Osama YouTube

Osama is the first Afghani film to be made in Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban. The film follows a preteen girl living under the Taliban regime who disguises herself as a boy to support her family. Fair warning: the movie gets very real! 

– Parikshit Sanyal

Winter Lights Time

Because it’s Christmas, its winter, and it’s a lovely piece.

– Abhinandan Sekhri

Love Me I’m A Liberal YouTube 

In 1966, Phil Ochs called out “liberals”, whom he called the “shadiest” part of a community. They lament the death of JFK, he sang, but say Malcolm X got what he deserved. “I hope every colored boy becomes a star. But don’t talk about revolution, that’s going a little bit too far.” 

It’s remains a pretty strong anthem for today.

– Jayashree Arunachalam

You can’t cancel Modi, RSS The Print

The article analyses why liberals everywhere are so divided and what it’s they aren’t doing and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has done right.

– Ivneet Kaur

The Two Popes Netflix 

The story of one of the most dramatic transitions of power in recent times. Behind the Vatican’s walls, a struggle ensues between tradition and progress, and two very different men confront their past in order to find common ground.

– Atul Chaurasia

The Real Prince of Awadh The Indian Express

The story follows up on the New York Times piece last month on Wilayat Mahal and her family who had long claimed themselves to be the descendants of Wajid Ali Shah, the last ruler of Awadh. Relying on old records and a historian’s research, this story traces the history of the family of Dr Kaukab Quder Mirza, a direct descendant of Shah who lives in Kolkata. 

– Ayan Sharma

Don’t F–k With Cats Netflix

The documentary follows the life of Luke Magnotta, an infamous Canadian murderer who sought internet fame by posting a video of him torturing and killing two kittens. Soon after the video appeared online, a group of people on Facebook set out on a manhunt. The resulting investigation, led by Deanna Thompson and John Green, could give Hercules Poirot a run for his money. If you love dark investigative stories, this one’s for you.

– Anukriti Malik

Rick and Morty Netflix

This is by far the smartest show I have watched and Season 4 does not disappoint. For the uninitiated, it’s an animated show about Rick, a genius scientist who tries to become an immortal god (and succeeds) and his grandson Morty, a teenager angsty about regular teenage stuff. They go on bizarre adventures by bending space and time to do absolutely random things. The show does meta commentary about our reality but in a very nihilistic way. Nothing matters, everything is messed up, and the only purpose in life is to survive in the best possible way. And when you are a space-time altering genius, the possible ways to live a satisfying life are literally infinite.

Five episodes of the new season are up. I’ve watched them all and there were times where I had to pause to breathe because I was laughing so hard. Highly recommended!

– Meghnad S

Don’t focus on citizenship law’s legality Newslaundry 

As protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act continue, this piece reminds us why the real battle is taking place on the streets and why we need to pay attention to it.

– Manisha Pande

In Solidarity Telegraph 

Much has been written about Jamia Millia Islamia University and its students lately. BJP leader Rakesh Sinha have gone to the extent of comparing the students with the Muslim League. Let Mukul Kessavan, who teaches at Jamia, walk you through the campus in the aftermath of the police brutality there, and how it was birthed by the Non Cooperation and Khilafat movements before India’s independence. 

– Chitranshu Tewari 

Eating Squirrels Literary Hub

“Only skilled hunters successfully hunted squirrel in Laos,” Lisa Lee Herrick traces her Hmong ancestry, from Laos to California, as she reminisces about her grandfather hunting squirrel and her grandmother cooking them. Herrick’s lean, poetic prose works beautifully for her account that focuses on an almost unknown ethnic group which uses food to keep their history alive. Eating Squirrels is an ode to Herrick’s grandparents who gave her a glimpse into the troubled past and the resilient nature of the Hmongs.     

–  Snigdha Sharma 

Sophie’s World Jostein Gaarder

A novel about the history of politics. If you want to know how various philosophical thoughts evolved over time, this book is for you.

– Veena Nair