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2000s kids, assemble!

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October 04, 2025

How much do you remember of the first decade of the millennium? (And the best one. Don't @ us!) Pull up your jeans, fold the flip phone away, put some EDM on and let the core memories flow

- Noor Anand Chawla ILLUSTRATIONS BY JAYANTO

2000s kids, assemble!

Antakshari was our national pastime and a family ritual.

The IPL was just finding its pitch, and multiplex cinemas were the ultimate excuse for holding hands in the dark.

1. The muse: Poo in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. This is peak Kareena Kapoor, playing it rich, snotty but impossible to hate. Karan Johar's 2001 film came at a time when Indians were just getting comfortable with their place in the world. There was money to flaunt. And women were owning their power. Actor and content creator Ramona Arena, who played Poo's bestie Sonya in K3G, says Poo became an icon because “her independence was a threat to those who expect women to pander to men.”

2. The look: How low did low-rise jeans go? Let's just say we can recall some people's hip bones and buttcracks from memory. For a little more coverage, there were stretchy velour Juicy Couture pants with matching jackets. For accessories, there were Lancôme Juicy Tube lip gloss, the Rachel haircut, a tiny baguette bag, an owl pendant, and gold hoop earrings. On men, Oakley sunnies, Nick Carter's mushroom boy bangs, Ed Hardy muscle tees and loose jeans worn so low, they made guys trip every few steps. Isha Bhansali, celebrity fashion stylist and consultant, says it was the last truly creative moment in everyday fashion.

image3. The hacks: The world was opening its doors to India, but not everything was at our doorstep. So the cool kids turned to Torrents to illegally access movies, music and games for free. Everyone asleep? Leave the computer running, so the peer-to-peer sharing network can upload God of War. Everyone still asleep? Download some porn. Siddharth Pasricha, director of the insurance firm Global Admin, says streaming killed Torrents.

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