biggest south asian momenets

The Biggest South Asian Moments of 2025

Shah Rukh Khan attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 5, 2025 (Michael Loccisano/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images)

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Viral clips, cropped videos, and eerily similar talking points. Fans suspect it isn’t a coincidence.

Who’s Trying to Take Down Shah Rukh Khan?

Shah Rukh Khan plays the lead character in 'Swades', a 2004 film by Ashutosh Gowariker

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The 2004 Shah Rukh Khan film broke away from the fantasy of overseas glamour. Instead, it showed us the political responsibility of returning home.

‘Swades’ and the NRI Burden

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The world is crashing out over a viral video at a Tyla concert. Indian women would like a word.

Hot Indian Baddies Are Breaking the Internet

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Tomas Bata came to “shoe” the natives. They ended up building his empire — and saving his company.

How a Racist Czech Shoemaker Built India’s Biggest Shoe Brand

Still from Ai-generated 'Mahabharat: Dharamyudh' (JioHotsar)

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Some think artificial intelligence will democratize storytelling. Others think it’ll destroy what has long made films special.

AI is Coming for Indian Cinema

People stand around the debris of an airplane after it crashed in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, Thursday, June 12, 2025 (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

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Tata is pouring billions into the airline. But a deadly crash — and years of passenger complaints — continue to cloud its comeback.

Can Air India Be Saved?

Indian farmers pick flowers at a farm in Kannauj, the perfume capital of India. Traditional workers are struggling to keep their craft alive in the face of fierce competition from modern fragrance makers. (AFP PHOTO/ SAJJAD HUSSAIN/GettyImages)


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 The $62 billion global fragrance industry runs on synthetics. But one country’s ancient, natural traditions are gaining ground.

Can India Reclaim Its Perfume Glory?

Prasanna Sankar, Sam Altman, Dhivya Sashidhar (X)

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Rippling co-founder Prasanna Sankar is in a viral fight with his ex-wife over money, custody, and reputation — and the internet is choosing sides.

A Founder, a Divorce, and the Trial by X

Tata Group chief Ratan Tata at the launch of Jaguar, Land Rover brands in Mumbai on June 28, 2009 (Bhaskar Paul/The The India Today Group via Getty Images)


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The British automaker’s most shocking moment wasn’t a viral 2024 ad. It was when one Indian man dared to buy it.

Jaguar’s in Trouble. Can Tata Save It Again?

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Police dismissed the OpenAI whistleblower’s death as a suicide. His parents say there’s more going on.

What Really Happened to Suchir Balaji?

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Dr. Parik Patel (courtesy Dr. Parik Patel)

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What does the investor, lawyer, and chartered accountant want the world to know? “Tell them I’m defying gravity.”

Dr. Parik Patel, the Internet’s Meme Doctor

Rihanna arrives at the Rihanna x Fenty Hair Los Angeles Launch Party at Nya Studios on June 10, 2024 in Los Angeles (Kayla Oaddams/WireImage)


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Where do you go when you’ve already dressed the biggest stars in your country?

The Indian Couturiers Courting the West

AP Dhillon performs at the 2024 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival in Indio, California (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Coachella)

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A language that isn’t as widely spoken as Hindi or Urdu is now the default export of the Indian subcontinent.

How Punjabi Music Went Global

Employees working at Greenlab Diamonds, a firm manufacturing lab-grown gems on the outskirts of Surat (SAM PANTHAKY/AFP via Getty Images)

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India was once the world’s biggest diamond supplier. It now hopes to reclaim that past — with a twist.

Are Lab-Grown Diamonds Forever?

USA players celebrate after defeating Pakistan in a super over during the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup at Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium on June 6, 2024 in Dallas, Texas (Matt Roberts-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)

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A group of dreamers and part-timers beat some of the world’s best. We asked them how they did it.

The U.S. Cricket Team is Here to Stay

Graduate students take photos of fellow peers in Harvard Yard on May 29, 2025 in Cambridge, Massachusetts (Photo by Libby O'Neill/Getty Images)

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A new generation is opting out of chasing greatness. Instead, they’re rewriting the rules of “excellence.”

The Death of the South Asian Overachiever

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Dismissed, memeified, resurrected, Lord Bobby is now Bollywood’s favorite comeback kid.

Bobby Deol is Back. Why Didn’t We See It Coming?

Chef Gita prepares dal in the kitchen of Yoga Magic Eco Retreat in Anjuna on February 1, 2012 in Goa, India (EyesWideOpen/Getty Images)

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God forbid you chill and reheat yesterday’s dal chawal.

When Did Refrigerating Food Become So Haram?

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What happens when a Western TikTok fantasy collides with subcontinental patriarchy?

The Rise of the South Asian Trad Wife

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The World Economic Forum says it takes seven generations for a person born into a low-income family in India to break the cycle of poverty.  See how Shanti Bhavan is doing it in one.

Can one child be the generation that ends poverty?

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The viral bandana girl, Priyanga (X user: w0rdgenerator)

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How one auto-rickshaw video went viral on X — triggering adoration, backlash, AI clones, and utter chaos.

The Accidental Iconhood of Bandana Girl

Krishna as depicted in one of the early issues of Amar Chitra Katha (Amar Chitra Katha)

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The comics shaped millions of childhoods. But readers now wonder: is it time for an update?

The Complicated Nostalgia of Amar Chitra Katha

Ramit Sethi and Cassandra Sethi wedding (Cassie Valente Photography)

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More couples in the diaspora are signing premarital agreements — and rethinking love, duty, and divorce.

The South Asians Adding Prenups to Their Wedding Checklist

Shakuntala Devi on November 14, 1995 (TONY AW/South China Morning Post via Getty Images)


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We remember her as the “human computer.” Few celebrate how she used her gift to read fates.

Shakuntala Devi, Astrologer of the Gods

Ekoleshi, painting from Calcutta c. 1890, referring to the story of Nabin and Elokeshi (Victoria & Albert Museum)

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A viral talk show debate on infidelity laid bare South Asia’s double standards around love and loyalty.

Is Everyone Cheating Now?

Megan Suri and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan in Never Have I Ever Season 2 (Netflix)

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From gossip to smear campaigns, too many of us can’t stand to see each other win — and it’s costing us.

Why Do South Asians Tear Each Other Down?

Akbar receives the Iranian Ambassador Sayyid Beg in 1562, illustration to the Akbarnama, c. 1590-5 © Victoria and Albert Museum

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Our favorite picks for your favorite loved ones.

The Juggernaut Holiday Gift Guide: 2025

Woman lighting candles for Diwali (Wikimedia Commons)

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Ten must-read stories to enrich your festive season.

Celebrating Diwali: 2025

Shahbaz Khan shows pictures of his uncle Inayat Khan (left), who was also separated from the family at the time of Partition and died in India a few years ago, and his late father Sharif Khan (Murtaza Ali/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

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Fifteen in-depth stories about the event that forever changed the subcontinent.

Remembering Partition and Independence, 78 Years On

Members of Nepal's LGBT community take part in a gay pride parade in Kathmandu on August 27, 2018 (Gopen RAI / AFP via Getty Images)

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This June, explore some of our favorite long reads on queer South Asian icons, history, and culture.

Our Top Stories for Pride 2025

Hanumankind performs at the Mojave Tent at Coachella on April 12, 2025 in Indio, California (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for Coachella)


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Dive into 20 of our favorite stories that celebrate South Asian American icons, culture, and history.

Celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month: 2025

Shakuntala Pines for King Dushyanta, With Priyamvada and Anusuya (Raja Ravi Varma)

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This March, dive into our stories about women in all their multitudes. Goddess. Mother. Sister. Saint. Icon.

Celebrating Women’s History Month: 2025

A Mughal lady (possibly Farzana Begum), c.1650 (Royal Collection Trust)

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From the love story that changed mental healthcare to the impact of ‘One Day,’ dive into our top stories on love in all its forms.

South Asian Love Stories: 2025

Members of the Movement for Colonial Freedom and the Black Sash Movement march to South Africa House, 1956 (Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)

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Tracing the historic ties between Black and South Asian communities — beyond borders and timelines.

Celebrating Black History Month: 2025

Lunar New Year being celebrated in Kolkata, India (Photo by Avishek Das/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

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From Indo-Chinese food to ‘Harold & Kumar,’ explore 15 stories that highlight the unexpected connections between South and East Asian cultures.

Celebrating Lunar New Year: 2025

Still from 'All We Imagine As Light' (2024)

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The best of film, TV, music, and theater: All We Imagine As Light, that Asoka trend, One Day, and more.

The Juggernaut’s Top 15 Entertainment Stories of 2024

Vikas Khanna with yogurt kabab at Bungalow (Snigdha Sur for The Juggernaut)

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Dive headfirst into the raw, unfiltered perspectives of restaurateur Vikas Khanna, actor Tabu, chef Dylan Bachelet, tech memer Dr. Parik Patel, and more.

The Juggernaut’s Top 10 Profiles of 2024

Mumbai protesters on August 14, 2024 seeking justice for a woman trainee doctor who was raped and murdered on duty at R.G. Kar Medical College in Kolkata (Ashish Vaishnav/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

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Murders, hate crimes, and the search for justice — from the Dotbusters to the Kolkata Horror.

The Juggernaut’s Top 10 True Crime Stories of 2024

Moushumi Das collects a blood sample of a school student to check for hemoglobin before providing medicine for anemia near Agartala, India (Majority World/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

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The South Asian aging paradox, the miracle of Boroline, why South Asian women disproportionately suffer from anemia, and more.

The Juggernaut’s Top 10 Health Stories of 2024

Untitled, anonymous, 1890s (Kalighat Pat) (DAG)

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How Tamil spread around the world, Europe claimed Indian math, an eclipse ended a genocide, and much more.

The Juggernaut’s Top 15 History Stories of 2024

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From Toyota Camry to Coke Studio, these were the top stories on the brands and market trends that had our readers hooked.

The Juggernaut’s Top 10 Business Stories of 2024

Alia Bhatt at Met Gala 2024 (John Shearer/WireImage/Getty)

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From why the region is the mother of maximalism to the appropriation of the dupatta, our best stories on the trends, practices, and beliefs that shape us.

The Juggernaut’s Top 15 Culture Stories of 2024

Sri Lankan workers at the Link Natural factory sort through sachets of Samahan in Dompe on December 29, 2010 (AFP PHOTO/Ishara S. KODIKARA via Getty Images)

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From how Samahan became a global sensation to how a bowl of fruit became a love language, these were the food stories our readers and editorial team devoured.

The Juggernaut’s Top 10 Food Stories of 2024

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 2024’s Biggest Moments for South Asians Globally

Celebrating Diwali: 2024

Daydream of a Nocturne by Shyama Golden (shyamagolden.com)

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Fifteen must-read stories for this spooky season.

Halloween 2024: South Asian Edition

Anushka Sharma and Ranveer Singh in 'Band Baaja Baaraat' (2010)

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We chatted with director Maneesh Sharma about how he created the entrepreneurial Shruti Kakkar and a hero willing to follow her lead.

‘Band Baaja Baaraat’ Made Female Ambition Sexy

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It’s slickly produced, politically explosive, and impossible to watch without asking: is this art, propaganda, or something else?

‘Dhurandhar’: The Blockbuster Splitting India

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How a small-town boy from Punjab built a new blueprint for the Bollywood star.

Dharmendra: The Hero Who Redefined Heroism

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Based on a true story, the film highlights the Indian labor fueling the trillion-dollar AI boom.

‘Humans in the Loop’: AI’s Unsung Women

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Director Geeta Gandbhir turns two years of police bodycam footage into a gripping story with rare levity — and intense horror.

‘The Perfect Neighbor’ Depicts Your Worst Nightmare

Deepika Padukone and Shah Rukh Khan in 'Om Shanti Om' (2007)

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Behind the camp and insider jokes was Farah Khan’s sincere ode to hope — and to Bollywood’s heart.

‘Om Shanti Om’ Was More than Great Meta-Fiction

Mira Nair shooting 'Mississippi Masala' (Mira Nair)

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Let’s not forget: she’s an iconic filmmaker first, Zohran Mamdani’s mom second.