THE new sunday express Voices Devdutt Pattanaik Ravi Shankar Utkarsh Amitabh Preeti Shenoy Dinesh Singh Mata Amritanandamayi MAGAZINE Buffet People Wellness Books Food Art & Culture Entertainment july 6 2025 SUNDAY PAGES 12 string theory Sitarist Rishabh Rikhiram Sharma doesn’t dilute tradition—he dresses it in denim and lets it jam with synths Gen The Age of Authenticity and Cultural Nationalism is here Turn to page 2 “We’re blending Indian-ness with comfort and nostalgia. Young people want authenticity, not imitation.” Desi Cool T Punjabi, wearing kurta-pyjamas, and capturing rural life, he embodied the pride and pain of a generation. Importantly DC isn’t a repeat of , past revivalist movements. Dialects once dismissed—like Haryanvi, Pahari, or Bhojpuri—are now celebrated through rap, reels, and regional heroes. “Young Indians are synthesising global exposure with local expression,” says Dr Beri. Have you ever thought of marrying spirituality with hip hop? Sanskrit rapper Shagun Sharma, aka Shlovij, has made this a reality He didn’t set out to . become the poster boy for Sanskrit rap—he just fell in love with words and ancient Indian culture. “Initially when I started rapping in , 2012-13, I used the usual Hinglish lingo,” he recalls. But as he honed his craft, friends began to notice something special, “Bro, why not go full shuddh desi?” they nudged. Encouraged, he leaned into that strength, eventually taking the bold leap into Sanskrit at his close friend Avinash’s suggestion in 2020. That experiment proved revelatory . “Through my use of pure Hindi and Sanskrit, I could promote my culture and mother tongue and inspire people to stay connected to Harsh Jhunjhunwala, founder, Aaram Viram By Konkana Ray he sitar isn’t supposed to sound like this. Not here—on a graffitisplashed rooftop in Delhi, where Gen Alpha sips cold brew and lounges on bean bags under fairy lights. Not now—when the DJ just faded out a trap beat to make way for something older, deeper. And definitely not like this—with the crisp pluck of a string slipping seamlessly into a lo-fi backbeat that feels more late-night playlist than a music sabha. But then, Rishabh Rikhiram Sharma lifts his sitar onto his lap—and suddenly everything makes sense. The opening notes stretch like breath— , calm, deliberate. Then, a beat kicks in. Heads start to nod. The listeners are 19-year-olds in oversized hoodies. Some are here for the vibe, others are curious, and a few know their alaaps from their algorithms. But as Rishabh slides into an unexpected raga-meetsremix groove, none of that matters. Phones come out—not to scroll, but to record. Instagram Reels are filmed mid-performance. Later, sipping chai in the muggy Delhi heat, sweat glistening on his forehead, Rishabh says, “Gen Z don’t want to be told what to like. They want to feel it.” That’s the heart of his revolution. He doesn’t dilute tradition—he dresses it in denim and lets it jam with synths. It is Desi Cool. And it’s come for us. DC isn’t just a trend—it’s a full-blown cultural reclamation with sass, spirit, and spicy mic-drops. From Alia Bhatt’s chiffon-clad firecracker Rani Chatterjee in Rocky Aur Rani ki Prem Kahaani, who re-ignited the seduction of the sari with a flick of her hair and a flash of kohl-lined eyes to Diljit Dosanjh, who strutted into the 2025 Met Gala, donning an ivory ensemble and bejewelled turban by Prabal Gurung that paid homage to Sikh royalty—India is having its unapologetically desi moment. The Renaissance is as intellectual as it is aesthetic. Rapper Hanumankind wields his stage name like a weapon of cultural pride, while mythologist Seema Anand attracts digital audiences with tales of desire from the Kama Sutra, proving ancient knowledge can thrive on Instagram Reels. Kids are falling asleep to gods and demons through Harish Sharma’s Indian Mythology for Kids podcast, while the internet’s favourite animated ghost, ‘Ganji Chudail’, play it again Darzi is making waves by sewing together retro desi nostalgia with psychedelic soundscapes and powerful social commentary haunts the algorithm with zero hair and maximum desi flair. It’s a deep sociocultural shift. As Dr Suraj Beri, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Nagaland Central University puts it, “Desi cool , includes within it the story of struggle, the story of achievement, and the story of being who you are without fakeness.” In a world once dazzled by Western modernity India’s new , generation—especially in its Tier 2 cities—is quietly confidently , embracing its roots. And it’s not about nostalgia—it’s about pride, identity and authenticity Tier 2 , . cities like Indore, Surat, Lucknow, Coimbatore, and Bhubaneswar are no longer playing catch-up to Delhi or Mumbai. What stands out is how young people here are blending tradition with modernity They are . as comfortable using UPI for payments at a street-side stall as they are reciting a shloka on Instagram Reels. Youngsters are finding beauty in their regional languages, fashion, cuisine, and stories. Handloom kurtas, juttis, and silver jewellery are now wardrobe staples, not just ethnicday exceptions. Food bloggers are reviving grandma’s recipes—from thekua to pandhi curry Festivals . like Chhath, Pongal, and Teej are not only celebrated but also documented and shared online. Platforms like Instagram and YouTube have paradoxically become catalysts for this revival. This embrace of desi rootedness is not a retreat into the past, but a recalibration. The youth are confidently saying: “We are Indian, and we’re proud of it.” The diasporic success of Indian-origin artistes, the popularity of regional content on global platforms, and the rise of digital tools have democratised who gets to represent Indian culture. Take the late lamented Sidhu Moosewala, for instance. His global appeal wasn’t in spite of his roots, but because of them. Singing in a stitch in time Aaram Viram fuses India’s handwoven heritage with contemporary ease courtesy: chumbak