THE BUZZMAKERS

Did you always want

to become a singer?
I did, but I never thought
I’d become a playback singer.
I was always interested in music,
but I didn’t harbour a passion
for playback singing.
Were you trained to
be a vocalist?
Yes, my father is a Hindustani classical
singer, so he trains me. I have been
singing since I was a kid, but I started
training when I was 10.

How did you land Secret Superstar?

It all started after I sang a song in the Marathi film Vitti
Dandu. The music director of the film, Santosh Mulekar,
called my mom sometime in 2016 and told her that
someone will get in touch with her about a singing
opportunity for me. Later, Amit Trivedi sir’s manager
called my mom and just asked her to send him a voice
note as he wanted to hear what my voice sounded like.
She did, and a few hours later, he asked us to meet him.
I went to meet him with my father and that’s when we
came to know that they were looking for a singer for
a film called Secret Superstar.

MEGHNA
MISHRA
Super singer in the making
Meghna Mishra, who stole hearts with
her soulful voice in Secret Superstar,
tells us how it all started If given the
chance, which singer
You won several awards for would you like to sing
it too. Did you expect a duet with?
all this adulation? I look up to so many singers,
I was hopin g for it (laughs). My first old and new, and all of them
award was a Filmfare for Best are unique in their own way.
Female Playback Singer. I was So, I don’t think I can mention
performing on stage at the event just one name.
and was nominated for the award,
but I wasn’t expecting to win it.

Do you enjoy performing live?

I love the experience. When you’re
recording songs in the studio, you
have to stick to a particular sequence.
But when you’re performing live,
you can add your own touch to
the songs and change things
around. It’s also fun interacting
with the audience.
—As told to Nikita Sawant
OCTOBER 24, 2018 60 A Times of India publication

DEEPIKA
PADUKONE

w w w. a l i v e a r. c o m
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COVER SHOOT.
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S
HE
IVITY
INC ECIAL
SP
EDITOR’S
LETTER
Is inclusivity in India a joke?
I had just begun writing my editor’s letter for this anniversary issue with a focus on inclusivity
when my phone pinged and a WhatsApp forward landed.
It featured a popular travel portal’s ad, where a mildly successful woman returns after years
to her hometown to be received warmly by her family and her ‘brother’ who is now a ‘sister’; the
ad ends with a disgusted expression on the woman’s face to see such a change, and a punchline
that exhorts you to travel home more often. This attempt at hilarity was appalling. But tellingly
so, it turned out to be a part of the travel portal’s
communication from a decade ago.
O Things are changing even as we create more
narratives around inclusion; the idea of a state that
values, not ridicules, diversity.
, Exactly how the Supreme Court ruled in favour
of the LGBTQ community by decriminalising
I , I homosexuality and partially striking down Section 377.
The landmark ruling by the five-judge Constitution Bench gave us enough reason to feel proud of
our land, especially when Justice Indu Malhotra, the only woman on the Bench, read down the law
by stating:
‘History owes an apology to the members of this community and their families, for the delay
in providing redressal for the ignominy and ostracism that they have suffered through the
centuries. The members of this community were compelled to live a life full of fear of reprisal
and persecution.’
Our anniversary issue goes beyond gender boundaries, and embraces all those who live on the
periphery based on caste, colour, size, ability, community, and region. From social experiments to
interpretations by some members of the minority communities, we have gone all out to understand
what it will take to reach that level of equality.
Our anniversary issue is a small step towards celebrating our differences and being people who
can state unequivocally: ‘I am what I am. So take me as I am.’

Tanya Chaitanya
@tanyachaitanya
@tanyachaitanya27
 CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Deepak Lamba
CHIEF COMMUNITY OFFICER & EDITOR Tanya Chaitanya

MANAGING EDITOR Baishali Chatterjee

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Anika Mohla
ON THE COVER
MODEL: DEEPIKA PADUKONE;
SENIOR ASSISTANT EDITOR Gia Claudette Fernandes PHOTOGRAPHER: PRASAD NAIK;
SENIOR ASSISTANT PRODUCTION EDITOR Sneha Mahale HAIR: GABRIEL GEORGIOU; MAKEUP:
PRODUCTION EDITORS Shraddha Kamdar, Charlene Flanagan SANDHYA SHEKHAR; STYLED BY:
SENIOR FEATURES EDITOR Nikita Sawant PRACHITI PARAKH; ASSISTED BY:
BEAUTY WRITER Tatiana Dias PALLAK H SHAH; FASHION INTERNS:
JUNIOR BEAUTY WRITER Sanjana Salunkhe NISHTHA PARWANI, MILLI SONECHA;
JUNIOR COPY EDITOR Simran Ahuja KNIT PULLOVER, TOME
ASSISTANT FASHION EDITOR Prachiti Parakh OCTOBER 24 2018 60 A Times of India publication

SENIOR FASHION WRITER Rushmika Banerjee

FASHION WRITER Shruti Shende
ACTIVATIONS COORDINATOR AND STYLIST Mayola Almeida

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Nachiket Barve, Masaba Gupta, Suhani Pittie, Dr Jaishree Sharad,
Kapil Bhalla, Savio John Pereira
SENIOR REGIONAL EDITORS NEW DELHI Anindita Ghosh, CHENNAI Neeti Jaychander ‘Authenticity
REGIONAL EDITOR KOLKATA Hemchhaya De has been my
biggest learning’
FEATURES EDITOR PUNE Radhika Sathe-Patwardhan THE UNSTOPPABLE

JUNIOR FEATURES EDITOR AHMEDABAD Kalwyna Rathod DEEPIKA

PADUKONE
ONLINE CONTENT MANAGER Kriti Saraswat-Satpathy TALKS STRAIGHT

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59TH A
SENIOR CREATIVE DIRECTOR Meetesh Taneja
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ART DIRECTOR (DIGITAL AND BEAUTY) Sameer More INC ECIAL
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 VOLUME 59 NUMBER 21

22
THE BIG STORY PLUS

BY THE
PEOPLE
Diverse individuals tell us
what inclusivity means to them
through art, food, and poetry

11
THE BIG STORY

We bring to you the challenges

and triumphs of people who are
the very epitome of diversity

ALL ABOUT YOU 34 THE ACE CARD 54 Conversation

30 CAN & ABLE
Why disabilities don’t have
to mean a lack of desire
32 Passion
GIRL, UNINTERRUPTED
Positions to make love-making
with same-sex partners a breeze
33 Love
PRIDE TRIBE
Real-world dating advice
from a few queer people
Here’s what the ‘A’ stands PAR ‘XL’LENCE
for in LGBTQIA We find the right fit for
the curvy Indian body
36 AN EQUAL LOVE
Download these inclusive 57 Focus
dating apps now HELLO FROM THE OTHER SIDE
Moments that redefined
37 Career the world of fashion in 2018
WHAT WOMEN WANT
We take a look at inclusion
at workplaces in India
FASHION
40 Fashion feature
PICTURE PERFECT
Meet the photographers who
promoted fashion inclusivity
through their images

48 Fashion democracy
33 GIRLS LIKE US
How model Toshada and designer
40
Fashion
One love Sunaina Khera are making waves forward
 96
A healthy
spread

LIVING
96 Food
VEGAN WONDERS
Five vegan recipes
to get you started

102 Travel feature

UNIVERSAL TICKET
How travel has become
more accommodating

106 The buzzmakers

MEGHNA MISHRA: SUPER
SINGER IN THE MAKING
The young singer tells
us how it all started

106
Superstar

78
Picture
perfect

BEAUTY 86 Interview
60 Beauty feature ‘I DECIDED TO BE
IN IT TO WIN IT THE CHANGE’
This feature celebrates Former cricketer, and
unconventional beauty and those activist Preethi Srinivasan
breaking norms in the industry shares her inspiring story

68 FACE VALUE 89 ‘NEGATIVITY IS NOT

IN EVERY ISSUE
Try out these lively makeup trends AN OPTION’
in your everyday beauty routine In conversation with 2 EDITOR’S LETTER
visually impaired 3 TOMBSTONE
REALITY comedian Nidhi Goyal 10 INBOX
78 Cover girl GET FEMINA RIGHT AT HOME
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 Amit Aggarwal

Payal Singhal

y Garg
Sanja

To Femina, with love

We turn 59 and to celebrate this glorious milestone we asked the people
who collaborate with us regularly to share what they think of Femina. Birthdays
are special and this one is even more so thanks to the lovely wishes from
our creative allies. Thank you!

nd
h i v a n B hatiyaaa
S Kukrej
Narresh

Monica Sha
Karishma Sh and
wali
 David Abr
and Rakesh aThhaam
kore

Payal Khandwa
la

etty and
Shyma SvhM
Abu Jan Prana isra
and Sandeei p(rig ht)
Khosla
 Anavila Misra

Anushree Reddy

Saaksha Bhat
(right) a
Kinnari Kanmdat

Rina Singh
INBOX
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Here’s what they had to say:
Tanya @Queen_TeeG
The author J.K. Rowling.
I would like to know if she is
going to write more books
on Harry Potter.
Puja Malani @PujaMalani
Priyanka Chopra. She is at
the top of her game right now.
It would be so cool to live her
life in New York for a day.
Deepanika Roy @deep_
diaries Twinkle Khanna.
I think she is hilarious and
her everyday life is so
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to live her life for one.
Ishant Arora @Ishu07
Shah Rukh Khan or any other
celebrity. I am intrigued to
know how they go on about
their lives, being constantly
photographed everywhere.
Kratika Sharma
@kratika1509 Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.
It would be cool to know how
our country functions on an
everyday basis.
All views belong to the authors and Femina
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WE HEAR YOU! Write to us at femina@wwm.co.in
I have been reading
Femina for a long
time, and I am always
inspired by the real-life
stories published in the
magazine. The story
on the season’s biggest
design trends (The Big
Story) was amazing.
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this will definitely
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living space. The colours, furniture,
and textures will add freshness to my
rooms. Thank you, Femina, for such
informative articles.
Vimla Damodar,
Secunderabad
I was pleasantly surprised to see Gauri
Khan on the cover of September 9,
2018 issue. Her interview (Reality,
Cover girl) was also a great read
and gave us an insight about her
impeccable taste for designing creative
spaces. I also liked going through the
décor trend report (The Big Story).
It gave me a fresh perspective on how
I can renovate my home with warm
tones, retro furniture, and metallic
textures. The photo shoot of the
season’s glamorous vibe (Fashion,
Feature) fabulously captured the high-
octane energy of the upcoming season.
Jaya S Roshan, Bhopal
The September 9, 2018 issue was my
first-ever issue of Femina. I liked the
AN EXCITING GIFT
WIN!
FROM ACCESSORIZE
These five letters will win
this bejewelled crossbody
from Accessorize. It will
definitely amp up your style
this festive season.
story on major décor
trends of the season
(The Big Story). Gauri
Khan’s interview (Reality,
Cover girl) was also
interesting, as she talked
about her journey as an
interior designer, and her
favourite projects.
Gitanjali Dhruv,
Ahmedabad
The article on how our
stars can affect our love life (All About
You, Love) was fascinating. I liked
how each sign had been broken down
according to its inherent traits. The
story on the importance of sharing your
financial details with your family
(She-conomics) was an eye-opener.
I appreciate the diverse blend
of articles the magazine offers.
Shalom Naval Joseph,
via email
Gauri Khan looked gorgeous on the
cover of September 9, 2018 issue
of Femina and I enjoyed reading her
interview (Reality, Cover girl). This
issue also had wonderful ideas on
how we can redo our home interiors
(The Big Story). The feature on eco-
friendly practices that we can adopt
to set up our homes (Living, Interiors)
will be helpful. Finally, I will
definitely try the iconic hairstyles
that came with a contemporary twist
Beauty, Feature).
Seema Suresh Dayal, Lucknow
E UALL “Social exclusion, identity seclusion and isolation from the social
mainstream are still the stark realities faced by individuals today, and it is
only when each and every individual is liberated from the shackles of such
bondage... that we can call ourselves a truly free society,” said Chief Justice
of India Dipak Misra, while delivering the landmark judgment on Section 377,
which decriminalised gay sex between consenting adults. The verdict, though,
carried a larger significance as it showed the maturity of a nation to stand
with people who form a tiny section of society.

As the country celebrates a legal milestone, we at Femina have decided

to conduct a social experiment to understand what it takes to be a person
‘different’ from the majority—what it takes for a transgender person to find
accommodation; for a dark-skinned woman to find a suitor; for a disabled
person to access public places, among others. The experiment brought to the
fore the battles of those who have to fight every inch of their way to enjoy
the same freedom often taken for granted by those in the majority.

It’s on this inclusivity, or the lack thereof, we turn the spotlight in our
anniversary special, as we bring to you stories of trials, tribulations, and
triumphs of the people who form the diversity without which inclusivity
may have no meaning.
 THE BIG STORY

NEHA PARULKAR For clothing, it’s assumed that plus-size

women can’t wear shorts, swimsuits,
TASK: TO BUY A DRESS or body-hugging clothes. We are made
OR ACTIVEWEAR to believe that certain kinds of fashion
are not for us,” says the Mumbai-based
“A troubled child who is a confident model, who runs a blog, Plus And
model today,” is how Neha Parulkar Proud, which has over 18k followers
describes herself. The plus-size model on Instagram.
and body positivity influencer says she To check how inclusive the fashion
had a dual struggle as a kid—one with industry really is, Parulkar went to
her weight, and the other with the a swanky mall in Mumbai to buy
constant negativity she was surrounded a dress or activewear. While she had an
by because of it. She says, “I stopped idea about what lay ahead, she was still
eating everything that kids usually love. hopeful of finding something that fits.
I was fat-shamed, and it changed me as “Since the mall houses international
a person. A happy-go-lucky kid turned brands as well, I thought they would
into a sad, grumpy one.” Pressure from cater to a plus-size person, but I had
family members, Parulkar says, also a tough time. The largest waist size they
made her hit the gym early in life, but had was 34 or 36 (I am size 40) and
the diets and workouts didn’t help. even if the tag said XXL or XXXL, the
Instead, they made her unhappy, till the store didn’t have the stock.” At one of the
day she questioned herself, “Why am stores, where they did have a plus-size
I doing this? To prove a point to whom?” section, Parulkar pointed at the racks
Her journey to self-acceptance was and said, “There are eight to 10 racks
not easy. “I was hurt and demotivated, of different kinds of silhouettes and
but gradually learned to stand up for styles for regular sizes, but the plus-size
myself. I wanted to be a person who was section has only one rack—that too with
in love with herself,” says the 27-year- black, plain, or loose dresses. They are
old, who was laughed at by friends and being inclusive, but in a wrong manner.”
family when she revealed her decision It was the same story for activewear—
to be a model. While Parulkar’s internal she could not find anything in her size.
battle was tough, the external one was The model, who has walked the ramp
tougher. “The stereotypes don’t end. It’s at Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW) for the
assumed that if a person is overweight, past three years for designers such as (Above and facing page) Parulkar
they must have a disease, or eats all day. Wendell Rodricks and Narendra Kumar, checks out outfits at a store
 says despite the successes, assignments
don’t come easy. “Once I was approached
by a brand that wanted to do a show with
plus size. When I told them I was a size-
22 model, they said they only want to
work with size-16 models. This is India;
size 16 doesn’t even qualify as plus,” says
Parulkar, adding that in international
markets, models who are size 28 such as
Tess Holiday get much work, not just in
fashion, but in the jewellery and beauty
sectors as well. “In India, brands don’t
approach us for any other content
other than fashion,” she says.
That’s not all, the discrimination
reflects in the pay cheque as well, which
is how exclusion happens at the same
time as inclusion. “LFW doesn’t pay
plus-size models because they think they
are giving us an opportunity to be seen.
On the same ramp, a regular model may
make a lakh, but we are not considered
equal professionals,” she says.
During times like these, Parulkar
turns to herself for motivation, as her
family and friends still question her
fashion choices and marriage prospects.
“They are not as discouraging as before,
but they aren’t supportive enough to say
‘do what you really want to’,” she says.
Despite the challanges, Parulkar is
IT’S
IT ASSUMED
S ASSU hopeful of an equal tomorrow, and looks
at the current generation as agents of
THAT PLUS-SIZE change. “We are far from achieving the
WOMEN CAN’T kind of inclusivity we see abroad, but
WEAR SHORTS in the next 10 years, I see a revolution
OR SWIMSUITS.
U happening since this generation is
PHOTOGRAPH: VINAY JAVKAR

WE ARE MADE more accepting,” she says, urging

people to support the cause by stopping
TO BELIEVE THAT
TEXT: ANIKA MOHLA

themselves and others from body-

CERTAIN KINDS shaming. “If you can’t be inclusive, don’t
OF FASHION ARE shut us out. If you can’t be supportive,
NOT FOR UUS. don’t put us down.”
THE BIG STORY

RITU
TASK: TO VISIT A BEAUTY
STORE AND BUY PRODUCTS
As a state-level volleyball player from Rohtak,
Haryana, and the youngest of her siblings,
vivacious and spunky Ritu (she goes by her first
name) was always adored by her family. And
that included a 39-year-old cousin, who was
infatuated with her. Ritu, naturally, rejected
his advances, unaware that this would lead to
a reaction that would change her life forever.
On May 26, 2012, 17-year-old Ritu had
acid thrown on her by some men hired by
her cousin. “I was attacked in a public place,
but no one came forward to help. I kept
screaming in pain for half an hour. Finally,
my brother took me to the hospital, but by
then my left eye was completely damaged.
I was in the hospital for two months, and
have had 15 operations since then,” she says.
The months after the attack passed in
a blur. “I used to feel claustrophobic at home.
The society that used to support me, suddenly
started ignoring me, and I was made to feel like
an outcast. Thankfully, my parents and siblings
helped me cope in whatever way they could,”
recalls Ritu, who is now based in Delhi.
It was her association in 2014 with the
Stop Acid Attacks (SAA) campaign started by
Chhanv, an NGO dedicated to the rehabilitation
and recovery of acid attack victims, and
its founder Alok Dixit, that changed her
perspective. “Before I joined SAA, I would
THE BIG STORY
(Clockwise from above)
Ritu tries the products at
the store; an artiste gives
her a makeover
TO HELP A SURVIVOR, EMPOWER
HER TO REALISE THAT THOUGH
HER FACE HAS CHANGED, SHE’S
STILL THE SAME GIRL SHE WAS.
hide my face from people because their
discomfort was so evident. It was Alok sir
who convinced me to face the world proudly.
It has made a difference in the way people
perceive me. They are forced to acknowledge
me, think about an acid attack, and what it
means to the survivor,” she says.
Life without a veil means Ritu has
to face numerous stares and comments
on a daily basis, but she has gradually
learnt to take it all in her stride. She says,
“I don’t have a problem with people who
are genuinely curious and ask me about
my experience. That’s their way of being
inclusive. There are others, however,
who just stare and pass comments
behind my back.”
If letting go of her veil was one
milestone, Ritu soon reached another with
her court appearance where she came face-
to-face with her attackers. “The first time
I went to court, I covered my face. My
cousin kept staring at me and there was not
a tinge of remorse on his face. After that,
Alok sir advised me to go to court with my
face uncovered. I paid heed, and found that
my cousin could not look me in the eye,” she
says. Of the 18 accused, five got convicted—
two got life term and the others a 10-year
sentence. “I am glad that justice has been
served, but more than the jail term, I want
them to realise the gravity of their act.
I want them to feel remorse,” she adds.
As part of the social experiment,
Ritu went to a mall in Noida to see how
people reacted to her. She was already
apprehensive, knowing that uncomfortable
stares will follow her everywhere. And she
was not wrong. It was disconcerting to see
people stop in their tracks just to look at her.
When she entered a beauty store, a hint of
nervousness mingled with excitement was
visible on Ritu’s face. Not surprising, since
she is a makeup junkie. The first reaction of
the salespersons was uncertainty. “It seemed
like they were wondering what I was doing
there. But when I started talking to them,
they saw my interest in the beauty products,
and they began to thaw. When I decided to
get a makeover, the artiste too was taken
aback at first, but soon got enthusiastic
and spent half an hour giving me a fancy
makeover!” Ritu smiles.
The experiment reaffirmed what
Ritu already knew: while people are
awkward around an acid attack survivor,
it doesn’t take long for them to get over
their initial reluctance if they have good
intentions. “That is why I don’t hide my
face anymore—it gets conversations going.
Besides, the experiment was fun and
I loved the makeover,” she says.
Ritu, now a campaigner with SAA,
a TEDTalk speaker, and an avid
Instagrammer, has moved on from the
tragedy, and hopes for a society that’s
kinder to acid attack survivors. She says,
“If you want to help a survivor, empower
her to realise that even though her face has
PHOTOGRAPH: VISHNU SOMADULA
changed, she’s still the same girl she was. Join
the SAA campaign and take part in our Shoot
TEXT: ANINDITA GHOSH
Acid drive, where you can go to shops selling
acid and record a video of it. Also, when you
hear of a girl who has been attacked, don’t
shun her, but ask her if she needs your help.
I can guarantee that she will.”
THE BIG STORY

NAMITHA MARIMUTHU
TASK: TO FIND A HOUSE
ON RENT
Namitha Marimuthu, who transformed
to a transwoman over half a decade
ago, is a torchbearer for equality of the
LGBT community. “From the time I hit
adolescence, I knew I was wired towards
being a woman. But I didn’t have any support
because my parents were dead against the
idea. Instead, they locked me up and tried
to get me to seek mental therapy. Finally,
at age 20, I left home,” she says.
At first it was hard for Marimuthu,
who had always been a pampered child.
She struggled to make ends meet, doing
odd jobs. A year later, she met her trans-
mother Sudha, who helped her complete
her transformation. Three months later,
her biological parents decided to accept
her back into the fold.
The journey to be a model wasn’t easy
though. Marimuthu says, “I was over 100kg.
One day I felt I needed to do something,
and started a strict diet and exercise regime,
and lost weight. Then the opportunity to were portrayed badly in the media and
enter Miss Chennai (for transwomen) came movies until recently. We were used
about. I gave it a shot, and won. I also won for comic relief. However, after Sarath
the Miss Pondicherry title. My dream is to Kumar’s film Kanchana, there has been
win the Miss Transqueen India pageant next a slight shift in the way people perceive
year, and then represent the country in an us—as real people with real feelings,”
international pageant.” says the Chennai-based model.
Even though Marimuthu had won titles, For the experiment, Marimuthu went on
it was still a struggle to get into acting. “We a house-hunt for two weeks to assess how
THE BIG STORY
WE NEED TO EDUCATE PEOPLE AND
TELL THEM THAT WE’RE NOT MEANT
FOR BEGGING AND PROSTITUTION.
WE TOO DESERVE DIGNITY.
difficult or easy it is for transpersons to find
an accommodation. She says, “I contacted
a reputed broker and also called two owners
directly via advertisements. At first they
were both warm and friendly, but when
I mentioned I was a transgendered woman,
they found some excuse to hang up.”
The broker got back to Marimuthu,
asking for a letter from her employer,
a signed affidavit from her parents, and
Aadhaar card. When she mentioned this
was out of the ordinary, he said she would
need to cough up an extra `50,000, since
it is more difficult to find housing for
transpersons. She says, “I procured the
affidavit, told him I was self-employed, and
that he would get my Aadhaar details when
I take up a house. He called back in a few
days, saying we had two houses we could
visit. The first owner quoted `70,000,
instead of the usual `20,000-25,000, saying
he will have to deal with resistance from
people in his building.” Disheartened but
not surprised, Marimuthu visited the second
space. The owner asked for `15,000, as
opposed to `12,000 norm in the block, but
was polite and said he foresaw no problems.
Lastly, she made a call through an ad
on a property website, without disclosing
her gender identity. “When I went, and the
owner realised I was a transwoman, she
said while she would be okay giving me the
apartment, her neighbours would protest.
They had young kids, and were concerned
about their impressionable minds,” she says.
Marimuthu admits that Tamil Nadu
is better than other states in terms of
attitude towards transwomen. “We have
a transgender card, which is not given to
anyone else in the country. Also, in most
Marimuthu spent two weeks on the ground,
seeing how difficult it would be to find
a rented accommodation
other states, the ID card carries the birth
name. My name, however, has been changed
in my passport, and my gender mentioned
as female in the Aadhaar card,” she says.
Together with fbb Colors Femina
Miss India World 2018 Anukreethy Vas,
Marimuthu is working towards taking care
of trans people’s basic needs—giving them
education, and empowering them to work,
among other things. “My deepest regret is
that I didn’t complete engineering; I had to
pull out in my final year, since I left home.
Otherwise I could have had a different life
as a software engineer.” The model is also
working with the Ooruni Foundation
towards the needs of special kids.
She adds, “People from mainstream
genders say people like us need to change,
but they need to change their attitude first.
I dream of the day when not just in India,
but the world over, our gender stops
mattering and we are given the same
opportunities to flourish. The only way
to do this is to sensitise people to our
PHOTOGRAPH: HEMANTH KUMAR
needs and to create awareness. There are
several organisations working towards
TEXT: NEETI JAYCHANDER
LGBT rights, and the key is education.
We need to educate people on why it is
wrong to discriminate against us, and tell
them that we’re not meant for begging and
prostitution. We too deserve dignity.”
THE BIG STORY

VIRALI MODI
TASK: TO NAVIGATE
A MALL ON HER OWN
Earlier this year, Kurla Railway Protection
Force in Mumbai made news for its drive
against illegal travel in coaches for the
handicapped. But more than the offence,
it was the punishment that angered disability
rights activist Virali Modi. The offenders
were paraded with crutches and wheelchairs
on the platform, before booking them
under the Railway Act. “It’s no shame to be
disabled. By parading them in wheelchairs,
they made a mockery of the community.
It was an insult to the disabled rather than
a punishment for the defaulters,” she says.
Modi says it’s this mindset that’s tougher
to fight than being wheelchair-bound.
“We are not considered normal; societal
acceptance doesn’t come easy,” says the
aspiring actor-model, who was also runner-
up in the Miss Wheelchair 2014 pageant.
Born in India and raised in the US, Modi
had come to visit her extended family in
India in 2006, and contracted malaria. It
went undiagnosed upon her return to the
US despite subsequent tests, which included
MRI scans and lumbar punctures. During
a lumbar puncture session, Modi slipped
into coma for 23 days, during when she was
declared dead thrice. She woke up from the
coma to find she was paralysed neck down.
THE BIG STORY
(Clockwise from
above) One of
the many fitting
rooms which
were wheelchair-
inaccessible;
Modi struggles to
push the elevator
button; at a store
“I was accepting of myself, but others not
so. When I got out of the hospital, I called
my friends, but they no longer wanted to
speak to me. Being an only child and having
no friends pushed me into self-pity,” says the
26-year-old, who tried committing suicide
twice. Modi moved back to India with her
mother in 2008 for a stem cell treatment
when she was diagnosed with transverse
myelitis, a neurological condition in which
the spinal cord gets inflamed and damages
nerve fibres.
In 2013, Modi started sharing her life
experiences on Quora, and soon found
herself standing up for her rights, and
for thousands like her. An accessibility
champion today, she’s been instrumental in
getting ramps and wheelchairs installed at
eight railway stations since last year—six
in Kerala, and one each in Hyderabad and
Odisha. Currently working to make stations
in Mumbai more accessible, she has also
started #rampmyrestaurant in association
with Enable Travel, asking restaurants
pan-India to ramp up. Modi says, “Once
I was auditing 30-40 places in Mumbai that
claimed to be wheelchair-accessible; turned
out only five were. At one of the places,
the manager said a ramp was not needed
because ‘people like you don’t come out’.
I told him people like me don’t come out
because there is no ramp!”
DISABILITY IS DIRECTLY
RELATED TO SEXUAL
HARASSMENT, AND
THAT’S THE FIRST JOLT
TO EMPOWERMENT.
To see how accessible public places are,
Modi suggested we go to a mall in Malad
West, Mumbai. Sharing her experience, the
activist says, “Roaming around the mall was
easy, but only once I was inside. The first
roadblock was the entry; the ramp was so
steep that I could not pull myself up.” Also
surprising was the thoughtless placement of
huge dustbins below the push-button panel
of the elevators, making it near-impossible
for her to reach it. Of over 10 stores that she
visited, only one had a wheelchair-accessible
fitting room. There was something else that
we saw happen: people staring at her. “They
stare as if I have come out of a circus. It could
be because not many disabled people are
seen at such places,” she says.
Living with stares, she says, has been
easy, but there’s something that can never be
normalised: sexual harassment. Modi was
molested on three different occasions by
porters at railway stations in the past. Gender
too, she says, plays an important role in
isolating the disabled. “The general mindset
is: she’s disabled, what can she do? Disability
is directly related to sexual harassment,
and that’s the first jolt to empowerment.
Are women really safe while using public
transport or going out on their own?
What choice are they left with than to
stay indoors?” Modi asks.
Despite the times when she has felt
hopeless and helpless, the activist is hopeful
of an accessible and inclusive India, and
those who will drive this change are today’s
PHOTOGRAPH: VIKRANT KHARAT
youth who are more open, curious, and
aware about people with disabilities. She also
urges others to speak out about the cause.
TEXT: ANIKA MOHLA
“Spread awareness on social media and raise
the issue with nagar sevaks and MLAs. When
the able-bodied talk about disability, it makes
a difference,” she says.
THE BIG STORY

GULSHANARA KHATUN
TASK: TO FIND A DATE
Gulshanara Khatun has a problem with
being called dark or dusky. The Kolkata-
based theatre actor has always wondered
why she needs to be described by the
colour of her skin. Due to this perception,
she has had to battle social biases not only
in the professional sphere, but also in her
personal life.
For the two-week social experiment,
Khatun created her first-ever profiles on
a leading matrimonial website and a dating
app. At first, she put up an image with
no filters and later took off the picture to
check whether it made a difference. She
found when the photo wasn’t up, men
invariably sought details about her height,
length of her hair, and skin colour, among
other things. For the first few days, she got
several responses on both platforms,
but they didn’t quite pique her interest.
After some time, she responded to about
10 messages on both the platforms.
“Most men who messaged me were
looking for a ‘beautiful’ woman. They used
the word ‘beautiful’, but it implied that
they were looking for fair-skinned brides/
dates. One man even told me that his
parents are hell bent on finding a girl whose
complexion is ujjwal shyambarno (bright,
wheatish), if not phorsha (fair),” Khatun
says. “Some, who saw my picture, were
surprised that a dusky person like me is an
actor. They wanted to know how I fit in!”
Khatun says online matrimonial sites
and dating forums show how deep-rooted
the social biases against dark skin are.
THE BIG STORY
MEN, WHO TALK ABOUT
LIBERALISM AND FEMINISM,
ARE ON THESE PLATFORMS TO
FIND THAT PERFECT PARTNER
WITH THE ‘IDEAL’ SKIN TONE.
“Educated, well-mannered men, who talk
about liberalism and feminism, are on these
platforms to find that perfect partner with
that the ‘ideal’ skin tone. They just want
showpieces, not life partners!” says the
30-year-old.
The responses didn’t encourage her to
take the conversation any further, let alone
meet any of the prospective dates in person.
“It’s annoying, but then I did expect it.
I once befriended a guy on Orkut, where
I hadn’t uploaded a profile picture initially.
Things were fine till the day I did. When
he saw my picture, he inboxed, ‘You are so
dark! I couldn’t even imagine it!’ I felt hurt
and insulted,” she says.
The social mindset, Khatun says, hasn’t
changed much since her childhood. “Once,
one of my relatives told my mother, ‘Your
daughter may face difficulties when it is
(Left) Khatun checks the dating app for responses;
(below) creates a profile on a matrimonial website
time for her to be married. Ask her
to apply besan and haldi paste to make
her skin bright,” she recalls. “That I was
good at academics didn’t matter to her.
Thankfully, my mother lambasted her
for her comments!”
To date, Khatun’s complexion continues
to pose challenges in her work sphere,
especially when she is trying for films.
“I went to audition for a lead role once.
After seeing me, the director offered me
a character role, one which hardly had any
screen presence. I refused to do it. While
leaving, I heard the director say, ‘She should
thank us that we didn’t offer her the role of
a witch!’” the actor recalls. That’s not all.
Khatun says she is mostly offered roles of a
maid, sweeper, beggar, or junkie because she
‘looks’ the part. “Fair girls are preferred
for lead roles, even if they are bad actors.
I have repeatedly been advised to use fairness
creams or go for skin treatments,” she says.
How does she continually battle this
stereotype? “When I was younger, such
unflattering comments dejected me. Now,
I firmly protest. I wear bright dresses, and
apply red and pink lipsticks, which, some
say, suit fair-complexioned women better.
Also, if a makeup artiste tries to ‘make’
me fair or brighten my skin, I resist. I am
proud of my skin colour, and I make it
clear to everyone,” she says.
PHOTOGRAPH: SOHAM KAR
The young actor also adds that she
doesn’t see a more inclusive media-scape
TEXT: HEMCHHAYA DE
in the future, unless mindsets change.
“In fact, social media reveals that men
and women both continue to harbour
a ‘colourist’ perspective,” she says.
 THE BIG STORY PLUS

BY THE
PEOPLE
One word, many interpretations. We ask people from diverse communities to use their
preferred medium to tell us what inclusivity means to them
Inclusivity is a two-way street. You have to give some to gain means to them. When the submissions poured in, we weren’t
some. That’s the idea we had in mind when we reached out just left in awe by the myriad interpretations, but also sat
to people across communities, and gave them free rein over up and took note of some of our own biases and prejudices.
the next few pages. The brief was simple: to use their words, Because the best creations are the ones that resonate long
brush strokes, and ingredients to express what inclusivity after a page is turned, right?
 JANHAVI KHEMKA
A 25-year-old artist, Khemka lost her hearing when she was nine months old. She uses media such as photography, glass sculpting,
and woodcut for her work. She firmly believes that parents should not lose hope in their children if they are born with a disability

SUDHANVI
“Sudhanvi is an amalgamation of my mother’s name (Sudha) and my name (Janhavi). Ever since I was a child,
my mother taught me how to lip-read by sitting in front of a mirror. I started to learn words by feeling the vibrations
in the throat. Love has the power to heal anything, and I feel lucky for everything my mother has done for me.
This artwork shows the bond between her and me. It is a tribute to not only to her, but to all the mothers in the world.”
THE BIG STORY PLUS

PRIYA
DALI
She is
a 22-year-old
illustrator, whose
work deals with
the topics of sex
and sexuality

“I was always
intrigued by
how curious
people are
about
a person’s
moment of
realisation of
being queer.
When I was
asked, I found
the answer in
a childhood
game of Ghar
Ghar. My short
hair meant
I always played
the boy, but
I was never
uncomfortable
with it. When
you are a kid,
you’re allowed
to question
things, but
as you grow
up, you get
conditioned
to think
a certain way.
Why does
sexuality
have to be
categorised?”
 SHAIKH
AYAZ
Mumbai-based
writer and
journalist Shaikh
Ayaz started
the Instagram
project, Chiliya
Chai, last year.
It explores
stories of hope
and helplessness
in the Muslim
community

“Fabia Isabelle
Postel was
25 when
I met her. She
described
herself as
a dreamer,
among other
things, and was
brutally frank
and poetic
about her life.
This picture
represents
everything
I had in mind
for Chiliya
Chai—
a modern face
of the Muslim
community,
the conflict and
joy that Islam
brings to the
PHOTOGRAPH: DEVANG VYAS

young, and the

desire to be
mainstream
without giving
up on one’s
faith.”
THE BIG STORY PLUS
HEMA GOPINATH SAH
A 45-year-old blogger, her poem Kali called out the Indian obsession with fair skin
“Colourism begins at home. The people we are fighting to change are the same people who love us.
In a nation where a vast majority of people are brown in colour, we have a shocking amount of hate for it.
Inclusion needs to begin at home, because diversity begins at home.”
Fair
Fair, is it?
That you know I'm talking about, skin colour
And not about justice and equality
and honour?
With all the browns
In my Camlin watercolour palette,
I would only use peach to paint
The skin of the princesses I drew
With golden hair and blue eyes
for good measure.
And yet everywhere I looked,
I saw the hated browns and blacks.
On faces, on races.
Burnt sienna: Calligraphic strokes on the
wings of a coucal
Too dark on a baby girl,
Minutes old and already mourned.
Raw umber: Rich mud,
So fragrant as it soaks up the first rain,
Poets have wept;
Too dark on a girl.
Her mother lovingly buys her creams
and potions,
To scour the earth off her skin.
Burnt umber: Rendered intensely fertile
by the heat of the subcontinental sun,
Too dark on a girl
With long raven tresses,
and kohl-rimmed eyes.
She doesn't get the part of Cinderella.
Chocolate: A taste of sex before you've had it,
Bittersweet and potent.
You would see it in flashes,
On the burnished bare backs
of Lambani women,
As their mirrored skirts swung in
Sultry Iinsouciance.
Too dark on the women.
Because they've taken to hiding behind saris
And modest blouses.
Coffee: My skin
The heady aroma of a fresh brew
swirling about.
We who love our coffee
In the Starbucks shade card
Latte, mocha, cappuccino,
espresso, americano,
We who wax eloquent and argue ferociously
Over the aroma and flavour of
our particular taste,
See beauty in only two hues, milk and cream.
Obsidian: Darkest of all.
The colour of the Mother Goddess,
Her crystalline rage
Flows underneath as red-hot magma
That her Name is sung
In reverence and prayer.
And just as easily, casually,
To demean, ostracise, exclude.
Unfair.
 SHAHU PATOLE
A former journalist and Marathi columnist, Patole is the author of Anna He Apoornabrahma, a book that describes
the culinary culture of two Dalit castes

“I recognised that Dalit food was missing from mainstream media’s coverage of India’s food culture.
So, I decided to write a book. This dish doesn’t use oil because we didn’t even have access to it.
The people who would make the oil wouldn’t touch us.”

CORIANDER MUTKE
INGREDIENTS
Coriander leaves, chopped
Jowar atta
Gram flour (optional)
Garlic, a few cloves, crushed
Salt
Red chilli powder or ground green chillies

METHOD
1. Make a dough (similar to that of chapatti) by mixing all the ingredients together.
2. Take the dough in your palms and shape it into small balls.
3. Add some water to a large vessel and place either wheat, paddy, or sugar cane leaves.
4. Place the dough balls on these leaves. You can also use idli moulds for this.
5. Cover the vessel and steam the dough for 10-15 minutes.
THE BIG STORY PLUS

VINATOLI YEPTHO
A slam poet from Nagaland, Yeptho moved to Kolkata in 2013 to study law

“I never questioned what it takes to be Indian back home. It was only after leaving Nagaland that I noticed
that people like me, who look and speak differently, are made to feel less. We don’t want to blend in.
We have a rich culture of our own and just want to be accepted for it.”

I am the diversity
If India is about being brown-skinned and having a sharp nose, I am not an Indian
If India is about having curly hair and big eyes, I am not an Indian
If India is about wearing a sari and a salwar-kameez, I am not an Indian
If India is about speaking in Hindi and being a Hindu, I am definitely not an Indian
If I have to look a certain way to meet your idea of what an Indian should look like,
then I don’t want to be an Indian
I know that I am of Mongoloid descent and a cultural fusion of indigenous and
western. But above all, I also know that I am and will be a proud Indian
You may call me names I absolutely don’t identify myself with
You may hate me for my choice of food or my sense of styling
You may mock me for my accent and how I cannot say the word padhai
You may dismiss the presence of my culture
You may ignore my people’s political history
But you cannot take pride in the diversity of India without including me in it
I am the diversity you proudly talk about every time you are asked to write
an essay about India
I am the foundation of the very idea of what India is and will be
And I am not here to be silenced or ignored
I am not here to fill up your quota of ‘representation’
I am here to find a safe space in my India, one that I have been denied
for many years
I am the voice of the silent cries of my people who have been ignored
for generations now
Let us stop carrying the honour of our ‘nationality’ in our flag and food
And start looking out for the meaning of‘nation’in our people.
—Compiled by Simran Ahuja
 ALL
ABOUT
YOU
ALL ABOUT YOU passion

L
aila, a college
student, composes
music, plays
chess, writes,
and is fascinated
by sex, and masturbates
to porn. Sounds about right
for a college student, no?
The difference is that Laila
(a character essayed by
Kalki Koechlin in the
2014 film, Margarita
With A Straw) is affected
by cerebral palsy. Director
Shonali Bose’s sensitive
handling of the topic hit
home one point: being
disabled doesn’t necessarily
mean being free of sexual
desires. Talking about sex
in India is hard, more so
for someone with a disability.
Asking questions on
improving sex life is a whole
other ball game. We get
experts to answer a few
questions that you may
have left unasked.

What should I keep in

mind before having sex?
Get rid of the thought that
you are not entitled to sexual
feelings because you are
disabled. Kochi-based
gynaecologist Dr Jayanthi
R Kabir says, “If your
disability impacts your
movement, or if you are in
constant pain because of it,
check with your specialist on
whether conventional sex is
advisable. Otherwise, you can
seek pleasure through more
gentle ways like oral sex, the
use of fingers, and other
external stimulants like
vibrators.” If your doctor
gives you a green signal for
conventional sex, keep

Can & able

communication with your
partner clear and open.
Discuss what needs
to be done to make sex
pleasurable for you.
Remember, you have the
same right to consent as
A disability doesn’t naturally have to translate anyone else. If your disability
into a lack of desire. Neeti Jaychander asks a few has rendered you without
sensation in your lower
pertinent questions and gets pointed answers for body, there are several
having a fulfilling sex life regions in the upper body

that can be stimulated,
such as the breasts, the
points behind the ears, and
lips. “Don’t neglect sexual
hygiene. If you have
a caregiver, you will need to
be open with the person
and ask them for help. Use
a vaginal wash before and
after sex, and always use
a condom for conventional
sex,” says Kabir.
It could be that visual,
hearing, or speech
impairment, or mental
disabilities like autism,
may not impact a person’s
ability to have sex, but the
person needs to be aware
of the other needs. Parvathi
Venkataraman*, a 30-year-
old hearing-impaired
entrepreneur, says,
“I need a lot of visual
communication from my
partner. My speech is
slurred, so I need to factor
that in.” On the other
hand, a visually impaired
person may need more
verbal cues. You need to
communicate effectively
with your partner on
what you expect, your
boundaries, and what
you’re comfortable with.
IF THERE
IS NO
NEUROLOGICAL
DAMAGE THAT
CAUSES LACK
OF SENSATION,
THEN YOU
CAN ACHIEVE
AN ORGASM.
Can I masturbate?
Why not, go for it! It is
completely okay for
women with disabilities
to masturbate. This
undervalued tool can often
help you fulfill your sexual
needs, without having to deal
with the physical and
emotional needs of a partner.
Sexologist Dr Santanam
Jagannathan says, “Your
brain is the most effective
erogenous zone in the body.
It all starts from there. First,
discover your body, and find
out what it needs. Playing
with your genitals or breasts,
and using your fingers for
stimulation are normal
methods of arousal. You
should also check if there are
any other erogenous spots
that work for you. If you’re
masturbating using your
vagina, then use a good
lubricant.” He says
masturbation can
become a challenge only if
a person is paralysed, or has
neurological disorders that
prevent her from feeling
stimulated, or arousing
herself. He further adds,
“If you’re using tools like
vibrators, ensure that you
have full control over
movement. You need to
be able to pull it out
when required, or you
could injure yourself.”
Can I have an orgasm?
If there is no neurological
damage that causes lack of
sensation in the vaginal area,
it is possible to achieve an
orgasm. “For visual, speech
or hearing impair, or women
without an upper limb, or
those with a mental health
problem, coming to a climax
during intercourse involves
the same techniques as
a non-disabled person.
Achieving an orgasm can
become a challenge only
when a disabled person has
little control over her body or
restricted movement. In such
a case, it can be reached with
the help of a supportive
partner, supplemented with
tools. Lubricants and
vibrators have been known
to be effective for paraplegic
women,” says Jagannathan.
He says that for
wheelchair-bound people,
specifically designed tools
like chairs, straps, and other
accessories are available
to enhance sexual mobility.
How do I be more
comfortable with myself?
Mexican artist Freida Kahlo
suffered from polio since
childhood. She also had
spinal problems, owing to an
accident during her teens.
Despite it all, she was bold
and comfortable in her skin.
“Acceptance is the first step
to getting there,” says
Venkataraman. “Whenever
I met someone I was
attracted to, I was conscious
of the way I spoke. In time
though, I stopped being
conscious and started
looking at the bright side—
that at least I could weed out
all the shallow guys, and get
to meet ones who are willing
to stick around irrespective
of my disability.”
What resources can I use?
You can use erotic reading
material, movies, and audio
books for stimulation.
Organisations working
towards the betterment
of people with disabilities
will usually have
a counsellor on board, who
could steer you in the right
direction to deal with your
PHOTOGRAPH: SHUTTERSTOCK
*NAME CHANGED ON REQUEST
specific needs. You and your
partner should also visit
a sexologist who will be able
to equip you with reading
material and practical tips on
how to make sex fulfilling for
both of you.
 ALL ABOUT YOU passion
Girl,
UNINTERRUPTED
Riding the wave of passion with same-sex
partners can be tricky. Hemchhaya De
lists positions that are guaranteed to please
I
f facts and figures
are anything
to go by, lesbians
seem to be having
the best time
in a bedroom. ‘Variation
in Orgasm Occurrence
by Sexual Orientation
in a Sample of US Singles’,
a 2014 study published
in the Journal of Sexual
Medicine, reported
that lesbians orgasmed
74.7 per cent of the time
during sex, compared
to 61.6 per cent for
heterosexual women,
and 58 per cent
for bisexual women.
“I enjoy sex more with
women than men, since
both of us are aware
of what we want,” says
Leena Roy*, a 36-year-old
media professional.
Aindrila Sinha*, a 29-year-
old IT professional,
picks up the discussion
to the finer aspects,
saying the sex
positions one opts for
makes a world of difference
too. We asked a few
women to tell us their
favourite ones. Take note.
Just face it
This is all about some in-your-
face action! One of the
partners can lie down on the
bed while the other gently
straddles her face. The idea
is to have your sensitive zone
stimulated by your partner.
Gently rub yourself across
your partner’s face while your
partner strokes your hips.
“This can lead to some earth-
shattering orgasms,” says
Seema Roy,* a 34-year-old
who works with a finance firm.
Hot tip: In this position, manually
stimulating your clitoris can
make you sing!
Givers and takers
The classic 69 rules the
charts, as always. This is all
about simultaneous pleasure.
“I ENJOY SEX
MORE WITH
WOMEN THAN
MEN, SINCE
BOTH OF US
ARE AWARE
OF WHAT WE
WANT.”
Take all the time you need
to synchronise your acts of
oral sex. Make sure nobody
feels awkward because this
position does need effort from
both partners.
Hot tip: Lie on your side and
emulate the 69 position. For
more comfort, place your head
between her inner thighs.
Touchy feely
In this position, one partner
lies flat on her back on a bed
or on the edge of a bed with
her legs apart while the other
straddles her body, simulating
intercourse of sorts in the
missionary position. The idea
is to have your sensitive zones
rub against your partner’s.
Explosion of tingles, here
we come (pun intended).
Hot tip: Add your fingers to the
mix for extra pleasure.
Going south
Sinha is a big fan of this
position and it’s easy to see
why. Just lie on your back and
let your partner go down on
you to set the 8,000-odd
nerve endings of your clitoris
(yes, you read it right!) on fire.
Hot tip: Try this while one
of you is seated on a chair
for extra comfort.
Sexy snuggles
If you love spooning, this is
how you can make it steamy.
Lie down with your partner on
the same side, with your
heads resting on the same
pillow. Let your partner wrap
her free arm around your
waist from behind and reach
for your clitoris. Enjoy the
PHOTOGRAPH: SHUTTERSTOCK
*NAME CHANGED ON REQUEST
sweet-nothings that she
murmurs in your ear
as she inches towards
your G-spot.
Hot tip: If you want to make this
position kinkier, use strap-ons.
 ALL ABOUT YOU love
Pride tribe
Finding it hard to pick up your love life since you’re looking for
different people to date? Simran Ahuja talks to a few queer
people who offer real-world dating advice
W
hile the
happily-ever-
after and usual
angst of love
stay the same, there is
a slight twist in the modern-
day love story. Say hello to
more girl meets girl or Ms
meets Mx stories. Are queer
dating rules different? Pearl
Daruwalla, a 30-year-old
freelance event manager,
says, “The only difference
is that instead of a boy
on the seat opposite mine,
there is a girl.” Unsure
of how to navigate the field?
We speak to some members
of the community and have
them help you kick-start
a fun and safe love life.
MEET AND GREET
In a society that’s just coming
to terms with an open display
of the pride badge, how does
one find prospective dates?
Kanchan Kumar, a 21-year-old
seller support associate,
relies on her network of
friends. “I let them know I am
bisexual. That way, if a friend
knows another girl who may
be interested in meeting
someone new, she can set
us up,” she says. Queer rights
activist Pooja Krishnakumar
recommends attending
community parties. Check out
Facebook pages of LGBTQ
ON MY
GAYDAR
Can queer people
instinctively tell whether
another person is queer
too? Daruwalla dismisses
the idea as a myth, and says
the best way to actually
know if someone is queer is
to be direct and ask. Easier
said than done, you’d think,
but Kumar also agrees that
one shouldn’t be too afraid
to make the first move. “I’ve
lost more opportunities than
I can count by being
unnecessarily hesitant.
A simple invite asking
someone to hang out with
you is all it takes,” she says.
communities in India to learn
when and where they are
held. Social media can also
play cupid, especially for
those who don’t have access
to such community parties.
“Instagram works way better
than Facebook. You have the
option of choosing a discreet
username. Following some
LGBTQ-friendly pages and
hashtags on Instagram can
provide access to many
like-minded people in the
comment sections of posts,”
says Krishnakumar.
SAVE THE DATE
“For the first date, always pick
a public place, no matter
how much someone insists
otherwise,” says
Krishnakumar. She goes
on to say that you should pick
a public place for the first
five dates at least. Besides
this, it also helps to let
a friend know where you are.
“Have a friend be ready to bail
you out if things go south, and
“FOLLOW SOME
LGBTQ-FRIENDLY
PAGES AND
HASHTAGS
ON INSTAGRAM
TO FIND NEW
PEOPLE TO MEET.”
share your live location with
them,” she adds.
STAYING SAFE
Dr Maitri Chand, former
couples and sexual therapy,
and sexual dysfunction
professor at Mercer University
Medical School, says,
“To think that a person
can only be infected with
a sexually transmitted
disease in a heterosexual
relationship would also imply
that only one sex can
transmit an infection, which is
untrue.” Besides taking care
of basic hygiene like keeping
your hands, sex toys, and
surroundings clean, get
regularly tested too. You could
also research other safe sex
measures like female
condoms and dental dams.
RED ALERT
If there’s one red flag to
watch out for when you start
seeing someone new, it’s
being lied to or being
restricted. Denial can often
be the devil in disguise.
Which is why Krishnakumar
suggests, “It’s easy to get
carried away and stay in a bad
relationship. People do that
out of fear that they won’t
find another person who
PHOTOGRAPH: SHUTTERSTOCK
understands them. It’s
important for you to realise
that just because someone is
like you and understands you
doesn’t mean she can’t hurt
you. Look out for yourself.”
 ALL ABOUT YOU love

THE
ACE CARD
Few know about
it, and fewer still
understand it.
Simran Ahuja
finds that the ‘A’
for asexuality in
LGBTQIA stands
for much more
than meets the eye

N idhi Jain* first

heard the term
‘asexuality’ in
a documentary. The makers
described it as a lack of interest
in sex and a disorder that needed
to be treated. At that point, the
only thing Jain was happy about
was that she had finally found
a description for herself, she was
not the only one experiencing it,
and knew what she felt was
a “real thing”. Now, she has
a much better understanding
of the term, and how it is far from
being a disorder. “I have learned
that sexuality is actually fluid, and
asexuality is a sexual orientation
like any other. So, I am valid
the way I am,” she says.
FOR THE LOVE
OF CAKE
What exactly does asexuality mean?
Michael Egan, a member of Asexual
Visibility and Education Network
(AVEN), explains: “It is the lack
of sexual attraction to girls, guys,
or any gender in between. It’s quite
different from romantic attraction.”
Being asexual, however, doesn’t
necessarily mean one doesn’t want
to be in a relationship. “Asexual
people can still admire how
beautiful some people are, but it
isn’t followed up by anything beyond
appreciation or sometimes romantic
(but not sexual) intent. On the other
hand, many aces regularly engage
in, maybe even initiate, sex with
their partners, but that desire
doesn’t necessarily come from
attraction to that person,” Egan says.
If you’re wondering, the term
‘ace’ is basically a short form of the
term asexual. The idea comes from
a pack of cards, where the ace is
the highest card, thereby turning
the term asexual into a positive and
empowering one. Egan also explains
why you keep seeing the cake emoji
or symbol on asexuality forums.
“It started off as an inside joke
within the community, that most
people in it would rather eat cake
than have sex,” he says.
To the uninformed, this may
sound similar to celibacy. The latter
is a choice to not have sex with
someone, whereas asexuals don’t
really choose to not have sex.

HELPING HAND
LISTEN
Sometimes, the only thing asexuals
need is to have someone hear them out
and understand what they’re going
through. Don’t try to question how they
could be asexual or suggest that they
should probably just “wait for the right
person to come along”.
“Libido and attraction are two
different things. You could have
a certain libido level and still
not experience any attraction.
It’s like being hungry, but not
knowing what it is you’re hungry
for,” says Egan.
VISIBILITY
MATTERS
In June 2017, Puroshotam
Rawat and Rishav
Saxena launched
ACEapp, a social
media network for
asexuals. The idea
behind it was to fill in a
gap where resources for
the LGBT community were
plenty, but asexuals had
nothing to refer to. The app
is available worldwide and,
according to Rawat, has
about 17,000 users, of which
40 per cent hail from the US.
Only five per cent of the users are
Indian. When asked about this
disparity, he says, “India isn’t even
comfortable with homosexuality.
Asexuality is one step ahead. Often,
people don’t even realise they
are asexual because of the lack of
adequate knowledge to rely upon.”
Media representation plays its
own part. How often do you see
movies, books, or TV shows where
a character is asexual? “It’s not
just about portrayal, it has to be an
unbiased portrayal. We’ve seen how
homosexuals can be stereotyped.
We need rightful representation,”
says Meghna Mehra, a 21-year-old
Not sure how to be there for an asexual
friend or loved one? Read on:
READ UP
Research asexuality as much as
you can. Luckily, in the age
of the internet, everything is
just a click away. Check out websites
like www.asexuality.org
or www.theasexual.com for more
resources and other narratives.
“ASEXUALS HAVE SEX,
THEY MASTURBATE
TOO. BUTATTRACTION
AND DESIRE AREN’T.
INTERCHANGEABLE”
student, who identifies herself as
asexual. She goes on to explain that
being asexual might be harder for
women. In a society where there’s
constant pressure on women to get
married and reproduce, how does
one begin to explain to someone
that there’s a fine line between
desire and attraction? “Asexuals
have sex, they masturbate too.
But attraction and desire aren’t
ACCEPT
Remember that people’s
sexual orientation is
only a small part of who
they are. It doesn’t change
who they are at their core,
so try to be as supportive
as you can.
interchangeable. We need to create
a sense of normalcy about asexuality.
The only way to do this would be to
educate people more,” she says.
SHADES OF GREY
The colours in the asexuality
pride flag (horizontal stripes
of black, grey, white, and
purple, from top to bottom)
aren’t just a random
mish-mash of hues.
Each colour has its own
meaning. Black stands
for asexuality, grey for
the grey area between
being asexual and sexual,
white for sexual partners,
friends, and family, and
purple for the community
as a whole. Since sexual
attraction to someone can
be a highly subjective matter, the
asexuality spectrum helps people
of all identities find their own space.
Mehra explains:
Sex-repulsed asexuals: Those
who lack sexual desire and
sexual attraction.
Homoromantics: Asexuals who
feel aesthetic and romantic
attraction towards the same sex.
Heteroromantics: Asexuals
who feel aesthetic and romantic
attractions towards the opposite sex.
Pan romantics: Asexuals who
PHOTOGRAPH: SHUTTERSTOCK
*NAME CHANGED ON REQUEST
feel romantic and aesthetic
attraction towards men, women,
and transpersons.
Sex-positive asexuals: Asexuals
who desire sex and have sex
or masturbate.
 ALL ABOUT YOU love
AN EQUAL LOVE
Tired of swiping through the same old apps? Kriti Saraswat-Satpathy lists out a few inclusive
dating apps that give the dating landscape a fresher perspective
D
ating is hard. But
it becomes harder
when you are not
part of the social
majority, and find it that much
more difficult to find like-
minded people. You download
an app, keep swiping left until
one day, you delete the app
out of sheer frustration. Cut
to two months later, when you
think of giving the entire
process another shot, and
then rinse, repeat. We help
you look in the right places
with these apps, especially
designed to connect
those from the oft-ignored
sections of society.
The Delta App
FOR: LGBTQ
Created for the
LGBTQ community, this
dating app helps you find
a match on the basis of
a compatibility quiz. It also
lists LGBTQ-friendly places
and helps you find events
in cities across India, such
as Mumbai, Kolkata, Goa,
Delhi, Pune, etc. You can
send a message to a person
you are interested in, and if
that person accepts it, the
chat option is enabled. The
app is high on the safety
meter and ensures that all the
profiles listed are verified.
Inclov
Shankar Srinivasan, COO and
FOR: PEOPLE WITH co-founder of Inclov, says,
DISABILITIES “The app also has
According to the World Health a speech-to-text function
Organization, there are at least to help the visually impaired.”
195 million people with Apart from your basic
disabilities in India. Inclov information, Inclov asks for
empowers such people with an a few details of your disability.
equal chance of finding love. It helps find suitable matches
based on the intention you
mention, which can range
“INCLOV ALSO from finding a friend to
HAS A SPEECH-TO- looking for a life partner.
TEXT FUNCTION
WooPlus
TO HELP THE FOR: PLUS-SIZED
VISUALLY- WOMEN
IMPAIRED.” WooPlus is designed for
the plus-sized. CEO and
founder Neil Raman says he
came up with the idea after
he watched a video showing
some men reacting rudely
to their plus-sized dates. The
app also allows women to rate
men on a five-star grading
system, after they’ve
exchanged messages. It then
deletes profiles of men who
consistently get low ratings,
making it easier for women
to look for the right person.
ACEapp
*ALL APPS ARE AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD ON ANDROID AND IOS
FOR: ASEXUALS
A social networking
platform for asexuals, ACEapp
allows you to find users from
across the world to share
your experiences or even find
PHOTOGRAPHS: SHUTTERSTOCK
someone to date. While user
reviews do point out some
glitches that need fixing,
kudos to the creators for
providing the means for
making the connection!
 ALL ABOUT YOU career
WHAT
WOMEN WANT
They talk of diversity and inclusion, but Indian
companies are far from fully walking the walk.
Sneha Mahale tracks the trend and looks at the
acceptance the idea has received
T
anisha Karnik*, who works in
a pharmaceutical MNC, was one
of her company’s top-performing
employees for three consecutive
years. She worked on plum projects and was
ranked highly in her annual appraisals. That
was till she got pregnant, two years after she
tied the knot. She says, “When I returned
from my maternity leave, I felt like something
had shifted in terms of attitude in the office.
I brushed it off initially.” Then, at her next
annual appraisal, Karnik was asked if she
“WHEN I RETURNED FROM MY
MATERNITY LEAVE, MY JUNIOR GOT
PROMOTED OVER ME AND I WAS ASKED
TO REPORT TO HIM. I WAS TOLD THAT
MY PRIORITIES WERE DIFFERENT NOW.”
planned on having another child. She was
taken aback by the question, but decided not
to react. She remained non-committal. She
says, “That year, my junior got promoted over
me and I was asked to report to him. Soon, the
assignments I was working on were reassigned.
When I brought it up with my superiors, I was
told that my priorities were different now, and
they needed someone who was fully devoted
to the job. This, even though I still put in the
usual hours and had managed to find some
work-life balance. And I was relegated to
handling the coordinating that happens within
teams.” Karnik quit a few months later.
What Karnik has experienced has probably
happened to you too, in one form or another,
at some workplace. No matter how hard
you’ve tried, you’ve felt more like an invisible
spectator than part of a team. And that nagging
feeling of not belonging refuses to go away
till the day you quit.
The industry one works in could also be
a factor. While anyone can feel like an onlooker
in the office, women more commonly find
themselves on the outside in predominantly
male-led workforces. This can affect everything
from morale to career advancement, resulting
in them dropping out. Shaira Mohan works in
an IT company that caters to the oil and gas
sector. It is a primarily male-dominated space
in most countries, and cultural barriers are
deterrents to the acceptance of women. “It has
been interesting to note how men in India and
ALL ABOUT YOU career

the Middle East find it hard to acknowledge WHAT HAVING NEARLY

the existence of a suited woman talking tech in COMPANIES
the meeting room. Initially, the bias used to be
TWO-THIRDS OF THE
CAN DO TO WOMEN OUT OF THE
glaring. I used to be indignant and even lost my BE MORE
cool at a business meeting with a particularly INCLUSIVE WORKFORCE HURTS THE
misogynistic gentleman,” she says. As time
Employing an equal
ECONOMY, AND ALSO
went by, Mohan learnt to ignore it and started
number of women. AFFECTS THE LIVES AND
to focus on asserting her position with her
intelligence in the field and work ethic. Male mentors who
FORTUNES OF WOMEN.
advocate gender
equality can be
LET’S TALK NUMBERS instrumental in
Atula Gupta has worked for the last 15 years
The Global Gender Gap Report released by ensuring gender- in the advertising, creative, and content
the World Economic Forum in 2017 states that neutral organisations. writing industry. Her present organisation
India has one of the lowest female labour force Blurring the
is a new-age non-profit based in Bangalore.
participation rates in the world— 28.5 per cent departmental “When I joined, I wondered if I would be able
(compared to 82 per cent for men). Having designation lines to give attention to my family. My manager
nearly two-thirds of the women out of the so that women from ensured I had flexible working hours so that
workforce hurts the economy, and also affects primarily woman- I could be back home in time to be with
oriented roles like
the lives and fortunes of women. my son. The organisation also has an excellent
HR, who may be
Corporate India is slowly starting to accept interested in business
‘no-leave’ policy, trusting that an employee
that a one-size-fits-all approach may not be the development or other should be allowed to take a leave whenever
solution to this issue. Women often have the technical avenues, can a need arises. The employee will do the
dual responsibility of home and work. Office contribute as well. work-related duty anyway, because he
work conditions, on the other hand, tend Conducting or she is committed to it,” she says.
to be geared towards a male workforce. With sensitisation
no strict guidelines about day-care centres, workshops for FOLLOW THE MANDATE
absence of quality control in crèches managers of Companies now increasingly have a diversity
expectant and
or reliable childcare options, and issues and inclusion mandate, which makes them
returning-to-work
pertaining to security and the societal stigma mothers.
look to hire more women. There is growing
about working late hours and travelling, women awareness about the need to take back women
opt for employment opportunities with flexible Offering training who have been on a career break, and
to hiring managers
hours or part-time work. To counter this, an increased focus on creating jobs that
on how to interview
a slew of measures have been introduced to women re-joining offer the elusive work-life balance.
keep women in the workforce. Single mother the workforce. The LaLit Suri Hospitality Group has been
leading the conversation towards inclusivity
Women often have to balance in this regard. The company has a strong policy
their homes and work for ‘equality and diversity’ and employs people
across all sections of society.
Keshav Suri, executive director
of the Group, says, “For many corporate houses,
inclusion is still limited to having women
representation on the board. Being inclusive
and diverse, however, is the need of the hour.
You must start with sensitising your
own staff about the challenges
of the various communities. Hire and give
them opportunities. It is imperative
to provide a safe space to all employees—
PHOTOGRAPHS: SHUTTERSTOCK
*NAMES CHANGED ON REQUEST

where they are treated with respect and

there is no discrimination of any kind.”
After all, it is only when the
employees bring their whole self to work
can they truly contribute to the growth
of the company.
FASHION
 FASHION feature

PICTURE
PERFECT
From depicting models of different sizes, colours, and ages to introducing concepts like female gaze and LGBTQ
acceptance, these photographers have left no stone unturned to promote fashion inclusivity through their images

ZACK FENWICK
Bare naked
“This image is from my series titled 'Shades Of A Woman'. I wanted to capture women in a natural state from different angles to portray
how they play different roles everywhere they go. With this shot, I want to let all women know that they do not need external sources like
beauty products to look beautiful. The spread of chandan on the model’s face depicts that she does not need perfect skin or hair
to achieve greatness. A woman’s honesty towards everything she does motivated me to bring this concept to life.”
FASHION feature

SOUMYA IYER

On an equal footing
“Diversity within fashion has become an essential topic of discussion. It makes me happy to see the industry finally embracing size
inclusivity, mixed ethnicities, gender fluidity, and ageism. Fashion is independent of, and beyond, skinny and tall models. I like to do my
casting by reaching out to people on social media who are not necessarily professional models. We wanted to pair the professional male
model with someone who does not work with the modelling industry. My stylist showed me Liu Andong’s profile on Instagram for this
shoot and it was a perfect fit. She had such an interesting vibe that I knew having her would add much more personality and character
to the story. Inclusivity in fashion should be effortless and more than just a fad.”
FASHION feature

MONISHA AJGAONKAR
Jaded truth
“This project is about the denial of one’s sexual orientation. In the story, I have tried to explore the relationship of two women—
one waiting for the other to open up to her. The masked girl, conscious of her sexual preference not aligning with the majority,
prefers to go unrecognised. On being pursued by her admirer, she reveals that she is emotionally unavailable. My personal experiences
prompted me to create a project of this nature. Being a person from the LGBTQ community, living in India is exceptionally difficult.
One half of the issue is societal dogma and the other half is how the individuals deal with it. I’ve seen instances where the person
feels a possible attraction, but then recoils out of denial. In the end, the story depicts that by the time the masked girl reveals
her true identity to everyone, she has lost herself in the process.”
FASHION feature

PRETIKA MENON
Stardust
"Sometimes the light is within and it’s so strong, it burns through my clothes and sets everything ablaze."
“I grew into my skin when I left my hometown, and settled into the best version of myself when I found
something I was passionate about. It wasn’t overnight; the feeling of belonging to this world crept in gradually.
I met Gia months ago at a contemporary dance workshop in Kamshet, Pune, and set up a portrait session when
she moved to Mumbai. I found a sheet of gold filament, which I decided to use as the prop. The striking feature
about the fierce human beings I meet is not their strength, but their vulnerability, and the courage to show this
vulnerability to the world, not mask it or change it to fit in. This portrait is intimate, Gia with the gold sheet draped
around her, like a star wrapped around the dark vastness of space. I chose this picture to talk about inclusivity
because I think it has captured the vulnerability of a young adult in a childlike manner.”
FASHION feature

ISHAAN
NAIR

Free spirit
“Taken from the series ‘Fools In Love’, this image aims at capturing sexual fluidity, polyamoury, and bisexuality.
Focussed on a different idea of love and relationship, the intention was to create a story of three individuals who
are happy to share each other. My own realisation of fluidity, and the conditioning behind monogamy and
heterosexual relationships, drove me to create this series. I’m hoping to introduce a new way of looking at love,
marriage, and sexuality through this image.”
FASHION feature

DHRUVIN SHAH
A sense of belonging
“For any photographer, capturing cities is a huge challenge. Big cities, especially one like Paris, offer
contradictions both socially and geographically, and this divide becomes intrinsic to the very fabric
of people. To get to the soul of Paris, you have to get down to its deepest of arrondisements, which
are divided by race and class. My basic idea for this shoot was to bring a person of colour into
a place she is not expected, perhaps not even welcomed, as a sort of weird anachronism. For me,
this is an image of great humanity—candid, everyday, subversive, and full of symbolisms.”
FASHION feature

PARIZAD D
No man’s land
“While inclusivity is the portrayal of people who are otherwise marginalised, I believe that the idea need not be limited to the subject
matter of the image. Over time, I've created work that lies between the realms of fashion, art, and music. For me, nothing is as inclusive as
taking an idea that stems from one art form and extrapolating it into a different medium. This image was a part of a photo story, wherein
we wanted to capture the life essence and duality of a character we created, who looks almost non-descript due to a constantly changing
look. So much so that as a viewer, not only are you uncertain about, say, the gender or the sexuality of this character, but almost as
though you’re not even certain if he’s human.”

—Compiled by Mayola Almeida

 FASHION democracy

Sequinned dress,
Sunaina Khera

(Facing page) Embellished

blouse and shorts, both
Sunaina Khera
 GIRLS
LIKE US
As a fierce (and much-needed) movement, inclusivity has grabbed the steering wheel and made
everyone sit up and take notice. Prachiti Parakh met with Toshada, a vibrant model,
who also happens to be petite at 142cm and braves alopecia, and Sunaina Khera,
a young designer who is making waves with creations she describes as ‘humble-glam’

In favour of odds

A
s we set up shots and test lighting, Toshada
walks into the studio and what instantly
strikes us is her gait—confident and
determined. Behind her is Sunaina, our
designer who is exuding excitement to dress
an unconventional model. Both form
a portrait of a hopeful future, not just in the fashion
industry, but perhaps in our society as well.
The fashion industry is a pioneer of inclusivity. In
the recently concluded Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/
Festive 2018, the label Chola by Sohaya Misra displayed
transgender dressing on the ramp, and labels Half Full
Curve and aLL-The Plus Size store showcased diverse model
sizing. Over time, however, biases have crept in against
people who do not fit into the 36-24-36 mould.
FASHION democracy

“WE, AS
BUSINESSES, AND
EVEN AS PEOPLE
IN GENERAL,
HAVE FAILED TO
ADDRESS THAT
WOMEN WHO
CONSUME THIS
MEDIA ARE NOT
PERFECT.”

Multi-sequinned
dress, Sunaina
Khera
FASHION democracy racy

“TODAY, THE WORD INCLUSIVITY IS MAKING AMENDS IN

THE TOXIC BEAUTY STANDARDS SET BY THE INDUSTRY
THROUGH YEARS OF PREFERENTIAL CONDITIONING
DIRECTED TOWARDS ONE IDEAL BODY TYPE.”
Khera says, “For the longest time,
mainstream media has been reserved
for women who look a certain way—
models who are tall, thin, with flawless
skin. But what we, as businesses,
and even as people in general, have
failed to address is that women who
consume this media are not perfect.
They are real, raw, and diverse. The
idea to include an unconventional
beauty like Toshada is an attempt to
bridge this shocking gap, and I’m
here for it.”
To a large extent, our desires, as
a society, are moulded by the media
we consume. The fashion industry
choosing to opt for only tall and
skinny models has deeply impacted the
self-esteem of generations of young
people, who experience dysphoria
(a distressed state arising from conflict
between a person's gender identity)
or even dysmorphia (a condition in
which someone falsely believes that
there is something seriously wrong
with their appearance). “Inclusivity to
me is feeling beautiful in a dysphoria-
inducing world. Today, the word
inclusivity is making amends in the
toxic beauty standards set by the
industry, through years of preferential
conditioning directed towards one
ideal body type,” says Toshada.

The first step

As we get into hair and makeup,
Khera asks the makeup artiste to keep
Toshada’s look all natural, ditch the
wig, and let her beauty shine through.
Toshada appears to be comfortable in
her skin and does not fret about the
instructions. I, on the other hand,
think about the 40 minutes I spend
in front of the mirror every day,
trying to cover-up new-found flaws.
Embellished blouse
and skirt, Making adjustments to the first
Sunaina Khera look, Khera says, “It was just ignorance
on our part as media, designers, and
FASHION democracy

“INCLUSIVITY
IS ACCEPTING
BEAUTY IN ITS
TRUE FORM, AND
IF WE AREN’T
ACTIVELY
PROMOTING
IT, WE AREN’T
PAYING
ATTENTION.”
corporations, but I think increasing
awareness is helping sensitise us.
Inclusivity is accepting beauty
in its true form, and if we aren’t
actively promoting it, we
aren’t paying attention.”
Fashion’s move towards an
all-encompassing industry is
already having its impact, where
photographers, artistes, and
industry professionals are drawn
to unconventional beauty.
Toshada says, “I didn't have too
many barriers to knock down and
I hope we reach a point where more
unconventional models like me
don’t have to either.”

A natural flair
The moment Toshada steps in
front of the camera, she transforms.
Her movements are fluid and she
looks like she was born for this,
which makes me think of some tall,
so-called conventional models
I have worked with, who come nowhere
close to her natural charm in front
of the camera. It made me wonder— Satin trench,
do you really have to look a certain way Sunaina Khera
to be a successful model?
FASHION democracy
“AT THE END Final impact
There has been a definite shift in
OF THE DAY, attitude, and a trickle-down effect in
IT’S ABOUT THE Indian media today. Toshada says the
industry and society may seem far from
LENS THROUGH complete inclusivity, but they needn’t
WHICH YOU SEE. move at the same pace at recognising
beauty as others. The people around
IN THINGS LIKE us need to be the voice they want
BEAUTY AND represented and heard.
Khera agrees, “Including an
FASHION, THERE unconventional model who does not
IS NO ‘ONE SIZE conform to ‘tall, thin, and flawless’
can lead to a better resonance with
FITS ALL’.” the audience of women who are
(Clockwise from far
left) Outfits for the
shoot; the makeup
artiste retouching
Toshada’s face; the
accessories lined up
for selection; Sunaina
Khera working with
the model; Toshada’s
wardrobe fitting before
the shoot
PHOTOGRAPHS: VINAY JAVKAR; HAIR AND MAKEUP: CYNTHIA; SHOOT COORDINATOR: PRACHITI PARAKH
consuming our shoot. There is a lot
that can be done to make shoots more
relatable and break stereotypes around
conventional beauty norms. Freckles
are lovely. A woman who is short
or curvy can make a great model for
outfits that flatter them. At the end
of the day, it’s about the lens through
which you see. In things like beauty
and fashion, there is no ‘one size fits
*ALL PRICES ON REQUEST
all’, which only means that there should
be no such thing as a convention in
this art form.”
And as we watch the results of this
shoot, we can’t help but agree.
 FASHION conversation
PAR We explore the road less travelled to find the right fit for the curvy Indian body.
By Rushmika Banerjee
W
hen we started ideating for
inclusivity in fashion, I steered
clear of driving the conversation
towards plus-size fashion, as
over the years, the industry has accepted the
need to bring a much-needed change about
sizes that go beyond small, medium, and large.
When fashion houses like Christian Siriano
and Chromat cast 10 and nine plus-size models,
respectively, for New York Fashion Week
(NYFW) Fall/Winter 2018 early this year, it
looked like, body positivity was finally on the
(From left) A plus-size model walked the ramp for
Christian Siriano at NYFW; a model in a Chola outfit;
Chromat’s show at NYFW
forefront internationally. Even at Lakmé Fashion
Week Winter/Festive 2018, held in August this
year, two shows were dedicated to diverse sizing.
A meeting with my editor busted that myth,
when she told me how difficult it is for her to
find clothes on-the-rack. We returned to that
topic, and realised that in India, it is indeed
a market that has not been explored to its full
potential. Hetal Kotak, CEO, aLL-The Plus Size
Store, says, “The industry is opening up and
gearing to create fashion for fuller frames. There
are a few online and offline players, who are
FASHION conversation

experimenting with plus-size fashion. Since however, focus not only on plu us size, but also on
it is a niche category, a certain level of expertise, different shapes as well. Both ffashion design and
in terms of fashion, manufacturing, and retail, fashion styling students work with
w different body
is required, but overall it is a great industry to types since there is no fixed sizzing system in
operate in”. This set us on a path to find out if India yet. Unlike in the West, in our country, we
the industry indeed practices what it preaches find different body shapess and sizes across
by making an effectivee inclusive
i l i space for f lt
cultures andd geograph
h she says. Pearl
hy,”
plus-size women. Academy, however,, encourages its
students to work on n wide-ranging
SETTING THE FOU UNDATION themes like plus-sizee, gender non-
The problem that man ny face with plus-size conformity, and sustain n
nability. “Fashion
clothing is that certainn outfits don’t drape well styling students are also encouraged
n to work
on all body types. A speecial skill set is required with plus-size models for their
t photo shoots
to determine the right fabric, cut, and silhouette. in order to understand th hee importance
Our journey hit its firstt block when we started of inclusivity. Many studen nts draw from their
to look for the definitioon of plus-size in India. own experience of body-sham miing and use it to
A quick Google search defined plus-size as effect a positive change through their personal
‘a clothing size designeed for people who are attitude and work,” says Gupta.
above the average size’. The debate, however,
is around the words ‘avverage size’. In the US, sizes RETAIL THERAPY (NOT S SO)
ranging from 14 to 24 are termed plus, while in A quick glance at a few ren noowned high-street
the UK the range is froom 18 to 28. An absence brands will show you how w their XL sizes
of a standard size chartt in India, unlike won’t even fit the averagee Indian woman.
countries such as the US,U Canada, Mexico, “I hardly shop for clothess in India. Sizes
and the UK, makes it ddifficult for fashion aren’t available and, if th
heey are, the
students and retailers tto come up with designs are boring, loosee, or traditional.
uniform measurements. Rixi Bhatia,, Curvy women, contrary to t popular belief,,
co-founder of Halff Full Curve, a plus-size don’t want to hide behindd anti fit, baggyy
clothing label in Inndia,, says, “We don’t ggarments. Theyy want wear clothes that a
learn anything aboout pplus-size clothing in complement their body sh T e option
hape. The o ti n
college. We finallyy did our own research n available,”
to buy clothes off the rackk isn’t a ai ab e
and created a size charrt, which
caters to a major sectioon of the
Indian woman’s boody ttype”. Their “FASHION DESIGN
size chart on the store website AND STYLING STUDENTS
has bust sizes startting from 34
inches up to 48 inches.
WORK WITH DIFFERENT BODY
Shalini Gupta, Areaa TYPES SINCE THERE IS NO FIXED
Head, School of Faashioon, SIZING SYSTEM IN INDIA YET.”
Pearl Academy, claarifiees
how students workk on
diverse sizes, but tthe laack
of a standard meassurem ment
system is definitely a h hindrance.
“Students, and eveen soome faculty,
regularly work on plus-size collections.
We have plus-size dummies available
and our faculty is eexperienced enough
to help with such collections. We,,
(From top) A model fo or aLL-The Plus Size store
in India; fashion stylist Vinita Makhija walked
for Half Full Curve’s show this season; Chromat
showcased diverse sizing on the runway; Half
Full Curve’s runway presentation showcased
outfits on different b s
FASHION conversation
“IN CASE OF LARGER
L
SIZES, ANTI-FIT
PROVIDES EAS SE AND
A CERTAIN RE ELAXED
APPEAL, WHIC
HICH
H WORKS
IN A PRACTICAL A
ASPECT .”
says Tinka Bhatia, the oth her coo-founder of Half
Full Curve. Few retail braands liike Westside, W,
Marks & Spencer, and aL LL-Thee Plus Size Store
cater to this inclusive maarket. “Started
“ in 2005,
aLL-The Plus Size is a onee-stopp destination
catering to the fashion neeeds ofo women with
waist size 34 inches and above
a , and men with
waist 40 inches and abovve,” Kootak says.
Online e-commerce bbrandss like
StalkBuyLove.com, Jabon ng.comm, and Faballey.
com have a dedicated spaace on n their websites
for plus-size women as w well. Th hen, there are
online stores such as Lasttinch.in, Amydus.
com, and Calae.com, whiich exxclusively
cater to curvy women. In n the luuxury
segment, designers Shivaan andd Narresh
are known for advocatingg bodyy positivity
through their eponymous swimwear label.
Designer Shivan Bhatiya had voiced this opinion
in an interview to Feminaa earlier this year:“We
wanted to be crusaders foor this non-existent
market at home, and change the mindset
of Indian consumers. We wanted the Indian
woman to celebrate her bbody and take pride in
her glorious curves.” Wheen it comes to Indian
designers, many of them such as Urvashi Kaur,
Kallol Datta, and Sohaya Misra (Chola) are
working with anti-fit silh houettes, which work
across the size spectrum. “In case of larger
sizes, anti-fit provides easse and a certain relaxed
appeal, which works in a practical aspect.
I actually ensure that I caarry a substantial
representation of large sizzes, and most of my
collection is non size-speecific, which means that
(From far left)
t A Sabyaasachi Mukherjee bride; models
wearing anti-fit silhouettes by Kallol Datta and
Urvashi Kaur; outfits from aLL-The Plus Size Store
uple
of sizes above orr beelow your specific
size,” says Urvash
hi KKaur.
FIT TO FORM
Gupta says a change in attitude is what
the industry needs riightt now. “The attitude
of inclusivity comes froom being comfortable
with yourself,” she sayss. The biggest example
of this would be coutu urier Sabyasachi
Mukherjee, who put an image of a bride
on his Instagram feeed tot showcase how his
brand creates bridal w wear for all sizes. The
image caption did nott call her a plus-size
bride, but simply iden ntifi
fied her as ‘confident,
radiant, and happy’.
After the industtry’s long struggle
of working withou ut standardised sizes, NIFT
and the textiles miinisstry have come up with
a solution. In the n
nextt two to three years, and
PHOTOGRAPHS: DANIELE OBERRAUCH/IMAXTREE.COM; VIKRANT KHARAT/LAKMÉ FASHION
at a budget of `30 croree, NIFT plans to conduct
a national size survey, whiich will sample 25,000
people (aged 15-65 years) using high-tech, 3D
whole-body scanners, to pprepare a standard Indian
WEEK WINTER/FESTIVE 2018; INSTAGRAM.COM/SABYASACHIOFFICIAL
sizing chart. “The Indian aapparel industry uses
size charts that are tweakeed versions of ones
of other countries, so returns of the garments
are in the range of 20 to 40 0 per cent, which is
increasing with the growth h of e-commerce. The
main reason for returns—poor garment fit,” the
textiles ministry had said iin a statement this year.
Proper representation of diverse shapes
through advertising camappigns, plus-size
mannequins, and a standaard size chart would
go a long way in making faashion exclusive for
all shapes and sizes. After all, in the world
of inclusive fashion, size ddoes matter.
 FASHION focus

LONG SHOT
Italian fashion house Versace cast 54 models for its iconic Fall 2018 campaign.
Photographed by Steven Meisel, the image was the longest group shot for an advertising
campaign image ever. The photoshoot featured notable models such as Bella and Gigi
Hadid, Kaia Gerber, Adut Akech, and Imaan Hammam, to name a few, and was a diverse
lineup of women of different ages and ethnicities.

Hello from the

other side
Rushmika Banerjee takes a brief look at defining moments in the world
of fashion that have made the industry more inclusive in 2018

TAGS
S OFF
Ready-to-wear label Huemn,
which is known for its gender-
diverse e campaigns and
intimate portraits, has
coome up with another
unconventional concept.
Itts recent-launched
e-commerce
e store
Huemn.in has three
section—men,
s women,
an nd non-binary. In this
first-of-its-kind concept
in In ndia, the outfits in the
non-binary section have
been worn and displayed
by transgender model
Taksh Sharma. This is a great
step by y the brand’s founders
Pranav v Misra and Shyma
Shetty tto give their genderless
aesthetic c a physical space,
and take the conversation
a step forward.
SHARP FOCUS
While all of us were busy hearting Raw
Mango by designer Sanjay Garg in his
campaign Cloud People on Instagram, it
was photographer Ashish Shah who was
silently moving a campaign towards
involving real people in this photo feature.
Shah cast models from the streets
of Northeast to showcase Raw Mango’s
ensembles made of handwoven Bengal
mul, zardozi, brocade, and mashru. The
models were shot against the picturesque
backdrop of Meghalaya, and it was
a major move towards displaying clothes
on real women.
INTIMATE CIRCLE
Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty lingerie line focussed on diverse
sizing, and the campaign, shot with plus-size model Audrey
Ritchie, celebrated all body types. The campaign’s caption, X
stands for ALL, was applauded for the message it endorsed.
FASHION focus

WALK OF PRIDE
As Burberry’s creative director
Christopher Bailey took his final bow on
the London Fashion Week Fall/Winter
2018 runway, he also made news with
his last collection for the British heritage
brand. The image that did the rounds
of social media was of Cara Delevingne
sashaying down the ramp in a multi-
coloured Burberry cape (the collection
itself being rainbow-themed). Dedicated
to the LGBTQ+ youth, the rainbow stripe
featured prominently
p y in the line.

BLURRING IDENTITIES
Chola, by designer Sohaya Mishra, who presented her show
Bye Felicia at Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2018,
explored the theme of drag makeup and gender fluidity.
It was refreshing to see an Indian designer feature drag
queens (Mark Mascarenhas and Sushant Divgikar aka Rani
Ko-He-Noor) on the ramp and openly embrace a subculture.
Male models wore makeup, cropped jackets, and frilly shirts,
while female models strutted in gender-neutral silhouettes.

LEARNING CURVE
Designer-duo Rixi and Tinka Bhatia,
founders of the label Half Full Curve,
promoted body positivity on the runway
of Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort
2018. The model lineup included women
of all ages and sizes, and showed how plus-
size fashion for women can be sartorially
up-to-the-minute. The silhouettes stayed
away from being safe, and included off-
shoulder dresses, crop tops, plunging
CHANEL

necklines, and Grecian-drape gowns.

PRADA

EASY STRIDES
Tommy Hilfiger’s Spring 2018 Adaptive
campaign featured notable figures from
the disabled community, such as
Paralympian gold medal winner and track
star Jeremy Campbell, motivational
LEGACY
REWRITTEN
It was interesting to note how women
of colour made historical strides on the
runway, in February this year, Egyptian-
IMAXTREE.COM; VIKRANT KHARAT/LAKMÉ
PHOTOGRAPHS: DANIELE OBERRAUCH/

speaker Mama Caxx, paraplegic dancer born American model Anok Yai became
FASHION WEEK WINTER/FESTIVE 2018

Chelsie Hill, and 18-year-old autistic chef
Jeremiah Josey. The outfits, featuring
modified details like magnetic buttons,
adjustable hems, and Velcro-band
closures marked an important step by
a mainstream designer to make the
industry more inclusive.
the first black model to open a Prada
show in 20 years, the first being Naomi
Campbell in 1997. Meanwhile, Sudanese-
Australian model Adut Akech became the
second-ever model of colour after Alek
Wek (in 2004) to walk as the showstopper
at Chanel’s Fall 2018 couture show.
BEAUTY
BEAUTY feature
 IN ITto
WIN IT

ON ANJALI, BODYCON EMBELLISHED DRESS, RAJAT TANGRI; EARRINGS, ACCESSORIZE

As inclusivity becomes a driving force, we celebrate

ON TASHI, EMBELLISHED DRESS, RAJAT TANGRI; EARRINGS, JJ VALAYA

some of the best faces in the beauty space who
are leading the way. It’s an industry that has broken
norms and abolished the conventional standards
of beauty by achieving diversity.
By Sanjana Salunkhe
Photographs by Meetesh Taneja
BEAUTY feature

MARIETTE
VALSAN
Actor and model
“Growing up, I used to think
beautiful was not a word

COLLECTION; GOLD-PLATED LAYERED NECKLACE, ACCESSORIZE;

JACKET, KOOVS.COM; PRINTED BRALETTE, MOSCHINO [TV] H&M
that applied to me. I rarely
saw women in the media
who looked like I do.
Today, I see the beauty and
media industries making
a conscious effort to evolve
and expand their definition
of beautiful. When a dusky

EMBELLISHED TIARA, KARLEO

girl like me is no longer
a ‘risky’ or a ‘bold’ choice for
a beauty brand, or is in
mainstream cinema, it
shows that the real change
has happened.”
BEAUTY feature

SANKY EVRUS
Hair artiste
TOP, RHEA PILLAI RASTOGI; NECKERCHIEF, H&M

“The best part about this

industry is that it embraces
different types of people
and treats them all fairly
and equally. I feel privileged
to be a part of it, as people
are so welcoming. I have
been fortunate to find
a path to a place where
I belong.”
BEAUTY feature

TASHI PEDY
Model
“I didn’t know how I was
going to fit into a market
which prefers conventional
facial features. I soon
learned that not all markets
are the same; some
welcome the idea of being
different, and some are
slowly starting to accept it
with changing times and
trends. I know this
development has happened
at a slow pace, but it is
definitely picking up and
gives me a feeling of self-
confidence,self-love, and
a positive attitude.”

BLAZER JACKET, ANIKET SATAM; BODY SUIT, NIKITA MHAISALKAR; EARRINGS

AND RING, SAKSHI JHUNJHUNWALA
BEAUTY feature

JASON ARLAND
Senior manager of
METALLIC JACKET AND PANTS, MOSCHINO [TV] H&M COLLECTION;

artistry, MyGlamm
GOLD-PLATED RINGS & EARRING, SAAKSHI JHUNJHUNWALA

“As a boy, I have never shied away

from applying makeup because
I honestly think that’s who I am.
Years ago, no one would have thought
that a bald, brown, skinny boy will
be wearing makeup and celebrating
beauty. My journey has been amazing
so far, and I have seen change and
experienced more acceptance
in society. I’m glad to be a part
of an industry where art is
appreciated without any biases.”
BEAUTY feature

ANJALI LAMA
Model
“The beauty industry is very
colourful and has welcomed people
from different places, cultures, and
religions. Being a transgender
model, I had my doubts, but I was
wrong as it has been one of the first
places where I have felt welcome
and inclusive, and I truly hope
it remains this way forever.”

HAIR AND MAKEUP: MYGLAMM; STYLED BY: MAYOLA ALMEIDA; ART DIRECTOR
CHUNKY SWEATER , PERO; EARRINGS , TRIBE BY AMRAPALI

(DIGITAL AND BEAUTY): SAMEER MORE.

 BEAUTY feature

FACE
VALUE Be bold, be bright, and paint the town in more than just one hue!
Tatiana Dias shows real women how to infuse this season’s perky
makeup trends into their basic beauty routines
Photographs: Vinay Javkar

PINK AGAIN
If you’re thinking of going down
the pop route, then don’t forget
EARRINGS, STYLIST’S OWN; RINGS, ACCESSORIZE

to strut down pink avenue. Begin

by gently exfoliating your lips and
top it off with a moisturising lip
COTTON SILK SAREE, MODEL’S OWN;

balm. Outline your lips with a bright

pink lip liner and fill them in. Apply
a pop pink glossy liquid lipstick
on your lips. Use a concealer
around the lips to get the perfect
definition. Go with a gold smoky
eye to give it a classy touch.
BEAUTY feature

DUSTED
ROSE
Go for a subdued, yet edgy
look. Begin by prepping your
lids and lips with a primer.
Apply a dusty rose pink
eyeshadow on your lids and
blend it well. Using a gel liner,
create a graphic winged liner
with a fine tip brush, going all

LACE DRESS, HOUSE OF THREE;

the way from the outer

EARRINGS, MODEL’S OWN

corner into the crease and
then to the inner corner
of your eye. Use a similar
shade of lipstick to complete
the colour-coordinated look.
BEAUTY feature

CHERRY
BLOSSOM
You can never go wrong
pairing classics. A fine-
tipped winged eye and
a cherry blossom lip go
hand-in-hand. Moisturise
across your face and neck
for a natural glow.
Use a cherry red colour on
your lips, and a concealer
around your mouth to even

NOSE RING AND STUDS, MODEL’S OWN

out the lines and hide
any spills. Top it off with

CREAM SHIRT, VERO MODA;

a hydrating lip oil for extra
sheen. Give the look
a ’60s feel by adding
a minimalistic cat eye, with
defined brows and a light
coat of mascara.
BEAUTY feature

TWO TO
TANGO
Play around with two contrasting
hues that complement each
other perfectly. Prep your lids
with an eye primer. Tap a bright
WHITE SHIRT, VERO MODA; JACKET, CHANDNI

orange eyeshadow powder

on your lids and create a gradient
that is stronger on the outer
SAHI; NECKLACE, ACCESSORIZE

corners and lighter towards the

inner corners of your eyes.
Top it off with a cobalt blue
winged eyeliner and use
minimal mascara. Tie the
look in with nude lip colour.
BEAUTY feature

ICE PRINCESS
Create a royal vibe with cool
blues and icy silvers. After
prepping your lids, apply
a powdery blue eyeshadow
on the crease and blend it across
the lids. Use a silver highlight
on the inner corners of your eyes
and halfway into the crease—
make sure you mix the shades
well. With a blue glitter eye
MESH CROCHET DRESS, HERA BY AJ;

pencil, draw a winged liner from

the centre of your upper lash line
to the outer corner of your eye
RINGS, MODEL’S OWN

and down mid-way to the bottom

lash line. A glossy nude pink
lip will balance out and finish
the look.
BEAUTY feature

PURPLE
REIGN
Play up the drama with
exaggerated dual-toned eyes.
Use a bright purple shimmery
hue on the outer edge across

SPORTS BRA, MODEL’S OWN; CROPPED BLAZER, VERO MODA;

your lid and shade it in. Once
again, the crease and the
outer corner should have
more pigment than the inner
corner. Add a hint of yellow

NOSE RING AND STUD, MODEL’S OWN

eyeshadow to the inner
corners, and seamlessly
blend it into the purple.
Tightline your eyes and create
a fine, yet defined winged
liner. Draw attention to the
eye with groomed brows
and a nude lip.
BEAUTY feature
HAIR AND MAKEUP: JEAN-CLAUDE BIGUINE; MODELS: SHORMISHTHA MUKHERJEE, NEHA AGRAWAL AND
NATASHA NOEL; STYLED BY: MAYOLA ALMEIDA; ART DIRECTOR (DIGITAL AND BEAUTY): SAMEER MORE.
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REALITY cover girl

G o o d
e
ivonbly s
Calm, composed, and compassionate, Deepika Padukone has
charmed her way into people’s hearts since her very first movie.
The global icon talks to Rushmika Banerjee about her biggest
learning, mental health advocacy, and her pursuit of happiness.
Photographs: Prasad Naik
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important learnings for me— right from

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Authenticity has been one of the biggest and most
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REALITY cover girl

i, I am Deepika Padukone,”
is how the actor introduced herself to the stylist when
she walked into the sets of Femina’s cover shoot.
Dressed in a simple white tee and denims, she arrived
at 9:25 for a shoot call time of 9:30 am. Later, she
jokingly told the stylist how technologically challenged
she is when it comes to ordering food online. During
the shoot as well, when the stylist couldn’t find a pair
of denims that would fit, Padukone happily offered
to wear her own pair and she did. Deepika Padukone
on screen is phenomenal. Deepika Padukone off-screen
is grounded and her world is as simple as it gets. As
we wrapped up the shoot in less than three hours,
I couldn’t help but appreciate her work ethic, which
was devoid of the starry air that one would expect
of one of the highest-paid Indian actors in the
Hindi film industry.
Years later, when I will recall this interaction,
I will always remember how diligent, committed,
and level-headed Padukone was. These are all
the qualities that she brings to her work as well,
which make her characters so convincing—the
vulnerable Tara (from Tamasha in 2015), the feisty
Piku (from Piku in 2015), and the courageous
Rani Padmavati (from Padmaavat in 2018). In this
freewheeling chat, Padukone talks about embracing
failures, empowering individuals, and her evolving
relationship with Ranveer Singh:
Was acting your first love?
I always felt like I would become an actor one day.
Coming from a sports family, we didn’t watch a lot
of movies, but on the few occasions that we did,
I would feel that this is where I would reach
eventually—without knowing how. It was just a gut
feeling. Of course, I continued playing badminton
and later became a model, but today when I look
back at my life, I think about how fascinating it was.
Something that I thought would happen, manifested
and worked out for me. I genuinely believe that
if you want something, you focus your energies
on making it happen.
There must have been challenges on
the way. Did you ever feel like giving up?
No. Giving up has never been an option for
me. I don’t think I have ever been through that feeling.
I don’t deny that there were moments of weakness
and vulnerability, but I don’t think any sort of failure
or negativity has led me to want to give up.
How do you feel when you walk into a movie
set today?
Today, there is a sense of familiarity and comfort
versus the day when I first walked on to a set. That day,
everything was new for me—neither did I have any
experience or understanding of the medium, nor did
I know what I needed to do. I feel a sense of confidence
and belonging now.
What are the lessons that you have learnt
in these years?
Authenticity has been one of the biggest and most
important learnings for me—right from the type
of films I choose to my own personality. I feel it takes
a lot of self-awareness to get to that place. Most often,
I think we are always trying to be somebody we are
not. We are always living with the fear of being judged
or not living up to other people’s expectations. But it’s
extremely empowering when you get to a place where
you are comfortable with yourself and who you are.
Does failure intimidate you?
No, it doesn’t, and I don’t think it ever has. Being
an athlete has taught me how to embrace failure.
It is a lesson in life, and one should experience and
accept failure in order to be successful.
Have perceptions changed after you
have come out to the industry about
your mental health?
Yes, absolutely. There’s been a paradigm shift, where
it has encouraged a lot of people to come out and seek
help, not just from the fraternity, but from around
the world. That was the very intent of sharing my
experience in the first place, and I am glad that I
have been able to impact so many lives. I can say this
unabashedly because I experience it on a daily basis
when people write their firsthand experiences to me. It
feels good to know that I, along with my organisation,
Being an athlete has taught me
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in life, and one should experience
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 REALITY cover girl

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The Live Love Laugh Foundation, was able to highlight
and underline the importance of mental health and
bring the conversation to the fore in our country.
Tell us more about people writing to you…
People write to me in so many ways. I have people
who write me letters, and pass me notes every time—
whether I am sitting in an airplane or at a restaurant.
They confide to me, thanking me for giving them that
strength. In fact, recently when I was at restaurant in
Bangalore, three young girls passed me a note through
the waiter. I just assumed that they wanted a picture
with me, because that is how it used to be earlier. But
it wasn’t about that. All three of them were in therapy,
and collectively they wrote me a note, thanking me for
coming out, as it was after that they were encouraged
to seek help. Now this is a constant for me, like an
everyday phenomenon. Then, there are professionals,
counsellors, and therapists who write to me reporting
the surge they see every year.
I remember the story of this boy who was clinically
depressed, but refused to take medication. After he
watched my interview, he willingly went to the doctor
next day and started taking his medicines. Few months
later, he specifically told the doctor to mention this to
me, and that he is feeling much better, thanks to that
interview which impacted his life. I want to share this
story because I don’t think things like these usually
come out. It is important for my foundation in its
journey to destigmatise mental illnesses.
You have been asked many times in
the past about the pay gap in the industry.
Don’t you feel it’s unfair to ask a female actor
about her remuneration when the same thing
wouldn’t be asked of a male actor?
The way I would put it is that it was an important
conversation to have, because only when you talk
of disparity and bridging a wage gap, can you reach
a place when you don’t have to ask that question again.
We needed to address the issues—whether it was the
lack of female representation or the wages—because
they were glaring in our faces. Over a period of time,
we had those discussions, so today we can sit back and
say, we don’t need to have them anymore. By sweeping
something under the carpet or not admitting it, you are
not going to address the issue.
Are you considering more
Hollywood projects?
I am just considering projects. Today, the world
has become so small and inclusive—it focusses
more on the kind of story you are telling and less
on where it’s coming from and the language it’s being
told in. As an actor, one strives to be part of a film or
any sort of medium that has good content. This has
always been the process for me and it hasn’t changed
over the years.
How do you unwind?
I spend a lot of time at home with my parents, sister,
and loved ones. That’s my way of staying grounded
and being rooted. Also, cleaning. Like every other
household, there are people to do it, but there are days
when I need to, and happily do it myself.
Do you feel actors today feel much more
pressured to stay relevant online?
I am a bit old-school when it comes to social media,
and think the only thing relevant is your work. So if
you attain popularity and stardom with no substance,
it is going to fade away eventually. Substance is key,
and it will never let you down.
How has your relationship with Ranveer
Singh evolved over the years?
When there are people you connect with in your
life, your relationship is bound to evolve. It should
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move forward. I think both of us have managed to
find that in each other. It feels great to find someone HAIR: GABRIEL GEORGIOU; MAKEUP: SANDHYA SHEKHAR; SENIOR CREATIVE
who is dependable, who you can trust, who puts
you before himself. He is fun to be with, but also
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sensitive, emotional, honest, and dependable. Most
importantly, he is my best friend. That’s what I could
see in him when we first met, and that’s what we
have evolved into.
Is there a life lesson that you would like
to share with your fans?
Whatever profession you are in, virtues like sacrifice,
commitment, dedication, and hard work are the bare
minimum requirements. I have said this earlier as
well, follow the three Ds—dedication, determination,
and discipline. All of these things are vital, not just to
survive, but also be successful in whatever you do.
 REALITY interview

‘Idecidedtobe
THE CHANGE’
In a split second, life as she knew it was over. Former cricketer, and activist Preethi Srinivasan
shares her heart-breaking, albeit inspiring, story with Nikita Sawant

P
reethi Srinivasan has seen life as
a promising cricketer who captained After an
the U-19 Tamil Nadu state women’s accident took
cricket team. She was a champion away her
swimmer, excellent at academics, and a girl ability to walk
who was admired by her peers and their
parents alike. For a go-getter like her, having
and confined
to give up on her passions may have been the her to
most difficult thing to do. But after a seemingly a wheelchair,
harmless accident took away her ability to walk Srinivasan
and confined her to a wheelchair for the rest had to unlearn
of her life, Srinivasan had to unlearn everything
she knew and start life afresh. From playing
everything
for the state team from the age of eight to she knew
losing all movement below her neck at 17, and start
from feeling utterly helpless after the accident to life afresh.
now leading the team at her NGO,
Soulfree, Srinivasan has come a long
way. Over to the fighter.
What inspired your passion
for cricket?
When I was just four, in 1983, India played its
first World Cup final against West Indies. Every
Indian sat in front of the television screen and
supported India. I, however, was supporting
the West Indies because I was an ardent fan of
Sir Vivian Richards. I became so engrossed in
the game that I developed a fever. Such was my
madness for cricket, and soon after, my father
took me for formal training with reputed coach
P K Dharmalingam. At my first summer camp,
I was the only girl among over 300 boys and
I was perfectly fine with it. At eight, before I was
old enough to know that it was a big deal, I had
already found a place in the playing XI of the
Tamil Nadu women’s cricket team.

You suffered an accident that

completely changed the course of
your life. Can you tell us about it?
On July 11, 1998, I went on an excursion
organised by my college to Puducherry. I was
17 then. On our way back, we decided to play
on the beach for a while. While playing in thigh
high water, a receding wave washed away the
sand beneath my feet and I stumbled for a few
feet before clumsily diving face first into the
water. The moment my face went underwater
I felt a shock-like sensation travel from head
to toe, leaving me unable to move. I had been
a champion swimmer at one point. My friends
immediately dragged me out. I took charge of
my own first aid, told those around that they
had to stabilise my spine. When I reached the
hospital in Puducherry, the staff promptly
washed their hands off the ‘accident case’.
No emergency medical aid was available to
me for nearly four hours. Upon reaching
Chennai, I was taken to a multispecialty
hospital where my treatment began.
How did you cope?
I did not cope well at all. I could not bear the
way people were looking at me, so I refused to
leave the house for two years. It was my parents’
unconditional love that slowly brought me out
and offered me a deeper understanding of life.
Who has been your biggest
support system?
My parents, undoubtedly. They quietly sacrificed
their lives, so that I could live with dignity. All
three of us moved to Tiruvannamalai in Tamil
Nadu. When my father suddenly passed away of
a heart attack in 2007, our world was shattered.
Ever since then, my mother has single-handedly
taken care of me, which she continues to do.
After my father’s death, I felt a tremendous void,
and in December 2009, I called my coach and
told him that if anybody was still interested in
contacting me, he could give them my number.
I did not have to wait even a minute, the phone
rang almost immediately. It was like my friends
had never forgotten me. After my parents, my
friends mean everything to me.
“It was my parents’ unconditional love that
slowly brought me out and offered me
a deeper understanding of life.”
Despite having the support, you must
have faced quite a few difficulties…
I have faced difficulties every step of the way.
We had trouble finding caregivers in our village,
because they considered me a bad omen. When
I started Soulfree, the banks wouldn’t allow us
to open an account because they do not accept
thumbprints as a valid signature. Four days
after my father passed away, my mother had
a heart attack and subsequently needed a bypass
surgery. I was shocked to be suddenly placed in
the role of the decision-maker and breadwinner.
With the use of speech-activated software,
I started working as a writer for a movie-based
website, which I still continue to do.
What prompted you to
start Soulfree?
When my mother was about to have bypass
surgery, my parents’ friends came up to me and
said, “Have you thought about your future?
How will you survive?” When the practical
significance of the question began to seep in,
I tried to research living facilities for people in
my condition. I was shocked to learn that there
wasn’t a single facility that is equipped to take
care of a quadriplegic woman for the long-term,
at least to my knowledge. Around that time,
REALITY interview
I learnt that two paraplegic girls I knew
in Tiruvannamalai had committed suicide
by consuming poison. They were both hard-
working girls; their upper body worked fine,
allowing them to do most household chores.
Despite this, they were ostracised by their
families. I was shocked that such things could
happen. I decided to be the agent of change
and that’s how Soulfree was born.
In what ways does Soulfree help
differently abled people?
Soulfree’s main goals are to spread awareness
about spinal cord injuries in India and to ensure
that those living with this currently incurable
condition are given the opportunity to lead
a dignified and purposeful life. A project
that is working well is the monthly stipend
programme, which supports those with high-
level injuries from low-income backgrounds.
We also organise wheelchair donation
drives; conduct spinal-cord injury awareness
programmes; provide medical rehabilitation
and financial assistance for emergency medical
“For inclusion procedures; and connect people with spinal-
cord injury through conference calls to ensure
to become the that they know they are not alone.
norm across
all spheres Can you share a success story
in society, from Soulfree?
the sense of There are many. Take for instance Poosari,
who suffered a spinal cord injury and remained
connectedness bedridden for seven years. Then, with the
needs to seep support of Soulfree, he gained confidence and
deep into has taken to farming. After leasing three acres
all of us.” of land, he has grown as many as 108 sacks of
rice, and earned more than `1 lakh proving
that paraplegics can overcome any challenge
through honest effort. Poosari’s story shows us
that if we believe in somebody and support them
wholeheartedly, amazing things can happen.
The general mindset about
disabilities is still quite backward
in India. What are your thoughts
on this?
There is general indifference and apathy in
Indian society about disabilities. The laws
are already in place that all public buildings,
including educational institutions, should have
wheelchair accessibility, but these laws are
not being implemented everywhere. Unless
society makes a conscious decision to
encourage us to live our lives and become
productive members of society, bringing
about a fundamental change is difficult.
Can you share your thoughts
on inclusivity across spheres?
For inclusion to become the norm across all
spheres in society, the sense of connectedness
needs to seep deep into all of us. True upliftment
can happen only when all of us rise together.
People and organisations need to take their
social responsibilities seriously and be held
accountable for the problems in our society.
What are your plans for the future?
My only plan for the future is to spread
PHOTOGRAPHS: RATHIKA SUNDHAR/YES MEDIA
love, light, laughter, and hope in the world
around me. Being an agent of change and
a source of positive energy in any circumstance
is my goal. As far as Soulfree is concerned,
my commitment to it is absolute. The goal
is to transform prevailing perspectives about
disability in India. It will definitely require
a lifetime of work, and will continue long
after I’m not around.
 REALITY interview
‘Negativity is not
an option’
Activist and comedian Nidhi Goyal has been visually impaired since age 15, but that hasn’t stopped
her from leading a life full of purpose, much punctuated with laughter. By Anindita Ghosh
W
hen
Nidhi
Goyal
takes the
stage as
a comedian, there is often
an uneasy hush before she
starts speaking. There are
a few sotto voce murmurs
and a general discomfort that
arises from not knowing what
to expect or how to react.
After all, Goyal happens to
be visually impaired, and
chances are that none of the
audience members would
have been to a gig by
a disabled comedian before.
But Goyal, who is all too
aware of the uncertainty disability—with a huge dose will always be someone
around her performance, of humour where the joke is who will ignore me and
takes the discomfort head-on on the sighted who bumble address my friend asking
with an opening line that around her, not knowing how if I want something when
goes, “I’m blind, so is love. to deal with someone with I am standing right there!
Get over it!” The ice breaks a visual impairment. “There Or there are these uncles
immediately, and there is are so many anecdotes of scouting for brides on
a roar of laughter as the things that keep happening matrimonial sites, who
elephant in the room to me daily, that they provide turn speech impaired when
is shooed out. This has been fodder for an endless stream they hear that I am visually
pretty much the way that of jokes. For example, if impaired!” says Goyal.
Goyal has dealt with her I am with a friend, there Goyal would often regale
her friends with these tales,
“THERE ARE SO MANY ANECDOTES among them queer activist
OF THINGS THAT KEEP HAPPENING Pramada Menon, who would
find them hilarious. After one
TO ME DAILY, THEY PROVIDE FODDER such laughter-filled session,
FOR AN ENDLESS STREAM OF JOKES.” Menon asked Goyal to
do a stand-up act with
REALITY interview
her and gave her six months
to prepare her script.
“I instantly agreed, without
any hesitation. While creating
the script wasn’t a problem
with my wealth of funny
experiences, there were
moments of nervousness
where I wondered if the
audience would find me
funny. Was I the only one
who found disability and
ignorance funny because
I was disabled myself?
And while I don’t have
stage-fright, the thought of
immediate feedback was
a little daunting. When
I went on stage and
played out my first joke,
however, the laughter
was instantaneous and
spontaneous. After that, there
was no looking back.
I was on a roll,” says Goyal,
who has performed at
comedy clubs, events, and
conferences since then.
Not just a comedian
While Goyal thoroughly
enjoys doing stand-up, she
rues the fact that she doesn’t
get as much time to pursue
it, busy as she is with her
full-time career as a disability
and gender rights activist.
“I do this through training,
campaigns, advocacy with the
government, training women
or people with disabilities,
public engagement, public
representations in spaces
and conferences, research,
and writing. So, I use a range
of working techniques for
the advancement of sexual,
reproductive, health, and
human rights of women
and girls.”
Mumbai-based Goyal, who
lost vision when she was just
15 years old to a degenerative
eye disorder called retinitis
pigmentosa, initially trained
to be journalist before
deciding that activism
was more her calling.
“When I was 15 and
was going blind, I remember
having a conversation with
a spiritual master. I was
sitting with a long face and
asking ‘why me?’, when he
reminded me that I was lucky
to have the support of my
family where many other
women would have
been thrown out on the
streets. I was taken aback
as I hadn’t looked at it from
that perspective. That day,
I decided that at some point,
I would work for other people
like me,” says Goyal. “Later,
when a dissatisfaction with
my journalism career kicked
in, I decided to get into
activism. I needed to do
some work which would
have direct impact.”
Goyal was clear that she
wanted to work for women
and girls with disabilities,
but focus on issues that “NO ONE WAS TALKING ABOUT
others were not talking about. SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE
She zeroed in on sexual and
reproductive health and HEALTH AND RIGHTS IN RELATION
rights, not realising that there TO DISABLED WOMEN, BECAUSE THE
would be a lot of resistance
and scepticism from within
TOPIC OF SEXUALITY IS A TABOO IN
the activist community itself. OUR SOCIETY.”
“No one was talking about
these topics in relation to wanted sex.” Not one to care are further deprived within
disabled women, because about such allegations, Goyal their disability, so that’s
the topic of sexuality is went on with her work, where Rising Flame will
such a taboo in our society. and in the eight years since work. I also work with
So initially, when I started then, has made a significant a range of women’s and
working as a young activist in impact on the issue of human rights organisations
Mumbai, people dismissed sexuality among women since my commitment is
it as something that was not and girls with disabilities. towards the cause and the
necessary. The implication Last year, she founded her issues. Recently, with Human
was that I was not really own organisation, Rising Rights Watch, we launched
an activist, but a pseudo- Flame, that works for people a report on sexual violence
activist, and also the hidden with disabilities, but with and rape cases of women
insinuation that I chose a focus on women and the with disabilities and their
sexuality because I was single, youth. “Gender- and age- access to justice, looking
ergo a little desperate, and discriminated people at how they interact with

the police and courts.
We researched if the
environment is supportive
and whether the laws are
being implemented or not.”
Goyal’s activities are not
restricted to India alone.
Recently, she worked with
an international agency to
build capacities of activists
from Africa and a few South-
Asian countries for them
to understand how gender-
disability works and how
they can engage with the
United Nations mechanisms.
“My work includes everything
in this spectrum. The benefit
I have from working with
multiple organisations is
that I have a broad view of
the issues across the globe,
and have a chance to create
linkages. Rising Flame was
born because of this very
broad view, where I saw
the gaps, and where work
wasn’t being done.”
Speaking out
A significant part of Goyal’s
work has been to give a voice
to the disabled woman who is
often overlooked and ignored
“I REMEMBER WHEN I BEGAN TO
LOSE MY SIGHTAT 15, MYMOTHER
ANDSISTERSTARTEDTRAININGME
TOBECOMEINDEPENDENT.”
by society. Her NGO recently
ran two campaigns that took
this idea forward. The first
was a 16-day campaign in
November-December 2017
where it collaborated with
the #MeToo campaign
and got disabled women
to talk about their sexual
abuse experiences.
“In the #MeToo
campaign, did you see any
woman with disabilities
saying ‘I was abused?’ There
were none, whereas the data
says women with disabilities
are at a higher risk and face
higher levels of violence.
So it’s not that a disabled
woman isn’t getting raped or
harassed, it’s just that nobody
is able to hear her out. That’s
why we ran a campaign
collaborating with #MeToo,
where we encouraged women
with disabilities to come
forth and talk about the
discrimination, abuse,
and violence they face.
We curated short videos,
where I also shared a sexual
harassment episode that
happened to me when
I was in college.”
The other campaign
that Goyal and her NGO
ran was called ‘My Tale
Too’, to rewrite the narratives
of popular movies or novels
with disabled people in the
lead. “It was personal for me
because I grew up watching
films and reading books
where people with disabilities
were portrayed in a negative
or humourous manner.
So I ran a workshop and
a campaign with 10 women
with disabilities, to re-write
the narratives. Women
came together and spun
their lives into beautiful
tales where a Red Riding
Hood has polio, a Rapunzel
who is blind, and a Sleeping
Beauty who is in a coma.”
The flavours of life
While the work that Goyal
does is intense and serious,
she ensures that she peppers
her life with as many life-
enriching experiences and
happy moments as possible.
Goyal has travelled the world
(often solo), much of it due
to her work as an activist,
taking the challenges that
come with it in her stride.
“My family has never made
a big deal about my disability
or told me that I cannot do
something. I remember when
I began to lose my sight at 15,
my mother and sister started
training me to become
independent so that I would
be equipped to deal with the
world when I would lose my
vision completely. I cannot
thank them enough, I know
it was not an easy task.”
On many of her journeys,
Goyal has travelled alone,
relying on her cane, common
sense, help from strangers,
and nerves of steel. “I was
invited to a conference in
Brazil, where I had to travel
all on my own. I had always
wanted to go to Brazil and
I remember feeling frustrated
because the internet said it
was an unsafe destination
where crime was rampant,
which slimmed my chances
of going. My father saw
my distress and instead of
discouraging me, asked me
if the crimes were being
targeted at disabled people
or people in general. He
made me realise that I was
at no more risk than any
other person. With parents
like these, negativity is
just not an option,” is
her parting note.
 REALITY interview

‘I was outed
without my
consent’
Sonal Giani faced discrimination,
humiliation, and abuse before she
found her voice as a bisexual. The
youth icon who has broken countless
barriers speaks to Hemchhaya
De about issues close to her heart

M
eet Sonal
Giani, 31, one
of the most
prominent
youth icons of the LGBT
rights movement in India.
She hails from Goa and after
completing her studies there,
she moved to Mumbai for
work. The city of dreams
is where she got access to
support spaces for LGBT
individuals and got actively
involved in the fight against
discrimination. She was
outed, without her consent,
at the age of 19, and it has
been a long and arduous
journey since. Taking part
in the reality TV show,
Connected Hum Tum, in
2013 made her a household
name. She maintains
that working with LGBT
collectives such as The
Humsafar Trust and reaching
out to beleaguered members
of the community has helped
her heal, and dream of
a bias-free, equal world.
You identified your
sexual orientation at
“When the age of 15. How
I reached did it all happen?
puberty, When I reached puberty,
I could recognise my
I could romantic attractions, but
recognise my I was not comfortable with
romantic it. I was attracted to both,
men and women. I believed
attractions, that expressing these feelings
but I was not would invite ridicule and
comfortable humiliation from everyone.
So I dropped the idea of
with it.” coming out or accepting my
REALITY interview
“Even within LGBT community
spaces, a lot of hate is directed
towards people who identify
themselves as bisexuals.”
sexuality before I understood
the implications of burying
my feelings.
You have mentioned
on various forums that
you were outed at the
age of 19. What were
the immediate
challenges?
I was outed without my
consent during my third
year at college. A batchmate
sent an anonymous forward
to everyone about me being
bisexual. Following this,
there was a post about me
on the college Orkut page.
I felt humiliated and publicly
shamed, and underwent a lot
of trauma. I was depressed,
was constantly crying, and
lost weight as a result of not
being able to eat. I came
out to a few people around
me for support. Those who
understood me and, more
importantly, didn’t judge
me were few. Most of my
friends, in fact, stopped
interacting with me.
Tell us about the
support structure
you had at that time.
I came out to my mother at
Sonal Giani with actor
Mona Ambegaonkar
a point when I knew
I had turned suicidal due
to depression. She was
supportive and asked me
to seek professional help.
I came out to my father
following the Delhi High
Court judgment (a landmark
judgement that struck
down Section 377 in 2009).
He was extremely supportive
and told me that he would
be happy to attend the
Mumbai Pride with
me. My brother helped
me a lot. My strongest
support so far has been my
twin sister who has been
by my side unconditionally.
Did you have to hear
things such as ‘it’s
just a phase’ from
people, among other
pieces of advice?
Yes, I had many friends who
felt that it was just a phase.
Many felt that I needed to
have sex with guys to get
over it, or that it was all just
about being fashionable. It
was difficult to deal with this
sort of judgement coming
my way. Initially, with no
access to support spaces,
I internalised these notions
and believed I deserved the
harshness directed towards
me. This, of course, has
changed dramatically after
gaining access to counselling
and community spaces.
How deep and
widespread is the
problem of biphobia
in the country?
Biphobia is deeply
widespread in India. The
common feelings include
notions such as bisexual
people are confused people.
That they will be on the
fence until they realise
whether they are straight
or gay. These feelings are
not limited to those who
are straight. Even within
LGBT community spaces,
a lot of hate is directed
towards people who identify
themselves as bisexuals.
Many resent them for having
heterosexual marriages.
They believe that being
bisexual is not a real identity,
and only promiscuous,
non-committal, and
experimental people
identify themselves as such.
How do you counter
these misconceptions
against bisexuality?
By actively and visibly
addressing biphobia. I also
conduct sessions on gender
and sexuality for different
kinds of people such as
students and corporates.
Tell us about some
of the most vicious
instances of
discrimination you
faced at work.
In the hotel where I first
worked, I had to witness
sexual graffiti with my
name in the public spaces
that the staff used. When
I asked the security staff for
support to find the culprits,
they too tried to shame
me. When I went to the
women’s changing room,
some women would move
REALITY interview
“I cannot stress enough on the
importance of being aware of
your legal rights, especially when
facing police harassment.”
out. I was upset and became
insecure about my future.
During a night drop, the
security person showed
me a porn clip. When
I reported this to his senior,
they blamed me. I eventually
chose to quit the job. These
instances had a devastating
impact on my confidence,
and I had to go in for
counselling, during which
I was diagnosed with
severe depression.
What’s your take
on the portrayal of
LGBTQI community
in films, and the
media in general?
I think the mainstream
portrayal of the community
is quite problematic. Queer
characters are mostly
projected in stereotypical
ways. Social media has
changed things quite a bit.
We have great films coming
through independent
filmmakers and content
creators. Some channels
have also taken cue.
You have often
said working with
organisations like
The Humsafar Trust
helped you heal. How
did that happen?
When I joined The
Humsafar Trust, for the
first time in my life I felt
a sense of belonging and
being accepted for who
I am. Most of the people
I met were much older
than me, and they were out
publicly, which offered me
a sense of possibility and
hope. Learning from them,
when I started building more
support spaces, I realised
that supporting others
helped me too.
How can a support
structure be created
for people who deal
with discrimination
or harassment after
coming out?
It is important to be
connected and aware of
support spaces such as
The Humsafar Trust.
Integrated Network
For Sexual Minorities
(INFOSEM) is a network
of 200 LGBT organisations
around India. If people
inform them about their
crises, support will be
available. But, apart from
the above, I cannot stress
enough on the importance
of being aware of your legal
(Above) Giani
with activist
Harish Iyer; (Left)
with Nandita Das
rights, especially when
facing police harassment.
There’s a stiff
political opposition
to decriminalising
Section 377. What is
the need of the hour?
It is for allies and
communities to come
out protest against this
draconian law. Media should
be writing more about, and
representing, LGBT lives in
a way that is non-sensational
and rooted in reality.
Who are your role
models?
My role models are Vivek
Raj Anand, CEO of The
Humsafar Trust, and
filmmaker and writer
Paromita Vohra. Vivek
showed me how to connect
to, work with, and build
communities. Paromita,
because she introduced
me to feminism and sex-
positivity. Working with
her on the project ‘Agents
Of Ishq’ (described as
a multi-media project) has
changed me completely.
What are your current
projects? Tell us a bit
about them.
I am currently working on
a short film about Indian
families and acceptance
of LGBT lives. I am also
PHOTOGRAPHS: VINAY JAVKAR
the co-founder of Yaariyan,
India’s largest youth LGBTQ
support group, and Umang,
which is a collective for
lesbians, bisexual women,
and transpersons.
LIVING
 LIVING food

VEGAN
WONDERS
Once considered a fringe movement, the vegan diet (vegetarian and non-dairy) now has more
takers than ever. Gia Claudette Fernandes offers five recipes to get you started
PHOTOGRAPH: ©STOCKFOOD/DANIELS, SABRINA SUE
JACKFRUIT
BURGERS
SERVES: 4
PREP TIME: 15 minutes
COOKING TIME: 35 minutes
CALORIES PER SERVING: 350
FOR THE PULLED JACKFRUIT
600 g green jackfruit,
in brine or water, drained
1½ tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
150 g barbecue sauce,
plus extra as needed
100 ml water
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cumin powder
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
FOR ASSEMBLING
4 sesame seed buns, split
1 small Romaine lettuce, roughly shredded
1 large handful salad sprouts

Spread out the jackfruit on layers of

y
kitchen paper and pat dry with more
kitchen paper; try to remove as much
excess liquid as possible.
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan set over
y
a medium heat until hot. Add the onion,
garlic, and a pinch of salt, sweating
until softened and starting to colour,
for six to seven minutes.
Add the jackfruit, barbecue sauce,
y
water, spices, and a pinch of salt and
pepper. Bring to a steady simmer
1 small bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
1-2 tsp red chilli flakes
BROCCOLI AND
COCONUT SOUP Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-
y
based saucepan set over medium heat.
SERVES: 4 Add the onion, garlic, leek, and
y
PREP TIME: 15 minutes a generous pinch of salt, sweating for
COOKING TIME: 30 minutes six to eight minutes until softened.
CALORIES PER SERVING: 250 Stir in the herbs, broth, and coconut
y
FOR THE SOUP milk. Bring to a boil and then reduce
PHOTOGRAPH: ©STOCKFOOD/GRÄFE & UNZER VERLAG/WALSH, NICKY

and cook until softened, for six to eight
minutes, stirring from time to time.
Once softened, shred the jackfruit
y
using two forks. Add a splash of water,
cover, and cook over a low heat until
tender, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring
in-between.
When ready, season to taste with salt,
y
pepper, and a little more barbecue
sauce, if needed.
Top the bottom halves of the buns with
y
the pulled jackfruit, some lettuce and
sprouts. Sit the tops of the buns in
place before serving.
2 tbsp olive oil to a simmer for 10 minutes.
1 large onion, finely chopped Stir in the broccoli and spinach leaves,
y
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped and let it simmer until the broccoli is
1 small leek, halved, sliced, and washed tender to the tip of a knife, it should
1 tsp dried thyme take about four to five minutes.
1 tsp dried rosemary Purée with an immersion blender,
y
1 litre vegetable broth or in manageable batches using a food
300 ml coconut milk processor or blender. Pass through
2 small broccoli heads, prepared a fine sieve into a clean saucepan.
into florets Return soup to a gentle simmer and
y
50 g baby spinach season to taste with salt and pepper.
Salt, to taste Cover and keep warm to one side.
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste Garnish with chopped cashews,
y
FOR GARNISHING chopped cilantro, and chilli flakes
65 g cashews, chopped before serving.
LIVING food
AVOCADO,
MUSHROOM, AND
CRESS TACOS
SERVES: 4
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOKING TIME: 15 minutes
CALORIES PER SERVING: 350
2½ tbsp canola oil
400 g firm tofu, cubed
150 g button mushrooms, halved
4 flour tortillas
PHOTOGRAPH: ©STOCKFOOD/BISMAR, VALERIA
70 g kale, chopped garlic, and seasoning in a small bowl.
1 large avocado, halved, pitted, Cover and chill.
and cut into slices For the wraps, preheat the grill. Toss
y
60 g salad cress together oil, tofu, mushrooms, and
FOR THE YOGHURT SAUCE seasoning in a small bowl. Grill for six
175 g plain soy yoghurt to seven minutes.
3/4 tsp smoked paprika Warm the tortillas in a dry frying pan
y
1/2 small garlic clove, minced set over a moderate heat. Remove
Salt, to taste from the pan and top with the grilled
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste mushrooms and tofu. Place kale on the
mushrooms and tofu, and drizzle with
For the yoghurt sauce, whisk together
y the yoghurt sauce. Top with avocado
the soy yoghurt, smoked paprika, slices and cress before serving.
 SERVES: 4
PEAR AND PUMPKIN TARTLETS PREP TIME: 80 minutes
DRIZZLED WITH CHOCOLATE COOKING TIME: 60 minutes
CALORIES PER SERVING: 400

FOR THE PASTRY CRUST

185 g unsalted mixed nuts
70 g pitted dates
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
FOR THE FILLING
65 g cashews, soaked in hot
water for one hour
1 medium-sized overripe
banana, mashed
350 g silken tofu, drained
120 g caster sugar
75 g soft brown sugar
3 tbsp coconut oil, at
room temperature
2 tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
300 g canned pumpkin purée
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
4 large ripe pears, cored
and thinly sliced
FOR SERVING
100 g dark chocolate
(70% cocoa), chopped
1 tbsp coconut oil

For the crust, combine the mixed

y
nuts and dates in a food processor.
Pulse until the nuts are finely
chopped. Add the coconut oil and
pulse to incorporate it.
Pack the mixture into the base
y
and sides of four individual fluted
tart tins. Cover and set aside.
For the filling, drain the cashews
y
from the soaking water. Combine
with the banana, tofu, sugars,
coconut oil, cornflour, lemon juice,
vanilla extract, pumpkin purée,
and spices.
Blend on high until smooth. Spoon
y
the filling into the lined crusts,
topping each with rows of
overlapping pear slices.
Place the tart tins on a large baking
y
tray. Bake at 180°C for 30 to 40
minutes until the filling is set and
PHOTOGRAPH: ©STOCKFOOD/MANTUR, NATALIA

the tarts are golden-brown at

the edges. Remove to a wire rack
to cool.
Mix chocolate and coconut oil
y
in a small heatproof bowl. Set
over a half-filled saucepan of
simmering water, stirring until
melted and smooth. Drizzle this
chocolate sauce over the tartlets
before serving.
LIVING food

LEMON BERRY 800 ml coconut milk, chilled overnight processor. Blend on high until
2 tbsp granulated stevia smooth and creamy, scraping down
COCONUT CREAM FOR SERVING the sides of the processor from time
TART 575 g mixed berries, some halved to time.
Pour into the prepared crust and chill
y
SERVES: 12 For the crust: Pulse the nuts together
y for at least four hours.
PREP TIME: 10 minutes in a food processor until mealy in For the coconut cream: After chilling,
y
COOKING TIME: 30 minutes appearance. prepare the coconut cream. Carefully
CALORIES PER SERVING: 450 Keep the motor running on low and
y open the cans of chilled coconut
PHOTOGRAPH: ©STOCKFOOD/THE PICTURE PANTRY

FOR THE CRUST add the dates, little by little, until the milk. Scrape the solids into a mixing
140 g cashews mixture comes together like a rough bowl, reserving the coconut liquid for
125 g almonds dough; you may not need to use all another use.
80 g walnuts the dates. Add the stevia to the coconut cream
y
150-200 g pitted dates Turn out the dough and press into the
y solids and beat well with an electric
FOR THE FILLING base and sides of an eight-inch wide mixer until thick and peaked.
750 g silken soft tofu, drained pie dish, smoothing the base flat with To serve: Spoon the coconut cream
y
2 lemons, juiced the back of a damp tablespoon. Cover on top of the lemon filling, spreading
120 g light agave nectar and chill until needed. it out into a round.
1 tsp vanilla extract For the filling: Combine all the
y Decorate the top of the cream with
y
FOR THE CREAM ingredients for the filling in a food the mixed berries before serving.
 LIVING travel feature

Universal ticket
In line with the maxim ‘no man (or woman) should be left behind’, travel is increasingly becoming
accommodating to everyone, finds Crystal Symms

Being physically challenged needn’t restrict
one from travelling; (left) same-sex couples
enjoy more freedom than before
different people, but the need
remains universal—a need to
get away, explore new shores,
and be rejuvenated. While
the thought of the elderly
or physically challenged
travelling is immediately
met with disbelief, the change
that can be seen now is
understanding that they more
than sympathy, they need
a semblance of normalcy and
accessibility wherever they go.
Ashwini Melwaney, a celebrity
hair and makeup artist who is
hearing impaired, says,
“The degree of the disability
determines whether they
can travel alone or need an
attendant or escort. Like in
my case, I can travel alone
without any difficulty. When
necessary, I ask people to
write down directions or
instructions for my
understanding,” she says.
The LGBTQ community in
India has for long stood on
rocky ground. While they
recently found legal
acceptance, social exclusion
remains a reality for many.
Even while travelling with their
SOs, all that the members
want is to be treated equally
and without any biases. It’s
not all bad news, however.
According to tour operators,
major cities and tourist
destinations in the country are
now showing some green
lights to pink travellers. The
popular choices among these
are Kerala, Goa, Delhi, Jaipur,
and Jaisalmer.
BOOKING PASSAGE
Places like airports and
airplanes in particular are
up-to-date with facilities for
persons with hearing, sight,
cognitive, and mobility (either
permanent or temporary)
disabilities. For passengers
with sight or hearing
disabilities, navigation and
special safety assistants are
available. The crew converse
with them in a tactile language
that is easily comprehended.
Passengers with cognitive
disabilities are allotted
a personal escort to cater to
their needs. When Megha
Tamboli, an entrepreneur and
wheelchair user, recently took
a flight back to India from
London, her needs were
looked into with utmost care.
“Right from weighing my
luggage, taking my wheelchair,
putting it in the loader, and
shifting me to another
wheelchair that can directly go
into the aircraft, each aspect
was tended to. The in-flight
staff members were attentive,
and lifted me and shifted me
to my seat. They took off my
shoes, helped me lie down,
and a hostess went a step
beyond to give me her
personal hot-water bag
when I began to feel feverish,”
she says. “For those on
a wheelchair, flying is the most
comfortable option, since
trains and railway stations
don’t quite spell accessibility.
Buses could be considered an
option, but they tend to get
uncomfortable,” adds Tamboli.
For people with hearing and
visual impairment, all three
modes are relatively suitable,
with, of course, the airlines
being the most viable choice.
With increased accessibility
and assistance-available travel
has certainly become easier.
LIVING travel feature
GETTING
ADVENTUROUS
Though kicking back and
relaxing are what long
travels are usually about,
a few are always in search
of the thrill. Although
these options are few for
the disabled, the
Adventures Beyond
Barriers Foundation
(ABBF) in Pune has
(Clockwise) Levelled roads make walking easier for those with
embraced the ideals of crutches; travel buddies at Planet Abled volunteer to help those
inclusivity in this regard. with disabilities; travel companies now cater to the LGBTQ
community making their holidays memorable; buses equipped
Founded by Divyanshu
with ramps make wheel chair access easier
Ganatra, who is also
India’s first blind solo
paragliding pilot, the
foundation has developed
a programme to help people
with various disabilities dive
into the world of adventure
sport. It arranges an array of
sporting activities for
enthusiasts (with and without
disabilities) ranging from
tandem cycling,
mountaineering, scuba diving,
and paragliding—basically
anything and everything a wild
heart could imagine!
“The focus of all our
activities is to build relations
between the able-bodied and
disabled, and create an
inclusive society through our
adventures. The visibility of
disabled people is not high
“OUR FOCUS IS TO BUILD RELATIONS adventure, perspectives not
only open up, but also change.
in mainstream activities, but BETWEEN THE ABLE-BODIED That’s when the potential
they have such a strong sense AND DISABLED, AND CREATE behind the disability begins
of enthusiasm! Every time
we’ve hosted any adventure
AN INCLUSIVE SOCIETY.” to shine.
“Through our adventures,
activity, there has been a huge we’ve been able to spread
response from them,” relates awareness in remote corners,
shares Tanya Ginwala, head and make hotels more
of operations at ABBF. accessible for disabled people.
Ginwala elaborates that For example, a simple step like
such interactions help build ramps for wheelchairs goes
unique friendships and have a long way!” she says.
led to a few disabled persons Apart from ramps for
landing job offers from their wheelchairs, braille writing for
peers. She says most people the visually disabled is lacking
find it hard to see the person in the basic infrastructure in
beyond disability, but on an India. Making this very
 (Clockwise) LGBTQ travellers
feel safe and accepted;
priority seating for the
handicapped at airport
lounges; metal tactile
strips to help the visually
impaired; concrete ramps
for wheelchair access

group, lesbian, couple, and gay

tours with incredibly exciting

“I CAME ACROSS TRAVEL and itineraries. Singla,

equipped with his travel trade
AGENCIES CATERING TO THE knowledge, was determined to
LGBT COMMUNITY,AND make a company that was in

I REALISED INDIA NEEDED service of the LGBT

necessity the mother of their
invention, Planet Abled
emerged as a remarkable
organisation offering
accessible travel solutions to
those who need it. The
founder, Neha Aurora, realised
the importance of accessibility
very young, when she saw her
parents, (her father is visually
disabled and her mother is
a wheelchair user), face
a number of difficulties while
trying to move around.
“Although it has been slow,
SOMETHING LIKE THAT.”
people without disabilities to
register as ‘travel buddies’ so
that they can spend time with
those from the other side.
RAINBOW TRAVELS
Indjapink, created by
fashion designer Sanjay
Malhotra is India’s first
homosexual travel boutique.
“I am a traveller and a proud
gay man. On my international
trips, I would come across
travel agencies that would
cater specifically to people
couples, group tours, and
singles tours to exotic places
and enjoy all that India has to
offer, while being free of
stereotyping and fear. In
addition, the company is also
creating an atmosphere that is
free of judgement. “Problems
included things that seemed
small—getting drivers who
were understanding and
accepting or hotels to give gay
couples a double bed—but
were essential to address. We
eventually got through. We
community and made his
personal code of conduct to
make his clients feel like
family. “It’s my policy to meet
my clients in person, either
when they arrive or when
they depart,” he says.
A harassment- and
discrimination-free
environment is their absolute
priority. The remedy is based
on appropriate training of
drivers and guides, and
making them more gay-
friendly. “LGBT travellers want
to feel accepted and safe. We
offer visits to gay saunas and
PHOTOGRAPHS: SHUTTERSTOCK, PLANET ABLED

an improvement is there. It
will, however, take much
longer for places to become
completely accessible to all.
Since our first tours in 2016,
we’ve managed to see the
environment becoming more
and more open,” Aurora says.
Planet Abled also encourages
of the LGBT community and
I realised that India needed
something like that,” says
Malhotra. Successfully
operating for the last 11 years,
IndjaPink caters to foreign and
Indian gay travellers. The initial
stages were tough, but the
company has managed to take
take our clients out to gay
parties and homes, introduce
them to the scene in India, and
help them be confident and
open about their sexuality,”
Malhotra says.
Similarly, Pink Vibygor,
started by Rajat Singla and
Peter Hosie, specialises in
spas, and have gay
representatives for walking
tours of Old Delhi, and parts of
Rajasthan,” says Singla.
With options opening up,
there isn’t really a limit to
where one can go any more,
no matter where that traveller
comes from.