Azadi by Arundhati Roy: A Review

Check it out on Goodreads I don’t have a lot of friends who are supporters of the ruling BJP (well at least the ones who have disclosed it publicly), and consequently whenever the conversation shifts towards the ongoings in India, more often than not, we find ourselves agreeing with each other. Although this is perfectly alright for me on most days, on few ocaasions, I find a shadow of a doubt slowly creeping up inside - what if I’m living inside a bubble, an echo-chamber where I only get exposed to the ideas which I already hold to be true, especially relevant now that everything in our lives are getting regulated by algorithms....

September 30, 2020 · 4 min · Siddhartha

Stoner: A Novel

Check it out on Goodreads Reading fiction has always been a double-edged sword for me. Some of the most intimate moments I’ve spent alone is while reading fictional stories, while at the same time, feeling a pang of disappointment for myself because I wasn’t doing anything “productive.” Is this mere entertainment? Am I just escaping my real-life responsibilities and reading stories of make-believe? While I still haven’t found sincere answers to these questions, I’ve grown more confident of what I enjoy and what I don’t, which has consequently helped me find peace with this conflict....

June 28, 2020 · 5 min · Siddhartha

A Beautiful Woman

I don’t know why, but I liked the eyes-only version more. Linked below is the work-in-progress sketch:

June 9, 2020 · 1 min · Siddhartha

Martin Freeman

I used to be obsessed with Sherlock (the HBO show) during the time it aired, and part of my fascination was with Martin Freeman here, who so brilliantly played the role of Watson.

June 9, 2020 · 1 min · Siddhartha

Einstein

I have a particular affinity towards this sketch as I was very apprehensive about attempting Einstein, his face had much more complexity than what I usually dealt with, but it turned out good enough in the end.

June 9, 2020 · 1 min · Siddhartha

Mother Teresa

Completely botched this drawing, but it reminds me of the drawing streak I used to have back when I was in my hometown during college vacations.

June 9, 2020 · 1 min · siddhartha

Charlie Chaplin (um... not quite)

I was either on acid or I had watched a sad movie before attempting this piece. A strange juxtaposition of Chaplin and Hitler.

June 9, 2020 · 1 min · siddhartha

Gandhi

My first attempt at drawing after dabbling in caricature pieces in my childhood :)

June 9, 2020 · 1 min · Siddhartha

Oslo, August 31st (2011): Impressions

Verdict: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ Check out this review on Letterboxd Anhedonia. The Wikipedia entry for this word says: a diverse array of deficits in hedonic function, including reduced motivation or ability to experience pleasure. At one point or another, we have all experienced some version of this phenomenon - may be characterized by an oversaturation of love, or caused by a prolonged mediocrity in life, or as in the case of our protagonist here, the complete loss of will and motivation to feel anything....

June 4, 2020 · 4 min · Siddhartha

Bad Blood: A Review

Check it out on Goodreads How to fool the world and become a Billionaire I remember hearing about Elizabeth Holmes when I was in my late teens, at that impressionable age when you get hyper-inspired by reading about icons that are going to change the world. There was a profile of her in Wired, with an eye-catching image of her wearing a turtleneck black sweater holding what looked like a test-tube with a tiny amount of blood with a science-y background....

May 1, 2020 · 2 min · Siddhartha