Our Last Week

The Olympic games are on and Kunaal has been staying up to watch various events, he shares his unique (peculiar?) observations with Anuvab. The duo discusses a new set of games where you have to compete with the animals to win a medal/save your life. Anuvab reads an essay and finds fault lines in the Indian education system. Also the ultimate conundrum, is life elsewhere?

Polo matches with Dras’ who’s who (who?). Instead of Shanghai, Mumbai can become Venice. Inspired by Hitler’s house in Salzburg, the duo formulates a theory on natural beauty and ugly minds. Anuvab discovers some stunning facts about Victorian hygiene. Recipes for Indian cooking can be quite confusion, but Kunaal thinks they’re downright conniving.

Have you been catching Pokémons lately? Anuvab and Kunaal have dreamed up an even better game, Passport Go, where each level you excel brings you closer to finally getting your passport. And what about too much specificity —do you really want to know where every tower of your phone company is? You just want to have ONE uninterrupted phone call! And have you ever automatically respected someone just because they were sitting behind a glass window? “Should you hit the dog?” The duo investigate whether self-driving cars will make us less human.

Why are Bengalis so obsessed with South American football? Is it Maradona and Messi or just the idea of a human being moving so quickly? As Brexit leads to Bregret, the practice of making up words is so confusing that you have no idea whether it’s about teeth whitener or a coal scam. Why ransom is the best strategy for getting smooth courier deliveries. “Deep down everyone wants to leave”, why getting a visa in India is such a big deal. What does being rude to waiters say about us? And what about waiters who are rude to customers.

Hens giving eggs is a usual occurrence, but Kunaal encounters a Coorgy cat who pushed coffee beans out of its backside! What did they call it though— potty spice latte? Anuvab wonders why restaurants have started barbecuing everything —pineapples, cricket bats and even children. Where do we draw the line? Also, do you want to scratch your head? Need to find where the remote is? Don’t worry— there’s an app for that! The duo shares it’s thoughts on Udta Punjab — and how some people in a concert might complain that they’ve never been peed on.

This episode of Our Last Week was performed LIVE at the Cheer! festival at the NCPA in Mumbai in front of a packed and by-and-large appreciative house (one uncle seemed very upset). For those of you who could not make it we bring you all the conundrums presented there right here. The OLW duo talks about (unique) biometrics in India, ISIS vs. Amit Tridevi and why healthy smoothies can by yucky.

Have you ever counted your clothes before handing it to your dhobi? That’s because everyone in India is a conniving thief! Kunaal explains why he doesn’t take working from home seriously— how can you make a presentation when you’re cooking an omlette? Anuvab gives saintly advice to all lost souls — you can be successful if you do something, even if that something is a corruption scandal or a terrible reality show. They wonder why millenials are like immature 12-year-olds—they don’t want to work in an office but a kindergarten, and why hating customer service people is a generational affair, is it in our genes or is it taught to by our parents?

“Ma mati manush”— is that a campaign slogan or a password from Star Trek? Was the ‘Acche din’ slogan ‘inspired’ by the Chilean one ‘Happiness is coming’? In this season of elections, Anuvab Pal and Kunaal Roy Kapur decode campaign slogans. The duo talk about an African politician whose life story sounds like an episode of Game of Thrones and how anything that happens exactly as it is supposed to, is considered revolutionary in India. Lastly they are exasperated on being subjected to reading open letters and recommend people write ‘closed’ ones instead!

Why did Doordarshan’s news anchors talk in high-pitched English accents? And do IPL organisers think the sport is not entertaining enough, is that why you have movie promotions, cheerleaders, synchronized swimming and celebrity commentators to make the game more enjoyable. Summer vacations are here, Anuvab and Kunaal discuss the ridiculous children’s that are advertised, such as: advanced comedy for under 6-year-olds, how to write a novel in 4 days, skydiving from mars and such. And the most important conundrum of all: can Haydn and Bach stop terrorism?

Anuvab brings his expertise on the British monarchy to this week’s episode and suggests the former Empire sent the less fun royals to India. Then talking about accountability in large organisations and how much Pepsi Indra Nooyi actually owns. Also, do urban folk ‘know’ something is ayurvedic if they can’t identify the smell? And Our Last Week actually solves the world’s problems with a simply brilliant tax-solution. Not even kidding.