Lounge Loves: Steam rooms, ‘undhiyo’ and more

Season’s First

There’s a nice ring to “season’s first”. Mangoes for sure. Ilish, of course. But living in Mumbai for many years now, I have started liking the season’s first undhiyo. I am not a big fan of Gujarati food, but come winter (relax, we don’t have one here), I enjoy a well-made undhiyo—a medley of seasonal vegetables—purple yam, sweet potato, papdi or flat beans, small brinjals and fresh green pigeon peas or tuver, to name a few. Cooked with a spicy, oily masala, which includes coconut, chillies and fresh green garlic, I think the hint of sweetness is what feels familiar to my Bengali palate. So when the family sent an invite for a special winter lunch recently, I gave in to the season’s first undhiyo.

—Rituparna Roy

Bookmarking Braids

One of my current favourite Instagram accounts is @Dad.Braids. It’s run by Strider Patton, a US-based father who posts about styling his daughter’s hair in a remarkable variety of braids, ponytails and pigtails. As a new mother, among all the parenting accounts that I follow, this one is most addictive. Watching people braid hair is pure ASMR. It’s not just his skill, but the different kinds of combs, clips and scrunchies keep me hooked. I am not sure whether doom-scrolling these videos will translate into anything useful given that there’s barely any time to iron my daughter’s clothes. But, one can dream and one day when her hair is long enough for pigtails, and I spend less time on social media, things might change.

— Jahnabee Borah

Blowing Off Steam

Some time ago, when I was under the weather, a dear friend sent me a vapouriser. This contraption comes with a facial steamer, so I began taking steam once a week, not just for relief but for comfort. It was a practical gift, almost clinical in its utility, but the part of me that cannot help but romanticise everything, started to see the whole exercise as meditative. A pause we all know we need, yet often try to manufacture through extreme measures like digital-detox retreats. Now, as I’m learning to swim, I find myself looking forward to spending time in the steam room afterwards with a similar kind of anticipation. The warmth seeps into tired muscles, nourishes the body. But above all, it offers stillness. Sitting in the steam room with no devices, even my thoughts rise and dissolve like vapour. Things clear out, and you emerge quietly renewed.

—Shephali Bhatt

Politics and Punchlines

On 2 January, Varun Grover posted on X: “My first-ever full comedy special, too political to go on any streaming service, is out on YouTube now.” It’s a route Kunal Kamra had taken last year for his special Naya Bharat. Grover begins his 80-minute special with a reference to the fallout of Kamra’s video, telling the audience, “It’s possible that after a few days you’ll get a call from your local police station about tonight…”. Grover is so productive and proficient in so many areas (screenwriter, lyricist, director, just for starters) that he’s always in the public eye for his film-related work. Nothing Makes Sense, which covers everything from hate campaigns and performative liberalism to secret India-Pakistan doorbell wars, is a reminder that his deadpan comic timing is intact and cutting.

—Uday Bhatia