Thread by @Deepansh75

2022 has been incredibly tough. Almost lost my life to pneumonia. I recovered only to be diagnosed with severe anxiety later. What happens when life gives you lemons? You write. You write your way through pain and angst, despair and darkness with hope that you will be okay.

You write with hope that eventually everything will fall into place. 2022 was about that hope. Summing up the year with a list of essays, thinkpieces and features I wrote on films for @firstpost. Also, wrote features on worklife - moonlighting, quiet quitting for @moneycontrolcom

In addition to writing on relationships for @Mint_Lounge and personal essays for other pubs.

Starting with movie of the year #Kantara. In this essay, I decoded the shrieks of Daiva which seemed scary at first but had a calming effect towards the end. bit.ly/3G2mryx

Then there's #Qala. So much to unpack in the film. In this piece, I decoded the hidden meanings + foreshadowing in its songs. With lyrics by Varun Grover + composition by Amit Trivedi, the song 'Nirbhau Nirvair' is my personal favourite.

Read: bit.ly/3Z1p38I

It would be a sin if I didn't mention #EverythingEverywhereAllAtOnce. When the movie came out, I was struggling with existential thoughts and depression myself. The film helped usher in cheerful nihilism which was much-needed back then.

Read: bit.ly/3GrADTi

How can I forget #MonicaOMyDarling? Wrote a piece on neo-noir films and why the genre hasn't exploded in India like sports biopics and social dramadies. A deep-dive into the history of the genre in Indian cinema.

Read: bit.ly/3WTB6mB

On to OTT shows. Wrote a piece on #WhiteLotusHBO which no one expected will blow up the way it did. The use of Greek myths, foreshadowing and parallels make for a good second viewing. Yes, I am still mad that (Spoiler) Tanya died the way she did😭

Read: bit.ly/3i7kA3t

#HouseOfTheDragon was another HBO show which blew up in 2022. The foot fetish scene, in particular, was divisive. Being a fantasy fan in 2022 is being okay with incest but drawing a line at foot fetish. Spoke to sexperts on stigma around fetishes.

Read: bit.ly/3WC3euP

#LaalSinghChaddha wasn't a box office success but its depiction of Indian history, from 1984 Sikh Riots to Babri Masjid demolition was honest and reverent. Did a piece summing up how the film depicted historical events.

Read: bit.ly/3WKVPce

Moving on to Worklife stories. #Moonlighting was a hot debate this year. Spoke to the CHROs of some reputed Indian tech startups to know their thoughts on the ethical and legal concerns around the practice and the road ahead.

Read: bit.ly/3GqUIsS

And then there is #QuietQuitting. Why is it even called Quiet Quitting? Why don't employees simply resign? Spoke to some industry honchos on the same and what they can do to stop their employees from Quiet Quitting.

Read: bit.ly/3hVKd7C

2022 also saw the rise of Hustle Culture with an Indian CEO asking freshers to work '18 hours a day' on LinkedIn. Reached out to young working professionals to know their thoughts on Hustle Culture and how they view 18-hour workdays.

Read: bit.ly/3YXbwyX

Elon Musk's Twitter takeover also made headlines this year. The 'Chief Twit' walked into Twitter HQ with a sink. Wrote a feature on workplace humour and spoke to comics Atul Khatri, Sorabh Pant on whether India is ready for jokes, memes at workplace

Read: bit.ly/3Gve3t5

On to relationship stories now. A popular Gen Z phrase 'Instagram official' means announcing your relationship to the world. What are some factors to consider before you make relationships Insta official? Spoke to relationship experts on the same.

Read: bit.ly/3VPkyvf

And then there's situationships - a partner who wouldn't commit to you but wouldn't let go either. What should one do when one is in a situation like this? Spoke to relationship experts and therapists to know their thoughts on the same.

Read: bit.ly/3jvpWG6

And then a personal essay I wrote for @livewire on #IndependenceDay where I sat down with my grandmother to know from her about Partition and what it is like to live with the trauma as someone who witnessed it. This will always be close to my heart.

Read: bit.ly/3Q7PDZQ

Fun fact: I also reviewed a book this year. As a literature student who was an avid reader, thanks to Insta Reels, I had lost the attention span to sit and read 300 pages over a week. But that changed.😄 Reviewed Adam Adatto Sandel's book.

Read: bit.ly/3WC6ndS

And at last, my very first byline of the year - an essay I wrote for @ArreTweets on #SidhuMooseWala's legacy - what his music meant for me and my generation.

Read: bit.ly/3IcWoaw

A massive thankyou to @Charliefoxweber, @sidhharrth9, @MediaMatchMaker, @qwoted, @DotStarMedia - et al for sharing their insights for my stories and amplifying my journo requests.

Wishing you all a very happy 2023. ⭐❤