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These pieces highlight my relationship with my Indian identity whether that be through my love for Bollywood, in direct competition with my American identity, or thoughts I have on some stigmas present in the Desi community.

This piece highlights a sad stigma that plagues the Indian community. The phrase, “लोग क्या कहेंगे” (“Log kya kahenge”) which translates to “What will people say?” is a phrase that every Desi kid has heard growing up. There is a clear path that kids are expected to follow, and any deviation from that is taken as a serious grievance. Everyone has an equal right to critique your choices and gossip about your life. I took all the images in this piece using a scanner.

The next piece is inspired by a phrase that a lot of immigration South Asian parents tell their first-generation kids. “ABCD” or “American Born Confused Desi” is a term that describes the state of disorientation first-generation Desi kids feel: in India, they’re America and in America they’re India. We are taught that living in this metaphorical No Man’s Land is something unfortunate. However, as I grew up and came to terms with my identity and what that means to me I started seeing my dual cultural experience as a strength rather than an obstacle. I can pick and choose what I like from both sides and this hyphenated reality is valid. Now, I see the phrase “ABCD” and think “American Born Confident Desi.”

In India, everyone knows SRK. Shah Rukh Khan is arguably the most beloved, iconic Bollywood actor to ever exist. He has been in more than 100 movies, has a networth of $600 million, and is often called the “King of Bollywood.” I grew up smitten by SRK, and would watch movies like Kal Ho Na Ho and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham on repeat. However, as I grew up I got more and more annoyed at the lack of respect and attention given to his female counterparts. The heroines in the movie never got anywhere as much love as SRK, when in fact it was often the chemistry between the two leads in the movies that led to their commercial success. That’s why I made the first piece: I wanted to make a piece that captured how SRK is as big as he is because of all the talented women who worked alongside him.