Best of Weekender: From New Year celebrations to movies of 2020, and Obama’s favourite movies

This week, don’t miss taking a look at New Year celebrations from around the world, top health and fitness trends for 2020, and Barack Obama’s favourite movies from 2019.

Best of Weekender: From New Year celebrations to movies of 2020, and Obama’s favourite movies

Sunday January 05, 2020,

4 min Read

As people bid farewell to 2019 and welcomed 2020, fireworks, light shows, and countdowns marked the New Year celebrations across the globe.


Not just the world, but astronauts from the International Space Station also celebrated the coming of the new decade.

Take a look at these curated photos from across the world, which shows some of the varied ways people ushered in the year 2020.


New Year

An aerial view of celebrations in the Sydney Harbour and Sydney Opera House, Australia. Photo Credits: City of Sydney/Twitter

With many of us making a conscious decision to adopt the slow living lifestyle, this year will be about leading a mindful and organic life that promotes balance, relaxation, and convenience.


The “slow living lifestyle”, which focuses on adopting slower approaches to aspects of everyday life, will permeate into the health industry, and is likely to rule the coming decade. Born in Italy, slow living is a conscious, intentional, mindful, and organic way of life that aims to promote balance, ease, and sanity, and lower stress.


Health and fitness trends

While the last decade saw the rise of high-intensity interval training, the keto diet, and wearables, this year will be about slowing down – be it stress levels, workouts, diets, drinking habits, and more.

Our list of the top 2020 health trends reflects this shift.

We said our goodbyes to 2019 and the last decade, which gave us some of the most amazing movies to date. From The Revenant starring Leonardo DiCaprio to Gully Boy featuring Ranveer Singh, we saw the cinematic magic unfold on screen.


Chhapaak movie

Deepika Padukone in the movie Chhapaak

The year 2020 is not going to be any different. With a new set of targets, goals, and resolutions to achieve, taking time off to watch exciting and thought-provoking films is something we are looking forward to this year with friends and family.


A myriad of films – sequels, remakes, historical drama, and live-action – are all slated to be released in 2020, and we cannot wait for them. From Wonder Woman 1984 starring Gal Gadot to Deepika Padukone featuring as the real-life acid attack survivor, Lakshmi Agarwal, in Chhapaak, these films are all releasing in 2020.

YSWeekender brings you movies that you should look out for this year, and shouldn't miss watching in theatres near you.

Obama

Barack Obama

American politician and former President of the United States, Barack Obama has been sharing his lists of favourite books, films, and music for some time now.


In an Instagram post, Obama said: “...While each of us has plenty that keeps us busy - work and family life, social and volunteer commitments - outlets like literature and art can enhance our day-to-day experiences. They’re the fabric that helps make up a life - the album that lifts us up after a long day, the dog-eared paperback we grab off the shelf to give a friend, the movie that makes us think and feel in a new way, works that simply help us escape for a bit.” 


Take a look at his list of movies, which include films and documentaries with themes surrounding explorations of class dynamics and relationships, documentaries of important events in history, a teen comedy, and a few shows that are “as powerful as movies”.

entrepreneur resolutions
Before the onset of the new year, resolutions are all we can think of. Be it joining a gym or quitting some habits or many such promises that we have made to ourselves for the new year.


Like many of us, young entrepreneurs also have their own resolutions. YSWeekender spoke to entrepreneurs on what they want to change, implement, and are resolute to do in 2020. Take a look at what they have to say.


Sanjay Swamy Prime Ventures

Sanjay Swamy

Meet Sanjay Swamy, one of the founding partners of Bengaluru-based Prime Venture Partners. The VC firm is focused on bringing category-creating technology companies out of India for local and global markets. Sanjay is also known for his sense of humour and his impeccable expertise over fintech.

Don’t miss reading about this entrepreneur’s greatest loves, regrets, fears, and much more.

His advice to others is: “Focus on making the world better for others - do the right thing and good things will happen! Corollary for entrepreneurs - financial success is an outcome, never a goal.”