This Week In Culture: A Surreal Fetish-Themed Photoseries, ALT EFF 2024, & Much More

For a moment there I was worried that global warming had ruined my favourite season. But I'm starting to feel the slight resistance before my showers so winter is officially here. I can finally try out my outfits that work with a lot of layering; the big chunky blanket is out of the closet; the sun has become pleasant; coffee is starting to feel heavenly on misty mornings, and my night walks are less sweaty — overall, a 10/10 season. 

Animals hibernate in the winter but if it was up to me I'd choose to do that in the summer, in a cold cave somewhere and come out only when it got chilly. There's so much drama and mystery in this season. If it was a genre, it would be fantasy or neo-noir: a snowy kingdom ruled by a tyrant with conspiracies and espionage and all of that jazz. I'm sure there's some subconscious connection to Narnia there too but you get my drift. I'd like to believe this is the most gothic time of the year and a perfect environment for all the darkwave music and psychological thrillers I've been waiting to check out. Just thinking about it makes me rub my hands lik an evil cartoon character.

As for you, grab your blanky and a hot mug of whatever your poison is, because we have the perfect curation of art, music, film, and fashion for you this week:

Ritvik Ghatak' Legacy

Ritwik Ghatak, a towering figure in Indian cinema, was deeply shaped by the partition of Bengal, a trauma that haunted his films and defined his voice. Unlike his contemporaries, Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen, Ghatak didn’t sugarcoat the harsh realities of refugee life. Through his partition trilogy Meghe Dhaka Tara, Komal Gandhar, and Subarnarekha, he explored the personal struggles of survivors in a fractured society, drawing from his own experiences as an immigrant. Ghatak’s films didn’t romanticize unity or indulge in nostalgia but instead tackled the raw socio-economic consequences of partition, making his work painfully relevant even today.

Learn more about his films here.

'I Remember By' Chris Cobain

Chris Cobain’s track, 'I Remember', is a fearless grunge anthem that confronts systemic oppression against Dalit communities with unflinching honesty. Its gritty sound evokes the raw intensity of 90s protest music, weaving a narrative of historical and ongoing injustice. Blending personal rage with political critique, the track challenges complacency and selective outrage, urging listeners to face the stark realities of caste-based discrimination. I Remember is a call to action, demanding accountability and refusing to let the voices of the marginalized be forgotten.

Listen to the track here.

Edibles By Rhea & Mayank

In this conceptual photoseries, Rhea and Mayank take food and twist it into something bold, playful, and a bit unsettling. Food items like lemons, pasta, buns are presented as surreal metaphors for desire and identity, with visuals that tease at themes of bondage, femininity, and even the weirdly intimate connection between hunger and desire. The series doesn’t just explore the male gaze; instead, it redefines it, letting Rhea’s perspective blur lines and fuse sensuality with shared experience. Shaped by surrealism and infused with irony, Edibles is part menu, part social commentary, and fully bizarre a feast for the eyes that taps into hidden urges and subconscious connections.

Check it out here.

HEIRLOOMS By Garuda

The digital retail landscape is oversaturated with options. But that doesn't stop Garuda from cutting through the noise by rethinking what clothing can be. Founder Suhail Sahrawat approaches fashion with an architectural and product design mindset, challenging traditional expectations of wearability. This philosophy is evident in their latest collection, HEIRLOOMS, which reimagines garments as vessels of memory and reinvention. Inspired by the resilience of his mother’s sewing machine, Sahrawat channels a patchwork method, blending past and present. From saree-to-dress transformations to witty designs like the Shkirt (a shirt-skirt hybrid) Garuda marries functionality with clever commentary, offering pieces that stand apart in style and substance.

Find the collection here.

ALT EFF Opening Night

The climate crisis demands everyone’s attention, everywhere, all at once. One way to energize this movement is through storytelling, especially in communities. The All Living Things Environmental Film Festival (ALT EFF) is India’s leading platform for climate-related films, showcasing stories of regeneration, activism, crisis, and hope. This year, the festival will host over 100 live events across India, bringing powerful climate stories to cities, towns, and villages. Their Opening Night is taking place at Liberty Cinema, with a screening, red carpet, awards, food, drinks, and a chance to connect with others passionate about climate action.

Get your tickets here.

(In)Visible by Parag Sonarghare

In 2014, Parag Sonarghare’s life and art took a dramatic turn after a near-fatal accident. The scars left by the experience gave his work a new urgency, leading him to explore the imperfections of the human body through hyper-realistic paintings. Inspired by the idea of 'hyperreality' by Jean Baudrillard, which focuses on creating emotions through images that simulate things that don’t actually exist, Sonarghare’s work captures the raw details of his subjects, often older rural men from India, highlighting their marks, scars, and imperfections. His painstaking, detailed process results in large-scale paintings that force viewers to confront the fragility of the human body and the passage of time. The artist's 10-year survey exhibition opens on Tuesday.

Find out about it here.

Homegrown's Guide To Blush For Indian Skin

From the clean aesthetic to full glam and everything in between, blush has made a major comeback. We're also all leaning into the blush blindness trend and choosing highly pigmented cheeks. But for everyone to enjoy a good blush means pushing for more inclusivity and celebrating diverse skin tones . Here at home Indian brands are responding with innovative blush products like jelly tints, serums, and water-based formulas that are not only functional but designed specifically for brown skin and our humid weather.

Find the curation here.

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

Eating Alone; Together: How Indian 'Mukbangers' Are Changing Food Culture Online

How A New Homegrown Project Is Mapping The 'Sonic Archeology' Of Delhi's Connaught Place

Badluram Ka Badan: The History Behind The Assam Regiment's Iconic Company Song