Women's Lifestyle
Cosmopolitan India
March 2020Cosmopolitan isn’t just a magazine, it’s a religion. Now in its 15th year in India, Cosmopolitan is the world’s largest selling magazine, with 200 million readers annually in a 100 countries. It is published in over 26 languages, but at its core, it speaks only one – that of fun fearless females globally. Another language it speaks? That of stupendous success!Top Indian actresses, models and singers have been on the cover of Cosmopolitan before the rest of the world recognised their spark-because we know a fun fearless female when we see one! When we put someone on the Cosmopolitan cover, we acknowledge her right to be counted among the best in the business.
in this issue
editor’s letter
WELCOME TO WOMEN’S MONTH. It’s that time of the year, when our inboxes are spammed with lingerie discount codes and pink e-cards featuring roses. It’s that time when many people ridicule (or dismiss) the relevance of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month. Often, they will cite their own experiences with abundant ‘female power’. Or how, as women, they have never felt unequal or ‘weak’. Or why there should also exist an International Men’s Day (there does, it’s November 19th). All this phoo-phooing bothers me. Because while I simply cannot subject myself to another Who Run the World? meme, I can tell you that I am grateful for every Women’s Day and Women’s Month and Women’s Year, because we need every single opportunity to make greater noise about a greater leap for…
4 things i’m lovin’ right now
Pencil skirts are my no-brainer pick to look glam when I’m running short on time, and this digi-print piece by House Of Sohn, ₹6,900, is a great pick for both day and night.…
you tell us
LOVE’S IN THE AIR! “Disha Patani and Aditya Roy Kapur sure make for a hot on-screen couple! And their smoking chemistry came through on the Cosmo cover, too. It was equally interesting to read their interviews. While I admire both of them, I have to confess I’m biased towards Aditya. And after reading about his vagabond days and generally chilled disposition in life, I think I may have fallen in love. But, can you really blame me?!” —SUMBUL SHAH LEAVING A MARK “I enjoyed reading Keeping Up With The Kapoor. Rhea Kapoor is such an inspiration, and it is so good to see her dabble with so many different things, and be so passionate about all that she does. And, equally inspiring is Rahul Mishra. Showing at the Paris Haute Couture Week is…
“bollywood needs more ‘sisterhood’.”
Cosmo: Your career trajectory features roles across various genres. Is there a character that you feel closest to? Sobhita Dhulipala: “I believe that every person can be everything. One is capable of having all kinds of thoughts, no matter how godly or horrific. The way a person/character behaves is a matter of social conditioning. But, to answer your question, I have no attachments to the characters I enact. Some states of mind can be hard to access because of unfamiliarity, but I’m a very curious person. The farther the character is from my natural self, the more thrilled I am to portray it.” [Smiles] C: What’s your take on women having it all—an ambitious dream or reality? SD: “I was taught in school: History is theirs whose language is the Sun. Man or woman,…
illustrating #womenpower
Neha Kapil “As diasporic women, raised outside of our mother countries, our views on culture are often complex. My goal is to assure brown women that our voices matter, which is why I choose to empower through storytelling. In a society that, unfortunately, is still quite patriarchal, it’s important to remind each other of real life historical figures that fought against the norms and inspired through their actions. Growing up, I always found it strange that the stories of our people particularly placed an emphasis on ‘men fighting epic battles’. This led me to ask: what about our women? Female-driven stories are rarely known, and incredibly difficult to find information on. My attempt is to contribute to South Asian ‘herstory’. It’s crucial for brown girls to be raised with powerful imagery…
“my inspiration board”
Cosmo: What’s the inspiration behind your collection, AXIL? Amit Aggarwal: “This collection is a step towards a future that we envision for the human civilisation. For AXIL, we looked at the wildflower as a metaphor to represent femininity and how it conforms to a fabricated life made of concrete and polymers. All the pieces emanate the idea of a blooming flower thrown in industrial waste, and at the same time, mimic industrial aspects through hand-done techniques.” C: You are often inspired by architecture. Is that the case with AXIL, too? AA: “Zaha Hadid’s intensely futuristic architecture, characterised by curving facades and sharp angles, has always inspired me. She took the strongest materials and manipulated them to form buildings that appear both soft and sturdy at once. If you look closely, you will see…
