S. Anil Kumar

With all the chatter online again today, in India, in the wake of the Democratic wave in the US, this memorable exchange comes to mind.

I had been busy, not taking a hiatus from social media. Schwarzenegger would have declared, "I am back." I am choosing instead to settle into new, healthier habits – and, while resurfacing, nudging others in the process. It's fun to get reacquainted with an old love. And it helps that I have set her up in a room adjoining my bedroom, in my new residence. Power rack. Power move. If the idea appeals to you, too, I'd recommend not waiting until Jan. 1 and a New Year resolution that likely won't last. Move the body! PS: If it's a NEW love you'd like to get to know, I could help with that too! All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Yet, even as this Jack goes about getting jacked again, he loves what he gets to do for work too! There's more to come on that Ikigai theme. Stick around.

It was with some pride that I long used to say, about my LinkedIn profile: "I've had the luxury of not having had to update it since 2009." Go easy on me, okay. People have done more foolish things. Besides, it came from having tired of obsessing over my "fancy" resume for a decade and a half, until my mid-30s – a patent application at 16 (granted at 21); @IITmadras undergrad; Master's and doctoral research in computational hydrodynamics; Chicago Booth MBA; an enviable career trajectory. It came from having been living, to borrow the words of a widely-respected professor at @ChicagoBooth, "an affluent life of quiet desperation." It came from setting out on an entrepreneurial path and not caring any more, or at least anywhere as much as before, about credentials in chasing what came to matter most: Impact. I am not there yet, but am pleased to have been doing fulfilling work and making a difference along the way. I am also grateful for the realization that it doesn't have to be an either/or, in doing versus talking about what I have done. Hence, this update about a belated LinkedIn profile update. (See screenshots.) If you'd like to follow me there, my LinkedIn handle is sakumar. My related wish for younger professionals: Find your purpose. Chase your purpose. All good things will follow. 🥂

I should be flattered. Yet, I'd prefer that AI resources were channeled towards unlocking the mysteries of the universe instead, rather than uncovering something as insignificant as my birth year.

You may have caught the headlines: The celebrity couple, Suriya and Jyotika, renewed their vows recently at an intimate ceremony overseas. People have predictably asked me for my views, as a seasoned matchmaker to elite singles. Now, I have socialized with the family and think kindly of them. I could just as well have relayed a private message. I am also mindful of the headlines: "Ajith’s brother [not me, Anil] had THIS to say about Suriya and Jyotika's anniversary..." Besides, as the saying goes: Small minds discuss people, average minds discuss events, while great minds discuss ideas. So, why don't we elevate the national discourse with these five ideas?: 1. For starters, how about we simply choose to be happy for a long-married couple, wish them more good decades together, and let them get on with their lives? 2. Also, what I hope does not linger from all the media coverage is this notion of a dreamy, destination wedding, given the aspirational element to it. I have long been vocal about how young couples and their families still go overboard on the Big Fat Indian Wedding, with hundreds of guests. People even go into debt, when that money could pay off education loans, go into a home, or simply make later life more comfortable. But no, they want the Instagram-perfect day. Keep in mind, folks, that Suriya and Jyotika have worked long and hard and have the means to afford their celebration. I also appreciate that they kept it real, as a tribute to "20 years of love and war built on mutual respect, imperfections, compromises, and selfless love." I’d rather that couples celebrate their MARRIAGE this way, a decade or two in, than wastefully on Day One. 3. I say this to brides and grooms all the time: Don’t fixate on the WEDDING; focus on building the foundation for a strong, lasting marriage. Have you had the difficult conversations about money? What lifestyle you both actually want and can afford? Might there be better uses for dozens of lakhs, even crores, than one event where guests you barely know will still go home and complain that the bhindi fry wasn’t crispy?! 4. How you plan a wedding together can be telling: Do you work well as a team? Do you understand give-and-take? Do you fight fairly and, importantly, engage in relationship repair? Or, do you slip into unhealthy patterns that will not last? 5. Lastly, a grand wedding does not predict a strong marriage. Showing up for each other, consistently, day in and day out, on the little things, is what does. There, that’s my take. Cheers to all you good folks out there! For more unfiltered perspectives on life, love, and relationships, follow along.

Please do, Hon'ble @CMOTamilnadu. I will treasure that, too! CC @Jodi365 @AKracingOffl

I look like sh!t, but that's part of the point of this PSA of a video. And it's not because I'm all sweaty, fresh from a walk/jog with my dog, but reality is that I feel like a bag of bones. I've long been trim, and imagine if I've had 10 pounds to lose over the last three months! That's close to 5 kgs. You'd wonder where do I even have 10 pounds to lose. But that's what stress does to you and not prioritizing on health and wellness. So, I am pleased to be able to ask not only myself but also you professionals out there, hard-working folks out there: When was the last time you worked up such a sweat? If you have to think, if it hasn't been this week, if it hasn't been last week, tell yourself, as I'm telling myself, that's not a good sign. Move the body. Eat well. Sleep right. I'm telling myself, not giving a lecture, but taking the opportunity to put useful messages out there. I'm glad to have a lot to be grateful for. I'm glad that in the wake of three visits to Delhi, three hearings at the Supreme Court in three weeks and a landmark, decisive win later, of course I need to decompress. I predictably took ill, but now I'm on the mend again and taking stock of how there are 110 days left in the year, I'm tempted to come up with a resolution rather than wait until the new year to come up with a resolution on the fitness front, on the professional front... But overall, it has to do with what I tell you: Be good, do well, take care of yourself, because you can't pour out of an empty jug. And there's a lot of catching up to do with a lot of good folks. So looking forward to it. Take care.

Women, don't be self-conscious about being sweaty! To sweat is human. I just got back from a morning walk/jog with Bittu, looking exactly like this... and it reminded me how many women feel awkward after a workout, or even during a normal day, if they look anything less than perfectly polished. Don't let the beauty-industrial complex convince you that sweat is something to hide. Here's some straight talk from a man: A surprising number of men are not turned off by a woman who's worked up a sweat. Many even find it attractive, as it signals health, effort, vitality, and being real. So listen to your core, not to the madness out there. Be yourself. Work on inner beauty. Radiate kindness. That's what lasts. Save this if you needed the reminder. Share it with a woman who constantly worries about looking "perfect." For more unfiltered perspectives on life, love, relationships, and wellness, follow along. Take care.

Write more. Those were the kind, encouraging words of a friend in reply to a long, thoughtful social-media post of mine. I have surprised myself by how much more time I have devoted this year to something that didn't come naturally to me: Making and publishing yapper reels on Instagram! I see @thedankoe's post as a welcome nudge from the algo gods and look forward to reading more, writing more, and thinking better.

I may not talk up @Jodi365's brand association with @AKracingOffl. (As the iconic ad line goes: There are things that money can buy; then there are others, which are priceless.) Yet, I can't but take delight in such moments' being captured and forwarded to me. Then again, a meta thought: Would posting even this not go against the philosophy of Nishkama Karma? (Action without desire, without an attachment to the results.) Oh, the travails of being an entrepreneur!

Single and "doing fine"? This reel is for you. Why, you may want to share it with a friend for the useful perspective therein. For more such unfiltered perspectives on life, love, and relationships, follow along.

Ajith Kumar's motorsport documentary-drama, Gladiators – In Pursuit of Challenges, premieres its special 3-minute and 49-second trailer in select theaters across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on September 6, 2026, at 6:40 PM. About the Documentary: Title: Gladiators – In Pursuit of Challenges Genre: 90-minute motorsport documentary-drama Director: AL Vijay Music: GV Prakash Kumar Producer: Shalini Ajith Kumar under Golden Trophy Film Production The documentary chronicles Ajith Kumar's real-life racing journey, international circuits (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Malaysia), training, and collaboration with the @Akracingoffl team alongside Narain Karthikeyan.

If alcohol is poison, I suppose Old Monk would be "rum-flavored" poison. My late father would have been deeply disappointed. Bless *his* spirit! nitter.cf/i/trending/20958914625…

"Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it." – George Santayana Those who suppress grief are condemned to revisit it.

On Onam sadya, seyal phulko, and the psychology of persuasion.

"Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." That was a protocol for simpler times. While still relevant, in an age in which we even need a book called "Why We Sleep," along comes a useful, detailed health & longevity protocol. Thanks, @FabriceGrinda.

People search endlessly for love. They forget that it's easier when you adopt this mindset: "To love is to give." What we put out there comes back to us multiplied many times over. Believe it. Manifest it. Thank me later.

"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." – MLK, Jr. Thank you, @utkarsh_aanand, for your @htTweets report on the Jodi365 v. Jodii legal battle. It is a developing situation, yet I am grateful to be able to believe this: Satyameva jayate! 🙏

Toxic narcissism. That's what this is about. I'm surprised I even have the bandwidth for this right now, but it's an important message. There’s a lot of casual talk about "narcissists" these days. While I won't invalidate anyone's lived experience, we also need to be careful not to confuse temporary selfishness, assertiveness, or entitlement with something far more serious. There is a clinical condition called Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). It's estimated that up to 7% of people may have it, and it requires a proper clinical diagnosis based on specific criteria. Most of us can't carry the full set of 9 clinical criteria – from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) – in our heads. So, here’s a simpler filter I personally use — the 3 E's Test: 1. Is the person Exploitative? 2. Do they show a strong sense of Entitlement? 3. Do they have a clear Empathy deficit? Almost everyone shows these traits occasionally. The red flag is when they show up pervasively and consistently. Stay on guard, especially in the modern singles jungle. Knowledge is power. Save this. Share it with someone who needs to hear it, because one can't have a healthy relationship with a narc; you can only stay away, for your own peace. For more useful perspectives on life, love, and relationships, follow along. Take care.