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Indian Express
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
5 Indian LGBTQ+ books to add to your Pride Month reading
This Pride Month, dive into the vibrant landscape of Indian LGBTQ+ literature. These five books – spanning memoir, fiction and activism – offer powerful perspectives on queer identity, resilience and joy. Whether you're exploring queer narratives for the first time or seeking fresh voices, these works by Indian writers illuminate the personal and political dimensions of being LGBTQ+ in contemporary India and beyond. 1. Walk Like a Girl – Prabal Gurung (2025) This memoir from the Nepali-American fashion designer traces his extraordinary journey from Kathmandu to the pinnacle of New York's fashion world. Gurung's narrative shines brightest when detailing his complex relationship with his mother Durga Rana – a former Miss Nepal whose progressive parenting clashed with traditional Nepali society. The book offers unprecedented access to the glittering yet cutthroat fashion industry, revealing how Gurung navigated racism, homophobia, and class barriers while dressing icons such as Michelle Obama and Oprah. Particularly powerful are his accounts of being told his designs were 'too ethnic' early in his career, and how he transformed this prejudice into his signature aesthetic blending Eastern and Western influences. The memoir doubles as a love letter to femininity, with Gurung arguing that his queer perspective allowed him to celebrate womanhood in ways straight designers often can't. Publishers describe it as 'The Devil Wears Prada' meets 'Call Me By Your Name', offering both juicy industry gossip and profound meditations on identity. 2. Over The Rainbow: India's Queer Heroes – Aditya Tiwari (2023) This meticulously researched anthology fills a crucial gap in Indian LGBTQ+ history by profiling 19 pioneers who fought for equality when homosexuality was still criminalised. Tiwari organises the book thematically, with sections on activists (Anjali Gopalan), artists (Sonal Giani), and unlikely allies (journalist Manvendra Singh Gohil). Each profile combines biographical details with historical context – like how Ashok Row Kavi founded India's first gay magazine in 1990 using underground distribution networks. The chapter on Grace Banu provides particularly vital insights into the intersection of caste and queer identity, detailing how she established South India's first transgender engineering college. Tiwari includes fascinating archival material, including reproductions of early protest banners and personal letters between activists during the darkest days of the AIDS crisis. While celebratory, the book doesn't shy away from controversies within the movement, like debates about prioritising marriage equality over more urgent concerns like housing discrimination. The final chapter looks to the future, profiling young activists using TikTok and Instagram to advance the cause. Pattanaik's genre-defying novel reimagines lesser-known characters from the Mahabharata through a queer feminist lens. The central story follows King Yuvanashva, who accidentally becomes pregnant after drinking a magic potion meant for his wives. Pattanaik expands this brief mythological reference into a profound exploration of gestational masculinity, with the king experiencing both the social privilege of fatherhood and the physical trials of motherhood. Interwoven subplots feature other gender-nonconforming characters: Shikhandi (born female but living as a male warrior), Arjuna (forced to live as a eunuch), and Ila (a deity who changes genders with the lunar cycle). The author's background as a mythologist shines through in the extensive appendices, which compare these stories to global gender-fluid traditions from Native American two-spirit people to Hijra communities. Some critics argue the novel's pacing suffers under its academic ambitions, but most praise its revolutionary portrayal of ancient India's sophisticated understanding of gender as spectrum rather than binary. The book has become particularly influential in contemporary queer Hindu movements. Shahani's work combines corporate case studies, memoir, and policy manifesto into a compelling argument for LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion. As head of Godrej's diversity council, Shahani documents their decade-long transformation into India's most queer-friendly company – from gender-neutral bathrooms to sponsoring Pride floats. The book analyses successful initiatives such as Tata Steel's transgender hiring program and The Lalit Hotels' sensitivity training, while also examining failures lsuch as Infosys' early resistance to domestic partner benefits. Shahani's personal anecdotes such as coming out to his conservative Gujarati family or navigating corporate parties as a gay man make the data relatable. Particularly innovative is his 'Rainbow Capitalism' chapter, which questions whether corporate allyship is truly progressive or just profit-driven, citing examples of brands that remove rainbow merch after Pride month. The appendix includes practical tools: sample non-discrimination policies, workshop templates, and a glossary explaining terms like 'pansexual' to HR departments. Updated editions now cover post-377 developments and remote work inclusivity challenges. This candid memoir by the National Award-winning filmmaker traces his journey from a Bhutanese childhood to becoming Bollywood's most openly gay director. Onir (born Anirban Dhar) reveals shocking details about industry homophobia – being told 'we don't fund gay films' after My Brother Nikhil's success, and A-list actors refusing roles once they learned his sexuality. The book alternates between professional struggles (crowdfunding his films) and personal triumphs (adopting twins with his partner). Particularly moving are passages about his late sister Irene, who helped him navigate both creative and coming-out challenges. Film buffs will appreciate behind-the-scenes stories, like how he shot the iconic rain sequence in Bas Ek Pal with just 25% of the planned budget. The final chapters address contemporary issues – his advocacy for marriage equality and criticism of tokenistic queer representation in recent Bollywood hits. What sets this apart from typical celebrity memoirs is its raw vulnerability, including unflinchingly honest accounts of depression and financial ruin. The writing style mirrors Onir's filmmaking – intimate, political, and relentlessly hopeful.
India Gazette
29-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
PM Modi to visit Gangtok today, inaugurate key projects marking Sikkim's 50th anniversary
Gangtok (Sikkim) [India], May 29 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Gangtok today to participate in the 'Sikkim@50: Where Progress Meets Purpose and Nature Nurtures Growth' programme, marking the 50th anniversary of Sikkim's statehood. The event is part of a year-long celebration themed 'Sunaulo, Samriddha, and Samarth Sikkim,' highlighting the state's rich cultural and natural heritage. PM Modi is scheduled to arrive around 11 AM and will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate several key development projects to boost infrastructure, connectivity, and overall growth in Sikkim. Major initiatives include a new 500-bed district hospital in Namchi worth over Rs 750 crore, a passenger ropeway at Sangachoeling in Pelling, Gyalshing district, and the unveiling of a statue of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Atal Amrit Udyan in Gangtok district. Additionally, he will release a commemorative coin, souvenir coin, and postal stamp to mark the golden jubilee. Residents gathered enthusiastically to welcome the Prime Minister and participate in the celebrations, highlighting their association with government schemes and local traditions. Speaking to ANI, Sonam Bhutia, a resident, said, 'We are very excited. It is a big achievement that our Prime Minister is coming to our state.' Another resident, Tikha Khannal, shared her excitement and told ANI, 'I am here to receive Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a Lakhpati Didi. We, the people of Sikkim, are thrilled that PM Modi is visiting our state today... We have made comprehensive arrangements for his visit. Even the weather supports us today, as it was hot here yesterday.' Dibash Rutung, dressed in traditional Gurung community attire, added, 'I am wearing the traditional outfit of Sikkim's Gurung community... We want to showcase it to the Prime Minister... We are thrilled that the PM is visiting Sikkim today.' State BJP President DR Thapa said that the people of Sikkim eagerly await the Prime Minister's visit. He said the visit would begin new opportunities and developmental projects for the state. 'He will inaugurate many infrastructural projects across Sikkim and lay the foundation of several upcoming initiatives,' Thapa said. According to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the Prime Minister will also visit West Bengal, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh on May 29 and 30, inaugurating and laying the foundation stones of development projects worth more than Rs 70,000 crore. (ANI)
Time of India
18-05-2025
- Time of India
Nepalese woman arrested with fake Indian passport at Indo-Nepal border
Lucknow: Maharajganj police and immigration officials on Sunday arrested a Nepalese woman at the after she was found travelling with a and Aadhaar card, both issued under a West Bengal address. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The woman, identified as Bhawana Gurung, was later handed over to Sonauli police for further legal action. According to immigration officials, the arrest took place during routine checks of passengers arriving from Kathmandu on the Kathmandu–New Delhi Maitri bus. When Gurung presented an Indian passport and Aadhaar card bearing the name Salina Pradhan and an address in Alipurduar, West Bengal, officials became suspicious due to discrepancies between her appearance, accent, and the documents. Upon searching her belongings, officials recovered a Nepali passport and citizenship certificate issued in the name of Bhawana Gurung, with an address in Butwal, Nepal. During interrogation, Gurung confessed that she is a Nepali national employed as a domestic worker in Hong Kong. She admitted to having procured the fake Indian documents with the help of certain individuals, because direct travel from Nepal to Hong Kong is restricted. "She admitted to using a forged identity for international travel, and a case was registered against her based on a complaint filed by immigration officials," said Ajit Pratap Singh, Station House Officer (SHO) of Sonauli.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Prabal Gurung, Saks Fifth Avenue Cohost Cocktail Party to Celebrate the Designer's New Book
Prabal Gurung's new memoir, 'Walk Like a Girl,' was celebrated Thursday night at a cocktail party hosted by Saks Fifth Avenue and Gurung at the Rooftop at Zero Bond. Among those who attended were Roopal Patel, Phillip Lim, Nicky Hilton Rothschild, Chloe Flower, Chloe King, Fernando Garcia, Isabel Wilkinson Schorr, Laura Kim, Lynn Yaeger, Fern Mallis, Mickey Boardman, Pritika Swarup, Radhika Jones, Sarita Choudhury and Tina Leung. More from WWD Saks Global Hires Advisers as It Works to Shore Up Liquidity Saks Connections: Luxury Reset and Industry Shake-up What's the Big Idea? The WWD Beauty CEO Summit Speakers Have Quite a Few Guests enjoyed 'It Started in Kathmandu,' 'Mumbai Rush' and 'Saks and the City' signature cocktails and nibbled on tuna crispy rice and sliders. Signed copies of 'Walk Like a Girl' were artfully displayed throughout the lounge vignettes, alongside custom coasters and napkins featuring powerful quotes from the book. The book tells the story of Gurung who grew up as a queer boy in Nepal and India and came to New York to pursue the American dream, only to encounter discrimination as he rose within the ranks of high fashion and high society. Gurung told WWD he's very good about talking about his work, whom he dresses and his inspiration, but, 'I've never talked about myself, so this is the first time.' To relive those things that he's been through 'was very cathartic,' he said. 'Just to look back to the fact that I've built a community of friends and people I love and admire, who have been there for me. It really was a reminder in gratitude and I'm so grateful,' said the designer, noting some parts were very difficult to write, such as those about his family and things he went through at school. 'The title came to me when I was in high school. I was an effeminate kid, and people would say 'You walk like a girl.' It was very pejoratively used,' he said. 'I didn't understand 'walking like a girl' was a problem because I was raised by a single mother, surrounded by women. I didn't understand the concept, like anything feminine was a bad thing. I used to wear my sister's dresses and all that. I get it, but in this hyper-masculine world that is so much about power and brute force, I felt this feminine-leaning ideas are softer ideas and something I grew up with.' Gurung said he didn't know it would become a book, and he wrote things down and sent it to his agent at CAA, who really liked it. And they sent it to Viking Penguin, and they loved it. So how does he feel now that it's out in the world? 'My friends didn't know what I'd been through. I'm not really open, I realized. I didn't want people to feel sorry for me. I wanted it to be a book, that if I can do it, so can anyone else,' Gurung said. He said this isn't a book about how to be a fashion designer. 'It's about how to be free.' So how did the idea of Saks and Gurung getting together to cohost a cocktail party come about? Gurung recalled that he first met Saks' Patel when she was at Bergdorf Goodman and he was at Bill Blass. He was having a cigarette outside 550 Seventh Avenue and was telling Patel about all the challenges he was facing, and she said, 'Why don't you start your own line?'' Patel, senior vice president, fashion director, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus, said: 'We've long been champions of Prabal's vision and his work at Saks. We were one of the first retailers to carry the collection, and Prabal and I have known each other since the beginning of our careers.' 'Tonight is not just a celebration about Prabal's work as a designer. But he does so much for the community. 'Prabal is more than a designer — he has used his platform in the fashion industry not only to create exquisite collections, but also to champion inclusion, identity and purpose. Our clients are drawn to his creative vision because of the way it empowers individuality, and we're proud to honor this milestone in his career,' Patel said. Patel said she's read excerpts, but hasn't read the whole book yet. 'I have it reserved for my Memorial Day weekend reading, uninterrupted,' she of WWD Salma Hayek's Fashion Evolution Through the Years: A Red Carpet Journey [PHOTOS] How Christian Dior Revolutionized Fashion With His New Look: A History and Timeline Cannes Film Festival's French Actresses Whose Iconic Style Shines on the Red Carpet [PHOTOS]
The Star
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Designer Prabal Gurung's memoir threads fashion, family and feminism together
Designer Prabal Gurung has always been a storyteller. First, it was through the colourful, Nepal-inspired designs that helped him find early success in the cutthroat fashion world. Now, he's sharing his life story in words with his bold new memoir, Walk Like A Girl . The book from Penguin Random House traces his South Asian roots – born in Singapore, he grew up in Nepal and spent time in India – and difficult childhood. He would eventually move to New York to study at the Parsons School of Design, interning for Donna Karan and later working for Cynthia Rowley and Bill Blass. He started his own label in 2009, and has dressed celebrities including Michelle Obama, Kate Middleton, Zoe Saldana and Sarah Jessica Parker. Gurung, 46, says processing his childhood experiences with an abusive father at home and bullies and predators at school in order to write and record the book was the hardest thing he's ever done. "I really hadn't told too many people, not even my close friends. To relive that part and to write it down… it was harrowing, I won't lie,' Gurung said. "It really brought back so many memories and… it's less of an anger. It's more like the injustice of the situation. More than anything else, I just wanted to go back to that kid and like, give him a hug… and just be like, 'You're gonna be OK,'' Gurung said, choking back tears. Despite being teased and struggling academically, Gurung always thought he was destined for a bigger life: "I don't know, I just had it in me. I think it was survival also a lot of times.' Read more: Malaysian designer Shaleen Cheah on crafting elegant, expressive fashion One bright light that kept him going was the unwavering love and support of his mother, Durga Rana. She's the hero of the book, encouraging him to follow his passions and find joy wherever possible, even though his interest in fashion and experimentation with makeup and feminine clothing was highly unconventional in Nepal at the time. Artiste Diljit Dosanjh (left) and Prabal Gurung attend the Met Gala earlier in May. Photo: AP Surviving a marriage with an unfaithful, abusive husband, she essentially raised three young children on her own. Rana developed several successful businesses and eventually got into politics, telling her kids to use their platforms to make an impact. "She's a blueprint of my strength. Watching her carry the weight of the world with such elegance, you know, was really inspiring,' Gurung said. "The way she built the world around us, unbowed, unapologetic, was, I would say, my first lesson in resilience.' The book's title and cover are a purposeful nod to the designer's love of women. Walk Like A Girl was something kids said to tease him at school. "I just didn't understand it as an insult in the beginning because I think 'Great, I'm like my mother, my sister, all these women.' Wonder Woman was my favourite action hero, and Charlie's Angels,' Gurung said. He decided to reclaim the phrase and chose his strength pose for the cover in honour of Rosie the Riveter and other "iconic, feminist women'. Cindi Leive, the former editor-in-chief of Glamour and Self magazines, championed Gurung early on because of his authenticity on and off the runway. "It became clear to me that he was incredibly interested not just in fashion as fashion, but in the women who would wear the clothes,' Leive said. "I also noticed that every time I would have a conversation with him, he would end up talking about his mom.' Gurung couldn't wait to get to the US; he felt immediately at home in New York, a place he sees as the best culmination of people, cultures and creative freedom, he writes. But he was surprised and disappointed by the general lack of diversity on runways and at social events. "My recollection is he was one of the first to use models who more closely resembled the diversity of people that you actually see in America… in size, race and everything else,' Leive said. Gurung's runway casting was only part of his commitment to inclusion. Now a Met Gala mainstay, Gurung uses his platform to speak out about injustice and women's rights issues, which, at the beginning of his career was not a popular stance, leaving him feeling "like a lone ranger'. He recalled the emails and messages he used to get saying, "Oh, stay in your lane, you're a fashion designer... not a politician.' "He was very open about his support for issues that mattered to women, long before it was a thing. Eventually, I think, every designer had some, you know, slogan T-shirt proclaiming their support of women's causes. He did it before anybody, but it went way deeper than the T-shirt,' Leive said. "I'll never forget when Cindi Leive at a dinner said to me – right after George Floyd's murder and all of that stuff that happened, the Black Lives Matter movement,' Gurung said. "She pulled me aside, she said, 'How does it feel now… to see the world catching up to you? You've been at it for such a long time.' I didn't even think about it.' Part of Gurung's story is being a proud immigrant, and his connection to his Nepali roots come through in his designs. Read more: Elegance with edge: The quiet power of Miuccia Prada's life in fashion Indian-born American designer Bibhu Mohapatra has been friends with Gurung since they were both starting out, bonding over their South Asian roots. He says Gurung is "naturally curious' and has always been a great storyteller. "Whether he's doing a jewellery collection, whether it's a piece of clothing or a whole collection, it's always sort of backed by receipts of his experiences that are his tools of telling a story… whether about craft, whether it's about colour, whether it's about his heritage, or simply people in his life," the designer said. "You believe it because it comes from a very authentic place.' Mohapatra also admires Gurung's "naturally rebellious streak' and his courage to speak out for causes he values. "He's brave to be the first one or join the force with people who are starting a movement,' the designer said. Mohapatra also suggests Gurung's spiritual side and roots add to his work and his ability to empathise. "There is an aspect of slowing down, really attention to the core and looking back at the path and… there is a bit more spirituality woven into the daily lives of people of Nepal.' Gurung says he hopes the book resonates with readers and encourages them to share their own stories. "I want people to really understand that their existence, their story is worthy of being told, that they don't have to hide themselves, they're no longer invisible,' he said. "I know I'm on the cover, it's my name and my story, but it really is a story about, for, and of so many people.' – AP
