Journalism of Courage
Advertisement
Leher Kala
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
More From Leher Kala - Page 5
Signs in what heads of state wear, or notSubscriber Only
July 10, 2022 03:16 IST
Leher Kala writes: At this depressing time of beheadings, war and mass shootings, we could all do with a little levity.
Thu, Jul 28, 2022
Leher Kala writes: The digital avatar’s new clothesSubscriber Only
June 26, 2022 04:30 IST
Leher Kala writes: There is always a bewildering amount of technological advancement to catch up on. I suspect many people know the buzzwords but lack any genuine understanding like me.
Sun, Jun 26, 2022
Bride and without prejudiceSubscriber Only
June 12, 2022 02:03 IST
Leher Kala writes: Bindu’s bold wedding deserves newsprint space only because too many women wait around for grand, sweeping gestures by men: the bended knee proposal with the ubiquitous diamond ring, drilled into our psyche by cheesy Hollywood films.
Sun, Jun 12, 2022
Despite his shaky political future, Rahul Gandhi remains mass media’s darlingSubscriber Only
May 15, 2022 04:00 IST
Leher Kala writes: If the Congress had been winning elections, RG’s attendance at a wedding wouldn’t be cause for comment. Since they are not, the expectation is that he should be shamefacedly hanging his head down, in hiding.
Sun, May 15, 2022
Legs matter, more than they shouldSubscriber Only
May 01, 2022 03:44 IST
Leher Kala writes: The mini-skirt has been visible onscreen in Hindi films since the 1960s. One of the first and most memorable images is of Dimple Kapadia wearing a polka dotted top with a short, black skirt in Bobby —perhaps the first “good girl” to flash ample leg in a movie.
Sun, May 01, 2022
Searching for love (conditions apply)Subscriber Only
April 17, 2022 03:15 IST
Leher Kala writes: Internet matchmaking has become ubiquitous even in India, taking on the space once occupied by newspaper matrimonial ads
Sun, Apr 17, 2022
The joke’s on all of usSubscriber Only
April 03, 2022 03:50 IST
The world was stunned when actor Will Smith nonchalantly climbed the Oscars stage and punched host Chris Rock last week. Smith went on to win an Oscar and dance the night away, the lack of consequences alarming for whacking someone with billions watching.
Sun, Apr 03, 2022
Weighty issues: A dilemma of dietsSubscriber Only
March 20, 2022 03:30 IST
After Warne’s untimely death, his manager revealed he had been on a 14-day liquid diet. While it’s impossible to know if it contributed to his heart attack, there is enough evidence linking crash dieting with cardiovascular disease and strokes.
Sun, Mar 20, 2022
The rage of innocenceSubscriber Only
March 06, 2022 03:40 IST
The metaphors in all these shows align with this moment; there seem to be an inordinately large number of young people consumed by overwhelming hopelessness. There is something especially heartbreaking about teen suicide because it feels entirely preventable.
Fri, Mar 18, 2022
What it takes to swim with the sharksSubscriber Only
February 20, 2022 03:40 IST
In this cluttered television landscape, the newest entrant Shark Tank India is shining bright. Parrot Analytics, a TRP tracking firm, has found that the audience demand for it is 18.5 times higher than for any other show.
Sun, Feb 20, 2022
Keep calm and Wordle onSubscriber Only
February 06, 2022 03:40 IST
As any economist knows, sought-after luxury items are a function of scarcity — the shrewd Wordle developer releases just one game a day, ensuring a hooked audience is anxiously waiting for it to drop.
Sun, Feb 06, 2022
Bikini politics: An itsy-bitsy issueSubscriber Only
January 23, 2022 04:10 IST
🔴 Right after the Congress named Archana Gautam, 26, as their candidate from Hastinapur for the coming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, bikini-clad images of her began flooding the Internet. Gautam, a political debutante, won Miss Uttar Pradesh in 2014 and Miss Bikini India in 2018.
Sun, Jan 23, 2022
How the past informs the presentSubscriber Only
January 09, 2022 04:00 IST
Currently, Indian society is divided into those who feel that an insidious Western influence has turned us into stunted copycats and that we should carefully reexamine our glorious past to appreciate our uniqueness.
Mon, Jan 10, 2022
Let’s hear it for the school bellSubscriber Only
December 26, 2021 04:30 IST
🔴 Leher Kala writes: We have reached a stage in this pandemic where the risks of restarting in-person classes are worth it, considering the alternative: having a humungous, misanthropic and unfit generation left behind in so many ways.
Sun, Dec 26, 2021
There’s an age to splurge; it’s not youthSubscriber Only
December 12, 2021 03:13 IST
🔴 Leher Kala writes: For mostly everyone, there’s a frustrating gap between what we think we need and what we actually need — relationships, a vocation, good health — which are all worth more than anything money can buy.
Mon, Dec 13, 2021
The power of ridiculeSubscriber Only
November 28, 2021 04:00 IST
🔴 Leher Kala writes: Many people feel genuinely aggrieved that Vir Das was denigrating India abroad, not realising that articulating the unsaid stirs dialogue.
Mon, Nov 29, 2021
Ad-vantage who? When companies buckleSubscriber Only
November 14, 2021 03:30 IST
Leher Kala writes: Backtracking, to maintain a shaky peace, is becoming the norm in film and advertising in India. No one knows what might offend who, so one must live in fear of projects getting derailed at the slightest provocation.
Mon, Nov 15, 2021
In prison, the right to read… everythingSubscriber Only
October 31, 2021 04:15 IST
Leher Kala writes: In this day and age, it’s hard to justify denying prisoners a wide range of reading materials, newspapers and magazines, crucial to keep up with the dizzying pace of development in the outside world.
Mon, Nov 01, 2021
What the Aryan Khan episode tells usSubscriber Only
October 17, 2021 03:15 IST
Leher Kala writes: Whether you have grown up ensconced in layers of privilege or hail from middle-class origins, slander is devastating — and a prison stint is likely to be a (unpleasant) transformative experience.
Mon, Oct 18, 2021
Deshbhakti: Can patriotism be invoked?Subscriber Only
October 03, 2021 04:00 IST
Leher Kala writes: The Kejriwal government’s last big innovation in Delhi schools was introducing classes in happiness.
Mon, Oct 04, 2021
The worth of interpreting PlatoSubscriber Only
September 19, 2021 03:35 IST
Leher Kala writes: The humanities primarily seek to broaden our understanding of the world. We will always need the scholars who put the human experience in context, and continue asking questions of the world around us.
Mon, Sep 20, 2021
Sabyasachi, and defining appropriationSubscriber Only
September 05, 2021 03:55 IST
Leher Kala writes: Suggesting Sabyasachi cashed in on the intellectual property of a community disregards a fundamental truth, that all art is appropriation of some kind.
Mon, Sep 06, 2021
Life, and the roll of the diceSubscriber Only
August 22, 2021 03:55 IST
Leher Kala writes: The work of life is to prepare ourselves through education, experiences and habits — for the unexpected. But, with the understanding that sometimes there are forces beyond our control that make us vulnerable to both fortune and misfortune.
Mon, Aug 23, 2021
The Olympics is the ultimate test of the survival of the fittestSubscriber Only
August 08, 2021 04:05 IST
Leher Kala writes: It feels like the world has done a dramatic U-turn, from stigmatising mental health problems to embracing them manically. So much so that while the greatest spectacle of human endurance is on, quitting is being hailed as some sort of noble act.
Sun, Aug 08, 2021
Rights, duties and everything overlapping that comes in betweenSubscriber Only
July 25, 2021 04:00 IST
Leher Kala writes: Every now and then there are heartening signs that Indian democracy is robust enough to publicly silence those armed with wily lawyers and accountants, the experts at exploiting loopholes that undermine laws and institutions.
Sun, Jul 25, 2021Journalism of Courage
Install the Express App for
a better experience
a better experience
Featured
Trending Topics
News
Multimedia
Follow Us