Vaguely Familiar

In this new episode, Nazar sits down with TikTok and Booktok star, William Dozier. They talk about the internet, making it as a writer, and what it takes to write well in these modern times!

In this episode, the squad is reunited for a mega, insane, all-encompassing podcast about everything and nothing at all. ENJOY!

In this episode, Nazar sits down with The Ringer Podcast Network's editor and host of 60 Songs that Explain the 90s, Rob Harvilla! This was a dream guest for us and we get to talk about John Mayer, Swifties, Rock Criticism and lots of Goo Goo Dolls talk!

In this episode, the lads discuss the Cricket World T20 Final against Pakistan and England. It was a shocker. Onwards and upwards! 

In this episode, the boys discuss Pakistan's miraculous stint against New Zealand and the COMICAL departure of the Indian Cricket Team. Miracles continue to happen for this team. Let's go! 

In this episode, the lads discuss Pakistan's miraculous qualification into the semis. Thanks to the Netherlands. Thanks to lady luck. See you in the finals!?

In this episode, we talk about the world cup disappointment that continues to be the Pakistani cricket team. With Twitter erupting with SACK BABAR AZAM slogans, the boys discussed the way out of this conundrum and how to make sure this team succeeds at the WT20. 

In this episode, the boys break down Pakistan vs India in the Cricket T20 World Cup. This game was full of emotions. They touch upon Babar Azam's legacy as well as acknowledge Virat Kohli as the greatest to ever do it. This defeat hurt. Lots of emotions, as always in this cricket competition. 

In this episode, the boys break down episodes 1-5 of House of the Dragon. It's... fine. I guess. I don't know.

In this episode, the boys round up the Asia Cup odyssey of Pakistan throughout their games. Some highs, some lows, some dropped catches. The usual. A lovely insightful conversation and a SPECIAL message to Akaash Singh at the end. What a knob.

In this episode, the boys talk about the dangers the cricketing world might face with the takeover of T20 cricket and franchises having priority over international cricket. 

In this episode, the boys sit with Bashaar's calculus professor from the University of Toronto. They talk about the advantages of studying calculus in real-life situations, making friends along the way, living life in Canada, and lots of running!

In this episode, the boys break down John Mayer's Sob Rock Tour and review the best of their night in Toronto. The hits were played like Gravity, Slow Dancing, and Edge of Desire. 

In this episode, the boys review and spoil Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness! They talk about Wanda, the many surprising turn of events as well as the likelihood that the MCU is setting up Dajjaal. It gets cooky in here. Enjoy!

Support us! 

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/vaguelyfamiliar

Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/vaguelyfamiliar

In this episode, the boys sit down with late-night TV aficionado, host of the 15$ Game Show, and brother to Grammy-winning musician John Mayer, Mr. Carl Mayer. Carl was an absolute delight, as the boys talked about his origin story back in Fairfield, Connecticut, growing up fans of game shows and intertwining the success of his brother John Mayer. There are wonderful stories, insights on his love for late-night TV, and just a hilarious conversation about everything in between.

Carl's IG: https://www.instagram.com/carlwmayer/

Support us! 

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/vaguelyfamiliar

Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/vaguelyfamiliar

In this episode, the boys break THAT slap. How can he slap? They present their theories on what may have happened to Will Smith, where they were when it happened, and what should Chris Rock do in the aftermath. A very somber episode, where Bashaar finds himself parodying Will Smith MANY times. A total delight.

https://mnazarsyed.substack.com/p/how-can-he-slap?s=w

Support us! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/vaguelyfamiliar

In this episode, the boys sit with acclaimed writer and poet, Farhan S. Yousaf. They talk about his origins as a writer, the spark that led him to poetry, how his marriage influences his writing, and how being in love is kind of a blessing. Enjoy this heartful conversation! 

F.S. Yousaf

HIS NEW BOOK: https://amzn.to/3vG4ZMN

IG: https://www.instagram.com/fs.yousaf/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/fsyousaf_?s=20&t=IS7wcrn3miMQPBQk9M6cNQ

In this episode, we talk in-depth and in full about The Batman! We go into spoilers, plot points and definitively talk about Robert Pattinson as THE BATMAN. Selena Kyle was great in it too and The Riddler... well, you'll just have to hear it. Matt Reeves' The Batman is iconic.

In this video, the boys discuss the history of the Batmen in the world, including animated and disclose their top 3 favourite Batmen. All of this is leading up to The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson!

Follow us! 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VaguelyFamiliarPod

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/VaguelyFamiliarPod

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/VaguelyFamPod 

Nazar: Twitter: https://twitter.com/mnazarsyed

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mnazarsyed/ 

Bashaar: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CallMeBashaar

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CallMeBashaar

In this episode, the boys breakdown the importance of the Pakistan vs Australia series IN Pakistan! 

Follow us! 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VaguelyFamiliarPod

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/VaguelyFamiliarPod

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/VaguelyFamPod 

Nazar: Twitter: https://twitter.com/mnazarsyed

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mnazarsyed/ 

Bashaar: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CallMeBashaar

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CallMeBashaar

In this episode, Kazi Akber sits down with Nazar and they talk about the podcasting landscape and the relationship he has with self-hate. They dive deep into the logistics of making it on YouTube and to top it all off, there is a surprise guest entry by Anika Zulfikar, AKA Punkistan halfway through. Enjoy! 

In this episode, Nazar visits Pakistan and talks to Irfan Junejo about life and moving forwards from loss. They dive deep into what it means to be a creator, and how to sustain a long-term relationship as a creative person. This was a delight to record and honestly, Nazar could've gone two more hours with Irfan. Cheers!   

0:00 - Irfan Junejo returns to the pod 

2:39 - The creative community and its impact on Irfan's creative process 

5:42 - Irfan on looking back at his journey on YouTube 

9:35 - Why did Irfan dedicate his 1 million subscribers plaque to his wife? 

13:42 - Dealing with criticism (from his wife) and being a "celebrity"  

18:36 - Irfan Junejo's ego and combatting imposter syndrome  

23:31 - Irfan on turning 30 and outgrowing friends  

29:12 - Irfan's aspirations after quitting vlogs and spirituality  

35:31 - How to deal with losing loved ones?  

40:14 - Seeking therapy and mental health  

44:10 - Relationship and rishta tips from Irfan Junejo  

49:43 - Irfan on starting a family  

53:57 - Irfan Junejo gives life advice  

59:51 - Irfan's biggest achievement of the year and getting validation from your heroes  

1:04:27 - Executing your ideas and being an inspiration  

1:08:53 - Overcoming imposter syndrome  

1:12:52 - Irfan on dealing with body image, mental health and quitting vlogging 

1:16:43 - Irfan's musical preferences, exploring new ideas, and managing fans' persistence on vlogs 

1:23:24 - Irfan on marriage and dealing with expressing himself romantically as an introvert? 

1:28:08 - Does Irfan Junejo see himself living in Pakistan in the future? 

1:31:02 - Closing thoughts

In this episode, a longtime friend of the pod, Krish Vithlani catches up with the boys about life, love and their mutual interest in watches, investing and the immigrant life. Enjoy

Usama Khalid is a friend of the podcast. He's a graphic designer and artist. He talks about his experience pursuing english literature and being a desi creator. This was a fun one! 

2021 was a year of personal growth, learning, and overcoming obstacles. In this episode, we talked about how grateful we are for this podcast, how it has opened doors to a creative universe - giving us an opportunity to rub shoulders with creators we once looked up to. We also talked about some of the books we read in 2021 which had a profound effect on us, new artists we discovered, and lastly, what 2022 holds in store for us. Wishing all our listeners a Happy New Year!

In this episode, the boys talk about the new Spider-Man movie. That is all. SPOILER WARNING IS IN EFFECT!

In this episode, the boys wrap up the Pak vs Bang series in style and discuss the high points, and the boring point. 

In this episode, the boys sit down solemnly and are reminded how humbling the game of Cricket can be. 

In this episode, the boys dive deep into the week which should just be renamed "The Greatest Week in Pakistan Cricket History." All vibes, no plans. Let's go!

In this episode, the boys dive deep into John Mayer's 8th studio album, Sob Rock. They go track by track providing what they think is valuable and we hope you think is entertainment. Enjoy!

Vaguely Familiar presents Backward Point. In this episode, the boys do an in-depth analysis of Pakistan's squad for the T20 World Cup. They go deep into stats, recent changes to the squad, and controversial selections.

In this episode, the boys dive into the news that broke this morning, about the sudden decision of NZC to back out of the Pakistan tour. Hearts were broken, and podcasts were recorded. 

Introducing, Vaguely Familair!

In this episode, the boys sit down and give an update on the few weeks that the household was struck with COVID19. They talk about the mental and physical effects the virus has and what they did to cope with it. 

In this episode, the boys come back from a long break and decide to start a new segment called WHAT HAPPENED. They recap their week and Bashaar tells an astounding story about Bobbywood!

In this episode, we talk to our dream guest Ali Abdaal. We ask him all the questions we've wanted to ask and it was such a delight. Thanks to Ali for taking the time out. Enjoy this one! 

0:00 - Intro
1:08 - Ali's childhood in Karachi, Africa, and the UK
6:44 - Ali revisiting Karachi in 2019
9:35 - The immigrant mentality and pursuing the STEMs
13:39 - The Ali Abdaal origin story
22:15 - Ali on feeling like a celebrity 
25:30 - Identifying as a doctor and feeling starstruck 
28:30 - Ali's relationship with his brother
31:16 - A lack of sadness in Ali's videos and internet hate 
37:09 - Ali's outlook on money after becoming a millionaire 
40:42 -  The transition to reach a bigger audience 
42:10 - Ali's search for his future wifey 
43:56 - Ali's impact as a doctor Vs a YouTuber
46:26 - Fanboying on John Mayer 
47:57 - Learning an instrument and Ali's spark in life
50:16 - Ali's Hogwarts house and closing thoughts

In this episode, the boys sit with Canadian filmmaker Daim Khalid and talk about his roots in Pakistan, his love for music, and his very unique style of filmmaking. The conversation was sincere and intimate and such a delight!

In this episode, the boys sit down with Abraash Khan, Canadian Cricketer from Mississauga, Ontario. They talk about the Canadian Cricket System, how it feels like playing with your heroes like Shahid Afridi, and life as a modern-day cricketer in the UK.

In this video, Nazar sat down with Arslan Ather, the editor of the Desi Collective. They talked about the Pakistani literary revolution and how it feels like working with Fatima Bhutto on his own work. A lot of books were discussed, a lot of writing tips. Enjoy this one! 


0:00 - Intro
1:02 - The idea of Desi Collective 
6:29 - Writing Vs Editing
9:59 - Arslan's journey as a writer and working with AR
16:52 - Where does Desi Collective go from here?
21:36 - Working with Fatima Bhutto 
30:47 - What is Arslan reading these days?
32:36 - How do you find the time to read?
36:11 - Final Thoughts!

In this episode, the boys sit with Ali Abbasi from The Padded Room podcast and go deep into the world of John Mayer and Born and Raised. Hailed by Nazar as the best John Mayer album, they talk about the ups and downs of John Mayer's life while discussing the timelessness of this album. 

In this episode, the boys sat with Carrie Anthony all the way from Liverpool, UK! They talked about crushing her reading goals in 2020 with over 50 books, her Bookstagram, and her undying love for reading. Check it out! 

Carrie's Bookstagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopmyshelf/