Congratulations to Adi sir and @yrf, a place I called home for 4 years, and that gave me the best opportunities, most creative freedom, and kindest working environment in my professional career.
I owe a lot to YRF and I made friends for life there. Hope it continues soaring :)
Congratulations to all the lovely people who make up & have made the many parts of the studio, who are the closest I've come to knowing what a 'work family' can feel like.. when everyone comes together for doing good work, but with utmost respect and love for each other. #YRF50
Don't know if there's any legacy studio in the world who had the kind of image that YRF has had, and that would have still allowed us to do what we did with Y-Films online. I am so very proud of Bang Baaja Baaraat, Ladies Room, Man's World, Pappu and Papa, and 6 Pack Band #YRF50.
Though we were doing shows on gender equality, sex education, feminism and trans rights with our shows that happened to be 4 among the first 7 web shows ever made in India - in 2015 - we had the full support of Adi sir, and I still can't believe how he let us get away with it! :)
But my favourite memory of YRF isn't the success I had there, it's what Adi sir told us on the Saturday after a film we had worked on (for 3 years, made before I even joined!) had failed.
'It's just a film and it's just a Friday, don't take it too hard.. you'll have many more.'
I sometimes wish that YRF shows the kind of badassery & fearlessness with its studio releases that it did with our tiny venture at Y-Films, because it is filled with people who love stories. But I have come to respect its old school values, and will always love it for what it is.
The kind of respect the YRF system gives to those who care for films is a special thing. And I'll always remain the wide-eyed kid who got to see his dream come true, to work in the studio that made the films he grew up loving.
Thank you, @yrf <3. Can't wait for the 100! #YRF50
PS. If you haven't watched any of the web shows I mentioned, do check them out on youtube.com/yfilms. We made them much before the world exploded with web shows, and I remain incredibly proud of the honesty in them! :)
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#Thread on the memeification of the Amber Heard-Johnny Depp trial:
Alright, so I know I'm going to get hate for this thread, but I'm a bit fed up of seeing the hundreds of (mostly Heard) parody videos + memes from the trial, and I'm a bit sick about what they represent.
1/n
First: everything I know about the trial, I know against my will. I've never sought out, read up on, or watched videos of the trial - until it started seeking me. Until I wasn't able to escape it. Until it became pop culture the same way Trump did, *before* he was elected.
2/n
Second: I'm not going to get into the facts of the trial, because at this time, everyone has their own facts (her truth, his truth, the truth).
Irrespective of the trial's outcome, Heard has already lost. She's not a survivor, she's not even a perpetrator, she's a meme now.
3/n
I keep thinking about the 23-year-old software engineer from IIT Hyderabad, who has been caught and jailed for giving a rape threat to Virat Kohli's infant daughter.
I'm glad he's being held accountable - but it's disturbing and tragic to see: this is who we are now.
His background seems antithetical to his actions:
- He studied in a premiere Indian education institution
- He worked at a top-tier food startup
- He is a software engineer who was studying to do a masters in the US
- He is from a higher socio-economic background
- He is 23!
And yet, why would a young Indian, who was well on the path of achieving the Indian 'middle-class dream', peddle in and pursue such horrific hatred?
What's more disturbing is: this is not even a question being asked, because of how normalised and endemic this hate has become.
For the last few days, I've not been thinking of Aryan Khan, the son of superstar Shah Rukh Khan, but of Aryan, a 23-year-old young Indian, who was caught by an investigative agency for an alleged misdemenor. And I've been thinking about his mental health.
This is a young Indian, who has allegedly broken a law, with an offence that ultimately harms no one else but his own self.
Yes, there is no legal justification for what he did, but the criminal ramification of it must be a punishment commiserate with the scale of the offence.
But this young man is now the topic of discussion on every media channel, all debates, on trending topics, at homes, on Whatsapp groups and in some very mean memes. Everyone has an opinion on him. MANY want him to be held accountable for the allegeged misdemenor (still unproven).
I haven't been able to write much since the second wave. Initially, it was the emotional toll that led to, what is called, 'compassion fatigue' (aka, I was dead inside). But I realise now it's more than that: it's 'commodification fatigue'.
2/ I'm exhausted. Of seeing how the internet has turned every thought, feeling and action into a commodity. And worse, we have now started ascribing value to people based on whose emotion - in the shortest, smartest, snazziest way - can fetch the most likes, shares & validation.
3/ So there is a performance pressure on everyone to 'build in public':
From startup founders to estate agents to doctors, everyone has to now be a content creator, to stay relevant.
And from engineers to lawyers to artists, everyone has to now be a commentator, to feel relevant.
Roles for 3-6 yrs work ex:
- A campaigns & programmes lead with work ex in impact organisations
- A community growth lead who's built online + offline campus communities
- A video content lead with YouTube expertise
- A social media all-star
Please RT :)
After a tough second wave, July's been exciting for @weareyuvaa, and we have awesome things lined up this year across content, campaigns, community, campus activations and research, with some of India's most respected brands & impact organisations.
Mail us on career@yuvaa.co.in.
With your mail, and as part of the profile you're applying for, send us a cover note on what you would like to build for us at Yuvaa and why you care so much about building it :)