Leher Kala is a multifaceted journalist, columnist, and filmmaker associated with The Indian Express. She is widely recognized for her sharp social commentary and lifestyle writing, which explores the nuances of modern Indian society, culture, and human behavior.
Professional Experience & Career Kala began her journalistic journey in 2000 with the India Today Group, gaining early experience in one of India's leading media houses. She subsequently joined The Indian Express, where she served as the Editor of Daily Features for four years, playing a key role in shaping the newspaper's lifestyle and feature content.
In addition to her print journalism career, she has experience in broadcast media, having worked with Aaj Tak. Broadening her creative scope, she ventured into filmmaking and founded Hutkay Films, a production house specializing in bespoke documentary-style celebration movies and biographies.
Expertise & Writing Style Since 2010, Leher Kala has been a regular columnist for The Indian Express. Her writing is known for its wit, observational depth, and ability to critique social trends. Her columns often dissect:
Social Trends & Lifestyle: From the "quiet luxury" of the elite to the changing dynamics of Indian weddings and social behavior.
Cultural Commentary: She writes extensively on the intersection of tradition and modernity in India.
Human Condition: Her pieces frequently touch upon philosophical themes, mental well-being, and the pressures of contemporary life.
Her column has often been titled "On The Loose," reflecting her free-ranging and candid take on the world around her.
Authoritativeness With over two decades of experience in the media industry, Kala has established herself as a distinct voice in Indian lifestyle journalism. Her ability to transition between hard news environments and feature writing, as well as her entrepreneurial venture in filmmaking, demonstrates a versatile command over storytelling in both text and visual formats.
Find all Columns from Leher Kala here

May 05, 2024 07:44 IST
We travel for sights and scenes, a break from routine but also to know ourselves better. Time slows down when you’re ambling without a plan, anonymous in a new city, embracing the role of an outsider.
Fri, May 10, 2024
April 21, 2024 07:30 IST
We may be nostalgic for times when people were not constantly plugged in, competing 24/7 and going around talking about their achievements incessantly. But as any young people will attest, today, no one can afford to not blow their own trumpet
Mon, Apr 22, 2024
April 07, 2024 07:45 IST
Vanity, as a primary motivation, is frowned upon as a frivolous pursuit; as though in practice anyone is actually doing anything about climate change.
Sun, Apr 07, 2024
March 24, 2024 08:10 IST
The Constitution Bench refused to entertain this saying investors were notified that they may be required to share details post the date of the interim order, April 12, 2019, and the court was not asking for information prior to it.
Sun, Mar 24, 2024
March 18, 2024 08:00 IST
A complete lack of artifice, whether it was Anant Ambani’s speech or Radhika Merchant’s dance, made us all feel like we belonged
Mon, Mar 18, 2024
March 10, 2024 07:45 IST
Justice Vivek Kumar Birla and Justice Donadi Ramesh noted that society is more permissive and individualistic in nature saying, “education, financial independence, breaking of caste barriers, modernisation and effect of Western culture also affect a relationship between two people”.
Sun, Mar 10, 2024
February 25, 2024 07:06 IST
Last minute, the Bombay High Court has recommended that Netflix provide a preview of the series to the CBI, which had argued against its airing, saying Indrani was granted bail by the Supreme Court in 2022 on the explicit condition that she wouldn’t attempt to influence witnesses or tamper with evidence.
Sun, Feb 25, 2024
February 11, 2024 07:30 IST
The (unspoken) cardinal rule being that salacious gossip restricted to Chinese whispers is acceptable (even enjoyable), but crossing boundaries and exposing peoples’ unsavoury truths in the guise of literature is not.
Sun, Feb 11, 2024
January 28, 2024 07:25 IST
It’s dreamily intoxicating, the idea that from nowhere, a cult-like figure will swoop down, save the day and rescue us from ourselves.
Sun, Jan 28, 2024
January 14, 2024 07:14 IST
We hail from the land of Buddha and Gandhian principles are ingrained in all of us so it’s difficult to understand, what makes the Japanese so calm in dire circumstances and Indians so frustratingly self serving?
Sun, Jan 14, 2024
December 24, 2023 07:50 IST
Christmas season is a magical week that binds humanity together. It’s like the whole world has collectively agreed to take a break and, in this all-too-brief period, celebrate as joyfully as possible.
Sun, Dec 24, 2023
December 10, 2023 07:13 IST
According to common parlance, “authentic” means the somewhat superficial sounding adage, “Be yourself”, except, often enough, who “you” is, remains a confounding mystery.
Sun, Dec 10, 2023
November 26, 2023 07:30 IST
Sportsmanship is an attitude that applies not just to sport but how we conduct ourselves in our daily lives.
Sun, Nov 26, 2023
November 12, 2023 07:02 IST
Calling the Ethics Committee’s attack a “proverbial vastraharan”, Moitra “invited” the CBI to raid her home. “I invite CBI to count my pairs of shoes,” she said on X. (According to the accuser, Moitra received 35 pairs of Salvatore Ferragamo shoes besides cash, jewellery, an Hermes scarf and Gucci handbags.)
Sun, Nov 12, 2023
October 29, 2023 07:58 IST
In India, unfortunately, those willing to transgress prevalent social norms to cohabit are more likely to be viewed as wildly frivolous, rather than a thoughtful precursor to taking a really big step.
Sun, Oct 29, 2023
October 15, 2023 07:41 IST
Blaming stars for promoting cancer causing substances is more about our own morally (misplaced) even if liberal-minded notions.
Sun, Oct 15, 2023
October 01, 2023 07:41 IST
Pretending a post isn’t sponsored is especially misleading when Humans of Bombay describes their site as “Cataloging the beat of humanity… one story at a time”
Sun, Oct 01, 2023
September 17, 2023 07:32 IST
Luckily for most students, the age of rebellion passes quickly. After some occasional lurches into oblivion, the learning is usually to pursue the smooth, well-ordered life parents always preach about. Except, when it isn't.
Sun, Sep 17, 2023
September 03, 2023 07:42 IST
The charge of “cultural appropriation” — that someone with wealth and social mobility is profiteering from a powerless individual’s story — feels logical and illogical at the same time.
Sun, Sep 03, 2023
August 20, 2023 07:00 IST
The most seductive aspect of a cult or religion is a sense of belonging, a way out of a fractured, lonely life.
Sun, Aug 20, 2023
August 06, 2023 07:30 IST
The outrage mob was quick to perceive casteist pride in Sudha Murthy’s unfortunate remark, the word “pure” suggestive that meat eaters are, in some sense, impure
Mon, Aug 07, 2023
July 23, 2023 07:15 IST
Plenty has been written about India’s worrying descent in the World Press Freedom Index to 161 out of 180 countries; nor is it a secret that news outlets face immense pressure to become sycophantic mouthpieces for the establishment.
Sun, Jul 23, 2023
July 09, 2023 07:45 IST
Freedom of movement is the greatest perk of wealth; now that countries like Cyprus and Malta are essentially selling citizenships, for a chosen few the world, literally, is their oyster.
Sun, Jul 09, 2023
June 25, 2023 06:45 IST
Leher Kala writes: What would happen if everybody broke the unspoken social contracts that bind and connect us? Human life would be solitary, and lonely, with everyone mistrustfully sizing each other up.
Sun, Jun 25, 2023
June 11, 2023 07:45 IST
Youth everywhere worship at the altar of money, which is why irreverent tech billionaires are icons exactly the way famous football players and Hollywood stars are.
Sun, Jun 11, 2023





