REPRESENTATION:
MAKING ROOM FOR MORE NUANCED CONVERSATIONS We’ve had this ongoing conversation about representation amongst ourselves, and at this point a lot of the space is oversaturated with the same perspectives. Mindy Kaling, Lilly Singh, Baljeet from Phineas and Ferb, etc. That's what we had as representation in the media. Now, our community is evolving, and in some ways, it’s amazing. We're seeing an influx of Indian representation in a way we haven't seen before, and now, we don't have to rely as much on what we grew up with. Granted, I would never want to minimize the positive impact that people like Mindy or Lilly have had on members of the community and the industry as a whole. It would be remiss to act like they haven’t paved the way for some people. But, having this minimal representation in Western media often meant that any negative perceptions of it are met with backlash. We are told to not criticize and are forced to be grateful for what we do have. If we have something negative to say, it makes us misogynistic, however valid the criticism being brought up. For all the good that came with their rise to fame, it cannot be denied that there is a lot of damage done as well. They often pushed negative stereotypes that, growing up, I didn't realize I still harbored. How is it fair that people are not allowed to push for something better? These conversations aren’t mutually exclusive. I can criticize the people who “represent” us without minimizing their contributions to the community. That is how we can push for more diversity of representation. Even now, a lot of the representation we see amongst content creators are predominantly fair-skinned, thin individuals- a lot of them North Indian and Hindu. One of the biggest issues is that we can’t put the onus on a handful of individuals to authentically and accurately reflect a region that is made up of a multitude of ethnicities, religions, and cultures. Until I watched Bridgerton, I didn't realize what about the representation we have had didn’t sit well with me. Up until now, most of the Indian characters we grew up seeing were just that. Like, that was their thing… being “the brown character.” Anything about their personality or goals was steeped or rooted in their ethnicity, which looking back on it, was often the butt of the joke. In Bridgerton, they did an incredible job of authentically and subtly integrating culture, tradition, and Indian identity into their characters, without making it a big deal. That was powerful.
THE INDIAN STANDARD | 31
