I recently watched “Picture This,” a romantic comedy starring Simone Ashley that premiered on Amazon Prime last week, and I have mixed feelings. As a self-proclaimed romantic comedy expert, I was disappointed. The film follows Pia, a struggling photographer who is told she will find her soulmate and a successful career on one of her next five dates. Hijinks and hilarity ensue as her family begins matchmaking. The premise had a lot of potential, but the execution left much to be desired. The chemistry between the two leads, Pia and Charlie (Hero Fiennes Tiffin), was nonexistent, and I struggled to feel invested in any of the storylines. Still, many moments in the movie resonated with me. Everything from the vibrant costumes to the big Bollywood dance number that closed out the movie reminded me of moments from my own life. Growing up, I rarely saw women who looked like me on the big screen, so it was exciting to see my community both represented and celebrated.
The rise in South Asian representation in Western media has coincided with what TikTok creators are dubbing “The Great Indian Shift.” From what I’ve gathered, this trend refers to the recent perception of Indian women as attractive or beautiful. Growing up in a predominantly white environment, I never saw myself as pretty. I consistently compared myself to my peers, chasing Eurocentric standards that I would never be able to achieve. When I first heard about this trend, I have to admit, I was flattered. After years of criticism and disparaging views about our appearances, South Asian women were getting the recognition we deserved. I was finally seeing Indian women as the main characters rather than the quirky sidekicks, and part of me felt validated.
Yet, something about this so-called “shift” elicits an undeniable sense of anger and hurt. I’ve spent so much of my life trying to change everything about myself to appeal to the white gaze, and it’s been exhausting. I started threading my eyebrows at 12 years old, hoping to resemble the actresses I saw on television. I’ve contemplated dyeing my hair blonde on several occasions just to look more like the models on Pinterest. It always seemed like there was one more product or beauty treatment that I needed in order to be considered beautiful. Now, the emergence of this trend has made me question why I ever sought acceptance from those who had marginalized my community for so long.Â
Labeling “The Great Indian Shift” as a trend is concerning, to say the least. My identity is not a fad nor something that can cycle in and out of fashion. My cultural heritage and ethnicity are fundamental parts of who I am. An entire culture cannot be reduced to a passing trend that will fade from our collective memories within weeks. While “The Great Indian Shift” presents a pretense of flattery, it is ultimately yet another way to enforce Western conformity.