When Diya Patel stepped onto the set of ‘Before I Go‘, a psychological thriller filmed in Atlanta, she wasn’t just entering a new role. She was stepping into the kind of space she never saw herself in growing up: one that had room for complexity, diversity and unapologetic representation.
“I don’t want just to play the stereotypical Indian — a doctor or a lawyer,” she said. “I want to play the bad guy sometimes.”
In a landscape where South Asian actors are still routinely offered roles with forced accents and caricatures, Patel is choosing a different path and inviting others along with her.
For Patel, the journey has been about more than screen time — it’s about reflection, legacy and visibility. She wants to not only honor those before her, but encourage those after her that they, too, can pursue their dreams.
“When I met Geraldine, I was like a little girl again. Watching someone achieve the kind of success I want, it doesn’t feel like a dream anymore. It feels like a reality.”
Seeing fellow South Asian actors succeed has helped redefine what’s possible — not just for her, but for the next generation watching.
“To anyone watching me, I want them to think, ‘Hey, if she’s doing it, maybe I can too,” Patel said.
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She shared that one of the most surreal moments for her career came when she returned to a shoot where she once worked as an assistant — only this time, she was the face of the campaign.
“It was the same location, same brand…but now, I was the model. It was one of those moments where I thought, this has come full circle.”
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Patel’s television debut came in the form of a bold, genre-breaking series, ‘Waack Girls’ on Amazon Prime. Set in Kolkata and helmed by acclaimed director Sooni Taraporevala, the nine-episode dance drama follows six girls forming a waacking crew, a high-energy dance style rooted in queer resistance and expressive movement.
For Patel, this wasn’t just another acting gig, it was an opportunity to tell a layered story of rebellion, sisterhood and self-expression.
“I play a strong-minded character who’s willing to stand up for herself and what she believes in,” she shared.
Working with Taraporevala also marked a turning point behind the camera.
“Her focus and attention to detail sparked something in me, this urge to explore directing.”
Through Waack Girls, Patel continued what she’s always done best: step into roles that reflect the messy, magical complexity of being brown, bold and unapologetically different.
Patel has even turned down roles that didn’t sit right, especially those that required stereotypical Indian accents or clichéd comedy bits.
“I’ve been asked to do the accent, the head shake… but I want to be authentic, as much as I can,” she said, adding that an accent to her isn’t natural.
While representation has changed dramatically since Patel began her journey, there’s still more progress to be made.
“I thought I’d have to play characters I didn’t connect with — the cliché roles people expect from Indian actors. But then I saw people like Geraldine and Poorna Jagannathan doing something different and I realized I could too.”
“We’re seeing more South Asians not just on screen, but behind the camera, in writing rooms, telling our own stories,” she said.
“There’s talent all over the place. The more we include each other, the more real our stories become. People just need to do more of that bring others in.”
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Her acting resume spans far more than what the industry expects of South Asian women. From appearing in a project with an all-Black cast to dreaming of Marvel villainy, she’s made it her mission to defy the limitations of being ‘boxed in’.
“My dream role? A Marvel supervillain,” Patel said.
She added: “Something with mind manipulation, I think all my modeling training and smizing would finally come in handy.”
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Though born into a family of artists, Patel’s decision to pursue acting full-time wasn’t without tension. Like any other career, it took hard work and commitment.
“I’m an only child, so there’s always that fear of — oh my god, she’s confidently walking away into something we don’t fully understand.”
“Finally seeing me on TV, I think my parents are starting to realize I’m on the right track.”
Leaving home at 15 to attend boarding school in Philadelphia, she pivoted from a state-level basketball player in India to a student chasing film dreams in the U.S. It was a bold move. One, she said, that still surprises people today.
“Just because I speak this way doesn’t mean I’m not Indian,” she reflected. “You can be multifaceted and a lot of people here still don’t understand that.”
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Patel isn’t just an actor. She’s a model, writer, aspiring director, basketball player AND someone who still volunteers weekly at a Los Angeles animal shelter, often unrecognizable in sweats and a baseball cap.
“People wouldn’t expect me to be doing weapons training, working with dogs, boxing — but that’s the point. You break the mold when you surprise people.”
That drive to explore everything is part of her creative ethos: the more skill sets you develop, the more doors you can open, or break through.
When asked what she’d tell her younger self, or any brown girl chasing a dream in a world that doesn’t always make space for us, Patel had a lot of wisdom to offer.
“There’s so much advice I’d give, but right now, I think it’s important to face the struggle. The ‘no’s. The doubt. Because if success comes too easily, you don’t appreciate it the same way.”
She recalled reading and watching Brown Girl Magazine growing up and now being featured in it, a full-circle moment she said she doesn’t take for granted.
“If you don’t have the right mindset, you won’t last in this industry. You’ve got to stay rooted in why you started: the storytelling, the art, the impact. That’s what keeps me going.”
She also urges young artists to rethink what’s possible and not to be afraid of facing ‘failure.’
“Embrace your unique experiences and use them to fuel your art. Don’t let rejection discourage you; let it push you harder. The more we step into our full selves, the more space we create for those coming next.”
With upcoming projects on the horizon and big dreams for the future, Diya Patel isn’t waiting for permission. She’s writing, producing, dreaming — and daring others to do the same.
“This is the industry of ‘no.’ But just one yes — just one ‘I believe in you’ — can go such a long way.”
For Diya Patel, authenticity isn’t just a personal value — it’s a quiet act of resistance. Whether she’s on set or volunteering at an animal shelter, she challenges the expectations that surround how women, especially South Asian women, should look or behave.
“You can still do all of this and look like this,” she recalls telling her neice who was shocked to see her barefaced, in sweats and covered in dog hair. “You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing to fit the mold. Break the mold.”
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Patel noted that volunteering at an animal shelter and hospital is not what people would expect the average Indian to do, but that’s what makes her work exciting — surprising people with the different roles Indian women can take on, both on and off screen.
“The more things you do, set you apart and will enable you to have a better chance at achieving your goals and breaking those glass ceilings and molds… rather than comparing yourself to somebody else.”
She spoke with reverence for moments that redefine cultural standards, including Pamela Anderson’s appearance at the Oscars without makeup.
“That was one of the most inspiring things I’ve seen,” she said. “If someone who’s been called a Hollywood sex symbol can take that stance, it gives others the courage to do the same.”
It’s these small rebellions, embracing natural beauty, saying no to industry norms, showing up as herself that mark Patel’s quiet revolution—not just for herself, but for the generations watching her rewrite the rules.
