2019: The Greatest Hits of My Greatest Year Yet

Read about how this story began in July 2017 and continued through 2018.

TL;DR:
1. I became a working artist in control of my own time.
2. I shot for my first feature film with R. Madhavan. I wrote two children’s books. I narrated three Audible audiobooks. I signed on as onscreen talent for Byju’s.
3. I met the woman I went on to date and then marry. I now split my time between Bengaluru and Chennai.

Jan 2019:

1. I shot for my first feature film. A small role in R. Madhavan’s directorial debut Rocketry: The Nambi Effect. I shot for three days opposite Madhavan in an old bungalow in Mumbai. It was exhilarating to experience the madness of a full-blown film set. Release expected in 2020.

2. I officially became an Audible Narrator. The first audiobook in my voice released on Audible. Ravi Subramaniam’s Don’t Tell The Governor, a thriller built around demonetisation. Over a hundred people have rated my narrative performance 4.3/5.

Feb 2019:

1. I signed on as onscreen talent with Byju’s. I am now a working actor, learning as I experiment and perform. I will be seen in the app in 2020.

2. I started dating the woman who would become my wife later in the year.

3. My second audiobook with Audible went live. The Path Ahead edited by Amitabh Kant, containing transformative ideas and essays by India’s greatest thinkers. Currently rated 5.0 for narrative performance.

Mar 2019:

1. I attended the Kochi Biennale in Kerala, where I experienced three days of stellar art.

Apr/May 2019:

1. I wrote two children’s books. One is forthcoming with Pratham Books, and the other is going to be stocked in over a hundred school libraries across India through Multistory Learning. Expect both in 2020.

2. My girlfriend and I decided to get married to each other.

Jun 2019:

1. I went on a month-long Europe trip. I met and travelled with friends and my girlfriend and her mother. Destinations included London, Snowdonia, Italy, and Malta. Pro tip: travel to the Mediterranean either before or after summer, never during.

2. My third Audible audiobook released. VVS Laxman’s autobiography 281 & Beyond. I loved narrating the life story of one of my cricketing idols and a proper celebrity. Currently rated 4.6 for narrative performance.

Oct 2019:

1. I got married! The funnest, most eco-good wedding I have ever attended.

Nov/Dec 2019:

1. I was selected to attend a two-week residential fiction writing workshop. The Dum Pukht Writing Workshop at Adishakti outside Pondicherry. I learned about craft, focused on reading and writing, and made friends and professional connections.

Dreams for 2020:
1. Write more — novel, non-fiction, for children, shorts, play, web series.
2. Act more — films, ads, screen, stage, voice.
3. Live more!