Arts and Theater

Vartika Chandani: Wedding Planner Trends for 2025

At just 19, Vartika Chandani has transformed The Vara Weddings into a cross-city, cross-border celebration design company known for its culturally rooted yet contemporary weddings. From Mumbai to Marrakech, her team curates immersive experiences that blend emotion, tradition, and storytelling. Among India’s new wave of trailblazers, she gives us a lowdown on the latest wedding trends this 2025.

What are the top 3 most requested luxury add-ons in 2025 weddings?
In 2025, couples are investing in experiences that immerse guests completely. Personalised touchpoints like curated welcome hampers, live perfume bars, and interactive food artistry counters are huge. Entertainment is bigger than ever think international acts, celebrity performances, aerial musicians, and projection mapping shows. Design has gone bold, with dramatic floral tunnels, bespoke thematic entries, and LED or 3D-mapped dance floors that transform spaces into dreamscapes.

For couples looking to elevate their wedding beyond tradition, what unexpected elements are trending?

Indian weddings are embracing immersive, non-traditional elements that surprise and delight festival-style after-parties, intimate chef’s table dinners for family, and live artists painting moments as they happen. Interactive zones are booming, from mixology counters and tarot corners to custom fragrance blending. These details create a personal storyline for the wedding, making it an unforgettable journey rather than just an event.

Guests today expect more than food and music. How are you keeping them engaged between events?

Guests crave connection and interaction they want to be part of the celebration, not just watch it. We create “mini-worlds” within weddings: nostalgia corners with childhood games, art walls for illustrated messages, live food theatres, and immersive setups like chai-tasting lounges or quirky photo booths that change with each function. These zones spark conversations, laughter, and memories beyond the dance floor.

How are tech and AI shaping modern weddings?

Couples are embracing AI powered memory booths for instant digital keepsakes, real-time hashtag walls, and virtual guestbooks for global well-wishers. Projection mapping is telling love stories during sangeets, while AI-curated playlists adapt to crowd energy. Even behind the scenes, we use AI for mood boards, RSVP tracking, and workflow making the planning process smoother while keeping the focus on emotion and storytelling.

How have wedding giveaways evolved?

The focus has shifted to gifts with meaning. Couples are curating artisanal keepsakes, from customised fragrances and handcrafted tableware to products sourced from meaningful locations. Experiential gifting is on the rise spa vouchers, wine tasting sessions, or planting a tree in each guest’s name. The goal: a takeaway that’s not just pretty, but personal and lasting.

What niche ideas or hidden gems do you see defining the next wave of wedding innovation?
The future is in storytelling and craft. We’re collaborating with regional weavers for customised textiles that double as décor and keepsakes, miniature artists for hand-painted invites, and local perfumers for signature scents. Even folk musicians, artisanal chocolate makers, and hand-embroidered napkins are making their way into luxury weddings. These elements infuse celebrations with heritage, personality, and soul.

September 2, 2025

Metaverse: Can VR Replace Traditional ?

The roar of virtual slot machines, the digital chime of winning spins, and the hypnotic glow of your screen the sweet symphony of online casinos, where wallets vanish with a click, and dreams dangle on the edge of an algorithm. But what if you could sit at virtual blackjack tables, sip virtual cocktails, and smoke virtual cigars, while the only thing actually smoking was your GPU? Welcome to the metaverse, the latest boogeyman for traditional online casinos. VR casinos, promise a fully immersive experience from the comfort of your couch or bed, no judgment. But is this the end of traditional casinos, or just a shinier way to chase the same old odds? One thing’s for sure: at least here, you won’t have to dodge tourists or bad karaoke. A Casino You Can’t Touch The metaverse is a glorious invention that proves we don’t need reality anymore. In its simplest form, the metaverse is a digital universe where people interact via avatars, living their best virtual lives. This brave new world blends VR, AR, blockchain, and a touch of living in a simulation paranoia to create an interactive space for everything, including gambling. For example: an online casino in Decentraland, where you can strut around in your digital Gucci outfit, playing blackjack with people who may or may not be real. They use DG tokens, players earn rewards, stake crypto, and experience a gambling hall that doesn’t smell like cigars and regret. Of course, this wasn’t invented overnight. The concept of the metaverse was first described in 1992 by Neal Stephenson in Snow Crash, a cyberpunk novel where people escaped their dull reality through a virtual world. Little did he know, decades later, tech giants and crypto bros would make this dream a very expensive reality. Feature Metaverse Casino Traditional

Arts and Theater

Reviving the art of storytelling: Chitrakathi

The once popular Chitrakathi, storytelling through paintings, is brought back to life by the Gangawane family in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg. Ketki Gadre interviews the last family practicing this art form to delve into their motivations and the supporters who have aided them on this journey. After a long day of trekking the Western Ghats around Bhogwe Beach in Sindhudurg, my luxury resort, Coco Shambhala, suggested an unusual activity – an art class. They agreed to it and invited Chetan Gangavane, a third-generation Chitrakathi artist working to revive this art form. Chitrakathi Art While setting up the art activity, Mr Chetan briefs me about the 11 art forms his community (Thakar) has been involved with for generations. His family currently practices three art forms unique to Maharashtra: String puppetry, Chitrakathi, and Shadow puppetry. “Chitrakathi involves storytelling through art on a 12×15” or 12×18” canvas, which can take 1-3 days to complete, depending on the painting’s intricacy. Traditionally, these paintings depicted scenes from mythological epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata, accompanied by live singers playing instruments. Therefore, Chitrakathi artists needed not only painting skills but also the ability to sing and play instruments,” explains Mr. Chetan. The Thakar community, an Adivasi tribe living in the forests, gained recognition for their art from the erstwhile warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He brought them out of forests and closer to towns and provided them opportunities to perform art shows during festivals. In return, the community assisted the king by spreading messages of social enlightenment through their art. The artists earned their livelihood for many years through food or monetary donations. However, over time, attitudes shifted, and people stopped donating food and began treating them with disrespect. The Gangavane family is the last Thakar community to practice this centuries-old art form. The rest gave up with

Arts and Theater

Nurturing Artistic Talent: Sunaina Misra’s Vision for Artiste Culture

In the vibrant world of contemporary art, one name stands out for its unique approach to nurturing and managing artistic talent: Goa-based Sunaina Misra. As the founder of Artiste Culture, Sunaina has revolutionized how artists are managed, helping them navigate the complexities of the art industry. Her agency works directly with artists worldwide, assisting them in making connections and developing the skills needed to elevate their creative careers. Surabhi Goel had the pleasure of sitting down with Sunaina to discuss her background, the origin of Artiste Culture, and her vision for the future. I always grew up in an environment where my mother encouraged me to explore art in various forms, painting or visiting galleries. She wanted me to find my passion, so she enrolled me in different classes, from basketball to art. By age 15, I started working with an artist in Lucknow, helping him in his studio. There, I discovered my knack for organizing and managing artistic tasks, such as typing resumes and basic computer tasks. This experience sparked my interest in art management. Later, I pursued my Master’s in Art and Design Management in Newcastle, which solidified my understanding of the field. After various roles, including working for an art start-up and a museum, COVID-19 hit, leading me to start Artiste Culture. A blend of necessity and passion drove me to create a platform to support artists during uncertain times. The inspiration came from identifying gaps within the industry. Artists often struggled with managing their careers while focusing on their art. I wanted to create a space where artists could focus on creating while we took care of everything else—finding exhibitions, writing citations, and managing logistics. My vision was to build a multicultural and diverse environment that supports artists from all over the world. Over time, Artiste

Arts and Theater

5 Prolific Women Contemporary Indian Artists to Watch for in 2024

In 2023, women artists from India achieved new heights and were lauded worldwide. With Amrita Sher-Gil’s work ‘The Story Teller’ becoming the most expensive Indian artwork ever sold, Google honouring Zarina Hashmi for her life’s work, and Nalini Malani winning the 2023 Kyoto Prize, Indian women artists in both modern and contemporary art are gaining momentum. This year, contemporary Indian women artists continued to wield their creativity as a powerful force, shaping the art scene and contributing to the evolution of societal narratives. With 2024 upon us, the recognition and interest Indian women artists receive will only continue to rise. Sneha Gautam, Senior Vice President at AstaGuru Auction House, lists some eminent women artists whom art enthusiasts and collectors should watch for in this year. Nalini Malani: Among the trailblazers in the contemporary art scene who are making an impact on a global scale is painter and multimedia artist Nalini Malani, recognised for her innovative use of technology and distinctive visual language. Born in Karachi in 1946, she studied at Sir J.J. School of Arts and became one of India’s video art pioneers. Malani’s work often explores themes of feminism, war, and the human condition, challenging viewers to engage with complex issues in new and thought-provoking ways. Her dedication to seeing the artist as an activist and her exploration of womanhood through various media has indelibly impacted India’s contemporary art. Bharti Kher: Influential contemporary Indian artist Bharti Kher was born in London to Indian immigrant parents in 1969. She captivates with her avant-garde creations that transcend traditional boundaries and is best known for works constructed with many bindis. Renowned for her thought-provoking sculptures and installations, Kher often explores themes of identity, mythology, and the female form. With a unique artistic vocabulary, she challenges conventional notions, using unconventional materials to craft