19092026-LSTL-01.qxd 9/18/2026 8:44 PM Page 1 c m y b GONDHAL: INDIA’S OSCAR ENTRY . Marathi film Gondhal is India’s official entry for the 2027 Oscars. Santosh Davakhar directorial and Kishor Kadam, Ishita Deshmukh, Yogesh Sohoni, Nishad Bhoir and Anuj Prabhu istarrer is now now representing India in the Academy Awards International Feature Film race. TRIBUNE London calling Life A model walks the runway as Paul Costelloe opens London Fashion Week, debuting a Spring/Summer 2027 collection inspired by 1980s power dressing. LUDHIANA | SATURDAY | 19 SEPTEMBER 2026 In an instant, hyper-connected world, a new generation is seeking things that last—and reclaiming their boundaries AnanyaVerma S OMETHING old is finding its way back into young lives. Flip phones, vinyl, film cameras, wired earphones and fountain pens, all a decade out of fashion, are suddenly cool again. Gen Z, wired into the Internet since childhood, is quietly reaching backward. Ask why, and most Gen Z voices we spoke to point to digital fatigue first. But nearly all of them said something The Analog revival deeper was going on too. They wanted to slow down. Vivek Chandel, from Dharamsala, feels the world is running fast, and believes his generation wants to slow it down after watching what that speed cost the generation before them. “Life is too fast, we want to breathe,” he said. “Anybody can make money but can’t find peace. We’re just trying to start living in the moment.” Psychotherapist Nayamat Bawa, founder of La Esperanza Mental Health, thinks both are true at once. “Gen Z is questioning the older meaning of success and balancing it out with sacrifice,” she said. “They are ambitious, but they are less willing to believe that being constantly exhausted is the price of having a successful life.” It’s a generation asking not how do I become successful, but what kind of life do I actually want to build. “Gen Z has grown up developing a sense of self while constantly seeing other people’s lives,” Bawa said. “You are not just living your Shabana’s special 76! chandigarh WHAT’S Questioning norms “Gen Z is much less willing to accept things simply because previous generations accepted them,” Bawa said. With instant access to information, they’re less convinced there’s only one right way to build a life. Even their memes carry this weight, doubling as a language for political opinion during recent protests. Boundaries, everywhere That awareness shows up as an instinct for boundaries, at home and at work. Wired earphones are one small signal of it: I’m not fully available right now. The same instinct plays out at the office, where surveys this year show most Gen Z workers rank work-life balance above salary. It isn’t a rejection of work. Having watched older generations wear exhaustion Borrowed nostalgia The pull toward 80s and 90s aesthetics fits the same pattern. “It is more like cultural or borrowed nostalgia,” Bawa said, standing in for a slower, less mediated way of living. “This is less about wanting to go back in time and more about looking for qualities they feel are missing from the present.” Janhvi Kapoor, a Gen Z voice from Chandigarh, traces it to something simple: nothing digital truly stays. One click and it’s gone. “We want to feel moments, read and experience everything,” she said. “A book you can hold gives you a sense of permanence a screen never will.” Definitely. Haryana is a very big part of who I am, so I think it naturally comes into my music. The language, the way people speak, the culture and even the way we look at relationships and life, all of these things influence me. eat HIMALAYAN FEAST The through-line Flip phones, wired earphones, early log-offs, quieter nights: none of it is about rejecting technology or work. It’s the same search underneath everything: permanence in a disposable culture, boundaries in an always-on one, and success that doesn’t require burning out. The first look of actor Upendra from the upcoming Telugu film Zombie Reddy 2 NXT LVL has been unveiled on his birthday. The actor will be seen in a new avatar in the second part of the zombie comedy-action franchise. The poster shows Upendra hanging upside down from a large tree branch with the tagline, “Ready to turn the world upside down. The film will be released in seven languages: Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Nepali and Japanese. — ANI Mitta Ror is a rising Haryanvi artiste from Karnal, Haryana, currently based in Fresno, California. Known for his blend of Haryanvi roots, contemporary sounds, romance and raw desi swagger, he shot to wider recognition with Sheesha, which became a viral success and helped take his music beyond regional boundaries. He continues to build on this momentum with tracks like Gun & Gulaab, showcasing his evolving sound. HOT None of this means opting out. As per the Consumer Technology Association’s 2026 study based out of the US, 86 per cent of Gen Z say technology is essential to their lives. Zombie Reddy 2 Mitta Ror is bridging desi roots with modern beats Your music has a strong Haryanvi identity; how has your hometown shaped your songwriting? Still deeply digital FIRST LOOK California energy. Is that something you consciously try to create? I think it happens naturally. I don’t sit and decide that this song has to sound a certain way. Whatever I’m feeling or writing at that point usually decides that. The romance, the attitude and that desi touch are all parts of me, so they naturally come into the music. What has making music taught you about yourself? Does knowing that people are discovering Haryanvi music through you make you more conscious about what you put out? T HE Cafe at JW Marriott is putting together a feast inspired by the Himalayas, spotlighting dishes from Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Ladakh, Sikkim and the Northeast. The Cafe at JW Marriott, Chandigarh on September 19 to 27. I wouldn’t say I become more conscious, but yes, I do feel a responsibility to give my best. I’ve always wanted my music to represent where I come from in an honest way. If people are discovering Haryanvi music through my songs, then that’s a really good feeling for me. play Your songs often have this mix of romance and raw desi When you write about your feelings, experiences and things that happen around you, you also start understanding what you actually feel about them. Music has helped me express certain things that I may not have been able to say otherwise. Has Sheesha changed the way you look at everyday experiences now? Yes, definitely, a lot actually. Now, wherever I go, I feel like anything can become an inspiration if you look at it that way. PAINT YOUR GLASS O Luxury exhibitions remain a major draw for Ludhiana’s socialites, delivering high turnouts and brisk business for designers LIVE Cafe and Bar hosts a relaxed wine glass painting session, no art experience required. Olive Cafe and Bar, Chandigarh from September 20 to September 27. Shivani Bhakoo love WOMEN IN COLOUR S OBHA SINGH Art Gallery hosts Celebrating Together, an exhibition of 70 women artists from Punjab and Chandigarh. On at Punjab Kala Bhawan, Sector 16-B, Chandigarh, from September 22 to 26. PHOTO: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN chandigarh as a badge of commitment, this generation refuses to accept that trade as a given. life; you are also constantly seeing how others appear to be living theirs. Even so, this isn’t a rejection of social media outright. They use it for connection and community, while growing more aware of its cost.” From Karnal to It was an early birthday celebration for veteran actress Shabana Azmi, who spent a special evening surrounded by close friends and familiar faces from the film industry. The actress shared glimpses from the celebrations on social media, including a special birthday cake gifted by actress Vidya Balan and her husband, producer Siddharth Roy Kapur. The cake featured an artistic picture of Shabana along with the words — Batwarapan! A talent that is borderless! EST. 1950 STILL GOING STRON. Shabana thanked the couple for the special gesture. — ANI chandigarh Akaisha leans old-school Actor Akaisha Vats, soon to be seen in Jai Hind, Jai Sindh: A Love Story, admits she leans old school too. “I like dial phones a lot, they are fun” she said. “It used to cost one or two rupees to send an SMS, so it was a lot of effort for us. Now everything is free, so everything has become very easy and there is no excitement and effort.” Asked about her own Gen Z habits, Vats said she has gone back to writing. “I have started writing and journaling again,” she said. “As an actor, it is very important to stay mentally stable and to stay stable with your emotions.” The women in Ludhiana have geared up to witness yet another lifestyle exhibition that is going to kick-off from Saturday for two days at Hyatt under the banner Wedding Syrup. Realising the pulse of the buyers in Ludhiana, right ahead of the wedding and festival season, the exhibitions pull a lot of crowd. The exhibition will display the real gold, polki and diamond jewellery brands like Pushp diamonds, SLG by Gehna, Preeti Diamonds, Dutta India and many more. Though Ludhiana has already got the leading jewellery brands like Tanishq, Malabar, Khanna Jewellers, Khurana c m y b Festive shopping spree Jewellers, Kalyan Jewellers and many others but during exhibitions, the jewellery remains an attraction as buyers get an idea about the latest at other places. Reena, a regular shopper, says, “We buy or not but we get an idea what is in fashion these days. We establish a bond with other brands of cities”, she adds. Since these exhibitions are curated by the socialites from Ludhiana, these remain crowdpulling. “Ludhiana is a small city as compared to other metropolitans. Here, word of mouth is enough to pull the crowds. The buyers throng the exhibitions as they get variety for which they otherwise visit to Delhi or Jaipur, says Geetu, another exhibition enthusiast. Exhibitions like the Luxe edit are being organised on September 22 at Blaase while another exhibition Tres Mehr on September 23 at Maharaja Regency. And curating these exhibitions has become a lucrative business. “Each exhibitor pays up to Rs 50,000 or even more depending on which hotel the exhibition is being held and for how many days it will be. The event planners and bloggers generate business in lakhs by holding the exhibitions as Ludhiana has no dearth of buyers. The exhibitors have confidence to see huge footfall based on purchasing power of Ludhianvis. A good exhibition hosts over 50 stalls during wedding and festival days depending on the space available”, says a curator.