My next guest feature is my high school friend Anand Sudha, the creator behind The Critischism, a blog that dives into cinema, storytelling, art, and the small details that make great narratives stand out.

He writes sharp, thoughtful pieces on films, directors, scenes, and creative choices, perfect if you enjoy deep dives, clever analysis, or discovering new perspectives on movies. His work has been featured in publications like InReview, Film Companion, and UltraDogme.

“My blog’s tagline is: Criticism may have ended with Daney according to Godard, but some zombies still roam in the wasteland of cinephilia. In case you were wondering about the tagline, the end of cinema and criticism in the Godardian sense points to an end for a certain tradition or mode of the art form, paving the way for newer modes. Of course, that critic is me. Sometimes, candour is mistaken for arrogance, but more importantly, silly jokes using French words have to be made,” Anand concludes:D

Check out his articles here: https://thecritischism.wordpress.com

I want to take a break from comics for a moment to highlight something special. My friend Sai Sanjit has released an incredible album called Retrograde.

Sai is a producer, composer, lyricist, and instrumentalist who’s poured his heart into this project. Retrograde is more than just an album, it’s a concept work that reflects life, society, and who we are. It’s the kind of music that tells a story, track by track.

I’ve been listening to Retrograde while drawing and planning my comics, and it honestly feels like the perfect soundtrack for creativity. The mix of intensity and atmosphere helps me stay in the flow when working on Flatheads or storyboarding for Rex Cooper. It’s one of those albums you can sit with and let your imagination run.

What makes Retrograde even more impressive is the team that helped shape it.

• Suji V V on acoustic/electric guitars, synths, and solos
• Suyash Gabriel on drums
• Tim Palmer (mix engineer) giving the sound a polished edge
• Riju Andrews (vocals) and Gowri Rekha (lyrics/arrangements) adding layers of emotion
• Venkatram Viswanathan (Art Director) crafting the album’s visuals

You can listen to Retrograde right now on all major platforms.

Apple Music: Click here

Or head directly to Sai’s website: https://www.saisanjit.com/

Despite having no formal training in music or production, Sai managed to collaborate with some of his musical heroes. “I managed to have some of the most renowned musicians from India and across the world come on board to work with me. It’s been surreal,” he says. He reached out to all the artists via Instagram, sharing only his demos and his belief in the project. The album features contributions from Grammy-nominated producer Tim Palmer, I Built The Sky, Mumbai-based vocalist Uday Benegal, Delhi-based drummer Suyash Gabriel, actor and guitarist Moses Koul, Kerala-based playback singer Sooraj Santhosh, saxophonist Rahul Joshua Thomas, and vocalist Riju Andrews Jacob.

“Retrograde” is an alt-rock album with prog overtones, blending the nostalgic sound of the ’90s with unique, original elements. Conceptualised as a reflection of society, life, and our shared experiences, the album’s songs tell a story sonically. Sai’s influences are evident throughout the album, including Steven Wilson, Avial, Tool, Linkin Park, Incubus, and Radiohead. Sai also had the opportunity to work with his role model, guitarist and producer Rex Vijayan from the Kochi-based band Avial. “Rex is a benchmark in music production and songwriting, and working with him and every single one of the artists who came on board for this album has been more than a dream come true.” Sujith Valiyaveetil, producer and guitar player for Sai’s second band, Kochi-based Fish in the Sink, produced the album alongside Sai.

“Once the ball started rolling, I wanted to do this justice, so I decided to finance the album myself by working a full-time job as a Graphic Design Lead and taking on numerous freelance projects. Retrograde’ to me is a testament to  the creativity and dedication that can emerge from a humble bedroom studio,” Sai concludes.