Shamani Joshi

Staff Writer

Shamani Joshi is a Gen Z-focused culture reporter who curates conversations on tech, drugs, sex, and unconventional lifestyles.

Fashion

Inside the Rise of Fetish Fashion in India

From using the traditional Indian saree for bondage to experimenting with anklets and toe rings, this is what kink fashion means in India. 
Shamani Joshi
5.20.22

Inside the Community Known for One of the Most Expensive Cannabis Strains in the World

Photojournalist Hari Katragadda spent six years documenting the vanishing cannabis culture of a hash-rubbing community in Malana. 
Shamani Joshi
5.11.22
Art

This Rickshaw Doubles as a Travelling Theatre to Make Cinema More Accessible

The Rick-Show is a mobile theatre experience inspired by the Japanese art form of Kamishibai storytelling. 
Shamani Joshi
5.2.22
Life

A Series of Forgotten Photos Capture What Life Was Like in 1980s India

From cabaret stripteases and secret park romances to extreme inequalities, Mitch Epstein’s photos serve as a time capsule of a special time in India’s history.
Shamani Joshi
4.26.22
Life

India’s First Hemp Cafe Wants To Open up Conversations on Cannabis

In a country with conflicting legal and social attitudes to marijuana, this idyllic cafe wants to break the stigma around the persecuted plant.
Shamani Joshi
4.20.22
Life

Event Planners Tell Us About the Most Ridiculously Over-The-Top Requests They Get

“They not only wanted us to construct a massive replica of the Eiffel Tower and the lamps you see in Paris, but also replicate the cobblestones of the streets.”
Shamani Joshi
4.19.22
Life

What It’s Like to Explore Secret, Abandoned Places in India 

From stumbling onto drug operations to facing jail time, these urban explorers risk it all to get inside, above and around off-limits places.
Shamani Joshi
4.14.22
Life

I’ve Been Piercing Nipples and Genitals for a Decade. Here’s What I’ve Learnt. 

“For vulva owners, getting a piercing in this area can make sex or orgasms even more intense.”
Shamani Joshi
4.12.22
Life

How to Not Be Boring, According to a Psychologist Who Researches Boredom

He’s also come up with a list of jobs considered the most boring by people. Is yours on it?
Shamani Joshi
4.7.22
Life

We Asked People Who Hoard Useless Things: Why?

“I’ve kept every gadget I ever owned since 2002.”
Shamani Joshi
4.4.22
Life

Powerful Photos Capture the Lives of South India’s Transgender Community

Photographer Jennifer Carlos’s intimate portraits capture trans women between rites of passage, sex work, begging, and hopes for a better life. 
Shamani Joshi
3.31.22
Environment

This Artist Is Reimagining the World After the Climate Crisis

“I remain convinced that a simple image can have more impact on people, especially the youngest, to understand the probabilities of the consequences of inaction.”
Shamani Joshi
3.25.22
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