This week, I’ve found myself circling the same question over and over again: when was the last time I let myself be truly seen by someone else? Not just in passing conversation, but in a terrifying way that requires real vulnerability. I've been having long conversations about AI and how it’s increasingly stepping in where intimacy once lived. Along the way, the messiness of the human experience is beginning to disappear. Relationships — romantic; platonic; whatever — are a dumpster fire in many ways, but that's what makes them worthwhile.
It's become so easy to hide now. To outsource the hard parts of connection. And more importantly, how much harder it’s become to admit we’re lonely, or unsure, or simply in need of being witnessed. A longer piece is coming soon (shameless self plug), but in the meantime, I just wanted to say: put in the effort to build community. It's always worth it.
This week's curation is an eclectic mix. Whether through fashion, food, music, or film, they remind us there are still infinite ways to connect. Here's what we have for you:
Homegrown & Casa Bacardí Are Bringing Some Exhilerating Summer Chaos To Mumbai
La Placita is an ode to the sensory chaos of Indian summers. Homegrown and Casa Bacardí bring you a one-day celebration that transforms Famous Studios into a fever-dream of music, street eats, movement, and creativity.
Buy tickets here.
Early Check-In 2.0 Is Turning Jaipur Into An Art Playground
Early Check-In 2.0 turns Jaipur into a heart of genre-fluid music, visual storytelling, and curated chaos. Conceptualised by Sid&The, a Jaipur-based artist, curator, and long-time facilitator in the independent arts and events space, this intimate warehouse gathering is a space where motion-activated projections meet handpoke tattoos, and trance-y DJ sets dissolve into design showcases.
Check it out here.
Peekay’s 'Hyperspace' Revives Nu-Metal Grit
If you’ve ever longed for the raw angst of early 2000s nu-metal, Peekay’s ‘Hyperspace’ might just be your catharsis. Fronted by Pranati Khanna, this Hyderabad-to-LA progressive metal outfit delivers a track that captures the spiral of mental dissociation with brutal honesty and a sonic depth that pulls you right into their riff-heavy world.
Listen here.
'Paradiso?' Exposes the Hollow Dream of Success
In Paradiso?, filmmaker Ayush Chandwani crafts a deceptively beautiful trap: a film that begins as a dream and ends in existential unease. Shot in one continuous reel of Super 8, the film follows an aspiring filmmaker in Mumbai who achieves everything he once desired, only to find himself unfulfilled. What lingered with me was its grainy realism: no edits, no rewrites, no clean conclusion.
Watch here.
Tokyo Diner Is A Secret Omakase In Chennai
Tucked behind a fridge door in a Chennai bakery lies Tokyo Diner: a secretive 18-seater speakeasy where minimalism meets maximal flavour. Every dish is a surprise, every reservation a ritual, and the experience is intimate, intentional, and luxurious.
Read more here.
mayaraj Blends Tamil Roots With New York Cool
mayaraj is what happens when tradition inhabits fashion. The brainchild of New York-based designer Mayan Rajendran, the label stitches Tamil heritage into modular menswear silhouettes, reinterpreting lungis and saree pallus into suit jackets and sarongs.
Discover their collection here.
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