self love Archives

What’s Wrong with Being a “High Maintenance” Woman?

My annual budget for haircuts runs comfortably into five digits. I own an ungodly amount of silver jewellery, bags, and indigo dresses. I suppose I am what society calls “high maintenance”. But I promise you, no man was hurt in the making of this film.

Sonali Kokra July 15, 2016

Gender

One Year Since the Sec 377 Verdict, My Father Still Hasn’t Asked Me How I Feel

A lot has changed since the Sec 377 verdict. But zoom in a little and you’ll realise that despite the reading down of Section 377, the world around us is still struggling to transition into creating a more empathetic and accepting space for the community.

Kshitij Bisen July 8, 2016

POV

Is Botox to a 40-year-old, What a Bikini Wax Is to a 25-year-old?

I do not hold a high-profile, high-maintenance job. And I am certainly not a star who needs to look radiant every single day. I’m an average, middle-class woman in her 40s. Am I still eligible for that botox shot?

Chandrima Pal June 25, 2016

Social Experiment

Love Letters To a Jiggly Bum & Wiggly Thighs

Would you be a more content person if you could talk to the body parts you were unhappy with? A Mumbai artist was about to find out.

Shivani Krishan June 11, 2016

POV

The Decade in Which I Stopped Punishing Myself for Being Overweight

The 2010s have been the most significant decade of my life. I don’t recall any other time in my life when people, especially women, were so encouraged to accept themselves exactly as they were. Sure, the obsession with losing weight still abounded. But alongside the “Lose 50 pounds by Christmas” articles were pieces titled “Fitness at any size.”

Radhika Oltikar April 5, 2016

First Person

I Am Fat Because My Body Houses All My Trauma

I was constantly being told that I needed to lose weight to look good, to find a boyfriend, to be accepted. But staying fat was probably my body’s rebellion against the society that so desperately wanted to change me. My body is a vault that stores all my secrets, all my traumas.

Manjiri Indurkar March 17, 2016

Pop Culture

In The Age of Peak Prestige TV, the Endless Joy of Watching Queer Eye

Queer Eye is about bringing the best tenets of queer culture into the mainstream: The values that come from people who don’t fit the rigid expectations of society, and who understand that, regardless of orientation, no one does. Beyond the trappings of chic wardrobes and tasteful decor, this is what makes the show binge-worthy even in Season 4.

Kahini Iyer March 10, 2016