Sushmita Sen inspires youth to embrace self-worth and acceptance at leadership event
The former Miss Universe encouraged students to stay true to themselves and lead with compassion and confidence. Addressing the students, Sen said, 'You will be surrounded by the people who will be calling you beautiful left, right, and center, and it has nothing to do with physicality. But if physically, something makes you feel better about yourself, then by all means go ahead with it and don't listen to anybody. It's your life, your identity; be accepting of yourself so that you are not judging of another.'
On July 15, Sushmita Sen, actress Vidya Balan, and Smriti Irani, former Union Cabinet Minister, appeared before a gathering of students at the 10th edition of India's International Movement to Unite Nations (I.I.M.U.N.) 'Role Model Series,' held in Bandra and moderated by the organization's founder, Rishabh Shah. Sharing her thoughts on women's empowerment and gender parity, Vidya Balan shared, 'I really think that we were all created equal. Yes, some of us are more of a certain thing and less of a certain thing. Men have more physical strength, while women have greater EQ.'
The 'Sherni' actress added, 'There were kids from different age groups, and I truly had a great time interacting with them. I was trying to speak their language- the Gen Z lingo and we were all laughing together. The atmosphere was so joyful.'
Balan also expressed her fondness for being around children and praised I.I.M.U.N. for its ongoing commitment and impactful initiatives. 'I always love interacting with kids. It felt really good. IIMUN is doing a fantastic job. The entire team has been working for years, and because of that, awareness and confidence among the youth are increasing. They're becoming citizens of the world, and I think that's fantastic.'
The event was co-curated to foster meaningful connections between inspiring personalities and young audiences.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
7 hours ago
- News18
The Wedding That Wasn't: Inside Gen Z's Playful Reimagining Of Tradition
If these events become occasions for real connection, cultural appreciation, or even joyful experimentation, they have value Last week in Dubai, a friend hosted me for lunch at The Arts Club. As we discussed the evolving landscape of society and culture, she shared a video-cum-advertisement that left quite an impression. It was a video with eye-popping colours, choreography, and an unmistakable shaadi dazzle. Young people in exquisite ethnic ensembles twirling to Bollywood beats, grinning through varmala ceremonies, throwing petals with perfect cinematic timing. It looked like a wedding. It felt like a wedding. Except, there was no bride or groom. No priest. No sacred fire. Just a curated performance of what a wedding is supposed to feel like. Welcome to the world of fake weddings. A rapidly growing trend among Gen Z across India's metros—and now increasingly across global campuses and expat communities—these shaadi-style parties have all the makings of a big fat Indian wedding minus the actual marriage. There's a mehendi counter. There's a sangeet. There may even be a baraat, a mock phera, and a buffet that rivals real wedding spreads. But what binds it together isn't commitment—it's content. At first, I wasn't sure what to make of it. As someone who has spent a lifetime celebrating and chronicling Indian culture—from classical forms to crafts, from cuisine to couture—I carry a deep reverence for the Indian wedding. In our country, a wedding is not just a private promise; it is a public sacrament. A convergence of tradition and modernity, of generations and values, of ritual and joy. So when I saw these ceremonies unmoored from meaning, I felt a curious discomfort. But the more I read, watched, and listened, a layered story began to emerge. One that is less about parody and more about performance. Less about derision and perhaps more about desire. Less rebellion, more participation Let's begin with the facts. These events are not one-offs. They are a flourishing genre. Event companies in Delhi now regularly host fake weddings, with entry passes ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 3,000. Guests dress in ethnic finery, sip cocktails, play shaadi games, and create content for social media. Some of these are on college campuses; others are in rooftop bars or curated lounges. The catch? No real couple, no commitment, and absolutely no family drama. It's not just India. At Cornell University in the US, a two-day fake wedding drew scores of students. In Dubai, South Asian millennials recently attended a full-blown 'farzi sangeet", complete with gajras and DJ sets. Luxury hotel chains have taken note too—when the Shangri-La Group launched Bandhan, its wedding service vertical, the press event itself was a mock wedding, starring models in Tarun Tahiliani couture and live Sufi musicians. So, why now? Why fake weddings, and why this generation? Part of it is simple enough: the Indian wedding, with all its rituals and excesses, is irresistible. The clothes, the food, the music, the emotion—it's a high-voltage celebration of life. For many Gen Zers—especially young professionals far from home, NRIs, or foreigners who've grown up hearing about Indian weddings but never been invited—the idea of a fake wedding is less rebellion, more participation. It's a way to access the magic, without the pressure. But there's something deeper, too. Not a mockery—but a mirror Today's young adults are navigating a landscape of shifting values. They have grown up watching the sanctity of marriage challenged by increasing divorce rates, gender conflicts, and intergenerational disillusionment. For many, the idea of getting married feels loaded, even fraught. But the performance of a wedding? That still retains allure. It's theatre. It's fantasy. It's the one Indian party where everyone knows the choreography. Perhaps the fake wedding, then, is not a mockery—but a mirror. A mirror reflecting the tensions of a generation that yearns for connection but fears permanence. That craves celebration, but shrinks from commitment. That seeks the symbols of tradition, while rewriting its substance. There is, of course, an entire ecosystem that makes this possible. Event companies promise curated experiences with flowers, food, mehendi artists, and classic shaadi games. Some venues even offer free cocktails if you show up in ethnic wear. And for Instagram-native attendees, it's a dream—what better occasion to wear that lehenga you've kept for your cousin's wedding, or those kundan earrings you've only worn once? I spoke recently to someone who attended a 'shaadi rave" in Noida. 'It was the most fun I've had in ages," she said. 'There were dhol players, a fake bride and groom, a haldi station with marigolds, and even a choreographed sangeet. No relatives asking about your job or love life, no melodrama. Just fun." Her joy was sincere. And even contagious. What makes reinvention meaningful is intention But I cannot help but wonder what's lost when we detach ritual from meaning. There was a time when a wedding was not just a private milestone but a communal memory. A grandmother's lullaby during the mehendi. A father's quiet tears at the vidaai. A cousin teaching you the steps to a garba. A wedding was a story handed down, not a script improvised for a reel. What happens when we commodify that emotion? When commitment becomes cosplay? There is also the question of sustainability. The fake wedding economy may generate business for bartenders and DJs, but will it sustain traditional artisans, mehfil singers, or the handloom weavers of Chanderi and Banarasi? Will a party that lives and dies on Instagram support the quiet dignity of those who bring poetry to the phera? That said, I don't wish to play the moralist. Culture is not static. It flows. It morphs. It reinvents. And Indian culture—vast, inclusive, irrepressibly alive—has always accommodated reinvention. From hybrid cuisines to destination weddings, from eco-friendly rituals to gender-neutral pheras, we have never been afraid to play with form. But what makes reinvention meaningful is intention. When we perform a ritual, we owe it at least some sincerity. Otherwise, what anchors our joy? What deepens our celebration? Am I against fake weddings? I am against shallow mimicry. If these events become occasions for real connection, cultural appreciation, or even joyful experimentation, they have value. But if they reduce centuries of emotion into hashtags and headpieces, then perhaps we must pause and ask: what are we celebrating? And why? Or is this spectacle simply a reflection of our collective state of mind? A columnist and author, Sundeep Bhutoria is passionate about the environment, education, and wildlife conservation. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views. tags : culture marriage wedding view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: August 01, 2025, 05:03 IST News opinion Opinion | The Wedding That Wasn't: Inside Gen Z's Playful Reimagining Of Tradition Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India Today
17 hours ago
- India Today
Shaadi without strings, and Gen Z is grabbing the chance to party
A quirky and unconventional trend has been gaining popularity in urban India: fake weddings held purely for fun. These events mimic real marriages in every way—decorations, rituals, baraat, mehendi and sangeet—but without any legal or religious binding. Their purpose? Pure entertainment, social bonding and the freedom to experience the joy of weddings without the pressure of faux weddings are usually organised by groups of friends or event companies and often follow a light-hearted, role-play format. Two consenting friends 'get married' for the night, while the rest play guests, relatives or part of the wedding party. The events are often lavish, with DJs, caterers, photo booths and even wedding planners on board. Sometimes the 'bride' and 'groom' even have their own Instagram haven't danced that much in years,' says Priya Mehta, a 22-year-old marketing executive from Bengaluru. 'It was freeing to be part of a wedding where nobody was judging what I wore or asking when I'm getting married. We just let loose.' The trend is catching on particularly among millennials and Gen Z, who are increasingly sceptical about traditional marriage but still love the vibrant celebrations that come with Indian weddings. Fake weddings provide a safe space to relive that magic, without the emotional or financial Bansal, a 26-year-old freelance designer in Delhi, who played 'groom' at a fake wedding organised by friends, describes it as 'the most fun I've had all year'. 'There were no relatives asking awkward questions, just laughter, dancing and complete strangers bonding like old friends. It was better than most real weddings I've attended,' he says. Besides being fun, these events also serve a social function. Many attendees say they've made new friendships—and even romantic connections—at such weddings. Since the stakes are low and everyone's there to have a good time, the atmosphere is relaxed and inclusive. Nisha Rao, a 26-year-old photographer from Mumbai, says: 'At my friend's fake wedding, I ended up chatting with people from all walks of life. It felt like a big, happy family where nobody was competing or pretending.'While still niche, fake weddings are slowly moving from experimental to mainstream, especially in metros. Event planners are beginning to offer 'just-for-fun wedding packages', and some have even started organising them for corporate team-building. As more young Indians look for alternative ways to celebrate life and connect with others, fake weddings may just become the new sangeet of modern to India Today Magazine- EndsTrending Reel
Mint
17 hours ago
- Mint
Love is in the air, again! Romantic movies bounce back in Bollywood
Bollywood is back to what it does best—romance. Over the past few years, filmmakers had turned their attention exclusively to biopics and patriotic films, giving love stories a miss, industry experts said. But the romance genre is now back in vogue, with recent films like Dino, Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan and Saiyaara getting the viewers hooked. Remarkably, Mohit Suri directorial Saiyaara, starring debutant Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, has emerged as a major sleeper hit, reaffirming the timeless appeal of charming love stories. The return of romantic drama on the silver screen is expected to fuel recovery of music sales—since love stories usually boast of popular, hummable soundtracks—and also builds on the gains of re-releases of much-loved movies like Jab We Met and Sanam Teri Kasam that young Gen Z audiences have thronged the theatres for, according to entertainment industry experts. While Yash Raj Films' Saiyaara had crossed the ₹ 270-crore mark at last count, Karan Johar's Dhadak 2, Maddock Films' Param Sundari and Kartik Aaryan's untitled romantic film are all scheduled for release over the next few months. 'Bollywood was invested in making only a certain kind of films over the past few years, such as social dramas. In the process, it lost out on many mass-market genres including romance and horror. There is a great need for love stories so that youngsters can visit cinemas,' independent exhibitor Vishek Chauhan said. It is important to make sure these films come with good music, experts like Chauhan said, as music is also a great driver for movie marketing. The list of top 50 tracks on Spotify on Thursday was topped by the title track of Saiyaara. Five other songs from the films also featured in the top 10. To be sure, film industry experts also point to the enduring appeal of romantic films. While there have been re-releases galore in cinemas over the past few months, there is a significantly higher draw for romantic dramas, even including flops such as Laila Majnu, Rockstar and Sanam Teri Kasam. Experts said that the Gen Z audiences flocking to these films don't have a real love story of their times and don't mind paying low prices to watch a movie in a genre they have completely missed out on. Plus, the music plays a big role, given that new film soundtracks rarely find favour nowadays. Sanam Teri Kasam, a 2016 romantic drama, is currently the highest grossing re-release in India, having made over ₹ 35 crore in box-office collections in its second run. Laila Majnu earned over ₹ 11 crore last year, surpassing its original box-office takings of ₹ 2-3 crore when released in 2018. Pranav Garg, managing director at Maya Palace, a two-screen cinema in Muzaffarnagar, pointed out that romantic films have always been an enduring brand at the Indian box office, driven by films featuring the likes of Shah Rukh Khan in the 1990s. However, in the past few years, filmmakers have resorted to fixed formulas of patriotic dramas and biopics. But it's romantic movies that attract the young audiences who go on to pick up dialogues, songs and styles from these movies, proving to be their brand ambassadors. 'A lot of filmmakers have been depending on the tried and tested template of action coupled with a big star and director lately, which hasn't worked. Love stories are always a good bet at the box office and the advantage is they can work even without stars,' Ashutosh Agarwal, owner of Star World Cinemas in Uttar Pradesh, said.
