A new film with British Pakistani protagonists tries to be the feminist version of “Get Out” meets “Kill Bill” — without nuanced storytelling to make it work. — This post originally appeared on Red, White and Brown’s newsletter on Substack (Issue #59 sent on April 27, 2023). By Vignesh Ramachandran I wanted to like it so bad. I really did. The high anticipation for Focus Features’ new movie “Polite Society” has been enthusiastic in some parts of the…

A USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative study found Muslim characters are underrepresented and often depicted without complexity across Western shows. — This post originally appeared on Red, White and Brown’s newsletter on Substack (Issue #58 sent on March 25, 2023). By Vignesh Ramachandran Two of my favorite TV shows over the last year have been the latest season of “Ramy” (Hulu) and the debut season of “Mo” (Netflix). Both fictional series…

Are we there yet? — This post originally appeared on Red, White and Brown’s newsletter on Substack (Issue #57 sent on March 18, 2023). By Vignesh Ramachandran With the spring break season here, I can’t help but be reminded of childhood road trips — often across the Rocky Mountains, other times through the plains of…

The “Indian Matchmaking” creator has a new documentary series on Netflix sharing the Hindi film industry’s nuanced story. — This post originally appeared on Red, White and Brown’s newsletter on Substack (Issue #56 sent on March 9, 2023). By Vignesh Ramachandran Growing up in a South Indian household in the U.S., we would watch several Tamil-language films each month, following the 1990s- and 2000s-era hits, starring everyone from Kamal…

As South Asian American populations continue to grow, so is the political representation across the U.S. — This post originally appeared on Red, White and Brown’s newsletter on Substack (Issue #55 sent on March 4, 2023). By Vignesh Ramachandran There’s been a lot of chatter in Brown communities over the last few weeks about Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy running for president. The high-profile names continue to…

American Heart Month is a reminder about South Asian Americans’ disproportionately higher risks for cardiovascular ailments. — This post originally appeared on Red, White and Brown’s newsletter on Substack (Issue #54 sent on Feb. 23, 2023). By Vignesh Ramachandran Every February, we’re reminded about the importance of heart health during American Heart Month. Heart disease remains the #1 leading documented cause of death in the United States.

The former South Carolina governor and U.N. Ambassador is aiming for the Republican presidential ticket. — This post originally appeared on Red, White and Brown’s newsletter on Substack (Issue #53 sent on Feb. 16, 2023). By Vignesh Ramachandran Fewer than two months into 2023 and the 2024 presidential election is already making more waves. This week, former South Carolina governor and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley announced…

Washington, D.C.-based artist Hrishi’s unique musical blends of East and West have been making waves across social media — and now on stages nationwide. — This post originally appeared on Red, White and Brown’s newsletter on Substack (Issue #50 sent on Dec. 23, 2022). By Vignesh Ramachandran The last couple years have been a true test of passion for Washington, D.C.-based musician Hrishi: Give music a real shot or go back to a data-science/math career.

I’ve found dating fellow Indian American millennials is more complicated than even the TV shows and movies portray. If only more Indian families had open conversations about it. — This post originally appeared on Red, White and Brown’s newsletter on Substack (Issue #49 sent on Dec. 14, 2022). By Vignesh Ramachandran This year, millions of Americans watched the second season of “Indian Matchmaking” on Netflix, feeding a reality-show-driven fascination with a modern spin on arranged marriage.