Dancer? Actress? Content creator? — You’ve got all three of these creatives in Toronto-based Tia Bhatia. Bhatia made her mark in the work of cinema through her work in films like “Dr. Cabbie” and “Anatomy of Violence,” but there’s more to this actress than meets the eye.

Philanthropy, social media and family fuel Bhatia’s drive to see success, and there’s no stopping her from making an impact and leaving a unique imprint with her talent.

Here’s an exclusive Brown Girl Magazine-style chat with Bhatia on her career, initiatives she’s involved in and more!

Tia! You’re no stranger to the Brown Girl Magazine audience, but why don’t you give a quick introduction of yourself.

I’m a content creator, actress, and a proud daughter. I was adopted at a very early age and brought into a beautiful loving home. I started training in acting professionally by the age of 17 and worked on my first film by 22. I went to New York and studied at the Lee Strasberg Theater & Film Institute, while in Toronto I studied at Armstrong Acting Studios. Entertaining has always been a passion of mine; somehow since I was 3 years old I knew I wanted to be on TV.

I also work with a wonderful organization called World Vision. We work to help educate girls in villages, in India, by making washrooms for them to use. Many girls miss [classes] or are pulled out of school when they get their period because they do not have a safe place to take care of themselves. So this is where I fell in love with the Rise Up Daughters India initiative created by World Vision.

 

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I love that — such an imperative initiative!

Let’s start at the beginning of your professional journey — acting. What pulled you toward the world of entertainment?

The thing that pulled me towards entertainment was the idea that I could be anyone I wanted to be on screen. I could be a doctor, criminal, a hopeless romantic and so much more within this beautiful line of acting. As a child I always pretended I was accepting awards; I would mimic actors I watched on TV and I would create my own storylines. I’ve always had such a colorful imagination.

And that colorful imagination has led you to some amazing acting opportunities already! But of course, there are always hardships along the way, especially in the world of entertainment. Talk to me about what roadblocks you’ve faced so far.

The biggest roadblock I faced, and something that I have spoken about as well, is rejection. The amount [of times] actors/actresses get rejected, or don’t hear back on auditions, is actually insane. Many people go through hundreds of auditions and don’t book anything. Then one day they book that role that takes them off in their careers.

The other roadblock in acting was convincing my parents that this is what I wanted to do. It took a couple of years for me to speak up, and on this journey my parents went from being just ‘mom and dad,’ to being my best friends and supporters.

[But that’s not all.] There’s another roadblock I need to mention and that’s within the world of content creation. When you put yourself online you always know you are going to be subject to some kind of negativity. You think you are prepared, but when it starts happening you begin to question everything. I was irked by comments about my dad’s turban; I was irked about comments on how I am just a rich man’s daughter; I was irked about comments about my weight. There is so much more, but that was during the initial years.

I am lucky I had a great support system around me, and so I got through it. So whenever I come across any of these comments, it doesn’t phase me. I do love responding to hate though because if I can help educate someone, why not?

Also, I do have a slightly sassy side which I can thank my mom for.

Can I just say that I absolutely LOVE your relationship with your mom — she deserves a special mention!

Let’s circle back to your thoughts on rejection as one of the biggest roadblocks you’ve faced as an actress. For anyone reading this today, and going through the same experiences, tell them how you overcome rejection?

Rejection is a part of life in anything you do. It can come in the form of your feelings, at your workplace, and in your own household even. What I learned is that the world doesn’t stop for anyone. It’s something my father taught me, so I have it in me to always move forward. The world will keep turning even if you want everything to stop for a second. Hearing stories of how my father was rejected and how resilient he was and still is, kept me going. So every rejection is a lesson, and every rejection will guide me in the right direction.

Many people think that because I come from a prominent family, I don’t face rejection. Yes, I have the privilege and I will always acknowledge that and speak vocally about it. That being said, it doesn’t mean I don’t face rejection in the industry. If I didn’t face rejection I wouldn’t learn what I have learned.

Speaking about learning, what have you learned about representation in Hollywood? How do you feel about representation in the industry today?

REPRESENTATION MATTERS. To see so many people who look like my family and me is such a proud moment. Look at shows like “Never Have I Ever,” “[The] Mindy Project,” “Bridgerton,” “Degrassi” and many more. Growing up I would watch “Degrassi” and learned that people like me can also break into mainstream cinema. As a child, seeing individuals like Melinda Shankar, Raymond Ablack, Kal Penn, Mindy Kaling, etc., gave me an unconditional wave of hope that I can do this too. It’s beautiful to see so many people within the South Asian community, consistently breaking barriers. They are paving the way for so many more.

 

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You’re right — the industry has definitely come a long way, but of course, representation is a work in progress in Hollywood. What changes would you like to see implemented to make people of color more prominent in the Western entertainment world?

The changes I would like to see implemented to make South Asians/people of color more prominent within the Western entertainment world are already happening, but slowly. We are seeing us play main characters as well. That being said I would love to see more South Asians/people of color nominated in supporting and lead categories. I want to see movies with people who look like me at the forefront. When I say this I think of the movie “Lion.” I want producers to get on board with sharing stories of people from different walks of life.

Despite the strides that we have seen people of color make in the west, do you feel that they are still represented in Hollywood through a stereotypical lens?

I do feel there is a change in how people of color are being represented in Hollywood. So many stories are being told with the magic of TV/film. We are learning more and more every single day. Looking at shows now, the stereotypical aspect has been deteriorating. We are seeing South Asian characters without the head nods and the extremely thick accents. We are seeing people of color taking on strong roles that do not have them playing just a victim. We are seeing their stories, sharing their stories, witnessing their battles, and feeling their struggles and pain. We see resilience. There is so much change happening, but I wish it would happen quicker.

 

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Agreed! Ok, let’s switch gears a bit…talk to me about your dream role!

Now this is a great question. My dream role has everything to do with Sci-Fi/Fantasy and even period pieces. I am obsessed with the Marvel cinematic universe and obsessed with movies like the “Harry Potter” series, “The Crown,” “Game of Thrones,” and “Lord of the Rings.” My ultimate dream role would be to be a part of the Avengers, a kick ass super heroine. There’s just something so magical about being a part of these endless creative storylines.

I think it would be a dream come true for people of color to see a South Asian super heroine in an Avengers movie — go get it, girl! And lastly, before signing off, who is that one celebrity that you’d like to switch lives with for a day? Why?

Reese Witherspoon! Watching her from when I was a child, to seeing how she is on some of the most amazing television shows while also producing them, is boss status. I love the trajectory of her career, and I find her so versatile.

And to think that her journey is still so young! We’re excited to see where Bhatia takes her career from here and what she’s got in store for her audience!

Photo Courtesy: Tia Bhatia’s Instagram page

By Sandeep Panesar

Sandeep Panesar is an editor, and freelance writer, based out of Toronto. She enjoys everything from the holiday season to … Read more ›

Photo Courtesy of Varsha Panikar

“After so Long” is a poetry film created for Simha’s EP, which is streaming on Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music. The poem was collaboratively written by Simha, a U.S. native, and Jae, who is based in India, during the 2020 lockdown. “After so Long” was recited by Simha and their parents. In 2022, I directed and produced the film through my studio, Star Hopper. “After so Long” premiered on Nowness Asia in March 2022.

By Varsha Panikar

Varsha Panikar (they/he) is a filmmaker, writer and multi-disciplinary artist from India. They are the co-founder of Star Hopper, a … Read more ›

Over the past few weeks we’ve all seen Mindy Kaling shoulder the blame for misrepresenting the South Asian diaspora in her work. I want to expose us to the flip side. She’s not “Indian enough” for some in our communities and “not American enough” for mainstream television and media. But I don’t know a single South Asian living abroad who doesn’t feel this dissonance. We’re a generation born to parents who strived to stay connected to their homeland but knew they had to assimilate to survive. Many of us got lost in the mix. I definitely did. And from the looks of it, Kaling did too. 

I feel like I’ve oscillated between these two extremes all my life. I’ve had moments of code-switching — performing as a white version of myself, melting into the groups around me. And moments of being a “coconut” (or an “oreo” depending on where you come from) — suddenly donning an accent as if Hindi was my first language. It wasn’t conscious. It also wasn’t fully unconscious.  

It wasn’t until I watched Netflix’s “Never Have I Ever” as a 35-year-old mother of two that I realized what teenage Ambika was up against. Still wearing tank tops in secret, while girls my age had moved on to the midriff-baring trend of the early 2000s. Not thinking it was okay to explore my sexuality. Not seeing that sometimes I knew what was better for me than my parents did. Not understanding that it was okay to expand my romantic interests beyond the few Indian boys I knew. And then I rewatched “The Mindy Project” while on maternity leave with my second kid. And I ate it up.

I rewound dialogue as Dr. Lahiri got engaged, left a man who lost his drive, fell in love with the unexpectedly handsome curmudgeon, got pregnant, learned to mother, and found a new version of herself. She addressed her pregnant body insecurities on-screen (in “What to Expect When You’re Expanding — brilliant!). She grappled with her ambitions in the face of motherhood. She owned who she was when most of us were taught not to. She dated outside of her race. Her audacity and levity gave me so much oomph at a time when I needed it the most.

Art comes from lived experience. And when individuals reflect their life back to the masses through art, it’s a tenuous balance. Comedians in particular have to toe a fine line between hyperbole and reality, having the paradoxical job of speaking the truth (the dark truth, often), and simultaneously making people laugh.

Comedian Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, when interviewed on NPR’s “Code Switch,” says: 

Even though I didn’t speak Spanish — my parents don’t speak Spanish — early in my career when I would portray my parents in a bit, they would have an accent. They would speak in broken English. Any time I would talk about my mom, it was like, ‘ay, mija.’ My mom doesn’t call me ‘mija.’ My mom will leave me a voice message and be like, ‘hey, girl!’ She talks like me. You know what I mean?

This is the inherent paradox that exists in Velma as well. Kaling, as she often does, takes her own experiences as a young Indian girl growing up against the backdrop of white America, and amplifies them. And now, Kaling is a grown, Indian woman whose career is evolving against the backdrop of an America, too.

Critics across different racial groups frequently talk about “the representation trap.” Even if a minority group is represented in a piece of art, literature, film, or television, the manifestation of that group is still filtered through the white gaze. In Ismail Muhammed’s New York Times piece “Can Black Literature Escape the Representation Trap,” he says: 

Our current problem isn’t an insufficient amount of Black representation in literature but a surfeit of it. And in many cases that means simply another marketing opportunity, a way to sell familiar images of Blackness to as broad an audience as possible.

The debate about whether minority artists properly represent their cohort is marred with capitalism and white supremacy. When so many industries are gate-kept by the typical, euro-centric, generationally rich man, is there really any way to be wholly true to our experience? 

[Read Related: ‘Late Night’ Review: Mindy Kaling & Nisha Ganatra Hilariously Expose Diversity Issues in Hollywood & Comedy]

Let’s not forget that many of us (or maybe all of us?) came up in a society that devalues women, and horrifically devalues people of color. Let’s not forget that the majority of executives across every field still don’t look like us (if by chance you’ve forgotten, read this piece by Ruchika Tulshyan). Let’s not forget that when people are introduced to something foreign and unknown to them, their default is to reject it (again, if you’ve forgotten, read about “the mere exposure effect” and racism).

I’m unsure how Kaling has inherited the immense responsibility of representing all of the South Asian American diaspora? And is then being criticized for her representation of it. Third-generation South Asians are very different from second-generation, who are very different from first-generation. Our identities and how we fit into American culture, mainstream media, and business, are still forming as we speak. We are not a monolith.

And plenty of men have done exactly what Kaling is being criticized for, without anywhere near the same level of criticism. All men I (hopefully, we) love.

Riz Ahmed has taken on roles in which his race isn’t the central focus. Hasan Minaj doesn’t get criticized when he uses stereotypical accents to represent South Asians or for using politics as a launch pad for his content. We don’t hate on Kumail Nanjiani when he suddenly gets a six-pack, even though he also once played a nerd. I loved when Aziz Ansari went to Italy to make pasta and didn’t make it Indian.

Why are we tearing down one of the only women in America who is working to showcase South Asian culture and people? Because she uses humor and caricature? Because she’s not putting herself in the mindset of the type of Indian person who has learned to thrive at the intersection of their upbringing and their environment? Newsflash: that person doesn’t exist! 

It’s not on Kaling to represent every dimension of this diaspora. She’s done her job.

I’m a proud, second-generation, Indian American woman, married to an Indian American man, with two Indian American children. I was nerdy just like Kaling. I had arm hair just like Devi. I pined after white boys in my teen years just like Bela from the HBO Max’s “Sex Lives of College Girls,” too. And Kaling is an absolute inspiration to me. 

I see a South Asian woman who chose to have children on her own. Whose career, post-children, skyrocketed. Who committed herself and her craft to tackle the most deep-rooted stigmas of South Asian culture — mental health, sex, and interracial relationships — while still honoring the way it manifested in her life. 

It’s now our job to get out into the world and dimensionalize our cohort. Show the world what us supposed “ABCDs” have grown up and done; who we’ve become and what we’ve accomplished. 

It’s what I’m trying to do. It’s what I’m trying to fight for when I’m told things like “maybe tone down the diversity angle in your writing, we don’t want publishers to think they’re just buying a diversity book.”

We still exist in a house of cards. Why are we kicking the building blocks of our own home?

I’ll leave you with this quote from Kaling herself: 

People get scared when you try to do something, especially when it looks like you’re succeeding. People do not get scared when you’re failing. It calms them. But when you’re winning, it makes them feel like they’re losing or, worse yet, that maybe they should’ve tried to do something too, but now it’s too late. And since they didn’t, they want to stop you. You can’t let them.

I hope this woman never gets discouraged. We need her in more ways than one.

The opinions expressed by the writer of this piece, and those providing comments thereon (collectively, the “Writers”), are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Brown Girl Magazine, Inc., or any of its employees, directors, officers, affiliates, or assigns (collectively, “BGM”). BGM is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by the Writers. It is not the intention of Brown Girl Magazine to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual. If you have a complaint about this content, please email us at Staff@browngirlmagazine.com. This post is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. If you’d like to submit a guest post, please follow the guidelines we’ve set forth here.

By Ambika Gautam Pai

Ambika Gautam Pai is the Chief Strategy Officer at full-service advertising agency Mekanism and a mom of two. She's a … Read more ›

Born in the US and raised in New Zealand, actor Anya Banerjee made her television debut, this past Sunday, in season 10 of NBC’s “The Blacklist.” She is seen playing the character of Siya Malik, daughter of former task force member Meera Malik who met with an untimely death in season one.

[Read Related: Sri Rao and the Future of South Asian Diasporic Cinema]

An MI6 agent, Malik is hoping to learn more about her mother and the work she did with Raymond Reddington. Her character is a sharp, inventive, fearless spy with a knack for spotting what motivates others. Even though this is her first-ever television role, one can see how deeply involved Banerjee is in the character, pushing you to connect back the dots to the history her character comes with. In an interview with Brown Girl Magazine, Banerjee talks more about her journey into acting, what drew her to the role of Siya and what should the audience expect from the 10th and final season of the show:

People, in general, are very influenced by the content they consume. Was there a specific film, play, or television series that got you interested in acting?

As the first in my family to be raised in “the West,” just being in the world involved performing some kind of identity. Film and TV acted as a third parent in that regard. I’m the first actor in my family, but have wanted to do this since before I can remember. Watching “Bend It Like Beckham” when I was in primary school showed me there was a place for South Asian female leads in Hollywood. I’ve also always been drawn to media with some element of the fantastical. I loved Baz Lurhmann’s “Moulin Rouge” because it brought the theatricality of the stage to the screen in a spectacular way. I remember being tickled by the cultural fusion in the film. It reflected my own sense of being at the intersection of various cultures and the appeal of escaping into a made-up world.

Were you a part of any productions in school or in college that influenced you?

I did a lot of singing and dancing as a kid; Indian dance-dramas at Durga Puja and yearly ballet recitals. We did musicals and Shakespeare productions at secondary school and that’s also when I started working in Auckland’s professional theatre scene.

 

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What were some of your favorite roles while pursuing the acting program at Columbia University and how did they prepare you for your television debut?

Casting director James Calleri headed the acting MFA program at Columbia when I was there and his on-camera classes really set us up for success in TV. We also had the tremendous good fortune of being Ron Van Lieu’s first cohort at Columbia. The master acting teacher directed our thesis production of “Where Do We Live?” by Christopher Shinn. I played Lily, a British party girl who has to be physically and emotionally vulnerable in the play. With the help of movement coach Sita Mani and intimacy co-ordinator Alicia Rodis, I gained the confidence to take more risks in my acting. Now I’m playing a very different Brit with a totally different background and disposition but I’m using many of  the same tools I used as Lily to feel grounded as Siya.

How would you describe “The Blacklist” to people wanting to learn more about the show?

Action-packed, full of intrigue, and endlessly entertaining. There’s a reason this show has been killing it for a decade and that’s the high caliber of the cast and crew, as well as the inventive and topical writing that keeps fans coming back for more. Audience members who’ve watched from the beginning will appreciate the full circle moments that my character ushers in — I play the daughter of Meera Malik, late CIA agent from season one so my storyline is a bit of a throwback. But new viewers can use me as an access point into the world of “The Blacklist” as Siya uncovers it, bit by bit, as a newcomer herself.

How did you prepare for the role of Siya Malik and how similar are you in real life to the character you’re playing on screen?

Some of the first things I had to learn on the job were stunts and how to operate a firearm. You’ll be seeing a lot of Siya kicking butt. The gun stuff was entirely new for me but I took to it very quickly and my background as a dancer helped with the fight scenes. Something I identify with in Siya is her resilience. She’s turned the tragedy of her mother’s death into the fuel that led to her own career as an MI6 agent, overcoming obstacles and others’ underestimation of her. That’s the kind of fire inside that  I really admire and hope to practice in my own life.

 

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Are there certain roles you feel suit you better?

I love characters with complex inner worlds — ones who are deeply flawed and may even be outcast from society, but who rise above the odds to carve out space for themselves and the ones they love.

Do you feel South Asians are still pigeonholed into certain roles or has it gotten better?

I think things are a lot better than what I grew up seeing in the early 2000s. “Sound of Metal,” for example, is one of my favorite movies because Riz Ahmed’s riveting performance has little to do with him being South Asian and everything to do with his commitment to an expertly crafted role.

Is there a dream role you would want to play?

On stage, someone as volatile as Emma from Duncan Macmillian’s “People Places & Things.” On screen, someone as funny as Amina in “We Are Lady Parts” or as brave as the title character in “Kimi.”

You have worked with many talented individuals. Is there anyone still on your list you would want to work with in terms of directors, actors, actresses, and others?

Parminder Nagra, obviously! As a Kiwi, it would be a dream come true to work with Jane Campion or Taika Waititi. I’m most excited to form meaningful relationships with artists daring enough to challenge the status quo.

You describe yourself as a “Kiwi-Bengali in the Big City.” How have you felt as an Indian American, raised in New Zealand, coming into the acting world?

There’s been a lot of juggling aspects of my triangular identity. A lot of the times in this industry people want you to be just one thing, or maybe two, but three’s pushing it! The reality is that we live in a globalized world. We have to make room for cultural nuance in the media. So maybe I’ll lean into my American side today, turn up the Kiwi tomorrow, and speak Bengali with my Indian parents on the phone. All are valid, authentic expressions of myself and reflections of the real world.

[Read Related: Manish Dayal on ‘The Resident’ & Telling Stories During and About a Pandemic]

 

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What advice would you give to your younger self?

It’s okay to be a chameleon — in fact it’s a gift. Adapting aspects of your personality and identity to different circumstances is part of being a multicultural artist.

What is something not many people know about you?

I can be a little introverted and have struggled with social anxiety since I was a teenager. I had a bit of an emo phase then, but have since learned to take life less seriously and it’s made me a lot happier. My loved ones nurture and embrace the goofball in me. If you get to know me, I might let you see my inner clown!

Lastly, what do you hope individuals take away from this interview?

Take pride in your difference and embrace the outsider in you. It’s your superpower. There’s no one right way to be a Brown Girl so get out there and be whoever you want to be!

Photo Courtesy of Ted Ely

By Arun S.

Arun fell in love with music at a young age by way of his middle school music teacher Mr. D. … Read more ›