Must Read
Big releases to add to your shelf this month.
Fieldwork as a Sex Object
Meena Kandasamy’s striking writing style has readers excited to read her exploration of incels, influencers and AK-47s, in a world where everything online is becoming frighteningly real. Described as ‘not a novel you read but a novel that reads you’, it revolves around Amy, whose deepfake porno goes viral. The book invites every one of us to ask ourselves how much we're prepared to risk for our principles.
Once Elephants Lived Here
International Booker Prize-winning author Geetanjali Shree returns with a short story collection steeped in wandering prose. Translated into English by Daisy Rockwell, who also translated the Booker-winning Tomb of Sand, this read promises to expand the writer-translator duo’s already formidable readership.
Whistler
Out this month and described as a story about bravery, loss, and the enduring power of being truly known by another person, Whistler is a meditation from the Pulitzer-shortlisted Ann Patchett, whose tenth novel is being called one of the most luminous things she has ever written.
Must Watch
Films and shows to look forward to.
Disclosure Day
Steven Spielberg returns to a film that is already being described as one of the most anticipated blockbusters in years. Releasing on 12th June, Disclosure Day stars Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor, Colin Firth and many more, with a screenplay by David Koepp. When a cybersecurity administrator stumbles upon government secrets about non-human intelligence, the truth threatens to upend everything.
Bandar
Anurag Kashyap's gritty, festival-acclaimed crime drama Bandar, which premiered at TIFF, arrives in Indian theatres on 5th June. Bobby Deol, Saba Azad, and Sanya Malhotra are in key roles, and the film explores cancel culture and justice.
Not Suitable for Work
From Mindy Kaling, this sharp, fast-paced comedy series premieres on JioHotstar on 2nd June and is set in the high-pressure financial district of Manhattan's Murray Hill. It stars Ella Hunt, Avantika, Will Angus, Jack Martin, and Nicholas Duvernay, among the recurring cast.
Must Listen
Albums to soundtrack your month.
you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love
Three-time Grammy winner Olivia Rodrigo drops her anticipated third studio album on 12th June via Geffen Records. Led by singles Drop Dead and The Cure, the 14-track album promises the same emotional devastation and razor-sharp songwriting that made SOUR and GUTS such generational touchstones.
Reality Awaits
The Strokes return after six years with their seventh studio album, out on 26th June. Recorded in a house perched above the Costa Rican coast with legendary producer Rick Rubin, the nine-track album kicks off with lead single Going Shopping, described as more alive than anything they have done in years.
Dinner Party
Niall Horan's fourth studio album releases on 5th June via Capitol Records, and it is his most intimate and cinematic work yet. Inspired by the chance evening at a friend's dinner party where he met his girlfriend, the album is a thank-you to the past and a hello to the present.
Must Attend
Events, exhibitions and concerts worth stepping out for.
Next | Now
Next | Now is a group exhibition presented by Vadehra Art Gallery, organized in collaboration with ARTIndia Magazine, bringing together thirty emerging artists from the publication's prestigious '30 Under 30' list. Their works span identity, memory, technology and material experimentation.
Zakir Khan's Papa Yaar
The final leg of Zakir Khan’s comedy tour arrives in Mumbai as two stadium-scale shows at Dome SVP Stadium on 13th and 14th June. Papa Yaar is a tribute to fatherhood and the subtle bonds that shape us.
Klangkuenstler, Live in Mumbai
Berlin's visceral techno force, Klangkuenstler, brings his globally acclaimed OUTWORLD concept to India for the first time on 6th June in Mumbai. Presented by Sunburn, the set transforms the venue into a 360-degree immersive world of techno delight.
Baarish
India’s only immersive festival dedicated to celebrating the spirit, nostalgia, and cultural romance of the rains returns with its second edition Baarish: Art. Music. Monsoon. As part of the line up, catch Midival Punditz live at The Upper HSE by Tivoli, Delhi, on 21st June.
Must Eat Live Drink
Restaurants worth putting on your radar this month.
Kadamba
Perched above the shimmering waters of Durgam Cheruvu with views of Hyderabad's cable bridge, Kadamba is the rooftop bar Hitech City has been waiting for. The menu draws on bar nibbles from across India, from Bombay to Nagaland, keeping the drinks and the food very Indian-forward.
Laguna
A mood-driven café-bar in Mumbai that shifts personalities through the day, Laguna follows tropical seating and light lunch bowls by afternoon and tequila-forward cocktails once the sun goes down. The interior follows the same logic, gradually darkening into plush bar territory as the evening arrives.
Zetu
Sri Lanka comes to Delhi grounded in history and designed for a new setting through Zetu at 1AQ in Mehrauli. The restaurant serves Sri Lankan staples with a fun twist and the space itself is inspired by Geoffrey Bawa’s iconic architecture. It opens for reservations on 4th June.
Words Platform Desk
Date 2.6.2026
L: Kadamba R: Laguna