Innholdsfortegnelse for May - June 2025 i Cosmopolitan India

Are we all a product of prompts? Can our realties be a manifestation of our micro and macro asks of the universe? A few days ago, Google unveiled Flow, an AI filmmaking tool, that fires up the next wave of storytelling with simple text and image prompts, nurturing a new form of digital consciousness that is unhinged by the carbon footprint it leaves behind. Kind of similar to the alchemy of desires we pack in, which remain exclusive to us and our subconscious. No surprise that six months into 2025, the halfway haul feels like a mosh pit of crazy, cool, and highly cataclysmic thoughts from around the world—sometimes limitless and sometimes limiting. The writing is on the wall, your prompts for the life you want to create need to…

ICARUS by K Ancrum Critically acclaimed author K Ancrum breathes life into the meet-cute of your fantasies with Greek mythology symbolism. This suspense-romance is built around an art thief named Icarus, and Helios, the son of the wealthy artist he is stealing from. What will he choose—love, or the great escape? Flip a coin till we get there. KARI by Amruta Patil The book, also considered India’s first graphic lesbian novel, follows a queer woman, Kari, who is navigating a big city, mental illness, and relentless heteronormativity. While grappling with the idea of death and loneliness, the novel follows the protagonist’s second attempt at life—a reincarnation. And her biggest source of hope? Angel, a friend dying of cancer. THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE LOVED by Aruni Kashyap An award-winning, bilingual…

They/them. He/him. She/her. Ze/zir. Pronouns are slipping into email footers and Slack bios, but for queer pros in Indian offices, it’s still a tightrope walk—between visibility and safety, between rainbow cupcakes and bathrooms you can actually use. I started this story sipping cold brew in a glass-walled coworking space, wondering: Is corporate India truly queer-friendly, or just queer-friendly-for-the-gram? Spoiler alert: It’s complicated. If you’ve been on the corporate Pride campaign treadmill, you know the drill: pink balloons, rainbow reels, brunch-and-badge, merch drops. But one day past June 30? Misgendering, microaggressions, and polite silences crash the party. 2024 data tells the real story: One in five queer employees fear being outed at work. Only 4 per cent of Indian firms do annual DE&I audits. Translation? For many, coming out is less…

A few years ago in college, I was wandering through the lanes of Churchgate, heading toward the iconic stretch of booksellers, ready to splurge my hard-earned internship stipend on as many cheap books as I could carry. But on the way, I noticed something unexpected. In a shady lane not far from Kitab Khana, a couple of vendors were casually selling vibrators and similar toys. What really struck me was the packaging—each one labelled as a massager. The euphemism was obvious, a not-so-subtle attempt to sidestep the taboo still surrounding female self-pleasure. It made me wonder—how would someone encountering this for the first time react? How safe is this, really? What if someone completely uninitiated picked one up, thinking it was just a regular back massager? Or worse, used it…

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The first thing I jot down when I get on a call with Dot. is: “Gives off very theatre-kid-who-reads-Nietzsche-for-fun energy.” She snorts when I read it back to her. “I wouldn’t go that far, but I get it. My mom was in the theatre, though,” she retorts. With a mom in theatre and a rockstar dad (Amit Saigal), you could say Dot. (for anything public)—and Aditi, to her friends—was always destined for the arts. She started playing the keys at six and trained in classical piano for several years. She later earned a degree in music and creative writing from the University of Bangor in Wales. “What ended up being the coolest part of university—aside from the lecturers—was that I met so many great musicians and played in bands with…

On a balmy, teenage-angst-fuelled summer—two years into the new millennium in 2002—two tracks competed for spring break anthem supremacy in my bedroom: John Mayer’s Your Body Is a Wonderland and Christina Aguilera’s Beautiful. I had just completed a two-week-long mountaineering course, which gave my well-padded arms muscle memory and visibility. My love for my body was at its peak; I was Mayer’s girl and Aguilera’s BFF. Even though I had always been the ‘healthy’ (moniker for big girl when CDs and cassettes were a thing) national-level gymnast and basketball player, size digs never really got to me. No matter where they came from, my thick skin was guarding my aura. Then came my early twenties, and my hair became a constant source of rebellion—buzzed on the sides, supershort curls, sometimes…

ATTACK OF THE 50-FOOT WOMAN—AND HE’S INTO IT “One of my friends once admitted he had this thing for women stepping on tiny cities. Much like Lana Del Rey in the music video Doin’ Time. Apparently it’s a real thing, called macrophilia (I had no idea!) So, he gets turned on by giantesses—women towering over little people, smashing buildings, being all powerful. He said it makes him feel safe and tiny…and honestly, same.” Alisha*, 27 MAIN CHARACTER IN SOMEONE ELSE’S SEX SCENE? “I swear I’m not a creep. But this one time, I stayed at a friend’s house and accidentally overheard her and her boyfriend doing it. Instead of dying of secondhand embarrassment, I literally paused to listen. And all I’ll say is, I wouldn’t mind being an auditory (or…

Kidswear brands, Little Tags and Little Tags Luxury, originated out of a mother’s desire to dress her child in clothing that is not only stylish and of great quality, but also reflective of global trends and timeless love. Chandni Agarwal, the visionary behind both brands, didn’t set out to build a business—she set out to solve a problem close to her heart. When she couldn’t find the kind of fashionable, well-made clothes she wanted for her toddler in India, she decided to create the solution herself. Founded to bring the world’s finest fashion to Indian children, Little Tags Luxury has curated over 40+ international luxury brands—including Moschino, Dolce & Gabbana, Balmain, and more—under one roof. It offers not just clothing but an experience where global fashion meets the magic of…

Cosmopolitan India: What inspired you to start Addonis? Sagar Garg: Our earlier ventures revolved around high-energy bars and clubs. But post-COVID, we noticed a shift in what people were looking for. Energy alone wasn’t enough, guests were seeking a more well-rounded experience—exceptional food, thoughtfully crafted cocktails, and attentive service, all in an exciting, elevated setting. That became the inspiration for Addoni’s—India’s first true high-energy dining destination. C: What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a founder? S: The biggest challenge was earning acceptance for a concept that didn’t fit into traditional categories. We had to ensure every element, from the design and music to the cuisine and service worked together cohesively to express the idea of high-energy dining. Nothing could fall short. C: What gap did you…

For any history buff worth their chronologically obsessed salt, digging up the past seems just as good as preserving it for the future. Another nudge that comes with the fetish—constant fascination with visiting and exploring the relics of the three oldest civilisations in the world—Mesopotamia, Harappa, and Ancient Egypt. Any day, far more refreshing than revisiting the relical haunts of your past relationships. Grazing past my holiday bucket list, planning my next state of trippin’, the Pyramids of Giza began dominating my explore page on Insta. I must admit that I may have mentioned in passing to a friend how I wanted to go to the land of mummies, which clearly had that invasive Meta pick it up (we are all used to it by now). Soon, I couldn’t unsee…

Mango Avocado Salad When I moved to Mumbai, I had a small kitchen and a big craving — I missed the flavours of home. Everything ‘healthy’ around me felt soulless or synthetic. I didn’t want to pick between taste and wellness — I wanted both. Living with PCOS, I knew my food had to support my hormones too. So, I started experimenting, reading, and searching for recipes, until I created meals that felt like comfort and care. This mango and avocado salad is one of those bowls. It’s refreshing, easy to throw together, and every ingredient plays a part in keeping me balanced, cool, and nourished—even on the busiest days. With the heat and hustle of summer coming in, I’m always on the hunt for meals that are light, nutritious,…

You’ve probably come across the reel of an ambitious, young Indian boy transforming from his lanky self in front of India Gate to strutting down the Louis Vuitton runway. Growing up, Deepak Gupta was told he would never be an LV model, and boy, were they wrong! Let’s get counting. He started at Milan Fashion Week with Emporio Armani SS24 and Stone Island AW24, followed by walking exclusively for Burberry SS24 at London Fashion Week. The 20-year-old Mumbai-based model has also been the face of several Indian and international campaigns over the past few years. Bringing the same energy this season, he made the headlines for his debut at the Louis Vuitton FW25 show, all while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology. Where does this confidence come from? “Confidence…

DEAR ARUNIMA, I spent the majority of my school life aggressively avoiding boys and developing what I’d call a lifelong allergy to sports. As I maintained what I consider a very healthy and practical distance from dried grass and sweaty teenagers, I hid in the art room instead (The fully functioning AC may or may not have influenced this). That’s where I found you—Aru—almost always hunched in a corner, drawing something in your notebook, your hair doing an excellent job of hiding your face. We were both these weird little creatures with giant, chaotic internal worlds we didn’t yet know how to translate into words or even socially acceptable behaviour. There was no dramatic friendship moment. Just a quiet, mutual noticing. You left school before I did, and I spent…

Param Sundari July 25, In theatres Actors Sidharth Malhotra (Param) and Janhvi Kapoor (Sundari) are teaming up—for the first time ever—for Dinesh Vijan’s upcoming romcom. Set in Kerala, the story revolves around a North Indian and a South Indian unexpectedly falling in love, and the drama that ensues. Sure, we have seen this trope before, but are we still booking tickets as we write? Yes. Squid Game 3 June 27, On Netflix For those still reeling from season two’s cliffhanger, here’s an upside: The final season didn’t take too long to get here (they were, after all, shot back-to-back). We’ll get all of our questions answered this time as the universe expands with a roster including Yim Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, and Park Gyu-young joining returning stars Lee Jung-jae and Lee…

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“I’m messing with you, Ananya,” Kayan cuts me off when I ask her age (and instantly regret it). “There’s this running joke I have online where I tell people I’m over 40. It’s really funny because I’m like, why do they keep asking me my age?” Born Ambika Nayak and raised in Mumbai, Kayan’s childhood sounds like almost straight out of Malgudi Schooldays [by RK Narayan]. “During my summer holidays in Tanjore [now Thanjavur], I’d pick flowers in the garden, feed kittens and puppies on the street, water the backyard plants, and drink Boost on the terrace,” she shares. Does this sound like she’s speaking in tongues, iPad kids? This calm, almost old-school upbringing was far from ordinary. Creativity pulsed through the walls of her home—her mother was a Hindustani…

It’s 5:59pm on a Tuesday. I have one AirPod on—the other safely tucked away in its case—streaming Aa Zara, the Kakar sisters’ latest single. I’m waiting for our cover star to join the Zoom call. Anticipating a delay—thanks to her chock-a-block schedule—I’m unabashedly swaying to the upbeat track, when suddenly, a voice chimes in. “Hi!” It’s Sukriti, bang on time. “I’m looking forward to this,” she adds. A minute into the song, I understand why she has got a grip on the generation. But I also know it’s her endearingly unpretentious demeanour that puts her in a league of her own. Sukriti Kakar has the mic—and the moment. It’s her inherent star power that underscores her remarkable success in the industry—but it’s also Sukriti’s brand of high-tempo, melodic music that…

For Ella, 26, a writer from Manchester, when something goes wrong in her life, the reflex is to scroll Reddit. When she broke up with her partner of seven years, she found solace in the diversity of opinions and experiences shared on the platform. “The problem is,” Ella tells me, “I then have a reaction to too much choice. I never know where to focus and struggle to sit with ‘not knowing’, so I’ll turn to another platform for more opinions, and then another.” Instagram Reels and TikTok have also become crutches. When social media isn’t delivering an answer? “Sometimes I’ll forward the same voicenote to several friends seeking their input,” she admits. After all this digital soul searching, Ella feels she has lost her intuition. Ella is far from…

Tanvi Somaiya, the co-founder of The Bear House—a contemporary menswear label redefining smart casuals for the modern man—studied Fashion and Clothing Technology from NIFT Mumbai. Tanvi’s academic foundation gave her a strong command over fashion aesthetics, garment construction, and trend forecasting. She brings a rare blend of design instinct, business acumen, and consumer insight—shaping the brand’s identity. Tanvi’s love for design stems from her early exposure to the world of fashion where she assisted designers and styled celebrities, nurturing her natural flair for detail and honing her understanding of what elevates everyday fashion. Before launching The Bear House in 2017, Tanvi worked at Bloomcraft Apparels, where she led manufacturing and sampling. This hands-on experience equipped her with a practical understanding of supply chains, fabric sourcing, and production intricacies—skills that now…

The chosen one Unlike in Conclave (2024), the real-life version of the election of the Pope after Pope Francis’ death on April 21 didn’t drag on. By May 8, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost had been elected the 267th Pope of the Catholic Church, making history as the first American to hold the post. Now known as Pope Leo XIV, the 69-year-old Chicago-born reformer—also a Peruvian citizen—spent years as a missionary in Peru, where he’s remembered for uplifting marginalised communities. At his first Mass under Michelangelo’s ceiling frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, he said that he hoped to lead a Roman Catholic church “that illuminates the dark nights of this world”. They mean business At this year’s Google I/O, the tech giant unveiled a number of upgrades. First up, its AI…

I ’ve just done the hardest boxing session of my life. My entire body is now, in fact, jelly, and I’m dripping in sweat. While I feel exhilarated—blood pumping and endorphins incoming—I also kinda just want to curl into a ball and roll home. But I can’t, because it’s 8am and I have to get to work and look somewhat presentable by 9am. Thus begins the 30-minute extreme makeover from bedraggled gym rat to beauty director. Quick question: Does lugging my 1kg makeup bag to and from central London count as weightlifting? And it’s not just on the days I’m working out that I have to factor in how my exercise and beauty routines combine; aligning my type-4 hair wash day with gym sessions has become a scheduling nightmare. Oh,…

There are creative hipsters, and then there are the creative old-school. Distinguishing the grain from the chaff (or the vinyl listeners, used book buyers and typewriter aficionados from the poseurs who do it for the ’gram) can be a task. Unless, of course, their work speaks volumes and leaves no room for debate. For each of the women on this list, there is a simple, creative tool that will never be too old for comfort. With careers spanning across creative fields, they all have that one part of their process that might have ‘aged out’, but makes their work what it is. Despite access to newer, fresher tech and materials, here are the classic tools they still use to shape the way they imagine the world… completely, utterly, and unironically.…

Release your job, release the time!’ Two-and-a-half years later and Beyoncé’s Break My Soul still soundtracks my commute when I just cannot. Most likely a Monday morning as I stand on the cold, wet platform, damp seeping through my trainers into my socks. But Bey’s battle cry feels more like a dream than a reality. So I flick through my Spotify in search of the punk sounds of Lambrini Girls’ Company Culture. ‘Harassed in the workplace, my cold resting bitch face,’ blasts into my ears as I squeeze between the bodies in the overflowing carriage of the (delayed) 8.05. There was the Great Resignation of 2021, when millions quit their jobs in the space of weeks; then “quiet quitting”, “lazy girl jobs”, and even “bare minimum Mondays”, which encouraged us…

Trend alert: Berry girl makeup Move over strawberry and peach, it’s the summer of the ‘Berry girl’. Spearheaded by (no surprises here) model and Rhode founder, Hailey Bieber, this trend leans a bit in the purple-y direction with plum, blackberry, and raspberry tones. Honestly, when will the fruity makeup trend end? No clue—but we’re here for every delicious shade. New face for French glam Jenna Ortega, the 22-year-old American actress, has been announced as Dior Makeup’s newest brand ambassador. The Wednesday star took to ’gram to say that she’s honoured to be one, and that there’s more to come. Are you already sat? We know we are! Get your hair shield on We already love K18 for their OG leave-in hair repair mask. But we’re about to love it even…

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It’s hard to miss the memo stitched into a thousand corseted gowns and sequinned bodysuits: Quiet luxury is out; excess is back on the menu. This year, runways from Schiaparelli, Louis Vuitton, Gaurav Gupta, and even Sabyasachi, confirm it—fashion isn’t whispering anymore. It’s screaming, stomping, and demanding our attention. Eccentric, exuberant, and louder than ever. But this revival of maximalism isn’t just about stacking up jewellery or layering textures. It’s about dressing with the urgency of someone who refuses to be ignored. Fashion has laid a bouquet of pristine lilies on the grave of stealth wealth, clearing space for the rebirth of ‘more is more’. After years of pandemic-era minimalism (a nod to all those laid-back sweatpant sets we once called ‘chic’ and ‘nonchalant’), we’ve developed a renewed appetite—for colour,…

A quick scroll through her Instagram and it’s clear who the star of Ananya Sharma’s musical journey is. Just 18, Ananya is a self-confessed daddy’s girl—and honestly, he has every reason to be proud. The heart-warming videos of the father-daughter duo belting out soulful Bollywood numbers to her 1 million followers are a testament to dreams, dedication, and a whole lot of talent. Chatting with Ananya is like a breath of fresh air—equal parts inspiring and utterly charming. There’s a certain sparkle in her honesty that makes her instantly likeable. Bubbling with energy and focused on her goals, her passion for music is hard to miss. It reflects in every sentence she speaks and every clip she posts—whether she’s singing, dancing, or simply being her vibrant self. And though she…

Cleavage, cleavage!” my aunt roared when my dupatta released, revealing my perfectly preserved, blouse-secured boobs. Come to think of it, a liberal display of the waist is absolved—sari not sorry—but the littlest of skin-show above the waist falls under scrutiny. The dichotomy is deplorable. But it is what it is. You see, my plums matured into melons sooner than expected; I’d hit puberty at 10—the first in my grade—which likely catalysed hormone-induced growth, leaving me with a bra far bigger than that of my peers…and a befitting moniker, “Double D”. So it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that my blossoming womanhood was stirring feelings of self-consciousness. In a bid to tone down my tatas, I’d conceal them with loose-fitting clothes, pull out of 5Ks and even saunter, for I…

When Kamalini Paul, the Managing Director of Hotel De Sovrani, stepped into leadership, the road ahead was anything but easy. Thrust into the world of business at just 19—following the sudden loss of her father, a renowned realtor of West Bengal, she became an entrepreneur overnight. “Coming from a business family, one would expect my journey into the business world to be glamorous and privileged, but it was far from so,” reminisced Kamalini. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way, as it taught me my strongest lesson—to find opportunity in adversity”. With a homemaker mother, two younger siblings, and no mentor in sight, she suddenly became the sole adult with the weight of both her family and a floundering business on her shoulders. From being a college fresher who…

In the dynamic world of Indian luxury, one woman dared to see beyond the conventional, transforming challenges into opportunities and building an empire rooted in both acumen and purpose. Meet Mudita Jaipuria, the founder of Warehouse by Mudita, a name synonymous with pioneering innovation and dynamism in the luxury retail landscape. Her story, a captivating blend of personal resolve and relentless hustle, is an inspiring testament to what can be achieved when an individual, driven by self-belief, takes the step forward. “As an entrepreneur and as a woman, it fills me with great pride to be doing what I’m doing,” Mudita shares. “Being an ‘80s girl child born in a traditional business family, I was always told my only purpose was marriage and raising a family. Entrepreneurship was never expected…

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Mostly As Tumblr baby You were practically raised by Arctic Monkeys and Lana Del Rey. You have at least five pictures of blurry cigarette butts in your camera roll. You think in lowercase and still live like it’s 2014. Probably still have a finsta to vent it out. Mostly Bs Reddit royalty You need to make a Google Sheet about every godd*mn thing, and are the emergency contact for at least three of your friends. You unironically like matcha and have 400 tabs open in Safari that you haven’t opened since 2007—but can’t afford to lose either. Mostly Cs Instagram aesthetician You believe the world is a better place with your IG dumps in it, and you still lament the fact that Meta removed the tab where one could keep…

When your childhood is scored by Scottish punk and Bengali folk music, it’s safe to say that your life will be anything but conventional (and also that you will likely grow up to be a musician)—case in point: Tara Lily. Her mom, a Scottish punk singer, and her dad, a Bengali folk musician, met and got married in South London, where Tara was born and came of age. She went on to study jazz at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. When we catch up, Tara tells me that she feels most at home—and least like an outsider—in London. Her debut album Speak In The Dark was released in September last year. “It’s about the things we say, and the things we don’t say…speaking out against injustices, secrets,…