This Week In Culture: Building Benne, Homegrown Gin, & More

I started this week by watching Pranav Reddy's 2020 documentary Occupied. It follows Palestinian artists living and creating under occupation — laughing and resisting in a place where even existence feels like defiance. The film shook something loose in me. I found myself thinking, as the week went on, about how we all try to locate meaning in moments of rupture. We live in a time where the personal and political constantly collide. Here, culture becomes a way to resist, and remember.

That thread continued with Drishya’s piece on Zohran Mamdani, who’s now surging in New York City’s mayoral race. As the son of immigrants himself, and a public housing advocate, Mamdani is redefining what leadership can look like for South-Asian, BIPOC, and immigrant communities across a country tearing at the seams. And finally, we turned our attention to the American Dream itself. South Asian international students and immigrants shared what it feels like to live under the shadow of ICE raids, and what hope, fear, and belonging look like in the aftermath.

These stories feel urgent because they are. And so does everything else we’ve been writing about this week. Find below dispatches that dive into how identity reveals itself in the smallest details.

Here's what we have for you this week:

Homegrown Film Editors On Their Craft

Disha takes us into the sanctum of the editing room. Five homegrown editors share how they approach films as a breathing organism — crafting emotion, silence and performance. If you’ve ever wondered how the pulse of a story is set, this is your backstage pass. 

Read more here.

Yamin Reclaims Indian Jewellery’s Roots

In a space dominated by bridal clichés and excess, Yamin’s latest jewellery collection refuses the ornamental script. Instead, it tells stories of adornment as resistance, carving out a space for everyday expression rooted in tradition but sharply contemporary. Jewellery is intimate, political, and personal.

Check out the collection here.

Labels Bringing Back Homegrown Nostalgia

Longing has a new look. These three homegrown labels dive into vintage silhouettes, 90s flair, and the textured charm of memory to create collections that feel both familiar and fresh. For all of us who know that style is equal parts emotion, Fatima’s curation is a love letter to rootedness. 

Learn more here.

Raj’s ‘Konnakol Jazz’ Melds Lo-Fi & Classical Beats

In an unexpected but addictive fusion, Raj’s new single threads Carnatic vocal percussion with lo-fi jazz textures. It’s playful, reverent, and, as Pari notes, points to a growing movement of South Indian musicians reinventing classical vocabularies for new-age ears. 

Read more here.

Reshmy Kurian On Building Benne

Benne is a lesson in intentional living. In this interview with our founder, Varsha, designer Reshmy Kurian reflects on what it takes to craft a brand that resists frenzy and embraces slow, meaningful design. This is a reminder that good things take time — and heart

Read Varsha's conversation here.

Gin Makers Reveal Their Favourite Cocktails

From Himalayan juniper to Goan spices, India’s gin revolution is rooted in terroir. But what happens when the makers mix it themselves? Drishya speaks to some of the boldest homegrown gin brands to learn their personal recipes — stories that blend memory, place, and the perfect pour.

Read more here.

Casa Bacardí’s Summer Takeover

Casa Bacardí’s latest city takeover is here across two unlikely stages in Mumbai — an artisanal ice cream parlour and a tattoo studio. At Bono Boutique Ice Cream, experience a one-day-only release of Bacardí-infused flavours. Meanwhile, at IronBuzz in Bandra, the mood turns inked and electric with flash tattoos. 

Check them out here.

If you enjoyed reading this, here's more from Homegrown:

Sparklmami’s Retro Soul & Jazz Fusion Stylings Intersect Polyrhythms & Personal Histories

A Restored Rice Mill Finds Itself At The Forefront Of Goa's Jazz Revival

The Tamil Jazz Collective Is Bringing Carnatic Influences To Classic Jazz Standards