Anamika Khanna, Mondo Duplantis and 5 other stories to read this weekend

When we were planning the 2025 Fiction Special in January, we picked the theme ‘War and Peace’ for writers, contemplating the physical and metaphorical wars that had been raging around us in the year gone by and hoping for a better year ahead. Five months in, it has, unfortunately, turned out to have been prescient, every story in that issue seeming like a portent of what has come to pass in the last week. Considering the week we’ve had, it may seem tone deaf that we continue to write about sports and fashion, or recommend shows, films and restaurants. But it is in continuing with routines, like reading Lounge, that we keep a sense of hope alive and take joy in others’ accomplishments. And that sense of joy is what comes through in Rudraneil Sengupta’s interview with Mondo Duplantis, the 25-year-old Swedish American pole vaulter who has broken the world record thrice in the past year, each time beating his own personal best. If you missed the videos of Duplantis’ performance at the Paris Olympics last year, do go look for it on YouTube—it’s six minutes of grace, strength, beauty, speed and power of his vault, and the beautiful camaraderie of his rivals who cheer him as he takes out the records.

Another story of courage and grace is Anamika Khanna's. Six years after she had a stroke, the 53-year-old designer—who owns an eponymous couture label and the ready-to-wear AK:OK brand—is taking the slow and steady route to go global. She describes this as “the second chapter” of her life, and she’s reflected on the mistakes she made the first time she tried to make a mark internationally. This time round, she tells Pooja Singh in an interview, she’s thinking about her every move, recalibrating her strategy and even taking a new approach to design to make sure she’s a global hit. 

Do make the time to read these stories of achievement, joy and fun we've done in the past week at Lounge.

What I learnt from my first Hyrox race

Hyrox, the fastest growing fitness trend in the post-pandemic world, debuted in India on 3 May in Mumbai. Hyrox combines cardio and strength training, and tests strength, endurance and capacity for suffering. The race involves eight 1km runs and eight workouts—and it is unforgiving, as Shrenik Avlani discovered. Read more.

Why writers should own their stories

Ryan Coogler, the audacious director behind Fruitvale Station, Black Panther and Creed, recently signed a creative production deal so revolutionary it deserves a standing ovation. For his new blockbuster Sinners, starring Michael B. Jordan with Hailee Steinfeld, Coogler dictated the terms. Not only does he direct and produce Sinners, he owns future spin-offs, sequels, series, side-projects. Raja Sen describes this as a “a proclamation of emancipation” and says more writers should retain ownership of their stories. Read more.

The best true wireless earbuds on a budget

The True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earbuds market is flooded with numerous new offerings from a plethora of companies. These earbuds incorporate features from the premium segment, come with noise cancellation and seamless integration with smartphones (both Android and iOS) and even have bass-boosted offerings. But all that jargon surrounding true wireless earbuds and the sheer number of options, all with ‘pro’ and ‘master’ in their names, can be confusing. It’s further complicated by new launches, a range of price points and promises of “concert-like sound” in your ears. Sahil Bhalla set out to test a whole lot of them and create a handy list of the best TWS earbuds below ₹8,000. Read more.

On the menu at Vicky Ratnani's new restaurant

A love of food and travel pervades the menu at Chef Vicky Ratnani’s new Gurugram restaurant, Omny Kitchen and Bar. Known for hosting popular TV shows such as Vicky Goes Veg and Cook, Eat and Party and working on cruise liners, Ratnani’s latest adventure is showcasing the flavours he discovered during his travels. He takes special pride in the Sindhi delicacies on his menu, inspired by his mother’s recipes. He talks to Abhilasha Ojha about reinterpreting Indian food and infusing old favourites with global flavours. Read more.

A first-hand account of facing a Somali pirate's gun

On 11 April 2010, Pralav Dhyani was a trainee deck officer on a cargo merchant vessel, looking forward to an exciting career at sea. But little did he anticipate the chaos that befell his life in a few hours. Later that day, armed pirates forcefully boarded the ship off the coast of Africa and took the crew hostage. For the following 331 days, the small group of men from different countries were held captive in Somalia. As the negotiations for their release went on, the prisoners suffered mock executions, mental torture, terror and betrayal. It was the toughest initiation into a life at sea that Dhyani could have expected. In Hijacked, his recently published memoir, he tells the story. Read more.