This week, we’re...

Here for Shalini Passi. In the train wreck that is S3 of Fabulous Lives vs. Bollywood Wives, the socialite seems like the only sane passenger. Bhavna Panday, Maheep Kapoor, Neelam Kothari Soni, and Seema Kiran Sajdeh do their best to diminish her (and the Delhi gang). The show adds mocking music too. But Passi’s best weapon is that she just doesn’t care. She loves art and chilling by the ocean, not gossip. It’s not a feud, unless you make it one, na?

Waiting for new bops. J-Hope from BTS has been discharged from his military duties, and it’s not just fans who are excited. BTS member Jin came to pick him up with a huge bouquet, and later kidnapped him and made him get back to work. “Jin...I’m a little flustered today,” J-Hope complained on the fan app Weverse. Jin had been planning this heist for a while. Cue new music now.

Serving looks. Why is nobody talking about Shanghai Fashion week? Spring/Summer 2025 was both futuristic and haunting. Designer brand Staff Only used images of their models on headpieces and clothing to create an effect of digital distortion. Hengdi Wang’s exoskeletal pieces were inspired by biomechanical art. “This is making horror-game designers cry,” one Insta user said. Nothing to boo here.

Processing grief. Elmo’s been checking in on everybody on Sesame Street recently, and Andrew Garfield stopped by to have a chat. The actor opened up about his mum, who passed away in 2019, and whom he still misses. He got teary and honest. He told Elmo that it’s okay to miss somebody, because it means you still love them immensely. Here we are, all grown up and still learning from Muppets.

Giving Brown Uncle a miss. Come on, Naveen Andrews. Your race didn’t matter in your breakout role on Lost. Why entangle yourself in NRI stereotypes in The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh on Amazon Prime? Overprotective mother: Check. Nerdy kid: Check. Rebellious teen bent on dating the White boy next door: Check. Geeky dad trying to make sense of his world: Check. Take notes from Ishaan Khattar in The Perfect Couple, please.

We’re embracing Ambitchious. Aka, the ambition to be a better b*tch. We covered she-laboration in an earlier Brunch. This one’s got more ammo. It means the woman will steamroll anyone who gets in her way. And it puts a positive spin on women’s ambition. Dreaming big is a good thing, even for women. Say it loud.

Paying through our noses. Dubai airport has an oxygen bar. For 35 dirhams (roughly ₹800), travellers can spend a few minutes inhaling oxygen-rich air with a whiff of peppermint or strawberry. Dystopian? Not really. Recreational oxygen bars have been around since the 1990s. The climate crisis may just make them more than a cute frill. Now, that’s dystopian.

Chilling with art. Move over, landscaping and manscaping. Fridgescaping is the home-decor trend to obsess over. Clean out the fridge, use pretty containers, add flowers, arrange food by colour. Of course, it’s needless and tedious. But we’re learning complex towel folding, we’ve bought mason jars and suede clothes hangers. Why not this?

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