I have spent this week with my girlfriends, curing each other’s heartbreaks and yelling at each other for accepting the shit we take from the men in our lives. Yesterday night, as we grappled with yet another stunt pulled by a man (surprise, surprise), one of my girlfriends just said: “Why do we talk about them so much? The most interesting thing about us is never these boys. Why can’t we stop talking about them?”
And that’s what made me think about how even romance is sexist, or rather the notion of romance fed to us: the girls obsess and harp on every little thing the man does, and the men just, well, do. And somehow that’s the norm. After she pointed that out, we did the only sane thing left to do: dance. To garba, in Navratri prep, obviously.
Because we fill our lives with joy despite them. We continue to grow, expand, and make our lives bigger, and we realise the potency of not sweating the stuff that never really matters. That’s also why so many women are choosing not to get married and to remain single. Not because they are lonely, but because they'd rather be a cat lady, surrounding myself with art, books, and people who actually matter, instead of teaching a man why cooking is a survival skill.
And if you think this is pandering to misandry, then so be it, I guess. I’m sick of us flourishing in every other professional and personal facet of our lives while somehow making ourselves small because of the heteronormative, misogynistic slop that has been sold to us since we were young.
Anyway, I’m done with my rant. Here’s what we have for you this week:
In this Homegrown interview, Young The Giant frontman Sameer Gadhia discusses navigating South Asian identity in indie rock. Describing the genre as “headphone music, not party music”, he examines streaming metrics, economic struggles for middle class artists, and how intuitive songwriting brought an earned optimism to their latest album, Victory Garden. Read more here.
In Bengal’s Bishaypur, Birbhum, Bohurupis shapeshift into gods and everyday characters, yet women’s roles in this folk tradition remain largely unrecorded. Multidisciplinary artist Shrobona Das’s project ‘Bohu-Rup-Katha’ uses photography, reenactment, and oral histories to imagine an inclusive archive, questioning whose stories survive and what gets left out of cultural history. Read more here.
London-based illustrator Mrudula K introduces her new zine, I'm Still a Dyke. Following an animalistic, hound-like creature through a surreal Indian landscape, the visual poem draws from childhood memories to depict growing up non-binary in a homophobic environment with processing fear, anger, resilience, and the search for queer community. Read more here.
Fashion label Two Até transforms the ancient Indian Paduka, a traditional wooden toe-peg sandal historically associated with ascetics, into a maximalist statement shoe for their latest collection. By combining its open-foot silhouette with metallic embroidery, rhinestones, gold-toned bells, and functional ankle straps, the new collection bridges sacred heritage with dramatic, mythology-inspired editorial styling. Read more here.
IIT Madras has named its new music centre after Ilaiyaraaja, and Ekarth Studio built it around bamboo. Leaf-inspired vaults rise into nearly nine-metre arches, spanning up to 15 metres without columns, and open onto courtyards. Completed in eleven months, it houses classrooms, recording spaces, and room for cross-disciplinary music research. Read more here.
Kolkata’s Bar Find, now a travelling bar, lands in Bengaluru with a 90-day residency at Circa 11 in Indiranagar. Starting from 4th October, Matteo Ciarpaglini’s ten-cocktail menu moves from savoury to sweet, with picks like Spumante Marino, Gilda Martini and Ceviche Mary, plus classics and zero-proof options, alongside Chef Pradyumna Harithsa’s new seasonal menu. Know more here.
MAX Fashion's URBN UNMUTE returns for its third edition, hitting Phoenix Avenue Of Stars in Pune on Saturday, 10 October 2026. This multi-city rap tour is where hip-hop, street culture and fashion collide. Sambata and Loka headline, joined by the Rap Hunt winner, with a customisation zone, exclusive merch, live graffiti and interactive experiences rounding out the night. Get your tickets here.
India Design ID Mumbai 2026 runs 9-11 October at Jio World Garden, BKC, with three destinations worth seeking out in Editions Hall: Baccarat’s French crystal and art de vivre, Wriver’s innovative contemporary furniture, and Jay Strongwater by The Right Address, an immersive world of richly detailed objects. Get your tickets here.
If you enjoyed reading this, here's more from Homegrown:
A Feminist Starter Pack: 10 Books & Films To Read, Watch, & Reflect On
The Legacy Of Mad Sandhu & The Cost Of Being A Queer Creator In 'Modern' India
Ariba Akhlaque Uses Objects & Material To Navigate Grief, Memory, & The Notion Of Home