[HerStory Recommends] Watch an Indian standup go global and curl up with a Sophie Kinsella - our top picks of the week

In HerStory Recommends this week, comedian Vir Das “loses it” over life and its funny moments, Sophie Kinsella surprises with love and the Safelet app promises safety at every step.

Losing It with Vir Das

Not every Indian standup-comic can boast of having a billboard on Times Square. With Losing It, Vir Das has achieved quite the impossible. After his earlier Abroad Understanding, this one’s intensely personal - chronicling stories of growing up in a middle-class Indian family after moving from Lagos to Delhi. There are hilarious takes on the Ramayan, Indians in California, his tryst with childhood appendicitis and a lot of self-deprecating humour around his Bollywood debut. Sample this:

“Eighty percent of America speaks English good. But I’m pretty sure 20 percent of America speaks English well. And if you don’t understand the difference, then you will make America great again!” Humour with political undertones make comics go places. Losing It is no exception! The one-hour special is funny, deep, moving, and brave! Go watch.

(Losing It by Vir Das - now streaming on Netflix)

Making a marriage work with surprises

There are two kinds of chick lit lovers - the openly romance loving, bumbling heroine, walk-into-the-sunset type, and on the other - closet chick lit enthusiasts who wouldn’t want to caught dead with one on their hands! But would still love a Sophie Kinsella to know what tale the author has woven this time. It’s the same with Surprise Me, the latest Kinsella outing that, we promise, is as good as the others. Sylvie and Dan have completed 10 years of bliss - they are comfortably settled, have great jobs and beautiful twin girls. Into the happy marriage, comes in a casual but exciting prophecy that causes both consternation and panic.

What follows is a series of hilarious moments that turn into shocking truths as the couple try to surprise each other in many ways. This one, too, is quintessential Sophie Kinsella with a cast of eccentric characters, twists and turns and plenty of humour.

(Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella)

Be safe - at all times

When it comes to women travelling in India - safety first is a motto we must always live with. Joining the burgeoning list of safety devices and apps is the Safelet SOS-bracelet, that helps you notify your friends and family in case of an emergency.

When you connect your Safelet bracelet to the Safelet App, you can invite your friends and family with your guardians for SOS in case you need help.

It helps you to see each other’s location and thus can coordinate your responses. coordinate their response. The Safelet bracelet is now available at an introductory offer of Rs 1,499.

(Available on https://safelet.com)

(Do you have a book, movie, music, a product or an app you think should make it to the HerStory Recommends list? Do write to me at [email protected])