Kyu Basma Kyu

WHY

[kyubasmakyu]

In 2025, I watched many good films. I made it a point to seek out films, tv shows and books written by or directed by women. Here is my non-exhaustive list of things I enjoyed and haven't mentioned here yet:

Films: Fish Tank (2009), The Farewell (2019), Miss Juneteenth (2020), Plan B (2021), Queen and Slim (2019), Aftersun (2022), Rye Lane (2023), Mississippi Masala (1991), Bottoms (2023), The Long Walk Home (1990), Good Morning (1959), But I'm a Cheerleader (1999), Frances Ha (2012), Mermaids (1990), Love Letters (1983), Drive-away Dolls (2024), A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014), The Lighthouse (2019), Little Forest (2018), The Edge of Seventeen (2016), Shiva Baby (2020)

Oh and I also watched a film called Basma (2024) but don't remember much of it.

Series: Chewing Gum, Queenie, I May Destroy You, Mandy, Corner Gas, Big Mood, Bridget and Eamon, Still Game, Khauf, Them, Dix Per Cent, Masaba Masaba, Crashing Eid

Books: Circe by Madeline Miller, The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas, Somna by Becky Cloonan/Tula Lotay, When I arrived at the Castle by Emily Carroll, Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki/Rose-Mary Valero O'Connell, Skim by Mariko/Jillian Tamaki, The Art of Vanishing by Lynne Kutsukake, Jawbreaker by Christina Wyman

Big year for films! 😃 Obviously, this is not a complete list and I am forgetting quite a few.

[kyubasmakyu]

Working on something. Watching a lot of Absolutely Fabulous (on season 4 now). Listening to a lot of angsty/romantic Pakistani teen music that I accidentally found on a top ten Spotify list. Some of those are good, others make me laugh. Case in point:

Reading The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud. Eating a lot of Chicken Chettinad. Circulating my free time with origami and crochet. This is how I've spent my holidays. Happy new year!

Will write about AbFab once I finish all seasons.

[kyubasmakyu]

It sounds like he is saying my name, but he isn't. But at least I found one song that sounds like my name is in it. 😌

Although, I do know this Nancy Ajram song where she says my name (like the word itself) but that doesn't sound as good, no disrespect. I love Nancy Ajram's songs though.

[kyubasmakyu]

Oh my God, I am absolutely delighted! You know, the best feeling in the world is sometimes chancing on something beautiful when you least expect it. 😁😁😁😁😁😁

Obviously, I love watching films. So when streaming websites first came along, I loved them. I loved that I could watch all the films and shows that I want to without having to wait for a time for them to show on tv or without having to download them for hours on end. BUT as it always happens with all convenience that becomes normalized, I started missing one aspect of the old cable tv. Netflix and Prime and Crave and Hollywood Suite and Britbox and Crunchyroll and Tubi and Kanopy and all these other sites have so many choices that very often these days I get decision paralysis. Its like deciding what to cook or order in today. What do I feel like watching today? Well I could choose from my watchlist which is chock full of films suitable to all kinds of moods, but no, I don't feel like I could today. I'm not feeling perfectly in the mood for any of these films. I end up reading a book instead (which is great!) And my watchlist stays cold forever.

Anyway, today I was feeling that way (aimless mood, exhausted, not sure what I want) and I turned on cable and started channel surfing. A film's just started. Title says 'Universal Language'. I start watching and a minute later I'm hooked. I don't want to know what this is, but I know its hilarious and I love it. Watch this film. Don't read about it, just go in blind. This is how we used to walk in on good films a couple decades ago. 😄 I feel so lucky! This rarely ever happens now. 🥲

[kyubasmakyu]

So I've been *waiting* to watch this film ever since I saw the first few promo images on instagram. It wasn't available on any platforms here and even in India, it was only available in the cinema halls. Well, turns out my local public library has it. 😃

Its a multilingual (but mostly malayalam) film centered on three women who live in Mumbai. The film is called 'All we imagine as light'. Obviously, I was already pretty excited to watch it, so there were only two possible outcomes. Either it would be as good as I was hoping or it would be disappointing. It did not disappoint. But it also left me feeling a complex mix of thoughts and emotions.

The film has a certain quality to it. The colors, the storytelling, there are pauses that draw you into the moment. It takes its time. The characters are engaging from the start. There's also a fable-like feeling towards the end, specially when Prabha meets the man from the sea. I wondered, is this part inspired by an old tale?

The most beautiful moments in the film are at night, specially when you see twinkling lights in the distance. My favorite scene was when the two roommates are quietly talking to each other before bed and one of them has hung her sari uniform all over the room to dry it in front of an open window. The sounds of the breeze and the sari swaying by the window is just *moments I want to draw*.

To me, the more I think of the movie, the more things I realize. Like the 'light' is big city life, where people come with hope to make their lives better. But it eats their lives up. You're here but not here. You keep feeling like this is not your final place, that you will move, maybe back to where you came from, maybe another place. The feeling of being an immigrant, even in your own country, specially if the language is different. The man from the sea says something about light being an illusion. When you come from the dark, you try to imagine light but its never what you imagined.

The film ends in the dark, the three women sitting on the beach of a sea-side village, surrounded by so many little lights above and around them. Music swells and you feel happy, almost energetic. We imagine big city life as light but the dark is beautiful too.

I'm gonna watch it again.

[kyubasmakyu]

Today I watched Mystic Pizza with my sister. I had been recommending it to her for so long, we had time and it was finally available to both of us. Writing it here so I don't forget that I had a nice day off. I ordered a build-your-own pasta dish from my favorite Italian eatery. Farfalle with pesto sauce, mozzarella & mushrooms. Sprinkled with lots and lots of red chilli flakes. The weather's changing, Earth is entering the later part of its orbit around the sun and I am in my balcony wearing fuzzy pajamas, a sweater and socks on my cold feet.

Its my day off and I am cozy and happy.

[kyubasmakyu]

[kyubasmakyu]

Am I your fool?

To waste my time with you

Spend my nights so blue

You're gone in the morning

Cut so deep

Take all that you need

Baby, you're a thief

Always gone in the morning

[kyubasmakyu]

I re-watched Paradise Kiss after a few years recently (my third viewing) and this show speaks to me just a bit more every time I watch it. When I first saw it on Animax, I didn't even think much of it, I was young and very biased. I had strict, narrow views and I think... an aversion to 'girly' shows as I used to think of them. In my defence, I also did not like very 'boy-ey' shows either, I seemed to be very much into character designs.

Anyway, my sister once mentioned it to me and I gave it a watch and I thought, I really missed a great show there. The art, the characters, the story - so much of it all is worth noticing. I saw so much of my home life in the main character's home life. Also for an animated show to just casually show the main character losing her virginity and for it to be as natural as they did show it, for the main character to (spoiler) not end up with the guy, for her to feel, clearly, all those things that you feel as a girl in your very first toxic relationship 🤪, for her to have this journey of finding herself being the main focus - its all so well done, the atmospheres, the colors, the music, the art, the other characters. I love how they drew and animated everyone's eyes. Ai Yazawa's art style is lovely. I'm now watching Nana for the first time and if anyone has recommendations of similar animes, please suggest. :D

[kyubasmakyu]

I have tried to watch Perfect Days (2023) a number of times recently, but my viewing is always interrupted. I finally finished watching it today (my day off), though it took 2 sittings. The interruptions do take away the intended effect of the film. I'm glad that when I finished, I felt like this is a film that I can watch again several times without feeling bored or overwhelmed.

Hirayama's daily routine made me think of my own, and how I could appreciate so much of it, specially when working from home has turned into an isolating experience lately. So much of his life made me yearn for peace in the same way. Tokyo's Shibuya has been captured so beautifully in the film as well. They really make you feel like all days are perfect there.

I did wonder if it snows there and how would that affect Hirayama's routine. To be honest, winters can be hard here but I find new strength every winter. I brace myself against the adversity and it makes me feel strong, I guess.

The last scene in the film is also something I have felt time and again. This is the reason I love reading and watching slice of life dramas. So many times I feel completely alone in how I feel and scenes like these help me realize that I am not alone. Others feel this way too. And someone managed to see the beauty in this. And someone through film has reassured me that its okay. Its okay to feel these feelings. Its not pathetic, its beautiful, its life.

[kyubasmakyu]

Happy new year! 2023 has left me feeling mixed emotions because this was both a good and a bad year. Lots of changes happened, mostly positive this year but towards the end, things have been gradually and surely been becoming more and more difficult.

2024 is starting at a place where I definitely did not expect to be mentally, but I am doing my best to just keep swimming. I am learning a lot of lessons really fast and its been overwhelming.

But you know what, the way things are right now, I am glad I am learning these hard lessons because I feel like I am leveling up as I better understand myself and the people around me. I'm hoping things will calm down soon or else this year will be a free-fall and the only thing I can do to protect myself is to cut others off and float away. Which I am best at doing.

2024 then.

[kyubasmakyu]

Nightcap.

[kyubasmakyu]

Drew Amal

[kyubasmakyu]

Some nights this is what I do and it's important.

Was listening to zees.

[kyubasmakyu]

Started with a random detailed sketch while having a long discussion with my sister over a topic I have now forgotten and thought I'll give painting this a try.

I'm not very confident in my coloring skills, specially coloring an environment and so I am still not sure if I like this. I keep thinking I will tweak this later but so far, this is what it is.

[kyubasmakyu]

Drew this last year, but never got around to posting it.

[kyubasmakyu]

"Firelamp". Drew this last year. The idea was to draw a clandestine affair. A hurried meeting. A moonlight tryst.