This Year In Culture: Relive 2024 With 9 Of Our Biggest Homegrown Stories

I don’t know about you, but for me, the end of the year and the holidays always come with a fair amount of melancholy. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not the Grinch and I do enjoy the festive period but it also feels heavy: like we’re saying goodbye to something that’s fundamentally intangible. 

As human beings, we’re ideally supposed to be constantly changing, learning, and evolving through our triumphs, our mistakes, and even our periods of stagnation. So perhaps it feels so emotional because we’re saying bye to a place, a person, or even a part of our own selves; something we learn to let go of through the trial and error that is a whole year of human experience. 

It’s been three years since I first wrote one of these — an attempt to sum up the year that was and to look ahead to a future that’s always uncertain. I think there’s both beauty and anguish in that uncertainty and that makes it all the more important to celebrate everything we have achieved: the giant steps forward and the small victories alike.

Over the course of the last year, we’ve brought you stories from across every corner of the Indian and South Asian cultural landscape and have aimed to give you a holistic, no-holds-barred perspective on the constantly changing face of the zeitgeist. 

We’ve evolved our formats and brought you more exciting ways to engage with the creatives and narratives that shape the culture around us. From interviews to supply drops to creative profiles to in-depth coverage of mainstream and underground festivals, exhibitions, and initiatives, we’ve weaved a tapestry that rests on the bedrock of multiplicity and diversity that is our culture and our identities.     

It’s been an incredible journey and none of it would be possible without you, our Homegrown family. Your support and patronage have allowed us to raise the bar even higher and we’re looking forward to bringing you even more in 2025. For now, let’s celebrate our most prolific stories from this year:

From art and marketing to carefully curated photo dumps, photography has evolved into more than just documentation; it’s a language of connection and expression. Drishya's article traces the journey from the democratization of cameras in the ‘70s to today’s smartphone era, where the phrase "pics or it didn’t happen" defines our culture. Closing on a high note, we spotlight five trailblazing photographers reshaping narratives and reimagining how we see the world.

2024 marked a seismic shift for Indian literature, with groundbreaking awards, thought-provoking works, and a global spotlight on homegrown voices. From tackling urgent social issues to reimagining speculative fiction, Indian authors reshaped narratives and broke new ground. Drishya's second piece celebrates the books, milestones, and cultural impact that made this year unforgettable for literature enthusiasts.

2024 was an absolute whirlwind for global pop music — Charli XCX and Billie Eilish delivered their albums to remember, and Linkin Park made a fierce comeback. But the real magic? It was right here at home. From Hanumankind’s record-breaking track 'Big Dawgs' to a fresh wave of local artists shaping the scene, we’ve rounded up the ultimate playlist to celebrate a year when Indian music truly joined the global party.

From wild raves in unexpected spots to festivals that mashed up old traditions with fresh ideas, the City of Dreams brought its A game. Hip-hop on local trains? Check. Halloween parties in historic mills? Done. Food that tasted like art? You bet. Mumbai turned every corner into a playground for bold creativity and endless possibilities. Anahita takes a look back at a year where the city buzzed louder, shined brighter, and partied harder than ever.

The biggest track to have come out of India, arguably ever, Big Dawgs by Hanumankind awakened the world to the sheer potential of homegrown hip-hop. The music video, set in the high-octane chaos of a Well Of Death, was nod to India’s subcultures as well as a bold leap into reimagining them for the global stage. Mikhail's article takes you behind the scenes through candid interviews with the video's director Bijoy Shetty and cinematographer Abhinay Pandit, diving into the thought process, challenges, and daring choices that gave rise to this phenomenon of a track.

Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light cuts through the rose-tinted myths about Mumbai’s 'spirit', offering a gritty and intimate look at life in the city through the lens of two nurses navigating love, loss, and survival. The film has become critically acclaimed around the world and was also the first Indian film to compete at Cannes in over 30 years. Payal also recently became the first Indian woman to be nominated for Best Director at the Golden Globes. In this article she opens up about the film and her love-hate relationship with the maximum city.

If women "belong in the kitchen", why are professional kitchens still a boys club? Drishya's article addresses the stark gender disparity in the culinary world. Through conversations with chefs Farha Naaz, Radhika Khandelwal, and Bani Nanda, it delves into societal biases, institutional hurdles, and the toxic hyper-masculine culture perpetuated in media. The chef's stories emphasize the need for representation, mentorship, and structural changes to create an equitable and inclusive food service industry.

Sure, "men used to go to war"; but they also spent their time off the battleground writing sweet letters to their wives and singing songs with each other to combat the terrors of death. Men, atleast the ones worth remembering, have always been gentle and feminine in their ways. The ops love creating the false narrative of a toxic, hollow masculinity but real ones know the effect a babygirl-man has on women. In this article, we celebrate the men written by women in Indian cinema, ones who've made up for all the alpha male bullshit we've all had to endure lately.

From tribal tattoos marking rituals and community bonds to modern tattoos that reflect personal stories and transformations, ink has been a trusted form of storytelling among cultures and people. In Anahita's article, tattoo artists across India up about the deep connection they have with their clients, explaining how tattoos often symbolize emotional shifts, personal journeys, and cultural identity. It also highlights the role of tattoo artists as interpreters of their clients' stories, making tattoos a deeply intimate experience and a collaborative practice in self-mythology.

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