“What can I do? How can I bring about change? How can I be a part of the dialogue?”
These are just a few questions I have asked myself in years past, but more recently the questioning has become fervent as gender-based violence is becoming a permanent fixture on both national and international news. India has faced scrutiny in particular for both: the atrocious acts committed against women, and what many deem a legal system, which impedes justice due to its patriarchal constructs.
Controversies such as the ban of Leslee Udwin’s documentary “India’s Daughter” and the subsequent media hoopla led to numerous, heated discussions. Many Indians bemoaned the documentary as unfairly suggesting that the issue of gender violence is unique to India or that all Indian men are inherently bad because of their culture. Still, others wondered why India was put in the spotlight when rapes are more common in supposed “progressive” societies such as the U.K. or U.S. Indian nationalists pointed out that the U.S. was in fact outdated and un-progressive as they still lagged behind in having strong female leads in politics and history.
Western pundits countered with the argument that India does not have a legal system that supports women due to its misogynous ideologies, which have become institutionalized norms, thus undercutting any supposed female power Indians believe they have. And so, if you remember, the back and forth ensued.
It was dizzying and akin to watching a ping-pong match between two sides of the world, one arguing “You have more rapes” with the other contending “No, no, YOU do!”
Ethnocentrism on both sides is alive and kicking, yet neither argument shed any light on why gender-based violence (hereon referred to as GBV) is an epidemic with no regard for a country’s status as first world, third world, progressive or conservative. A country can number-crunch all they want but institutionalized sexism appears in numerous societies.
In order to change rape culture, more dialogue is required so we can collectively challenge the global patriarchal systems that perpetuate sexism. The reality of doing so, and bringing about systemic change by way of activism is complicated and nuanced.
How could I, an individual, for instance, challenge something as pervasive as gender violence and misogyny?
I was looking for a way to be a part of the dialogue. I found the inspiration I was so hungry for in Ram Devineni and Dan Goldman’s epic comic book Priya’s Shakti, the first of its kind in India.
The comic book presents Priya, a rape survivor turned superhero, who tackles sexual violence in India and around the world. The comic is inspired by ancient mythological tales. Priya invokes Goddess Parvati and together they fight against patriarchy, misogyny and indifference.
The comic has since gone viral with 300 feature news stories all over the world. Although it started a national debate in India, its message has spread globally about how, not Indian society alone, but societies in general treat rape survivors and perpetuate stigma.
As a woman, feminist, and burgeoning comic as Sketchy Desi, I couldn’t get enough of Priya’s Shakti. It was so empowering to see art and activism converge so dynamically. Furthermore, the creation of the comic demonstrates that there are many creative ways to stimulate dialogue. More so, it was empowering to see this comic’s message—inspired by Indian-Hindu stories— strike a chord with people from various religions and nationalities.
Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with Priya’s Shakti co-creator Devineni and learn more about what stimulates his work.
“I was involved in the protests in Delhi in December 2012, and was motivated like millions of Indians,” Devineni said. “What was clear to me from the massive protests that happened all over India is that we want things to change in our country. There were so many teenagers and young adults at those protests, and they will be the future catalyst and leaders who will define India, which is a hopeful sign. I think the most important thing we want to emphasize with the comic book is that change is possible. Trying to create a cultural shift is incredibly difficult, but not impossible. India is going through some remarkable and monumental changes in a short period of time. People’s views have not caught up with the speed in which things are changing in India.
“Also, I want to make it clear that gender-based violence is not just a problem in India. Audiences around the world respond really well to Priya’s story and message, so I know she can have a global appeal.”
Lucky for me, on May 7, the comic book was brought to life in a groundbreaking augmented reality art exhibition in New York City. Housed at the City Lore Gallery, the venue was morphed into a walk-in comic book where audiences could unlock special animation, videos, real-life stories, and other interactive elements to life via Blippar, a mobile visual discovery platform. This was truly a convergence of art, technology and activism.
“We wanted to showcase this remarkable project and the artwork created by Dan Goldman to audiences in New York City and to our fans,” Devineni said. “It is the first augmented reality art exhibition in the USA and the innovative technology using Blippar is quite remarkable. It was important to allow the audience to experience this.”
“More importantly, we wanted audiences to immerse themselves in Priya’s story and how she has become a powerful symbol to fight gender-based violence. The exhibition also brings together all the people involved in creating it. All of us were moved to action by the horrible rape on the bus in Delhi in December 2012.”
The exhibition and comic book is also to showcase Priya’s Shakti NGO partner Apne Aap, which has done a remarkable job in bringing the comic book to disparate communities and empowering girls from Kolkata to Bihar.
Ram spoke about the strength of this project speculating that a lot of the power of this endeavor was that it was created by “regular guys” who were motivated by what had happened and wanted to do something.
“I am of course speaking of myself, artist Dan Goldman, and co-writer Vikas K. Menon,” Devineni said. “Working on this project, we all realized that gender-based violence and women’s equality is not just a women’s issue, but also a men’s issue. This needs to be addressed and championed by everyone. Of course, we worked with many extraordinary women on this project including our impact strategist Lina Srivastava, and our consultants Shikha Bhatnagar and Ruchira Gupta, and our amazing editor Joan Hilty.”
Augmented reality is a powerful tool to say the least. But I was curious, in awe really, of the actual reality. Aside from Priya’s Shakti being a comic book character, the image of Priya on a tiger has been painted as outdoor murals in Delhi and Mumbai. I wanted to know from Devineni what people’s reactions were when seeing the life-size murals.
Were there different reactions from women versus men? What were the reactions across generations?
“The artwork has been incredibly received from all classes and generations, who appreciate the beautiful interpretation we have done of the Hindu gods,” he said. “Currently, it is only available in English, but we are working on several regional languages including Hindi. So, people from Dharavi and other slums in Mumbai have not responded to the story. Although they love the artwork and especially the large murals we have painted in Dharavi. The next step is to translate the comic book and distribute it in schools. Whenever we paint a mural of Priya on a Tiger, many men gather around and watch it being painted, and the common statement they make is that the image is of an ’empowered woman.'”
With so many Goddesses in the Hindu pantheon, I was curious to learn why it was important that Priya be Parvati’s bhakt. As an artist, filmmaker, and activist, what was it about Parvati that made Devineni gravitate towards her?
“In Hindu mythology, Parvati is the Goddess that challenges Shiva, the others gods and humans to open their eyes to sensitivity and struggles of others,” Devineni said. “For her, wisdom is meaningless if it does not enable the liberation of those who are trapped in fear. So, her role is to challenge Priya to conquer her fears, but it is up to Priya to motivate and challenge other humans.”
“In Hindu philosophy, Shiva’s eyes are shut because he is removed from the fears of others. For Shiva, the easiest solution is the most direct one—stop humans from procreating. But, Parvati will not allow that. In Devdutt Pattanaik’s book, ‘The Seven Secrets of Shiva,’ he writes: That is why the Goddess stands in opposition of Shiva as both the radiant Gauri (producing light), and as the dark Kali (consuming light). She hopes to change Shiva, the insensitive, angry God into Shankara, the god who empathizes and is patient. So, the Goddess Parvati is the awakening light in Priya and Shiva; the Goddess wants Shiva and the human race to empathize with Priya and other survivors of rape. She motivates Priya to conquer her fears and find her Shakti and be the catalyst for change.”
Priya’s Shakti is a labor of love and though undoubtedly a catalyst for change, Priya wasn’t always in comic form, Devineni said. In fact, in its initial stages, it wasn’t a comic, but a movie called “Parvati Saves the World.”
“Originally the remix film ‘Parvati Saves the World’ was the first incarnation of the comic book,” Devineni said. “When Dan and I watched scenes from the film, we both said it looks like a comic book. I re-edited the film to closely align with the comic book using a dozen different Hindu mythological films from the 1970s and we added a new soundtrack by Rene Veron and a voiceover by Shubhra Prakash. The idea of the remix film was influenced by DJ Spooky’s remix version of D.W. Griffith’s ‘Birth of a Nation,’ which compelled audiences to address race in the America.”
Speaking with Devineni, my mentor, has been extremely inspiring as I continue to find ways to bring about change using my own art and writing. In the comic, Priya sums it up best when she declares:
“Only when injustice is revealed will it end. Only when society protects all of its citizens equally, will it be truly safe.”
As asked at the end of his comic how will you stand with Priya?
Soni Satpathy-Singh is a recipe writer and developer who resides in Manhattan. She is either always cooking or eating be it for work or simply because she loves to! She is working on her own cookbook and also recently created “Sketchy Desi” which provides daily humor, greeting cards, and apparel that celebrate brown culture. To see more of Sketchy Desi’s work, visit SketchyDesi.com or stay tuned to upcoming posts on Brown Girl Magazine.
Few people can call themselves rocket scientists. Even fewer can say they are a rocket scientist-turned-actress, producer and Broadway star. Salma Qarnain is a Pakistani Muslim woman who can claim the title.
Salma Qarnain at the “Life of Pi” Broadway Debut | Photo Credit: Rebecca J Michelson
Artistry runs through Qarnain’s veins. Her grandfather was a filmmaker in Bombay and Karachi, before passing away at a young age. Her mother performed in plays throughout college. Now Qarnain is using artistry to build empathy, playing characters that represent her family’s story and promoting Black and Brown allyship through Black Man Films — the production company she co-founded with Roderick Lawrence.
Qarnain grew up in the Midwest but traveled back to Karachi often. Some of her earliest memories were in Karachi singing along to the Beatles and pretending to be Ringo Starr. When her family moved to the United States, typical of South Asian immigrant parental influence, her interest in math and science and immense love for Star Wars led her to pursue aerospace engineering, hence rocket science. Her mother’s passing forced her to rethink her goals and when she wanted to achieve them.
Today, she describes her purpose for creating art in profound terms.
I want people to be equal. I want people to understand we’re very much all together a speck of dust in the entire universe, and that there are so many more things we share than we don’t.
Starting entertainment work in the aftermath of 9/11 made it clear how she, a Pakistani Muslim woman, would be seen.
I remember [at] that time… Friends of mine told me, ‘Don’t let anybody know x, y, z about you, because they may have a bias against you. Something might happen.’
The beginning of her career was defined by how Western culture perceived Muslims and South Asians. Her first entertainment gig was as a casting assistant in Washington D.C. She noticed if South Asians were cast,
They were going to be playing something stereotypical to what a South Asian person is thought of… that could be the geeky, mainly male, math nerd, or a terrorist.
While the position provided an opportunity to learn about what it took to become an actress, Qarnain also leveraged her responsibilities to make a change — if a role didn’t absolutely require a white actress, she would gather diverse resumes for the casting director, slowly trying to shift the idea of what a person of color on television had to be.
With people of diverse experiences joining writer’s rooms and a “pipeline of young South Asian actors,” the industry has improved but isn’t close to equitable. She sees “Life of Pi” on Broadway and Black Man Films as ways to combat that.
Broadway’s adaptation of Yann Martel’s 2001 novel brings a multigenerational South Asian cast to the stage and has Qarnain playing two roles — Pi’s (gender-swapped) biology teacher, an analytical, guiding mentor, and the Muslim cleric Pi studies under. “Life of Pi” is one of Qarnain’s favorite novels for being a story about faith, storytelling and the power of both to provide hope. She took a callback for the role via Zoom in an Applebee’s parking lot.
I feel very invested in both of these characters. Just because they are absolute extensions of who I am as a person, and to have this be my Broadway debut — I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”
She got to play a Pakistani Muslim character once before in the off-Broadway play “Acquittal.” It was the first time she could represent an authentic story. In “Life of Pi,” Qarnain helped workshop the scenes with the cast and playwright Lolita Chakrabarti to make them more authentic.
She absolutely took our suggestions and comments and reactions, for myself, from another person in our cast – who’s also a Muslim – and then from castmates, [who are] Catholic and Hindu, to understand what would work and what would people respond to. That’s where the gift was, that [Chakrabarti] was very receptive to what we had to say.
Salma Qarnain at the “Life of Pi” Premiere | Photo Credit: Rebecca J Michelson
Black Man Films and her partnership with Roderick Lawrence run parallel to her theatrical journey. The pair formed the production company during the pandemic through a short film that Lawrence created to explore Black men’s mental health. As an enthusiastic fan of Lawrence’s work and having wanted to begin producing for film and television, Qarnain joined the project immediately. The short film, “Silent Partner,” went to 21 film festivals and won Best Short at several.
It was never done for accolades. It was done because there was a purpose and message to the story around Black men’s mental health told through the lens of micro-aggressions in the workplace.
The second short film, “Speak Up, Brotha!” was released in late March and will be played at Oscar-qualifying film festivals, this summer.
For Qarnain, Black Man Films is a platform for change and Black and Brown allyship.
I want people to look at our films and understand where they are, who they are in this film; in “Silent Partner.” If they’re complicit in propagating systemic racism, and, if so, what are they gonna do about it? How can they start? How can they talk to their parents? How can they, you know, engage with other South Asians and put a stop to colorism and any racism that exists against the black community?
Telling stories that reflect the experiences of people of color gives creatives the power to build systems that can improve people’s lives.
There is a racial hierarchy that exists and if we want to break that, we have to be a part of building everything, not just for us, but for everybody who isn’t white.
She is confident that the stories she’s helping bring to life will do just that and change the world in the process. From “Life of Pi” to “Speak Up, Brotha!” the possibilities for encouraging justice and empathy are endless.
We’re rounding up all the latest South Asian entertainment news so you don’t have to. With the rise of representation in media, South Asians are making strides and we’re all for celebrating the highs. Brown Girl Magazine’sentertainment editors Aysha and Arun have compiled a list of the all that grabbed headlines in the first half of the year, so you can still be in the loop without having to stop and search elsewhere. From the latest movie buzz to must-watch live and animated shows, we are covering it all.
Here’s a round-up of some of this year’s highlights:
Star Wars Joins the Brown Side, It Must
Yoda approves this one. After wowing us with Ms. Marvel and breaking glass ceilings while doing so, Academy Award-winning and International Emmy Award-winning director and journalist, the one and only badass Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy has once again proved that she’s a force to reckon with! Chinoy is set to be not only the first Pakistani and South Asian, but the first person of color, and the first woman to direct a “Star Wars” film.
“Spider-Man, Spider-Man…” if you don’t know what song we’re referring to, you better pause and run to YouTube and check it out.
The multiverse, with virtually an infinite number of heroes, couldn’t exist without South Asian representation. Insert, Pavitr Prabhakar hailing from Earth-50101. Like Peter Parker, Prabhakar grew up under the care of his aunt and uncle. Despite living in poverty, Prabhakar’s intelligence earned him a scholarship that — with additional support from his family — allowed him to attend an illustrious school in Mumbai. Similar to Parker’s story right? He even has an MJ in his life: Meera Jain, instead of Mary Jane.
He first debuted in the Spider-Man: India (2004) comic book series, but became a household name after being featured in “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.” Voiced by Karan Soni in English and Shubman Gill in Hindi, the character is set to return in the film’s 2024 sequel.
South Asians are finally making their way into the Marvel universe and this is only the beginning.
Season four of the much-awaited “Never Have I Ever” came to an end filled with tears and hope, this past summer. Devi proved she can have it all (spoiler alert ahead) — a boy and her dream Ivy League college Princeton. Being a desi kid growing up, many of us also dreamt of being accepted into a school our parents could rave about to their family friends, so to see Devi’s applications rejected was refreshing and much-needed. Much thanks to Mindy Kaling and her co-producer Lang Fisher for keeping it real and showing growth with each of the characters. Seeing both the widows on the show, Nalini and Pati, make room for love and dating gave us more of an incentive to indulge in the show.
Women in Showbiz Everywhere (WISE) Hosted its First Ever ‘Hues of Heritage’ Event Celebrating South Asians in Film & Television in mid-August with actor Bill Moseley and Executive Director of CAPE Michelle Sugihara. The Hi-Tea Affair brought together South Asian creatives, writers, journalists, and other industry members, fostering inspiring and supportive conversations. The event also marked the launch of the esteemed RATNA fellowship, which Vineesha Arora-Sarin, founder & executive director of WISE, terms as a “movement dedicated to identifying and supporting emerging South Asian female writers worldwide who aspire to make their mark in the global entertainment industry.
And what better time to launch it than now when we’re going through a major cultural and a much-needed revolution in Hollywood to give writers and creators fair play as we speak.” The fellowship will select five writers from South Asia (including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and others) and the diaspora to join a one-year program and collaborate on a project alongside talented mentors. Read more about the fellowship here.
It was not something we grew up imagining as South Asians in America; children of immigrants who are often sidelined. But it happened! History was made as a considerable line-up of South Asian artists including Ali Sethi and Jai Wolf took center stage at Coachella. The highlight though, was Diljit Dosanjh’s power-packed performance that sent fans into a frenzy, enough to keep the security on their toes! It was the first time an Indian Punjabi singer performed at the event and we’d say it was about time.
Iconic song “Naatu Naatu” from the blockbuster movie “RRR” not only made history as the first ever song selected from an Indian film to be nominated for an Oscar but by also winning it, beating the likes of Rihanna and Lady Gaga. While the Oscar performance was disappointing — featuring predominantly ‘white’ ensemble of dancers, instead of the thousands of Indians who could’ve done a far better job and made more sense — this win is big for the South Asian community as a whole!
Pakistan filled with Joy as “Joyland” Made it on Academy Awards Shortlist
Pakistani film “Joyland” is the country’s first-ever film to be shortlisted for the Academy Awards. While it had a long run, it did not receive a nomination for the Oscars as expected. It was among 15 films that made the cut for the best international feature film. The critically-acclaimed film breaks stigmas by showcasing a stereotypical patriarchal family that craves for the birth of a baby boy— but with twists. Without any spoilers, this film is a must-watch for dismantling and challenging a host of patriarchal and discriminatory norms that continue to plague South Asian culture.
From “Indian Matchmaking” to Indian Idol-ing: Sima Taparia
Love or hate her, everyone has an opinion about internet sensation Sima Taparia. And with the end of season three, there’s still more to talk about Taparia’s new wedding or shadi song: “Shadi ki Tayaree Hai.”
The song follows Taparia attending a wedding while singing, dancing, and encouraging you to have a wedding of your own. And she’s not alone; her husband Anup Taparia is also singing and dancing. People are calling the song as entertaining as her show! Do with that what you must, but check out the song available to watch on YouTube.
An adaption of Yann Martel’s best-selling novel, Lolita Chakrabarti’s “Life of Pi” musical is not only the first Broadway play with a majority South Asian cast but the first to win three Tony awards.
Dubbed as Broadway’s most diverse show right, “Life of Pi” won Best Lighting Design of a Play, Best Scenic Design of a Play and Best Sound Design of a Play. Not to mention the musical is the Broadway debut of three Olivier Award-winning performers. With more than 20 puppeteers, the show takes you through Pi’s journey of survival.
After almost 15 years in development, “Monsoon Wedding” has made storms in New York’s theater scene. An off-Broadway production that ran all through the summer, “Monsoon Wedding” is an adaption of the iconic film that released in 2001.
We laughed, we cried, we sang as Mira Nair had us “literally dipped in the vat of stunning classical Indian singing.”
A show fit for anyone, as each character depicts varying shades of a personality, “Monsoon Wedding” breaks stereotypes, confronts stigmas, and reminds us of the importance of family.
“What’s Love Got to Do with It?” Brings Home Four Awards
Shekhar Kapur and Jemima Khan’s romantic comedy “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” won four awards at the United Kingdom’s National Film Awards, including best screenplay, best British film, best director and best supporting actor.
Khan, the screenwriter and producer of the movie, won the award for Best Screenplay. Asim Chaudhry’s performance won the movie Best Supporting Actor and Kapur won the Best Director award and the Best British Film award.
In another historic win for India, “The Elephant Whisperers” became the first Indian documentary to win an Oscar. Winning Best Documentary Short Film at the 95th Academy Awards, the film touches upon the relationship between animals and their caretakers. It follows the story of an indigenous couple named Bomman and Bellie who care for an orphaned baby elephant.
The film was directed by Kartiki Gonsalves and produced by Guneet Monga. Sharing the news of the win on Instagram, Monga noted how two women brought home this historic award.
”Tonight is historic as this is the first-ever Oscar for an Indian production. India’s Glory with 2 women.”
Record Number of South Asians Invited to Join The Academy
The Academy of Motion Pictures and Arts announced their list of 398 new members invited to join them. Among the prestigious names are also Indian film celebrities Ram Charan, Mani Ratnam, Karan Johar, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Chandrabose and MM Keeravani. As members of The Academy, they will be eligible to vote for the 96th Academy Awards which will be held in March 2024.
Be on the lookout for our next roundup as the year comes to a close!
February 2, 2023February 2, 2023 3min readBy Nimarta Narang
For any of us who have siblings, the relationship with them can be one of the most fulfilling ones. And also one of the most bloody frustrating. No one can quite stroke the fire like someone who knows you extremely well, or sometimes not, but have a familial bond with that neither one of you chose. In “Polite Society,“directed by Nida Manzoor, sisters Ria Khan and Lena Khan’s loving, sweet, and sometimes tumultuous relationship takes center stage.
Played delightfully by Priya Kansara and Ritu Arya, respectively, the evolution of their relationship is one of the film’s greatest and simultaneously weakest points. It’s also pretty cool to see two South Asian actresses in an action-comedy movie — how refreshing it is to mention the art of choreography and praise it in regards to fight sequences vs. dance sequences for a film centered on two South Asian women — that itself shows progress.
Set in London, Ria is an aspiring stunt woman who already shows massive talent in martial arts. She looks up to her older sister Lena, who is enrolled in art school and, also holds remarkable potential in a somewhat less traditionally acceptable field. Their relationship starts off as supportive and sweet with no inclinations of jealousy or resentment that sometimes plagues sisterly bonds. But this also means that they are quite protective of one another, almost to the detriment of their well wishes for each other.
This all happens when Lena gets engaged after dropping out of art school. Ria feels betrayed. They were supposed to be on this journey together in fighting for their dreams. Ria decides that she knows what’s best for her sister and enlists the help of her friends to rescue the damsel in distress from her own wedding. Her deep animosity towards the prospect of Lena getting married is also fueled by Lena’s fiancé and his mother acting extremely suspiciously. The twist that ultimately brings the two sisters back together is both shocking and weirdly somewhat progressive in the motive behind the villain’s origin story. But the twist, unfortunately, is too ambitious for the movie as it tacks on another genre and theme earnestly, but still clunkily.
“Polite Society” tackles not only what it means to fight for one’s dreams but also what it means to have just one ardent supporter. As Lady Gaga famously said, “There can be 100 people in a room and 99 of them don’t believe in you but all it takes is one and it just changes your whole life.” Well, Ria’s Bradley Cooper was her very own sister who seemed to abandon her, and her faith in her, when she chose a different path. For Lena, the film opened up the question of marriage and the weight it bears in the life of a South Asian woman. Ria’s lack of understanding of the pressure it places on Lena is the start of the change in their relationship — the start of Ria’s coming of age and the start of Lena settling firmly into her adulthood.
Director Nida Manzoor, cinematographer Ashley Connor and actor Priya Kansara on the set of their film “Polite Society.”
Standouts from the cast include Ria’s best friends, played by Seraphina Beh and Ella Bruccoleri, who commit to the story and characters with such hilarity and conviction. They add the lightheartedness and playfulness the film needs, and it is refreshing that never once do they use Ria’s cultural background as a way to make fun of her or dismiss her.
It is also heartening to see Lena and Ria’s parents being some of the most supportive South Asian parents seen on screen. At the end of the day, it is not the external family pressure that impacts the decisions made by the sisters but rather their own satisfaction, or lack thereof, with their own lives that become the driving force of their actions.
“Polite Society” is written and directed by a South Asian woman for South Asian women, and is definitely worth a watch when it releases in theaters this April.
Born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand, Nimarta grew up devouring Hindi movies, coming-of-age novels and one too many psychology textbooks. … Read more ›
Soni Satpathy-Singh is a recipe writer and developer who resides in Manhattan. She is either always cooking or eating be it for work or simply because she loves to! She is working on her own cookbook and also recently created “Sketchy Desi” which provides daily humor, greeting cards, and apparel that celebrate brown culture. To see more of Sketchy Desi’s work, visit SketchyDesi.com or stay tuned to upcoming posts on Brown Girl Magazine. 
