So, I’ve finished my first full-length novel, and I’ve been puttering around with other short projects. It occurs to me that nowhere in my manuscript do I wax poetic about this person’s “peaches and cream” complexion or how that person has skin “like coffee with milk in it.” I just don’t think it’s relevant to… Read More Fleshing things out: skin color in genre fiction.
This weekend, I was fluttering around the house in my long, batik and tie-dyed “maxi” nightgown, snacking on Hot Mix and watching Hindi movies. I rubbed my hair and skin with coconut oil before a shower, made choley, a.k.a. chana masala, for dinner, and tried to avoid speaking any English at all when I was… Read More Phir bhi dil hai Hindustani
I just watched 2007’s Namastey London, starring Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif, and I’m amazed that what’s meant to be a fairly lighthearted romantic comedy has my head swirling with thoughts! The basic premise: Jasmeet “Jazz” Malhotra is a girl from a traditional Punjabi family, raised in England, and when her father has enough of… Read More Namastey London, and hello analysis
I did a feature for this month’s issue of ABCDlady Magazine with actor Samrat Chakrabarti (New York, The Waiting City). Since we talked extensively about his work and what it’s like being being outside the typical American desi confines of doctor/lawyer/engineer, there’s plenty more where that came from! Check out Chakrabarti’s thoughts on tackling regional Bengali… Read More Samrat Chakrabarti navigates world cinema
I raved last year about Christopher Pike and the Last Vampire series, and how one benefit of the Twilight phenomenon is that stories I read as a teen are being re-released. Now, as I make my way towards the end of Pike’s second compilation, Thirst: No. 2, I have mixed emotions. First, reading as an adult,… Read More Perne notice: The Last Vampire and racial representation
Nina Paley’s Sita Sings the Blues made waves last year, and continues to ripple throughout the South Asian community, the film community, and across the Internet. When I spoke to the writer/director/animator for a feature at ABCDlady magazine, I had so much of our discussion left over that I knew I had to share some… Read More Nina Paley Offers Some Blues Clues
As Karan Johar and Shahrukh Khan get set to debut their latest blockbuster, My Name is Khan (no, not a biopic but, rather, an exploration of life post-9/11 for a Muslim man with Asperger’s), it’s hard not to marvel at the trajectory of Khan’s career. Khan was a theater and TV actor who first made waves… Read More Khan pasina: the rise and reign of SRK
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