For season 3 of Blogaberry Dazzle 2025, I’ve been sharing interviews with industry experts reliving what the 2000s were like. And you’ve loved the content. So, for the last post of this round, it made sense to share all the remaining interviews (with the exception of two). To keep it brief, I will, however, edit these interviews. Read the other interviews in this series here and the final story for which all these people were interviewed here.
Nanni Singh on Rain Dances:
Nanni Singh is in the events space. She speaks about her experience of organising the rain dance – a major part of the 2000s partying scene – for the Panchkula club:
“There’s a lot that goes into organising an event like this. You have to have a decent water connection but it’s like shower water, not drinking water. Rain dances eventually fell out of popularity primarily because of water shortage. Governments had to put in measures to stop water shortage. Injury levels were also high. We had to keep medical emergency measures on hand and ambulances close by because sometimes there would be older people and kids.”
“There used to be crazy long lines to get in, even if they were not members of the club. The music was very retro. Remixes were suddenly very popular so that’s the kind of vibe rain dances were going for. It’s a very typical connect with Bollywood. We know exactly what the artificial rain was all about! With remixes, younger people were connecting with the original songs and the older people loved the familiarity of it.”
“I can’t say if those days were better because water shortage is a very serious issue. However, if a system could be developed where there was a way of recycling the water used maybe for plants or other purposes, this could continue. I think it’s a beautiful concept, and a great way to bond – it’s like playing Holi.”
Anmol Singh on Reality TV Shows:
Anmol Singh was part of MTV Roadies Season 5 and participated in a number of reality TV shows after that. She speaks about her experiences and how reality TV has changed over the years:
“Everybody wanted to be in Roadies that time because reality shows had just started and this was really the only option. Now it’s so easy with OTT platforms. Back then it was next to impossible to get in because of the gruelling audition process. I was just 18 and I was so fascinated with the concept. When I got in I was over the moon! Believing I was going to get so much fame and all that. The audition itself was crazy – it was a four-day grilling process to just get on to the show. What they show on TV is just a percentage of what actually happens. Then the actual journey was another level!”
“My craziest memories of being on Roadies were the bike rides because even though as an army kid I had travelled across India, I’d never seen it the way we got to see it in Roadies. Travelling on bikes from places like Hampi to Chennai and Bangalore. We used to get up at 4:00 in the morning and reach back home with sunburnt, dirty faces late at night. And we didn’t really care – it was such fun! We were just being ourselves – we didn’t care about what we were going to get out of it. At that time reality shows were just raw the way they are supposed to be.
“I think the tasks were very tough for me. It was a very physically taxing reality TV show but I still went for it because at that time it was the only one aimed at young non-celebs. The other option was Bigg Boss. I got signed on for other shows soon after. One interesting one was called ‘Dil Jeetegi Desi Girl’ which was on NDTV. It had a really good concept because us city girls had to live in a traditional village in Punjab and survive! I really enjoyed that experience because it was so out of my comfort zone.”
“At the time, I wasn’t thinking about anything about a career because I was too young and things just kept happening. I even did a stint with Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms but that was crazy – that life wasn’t for me! It was non-stop work. Also, deep down, I knew that I can’t honestly settle in Bombay. I just knew it wasn’t my ultimate calling in life.”
“Now things are too scripted and it’s no longer like it used to be. Now people know they have to scream and shout to be noticed. The authenticity is missing – the reality aspect of reality TV. people are very particular about their image so I don’t think we get to see their real side. Also, now there are too many reality TV shows, so only the ones that have had a very thoughtfully curated cast can actually survive. The 2000s were the golden age of reality TV. But I would never do it now. I’ve had my share of reality TV and I think I’m done with it. Now I’m focussing on my clothing business – Banjara Trail.”
Pia Desai on 2000s Lingo:
Pia Desai is the Director of Comma Consulting, a PR and communications agency. She was plugged in to the pop culture of the early 2000s and shares her thoughts on the lingo from that time:
“The 2000s had a lot of slang from pop culture like TV shows, movies, music etc. Most of our ‘lingo’ sort of evolved from this, along with classmates and friends’ interpretations. We used a lot of terms like fo shizzle, bling bling and of course ‘Yo mama’ jokes were all the rage. Although not PC now, they still crack me up! In terms of sms’s we used punctuation emojis like :), it’s really interesting to see gen Z/gen alphas go back to using these same emojis. In the same way, they are going back to using abbreviated texts like “u” and “wht d time” which is what we used to use because we had to text from a non-smart phone and use a phone keyboard which was tedious. Having said that, I remember being a pro at texting on those phones and could do it without looking!”
“I think the advent of data phones and the swell of information led to a change in our texting habits. There was also a lot more understanding and empathy that was possible with data at your fingertips, which led to a more understanding culture that frowned upon non PC jokes like “yo mamma” etc. I don’t know if it was better, but it was different. It’s certainly interesting to see the next gen moving towards adoption of older technologies like landlines, old abbreviated text habits, dumb phones. They are also extra cautious in terms of data privacy, and I find them covering their faces in photos, careful about sharing any location or personal data online etc. Maybe at some level this is a backlash at the age of over information, and this generation will find a good mid ground to use the best of both worlds. They are certainly smart enough to do it!”
Shikha Shah on the Love of Tazos and other Collectibles:
Shikha Shah, the founder of Varanasi-based upcycled craft and home decor brand Scrapshala, was an award-winning Tazo collector in her childhood. She reminisces about the golden days:
“Back in the 90s, eating packaged chips was a luxury. My cousins and I would share a single packet once or twice a week between the three of us. The thrill of finding a Tazo inside was unmatched. At first, we simply played the games by making shapes by joining multiple Tazos together, but soon we started collecting them together, diving deeper into the fascinating world of Tazos. More Tazos meant more shapes and games that could be played with them, and it used to keep us busy for hours when together. Also, the joy of discussing a particular Tazo and the print on it remains unforgettable.”
“We took our collection very seriously. After reading the announcement on the chip packets about sending in our collection, we wrote to Frito Lays. To our delight, they responded with a letter and an incredible Tazo game book. That was the real beginning of our Tazo era. Over time, our cousins’ team won multiple gifts from Lays for our growing collection. Looking back, it was such a joyful and clever marketing activity. I still have it. It’s tucked away in our storeroom. We usually stumble upon it once a year during Diwali cleaning, and it always brings back a wave of nostalgia.”
“We were fascinated by many such collectibles at the time, not just Tazos. The charm of these things was in their simplicity. That’s probably why I’ve kept my Tazo collection safe for more than 25 years. Owning them made me feel special, like a winner. The joy was in the wait, the surprise, and even the anticipation of receiving a response from Frito-Lay by post. It was simple, pure fun. Every era has its own charm. But as a child, the happiness and excitement of rewards felt unmatched. The joy was purer, and the memories still bring a smile to my face.”
Sid Pasricha on Downloading Content from Torrents:
Siddharth Pasricha is the Director of Global Admin. He recalls growing up in an age where accessing international TV shows and music was only possible by downloading torrents:
“I was introduced to Napster / torrents through friends and word of mouth. For TV/ movies back in the late 90s early 2000s there were only a handful of English TV channels. Even the movies in the cinema were sometimes heavily censored. Downloading music was easy, fast and cheap. And it was a way to skip buying the whole album if you only liked one or two songs of an artist.”
“OTT platforms have changed the way we consume TV shows and movies. Now we have access to everything on the same day as it’s released all over the world. As for music, the streaming services let you listen to what you want without buying the full album. It’s definitely better now as the quality of video and music is much better and most importantly there is no worry of downloading viruses. The only problem is that with so many different OTTs, it is starting to get expensive and piracy is rising again.”
Roshni Bajaj Sanghvi on the Wine Boom:
Roshni Bajaj Sanghvi is an independent food and travel writer who has been in the industry for 20 years. She speaks about wine becoming the drink of choice in the early 2000s in a country besotted with whiskey:
“Winemakers like Indage and Sula started making and promoting wine heavily. The government’s agricultural ministries, including food processing and food export departments, encouraged them through favourable policies. The National Wine Board was set up. There was competition among wineries, so restaurants got good wine deals. Bars sprung up with dedicated wine lists. Wine laws were eased to make licensing easier.”
“The biggest name from the consumer’s perspective back then was Indage, which even set up the Ivy Wine Cafe and Bistro. But now it’s vanished. Sula started out slow, but is now the biggest wine maker in India. Grover continues as Grover Zampa. Its La Reserve was one of the most popular bottles early on. York was very successful at their peak, and their Chenin and Sauvignon were beautiful, but it has lost steam after being bought by Sula. Fratelli is around, still chugging along, but is not as easy to find on supermarket shelves as it once was. Wine imports have become very prevalent, and people are willing to spend more, so international wines are growing in popularity.”
“Over the years, wine drinking has gone from being aspirational to very accessible. And in this, it is no longer a special thing, but a common every day one, as easy to get as beer then was. Back then was an exciting time, because it was new. There was a sense of discovery, the sense of being on the cusp of a changing way to imbibe, and to socialise for a young generation. But the selection and the range now is much better, and wine drinkers are educated via their experiences. Some of the wines we drank then would not fly today. Terrible wines continue in the market though, so we have a way to go.”
Deepika Dua Arora on Fad Diets:
Deepika Dua Arora is the founder of Mutation Diet Clinic and has been a therapeutic dietitian for over 20 years. She speaks about the crazy fad diets that were trending back then:
“Many diets have been developed in past years like Atkin’s diet, keto diet, GM diets to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Since everybody is different, diets should be customised according to patient’s medical conditions, activity levels and their lifestyle. Not every diet suits everybody. The only thumb rule to lose weight is proper balance of nutrition so that the weight loss can be sustained in the long run. Results might be slow and patience is required for the results to come but slow and steady wins the race in the end with less risk of nutrition deficiency and long term diseases.”
“Keto diet was one of the most popular as it was high on fat and protein and low on fibre. This made it sustainable in the longer run but it could lead to high cholesterol and multiple nutritional deficiencies. So, eventually it went out of fashion. These days, intermittent fasting is trending because it advocates a lifestyle change for sustainable weight loss. It also has other health benefits like lowering insulin levels, is good for gut health, and helps fat burn easily as it’s a low calorie deficit diet while balancing protein, fibre and fat. Initially you may get hunger pangs or headaches but it’s sustainable for longer periods as you choose your eating window according to your lifestyle. Certain religious communities like the Jains, have been following this for centuries.”
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This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla.
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*This is not a sponsored post.
**Copyright in pictures and content belongs to nooranandchawla.com and cannot be republished or repurposed without express permission of the author. As I am a copyright lawyer by profession, infringement of any kind will invite strict legal action.
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