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It’s hard to think about anything but the plane crash in Ahmedabad yesterday. The 747 Dreamliner was carrying 242 people and including the casualties in the medical hostel it hit, the body count is now reported to be around 265. And while I don't even want to imagine what the families of the passengers are going through, I can’t stop thinking about the sole survivor of the crash; what it must feel like to come out of that wreckage; to wake up to a life that everyone else on that flight no longer has.
Watching people respond to the incident has been jarring. Some people rushed to the crash site, taking photos of charred bodies and posting them online and others recreated the crash site using AI, rendering bizarre, uncanny simulations of horror. Watching the shock and grief unfold on the internet felt like a circus. But also deeply revealing of how unprepared we are — emotionally, and ethically — to process something so violent and senseless.
And yes, grief works in mysterious ways, but I still have a deep contempt for people who can't read the room. So I'm most definitely not going to attempt some corny, dismissive way to segue into our culture bulletin after what I saw yesterday.
Here's what we have for you this week:
Arjun C's Oddball Synth Pop Universe
There are plenty of reasons to love the New Delhi–based indie artist Arjun C. Be it his 80s synth-pop that'll take you back to the neon era, or his self-effacing humour that you can find in his mini-sketches on Instagram. With DIY visuals inspired by vintage Japanese ads and sketches critiquing burnout and capitalism, Arjun’s work is a punchy mix of parody and poetry. In his latest single, 'Miracle Man', he reflects on ageing, hope, and self-worth in a fast-moving world.
Listen to his music here.
Natania's Global Pop Playground
With roots in early 2000s Bollywood and global pop, Natania crafts tracks that feel fresh yet familiar, shimmering with optimism and crafted detail. From writing for icons like J Balvin to starring on a global stage, her journey reflects a sincere love for songwriting, hybridity, and emotional storytelling that connects across borders. In this conversation, the Indian pop artist opens up about making music that’s joyfully earnest in a world obsessed with edge.
Read it here.
'Loop Line' By Renuka Shahane
'Loop Line' is a Marathi animated short that critiques the unspoken violence embedded in traditional marriages. Through the lens of a housewife’s repetitive daily life, the film explores how love is often weaponised into duty, leaving women overworked, unrecognised, and erased. Produced by Paperboat Design Studios, the film blends sharp metaphor with layered artistry to reveal the emotional and mental toll of domestic labour in Indian homes.
Watch its trailer here.
'Stolen' By Karan Tejpal
Inspired by the tragic 2018 Karbi Anglong lynching, 'Stolen' is a tense highway thriller that unravels the terrifying consequences of viral misinformation and mob justice. The film uses the kidnapping of a baby as a narrative trigger to explore how false accusations fueled by fear, digital virality, and systemic apathy can spiral into real-world violence. In this conversation with Homegrown writer Drishya, filmmaker Karan Tejpal, co-writer-producer Gaurav Dhingra, and actor Abhishek Banerjee to unpack the film's genesis and their desire to examine complicity, class, and conscience through a tightly woven, visual-first narrative.
Read it here.
'Local Living' By Ali Assadhu
Through this project, photographer Ali Assadhu challenges the glossy, tourist-driven image of the Maldives by documenting its vanishing cultural rituals, from masked Beyya figures to the playful mischief of Koadi, revealing a vibrant island life shaped by folklore, communal tradition, and ecological intimacy. Shot primarily on Kinbidhoo island, his work doubles as both cultural preservation and a form of environmental witnessing, foregrounding the urgent threat that climate change and mass tourism pose to these traditions.
Check it out here.
The Feminist & Cultural Legacy Of Urdu Magazines In India
Once central to the domestic and cultural lives of Urdu-speaking communities across North India, Urdu magazines offered women not just recipes and romance but community, sisterhood, and subversion. In this article, Homegrown writer Anahita talks about publications like Ismat, Shama, and Biswin Sadi, that created space for literary innovation, political discourse, and plural identities, especially post-Partition, and how their decline reflects the marginalisation of Urdu.
Read it here.
LA-Based Pijja Palace By Avish Naran
Pijja Palace in Los Angeles fuses the spirit of a classic American sports bar with the culinary instincts of a first-generation Indian household. Helmed by Avish Naran, the menu reimagines comfort foods like samosas stuffed with cheese and jalapeños or Malai Rigatoni acting as natural expressions of cultural hybridity rather then novelty. With flat screens playing Knicks games and dishes layered in diasporic memory, the restaurant reflects the multicultural texture of LA itself: messy, flavourful, and unmistakably homegrown.
Find out more about it here.
Otoki: A Minimal, Ingredient-First Izakaya In Colaba
Otoki is a refined new Japanese izakaya-style restaurant that brings small-plate precision and ingredient-led authenticity to Mumbai’s dining scene. With chef Mohit Singh at the helm, formerly of Kyoto’s 3-Michelin-starred Kikunoi Honte, the menu spans sushi, sashimi, ramen, and okonomiyaki, all crafted with seasonal, sustainable ingredients. The design is restrained yet warm, while the beverage program highlights premium saké and Japanese whiskys.
Find it here.
A Treasury of Life: Indian Company Paintings c. 1795–1830
On view at DAG, New Delhi, this exhibition presents nearly 200 works that emerged from the colonial encounter between Indian artists and European patrons. Divided into Natural History, Architecture, and Indian Manners and Customs, the exhibition traces how local artists blended Mughal and regional traditions with Western techniques to document flora, architecture, and everyday life. These richly detailed paintings reveal a distinct and evolving sense of Indian identity amid foreign gaze and forgotten authorship.
Learn more about the exhibition here.
FULLPOWER Puffgirl By Ramukru
What if the Powerpuff Girls had a fourth sister — one who dropped acid instead of fighting villains? Meet FULLPOWER Puffgirl, the debut resin collectible from Mumbai-based art toy label Ramukru. With a joint in one hand, she’s a cheeky reimagination of late-90s nostalgia filtered through India’s rave and counterculture scenes. Hand-cast, limited-edition, and deeply referential, the toy marks Ramukru’s playful but sharp entry into the designer toy movement.
Get it here.
