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

December 28,2025 06:40:29 AM
When a wedding is too over-the-top, it almost feels like the host is trying to buy a guarantee of a successful marriage. Alas, an Instagram-worthy show doesn’t always equal a fairy-tale ending. If anything, the messy realities of marriage may feel especially deflating, after a spectacular beginning.
Sun, Dec 28, 2025
December 14,2025 08:13:53 AM
Where does this leave the romantic non-conformist who values truth over obedience, devoutness and determined patriotism? Despondent, for sure. The liberal must take solace in Byron’s words, that those who know the most, mourn the deepest.
Sun, Dec 14, 2025
November 30,2025 07:17:32 AM
It turns out the pandemic-induced quiet luxury trend is over.
Sun, Nov 30, 2025
November 16,2025 07:09:51 AM
The dark history of Indri was related to me by a friend who was nearly choking with rage that at some dinner party the host served him the malt before casually revealing its origins. How can you spend a rupee on that guy and make him richer, he argued, rejigging old memories of how Sharma almost got away with murder.
Sun, Nov 16, 2025
November 02,2025 07:15:47 AM
Even if ethically, killing is hard to justify, no matter what the provocation. It can only be understood philosophically, that imperfections are embedded in human nature.
Sun, Nov 02, 2025
October 19,2025 08:00:18 AM
The tulip in Delhi vanishes in mere days amid press and much fanfare, while nobody talks about the fragrant madhumalti and champa that lasts a whole season.
Sun, Oct 19, 2025
October 05,2025 07:45:56 AM
I can’t help but think there’s something futile and petulant about grudging someone their good fortune. Life is never fair, and as Oscar Wilde noted most wisely, it is a good thing for most of us that it is not.
Sun, Oct 05, 2025
September 21,2025 07:12:18 AM
Perhaps it’s time to rest the idea that authenticity is a God given divine right to “live your truth”. And turn back, to celebrate compromise, tact and maturity instead.
Sun, Sep 21, 2025
September 07,2025 07:10:06 AM
It would be a pity to go through life without the perspective critically acclaimed books and movies have to offer because cheesy as it sounds, they can be transcendental experiences.
Sun, Sep 07, 2025
September 07,2025 05:30:32 AM
Behind the frothy descriptions of upper-crust life are astute observations on a new generation of confident Asians
Tue, Sep 23, 2025
August 24,2025 06:45:47 AM
Nobody wants children mauled or terrorised by dogs and indeed, something needed to be done. To cultivate awareness means to remain as true to the truth as possible; and to make peace with all the ugliness that comes with, as Camus said, the terrible responsibility of life.
Sun, Aug 24, 2025
August 10,2025 07:23:20 AM
Political correctness and cancel culture have forced creators into petrified self-consciousness — people are so scared of being written off as dated has-beens, they’re willing to sacrifice whatever they stand for.
Sun, Aug 10, 2025
July 27,2025 07:15:56 AM
Criminal justice failures capture our imaginations because they speak so profoundly to the human condition, to fundamental questions about punishment, ambition and ethics. Throughout history, in mythology and in reality, there have been people who couldn’t get a fair trial.
Sun, Jul 27, 2025
July 18,2025 07:10:23 AM
Linguistic divisions have got an alarming amount of air time and newsprint, while our garbage-laden streets are sinking in the monsoon
Fri, Jul 18, 2025
July 13,2025 07:05:35 AM
The Bezos wedding provided much grist for the rumour mills, from the foam parties to the love lives of attendant A-listers. Indeed, the vicarious thrill of living the dream is intense.
Sun, Jul 13, 2025
June 29,2025 07:10:00 AM
It’s impossible to look at the randomness of this airline crash and not realise how tenuous our foothold on earth really is. Intellectually, we may know loss is omnipresent. A twist in fate means some unlucky people are forced to confront this reality in discombobulating ways.
Fri, Jul 04, 2025
June 01,2025 06:30:25 AM
A viral video suggests French President Emmanuel Macron was smacked by the First Lady, Brigitte Macron. The President scoffed at the latest “disinformation” being put out by “crazy people” that he was pushed in the face by his wife while they were about to disembark in Hanoi, Vietnam. The footage certainly shows him looking stunned but he recovered quickly to wave to the crowd.
Sun, Jun 01, 2025
May 18,2025 07:04:42 AM
What is the endgame of all this shameless cogging? Nothing to be particularly proud of because between watching Instagram Reels and relying on AI, people are getting dumber and less interesting to be around.
Sun, May 18, 2025
May 04,2025 07:08:36 AM
A heinous crime has occurred, 26 families’ lives have changed forever and the hardest part is coming to grips with the fact that it wasn’t even personal.
Sun, May 04, 2025
April 20,2025 07:07:23 AM
Ozempic is not going to fix the desire for one-upmanship; new ways to distinguish oneself from the herd will emerge. Gossipy Internet sleuths derive great pleasure in closely watching celebrities and salaciously pointing out who’s on the drugs.
Sun, Apr 20, 2025
April 06,2025 07:45:49 AM
Seeking a new way to go on is a creative act, the beginning of transformation. Perhaps, it takes an acknowledgement of impending mortality to spur one to change. A sense of urgency that this is it. Act now, or forever hold your peace.
Sun, Apr 06, 2025
March 23,2025 07:20:01 AM
The main theme of Adolescence isn’t new; of lonely, lost boys hiding their festering confusion, exhausting tough-guy bravado driving their feelings underground.
Sun, Mar 23, 2025
March 09,2025 07:30:41 AM
Since the days of Cleopatra, the mystique of the ambitious, independent woman has been seen as a threat. Today, there’s a Cleopatra, everywhere.
Sun, Mar 09, 2025
February 23,2025 07:21:42 AM
In a country of 1.4 billion, it’s not that hard to find a few lakh followers who are titillated by crude humour dripping with cheap innuendo and abusive language. When money is rolling in with zero effort, the flourishing Indian attitude of kaam chalao prevails, so why bother raising the bar?
Sun, Feb 23, 2025
February 09,2025 07:26:08 AM
Perhaps, crowd management at historic temples requires innovative solutions and a fee structure but it’s interesting to note newer temples eschew the paid model.
Sun, Feb 09, 2025



