What I fawned on and what was hate watched in 2024
A self-proclaimed social media junkie that I am; I yoyo between being a responsible user of it for research purposes(reminding myself sometimes I work as a social media manager) to being a doom scroller who scrolls contents from the ilk of Shalini Passi Lord Darshan, Urfi and much more.
There were some parts that made me fawn over it… I love to repeat and watch the same — or there were some that made me watch it with hate, but I still watch it! Isn’t that the peril of being in the social media age? Just as in the Stone Age, everyone would have tried doing something with stone — just a rub, maybe, to spark and smoke!
Most pervading at the beginning of the year was the Ambani wedding and fashion fits of all the invited national and international celebrities for the 1000 functions they had across the globe. It was a treat to see all the celebrities at their best and pass some comments on the outrageous fashion they displayed during their mandatory photo sessions.
What makes Shalini Passi??? Her being very demure and very mindful. Guess so! Her comments on her already plastic-loaded face being fresh, as a result of her attitude — I don’t hold grudges against other people because it affects my skin. I guess so; the surgeons would have taken care of that. But for sure, her self-love principles make many new-age gurus run for the mill.
Very demure, very mindful — Thanks to Jooles from Chicago, we all know how to be demure, cutesy, considerate, and mindful… Girls. Her TikTok video of her explaining how she gets ready went viral on Aug 2, 2024; from then on, there wasn’t no stopping for this on all social channels.
Sapne dekhne achi baat hai — The boy with a heavy Malayalam accent went viral and meme-worthy. Benjamin Jobi from Wayand Kerala is a motivational speaker, who lit up some moments in the year. https://www.instagram.com/benjamin_p_joby/
In the movies section, there were many from Malayalam which I fawned on,
Avesham — what a riot it was. Fafa at his rowdiest best, the most endearing, meek, but menacing Gunda of all. “Eda mone, happy aano?” translates to “Are you happy? Has almost turned out to be a popular greeting now.
Manjummel Boys keeps you on edge with its daring rescue mission in the perilous Guna Caves, which is based on a real-life incident. The beautifully shot movie makes you feel proud of the quality that comes out of this industry.
Premalu — This romantic comedy’s wit-filled dialogue and exceptional performances by all the cast make it a must-watch multiple times.
Sookmadarshini — Basil takes his acting chops one step further, making the most hated-liked negative character here, too, and we always knew Nazriya was the best. This investigative thriller is a treat to watch.
Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil, the unusual pairing of Basil and Prithvi with loads of bromance, was a treat to watch. The references to the old-time classic Nandanam, which was also shot in the same location, made it endearing.
I missed two classics this year — Ullozhukku and Adujeevitham- mainly because I don’t have the brave heart to watch through the heart-wrenching portrayal of real-life stories.
Vijay Sethupathi is a man who can bring a lot of sass to anything he does. Maharaja’s excellent plot twist made it all the more enticing.
Animal in Hindi was an enjoyable watch, although it contains much content that is against beliefs or values.
The shuddering jolt was what was experienced when the news broke of the rape and murder of a Kolkatta doctor and the cover-up of the same by authorities. — https://lthampi.medium.com/150-gms-is-it-too-much-17ed648e32ff
Yes, this year was made all the more special by the Taliban banning women from talking loudly. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20rq73p3z4o
A year filled with international artists living in India, something new and quite trending. Although it was always known that we are the most populated, they wouldn’t have any qualms about them filling a venue, but what made them come to us so late? It’s likely due to the technical shortcomings and the cost. This year, we had good grosses for Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Cigarettes After Sex, Dua Lipa, and Martin Garrix. The cherry on top was Dua Lipa gyrating to “Levitating” / “Woh Ladki Jo Sab Se Alag Hai” mashup.
In the same breath, I fawned over the news of Indian artists performing this year at Coachella : Diljit, AP Dillion, Hanumankind( my mal bro), and Sid Sriram.
Moo Deng, the pygmy hippo, was a welcome distraction from the messy human world but also a clear reflection of it. She became famous when her caretaker from a zoo in Thailand started posting her videos online. Sure, she was adorable. But when she wasn’t sleeping (often), she seemed perpetually peeved, throwing tantrums, biting her keepers, and appearing to scream silently. She was even portrayed as an aspirational figure for women — with her unapologetic attitude and enviably dewy skin. Let’s go the Moo Deng way and start throwing some Peevy attitude!
The Ram Mandir inauguration left me wondering as the nation chanted and performed pooja parallel in every nook and cranny. Even a pandal was set up in the locality, especially for it, and there were marches on the street. So that’s what we are gonna call a nationalist movement, but based on religion in a country that extolled secularism.
How and why something gets viral baffles even the veteran marketer. One of its San Sananam from Asoka Hindi Movie 2001 went viral with makeup videos on TikTok. Although we couldn’t join in from India, it can be considered an achievement.
Gaja Gamini walk — the elephant walk — in a webseries made Aditi Rao Hydari trending. But why was it called Elephant Walk? How is Elephant Walk sexy? Shouldn’t it be Hamsini (swan) walk? Just wondering!
The Brat Green ruled the entire summer and the year in the world of fashion, popularised by Charlie X, a Gujarati British pop star.
Nothing written here is in chronological order, and it is all on a whim, as these trends should be.
