Rihaab Mowlana
Rihaab Mowlana is the Founding Editor of Life Plus and a journalist who doesn't just chase stories; she drags them into the spotlight. She's also a psychology educator and co-founder of both Colombo Dream School and Dream Team Studio. Sharp on culture and unafraid to go deep, her writing doesn't flinch, and neither does she. For drama, depth, and stories served real, not sugar-coated, follow her on Instagram: @rihaabmowlana
Latest Stories
Visakesa Chandrasekaram on becoming the first two-time Gratiaen winner and more
We were midway through a WhatsApp call - Chandrasekaram navigating an afternoon in Australia, me on the other end in Colombo - whe
Experience the French Art of Living at Colombo’s First French Market
What if a Sunday morning in Colombo could feel a little like a stroll through a French village? On June 21, La Maison de Colombo
The End of the Big Fat Sri Lankan Wedding?
As wedding season unfolds, more Sri Lankan couples are choosing intimate celebrations over grand receptions. Is it simply about co
A Child. A Cleric. And a Justice System on Trial.
There is a version of Sri Lanka that we like to present to ourselves. Cultured. Spiritual. A country of ancient civilisation and d
The Watchlist Whisperer: Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge & Desi Bling
This week’s Watchlist is a masterclass in aggressive, over-the-top excess. Just on completely opposite ends of the spectrum. On
The Performance of Appreciation: Why We Turned Mother’s Day into a Press Release
The Monday following the second Sunday of May is characterized by a specific kind of quiet. The digital sirens have ceased, the fl
A Month-Long Ode to Motherhood: High Tea at Table by Nyne
The concept of the modern High Tea has often risked becoming a clichéd affair of frozen pastries and uninspired spreads, but Tabl
RihView: MJ & Vijay
This week felt like a reminder that influence doesn’t always follow logic. Some things hold their place long after their time ha
The Watchlist Whisperer: Emily in Paris (S5) & XO, Kitty (S3)
This week’s Watchlist is all about the shiny and new, or at least, things that look new until you look a little closer. We’re
The Art of Letting Go: Why You Need the 50-Page Rule
We have all been there. You’re sitting on the sofa, staring at a paragraph you’ve already read three times. Your mind is wande
The Alchemy of the Golden Hour: A New Chapter at Tiki Bar, Shangri-La Colombo
There is a specific, fleeting window of time in Colombo where the city seems to hold its breath. It happens just as the sun begins
The Silence of the ‘Good’ Man: Why Your Social Comfort is Killing Us
The world was first forced to look at this in 2024 during the trial of Dominique Pelicot in France. We watched in horror as a 71-y
The Cost of a Break
A long weekend in Sri Lanka usually begins in a group chat. Someone throws out a casual “shall we go somewhere?” and within mi
RihView: Hot Weather & Easter Attack Debates
This week feels like a loop. The heat is getting harder to ignore, Parliament is revisiting one of the country’s most painful ch
The Watchlist Whisperer: Inside the Manosphere & Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model
This week’s Watchlist is basically about perspective - what we choose to see, and what we only understand later. Inside the Mano
The Business of Loneliness
Not long ago, loneliness was considered a private ache, something people endured quietly and rarely discussed in polite company. T
RihView: Fuel Queues & School Extra Curricular Costs
This week’s news had a very familiar Sri Lankan theme: other people make the mess, and somehow we end up standing in line for it
The Watchlist Whisperer with Rihaab Mowlana
This week’s Watchlist came together in two very different ways: one show I’d been waiting years to see return, and one film I
The Morning After Women’s Day
By the time you read this, Women’s Day is already behind us. The pink graphics have slowed down. The WhatsApp forwards declar
Grief, Guilt, and the Weekend Brunch: When the world burns, why are we still ordering dessert?
Sunlight settles in deliberate squares across the floor. Iced lattes bead with condensation. Someone leans forward to adjust the a
RihView: Crises and Cricket
This week isn’t about light drama or internet nonsense. It’s about power. The kind that drops bombs and redraws borders. The k
Ageing & Mental Health in Sri Lanka: Growing Old in a Country That Doesn’t Talk About It
Ageing in most Sri Lankan families reveals itself through small routines rather than big conversations. A new tablet appears besid
The Marriage Deadline
“So, what next?” For women in their late twenties and early thirties, the question is rarely about work. It is not about pr
The Discipline of Slowing Down: Preparing for a Month of Fasting
Sri Lanka rarely slows down. Deadlines stack. Prices shift. Conversations escalate before they settle. And yet, in a few days, Ram
Foreigners Only
Every few months, Sri Lanka seems to rediscover a truth it has never fully confronted. The phrase changes shape depending on who i
We Are Not Stupid. We Are Just Overfed With Information We Never Digest.
We love saying Sri Lankans do not read anymore, that attention spans are shrinking, that nobody has patience for long articles, bo
Ayr Castle 1922
There is something very Sri Lankan about wanting to get away without actually going away. The desire is not to disappear, but to c
From Sri Lanka to Australia to London Fashion Week: How Beauty by Rosh Took Its Place on a Global Runway
Careers in beauty rarely move in straight lines. They expand through trial, repetition, pauses, recalibration, and moments that on
The Watchlist Whisperer: Haq & The Diplomat S3
This week’s Watchlist feels like a study in emotional range. On one end, there’s Haq, quiet, heavy, and the kind of film that
RihView: Power & Passports
The past week wasn’t about scandals or stats. It was about who gets protected, who gets punished, and who’s expected to swallo