Author: Sandesh Bhosle

How Big is Indian Music Industry?

Who wakes you up in the morning? Now, don’t say your parents or sibling(s), for heaven’s sake! Yeah, they like turning off the air conditioner, fan and our MOOD every time they see us sleeping after specific hours. Jokes apart, but every morning or perhaps, every afternoon (cheers and more power to night owls), for most of us, an alarm clock does the job of waking us up with a piece of music we have set up beforehand.

Basically, from waking up in the morning with a favourite alarm tone to trying to sleep while listening to your favourite songs, we’re surrounded by the term MUSIC. We live on a planet where music plays a vital role in almost every ceremony, be it a marriage or a funeral; we pursue relief in the presence of music. Being a solitary person, I’ve heard all types of popular music, but my heart only beats for the Indian melodies.

An ode to the Indian music

It is said that the art of music was introduced to Earth by Narada Muni, and since then, music has been an inseparable part of Indian culture and tradition. Back in the days (when the Gharana system was present), the students would spend many years with their guru to learn the music, and over time they used to share a spiritual bond and principles with their teachers, which further shaped their life.

Originated in South Asia and the identity of the Indian subcontinent, Indian classical music is one of the oldest music forms in history. It is divided into two major traditions – the North Indian classical music known as Hindustani and the South Indian classical music known as Carnatic. It was formed 6,000 years ago from sacred Vedic scriptures and is closely connected to nature.

Note: Hope you’ve heard the stories of Megh Malhar Raag, which has the power to bring out rains in the area where it is sung.

Bollywood Music Vs Classical Music

We all love (or used to love, thanks to the remixers) Bollywood music even though it doesn’t have a specific style. In comparison, Indian classical music has a rich history and numerous types as it is influenced by the natural elements of the earth. Indian classical music is the primary vocal training genre of Indian music, while Bollywood music is just a type of music we hear in the Bollywood movies.

Bollywood music or songs consists of different types of music and has every element of music from traditional to folk, classical to western. The primary and most noticeable difference between these two music genres is that Bollywood is commercially very profitable, while Indian classical music helps enlighten the soul. Classical music has a limited audience, while we can see all age groups grooving to Bollywood music.

Why are Indian Musicians still struggling to have a global presence?

We have about 22 major languages and 19,500 dialects in India as mother tongues, which obviously creates a linguistic barrier. However, in India, most artists write lyrics for the music/song in Hindi or respective major/regional languages. The language barrier among the people creates a downpour into the popularity, and that’s the sole reason Indian music reaches the outside world but fails to make a mark.

In western countries, musicians usually produce their records/albums and are open to exploring the art form. Whereas, in India, musicians are more into being a part of Bollywood and singing a song or two for a particular movie. Independent musicians from western countries gain recognition under their name, which helps them to have a worldwide audience. Also, they do frequent concerts making them popular among the youth.

Top 5 instruments used in Indian Music Industry

  • Sitar – The instrument has a long neck with twenty metal frets and seven cords.

Renowned Sitar Players – Pt. Ravi Shankar, Ustad Abdul Halim Zaffar Khan

  • Flute – A cylindrical instrument which provides vitality to the mind and soul.

Renowned Flute Players – Pt Pannalal Ghosh and Pt Hari Prashad Chaurasia

  • Shehnai – A double-reed instrument with a tapering bore progressively increases towards the lower side.

Renowned Shehnai Players – Ustad Bismillah Khan

  • Tabla – Everyone knows what is Tabla? A pair of drums – one is called Tabla and the other one is called Bayan.

Renowned Tabla Players – Zakir Husain

  • Harmonium – The harmonium is also called Reed Organ. It has a free-reed keyboard of over two and one-half octaves and works on a bellows system.

Renowned Harmonium Players – Late R. K. Bijapure

Top 5 Music Companies in India

T-Series 

T-Series is an Indian music record label and film production company run by Bhushan Kumar, son of the founder and music producer Gulshan Kumar. On YouTube, it has a multi-channel network of over 29 channels and over 390+ million subscribers.

Saregama India Limited

Saregama India Limited is an Indian music company, formerly known as the Gramophone Company of India. The company was founded in 1901 and is India’s oldest music label, currently owned by the RP – Sanjiv Goenka Group of companies.

Universal Music India

Launched in 1999, Universal Music India is a part of the Universal Music Group, an American-based, Dutch-listed multinational music corporation. The worldwide revenue of the Universal Music Group is over $6 billion, and it is one of the youngest music companies in India.

Tips Industries Limited

Tips Industries is one of the renowned film production and film distribution company. The company was founded by Kumar S. Taurani and Ramesh S. Taurani in 1975, and over the 3 decades, it has grown to become a leading entertainment company.

Times Music

Times Music is the number 1 music label in the spiritual music genre. The company started operations in 1998, and since then, it has produced over 60,000 tracks in all languages and genres. In India, the company is more famous for its spiritual music releases.

Valuation

After engineering, medical and MBA, music is the only career or perhaps the only acceptable art form in the society in which Indian parents believe. Otherwise, parents are very precise about their children’s career choices, especially in our country. Once called “The Global Music Industry’s Sleeping Giant”, – The Indian music industry has topped the charts for the third time in a row with annual revenue of over ₹1,500 crores.

The pandemic caused a big hole in the earnings of the Indian music industry as 70% of recorded music in India is film-based. However, many people bought memberships and paid the charges on several apps, which helped the industry stay intact. Currently, the Indian music industry is ranked 17th in the world, and it is valued at around 19 billion Indian rupees at the end of 2021 and is expected to cross 28 billion rupees by the end of 2024.

Musical Records

  • Aap Kaa Surroor, a debut album by Himesh Reshammiya, released in 2006, is the highest-selling album ever released in India, with over 55 million copies sold.
  • Asha Bhosle is the most recorded artist in music history. She has recorded up to 11,000 solo, duet and chorus-backed songs in over 20 Indian languages since 1947.
  • Rahul Dev (RD) Burman is known as the King of Bollywood Music and is one of the influential music directors in the Indian film industry.
  • Shree Hanuman Chalisa by Hariharan is India’s most viewed music video, with over 2,486,720,895 views. The video is on the T-Series Bhakti Sagar channel.
  • Lut Gaye, a song starring Emraan Hashmi, composed by Tanishk Bagchi and sung by Jubin Nautiyal, has become the fastest Indian single to reach 1 Billion views on YouTube.

Get ready to react to WhatsApp messages with any emoji of your choice

WhatsApp launched the message reaction feature a few months ago, which works similarly to how Facebook’s reactions work. The feature is very convenient as it saves time and appears like a LIKE control of Instagram, showing how many people reacted to your message.

You must be familiar with the reaction feature by the time, but if you haven’t explored it yet, then just long-press on a WhatsApp message and select the emoji you want to react with. However, there are only six pre-chosen emoji options to respond to, and they are obviously not enough.

In a world of social media, where emojis play an enormous role, and most people prefer emojis over text, having six emoji options to react was already a dying feature. Since its inception, people have been demanding to have more number of reaction emojis, and finally, WhatsApp has responded.

In a recently shared tweet on the official profile of WhatsApp, the company has promised to come up with an additional number of emojis to react to the message. WhatsApp will soon roll out the feature for iOS and Android users.

The already tiny feature is going to create a wave of happiness among WhatsApp users, and we’re guessing a lot of the users will love it. According to WhatsApp, the rollout process will take a few days to reach all the devices using WhatsApp.

Along with the additional emoji reactions, the company has recently doubled the maximum number of participants allowed in a group chat – from 256 to 512 people. The feature is already rolled out on the latest version of WhatsApp. Update your WhatsApp app from the respective stores to enjoy all the recently added features.

How Music Enhances Your Brain & Mental Health?

What do you do when you’re having a rough day? You either prefer to calm down the situation by treating yourself to something relaxing like taking a shower, going on a long drive, or listening to your favourite tracks to cover up the loss. The last one – listening to music tops the chart as one can do it from anywhere, be it right after a work-related quarrel with a boss/colleague or anything else in the world, listening to music is the best way to calm yourself.

Aside from its entertainment value, music has played an essential role in our ability to cope with life’s greatest highs and lows. We all listen to music while commuting to work, on a road trip, during a long drive with bae and whenever we are free and feel like listening to something to cheer ourselves up. Basically, music is a part of our everyday life, making it one trigger alternative that can contribute to boosting our overall health and mental wellness.

What does music do to your body, mind and soul?

Young man practicing yoga exercises for mental and body health. Happy tiny guy sitting in meditation in front of brain flat vector illustration. Power of mind, healthy lifestyle, harmony concept

Since the ages, music has been an integral part of any social gathering as it creates soulful waves in our brains. In the mid-twentieth century, music emerged as a therapy for the wellness of people. Listening to relaxing music reduces the level of stress hormones in the blood, and listening to the different types of music makes our brain more active and strong. While, learning to play music improves reasoning, creativity, attention span and memory.

According to a study, listening to music while studying benefits you to memorise more quickly and retain information, especially when you keep a piece of classical or smooth jazz music in the background. Be a regular music listener to boost your creativity, regulate your mood, reduce stress, and relieve depression. It also helps in physical wellness as it keeps your heart healthy, increases your immune system, improves your sleep quality, and helps you eat less.

What type of music should you listen to?

Classical Music

We already know how listening to classical music benefits our brain and mental health as it helps you with relaxation, concentration, memory, cognition and melancholy. Thanks to the tempo of classical music, which is similar to the human heart. Classical music also increases dopamine, creativity and brain activity.

Jazz Music

Jazz music is associated with a mellow mood and helps you improve your memory, mood and verbal abilities. According to several studies, those who listen to jazz or slow music are 25% less likely to develop depression as it reduces negative emotions and evokes happy-positive feelings.

Rap Music

Have you ever listened to the raps of Eminem, Divine, or Dino James? All they rap is about their life experiences and the struggles they dealt with. Rap is all about conveying rhythmic overcoming narratives through music. It helps fight depression and always inspires the people who listen to them.

Pop Music

What do you listen to while working out in the gym? Of course, rock and pop music as it fills energy waves in your body and forces you to go for one more rep. Rock and pop music also increase endurance and physical performance during a workout. Listening to rock and pop music helps you overcome a rough day.

 

OnePlus Nord 2T – 7 things to know before you purchase

What do you think about the OnePlus’s strategy? The company has launched way too many smartphones in 2022 compared to their previous records. It looks like, OnePlus is the only company that didn’t take a pause and change its working schedules during the infamous COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, they launched another smartphone in their Nord series, the OnePlus Nord 2T. Let’s take a quick look at the 10 things you should know before purchasing a smartphone.

Revamped Nord 2

Have you seen the last year’s OnePlus Nord 2? If you have, you could identify the significant similarities between Nord 2 and Nord 2T, as they’re identical except for the design updates. The revamped Nord 2T is the first Nord smartphone to receive the ‘T’ branding, and it is a decent alternative for you if you’re looking for a solid mid-range smartphone under ₹30,000.

80W SuperVOOC Fast Charging

The 10th NORD device in the series arrives with an 80W SuperVOOC fast charging support, allowing OnePlus Nord 2T to sit along with the OnePlus 10 Pro. The fast charging support takes only 30 minutes to charge the 4500mAh battery of the smartphone fully. When charged fully, the phone lasts almost a day, even after heavy usage.

The Processor – MediaTek Dimensity 1300

The Nord 2T marks the debut of MediaTek Dimensity 1300 SoC in India as it is the first smartphone launched with the Dimensity 1300 processor. The processor that scored 699,576 on Antutu makes the smartphone capable of handling multitasking operations and ensures the users will not be disappointed while operating day-to-day tasks.

90 Hz FHD+ AMOLED Display

The revamped Nord 2T comes with the same smooth 6.43” FHD+ AMOLED display with a 2400 x 1080 pixels resolution and 90 Hz screen refresh rate as the OnePlus Nord 2. Also, the company has taken care of your binge-watching practices and has featured the smartphone with HDR10+ support.

Good Looks, Good Looks & Good Looks

The Nord 2T is one of the most good-looking smartphones the OnePlus has ever manufactured, even some of the premium smartphones will fail in front of the 2T when compared on the basis of looks. The smartphone has a slick and velvety texture yet offers an excellent grip. Also, it is secured with Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and the back panel.

Camera – Old wine in a new bottle

Just like the rest of the features Nord 2T comes with the same mediocre camera as the Nord 2. It has a 50MP Sony IMX766 primary lens paired with an 8MP wide-angle lens and a 2MP portrait lens. The front or selfie camera of the Nord 2T is 32MP, and like last year, it is limited to 1080p video.

OxygenOS 12.1 out-of-the-box

The smartphone runs on OxygenOS 12.1, based on Android 12 and delivers a smooth user experience without hiccups. The company has also confirmed the smartphone will get three major Android OS updates and four years of security updates. Overall, OnePlus Nord 2T seems to be one of the best mid-range smartphones under ₹30,000.

Top 7 Spectacular Monsoon Destinations in India

Why do we love the monsoon season? The season brings out the scent of the parched earth during the first few visits, energizes you to take a brisk walk from the local shop to home, and encourages you to go for an evening walk with your loved ones once the shower settles down. The season also transforms our mood with the musical pours and sways us to break the diet plan to have some streetside food along with a hot cup of tea.

We are blessed to have two monsoon seasons in the country, the summer monsoon season and the winter monsoon season. The former lasts from June to September and affects the whole of India, while the latter brings seasonal rainfall to Southeast India from October to December. However, many of us hate the monsoon season for several reasons (pitter-patter sound tops the chart), we can’t deny that the season also brings lots of travel opportunities in our mundane lives.

The Spectacular Monsoon Destinations:

Mount Abu (Rajasthan)

When clouds cover the sky and raindrops hit the earth, you should be somewhere at the top to experience the magic of nature, and Mount Abu is one such serene place. The hill station is located near the Gujarat-Rajasthan border in western India’s Rajasthan state. The place is well-connected to different cities in India, such as New Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad, and is popular amongst honeymooners throughout the year.

Amboli (Maharashtra)

Almost everyone who stays in and around Mumbai/Pune has traveled at least once to Lonavala or Khandala, making the place an ordinary destination for monsoon adventures. Amboli, a serene hill station in the south of Maharashtra, is famous for its incredibly high rainfall during the monsoon season. The place lies in the Sahyadri Hills of Western India, one of the world’s “Eco Hot-Spots”, and attracts thousands of nature lovers and adventure freaks during the season.

Wayanad (Kerala)

If you’re looking for a picture-perfect monsoon destination in India that fulfills your heart with happiness and social media feed with likes. In that case, you must travel to Wayanad this monsoon season as the place offers monsoon chills along with a special 3-day monsoon festival, ‘Splash’. The site is famous for its spice plantations and is home to wildlife species like Asiatic elephants, tigers, and leopards.

Shillong (Meghalaya)

Meghalaya means abode of clouds, and the name is enough to describe what it holds within. The state is famous for heavy rainfall, the tallest waterfalls, beautiful landscapes, and amazing people. Shillong is the capital city of Meghalaya state and is renowned for being one of the best places to visit in India during the monsoon. The misty clouds and roaring waterfalls of Shillong are enough to push you to pack your bags.

Pushkar (Rajasthan)

Are you tired of the heavy rainfall we have to deal with every monsoon? Well, most of us struggle with the gloominess that strikes after a few weeks of the monsoon season. At such a point, a trip is all you need, and what’s better than a Pushkar, a place that gets almost zero to low rainfall. Drive out from your city and head to Pushkar to explore the beautiful and soothing side of Rajasthan.

Jog Falls (Karnataka)

The Jog Falls is about 400+ Km from Bangalore and is well-known for its four distinct cascades – known locally as Raja, Rani, Rover, and Rocket. The waterfall is situated on the Sharavati river in the Western Ghats of Shivamogga District and offers visitors a lush green scenic backdrop during the peak monsoon. The people who are up for an adventure weekend along with a long drive should definitely visit this place during the monsoon.

Valley Of Flowers (Uttarakhand)

The valley of flowers is popularly called flowery heaven on the earth and one of the best places to visit during the monsoon season. The place blooms enormously after the rain and becomes a home ground for more than 400 varieties of flowers. However, a short trek is necessary to explore the blessed site, and you’re not going to regret it as every step you walk towards the valley of flowers has a beauty of its own.

July 2022 – Top 10 releases of the month

Rocketry: The Nambi Effect

Madhavan has risen from being a cute romantic hero of the early 2000s to being the first A-list actor to make an OTT debut, and now he has added one more star on his shoulder by writing and directing the upcoming film Rocketry: The Nambi Effect. The biographical film is based on the life of Nambi Narayanan, a former scientist and aerospace engineer of the ISRO, who was falsely charged with espionage and arrested.

Release: 1st July (in theatres)

Genre: Biography

Directed by: R. Madhavan

Stranger Things S4 Volume 2

 

Stranger Things S4V1 revealed a few new characters, two of whom are quite brutal, the villains of the story – Vecna in the upside-down and number ONE in the laboratory. At the end of the S4V1, we saw Nancy fall into a new dimension while trying to climb the rope of the new world. Volume 2 of the Season 4 consists of two episodes of about 2 hours each called ‘Chapter 8 – Papa’ and ‘Chapter 9 – The Piggyback’, respectively.

Release: 1st July (Netflix)

Genre: Science Fiction Horror

Created by: The Duffer Brothers

Thor: Love and Thunder

 

The Marvel Cinematic Universe fans are going crazy over the release of Thor: Love and Thunder. The 29th superhero film in the MCU is based on the Marvel Comics character Thor and is the direct sequel to Thor: Ragnarok (2017). The film shows the story of Thor returning to action after spending a brief time looking for inner peace. In the process, he recruits Valkyrie, Korg, and Jane Foster to stop Gorr the God Butcher from eliminating all gods.

Release: 8th July (in theatres)

Genre: Superhero

Directed by: Taika Waititi

Boo, Bitch

We have seen Lana Condor as Lara Jean Covey in the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy, and now she’s returning with yet another mind-boggling character. Her upcoming mini-series – Boo, Bitch is a supernatural comedy which depicts the story of a high school student who lives a life of a wallflower and wakes up one morning only to find out she’s a ghost. The series is labelled as a mini-series, and it will have eight episodes.

Release: 8th July (Netflix)

Genre: Comedy

Created by: Tim Schauer, Kuba Soltysiak, Erin Ehrlich and Lauren Iungerich

Jaadugar

 

Jeetu Bhaiyya is back again with another movie, and this time he plays the magician’s character. His recent release, Panchayat 2, is already breaking the records and the audience across genres appreciates his performance. With Jaadugar, the actor is looking forward to expanding his movie resume. In the film, Jitendra Kumar plays a role of a Jaadugar with no athletic skill and must win a football trophy to marry his love interest.

Release: 15th July (Netflix)

Genre: Sports Comedy

Directed by: Sameer Saxena

Shabaash Mithu

We have seen films/documentaries based on many cricketers, be it an MS Dhoni or Sachin Tendulkar or the most recent one, Kabir Khan’s 83, but what about the female cricketers? Yes, we have two films in the pipeline based on the female cricketer’s life journey, and one of them is Shabaash Mithu, based on the life of former Test and ODI captain of the India women’s national cricket team, Mithali Raj, and it stars Taapsee Pannu in the titular role.

Release: 15th July (in theatres)

Genre: Biographical Sports Drama

Directed by: Srijit Mukherji

Hit: The First Case

The remake of 2020 released Telugu-language action-thriller film with the same name, which starred Vishwak Sen and Ruhani Sharma in the lead role. The Bollywood remake of the movie stars Rajkummar Rao and Sanya Malhotra in the lead role and follows the same plot where the lead character Vikram Rudraraju (Rao), a police officer of the Homicide Intervention Team (HIT) who is tasked to investigate the missing case of a young girl.

Release: 15th July (in theatres)

Genre: Action Thriller

Directed by: Dr Sailesh Kolanu

Indian Predator: The Butcher of Delhi

Recently, Netflix India declared they are on the other side of the success and trying to rise from their current situation in India. However, the company has done great homework over the course and observed what the Indian audience wants to watch! After “House of Secrets – The Burari Deaths”, now they’re all set to release their next true-crime documentary “Indian Predator: The Butcher of Delhi.” In the end, Netflix realised good documentaries could prevent them from drowning.

Release: 20th July (Netflix)

Genre: True Crime Documentary

Directed by: Ayesha Sood

Shamshera

 

June was all about Ranbir Kapoor. We witnessed the actor being the part of the two trailer launches (Brahmastra and Shamshera) and, of course, the pregnancy announcement with his wife, Alia Bhatt. When people experienced the trailer for Brahmastra, they were in awe, but when they saw the trailer for Shamshera, they hailed him like a king. The period drama film is set in the 1800s and tells the story of a dacoit tribe and their fight for independence against British rule.

Release: 22nd July (in theatres)

Genre: Period Drama

Directed by: Karan Malhotra

Vikrant Rona

Since the theatres opened after the pandemic South Indian movies are going on another level. With every new release, they’re coming up with a masterpiece, be it a Pushpa, KGF, Vikram or 777 Charlie. Vikrant Rona is a fantasy action-adventure film which stars Sudeep in the title role alongside Nirup Bhandari and Neetha Ashok. The movie is based on incidents in which people from a remote village start witnessing a series of unexplainable supernatural events.

Release: 28th July (in theatres)

Genre: Fantasy Action

Directed by: Anup Bhandari

Film Vs Digital: Comparing The Technology Behind Shooting Movies

We’ve been debating on ‘film vs digital’ for about 15 years but haven’t concluded yet. Some filmmakers and cinematographers are inclined toward shooting their movies in film format at any cost, while others favor shooting in digital format. Luckily, they all agree that motion picture form and digital cinematography have their own perks and drawbacks.

The Difference

Let’s understand the basics first. The fundamental difference between film and digital moviemaking is the technology and media used to shoot a movie. However, according to industry experts and a few old-school filmmakers (yes, the list includes celebrated film directors like Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino), shooting on a film camera is the purest form of making a movie.

Yes, of course! The film is superior to digital as it is more pleasing to the eye of the audience, but not when you’re making an independent cinema which involves a relatively small amount of money. Shooting digital saves a lot of money compared to shooting on a film camera, and you can view the shots immediately, which makes it an easier way to shoot a movie.

Quentin Tarantino, a filmmaker who has taken a clear stand in the “film or digital” discussion, once said, “If I can’t shoot on film, I’ll stop making movies”, and he has his reasons for the same. While Robert Rodriguez, an independent filmmaker famous for co-directing the 2005 neo-noir crime thriller Sin City, loves the digital moviemaking process as it involves less hassle.

Fun Fact: Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez are real-life best friends and have worked together on multiple projects.

The Quality

While making a movie, amateur filmmakers might compromise on the quality side, but professional filmmakers will not take such a huge risk. Quality-wise, the film captures photos at a higher resolution than most digital cameras, thanks to the large film prints. Also, shooting on a film camera delivers a higher dynamic range, especially in darker scenes.

However, a large number of professionals believe digital cameras offer very decent quality and are the future of cinema. They are very portable, foolproof and can be created in many forms. A 35mm film has a digital resolution equivalent to 4K, a 35mm Imax film correlates to 6K, and the famous 70mm Imax is closer to 12K – a dream to catch up for a digital camera as it is still wandering around 8K sensors.

The Investment

We all are aware of how shooting something on a film camera works and how much time it consumes but do you know how much expenses you have to bear to develop film prints from negatives? Let’s not go into that lane as it’s only going to hurt you (be a professional filmmaker first), especially when you’re planning to produce a movie by shooting it on a film camera.

When it comes to investment, digital cameras hit back at film cameras at some levels. First of all, they offer easy and seamless data transfer of files from device to computer hard drive or cloud computing platforms. However, a high-end digital camera can be more expensive than its film counterparts. Basically, shooting a movie on a film camera will cost you more money than shooting digitally.

 

Top 8 Musical Movies of Recent Times / World Music Day

Every week or so, out of nowhere, we spontaneously break out into song, which takes us back into the lane of memories. The world would be a very quiet place without music and life would be hard to survive, as music reflects the mood and emotions of people. Being a student of cinema I always find solace in the musical movies as they hit differently, let’s take a quick look at the best musicals.

A Star Is Born (2018)

When Brad asks, “Tell me something girl, are you happy in this modern world?” while singing the “shallow” song, even a happy-go-lucky chick says “No”, and that’s the power music holds in our life. We have seen many versions of “A Star Is Born” over the years, but our generation will only remember Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga’s 2018 released “A Star Is Born” and, of course, “Aashiqui 2”.

West Side Story (2021)

When the legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg decided to direct and co-produce the modern-day remake of “West Side Story”, a large number of people said it would only end up ruining the original bite. However, the movie shines on in every aspect, whether acting, dancing, dialogues, lyrics, direction, camerawork, or music and led us to grab loads of tissues.

tick, tick…Boom (2021)

No one will say cages when asked, “cages or wings, which do you prefer?” but the playwright who penned down the line, Jonathan Larson, was himself so bewildered between his love life and career that he made a song out of the situation “Johnny can’t decide.” The autobiographical musical is a heavenly experience and one of the most incredible musicals of recent times.

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

Long before One Direction, there was a band called “Queen” fronted by the iconic singer and songwriter Freddie Mercury. The movie “Bohemian Rhapsody” is based on his rock band, Queen and all the controversies he created due to his ego, sexuality and a fatal illness. Watch “Bohemian Rhapsody” for the love of music and tribute to the greatest showman of the 1980s.

La La Land (2016)

They say “La La Land” is an overrated musical movie, but if you ask me, it is one of the finest musicals of recent times. The film is based on how we tell stories, particularly in a visual form. The movie is gorgeously filmed, has lots of vibrant colours, and is as magical as its title suggests. The chemistry between the lead duo, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, is remarkable.

Whiplash (2014)

Damien Chazelle has a sweet tooth for making great musical movies. Before writing and directing “La La Land”, he was known for writing and directing one of the most intense musical movies of all time, Whiplash. The storyline of the movie is inspired by the flashes Damien Chazelle experienced as a drummer. A real jazz fan would not dare to make the mistake of skipping Whiplash.

Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

Written, directed, produced, and edited by Coen Brothers but doesn’t feature any money heist, gunshots or blades. The period black comedy stars Oscar Isaac as a Llewyn Davis, a folk singer who struggles to maintain his artistic independence against the growing commercialised music industry. The film depicts the creative struggle perfectly, but to understand the bit, you must watch it till the end.

Elvis (2022)

The musical drama film is set to release on 24th June and is based on the life of a famous American singer and actor, Elvis Presley, who was regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century. The movie depicts the rise of the singer and his complex relationship with his manager Colonel Tom Parker. The movie stars Austin Butler as Elvis Presley and Tom Hanks as his manager. The film was premiered at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival and received a 10-Minute Standing Ovation.

Weird tech inventions that were way ahead of their time

Over the last few decades, we have seen many technological ideas walking into reality, thanks to the people who spent years on the concept and implemented it successfully. However, a few technological inventions (of course, the weird ones) were ahead of their time but were scrapped due to a lack of funds. Otherwise, you know! Okay, let’s take a quick look at such weird inventions.

Ergonomic Workstation

An ergonomic keyboard can change your typing experience as they are designed to provide more space for your wrist and forearm to sit in the middle of the keyboard. Now, imagine having an ergonomic workstation in your office which fits you in and offers the best comfort for you. Yes, we haven’t seen such an innovation in a regular office space. However, back in the day, designers created a figure-hugging chair, which had a built-in typewriter and even earphones with extendable aerials. Sounds cool, but in reality, you can’t sit on such a chair for an extended period.

Head-Mounted Display

We all are aware of the VR headsets, a heads-up display that allows users to interact with simulated environments and experience a first-person view but do you know it wasn’t discovered recently. Sony launched the Glasstron, a head-mounted display with dual LCD screens and earphones, in the mid-90s, which was quite ahead of its time, but at that time, it was very unexpected and weird.

Milk Made Clothes

We love the taste of milk, at least most of us, but have you ever thought about how many t-shirts you can make from milk you drink over a month. Well, not everyone has a mind to come up with out-of-the-box ideas, but in 2011, German fashion designer Anke Domaske unveiled a fabric called QMilch, made from the casein protein found in milk and takes about 6-litres of milk to make one t-shirt. Again, a creative innovation but way ahead of its time and, of course, weird.

Bra Dryer

The heat from the dryer can melt your undergarments, particularly bras. They are hard to clean and dry, especially with the washing machines, and that’s why handwash is highly recommended to cleanse the bras. Then in 2009, Alexander Farennikov created a Bra Dryer, which helps maintain your bra shape for months by using infrared light and airflow. The dryer takes only 20-30 minutes to dry your bra with infrared completely and evaporates any moisture in the padding and fabric.

Leonardo da Vinci’s tank

Leonardo da Vinci invented and discovered many things, including the parachute, an early helicopter and a fighting vehicle. All these high-level tech designs were created and developed in the 16th century by Leonardo da Vinci. The fighting vehicle was a modern tank inspired by a turtle’s shell, and it was designed to protect the occupants from enemy attacks. It was a visionary idea for the 16th century, but in the 21st century, it looks bizarre to roam on a battlefield with such a vehicle.

Tech Launches of the Month – June 2022

Xiaomi 12X

Xiaomi is set to launch their latest flagship maestro Xiaomi 12X in India. The smartphone boasts a 6.28-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Xiaomi 12X smartphone is loaded with Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 chipset and runs on the latest MIUI 13 based on Android 12. It comes with a 67W wired turbocharger which charges the phone to 100% in about 39 minutes.

Front Camera – 32MP

Camera – 50MP + 13MP + 5MP

Battery – 4500 mAh (typ) battery

Storage – 128GB/256GB

 

Google Pixel 6a

Google skipped a few pixel smartphones in 2021, but recently the company has confirmed they are coming back to India with the launch of an economical version of the Google Pixel 6 – Pixel 6a. The upcoming smartphone will feature a 6.1-inch Full HD+ display and a 12.2MP primary camera at the back. Google would offer the Pixel 6 at a more affordable price. 

Display – 6.1 inches with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection

Camera – 12.2MP + 12MP

Battery – 4410 mAh

Colours – Chalk, Charcoal, Sage

 

Amazfit GTS 2

Amazfit doesn’t seem interested in launching a solely new smartwatch in the market. As a result, the company launched a revamped version of the Amazfit GTS 2 (2020) in India. The recently launched Amazfit GTS 2 features BlueTooth calling, curved bezel-less design, continuous heart rate monitoring, and 90 sports modes along with 6 days of battery life on a single charge.

Storage – 3GB

Warranty – 12 Months Warranty

Display – 1.65-inch AMOLED screen

Water Resistance – 5ATM rated – up to a depth of 50 meters

 

Oppo K10 (5G)

Oppo launched K10 (5G) with MediaTek Dimensity 810 on 8th June in India. The smartphone is advertised as the slimmest 5G smartphone and most stylish 5G smartphone based on its performance. It has a sleek-sturdy classic design with a scratch-resistant back. The smartphone supports 33W SUPERVOOC super flash charging and comes with a virtual memory expansion feature.

Camera – 64MP+8MP+2MP

Display – 6.59 inches

OS – Android 12, ColorOS 12.1

Storage – 128GB/8GB RAM, 256GB/8GB RAM, and 256GB/12GB RAM

 

Motorola G82

Motorola doesn’t want to stop their launch parade. A week ago, they launched Motorola E32s, and now the company is planning to launch the Motorola G82 in India. The smartphone boasts a 6.6-inch 1080p AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and it is said to be India’s first smartphone with a 50MP OIS camera, at least in the price range of below 30k.

Display – 6.6-inch 1080p AMOLED 

Chipset – Qualcomm Snapdragon 695

Storage – 128GB

Battery – 5,000mAh battery with 30W fast charging

 

OnePlus Nord 2T

Another OnePlus smartphone is on its way to land in India. The OnePlus Nord 2T is already launched in the European markets, and now it’s all prepared to launch in India by the end of June 2022. It will boast a 6.43-inch AMOLED panel with a 90Hz refresh rate and a new camera outlet featuring circular rings. The smartphone is expected to be priced between 30k to 35k in India.

Chipset – Dimensity 1300

Battery – 4500mAh with 80W charging

Colour Options – Black & Blue

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