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A unique creative energy marks September in India. In my hometown of Kolkata, the city streets come alive under the spell of Durga Pujo, as Bengal’s artistic spirit bursts from studios and workshops into the public square. Pandal architecture rivals international design fairs, idols blend tradition with radical reinvention, and music, food, and fashion converge into a city-wide celebration of originality. It is a moment when culture feels most vibrant, restless, and joyful — a reminder that Indian artistic expression has always thrived at the crossroads of faith and festivity, tradition and innovation.
That same restless spirit pervades the country in quiet but equally powerful ways. Today, India’s cultural landscape is a patchwork of voices refusing to be confined — whether in the design philosophies on display at India Design Week in Mumbai, the raw honesty of Varsha Bharath’s coming-of-age film Bad Girl, the layered soundscape Ritviz builds from memory, heritage, and global pop, or Comet’s latest drop celebrating the grassroots communities that shape Indian culture. Even in nightlife and food, the appetite for experimentation takes new forms: a Japanese-inspired evening in Bandra channels Tokyo’s timeless energy, while a Bengaluru wine bar dissolves hierarchies of taste and makes wine a language of community.
In this week’s edition of the Homegrown Culture Bulletin, all these strands come together. As I sign off for the Pujo season, here’s what we have for you this week:
A Night Of Japanese Culture At Bandra’s Pioneer Hall
Japanese culture has long maintained a delicate balance between reverence for tradition and a bold embrace of the new. This September, that spirit comes alive in Mumbai as One Night in Toki-O, powered by Toki Suntory Whisky and Homegrown, brings together music, food, art, and fashion in an immersive evening inspired by Tokyo’s timeless energy. Learn more about the event here.
ID Mumbai Showcases India’s Evolving Design Landscape
India Design ID Mumbai 2025, the country’s leading design week, showcases top names in product design, décor, and craft, celebrating India’s evolving design landscape. Under the theme ‘The Age of Design Syncretism’, this year’s event explores the blending of diverse cultural influences, design philosophies, and ideas. India Design ID Mumbai 2025 will take place from September 26 to 28 at Jio World Garden, BKC, Mumbai.
Bad Girl: Varsha Bharath’s Coming-Of-Age Film Lets Women Be Messy
“The film, produced by Vetri Maaran’s Grass Root Film Company, won the NETPAC Award at its world premiere in Rotterdam. It has since travelled across continents — Shanghai, Valencia, and Toulouse — collecting prizes along the way. But its real achievement is less in your face: the way it lingers in the body of anyone who has ever been told that desiring too much is unbecoming,” Disha writes here.
Ritviz’s ‘DHA’ Explores The Intersections Of Memory, Heritage & Popular Culture
Ritviz has returned with ‘DHA’, the first single from his forthcoming album ‘Kurta Saree’, slated for release in 2026. True to his long-standing practice of merging Indian traditions with global sounds, ‘DHA’ takes its pulse from the tabla — a sound deeply familiar to him from his childhood mornings, filled with his mother’s singing and his father’s playing. From that elemental rhythm, the track expands into a layered composition drawing on club, synth-pop, EDM, bass house, and UK garage. Learn more about the track here.
‘Wine In Progress’ Is A Bengaluru Wine Bar Where Wine Meets Community
In almost two years, Wine In Progress has managed to do something that Bengaluru’s wine culture has long needed: take the intimidation out of drinking wine and make it fun again. “Among the city’s array of new restaurants and bars, Wine In Progress distinguishes itself with a cozy, unhurried atmosphere that encourages genuine connection,” Avani writes here.
Comet’s Members Club drop is a limited release of 500 sneakers celebrating the grassroots communities that drive Indian culture — from Desi Hip-Hop to the sneaker movement. Framed as a badge of belonging, the sneakers emphasise connection over exclusivity, honouring courage, creativity, and unapologetic self-expression. The campaign underlines that culture is shaped by people, not products, and positions the drop as a symbol of collective identity rather than hype.
