Homebound: Destination and dignity

I had been wanting to watch the movie Homebound but it was Afshan Shaikh’s recent review that finally nudged me into watching it.

The film explores the immense human suffering caused by the sudden COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, which was announced overnight by the Prime Minister. 

(For a context, on 24 March 2020, in an 8 pm address to the nation, Narendra Modi announced a complete 21-day nationwide lockdown starting from midnight. All transport, except for essential services, ground to a halt, causing untold hardship for millions, especially migrant labourers who faced an agonizing struggle to return to their homes.)

Homebound, while charting the lives of two friends, Shoaib (a Muslim) and Chandan (a Dalit), also brings to the fore the deep-seated discrimination people face based on their religion and caste.

Directed by Neeraj Ghaywan (of Masaan fame), the film is based on a powerful Op-ed by Basharat Peer titled "Taking Amrit Home," published in The New York Times.

Ishaan Khatter as Shoaib and Vishal Jethwa as Chandan have acted so well portraying the strong bond between them which is the soul of the film. 

Janhvi Kapoor also makes brief appearances as Sudha, a classmate of Chandan, representing a different aspect of the struggle for dignity.

Mind you, this is not an easy movie to watch. It is particularly difficult during the final moments which captures that time when so many had to walk hundreds of miles because the world had simply stopped.

Homebound was India’s official entry to the 98th Academy Awards (Oscars 2026) and has successfully made it to the shortlist of the final 15 movies in the Best International Feature Film category. It has also already picked up several awards at various international film festivals.

The movie was released in cinemas in September and is now available on Netflix in both Hindi and English.

Reflections on 2025

This year has been, without a doubt, a milestone for me. It’s the year I transitioned into the next phase of my life.

People often refer to retirement as one’s "second innings" or "second phase", but I believe it should be counted as the fourth phase. The first three being pre-school, the long years of formal education, and finally, a demanding career.

WELL-MEANING ADVICE

Over the past eight months, I have been asked one question more than any other: “How are you spending your time?” 

I have also received plenty of well-meaning advice to "keep busy", with friendly warnings that having nothing to do can be more than just boring; it can be detrimental to one’s health and well-being. 

In fact, several people have suggested various work opportunities specifically to keep me occupied.

TIME FOR MYSELF

But the truth is, I don’t want to return to formal work. I have been eagerly looking forward to this retirement phase for a long time, primarily for two reasons.

One, my sleep cycle. Because my work schedule typically ran from 6 pm to 2 am, my internal clock was completely out of sync with the rest of the world. When I was younger, my body could cope easily. However, that hasn’t been the case over the last few years. Undoubtedly, that erratic pattern of sleep has impacted my health, and I am now hoping to reverse some of the damage.

Two, I want time for myself to pursue the things I love: simple, ordinary pleasures like reading books, watching movies, taking relaxed walks, doing basic exercises, watching sports, solving word and number puzzles, brushing up on my French lessons, travelling, and catching up with old friends.

WORK AT HOME

So, to answer the question of how I am spending my time: I am very much occupied, in a healthy and productive way. I am finally doing all the things I never had the time for during my working life.

The irony is that there is so much on my plate that I still find myself having to prioritise! The difference, however, is that the pace is now entirely up to me.

During the last eight months, I’ve managed a fair bit of travel, visiting Pune, Aurangabad, Shirdi, Thane, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Vizhinjam, Kovalam, Noida, Gurugram, and Jaipur. I haven’t even found the time to blog about them all yet. In fact, there are quite a few posts sitting in my "Drafts" folder! I shall get to them in due course.

THE CHALLENGE

Of course, there is a flip side to this relaxed routine: the temptation to slip into "lazy mode". Without a boss fixing schedules or deadlines, I have to motivate myself every single day. It isn't always easy, but it is certainly doable.

FESTIVE TIME

There are a few things lined up for the coming year, but for now, I am fully soaking in the festive air.

Wish you a Merry Christmas and a delightful New Year!

Toxic digital content: Australia's social media experiment on teenagers

From today anyone in Australia below the age of 16 won't have access to 10 social media sites, including TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Reddit.

Understandably, those affected are upset, though they are well aware that a lot of content on social media that draw their attention and have them hooked on to the platform are harmful in so many ways.

How will it play out? 

Read my thoughts on this first-in-the-world intiative here.