The Economics of Love: Wages, Work and Romance

For our nineteenth lecture we have partnered with Spotify Unlock to invite the economist and author, Shrayana Bhattacharya to talk about how the economy shapes our experiences of love and intimacy.

ABOUT THE LECTURE

In this lecture, the speaker will bring economics and romance into conversation following the theme of her book, Desperately Seeking Shah Rukh. Her talk will draw an emotional map of the Indian economy, meditating on 15 years of the author's research on the labour of love. The author will dive into how the economy shapes our experiences of love and intimacy. Moving between cinema, aspiration, migration, and everyday desire, Bhattacharya will talk about what it means to “invest” in love in an age of liberalization and precarity. The lecture will explore how fantasy, consumption, and emotional work intersect. The talk promises to be both analytical and intimate and invites us to reconsider romance not as separate from markets, but as deeply entangled with them.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Shrayana Bhattacharya is a Senior Economist with the World Bank’s Social Protection team in South Asia, working with government agencies to strengthen social safety nets and economic inclusion programs in India and Bangladesh. Trained in development economics at Delhi University and Harvard University, Bhattacharya led various research projects with SEWA Union on women working in the Indian informal economy before joining the World Bank in 2013. Based on fifteen years of research, her debut book of non-fiction, Desperately Seeking Shah Rukh: India’s Lonely Young Women and the Search for Intimacy and Independence, was published in India (2021) and Pakistan (2022). She has won several prizes for her writing and was also shortlisted for the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2023. Bhattacharya regularly writes Op-Eds for The Indian Express.

ABOUT SPOTIFY UNLOCK: Spotify Unlock brings together insightful podcast conversations, credible voices and real-world ideas for people curious about learning and growing in their work and in life. Rather than navigating an overwhelming sea of information, listeners get curated podcast playlists built around themes like productivity, financial literacy, growth mindset and more. Spotify Unlock also extends beyond the app through community conversations, from campus sessions to intimate lectures-over-drinks, creating opportunities for listeners to engage with ideas and exchange perspectives in real life.

ABOUT OUR VENUE PARTNER: We are excited to partner with The Irish House Andheri as the venue and drinks partners for this lecture over drinks event in Mumbai. The Irish House is inspired by the classic Irish pub. This brick- & wood-lined venue serves bar snacks & global fare.

ABOUT OUR BOOKS PARTNER: We have partnered with Nirav Mehta from Broke Bibliophiles Bombay as the books partner for this event. This is a book club based in Mumbai that does book related meet-ups in the city every month. We will have limited copies of the book available for sale at the venue.

WHAT TO EXPECT

❤️ 💰 60 minute lecture about how the economy shapes our experiences of love and intimacy

🎤 30 minutes of interactive Q&A with the speaker

👋 30 minute mixer with the speaker and other participants

🍺 One complimentary alcoholic beverage (beer) OR non alcoholic beverage (ice tea/lime soda) is included with your ticket

Pint of View Mumbai is inspired by the Lectures on Tap and Pint of Science communities, and we’re taking this format across 10+ major cities in India and counting! It’s where big ideas meet bar tables.

EVENT DETAILS

Title: The Economics of Love: Wages, Work and Romance

Speaker: Shrayana Bhattacharya

Day: Sunday

Date: March 22nd 2026

Time: 4 pm to 6 pm

Venue: The Irish House Andheri (How to get here?)

Disclaimer: Ticket holders must be of legal drinking age (21 and above)

At Pint of View Mumbai, curious minds gather over drinks to explore cutting-edge ideas and to unravel the threads of human culture. It’s the perfect way to spend your weekend - stimulating your mind, meeting people who think like you (or challenge how you think), and learning something you’ll definitely talk about all week.

See you at the lecture!

Warmly,

Diya and Abhishek

Curators, Pint of View Mumbai

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