I am just going to jump right into this. This list includes books, films, videos, shows, articles, websites, podcasts and music I have loved and devoured from September 2025 to December 2025. I hope you find one useful recommendation from this list and will continue to publish this list 3-4 times a year.

#1 The Jon Batiste Concert

I got to watch Jon Batiste live in November at the NMACC in Mumbai. It was such a special experience with such a special artist. I have enjoyed his music and loved his film. But I think I admire him most as a live performer because he has the magical ability of connecting with his audience. I felt he was talking to me and trying to bring me into his world. He played many of his own songs but also played songs by musicians he admired like Theolonius Monk, Ray Charles and Duke Ellington. He got the audience to clap along and thump their feet. He included a song about the city of Mumbai. The second half of the show was more improvised than the first and he collaborated with a sitar player and incorporated some tunes from a harmonium. Here is a short clip from the show.

#2 The Sonu Nigam Concert

There are some artists that are a big part of your childhood. Sonu Nigam was that artist for me because I grew up listening to his songs from popular Bollywood Films in the 2000s. Sonu Nigam is able to express so many different emotions through his voice though is most popular for his romantic and religious songs. I attended a concert by him in Mumbai in early November and got to re live some of those memories again. My favourite song by him is titled, Kal Ho Naa Hoo and he sang that song to a packed ground of fans singing along the tune that night. Here is a short clip of that performance reminding you to live every moment to the fullest because life is really quite short and you have limited time with your loved ones on this planet.

#3 Bharatnatyam Performance

I got to watch Pritha Bakshi perform a traditional Bharatnatyam Dance choreographed by Jignesh Surani at the Prithvi Festival this year. The dance performance was called a Margam and included an excerpt of selected pieces based on the female energy. These traditional pieces were supposed to reflect the different aspects of womanhood. I am not familiar with Bharatnatyam as a dance form and this was my first such live performance. I think what stood out for me was the dancer’s ability to communicate emotions through expressions, hand gestures and body postures. I was able to identify a state of rage or a state of joy or a state of affection through these non verbal signals and it was a such a beautiful experience. The dancer also spoke about her experience navigating grief and some personal challenges while preparing for the show.

#4 Art Deco Lecture

Art Deco Mumbai has created a digital inventory of Art Deco buildings in Mumbai with an interactive map showing you where they are located. You can use this website to explore neighbourhoods, buildings, features and elements. Common features of these buildings include streamlined shapes, bold geometric patterns like zigzags and chevrons, and the use of luxurious and modern materials such as chrome, glass, and lacquer. On 13th November they organised a full day symposium at the Bhau Daji Lad Museum to celebrate the city’s iconic Art Deco buildings. I walked by these buildings several times over the past 5-10 years but was able to understand its architectural and historical significance through these talks. It was also interesting to get a historian and an architect’s perspective on the same topic.

#5 My Life in Red and White by Arsene Wenger (Goodreads Link)

Arsene Wenger spent 22 years as the manager and head coach of the Arsenal football team. As a long time fan of the game I loved learning about the highs and lows of coaching and managing a large professional football team. You slowly get to understand how demanding the job is on a day to day basis. You also get to observe how finances play such a huge role in the fate of a club. Post 2006 Arsenal had to take our huge loans to finance their new stadium called the Emirates and that affected their ability to bring in top players in the global transfer market and forced them to recruit internally and develop slowly. Arsene also spoke an out his rivalry with Ferguson and other coaches in the league in this book. He shares many notes and observations about what made players like Van Persie, Henry, Bergkamp, Anelka, Fabregas, Ozil and Lehmann so special. He also spoke about the importance of building a strong support staff network around a club because that is essential to long term growth. I also really enjoyed the year on year table stats at the end of the book. I didn’t enjoy the first half about his time at Monaco and Nagoya as much. Overall a great read for any football fan.

#6 The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai

I heard this as an audiobook in Kiran Desai’s voice and am glad I decided to do so as a reader. It was great fun listening to Kiran bring the characters to life with her tone changes. It was 25 hours long and was good company on long walks and chore sessions. Sunny was an aspiring journalist. Sonia is an aspiring novelist. Both immigrants in America. Both lost between worlds. Both struggling to come to terms with the baggage and heaviness of their Indian families expectations and hopes. Through the novel we see them navigate life as young immigrants working in jobs and navigating relationships in their 20s. They carry the past and it affects how they see the present. Sonia gets into a relationship with an older artist named Elon and Sunny gets into a relationship with a young photographer Ulla. Both these relationships don’t work out for them and it leaves them more lonely than ever. They find each other through the novel and hope that they can provide each other comfort. They do so for a while but then drift apart and the loneliness that plagued them finds them again as they go down different paths. I enjoyed the detailed descriptions of the supporting characters but I felt like the author went a bit overboard with resolving the side character’s story arcs in the second half of the book and I soon felt a strong loss of connection with the story arcs of the two main protagonist’s Sunny and Sonia by the end of the book. But I did feel how difficult it was for young indian immigrants to detach themselves from the expectations of their families back home in India and how the failure to live up to those expectations can leave you with scars you never signed up for as individuals. The second half of this novel was not as enjoyable as the first half for me. I felt like the narrative split into so many diverging stories and it was hard to follow. I enjoyed the first half and the build up of Sunny and Sonia’s back stories a bit more. This is a 700 page book and I would recommend it if you are interested in diaspora, immigration, Indian families, life as a novelist, life as a journalist and navigating life in your 20s and 30s in another country. Through the novel I think Desai questions and challenges the modern push for individuality and independence and questions whether freedom without connection is truly liberating or just another form of loneliness.

#7 Black and White with Ross Taylor and Paul Thomas (Goodreads Link)

Ross Taylor has had a long career as a professional cricketer for New Zealand. In this book he talks about his early years as a junior cricketer and the coaches and mentors that guided him then. He speaks openly about subtle racism he faced occasionally as a Samoan cricketer in a largely white sport. My favourite part of the book was how he spoke about the mental challenges he faced when he was removed from captaincy and asked to reintegrate into the team. I love how he spoke about the physical and mental aspects of playing all forms of the game. He is one of the only players to play 100+ games in each of the main cricket formats of T20, ODI and Tests for his country. I’d highly recommend this book for anyone interested in how a small country like New Zealand is constantly able to produce world class cricketers who compete and win consistently at the global level with much bigger teams that have more money and a larger talent pool.

#8 The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes (Goodreads Link)

So devastating. So beautiful. Such a gorgeous book about messy humans trying to remember perfect lives. One of those books that you want to take to your grave. It is also one of those books that rewires your thinking about how humans remember the important events of their life. Explores themes of grief, loss, family, love, regret and so much more. Also loved attending a book club discussion about this book in the month of October with the Mumbai Literary Club and found so many new perspectives from other engaged readers in that discussion.

#9 The Dark Forest by Cixin Liu and Joel Martenson (Goodreads Link)

The premise of the book is simple. The human civilization is in danger and has been discovered and targeted by the Trisolarians (who live on a planet with three suns). How do they process and deal with this threat? Who do they turn to in this time of need? What kind of defence programs do they launch and initiate to protect the human civilization against this looming threat? The first half of the book was a struggle to get through but it got much better in the second half. This is the sequel to the Liu’s Remembrance of Earth’s Past #2 series. I purchased an audio book for listening and a physical copy of this book for reading. Both experiences complemented each other. I had to constantly turn to the book to confirm and understand the background and role of each character.

#10 The Poetry Pharmacy by William Sieghart (Goodreads Link)

I read this in a couple of sittings and it is easily one of the best poetry anthologies I have ever read. The author writes a small essay about each poem recommended in the book. This essay is about a human emotion or human dilemma that is specifically addressed by the poet in the poem in a creative way. In the process we feel like we relate to the poem a little bit more and maybe think that we aren’t really all that alone in the world with our feelings. I would gift this book to anyone that has held long standing apprehensions about poetry. It is a fun, engaging and quick read that will leave you with a hunger and curiosity for poems about every topic under the moon and sun. After reading this collection, I decided to buy a small notebook to write by hand and to remember to memory all the poems I have loved and re read over time. I’ll share these with a friend or lover when the time is right.

#11 One Fine Morning by Mia Hansen-Love (Letterboxd Link)

I’ve really enjoyed the director’s films in the past. What brought me into this film was how grief and sexuality intersected in such interesting ways in the lives of the main characters. The main character deals with an aging father and an affair with a married man and her responsibility as a mother at the same time in her life. You get to see how each relationship affects her through the film. It made me think about how one important relationship in our life can affect how we look at other relationships in our life as well.

#12 Vice is Broke by Eddie Huang (Letterboxd Link)

This documentary is an investigation into the once high-flying digital news outlet that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2023 after boasting a valuation of $5.7 billion in 2017. Eddie Huang made four seasons of a travel show with VICE. He interviews former team members of VICE and shares his own perspective on what led to the downfall of this media giant. It is an interesting deep dive into why VICE became to popular in the digital age and why that kind of media worked. It also shows you how power and fame can influence and affect decision making in any organisation. I would recommend this documentary to anyone that has seen a VICE video and is interested in how a digital media outlet works.

#13 The Friend by Scott McGehee, David Siegel (Letterboxd Link)

This is a movie about friendship and grief. New York City writer Iris finds her comfortable, solitary life thrown into disarray after her closest friend and mentor bequeaths her a Great Dane named Apollo. She processes the loss of her friend but also observes how the dog processes the loss of its long time owner. You see her move from frustration to adjustment to accommodation to acceptance during the film. You also come to realize that grief is a common and universal language for all living beings on this planet. This is a heart warming film about how humans and animals experience and process grief in the modern world.

#14 Loneliest Planet by Julia Loktev (Letterboxd Link)

I think this film for me really did a good job to understand trust and unconditional love in a romantic context. Trust is as fragile as glass and once broken can be hard to mend back in the same way. I’d say the same about unconditional love and when a lover sees that unconditional love taken away in difficult situations it makes it harder for them to love transparently without any reservations. Really slow long shots of the beautiful Georgian landscape also adds a lot of joy to the viewing experience.

#15 I Know This Much Is True by Derek Cianfrance (IMDB Link)

This television show is based on the 1998 bestselling novel by Wally Lamb. It was adapted and directed by Derek Cianfrance. This limited series follows the parallel lives of identical twin brothers. The role of both brothers are played by Mark Ruffalo. My favourite part of this show was how it dealt with mental health illness in such a sensitive way. It also shows you how managing a mental health illness can affect an individual and their loved ones in the long run. It is also a beautiful portrayal of the relationship between two brothers whose lives take very different paths.

#16 The Great by Tony McNamara (Season 1 IMDB Link)

The Great is a satirical, comedic drama television show about the rise of Catherine the Great from outsider to the longest-reigning female ruler in Russia’s history. Catherine the Great is played by Elle Fanning. Catherine the Great was part of the Romanov dynasty that ruled Russia for 304 years, from 1613 to 1917. A great amount of power was concentrated in the hands of a single family for a long period of time. This power and fame can do weird things to an individual if left unchecked. Catherine was born as a German Princess and moved to Russia at the age of 14. She eventually married Peter (Tsar of Russia from 1682–1725). Peter the Great died on 8 February 1725 from a combination of urinary tract complications. Catherine the Great took over as Emperor in 1725 and this show depicts the many ups and downs of life in a royal Russian family in a satirical way.

#17 The Big C by Darlene Hunt (Season 1 IMDB Link)

This is show about dealing with a terminal illness and breaking the news to your family and loved ones. Recently estranged from her husband and diagnosed with cancer, teacher Cathy Jamison decides to live life on her own terms, consequences be damned. Laura Linney plays the role of Cathy Jamison. It is super fascinating to see how people’s priorities change when you know you have limited time. The way you deal with close and distant relationships also change significantly. Sometimes it is difficult to share a challenging news with a loved one because it takes a lot of energy to comfort that person and help them process this big change in your life. There are some people you naturally turn to in challenging time and there are certain reasons you do that as well.

#18 Search: The Naina Murder Case by Rohan Sippy (Season 1 IMDB Link)

This is thriller and detective show where a veteran cop gets mired in a high profile murder case when a girl is found dead in a politician’s car. Konkona Sen Sharma plays the main role of ACP Sanyukta Das. This fills in all the check list items of a good detective show for me as a viewer. You get to see how the topsy turvy nature of a detective’s professional life can affect their personal life. You also see how the detective develops a sense of detachment from the main case to solve it logically and to understand how the clues come together.

#19 Fatima Sana Shaikh on Love and Second Chances | Chapter 2 with Rhea Chakraborty | S2 E5 (Spotify Link)

This was a fun and honest conversation between two actors and two friends about attachment styles, relationships and second chances in love. I really enjoy Rhea’s demeanour as a host because she is honest, vulnerable and thoughtful with her questions. I enjoyed hearing them talk about navigating relationships in their twenties. They also spoke openly about balancing work and personal priorities in the public limelight.

#20 Matthew McConaughey: The Silent Crisis No One Is Talking About! | Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett (Spotify Link)

Matthew McConaughey opens up about the dark side of fame, the one decision that changed his life, and why resistance not talent was the real key to his success in this conversation with Steven Bartlett. He shares stories from his childhood and opens up about the lows and highs of a being an actor. I loved learning about how he transitioned from being a romantic hero to experimenting with more drama based roles.

#21 Lecture: Once Upon a Spacetime with Dr. Suvodip Mukherjee (Link)

Pint of View is a community in Mumbai that organises lectures at bars. I attended this lecture by Dr. Suvodip Mukherjee, an astrophysicist and a faculty at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, where he founded a new research group, called Data Theory Universe Lab, which works on gravitational wave astronomy and cosmology. The speaker explored the remarkable scientific journey over the past several decades that has allowed us to decipher the Universe, uncover its past and present, and gain insights into its future. The speaker discussed some of the major scientific discoveries that have shaped our perception of the Universe from the Big Bang to Black Holes. The talk also highlighted groundbreaking scientific and technological advances that enabled us to study the distant Universe not only through light but also via gravitational waves, offering a multi-messenger perspective. You can learn more about his research here.

#22 Lecture: Geometry Gone Wild with Dr. Ravi N. Banavar (Link)

Pint of View is a community in Mumbai that organises lectures at bars. I attended this lecture by Dr. Ravi N. Banavar, a Professor of Systems & Control Engineering at IIT Bombay. He received his B.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Madras (1986), his Masters (Mechanical, 1988) and Ph.D. (Aerospace, 1992) degrees from Clemson University and the University of Texas at Austin, respectively. His research in robotics and aerospace control drives innovation in intelligent systems. The speaker explained mathematical concepts through various examples including falling cats to parallel parking cars to tumbling tennis rackets to manoeuvring astronauts to agile drones. Through these examples we developed a basic understanding of how geometry and symmetry govern us in direct and indirect ways. We also began to appreciate how geometry is lurking behind all these phenomena - a few natural and a few engineered. You can learn more about his research here.

#23 From Sci-Fi to Sci-Facts with Dr. Saugata Barat (Link)

Pint of View is a community in Mumbai that organises lectures at bars. I attended this lecture by Dr. Saugata Barat, an astrophysicist exploring the atmospheres of young and distant worlds. With a PhD from the University of Amsterdam and a background in Physics from Presidency University, India, his research delves into how gas giants form and evolve. At the MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research (MKI), he uses the James Webb Space Telescope and other advanced observatories to decode the early lives of planets beyond our solar system. In this talk, we embarked on an expedition across this vast and surprising exoplanet landscape. We saw how astronomers find these distant worlds, how we read the secrets of their atmospheres from faint starlight, and when the next generation of telescopes may finally glimpse another Earth, and perhaps, signs of biosignature! You can learn more about his research here.

#24 Archive of My Favourite Television Shows

I love television shows as much as I love films and I got to watch some excellent shows this year. I enjoy staying with a character for a longer duration. I enjoy seeing layers of their personality peeled away over 10-15 episodes. I made a link of my top television shows on Fable. You can access the list here.

#25 Archive of My Favourite Podcast Episodes

I love reading books reviews on Goodreads and film reviews on Letterboxd. I wish there was a similar website for Podcasts and Podcast Episodes. Goodpods is a reasonable solution but does have a lot of flaws. I use Spotify to keep a record of my favourite podcast episodes. You can find the link here.

#25 Archive of My Favourite Television Shows

I love television shows as much as I love films and I got to watch some excellent shows this year. I enjoy staying with a character for a longer duration. I enjoy seeing layers of their personality peeled away over 8-15 episodes. I made a link of my top 50 television shows on Fable. You can access the list here.

I hope you enjoyed reading this quarterly recommendation list. I am already excited to collect more such recommendations and to share the next list with you in March 2026.

I will be taking a break from the newsletter till the end of the year. I need some time to recharge and rest. I am grateful to all subscribers of this newsletter that have come along on this journey. I will continue to send these newsletters from January 2026.

Until then,

Keep Learning

Abhishek