Category: Art, Culture and Entertainment

Pope Francis, leader of the Catholic Church, passed away on April 21, 2025 at the age of 88, the Vatican announced today. The cause of his death was reported as a stroke followed by a Cardiac Arrest. This comes after he was hospitalised for a month due to double pneumonia and had recently returned to the Vatican to continue his recovery journey.

He was born as Jorge Mario Bergoglio on 17th December 1939 in Flores, Buenos Aires. He had 4 siblings. After attending a technical secondary school, he graduated with a diploma as a chemical technician. Before finding his passion for religion, he worked several jobs, including as a Bouncer and Janitor.

After the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI in 2013 due to old age, the Papal Conclave congregated to select their new leader. On March 13th 2013, Bergoglio was elected as the Pope. He took the papal name Francis, in honour of Saint Francis of Assisi. A pope of many firsts, Pope Francis achieved several milestones upon his election: the first Jesuit Pope, the first pope from the Americas, and the first ever from the southern hemisphere.

Inclusivity in the church

The Pope also set a milestone by showing openness to the LGBTQ+ community, unlike his predecessors. In a televised interview in 2013, when asked about priests who were homosexual, he replied: “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” In January 2023, he said that “Being Homosexual is not a crime” in an interview with AP. He also called out the laws that criminalise homosexuality “unjust”. In 2013, The Advocate, an American LGBTQ+ magazine, named him Person of the Year.

Pope Francis’ deep affection for the poor was seen in multiple instances. On the first Holy Thursday after his election, he kissed and washed the feet of ten male and two female juvenile offenders imprisoned at Rome’s detention facility, telling them that this ritual signifies he was at their service. In this ritual, prisoners who followed Islam as their religion were also included by him, a landmark moment in the Vatican’s history.

A voice for the Poor and victims

Pope Francis chose this name because Saint Francis was extremely concerned with the welfare of the poor, and this was reflected multiple times during his papacy. Unlike popes from the past, Pope Francis had personal outreach with the homeless and poor. In a noble event, he turned a Vatican Plaza into a refuge for the homeless, whom he called “Nobles of the street”. He also practised a foot-washing ceremony of migrants and the poor to show he serves them.

“I cannot greet people from inside a sardine can, even if it is made of glass”, said Pope Francis when asked about his outreach meetings. His holiness was also a passionate advocate for world peace. He called for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestine several times. According to Vatican News, it was reported that he would video call with the Holy Family Catholic Parish in Gaza every night since October 2024, offering prayers and solidarity to the residents, including Christians and Muslims. As a result of his acts of kindness, people called him “Champion of the Poor” and “Poor people’s Pope”.

Pope on Climate Change

Pope Francis left a deep impact on the issue of Climate Change. In his 12 years of papacy, he repeatedly raised the problem of human-caused global warming from burning fossil fuels. He encouraged citizens and world leaders to take action against the same.

Pope Francis criticised developed countries like the US, which have contributed the most to planet warming pollution. He said poor nations have contributed the least to climate pollution. Francis inspired many Catholics to form climate groups, including The Global Catholic Climate Movement, which is now called the Laudato Si’ Movement. This movement aims to bring people together and fight the climate crisis while also protecting the environment and scrutinising eco-spirituality, sustainability, and social justice.

Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi and Pope Francis had their first-ever meeting during the PM’s visit to Italy in October 2021 for the G20 Summit. They discussed various issues, including Climate Change. Modi invited the Pope to visit India, which was politely accepted by Pope Francis. In their next meeting in 2024 at the G7 summit, PM Modi expressed his admiration for Pope Francis’ passion for the Environment and reiterated his invitation for a papal visit to India.

Pope Francis did not just lead the Catholic Church, he changed what it stands for with compassion, humility and love. The world mourned as he passed away, with billions of Catholics and World leaders expressing their grief. His funeral was held on Saturday, 26th April, 2025, in Vatican City. Nearly 250,000 people attended his funeral. He remains as one of the only popes in over a century to be buried outside of the Vatican in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. While his views were widely praised, some traditional Catholics disagreed with his more progressive and liberal stance on social issues. Nonetheless, his legacy will always be remembered by the world.

The Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, lit up on 2nd March 2025, as some of the best in American and global cinema gathered to celebrate the most powerful performances of the year at the 97th Academy Awards. This year, the prestigious annual ceremony was hosted by  Conan O’Brien, and the night’s lineup was compelling, bringing together a dynamic lineup of films spanning genres and cultures.

Leading the night, Sean Baker’s comedy-drama Anora swept the Oscars, winning five out of the six nominations, for Best Picture, Best Actress for Mikey Madison, Best Director for Sean Baker, Best Original Screenplay and Best Film Editing. This series of wins places Sean Baker alongside Walt Disney for the most Oscars ever won in one night. In his acceptance speech, Baker emphasised the importance of preserving the theatrical experience, urging filmmakers to continue creating stories for the big screen.

Emilia Pérez, directed by Jacques Audiard, made history as it garnered thirteen nominations, the most ever for a non-English language film. It won two awards, Best Supporting Actress for Zoe Saldaña and Best Original Song for the song ‘El Mal’.

Jon M. Chu’s fan favourite musical Wicked, with a total of ten nominations, walked away with two wins – Best Production Design for Paul Tezwall, making him the first African American man to win this award, and Best Costume Design for Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales.

In the acting categories, Adrien Brody and Kieran Culkin delivered powerhouse performances, earning themselves the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor awards for The Brutalist and A Real Pain, respectively. The Brutalist won again, with Daniel Blumberg winning Best Original Score and L. Crowley winning Best Cinematography.

Conclave, directed by Edward Berger, earned the Best Writing on an Adapted Screenplay award for its gripping adaptation of Robert Harris’ mystery thriller novel.  Walter Salles’ I’m Still Here, a Portuguese film set in Brazil, took home the Best International Feature Film award.  Best Documentary Short Film was won by The Only Girl in the Orchestra, directed by Molly O’Brien, and the Best Short Film was I’m Not a Robot, directed by Victoria Warmerdam.

In the Animation category,  the Best Animated Feature Film award went to Flow, a Latvian adventure film without dialogue directed by Gints Zilbalodis. Best Animated Short Film was taken home by In The Shadow of Cypress, directed by Shirin Sohani and Hossein Molayemi, which beautifully captures the evolving relationship between a father who struggles with PTSD and his daughter.

Source: X/ @TheAcademy

The documentary film No Other Land, the directorial debut of a four-Palestinian-Israeli collective of activists, Yuval Abraham, Hamdan Ballal, Basel Adra, and Rachel Szor, won the Best Documentary Feature Film award. The documentary, filmed between 2019 and 2023, depicts the destruction caused by war, resistance in the Palestinian West Bank and the growing friendship between Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham and the Palestinian activist Basel Adra.

Dune: Part Two, directed by Denis Villeneuve, was nominated for five awards and won Best Sound and Best Achievement in Visual Effects. Also nominated for five awards was Coralie Fargeat’s body horror film, The Substance, which won the Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

As the curtains closed on the 97th Academy Awards, the night served as a testament that cinema goes beyond entertainment- it is a medium for bold and conscious storytelling and cultural commentary. This year’s ceremony shone the spotlight on the year’s films that highlighted the human experience and invited the global film community to reflect and yearn for more such stories.

New York Fashion Week – the semi-annual event that kicks off the season of fashion. Over the years, we have seen spectacular arrays of outfits ranging from elegance to avant-garde. This year, however, has opened up a different door of fashion for us. Bringing in mixed reviews, New York Fashion Week 2025 (NYFW 25) held from 6-11 February in Manhattan brought about fresh perspectives and collections for this year’s Fall/Winter (FW) edition.

Arising Trends 
With this year’s runway, we can see that designers are seeking more of a comfort and cosy vibe, while perfectly tying it in with style and grace. This could be because of the current state of the world, where in times of crisis, people try to seek comfort. Dramatic draping and layering are a common theme. Statement skirts with oversized pillowy silhouettes and circles draping brought in that tone of comfort. Corduroy, lace, velvet and denim were some fabrics used often. Feathers and fringe added movement to gowns, giving a sense of ethereal fluidity, while structured leather pieces brought an edgy contrast. Sheer fabrics and lace were reimagined in fresh, contemporary ways, offering a balance between delicacy and modernity. Leather gloves and jackets were styled to perfection on models representing Coach, Khaite and Tory Burch.

Hues of warm and rich colours like beige, red, dark green and browns will become more of a staple in people’s closets. Monochrome looks also made a major impact, particularly in all-white and all-black ensembles that exuded effortless elegance. Compared to last year, more smoky makeup and bangs were seen on models. Flowers are huge this season, with organic and 3D ones embellished on dresses.

Accessories took centre stage this season, elevating all the looks to new heights. Oversized earrings, chunky chains, and dramatic headpieces were seen across multiple runways.

Anticipated Runways
Veronica Leoni debuted her first collection with Calvin Klein as the new creative director, who last had their runway on NYFW six years ago. Her approach to the collection was to blend minimalism with luxury. She mixed in different drapes, layers and volumes. Tory Burch brought in sportswear, calling it ‘twisted American sportswear.’ There was knitwear, crewneck sweaters and slashed cardigans. Michael Kors wanted to appeal to an older audience and brought in fashion from the 70s and 80s. Monochromatic looks in shades of deep purple and greys reminded people of evening looks. Kaithe and Brandon Maxwell brought back leather-styled looks, with leather jackets, gloves and maxi skirts. Thom Browne closed the curtains with notions of fantasy. Birds were repeated symbols, and he explained it by saying they were symbols of freedom.

Mixed Opinions
This season, the reception from the critics was pretty mixed. While some thought that certain shows lacked coherence or played it too safe, others applauded the designers for their bold decisions and dedication to defying fashion conventions. Vogue interviewed a few people, including designers, critics and publicists, to get a more comprehensive idea. The week’s exuberant spirit was commended by publicist Lucien Pagès, who suggested a lively and dynamic atmosphere. Given Paris’s historical sway on New York, critic Alexander Fury suggested that the city has to improve its fashion sector even more. The success of Thom Browne’s collection and the emergence of up-and-coming designers like Luar suggested that there was room for fresh perspectives in the fashion industry. In addition, several well-known designers came under fire for failing to advance sustainability initiatives in spite of the rising demand for environmentally friendly clothing.

The designers of this season pushed the limits of conventional fashion while embracing drama and refinement. One thing is certain as another incredible fashion week comes to an end: the upcoming year will be characterised by elegance and daring.