As I doled out some advice to Chef Himanshu Saini after a meal at his TrèsInd Studio in Dubai a few months ago, the 36-year-old Delhi boy corrected me, “But sir, I don’t think of my food as Indian,” he said. “It’s India-influenced, because that’s where I’m from.”
The evening before, a Syrian-born chef had told me something similar. “I consider my menu international, not Middle Eastern,” Mohammad Orfali had said. His Michelin-starred restaurant, Orfali Bros, is on the region’s 50 Best list and is amongst Dubai’s most celebrated. “We speak food. Food is our language,” he had added.
Another millennial, singer Prateek Kuhad—who HT Brunch put on its cover as a emerging star long before Obama picked him as a favourite—designed his US tour in 2022 to cater to an audience that was pointedly international.
{{/usCountry}}Another millennial, singer Prateek Kuhad—who HT Brunch put on its cover as a emerging star long before Obama picked him as a favourite—designed his US tour in 2022 to cater to an audience that was pointedly international.
{{/usCountry}}These examples, and the ideas expressed by our cover star today, make me wonder: is the creative millennial ethnicity-agnostic? Is their refusal to be boxed-in a character trait that defines a generation? Have the statements calling the world a small place come to this? Are we seeing the emergence of world citizens of the first order?
Our affable cover star today helps us think things out. Armaan Malik’s journey has been more dramatic than those of others. For Bollywood, where he cut his teeth, caters to the lowest common denominator even amongst Indian audiences.
“I always knew I enjoyed international pop music,” says Armaan. “But my father advised me to do Bollywood first. If I had to stay in India, I had to start here.”
Even as Armaan’s voice started being recognised in the world of playback singing, he stood out as different. He had dropped his surname in his early years, making it difficult for people to connect him to the music family he came from. When major filmstars like Salman Khan talked about his songs, Armaan Malik seemed more excited about the response his social media following garnered.
Armaan was one of the youngest stars to have a following in millions, and you have to see the reaction he evokes amongst his “fan armies” that call themselves Armaanians, and whatnot.
At HT Brunch, we’re happy to see our former cover star collaborate with the likes of Ed Sheeran, and start to make his presence felt on the world stage. This chap truly is #SantasFavouriteBoy.
Also in this issue: there’s a party theme going on, whether we announce it or not. Our Game Show picks the best home bartender, and helps you polish your skills. A fashion feature on boots will help you negotiate your style.
And in the midst of it all, two thought-provoking columns by Luke Coutinho and Nikhil Taneja on how to handle grief and battle loneliness will help you put things in perspective. Enjoy!
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From HT Brunch, December 17, 2022
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