#93 - Notes on IITs, Theatre and Comedy
Education Coffee is a Newsletter on People, Ideas and Culture.
In each edition of this newsletter, I will share some inspiring web resources that I have curated after hours of research to ensure that you have the best education coffee in your inbox. In upcoming editions, I will focus on sharing insights, notes and realizations that I gather from people, ideas, books, films and podcasts. This month I have taken up a #30DaySubstackChallenge. I want to challenge myself to write a newsletter everyday for the next thirty days. I have really enjoyed writing this newsletter and this is a way for me to build my skill set as a newsletter writer. I will go back to writing a 2xWeekly Newsletter in January 2025.
1. Learning from People
On Episode 39 of #LearningStories we chat with Hillori Desai Awasthi. Hillori is from Surat, Gujarat, and studied at Bhulka Bhawan School, a well-known Gujarati medium school. From the 9th grade, she dreamed of joining IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) and started preparing for it in Surat and Kota. She cleared her JEE Advanced and then completed her B.Tech in Biotechnology from IIT Roorkee. Her career began at Microland, an IT MNC in Bangalore, where she worked as a software developer for three years, later taking up roles as a DevOps engineer and project manager. Now, she’s been a senior software engineer for over a year at Floworks, a startup focused on generative AI. With hands-on experience in designing, developing, and deploying SaaS products, Hillori is deeply passionate about how technology can drive transformational change and is motivated to make an impact in the world.
2. Learning from Ideas and Questions
3. Learning from Books, Websites and Blogs
Prithvi Theatre and Cafe is my favourite public space in the city of Mumbai. Saurabh Modi write an excellent essay about what makes this space special on his Substack, simply cities.
4. Learning from Films, Videos and Shows
I love how this wedding video tells the story of the couple from the eyes of the family members. It is almost like a short film and it quite heart warming.
5. Learning from Podcasts and Music
I enjoyed this episode of the Second Chapter by Rhea Chakraborty. It is about the life of a stand up comic in India and how comedy can become a way to share joy and process sadness in your life. Here is a short summary of the episode
We've watched these two redefine the landscape of Indian comedy, pushing boundaries and inspiring a whole new generation of comedians. It takes immense self-respect to take a joke, make a joke, or be a joke, and these two help us understand why and how in this episode. We explore the nuances of male friendships, tragic-comedy, the ‘business’ of being funny and much more. Their stories of entering the comedy scene are both inspiring and heartfelt – a testament to their perseverance and talent. Tanmay opens up about his physical transformation and evolving self-image, while Zakir shares his experiences of blazing trails for up-and-coming comedians.
Thank you for reading this edition of #EducationCoffee. I look forward to writing weekly editions of this newsletter this year. I hope to continue to share resources that will add value to your life. You can also review the archive of Education Coffee for free at this link ( past newsletters).
Please do send me your thoughts and resources on any edition of this newsletter through email at abhishekashokshetty@gmail.com, Linkedin or Twitter. If you would like to read pieces in the future please do consider subscribing to this newsletter by clicking the button below. I love taking these discussions forward on those platforms and look forward to hearing your feedback.
Abhishek Shetty