so long.

Reading

1/ Adult hobbies worth trying

The beautiful thing about hobbies is they make us feel meaningful after a long day—that happiness is found in simple activities and spending time with self isn’t as hard.

Play isn’t limited to childhood. Here are some adult hobbies worth trying.

2/ Why you forget what you read

I love it when thinkers create systems out of thin air.

If you read a lot or actively consume content, but hardly remember your learnings when you revisit, here is why you forget what you read and a way to fix it.

If it matters, I retain information by tweeting and talking about theories with friends.

3/ The intimacy of never talking again

So Snapchat reminded me of a friend’s birthday. I haven’t spoken to him since college (4ish years.) I typed out ‘happy birthday’ but I didn’t send the message because I read this beautiful essay on the intimacy of never talking again.

The message itself is good, but I can’t wrap my head around how smooth personal writing can be. I see essays like this, and they humble me with “There is a long way for me to walk as a writer.”

Podcasts and YouTube

1/ Changing World Order

Apart from the fact that it’s an incredibly detailed, research-oriented video, I love how Ray Dalio made me think about identifying and rationalising patterns.

It’s about how the world events have always ended up the same way across continents - and how you can predict the future based on history.

Thanks Kanika, for sharing this <3

2/ The allusionist

Ibraheem shared this really cool podcast with me. It’s about language. An oversimplified version is - Each episode, the hosts pick one word and talk about its history, cultural impact, etc. Real fun!

3/ YC lectures

It’s been a while. YC has a 21-lecture playlist on startups by entrepreneurs. I have been randomly watching these over the last six months, and I am on the 17th lecture. You don’t have to be an entrepreneur to watch these. Just a curious mind about how businesses function is enough.

Movies and TV shows

My favorite genre of content, lol - entertainment.

• American Manhunt - Osama Bin Laden: If you had no idea about how the US hunted Osama down, this three-episode documentary gives you the premise.

• Kishkindha Kandam: The best thriller I watched in 2025, hands down. Every time you think, “This is it. This must be the key to the mystery,” a new angle emerges and takes the story in a completely new direction. Also, this is one of the 50 movies on my list.

• Conclave: I am still understanding international cinema. I can watch an Indian film and say how good it is because I've watched thousands of them, and I have a cultural context. I am new in the international space, so when many friends said Conclave was one of the best films and had Oscar nominations, I couldn’t see the point. I like the film, but I don’t get why my friends think it’s the best. Still learning; I messaged people to ask why they liked Conclave and gained perspective.

Love,
Vikra.