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 The Shawshank Redemption
Based on a Stephen King story, the film is told over
several years at the titular prison and centers on a
friendship between two inmates.

The relationship between the two men is one of

the most heart-warming friendships ever shown on
screen and it helps give the film those beautiful
moments which lead up to one of the greatest
endings in film history.
 Chak De India
Chak De India is a sports film that is realistic,
energetic, entertaining and uplifting in spirit. The
film deals with India’s much ignored national
sport-Hockey, a girls hockey team which is ignored
to the sidelines, a bit of patriotism, team spirit and
finally the spirit of triumph over obstacles.

The film is also partly based on the real life of

former hockey player Mir Ranjan Negi. It has a
simple script and the screenplay has wit, drama,
emotions etc which are extremely convincing. The
execution too by Shimit Amin is first class as the
film unfolds in an engaging and adept manner.

Overall, Chak de India has a very gripping story, a

great background score, right mix of comedy,
emotions, actions; and in short, is a must watch.
 Schindler's List
Steven Spielberg is known for creating some of the
most crowd-pleasing movies of all time. However,
it is his most difficult movie to watch which ranks
the highest, which is appropriate as it is one of his
finest jobs as a director.

Schindler's List is a harrowing story of the real-life

tale of Oskar Schindler and his attempts to save
Jewish citizens during the Nazi rule in Germany.
While Schindler may be an inspiring hero, the film
is most effective as a horrific depiction of the
Holocaust. Shot in haunting black and white,
Spielberg created a film that will last in the minds
of viewers for years to come.
 Amar Akbar Anthony
The film stars Vinod Khanna, Rishi Kapoor and
Amitabh Bachchan opposite Shabana Azmi, Neetu
Singh and Parveen Babi are in the lead roles.

A ex-convict must flee his mob boss, leaving his

family to fend for themselves. His wife goes blind
and his children are abandoned. They are adopted
by a Hindu policeman, a Muslim tailor, and a
Catholic priest. The Hindu-raised son becomes a
policeman in his turn; his Muslim-raised brother
becomes a singer; and the last son, played by
Amitabh, becomes a happy-go-lucky Catholic who
lives on the edge of the law. The boys meet again
and their lives become entangled in an incredible
plot full of unlikely coincidences and furious action
sequences interspersed with songs.
 The Pursuit of Happyness
The Pursuit of Happyness is a biographical drama
film starring Will Smith as Chris Gardner, a
homeless salesman, and his son Jaden Smith as
Gardner's son, Christopher. The film is based on
the best-selling 2006 memoir of the same name
written by Chris Gardner with Quincy Troupe,
which is based on Chris Gardner's (an American
businessman and motivational speaker) nearly one-
year struggle of being homeless while raising a
toddler son.

Will Smith and his son, Jaden bring to life the true
story of a father-son family, struggling to step up
from the bottom rung of the ladder. It is an honest,
meaningful film that will stay with you long after
you’ve finished watching it.
 Dil Chahta Hai
The story revolves around three friends – Akash
(Aamir Khan), Sameer (Saif Ali Khan) and Siddharth
“Sid” (Akshaye Khanna). Each has one main
characteristic that drives them through the story
and the changes the experience. Akash does not
believe in love. He is carefree, quite a rascal and a
joker. Sameer is a polar opposite – he is very
romantic person, who believes that every girl he
starts a relationship with is “the one”. Sid, on the
other hand, is an artist, quite detached from
others, mostly in his own world and I think we
never really get to know him.
 Peaky Blinders
Peaky Blinders is a British period crime drama
television series created by Steven Knight. Set in
Birmingham, England, the series follows the
exploits of the Shelby crime family in the direct
aftermath of the First World War. The fictional
family is loosely based on a real urban youth gang
of the same name, who were active in the city from
the 1890s to the early 20th century.

Peaky Blinders features an ensemble cast, led by

Cillian Murphy, Helen McCrory, Joe Cole and Paul
Anderson starring as Tommy Shelby, Elizabeth
"Polly" Gray, John Shelby and Arthur Shelby
respectively, the gang's senior members.
 House of Cards
House of Cards is an American political thriller
series adaptation of the 1990 BBC series of the
same name and based on the 1989 novel of the
same name by Michael Dobbs. The series deals
with themes of ruthless pragmatism, manipulation,
betrayal, and power.

The series follows the story of Congressman Frank

Underwood (Kevin Spacey) and his equally
ambitious wife Claire Underwood (Robin Wright).
Along with his wife, he sets out on a quest to seek
revenge on the people who betrayed him while
successfully rising to supremacy. House of Cards
has 6 seasons written and directed with brilliance
and performed with perfection.
 The Family Man
The Family Man is an Indian espionage action
thriller series. The series features Manoj Bajpayee
as Srikant Tiwari, a middle-class man secretly
working as an intelligence officer for the Threat
Analysis and Surveillance Cell (TASC), a fictitious
branch of the National Investigation Agency.

The Family Man received positive response from

critics and audiences, praising the performance of
the cast members, and writing and execution. The
series also received eleven nominations at the
Filmfare OTT Awards and won 5 of them.
 Aspirants
Aspirants is a web series by TVF that depicts the
life of UPSC aspirants. It is a story of 3 friends -
Abhilash, Shwetketu(SK) and Guri. The story
revolves around the past and the present time
where the past captures the struggle and the
drama behind the making of UPSC CSE aspirants in
Old Rajinder Nagar of Delhi, while the present talks
about the aftermath. Aspirants is about their
journey and most importantly - their friendship
besides all odds.

The series is poignant, layered with the

frustrations of adulthood and the idea that age
alone stretches the pain of failure, making it that
much more contemptible as a public good.
 Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a police procedural comedy
series. It is a masterful comedy infused with
serious discussions about current affairs while
having powerful and lovable characters that will
stay with you long after you finish the episode or
season.

The series revolves around Jake Peralta (Andy

Samberg), a talented but immature NYPD detective
in Brooklyn's fictional 99th Precinct, who often
comes into conflict with his commanding officer,
the serious and stern Captain Raymond Holt
(Andre Braugher). Each character adds a
heartwarming twist to the series with their
effortless and brilliant performance.
 Taskmaster
Taskmaster is a British comedy panel game show
originally created by British comedian Alex Horne.
The game consists of simple and bizarre
challenges, ostensibly set to the contestants by
Davies in his role as the Taskmaster, with
assistance provided by Horne. The tasks – usually
performed in isolation, but occasionally in teams –
are designed to encourage the players to think
laterally and creatively to complete the task.

Each episode starts with the Prize Task, in which

each contestant brings in a prize following a given
theme. The prizes are all awarded to the winner of
that episode. Taskmaster is a childish comedy
miracle, ridiculously inventive in its own
homemade way.
 30 - Adele
30 is the fourth studio album by English singer-
songwriter Adele, released in November 2021. It is
her first album in six years features collaborations
with Greg Kurstin, Ludwig Göransson, Max Martin,
and Tobias Jesso Jr.

The lead single, "Easy on Me" became an

international hit instantly. Three weeks before its
release, the album broke the Apple Music record
for the most pre-added album ever on the
streaming platform.
 After Hours
After Hours is the fourth studio album by Canadian
singer The Weeknd, released in 2020. It is a rhythm
and blues piece of art that is inspired by the '80s
with synthesizing sounds and vocals that are a
blessing for the ears. After Hours represents
darkness, love with misguided-hidden motives, and
descendence to utter destruction all in the After
Hours.

The album is a perfect combination of '80s glory

and contemporary sound. The Weeknd was able to
create a cinematic world in this album that takes
you on a chilling/horrifying cinematic adventure
that is pleasing to the eyes and ears.
 Indian Ocean
Formed in 1990 in Delhi, Indian Ocean is widely
recognized as the pioneer of the fusion rock genre
in India. Highlighting social and political issues in
their songs, their music style could be classified as
fusion as they fuse traditional tunes or raga with
rock. It has also been described by some music
critics as Indo-rock fusion with jazz-spiced
rhythms that integrates shlokas, sufism,
environmentalism, mythology, and revolution.

Sailing through ups and downs in the band’s

structure and other challenges, Indian Ocean has
survived as a favorite across generations.
 The Dark Side of the Moon
The Dark Side of the Moon is the eighth studio
album by the English rock band Pink Floyd,
released in 1973. The record was conceived as an
album that focused on the pressures faced by the
band during their arduous lifestyle and dealing
with the apparent mental health problems suffered
by former band member Syd Barrett, who departed
the group in 1968.

A concept album, The Dark Side of the Moon

explores themes such as conflict, greed, time,
death, and mental illness. It is among the most
critically acclaimed records in history, often
featuring on professional listings of the greatest
albums of all time.
 Nirvana
Nirvana was an American rock band of the 1980s,
formed by lead singer-songwriter and guitarist
Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic. The band
went through a succession of drummers before
recruiting Dave Grohl in 1990.

Nirvana's success popularized alternative rock, and

they were often referenced as the figurehead band
of Generation X. Their music maintains a popular
following and continues to influence modern rock
and roll culture.
 Jungle
Jungle is a British electronic music project founded
in 2013 by producers, Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom
McFarland. Jungle have released two studio
albums, 2014's Jungle, which was shortlisted for the
Mercury Prize that year, and 2018's For Ever
through XL Recordings, while their third album,
Loving in Stereo released in August 2021 via Caiola
Records.

Throughout their first album, they favor the

bantamweight soul reminiscent of early '80s British
acts. But it’s the group’s sense of simple, dance-
focused visuals that have attained a certain level of
buzz. Peel back those effective visuals and their
sonic palette is rather confectionary: pliant bass,
simple 4/4 beats, spindling guitar.
1984
George Orwell
Narrated with infinite precision, Nineteen Eighty-
Four: A Novel, often referred to as 1984, by George
Orwell is one of the most famous dystopian satires
in the English language.

Thematically, Nineteen Eighty-Four centres on the

consequences of totalitarianism, mass surveillance,
and repressive regimentation of persons and
behaviours within society. Broadly, the novel
examines the role of truth and facts within politics
and the ways in which they are manipulated.
Daughters of the Sun
Ira Mukhoty
Daughters of the Sun is a luminous account of the
many women who lived in the shadow of their men
yet led remarkable lives forming links in a chain
that encircled all of Hindustan. This book is the
very first attempt to chronicle the women who
played a vital role in building the Mughal empire.

The book endorses and carries forward Lal’s school

of thought. An enthralling sociological piece, it
covers a bigger time frame, giving us an unusual
peep into the private lives of Mughals from the
times of Babur to those of Aurangzeb as well as the
attempts to drive out the banal images of the
harem, created largely by European accounts.
An Era of Darkness
Shashi Tharoor
‘The Era of Darkness’ is that account of history
where Indians were trampled upon by the British
boot of colonial rule, and what added fuel to the
fire was that they had to pay for it, in cash, in kind,
and in blood.

The book refers to an era, an era of people who

have lived on our soil, eaten the food we eat and
breathed the air that fills our lungs today. But, their
eyes were devoid of the light we live in, their era is
reminiscent of Plato’s cave where prisoners are
chained so that their legs and necks are fixed and
they can’t see anything but shadows on the wall
near them. For them the shadows were reality.
Think Like a Monk
Jay Shetty
Viral Storyteller and #1 Podcast host Jay Shetty
simplifies the timeless wisdom he learned as a
monk into practical, actionable steps to train your
mind for peace and purpose everyday.

In this honest, inspiring and empowering book, Jay

focuses on what he believes are the roadblocks to
our potential and power, helping you develop the
skills and tools to break through negativity, anxiety,
overthinking and peoples expectations.

This book is an effortless guide on how ANYONE

can Think Like a Monk: courageous, compassionate
and determined; and why it isn’t a choice but a
necessity in our fast-paced, disconnected world.
Cricket Country
Prashant Kidambi
Drawing on an unparalleled range of original
archival sources, Cricket Country is the story of
the first 'All India' cricket tour of Great Britain and
Ireland. It is also the extraordinary tale of how the
idea of India took shape on the cricket field in the
high noon of the empire.

This historic tour, which took place against the

backdrop of revolutionary politics in the Edwardian
era, featured an improbable cast of characters. The
team’s young captain was the newly enthroned
ruler of a powerful Sikh state. The other cricketers
were chosen on the basis of their religious identity.
Remarkably, for the day, two of the players were
Dalits!
50 Things That Made The
Modern Economy
Tim Harford
'Undercover economist' Tim Harford focuses on
the hard stuff: inventions. Many of these are things
that have been with us for so long -- and are so
distant from many people's lives -- that we rarely
remember their significance: the plough, barbed
wire, cuneiform.

This book is based on the weekly radio series

produced for the BBC World Service by the author.
50 things are set in eight sections of the book. The
structure of the book is interesting. It starts with
the “first thing” which is followed by introduction
and the “fiftieth thing” comes as epilogue after
conclusion.
 Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is the fourth main entry
in the action-adventure series Uncharted. Set
several years after the events of Uncharted 3:
Drake's Deception, players control Nathan Drake, a
former treasure hunter coaxed out of retirement
by his presumed-dead brother Samuel. With
Nathan's longtime partner, Victor Sullivan, they
search for clues for the location of Henry Avery's
long-lost treasure.

The game is played from a third-person

perspective and incorporates platformer elements.
Players solve puzzles and use firearms, melee
combat, and stealth to combat enemies. In the
online multiplayer mode, up to ten players engage
in cooperative and competitive modes.
 God of War
God of War is an action-adventure game series
consisting of eight games across multiple
platforms. Based in ancient mythology, the story
follows the titular protagonist, Kratos, a Spartan
warrior and later the God of War, who was tricked
into killing his family by his former master, the
original Greek god of war Ares. This sets off a
series of events that leads to wars with the
mythological pantheons.

The God of War franchise has sold over 51 million

games worldwide. The game is an exhilarating
experience and is considered one of the best
games of all time.
 Pictionary
Pictionary is a charades-inspired word-guessing
game invented by Robert Angel. The goal of the
game is for one person to draw a picture without
using any letters, numbers, words, gestures, verbal
cues or nonverbal cues, and their partner has to
guess what word corresponds to the picture being
drawn.

It is a fantastic game to play with family and

friends.
 Minecraft
Minecraft is a sandbox video game developed by
the Swedish video game developer Mojang Studios.
In Minecraft, players explore a blocky, procedurally
generated 3D world with virtually infinite terrain,
and may discover and extract raw materials, craft
tools and items, and build structures or
earthworks.

With over 200 million copies sold and over 140

million monthly active users as of 2021, Minecraft is
cited as one of the best video games of all time. The
game has been critically acclaimed and has won
several awards.
 Scrabble GO
Scrabble GO is a word game in which two to four
players score points by placing tiles, each bearing a
single letter, onto a game board divided into a 15×15
grid of squares. Each letter adds points and the
goal is to make words with the best combinations
and score the highest points.

The game has multiple mini in-games and levels

and can be played with friends or random people
online.
 Red Dead Redemption II
Red Dead Redemption is an action-adventure game
which is set during the decline of the American
frontier in the year 1911 and follows John Marston, a
former outlaw whose wife and son are taken
hostage by the government in ransom for his
services as a hired gun. Having no other choice,
Marston sets out to bring three members of his
former gang to justice.

The game is played from a third-person

perspective. The player may freely roam in its
interactive open world, a fictionalized version of
the Western United States and Mexico, primarily
by horseback and on foot. Gunfights emphasize a
gunslinger gameplay mechanic called "Dead Eye"
that allows players to mark multiple shooting
targets on enemies in slow motion.