THE LAST TIME I met Prateek Kuhad, the 32-year-old singer-songwriter was struggling through a quick 10-minute photo shoot, awkwardness writ large on his face. "I hate smiling for photos," he said ruefully, as the photographer tried to coax him out of his default brooding lurker pose. "I just can't get these [shoots] right."
That was in the summer of 2018, just a week after Kuhad had surprised fans with the cold/mess EP. A classic "break-up record", cold/mess would end up being a breakout success on the back of its eponymous hit single. A ballad that perfectly married his intimate folksy songwriting with more expansive pop production, "cold/mess" racked up millions of streams on Spotify and propelled Kuhad to the big league.
A year later he was playing to packed crowds in both India and the U.S., even earning a nod from former U.S. president Barack Obama who put "cold/mess" in his list of favourite songs of 2019. All that buzz resulted in a record deal with Elektra Records in 2020, making him the first Indian singer-songwriter to get a deal with a major American label. This May, he's all set to release his third studio album and major label debut, an 11-track collection titled The Way That Lovers Do.
All that success must have been accompanied by a lot of practice in front of the camera, because Kuhad seems completely at ease on the sets of this GQ photo shoot. He's still a brooder, but the awkwardness has been replaced with practical professionalism: It's not like he's thrilled, but you no longer get the sense that he's gritting his teeth through the whole experience. Is he finally comfortable with the glare of budding stardom?
This story is from the June - July 2022 edition of GQ India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June - July 2022 edition of GQ India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Finally, Women Are Breaking Up One of Luxury's Stuffiest Boys' Clubs
Dimepiece founder Brynn Wallner hosts a round table of leaders in the watch world to unpack the ascendant power of the female collector.
Can The Saudis Buy Soccerr?
Saudi Arabia is spending an unfathomable fortune to lure the biggest stars of global football (Ronaldo! Benzema! Neymar!) to its upstart league. So GQ ventured to the kingdom to discover what the gambit represents. Is this the future of the world's most popular sport? The vanguard of sportswashing? Or something way bigger?
CRACKING THE PERO CODE
Delhi-based label Péro is available in over 350 stores across the world. Shweta Shiware meets the reclusive founder and creative mastermind Aneeth Arora, arguably the Indian fashion industry's best storyteller.
Captain Mbappé
We met him as a teenage prodigy. Now, with his PSG teammates Messi and Neymar gone, and a new job as French national team captain, Kylian Mbappé is reckoning with the responsibilities and privileges that come with being the man.
The Full Ricky
Twenty-five years after becoming one of the most staggeringly famous men on the planet, a wiser, more assured Ricky Martin is taking another run at being a star. While also being himself, this time.
THE BOND
What does it mean to be a parent in this day and age? In GQ's annual series dedicated to fatherhood, we take a peek at the intimate relationships that some of the coolest dads share with their kids.
THE RATIONAL ACTOR
With a stream of critical and commercial successes under his belt, Vicky Kaushal is buoyant about what lies ahead in terms of work. Yet it is in his personal life that he has experienced the most transformation.
Standing TALL
Comedian and actor Vir Das speaks to GQ about winning an International Emmy for his Netflix special, codirecting his first movie, and the future of stand-up comedy in India.
Das Holistic
New York's desi rap star Heems's new album re-imagines the diasporic experience not as a site of endless ambivalence, but a place to be whole.
The Return of the Opulent '80s
The all-gold Piaget Polo, Hublot Classic Original, and Rolex GMT were kings during the '80s. Now they're coming back for their crown.