dailyO
Seemon

Seemon

Illustrator

seemon@aajtak.com

Seemon likes to tell visual stories about pop culture, art, psychology, gender and politics. She is an Illustrator at DailyO.

By Seemon

Are you struggling to find happiness in life? Do you too fake a smile in front of friends and family? Do flowers wither away after one look at your gloomy face? Don’t worry, we’re in the same boat. Try self-gaslighting! With self-gaslighting, you can trick yourself into being happy even if nothing in your life seems to be going right. Being delulu is our tried and tested solulu in the face of constant embarrassments and curveballs that life throws at us. It’s easy and it's free: just repeat these sentences after us…
It is officially Fall-Winter fashion season for the ‘main-character’ countries of the world. While we are still at least two months away from the first cold wave to hit us in Delhi, all our favourite fashion brands are already stocked with Fall clothes that we probably don’t need yet. It is hard not to pounce on your favourite Fall trends when cosy pullovers and layering clothes is all you wait for all through summer.
Moving out of our parents’ house is the true beginning of adult life for most of us. As exciting as it is to have complete independence, we are soon hit with the realities of moving out. Managing our own money, cooking, dealing with repairs and doing household chores is all really difficult to get a hang of at first, but moving out, you also get to realise how expensive the things you took for granted are.
From watching our favourite cartoons all day to going to great lengths to download our favourite music, our childhood in the 2000s was quite epic. Here are a few things from the era that will take you on a nostalgic trip.
Rakshabandhan celebrates the enduring bond between siblings. Through ups and downs, they've been our confidants, advisers, and partners in crime. They've witnessed our cringe-worthy moments and guarded our secrets. Despite the annoyances, we're inseparable, for they know us too well.
In a historic moment for all Indians, Chandrayaan-3 has successfully landed on the Moon. Vikram, the spacecraft lander of Chandrayaan-3 made a touchdown on the Earth's only natural satellite at 6:04 pm today (August 23), six weeks after its launch on July 14.
It has been 76 years since India gained its independence from British rule, but the meaning of independence has evolved over the years. India’s youth still has some new and some long-standing shackles to break. As much as Independence Day is about celebrating the country’s freedom from British rule, the day is also to celebrate our zest for equality, liberty and justice, as well as our fight against all oppression. Here is a look at what the hopes and dreams of Indian Gen-Zers are this August 15.
Having true freedom of expression, being able to voice our opinions without fear.
Suitable employment opportunities for everyone.
Freedom to assert our identity.
Living without having to pay bribes.
Freedom from age-old societal expectations and family pressure.
Feeling safe in our city.
Freedom from exploitation at work.
Access to safe living and work conditions.
Neurodivergent people, especially those on the Autism spectrum and ADHDers find themselves drawn to each other because of their shared experiences of the world. They feel the most comfortable with each other because they connect with people in similar ways, through infodumping, parallel play, swapping support and leaving little reminders of affection. Neurodivergent friendships can be quite wholesome as they allow ND people to exist without masking their real personalities. Here is how ND friendships look like.
Guiltless infodumping on each other.
Hanging out to enjoy separate activities together.
Obsessing over common niche interests together.
Skipping small talk.
Fidgeting together in anxious situations.
Swapping support.
Expressing love in unique ways.
India is expected to become the world's second largest economy by 2075 according to a recent report by Goldman Sachs, but women’s participation in the workforce has been on a decline for the past two decades dropping from 32% in 2005 to 19% in 2021. Gender inequality in the country is very apparent in the wage gap and the lack of measures to encourage and protect women’s labour rights. Here is a look into the state of wage gap and the declining women's labour in the country.
Women's participation in the workforce has been on a decline for the past two decades.
We need better government measures.
Women are burdened with a lot of unpaid work.
Women's labour has been historically undervalued.
Women and men have different negotiation styles.
Statutory rights of maternity leave and paternity leave can help in discarding unfair social expectations from women.
Women are burdened with non-promotable tasks.
Wage transparency, gender-neutral job evaluation and legal protection is very important.
We need more women entrepreneurs as they can help generate employment for other women and also inspire them to join the workforce. 
Yes, monsoon is nice and cosy, but they come with their own share of problems. Floating paper boats in a puddle is all fun and games until the entire city becomes a lake and you need an actual boat to go anywhere. Sitting at home and enjoying chai-samosa is nice but not at the cost of all plans of going out. Here are a few monsoon problems we all face.
Yes, sipping tea with samosas but having to cancel on plans of going out.
Yes, getting drenched in the rain but catching a cold.
Yes, getting drenched in the rain but catching a cold.
Yes, going on long drives but your car breaking down.
Yes, walking in the rain but stepping into a water puddle.
Yes, reading a book by the window but enduring long power cuts.
Yes, a muddy game of football but getting your nice clothes ruined.
Monsoon in most parts of India is a much-loved season. It brings relief after the months of scorching heat, after all. We look forward to the simple monsoon pleasures like a cup of steaming-hot extra-milky-sugary tea with a plate of samosas, or perhaps just watching the pitter-patter of the rain on the balcony. What do you enjoy the most in monsoon?
Drinking tea and eating samosas on the balcony.
Going on long drives.
Making paper boats and floating them in puddles.
Walking in the rain with umbrellas
Getting drenched in the rain.
A muddy game of football.
Reading a book by the window.
Listening to old songs and singing along.
Birdwatching in the rain.
Twitter Boss Elon Musk had a pretty interesting week since challenging Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to a 'cage fight'. No one believed it till Zuck swiftly accepted the challenge; and now, Musk seems to have already begun training for the fight. Zuckerberg is a trained MMA fighter, after all; and Musk has to level up. So, while the two Silicon Valley biggies get their punches and kicks in place, we try and evaluate who has a higher chance of winning. Here's our analysis.
Height and weight.
Combat history:
Fan support:
Pettiness levels:
I am not scared of AI taking over art. I am scared of all the trash that AI is generating in the name of art

Amidst the ongoing debate about whether AI generated art can replace artists or not, my worst fear, as an artist is not that I will be replaced but rather that I will have to see the downfall of art. I would not even call anything created by AI art, I would only call them 'images' at best, that come from shallow dives into data instead of the depths of human experience. 

...Full Story

The film Adipurush has garnered much attention, mostly negative, for its cringe dialogues and horrible CGI. With a budget of over Rs 500 crore, the movie does not even compare to TV adaptations of Ramayana by Ramanand Sagar (1987) or Anand Sagar (2008). Dialogue writer Manoj Muntashir's crass dialogues like "Jali na teri, ab aur jalegi" don't belong in Ramayana era at all. Here is how his dialogues compare with Ramanand Sagar's dialogues.
Hanuman in Ashok Vatika.
Indrajit wounding Laxman.
Lanka-dahan scene.
Meeting Shabari
Final battle in Lanka.
The month of June marks Pride month, dedicated to uplifting LGBTQIA+ voices, celebrating their culture, and supporting LGBTQIA+ rights. But the LGBTQIA+ community needs our support throughout the year, not just a single month in the year. Regardless of your gender identity and sexual preference, anyone can support the LGBTQIA+ cause by being an ally. Here is a guide on how to be a better LGBTQIA+ ally.
Listen, learn and educate yourself.
Don't assume.
Check your privilege.
Use the right language.
Confront your own prejudices.
Be an ally in action.
Be wary of pinkwashing.
Apologise when you mess up.
BTS Festa is the annual celebration of K-Pop group BTS's debut. This year's Festa is extra-special as it marks their 10th anniversary. This is also the first time that two members, Jin and J-Hope, will not be a part of the celebrations as they are serving time in military. BTS released a celebration calendar on June 6 with clues to all the events planned for the Festa till June 17. Here are some of the highlights.
Major landmarks in Seoul turned purple as BTS Festa 2023 celebrations kicked off on May31.
BTS dropped a lovely family photo that signals the start of BTS's Apobangpo (ARMY Forever, Bangtan Forever) 10 project.
BTS's Jimin dropped a special song called Dear Army for BTS ARMYs on June 7.
BTS unveiled their newest single, Take Two, on June 9.
BTS's RM and Jungkook will be hosting the anniversary celebrations on June 17, which will include BTS's Presents Everywhere project.
Members Jin and J-Hope will be skipping this year's celebrations as they are currently enlisted in the military.
The first trailer for BTS Universe K-drama, Youth, was released by Chorokbaem Media in collaboration with HYBE Corporation.
As ChatGPT and self-driving cars become the norm and a topic of discussion for their enormous utilities and perceived threats, we have probably been overlooking how we have been surrounded by Artificial Intelligence for quite some time. Digital Assistant Siri has been around for almost a decade; as has Alexa; and we have been relying on GPS to find directions for many years now. Here is what it is like to live with AI.
AI chatbots solving all our queries.
Facial Detection and Recognition.
Navigating with the help of GPS.
Digital Assistants performing tasks on our behalf.
Social Media, Netflix, Amazon that curates content and ads for us.
Live Captions.
Self-Driving and Parking Vehicles. 
AI Image Generators.
Smart Compose, Quick Reply and Grammar Check.
Fashion is ever-changing and ever-evolving; and that pair of low-waist jeans that you once thought was the ugliest trend to ever exist, has officially made a comeback. Now we can all agree that it's not so much about what you wear as much as it is about how you wear something, that makes or breaks an outfit. Here are some tacky combinations we once used to wear. Some of these are dangerously close to staging a comeback, but here's hoping we have learnt from our mistakes.
#1. Sports sandals with everything
#2. T-shirts with random ugly graphics
#3. Ugly hats and random accessories
#4. Hair puffs
#5. Mismatched vests
#6. Wrist-bands for no reason at all
#7. Poorly matched camo print
#8. Dad's tie to upgrade casual outfits
#9. Dangerously low low-waist jeans
No matter how much we roll our eyes at the tropes and cliches in K-dramas, we secretly wish our life were even slightly as sappy and romantic. We have all lived vicariously through our favourite K-drama protagonist and imagined detailed K-drama scenarios in our head. Don't be surprised if some of those scenarios look eerily similar to these slides.
Rich CEO falls in love with your average self.
Your love interest catches you before you fall.
You and your love interest were childhood besties,
You and your crush kiss accidentally.
You get cute little head-pats from your crush.
You drown all minor inconveniences of your life in a soju session.
Two perfect guys fight for your attention.
You fall in love at first sight with someone in the elevator.
You fall for your enemy.
Anything can be awkward, if your brain decides that it is. Knowing that, we still cannot help finding pretty normal and regular things awkward for no reason at all. Here is a list of a few such things that have no business making us feel awkward but they do.
Having to sit in close quarters with strangers is one of the most annoying experiences imaginable, but it is something unavoidable when you are taking a flight. What can make it worse is our co-passenger being a wailing baby, or an unconsiderate manspreader. Here are some people we meet on every flight.
Crying Babies
Smelly-Feet Folks
Manspreaders
Drunk Uncles
Messy Eaters
Seat-Kickers
Untamed-Hair Folks
Seat-Swappers
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) lies on the neurodivergence spectrum and often goes undiagnosed. People with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviours, or be overly active. In relationships, ADHD can cause misunderstandings, frustrations and resentment. Here's a look at what navigating relationships with ADHD feels like.
Having trouble paying attention to details.
Picking fights for a dopamine boost.
Lovebombing and withdrawing.
Obsessively crushing on one person.
Enduring negative feedback for ADHD symptoms.
Struggling to manage strong emotions.
Getting annoyed on being interrupted.
Ashamed in sharing or showing struggle.
Falling into the parent-child dynamic.
Now we are all well aware that Twilight, a film we absolutely obsessed over as teens, is utterly toxic; ever wondered what if it wasn't so? The whole idea of a hundred-year-old vampire grooming a 17-year-old teen is pretty creepy, tbh. Edward and Bella's relationship is in no way ideal. It is unhealthy, violent, and abusive; while Jacob is delusional in love and struggles with consent. With a Twilight reboot just announced, it would be interesting to see how they work past the problematic parts of the story. Here is our take on what the original Twilight films would have looked like if they were less toxic.
Why a visit to Van Gogh 360 Delhi reminded me of the courage it takes to be an artist

Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh is one artist whose life story has drawn as much curiosity as have his artworks, whether it is him cutting his ear off or his death by a self-inflicted gunshot. A visit to Van Gogh 360 in Delhi reminded me, as an artist, of the courage it takes to be one.

...Full Story

There are countless existential dilemmas we find ourselves into. These questions will have no definite answers but what marks our progress is how our answers to the same questions change over the years as we learn from life itself. Here are a few existential questions you might have asked yourself.
What is the meaning of life?
Is there a God?
Do we really have free will?
Is humanity going in the right or wrong direction?
What is the universal language?
Where do we go when we die?
Are we just a biological machine?
Are human ethics learned or natural?
What is love?
We have all had experiences that felt like a
Doppelganger
Déjà Vu
Infinite Things
Sleep Paralysis Demon
Jamais Vu
Inter-dimensional Pets
Wormholes?
Inter-dimensional Calls
Given how unpredictable things can seem when you are leaving for a trip, feeling jittery and anxious is quite common. If you get a sleepless night, an upset stomach or a feeling of dread before going on a trip, you may be going through pre-trip anxiety. Here are some ways you can manage this anxiety before your next trip.
If you get a sleepless night, upset stomach, feeling of dread before going on a trip, you might be dealing with pre-trip anxiety. Swipe for some tips to handle it.
Ask yourself what can go wrong. Even if something were to go wrong, would it be too terrible? How can you cope with it? You will realise most of your worries were actually manageable.
Exercise to beat that anxiety. Light exercises also release feel-good chemicals serotonin and norepinephrine.
When you feel a wave of anxiety crashing in, pause. Breathe. Focus on your inhalation and exhalation. Just breathing can help calm you.
Expose yourself to stimuli that is causing you anxiety. Maybe watch airplane takeoff and landing videos if you're worried about missing your flight. You might be able to work through your anxiety better.
By the way: The more trips you take, the more you realise that most your fears are actually manageable. Have a great trip!
A lot of us have been bullied by bullies in our lives, without knowing what to do. While it is not always possible to come up with the most ego-shattering burns when someone tries to insult us, simply standing up for yourself is enough most of the time. Point to remember: how someone treats you has more to do with their own self-esteem than it is to do with your worth as a person.
A compliment is a compliment.
:p
I'm just sorry for you.
:p
Bye bye :)
I hate it the most when teachers are the bully.
Take it as a warning.
Here are some of our favourite friendship duos that make our life a little more fun.
1. Mind-readers
2. Goofball and Shy
3. Brains and Brawl
4. Roast and Banter
5. Imaginary Friend
6. Emo and AI
7. Borderline Romantic
8. Parent and Child
9. Celebrity and Low-profile
Here are the biggest highlights from Oscars 2023 summed up in a visual story.
Cocaine Bear showed up... and with better hosting skills than Jimmy Kimmel.
Naatu Naatu got the audience  grooving.
Jenny the donkey from The Banshees of Inisherin also made an appearance.
All Quiet On The Western Front swept the technical categories.
Brendan Fraser won Best Actor, completing the "Brennaisance"!
Everything Everywhere All At Once's  Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan won  the acting awards and delivered some  emotional speeches, inspiring Asians  all over the world.
Please log in
I agree with DailyO's privacy policy