It was love at first sight. Not my love for my husband. That developed slowly over four years. I am talking about my wedding venue. The sea-facing lawn was unlike any location I had seen in Mumbai. The afternoon I visited for a recce, the sun dusted the Arabian Sea with gold and the grass shone an emerald green. "We need to start the ceremony early. It will photograph beautifully before the sun sets,"I gushed.
On the day, my husband walked into the mandap over an hour late. His kind (read: inconsiderate) groomsmen had stolen the keys to the buggy he was meant to arrive in. When our pheras finally began, an inky sky had wiped out my dream of an Instagram-perfect wedding. This could have been the beginning of our post-wedding we-never-got-goodphotos quarrel, but deep inner work saved me from falling into that dark vortex of external validation fuelled by social media.
I am not an influencer, and I didn't expect the day to become my claim to fame. I also hadn't grown up with a starry-eyed picture of a big wedding. The day was always meant to be an emotional and intimate rite of passage shared with close family and friends. Yet, social media had warped the meaning of marriage for me in many ways.
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Anupama Parameswaran knows the cost of being seen, of being a young woman in a world that's always watching. Beyond the beauty, the glamour and her young 28 years, she speaks five languages more than enough words to tell her story. The actor opens up to AKSHAYA PILLAI on the quiet details of a loud life.
ALL POWERED UP
For a long time, South Asians limited themselves to careers in tech and finance in order to make a mark away from Indian soil. Now, they are not only taking over the creative scene but also finding new ways to proudly display the identity they once felt compelled to conceal
THE PROMISED LAND
Generations of rural women have been refused a well-deserved seat at the decision-making table. Now, through upskilling and technological know-how, their daughters are taking their place at its head.
HOT!
A penchant for spice is no longer just a personal preference; it's a badge of honour, the mark of a wild, sexy, untameable spirit. It's why any Indian establishment worth its salt now takes pride in its proprietary condiments-big, bold, blazing ones that could only come from its kitchen.
DOWN TO EARTH
While grand gestures might make for good cinema, Bhumi Pednekar's real life is about making small, deliberate everyday choices for the planet
Ms. Brightside
A loved one's dementia diagnosis can feel like the person you know is lost forever. When the progressive disease came to claim their amma, two sisters found a silver lining in her changing behaviour.
A gift in time
Why do we assign some personal milestones more value than others? Perennial bridesmaid DIVYA BALAKRISHNAN demands that we reassess the definition of a 'big day'
MOUNTAIN SPIRIT
A growing cohort of Kashmiri creatives are forging new relationships with the valley by reviving lost art forms, making art out of their bodies and applying ingenious solutions to everyday items.
Didn't do it for the 'gram
Am I marrying for love or for social media? When she found herself spiralling before the big day, SHRADHA SHAHANI had to ask herself the hard question
LA DOLCE VITA
From a Sicily-inspired haldi to walking down the aisle twice for the Muslim and Sikh ceremonies, Malia Taqbeem and Abhay Dhaliwal's Italian wedding was the perfect missing piece to complete their serendipitous love story
