Verve Magazine - January-February 2019

In this issue

It’s been 24 years since Verve was launched, and here we are now, looking back at the decade of the ’90s through the sepia lens of nostalgia. Featuring people who were trailblazers in film, fashion, advertising or art, we documented and, in some ways, created the legacy that would be inherited by the 30-somethings in 2019, for whom a Baba Sehgal, Aishwarya Rai or a television VJ had been a go-to role model. In this issue of Verve, we have captured all that was already hip, that changed our lives, our thinking and the way we looked at ourselves. And who better to embody it than ’90s superstar Raveena Tandon? With her bindass GIF-worthy moves on the silver screen with the then-ubiquitous screen star Govinda, she shed inhibitions in the ’90s and continues to do so, not through the freedom of baring skin, but by simply being herself.

The Good Old Days?

Since the air is thick with sentimental reminiscence for the’90s thanks to the ubiquity of millennial content creators, we can’t help but yearn for the decade in all its kitschy, analog glory. As Verve pays homage to the era during which it was launched, Akhil Sood provides a reality check to remind us that while fondly looking back may be soothing, necessary even, it’s important to snap back to the present and keep our eyes trained on the future…

6 mins

A Legacy Of Love

It’s the canonical Bollywood romance that established a new cinematic template for modern, multicultural love when it first hit the screens in 1995. Natashja Rathore demystifies the timeless appeal of Yash Raj Films’ Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge in her documentary, Still Rolling — The DDLJ Story (2016), and adds a new layer of meaning to Huzan Tata’s memories of her favourite cult classic.

6 mins

Milestone Memories

Those were the days, claims Madhu Jain who, although having already come into her own by the time the ultimate decade of the last century began, still discovered a time of great social, cultural and personal change…

4 mins

There's Space For An Older Sensual Woman

Women on the silver screen had just begun to showcase a certain confidence, independence and joie de vivre. And ’90s superstar Raveena Tandon infused each of her performances with her distinguishable brand of physical energy and natural femininity. Paromita Vohra, writer-filmmaker, has a conversation with the accidental actor to examine the space she occupied on celluloid in her heyday, and follows her evolution into an even more self-aware sex symbol since then.

10+ mins

Baba Sehgal- A Pioneer Of Hindi Rap In The Country

For a lot of young Indians today, he might only be relevant as a postmodern, internet celebrity – the guy who writes meme-tastically absurd lyrics about rajma and flatulence. However, the origin story of Baba Sehgal’s fame actually began almost 30 years ago, during the Indipop boom. Akhil Sood maps out the irregular trajectory of the eccentric rapper’s success, from ‘Thanda Thanda Pani’ to ‘Chicken Fried Rice’.

10+ mins

Ocean To Table

A fishmonger in Turin has a unique approach to customer service while being mindful of his produce and the environment. Giuseppe Beppe Gallina, better known as Beppe, speaks to Sheetal Mallar of his passions and hopes while sitting in his pescheria (fish stall) at the iconic Porta Palazzo.

3 mins

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Verve Magazine Description:

Going towards its 26th year now, Verve has been at the vanguard of the lifestyle industry in India since its inception. Being India's first fashion and luxury monthly and targeted as the spirit of today’s woman, it celebrates the interests of the multifaceted contemporary global Indian, including fashion,beauty and style, glamour, arts and culture, travel and wellness. The editor and publisher, Anuradha Mahindra, has received top billing in Avenue Asia's list of Indians involved in the media.

More than just a magazine that reports and interprets, Verve is a catalyst for conversations around contemporary Indian culture in the world, and these conversations take place between the pages of the magazine, on the internet as well as through several Verve-organized offline event initiatives:

Verve is a magazine about the international Indian woman who rubs shoulders with the world with confidence and élan. She belongs to a high-income group and is well aware of the latest trends and styles, be it in fashion, the arts, cuisine or world events. Verve appeals to the intelligent, urbane, educated and affluent woman. She would be 25 years of age and above. She is likely to be an independent entrepreneur or a corporate professional or a socialite. She is well-travelled, fashion conscious and appreciates luxury with a side to her that is culturally sensitive with aesthetic sensibilities. Overall a multi-faceted, stylish and glamorous woman. All in all, the Verve reader looks upon the magazine as an invaluable lifestyle resource for the best in contemporary urban Indian living.