Cry clubs pop up from Surat to Bengaluru as people find comfort in a collective emotional release
We’ve all seen them. Circles of people in parks and gardens at sunrise, laughing in unison like life’s a riot but actually at nothing in particular. Now, some are skipping the giggles and gathering in cafes, pubs, and community halls to do the opposite or rather, the one thing we’ve been told not to do in public: cry. This is India’s latest group ritual where laughs are swapped for tears and the open sky for a cosy room, where one can sob until the heaviness lifts and walk out feeling lighter.
Cry clubs — the emotional opposite of the country’s decades-old laughter clubs — are starting to pop up across the country. In Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, sessions are happening in coffee shops and pubs. In Surat, the ‘Healthy Crying Club’ has been running for eight years now, meeting faithfully on the last Sunday of every month.
Cry clubs — the emotional opposite of the country’s decades-old laughter clubs — are starting to pop up across the country. In Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, sessions are happening in coffee shops and pubs. In Surat, the ‘Healthy Crying Club’ has been running for eight years now, meeting faithfully on the last Sunday of every month.