Are we living in the past?

New Delhi: As 2025 winds down and we step into 2026, our habits reveal something unexpected. Even as we chase the new, we are finding comfort in the old. We seem to be moving forward by looking back.

Across culture, commerce and consumption, there is a visible U-turn in behaviour, one fuelled not by technology or novelty, but by nostalgia. From the songs we hum to the products we buy and the stories brands tell, the past is making a confident comeback. And this is not limited to millennials romanticising their childhood. Gen Z seems equally invested.

Take something as simple as antakshari. Watch a group of teenagers or Gen Z youngsters play, and you will notice something curious. Despite Spotify playlists packed with pop, Korean music, indie and phonk, the songs that dominate antakshari are often from their parents’ Winamp (remember that beautiful MP3 player desktop app) or their repertoire of audio cassettes, i.e. songs from the 90s or even earlier. The same old "is gold" logic that belonged to another generation has returned.

Why does this happen? Are older songs easier to sing, more melodic, or simply more communal? Or is there a deeper emotional comfort embedded in music that has already stood the test of time?

Then there is the rise of what is now being called Bhajan Clubbing. A new cultural phenomenon where old devotional songs are fused with high-energy, club-like experiences. It reflects Gen Z’s search for meaning and mindfulness in a noisy world. Spiritual yet social. Meditative yet modern.

This pull towards the past is not limited to music alone. It spans cinema, advertising and even what we eat and consume. Movies increasingly rely on retro songs. Brand communication borrows from familiar cultural memory. And food consumption has taken a sharp turn towards what our grandparents always advocated: simple, clean, homestyle ingredients.

Are we living in the past? Let’s figure it out.

Cinema

Indian and global cinema have embraced nostalgia with open arms through the usage of old songs as an integral part of the screenplay.

A recent example is Dhurandhar, which recreated the classic qawwali Na To Karvaan Ki Talaash Hai from Barsaat Ki Raat. Reimagined into a fast-paced, high-energy track, the song became a runaway hit, spawning millions of reels across platforms. What is notable is that a large share of this engagement came from younger audiences discovering the song for the first time.

The film also uses retro tracks like Piya Tu Ab To Aaja and Hawa Hawa as background scores in key scenes, using nostalgia not as fan service but as an emotional device. Look beyond the music, and you see the same pattern in casting. Akshaye Khanna, who played Rehman Dacait, an actor widely popular in the 90s and early 2000s, is now dominating social media feeds with his performance. The 90s, it seems, have made a full circle comeback. 

This trend is not restricted to Indian cinema. Hollywood is doing it too. Kung Fu Panda 4 used Britney Spears’ 90s hit Hit Me Baby One More Time in its end credits. Deadpool vs Wolverine opened with NSYNC’s Bye Bye Bye.

Closer home, the web series The Ba**ds of Bollywood used the 1997 hit Duniya Haseenon Ka Mela from Gupt as an integral part of the plot. After the series gained popularity, the song saw millions of fresh views on YouTube, largely driven by Gen Z audiences.

Cinema today is not just telling new stories. It is also reactivating cultural memory.

Commercials

Advertising has always relied on storytelling, and nostalgia remains one of its most powerful tools. A recent example is ChatGPT’s campaign, which uses classic songs as background scores. In one ad, a young woman prepares for a job interview, using ChatGPT to anticipate possible questions. While the product is futuristic, the background music features the opening notes of the 1973 Bollywood song ‘Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas’. 

In another ad, a kirana store owner seeks ChatGPT’s help to compete with a newly opened supermarket across the street. This film uses the 1960s classic ‘Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh’ as its background score. In both cases, there is no direct lyrical connection to the story. Yet the music adds warmth and emotional familiarity, making complex technology feel human and approachable.

This approach is not limited to India. Internationally, too, brands have often used nostalgia. Apple has featured R D Burman soundtracks in its India campaigns, while Heineken has leaned on retro music to localise its global narratives.

Whether driven by audience preference or creative instinct, the outcome is clear. Familiarity builds trust.

Consumption 

Perhaps the most visible nostalgia shift is happening in our consumption habits. Our grandparents would be pleased to know that we are finally following their advice, albeit at a premium price. The market today is full of good-for-you products, especially from D2C brands. Millets are replacing refined wheat flour. Foxnuts instead of chips. Jaggery is replacing refined sugar. Mustard oil is making a comeback over refined vegetable oils. 

Open any quick commerce app, and you will see terms like "organic," "homemade," "fresh," "ayurvedic," "no preservatives," and "ghar jaisa swaad" (tastes like homemade) everywhere. 

These words are now used to sell packaged products that promise a return to traditional wisdom. The irony is hard to miss. The advice stayed the same. The packaging changed. 

And nostalgia is not stopping at food. Look at the newly launched Tata Sierra, reintroduced in a new avatar. The iconic 90s SUV has returned, positioned unapologetically as “the legend is back.” It is not the first time an automobile brand has revived an old name, but the intent this time is clear. The past is the brand.

So, are we living in the past? 

Perhaps we are. But not because we are resisting progress. In an age defined by speed, algorithms and constant change, nostalgia offers comfort and emotional stability. It connects generations, simplifies choices and reassures us that not everything needs reinvention.