Shannon Mahanty

1 month ago | elle.com | Shannon Mahanty

PHOTOGRAPHS BY YULIA GORBACHENKO, STYLING BY CHARLES VARENNEEmma Corrin is often in a state of grapping, whether we’re talking about 2am whiskys or reckoning with something altogether more fraught (‘What am I doing? Do I want to give it all up and do something else? What does this mean? Who am I?’). The 29-year-old actor is thoughtful and introspective, while their piercing gaze often seems to be reading my face for a reaction as they answer my questions with more questions.

2 months ago | elle.com | Shannon Mahanty

When I was a child, I used to love hearing stories about the Hindu god Krishna. My dad’s side of the family come from Odisha, a predominantly Hindu state in eastern India, and one aunty used to regale me with stories of the blue-hued deity. She told me of the pranks he played as a child, and how his evil uncle Kamsa tried to assassinate him, which led to a confrontation in a wrestling arena.

Dec 3, 2024 | msn.com | Shannon Mahanty

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Dec 3, 2024 | elle.com | Shannon Mahanty

The armchair activist has become a defining character of the 2020s. Offering an easy way to demonstrate support, individuals, public figures, and brands frequently use social media to advocate for a cause. Mobilising in online spaces can be a hugely powerful tool; today's justice campaigns, from the Arab Spring to the global #MeToo movement, spread far quicker— and wider—than any pre-internet movements. But internet activism has also paved the way for a much weaker form of protest.

Nov 5, 2024 | elle.com | Shannon Mahanty

Presidential elections in the United States are always stressful, yet this one feels more consequential than any other in my lifetime. The prospect of seeing the first Black woman president is historic, but right now I'm much more concerned about whether democracy will prevail at the end of the day. Wherever I travel, there’s an overwhelming worry about whether we might elect someone who has been called a fascist by their own former generals. The atmosphere is tense, but there’s definitely hope.