Identity and heritage find their way into everything that we do. We may question it, fight with it, ignore it, but it’s always lurking like our shadow, it may feel like we have left it behind only to find it right in front of us. But as Sharan Dhaliwal - British Indian activist, author, editor, journalist and founder of radical South Asian feminist magazine Burnt Roti says, “We need to make sure that we are OK with the people we are, that we then transmit in our work and to the people around us.”
Sharan Dhaliwal was deep into the preparations for Middlesex Pride when I first met with her to talk about curating a collection on UAL Showcase for South Asian Heritage Month.
The impact of safe spaces like Middlesex Pride and Burnt Roti for those whose voices are often not heard or seen in mainstream media is significant and I wondered how important that was for Sharan. “As immigrants, second generation, first generation, whoever you are, you have a sense of displacement and it's important for people to feel connected to something,” she said. “A South Asian, non-binary person comes along and says I’m South Asian and non-binary and my family are OK with it. And then, another South Asian, non-binary person is like, hold on, I’m allowed? I’m allowed to do this? So, the acknowledgement really helps people flourish and feel safe. Building that kind of community, where you aren’t isolated, you have other people to talk to, read things from, tell stories to, helps you become free to be yourself around other people.”
This resonates in the projects from the collection curated by Sharan.
Dhruv Prakash, an MA Fashion, Film and Digital Production graduate explores similar themes of connections, identity and belonging in his film, The Naan Issue.
The sentiment is also reflected in BA Fashion Photography graduate, Sonia Abbas’s project Ghar. "This piece reimagines the nostalgia of South Asian photo albums, with a mix of old and new, which makes us all want to find our parents albums and flick through them," Sharan commented about Sonia’s work.
Sameen Ayub, a BA Fashion Public Relations and Communications graduate, explores the theme of making space for Muslim women with her film Welcome to the Resistance. She uses communication as a tool for disruption, resistance and activism.
Disruption, resistance and activism are also at the heart of Burnt Roti. “In the media landscape, there wasn’t much space for people of colour to have conversations that meant anything outside of what people wore at a wedding or what Bollywood star, Shahrukh Khan is up to. There wasn’t conversations around identity in politics and what it really means for us. Burnt Roti came along to retaliate against that,” Sharan said about the origin of her independent magazine. “I wanted to talk about body hair. I wanted to talk about ethnic cleansing through plastic surgery. I wanted to talk about all the things that editors told me no one would be interested in.”
The collection features LCF graduates who are on their way to establishing independent brands and magazines including two MA Fashion Journalism and Content Creation graduates Sanya Kapoor and Disha Khurana.
Sanya’s magazine, Bhaaji, is centered around South Asian food culture in London and dhamaka by Disha looks into South Asian nightlife.
I asked Sharan if she faced any challenges to establish a brand that looked into South Asian concerns. “I am a cis-het, light-skinned Punjabi woman. I am queer, but I am fem presenting so any challenges I have or could face are on a lower level compared to the challenges that people I collaborate with face. Having that kind of privilege helps me to navigate situations. But what I faced was people not taking me seriously or not thinking that what Burnt Roti or I have to say is important. People were not taking South Asians or South Asian culture seriously, relating it to just weddings and Bollywood. It took a while for people to take me seriously or put me in rooms without rolling eyes and actually listening. It’s the kind of journey that took longer than I anticipated but again, through my privilege it was easier to access those spaces as I had already worked in the creative industry.” The good news is that we are moving forward and Burnt Roti’s success is proof of that. “Burnt Roti has been around for almost 10 years now. I think it’s gotten to a point now where people realise that it’s important because it’s still here.”
I also asked Sharan what she you say to young creators and artists to ensure that their identity is something that pushes them forward. “I guess it’s being authentic in whatever way or form that allows you to exist and that’s within the safety of what you can do. First, I think we have to do a lot of work internally. There’s still a lot of things we have to deconstruct about the things we have been taught. So, take care of yourself, eat well, allow yourself to grow and learn more about yourself so you feel like you before you can feel safe and comfortable to be that way in public.”
Checkout Past, Present, Future, the collection curated by Sharan Dhaliwal for South Asian Heritage Month. You can also explore work from LCF graduates on UAL Showcase.