Author: storytattva

Have You Watched This? Or Do You Like That?

At the agency I work for, I once asked an influencer on my team to direct a spoken poetry video. It was a conceptual narrative with every chance of collapsing under a first-time storyteller. She panicked. She yelled that she had...

Musings

The Eklavya Principle and the Coaching Charade

The morning began with a note on my desk: Happy Teacher's Day. Beside it, a bar of chocolate. Instinctively, I smirked—and if I'm being honest, I was pleased. A moment later, the familiar parasite of impostor syndrome climbed...

Storytelling

Why Do Your Characters Feel Like They’re Trapped in an Echo Chamber?

There was a time I'd instinctively look away when an ad came on. Who wants to be sold something in the middle of a story? Now it's the reverse. I lean in, sometimes even replay ads just to admire their storytelling. Meanwhile,...

Musings

The Burden of Winning the Blame Game

It was past 11 PM, raining hard. I was on my way back from work after already spending three hours driving. In another ten minutes, I should have been home. Instead, my car broke down in the middle of the road where trucks...

Musings

When the Fight is done, will you be standing Tall?

During the Siege of Sardis (546 BCE), Croesus of Lydia was defeated by Cyrus of Persia. Croesus, who had been ruling for about 14 years until then, had fallen and was captured. He was about to be executed on a pyre when he...

Musings

How I stopped fighting ghosts

So, growing up, I somehow turned into this angry, frustrated individual who had a lot to complain about regarding the rest of the world. Looking back, most of it stemmed from an inflated self-image, or perhaps a "holier than...

Storytelling

What John Abraham’s Tehran (2025) Teaches Us About Our Viewing Choices

So, it was a long weekend, and I was browsing for something good to watch. My rule is simple: I give the first 10 minutes to any film or series and see if it compels me to continue. If not, I skip it. This time, I stumbled upon...

Unformula

Beyond the Branding Playbook

Look around you. Which set of people fall in your "Like" bucket, which in your "Hate" bucket, and which in your "Ignore" bucket? They may not realize it, but ever since they became self-aware, they have been branding themselves....

Unformula

Going Blind, by Choice

When we built a boat, we lost the knowledge to swim When we built a vehicle, we lost the stamina to walk When we built a smartphone, we lost the knack to memorise When we built an AI, we lost the ability to think. Now, don't get...

Musings

What If Truth Isn’t What We Think It Is?

This is going to be a deep dive into the rabbit hole. If you’re not up for it, we can part ways here. My best thoughts come when I’m on my cosy balcony, taking a puff and staring at the world below. From the seventh floor, I...