I’m the author of Famous Last Questions—out now, from Aleph Book Company.
What is the book about?
Indian millennials were born into a world full of contradictions: deeply conservative families, but total freedom outside, online, entering a newly liberalized economy and technological future.
I embodied these tensions in the multiple selves I maintained—the “ideal” overachieving ‘90s kid at home, but also the secret black sheep outside, flouting norms I was supposed to live by. In asking why I was the way I was, I ended up with questions about the values that shaped my country and generation:
- Why is “Science, Arts or Commerce” how most Indians decide the course of their lives?
- Should we get married before the age of 30, or die trying?
- What happens to the woman who isn’t the ‘perfect’ housewife?
- Must we believe in God?
- How did the internet expose Indian culture? And can virtue actually kill people?
I thought these were dangerous questions to ask—hence the title. And I did die, but only metaphorically. So the book and I could be in your hands right now.
JK, just the book. Read it, and tell the world what you think.
Book reviews
MORE ABOUT ME
I'm also the writer behind the ‘The Sanjana Effect’, that viral essay on how a generation of Indian girls was named after Aishwarya Rai, aka 'Sanju', in the iconic 1993 Pepsi ad.
Our parents hoped we would inherit Rai’s beauty, success, and elusive mix of modernity and tradition if we were given her name from a cola ad.
My writings combine a career in marketing, science, and technology with my forever introspective and analytical gaze. Essays appear in The Caravan, ThePrint, VICE, NDTV, Rest of World, Fifty Two, and other Indian and international publications.
Famous Last Questions is my debut non-fiction book. It was part of the South Asia Speaks fellowship for outstanding writers from the region, and is represented by Kanishka Gupta.
Follow me on X, LinkedIn, Substack, or Instagram for more.
NEWSLETTERS
Did you have a Year of the Snake too?
Reflections on 2025, shedding old skin, and the nature of personal growth.
ramachandranesk.substack.com
How I came to be on Amit Varma's podcast
TLDR: Vulnerability always wins. And good friends do too.
ramachandranesk.substack.com
On turning 30 / Of being like me
It is evident you love me. Perhaps you want me; perhaps you want to be like me. Either way, I've got you covered with this guide on how to live.
ramachandranesk.substack.com
MORE WRITING
The Namesakes
The story of roughly fifty Sanjanas, how their parents decided to call them that, and the secret history of why Indians give their babies the names they do — A new story from India to the world, each week on FiftyTwo.in
www.fiftytwo.in
Restricted Code
Many Indians believe Sanskrit is a perfect language for computer programming and AI research. State-led programmes have deepened the impression. Indian scientists working on AI research would like a word — a new story from India to the world, each week on FiftyTwo.in
fiftytwo.in
Rajat Gupta's appeal to the court of public opinion
After failing to set aside his conviction for insider trading in US courts, Rajat Gupta presents his side of the story and professes his innocence in his memoir.
caravanmagazine.in
PODCASTS & MEDIA
Ep 401: Finding Love in Modern India
Bloody hell. The world has changed, society looks different, and men and women have to find new ways of relating to each other. We're not equipped for this. Sanjana Ramachandran and Samarth Bansal join Amit Varma in episode 401 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss how meeting and mating are both easier and, well, harder. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Sanjana Ramachandran on Twitter, Instagram, Substack, LinkedIn , FiftyTwo and her own website. 2. Samarth Bansal on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and his own website. 3. The Reflections of Samarth Bansal -- Episode 299 of The Seen and the Unseen. 4. The Romantic Idiot -- Samarth Bansal. 5. Thirty and Thriving -- Samarth Bansal. 6. The Namesakes -- Sanjana Ramachandran. 7. The 'Woman-Math' Of A 31-Year-Old, Unmarried, Bengaluru Woman -- Sanjana Ramachandran. 8. Society of the Snow -- JA Bayona. 9. Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil — Hannah Arendt. 10. This Be The Verse — Philip Larkin. 11. Quarterlife: The Search for Self in Early Adulthood -- Satya Doyle Byock. 12. A Godless Congregation — Amit Varma. 13. What’s Consolation For An Atheist? -- Amit Varma. 14. Molecules Of Emotion -- Candace B Pert. 15. Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. 15. Womaning in India With Mahima Vashisht — Episode 293 of The Seen and the Unseen. 16. Scenes From a Marriage -- Ingmar Bergman. 17. Behave -- Robert Sapolsky. 18. Don’t think too much of yourself. You’re an accident — Amit Varma’s column on Chris Cornell’s death. 19. Determined -- Robert Sapolsky. 20. The Loneliness of the Indian Woman — Episode 259 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shrayana Bhattacharya). 21. The Loneliness of the Indian Man — Episode 303 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Nikhil Taneja). 22. Reinventing Love -- Mona Chollet. 23. Sex Is Not a Spectrum -- Colin Wright. 24. Understanding the Sex Binary -- Colin Wright. 25. The Naturalistic Fallacy. 26. The Double ‘Thank You’ Moment — John Stossel. 27. Bad Faith in Existentialism. 28. Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. 29. Whiplash -- Damien Chazelle. 30. Narendra Modi takes a Great Leap Backwards — Amit Varma on Demonetisation. 31. Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative. 32. The Gulag Archipelago — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. 33. I Am The Best -- The Shah Rukh Khan song from Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani. 34. The Madonna–Whore Complex. 35. Ranbir Kapoor on Nikhil Kamath's show. 36. Tamasha -- Imtiaz Ali. 37. Manic Pixie Dream Girl. 38. The Art of Podcasting -- Episode 49 of Everything Everything. 39. Anatomy of a Fall — Justine Triet. 40. Anatomy of a Folly — Amit Varma. 41. Marriage Story -- Noah Baumbach. 42. The Abyss and Other Stories — Leonid Andreyev. 43. Amit Varma's BTS reel as Gitanjali. 44. Peter Cat Recording Co. on Spotify, YouTube, Instagram and their own website. 45. The Life and Times of the Indian Economy -- Episode 387 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Rajeswari Sengupta). 46. Lant Pritchett Is on Team Prosperity — Episode 379 of The Seen and the Unseen. 47. How to Do Development -- Episode 57 of Everything is Everything. 48. The Pleasures and Pains of Coffee — Honoré de Balzac. 49. Sasha's 'Newsletter' -- Sasha Chapin. 50. The Evolution of Desire -- David Buss. 51. Modern Family and Friends. 52. Eve Fairbanks Examines a Fractured Society -- Episode 398 of The Seen and the Unseen. 53. The Flirting Trap — Eve Fairbanks. (Scroll down on that page for this piece). 54. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind -- Michel Gondry. 55. The Bookshop Romeo -- Amit Varma. 56. The Stranger -- Albert Camus. 57. When Harry Met Sally... -- Rob Reiner. 58. Annie Hall -- Woody Allen. 59. Late Admissions: Confessions of a Black Conservative -- Glenn Loury. 60. Rob Henderson's tweet on Glenn Loury's book. 61. The Game -- Neil Strauss. 62. On Flirting -- Rega Jha. 63. Notting Hill -- Roger Michell. 64. Postcards From Utsav Mamoria -- Episode 376 of The Seen and the Unseen. 65. Malini Goyal is the Curious One — Episode 377 of The Seen and the Unseen. 66. Unboxing Bengaluru — Malini Goyal and Prashanth Prakash. 67. Indian Matchmaking -- Created by Smriti Mundhra. 68. High Fidelity -- Nick Hornby. 69. Third Place. 70. The Pineapple Game. 71. The Razor's Edge -- W Somerset Maugham. 72. Anna Karenina -- Leo Tolstoy. 73. Mating in Captivity -- Esther Perel. 74. The State Of Affairs -- Esther Perel. 75. The Poly Couple of YouTube and Instagram. 75. The School of Life. 76. Early Indians — Tony Joseph. 77. Tony Joseph’s episode on The Seen and the Unseen. 78. Who We Are and How We Got Here — David Reich. 79. Eden Project: In Search of the Magical Other -- James Hollis. 80. Fallen Leaves -- Aki Kaurismäki. 81. I hired a Contract Killer -- Aki Kaurismäki. 82. Manhattan, Husbands and Wives, Crimes and Misdemeanors & Bullets Over Broadway -- Woody Allen. 83. New York Stories -- Woody Allen, Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorcese. 84. Running with...
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Talking Literature and the World Ft. Sanjana Ramachandran
In this enriching episode, we sit down with writer, thinker, and storyteller Sanjana Ramachandran for a compelling conversation on literature, the power of stories, and how writing shapes (and is shaped by) the world around us. 🌍📚 From the nuances of contemporary fiction to reflections on culture, language, and identity, this dialogue explores the intersections of creativity, critical thinking, and global perspectives. Whether you're a lover of books, a curious thinker, or an aspiring writer, this conversation will leave you inspired and reflective.
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8.5 Sanjana Ramachandran: Turning 90s Chaos into Literary Gold
Books and Beyond with Bound · Episode
open.spotify.com
‘Famous Last Questions’: Memoir-cum-reportage that finally takes the millennial mess seriously
Author Sanjana Ramachandran considers her place in the shifting world order as a ‘Hindu Brahmin Indian woman’, among other things.
scroll.in
What is happening to Indian names?
Give a new direction to your creative skills, first 1,000 subscribers can avail a free trial on Skillshare using this link: https://skl.sh/sochbymohakmangal10211 ****** Akira, Alia, Kiara, Shanaya; what do these names have in common. First, they end with either “ya” or “ra’. Second, all of them are not longer than three syllables. At first glance, it may not look strange, but this can give us a hint about how Indian parents name their kids. So let’s explore what is up with Indian names and what it tells us about Indian society. Find out how unique your name is! https://www.thehindu.com/data/Whats-in-a-name-Finally-some-numbers/article14003189.ece ****** Research: Priyanshu Sinha https://twitter.com/bol_priyanshu Editing: Ajeesh Babu https://www.instagram.com/ajeesh_babu/ Editing Support: But Why https://www.youtube.com/c/ButWhy/ ****** 🗳Support on Patreon: https://patreon.com/sochyoutube 👾Discord: https://discord.gg/Yynm4ufa 🐦Twitter: https://twitter.com/mohakmangal 📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mohak.mangal/ 👤Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sochyoutube/ Liked the background music? I use Epidemic Sound. You can get a 30-day free trial using this referral: https://bit.ly/3A7bUx7 ****** Playlists 🇮🇳Indian Society: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_4Ghqu5HFU&list=PL8fhH_ClXXU4gtg31tdCc9odmjkhIfkpl 🗺Geopolitics and Foreign Affairs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIqYtQzv50k&list=PL8fhH_ClXXU7Dzcd8KEsTb-5koSR8-Kgt 🧍🏽♀️Issues of a Young Indian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dC-Ud9POYNU&list=PL8fhH_ClXXU4JXGomFlmitbBOlBhCmtC6 💰Economy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdzxclBSHrw&list=PL8fhH_ClXXU6gsb10eD-AbldHH8PRNSVF 🗳Indian Politics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDXY5qK43KQ&list=PL8fhH_ClXXU54l-si1PFBL1rf6bTiMn01 🇮🇳 Discoveries of India: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xZVqaFuE3Y&list=PL8fhH_ClXXU6hBH7lOtRU-ZrSESycWLuz 📈Money, Stocks, and Crypto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQJvK-Eb2uI&list=PL8fhH_ClXXU5ZeET9dv9bCffTzbW1lK-i ****** Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aJoyXyTtr1z5jZnGqSJA4fT1l5PxQ-iA2Cc4sCEETnQ/edit?usp=sharing ****** Markers 0:00 Introduction 2:23 Bollywood Inspiration 3:03 The Sanjana Phenomenon 3:59 Aspiration 7:16 Globalization and Sanskritisation 9:38 Stereotypes 11:57 Conclusion ****** Creative commons: Pixabay Unsplash Flaticon Freepik Videvo
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