Out of all my qualms about all kinds of narratives that have emerged in the past week following the Jantar Mantar protests, I wanna focus on our own families for a sec. How many of us were raised with fear in our hearts about the world? That we don’t understand how it works, that we’re naive and would never survive it without the guidance of elders who know better? And though it may have, arguably, kept us safe for a bit, it still played a role in our arrested development. Now a lot of us have grown into people-pleasing, anxious adults too scared to be vulnerable. And the world has turned into one our parents can’t keep up with. The desi ‘disciplining’ might have ruined our chances for standing up for ourselves, whether it’s setting healthy boundaries or demanding a better life for ourselves.
Not for Gen Z, though. Apparently, they were born with a bug that made them immune to that fear. Even in the midst of brutal lathi charges in Delhi and gunfire in Bihar, the ‘masti’ (mischief) of the protesters never seems to stop. And as someone who has been consuming an unhealthy but necessary amount of social media-led reporting from protest sites across India, the tomfoolery is a hearty laugh and a break from the endless pit of dread I feel over the affairs of the state, and it is deeply appreciated.
Amidst it, I still see the same fear of old men trying to hold on to power as they’re met with colossal courage and a shame they, ironically, don’t quite understand. While that gives me hope and a strange sense of poetic justice, it scares me too. I know what men who feel ridiculed or threatened are capable of. They have and will continue to come at us with everything they’ve got before they give up the throne. But the one thing they don’t have is grace — one that looks like aura-farming as tear gas is flung at you, or offering pizzas to the cop who bashed you with his lathi just a few hours ago. That, to me, is leadership and real “vishwaguru” behaviour. And I’m betting it all on the kids.
Here's what we have for you this week:
Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey has sparked a larger conversation about who ancient epics belong to. Homegrown explores how stories like The Odyssey, the Mahabharata, and the Ramayana have always travelled across languages, cultures, and generations, constantly changing through retellings, performances, translations, and adaptations. Instead of treating them as the exclusive property of one nation or civilisation, the piece sees Nolan's film as part of a long tradition of keeping these stories alive by reinterpreting them for new audiences.
Read it here.
Satyajit Ray's 1980 classic Hirak Rajar Deshe is back in focus for the way its political satire continues to resonate today. This article revisits Ray's critique of authoritarianism, using the story of the tyrannical Diamond King to examine propaganda, anti-intellectualism, worker exploitation, censorship, and the manufacture of blind obedience. More than four decades later, the film remains one of Indian cinema's most enduring critiques of power.
Read it here.
Madverse's Empower Fund 3.0 is back with ₹30 lakh in grants to support India's independent music ecosystem. The initiative goes beyond funding musicians, opening applications for artists, managers, producers, labels, festivals, venues, collectives, educators, and community builders working across the industry. The fund aims to back projects that strengthen long-term infrastructure for independent music while helping the next wave of creators build sustainable careers.
Find out more about the fund here.
Sutirtha Chatterjee's photobook A New World turns its lens towards the lives of Indigenous communities displaced by mining and industrial development in Jharkhand. The project documents landscapes transformed by extraction while questioning who really pays the price for development. Through portraits, everyday moments, and changing terrains, the work asks whether progress in India continues to come at the cost of its own people.
Check it out here.
Assam's Chota Tingrai Tea Estate has produced and auctioned India's first commercial batch of homegrown matcha, marking a significant milestone for the country's tea industry. In this piece, Homegrown takes a closer look at how the tea, created with Japanese expertise but using Assam's native Camellia Sinensis Assamica plants, develops a bolder, earthier flavour than its Japanese counterpart. As matcha becomes a staple in cafés across India, the article explores how the project points towards an Indian interpretation of the iconic tea instead of relying entirely on imports.
Read it here.
Bengaluru's upcoming exhibition explores 1,500 years of Indian visual storytelling through manuscripts, paintings, sculptures, textiles, prints, comics, animation, cinema, and digital media. Bringing together historical artefacts alongside contemporary works, the exhibition traces how images have shaped the way stories are told across centuries, while highlighting the continuity between traditional storytelling practices and today's visual culture.
Find them here.
One Night In Toki-O lands in Bengaluru on August 1 at GoRally Pickleball, Indiranagar, bringing together Japanese food, drinks, music, art, gaming, and design for a four-hour immersive festival. Hosted by Toki Suntory Whisky in association with Homegrown, the 21+ event features cocktails, curated food experiences, live music, interactive art, arcade games, and cultural installations inspired by contemporary Japan, recreating the atmosphere of a Tokyo night out in the heart of the city.
Get your tickets here.
If you enjoyed reading this, here's more from Homegrown:
How 'Corpus Nights' Are Building A New Home For Performance Art In India
What Does Our Obsession With Godmen Reveal About Us?
Bearing Weight With The Lightness Of Being: The Life & Legacy Of Tyeb Mehta