Newsmakers of the Year

NEWSMAKERS

OF THE YEAR

This year, many South Asian women have made the news for the right reasons, and thus become inspirations for others to follow. Here are some of those we covered this year – ranging from the impressive to the awe-inspiring.

TEAM SEEMA

The daughter of two famous parents — Padma Shri awardwinning literary legend Nabaneeta Dev Sen and Nobel laureate Amartya Sen — Nandana Sen has juggled as diverse roles as author, activist, and actress. Her biggest legacy is her role as a devoted daughter and a doting mother. This year, after Mother’s Day, she launched her latest book, “Acrobat,” the reincarnation in English of Bengali poetry written by her late mother. “Acrobat” is a poetry collection that invoke womanhood, intimacy, first love, childbirth and death. It has received rave reviews from the likes of Gloria Steinem, Siddhartha Mukherjee, Anita Desai, and Wendy Doniger. Chef Maneet Chauhan attributes her success to a simple philosophy: Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Earlier this year, Chauhan won Food Network TV’s “Tournament of Champions II” after four rounds against 16 of the country’s best chefs. A regular judge on Food Network TV’s Chopped, Chauhan is no stranger to competitions, including “Iron Chef America,” “The Next Iron Chef,” “Chopped,” and “Tournament of Champions Season 1.” Chauhan became the first South Asian to win a major competition like TOC. In the final round, Chauhan beat last year’s champion Brooke Williamson, creating three dishes using langoustine, fresh wasabi, and liquid nitrogen.

NANDANA SEN

PHOTO CREDIT : SHRAVYA KAG PHOTO CREDIT : FOOD NETWORK

MANEET CHAUHAN

GEENA GAUR SIDHU

Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class Geena Kaur Sidhu of the US Navy has broken glass ceilings many times. Born Guldeep Kaur Sidhu, Sidhu is one of the few Sikh Indian American women to serve in the military. Kaur’s day job sounds like something out of “Top Gun.” She works on aircraft carriers, loading gun systems and weaponry, including bomb racks, missile launchers, rocket launchers, and loading bombs and missiles on jets. This is a discipline traditionally dominated by men. Kaur is also a champion for women, youth, the Sikh American community, and the military.

Based in Sri Lanka, Shermin De Silva is president of Trunks & Leaves, a nonprofit organization she founded in 2010 to facilitate the peaceful coexistence of people and the vanishing Asian elephants. Habitat changes, human-elephant conflict, and accidents, are decimating Asian elephants, the scientist told SEEMA. She has learned that conservation must begin with empathy with other humans. “You have to truly understand why people behave as they do so that efforts to protect nature do not simultaneously impose social injustices on the people whose daily lives and very survival depend on their relationship to the landscape,” De Silva said.

SHERMIN DE SILVA

Born in Lahore, Pakistan, Aysha Saeed drew on her culture’s practice of getting fashionably dressed for weddings and festivals to influence her clothing line. When she first came to the U.S., she struggled to fit in until she found confidence and succor in fashion. She saved money from her allowance and her earnings from a parttime job to buy beautiful clothes. “I wanted to be the bestdressed person in my entire school,” Saeed says. Saeed went on to study famous design houses in Milan, then set up a clothing label and boutique in New York. She pivoted to design Zoom-ready blouses during the pandemic and now has jauncher her new collection.

PHOTO CREDIT : ANJALI SUD/ VIMEO

ANJALI SUD

It is not often that an executive can make her mark by watching and evaluating videos. Vimeo CEO Anjali Sud did. This May, Sud marked the company’s trading debut on Nasdaq.

The daughter of Indian immigrants Sud grew up in Flint, Michigan, and became CEO of Vimeo in 2017. As the young CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, she transformed the company from a content creator like Netflix to a video software company. One example of the speed at which she acts: Within 90 days of her taking over in 2017, Vimeo bought over Livestream.

PV SINDHU

Badminton player Pusarla Venkata (P.V.) Sindhu, is the only female from India to win two Olympic medals: a silver in the Rio in 2016, and a bronze in Tokyo in 2020. In the 2019 World Championships in Basel, Switzerland, she beat Nozomi Okuhara, making her the first Indian to win a gold in the BWF World Championships. The Hyderabad native is also only the second woman badminton player in the world after Zhang Ning from China to win five or more medals in the world championships. Other than in 2015, Sindhu won a medal in every BWF World Championships since 2013.

PHOTO CREDIT : KALYAN YASASWI

SANDY SIDHU

In 2021, filmmaker Radha Bharadwaj released “Space MOMs,” a film that highlights the role of women in India’s space program, and emphasizes the role of the Indian family in boosting their children on their journey to success. “Hundreds of millions of people have had the same upbringing that I had, the same upbringing that the Mars engineers had,” Bharadwaj told SEEMA. The film has won hearts of people around the globe and has earned praise from the first woman of color in space, Dr. Mae Jemison, the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, former U.S. Ambassador Curtis Chin.

RADHA BHARADWAJ

PHOTO CREDIT : RADHA BHARADWAJ Canadian actor Sandy Sidhu starred in the new NBC medical drama “Nurses”, which portrays the life of five nurses working in a busy hospital. In the show, Nazneen (played by Sidhu) immigrates from India to Canada to be a nurse, just like Sidhu’s reallife mom. Sidhu earned a degree in cell biology and genetics from the University of British Columbia, before she switched careers to become an actor. Her parents turned out to be her biggest supporters. And this year, Sidhu’s career has truly begun to soar.

PHOTO CREDIT : BAILARD, INC

Maunika Gowardhan has been in the food industry for almost two decades and cooked alongside Jamie Oliver and Heston Blumenthal. In her latest cookbook “Thali,” Gowardhan explores dishes served on platters across India, celebrating the diversity in India’s regional cuisine and a taste of home. Written for both newbie cooks and more seasoned home cooks, Gowardhan offers simple substitutes and easy steps. Speaking about the research she did for the book, Gowardhan explained, “I have a connection and affinity to households and local homes, vendors, streets and people who meet me on a regular basis.”

MAUNIKA GOWARDHAN SONYA THADHANI MUGHAL

Earlier this year, Sonya Thadhani Mughal was named the first woman CEO of Bailard, a 52-year-old wealth and assets management firm in the Bay Area. Always fascinated with finance, Mughal moved to the US when her mother pushed her to apply to undergraduate colleges. Mughal majored in math, began working as a junior analyst, and worked her way up the proverbial ladder. “The most important thing is to join a company that’s going to actually invest in you, just as you’re going to invest in the company,” she advised women in an interview to SEEMA.

PHOTO CREDIT : US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

VANITA GUPTA

Vanita Gupta is the 19th United States (associate attorney general), the Department of Justice’s third-highest ranking official. She oversees the Justice Department’s civil rights litigation, such as its antitrust, civil, and environmental divisions. Born to Indian immigrants in Philadelphia, Gupta earned a bachelor’s from the University of Pennsylvania and a law degree from New York University. Despite a privileged background, Gupta went to work for the NAACP to clear the names of 40 poor people, and sued ICE over detention facilities for children while at the ACLU. In 2014, President Obama appointed her assistant U.S. attorney general for civil rights.

NIVRUTI RAI

The country head of Intel India and VP of Intel Foundry Services, Rai was among five women to be recognized at The Reykjavík Global Forum - Women Leaders, Leading Edge Initiative. Rai’s rise at Intel and the journey to the C-Suite level is an inspiration for women. Her journey conveys a message that a career should not be sacrificed at the altar of family responsibilities. She shattered the glass ceiling, balancing her role as a leader at work and a caregiver at home. Using her own experience she recommends women pursuing leadership roles to be confident in their skin.

PHOTO CREDIT : NAYAN BEHERA

JOYA NANDY KAZI

The owner of Joya Kazi Unlimited, which is based in Los Angeles, Kazi is a dancer and a choreographer whose portfolio includes television, commercials, live shows and music videos. She has made a mark in Hollywood as the most sought-after choreographer for Indian traditional and Bollywood dance styles. Joya was recently honored at the U.S. Telly Awards for a commercial choreographed and featuring her in the lead. She also has the accomplishment of being the first South Asian woman on the judging panel for The World Chorography Awards - the Oscars of dance.

ROYA HEYDARI AND AYEDA SHADAB

Contrary to the image that the world has of Afghan women, these two fire brand Afghan women are modern, educated and with extremely successful careers. Heydari is a filmmaker and a photographer and Shadab a model and a designer. These two Afghan women gained thousands of followers on social media. The women were forced to flee their motherland when the Taliban overtook the country this August. Heydari and Shadab are not related but are united by fate and a grim future that they both now need to build from scratch – with hope.

: ROYA HEYDARI

PHOTO CREDIT

PHOTO CREDIT : AYEDA SHADAB

AVANTIKA VANDANAPU

PHOTO CREDIT : DISNEY/KHAREN HILL

Nayla, the first female film director from the United Arab Emirates, is based in Dubai. She has directed films, documentaries and numerous TV commercials for international brands such as Mercedes, Nike, Nestlé, and Nivea. Al Khaja is also a constant voice for the presence of women in the movie world. Two of her short films, “Animal” and “Shadow,” were lapped up by BBC. She is the executive producer for the under production film, “Alexandria Killings,” which is being directed by Oscar winner Terry Georg. Al Khaja is shattering the preconceived image of women in the Middle East.

NAYLA AL KHAJA

PHOTO CREDIT : NAYLA AL KHAJA The new South Asian star in Hollywood is 16-year-old Avantika Vandanapu, who was recently seen in the Disney film, “Spin,” which was released in August. Vandanapu’s journey thus far has crossed significant milestones that any teenager would be envious of. Prior to her Hollywood outing, she had already worked in an impressive list of Tamil and Telugu films in India. The most prominent among these were the Telugu film, “Brahmotsavam.” which had superstar Mahesh Babu in the lead. Vandanapu is working on a Hollywood film, “Senior Year,” with Rebel Wilson.

SHREE SAINI

She wanted to wear the crown of Miss World since she was 6 years old. That dream may as well come true if she wins the coveted crown in Puerto Rico this month. The Miss World America has loads to be thankful for because at the age of just 12, Saini suffered a heart blockage and had to undergo a surgery to install a pacemaker. If that was not a major impediment a deadly car accident a few years back left her with severe facial scars. Saini is an inspiring role model for young girls across the world.

Celine Gounder has been a recognizable face in medical and journalistic circles for a few years now, but rose to prominence after being named to President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 Advisory Board in late 2020. She has become one of the leading voices around the nation’s return to normalcy during the pandemic, continuing to inform the discourse surrounding the emergence of new variants and emerging safety norms.

CELINE GOUNDER

PHOTO CREDIT : TALESHA MAYA

TALESHA MAYA

Continuing on the conversation she stirred with the release of her first collection of poems, “Fragments,” Talesha Maya expanded the understanding of the lives of brown women around the world with her second release in 2021, “Brown Girl Problems and Other Poems.” In a year where social consciousness was put at the forefront, by addressing issues like misogyny, racism, and privilege, Maya spotlighted what it was like to be a brownskinned girl in a fair-skinned world.

SWETA VIKRAM

With the release of her latest book in 2021, “A Piece of Peace,” Sweta Vikram continued bringing her approach toward female empowerment to a greater platform. Through her perspectives on Ayurveda, wellness, and healing, told using the narrative of her own health struggles, Vikram became a prominent champion of mental health and meditating your way through the storm of the past couple of years. She is featured in the newly released first ever documentary on Ayurveda, starring big names like Deepak Chopra.

PHOTO CREDIT : SWETA VIKRAM

KAVIYA RAVI

As one of the breakout contestants on the third season of NBC’s “Making It,” Kaviya Ravi exemplified what it took for women to follow their passions and explore their creative liberties. By bringing her Indian culture and love for bold colors and patterns, Ravi took a homegrown love for brightness and brought it to an international platform, setting the stage for more Indian representation on mainstream western reality competitions.

On the Runway TO THE STARS

Small-town girl Madhulika Sharma is now shaking up the modeling world

ABHIJIT MASIH

Born and raised in India, and by her own admission Indian to the core, Madhulika Sharma’s story is a lot more unusual than somebody who has had the privilege of being born and raised in a first world country. Coming from a small town in India, she always felt the need to be seen and to be heard. That’s not so much of a problem now for Sharma, who can be easily spotted on fashion catwalks and magazine covers across the globe.

The busy fashion model, who has signed up with Muse Model Management, is a busy traveler once again as the world slowly returns to normalcy after the lockdown of last year. Even when the pandemic had brought things to a halt, Sharma was still inundated with work. Because she could not go for shoots in person, she doubled up as a photographer, and did her own shoots in her apartment. As the world returns to some semblance of normalcy, she is back again in the thick of things, trying to keep pace with the hectic life of a supermodel.

Though based in New York, she is hardly in the city for any length of time. She did not even have the luxury of a break after the recently concluded New York Fashion Week, the biggest fashion event to be held in person.

Growing up, Sharma spent her time holding on to interests like debating, writing and playing the piano, even being classically trained at Trinity College, London.

“I would spend evenings reading books. Today, that is something that is lost, something that is taken away from us. Everything is digital. If you’re not spending time on your screen, you’re

a loser. For me, it was a very beautiful and a very picturesque childhood. If you grew up in a small town, there’s a lot of joy you find in small things. We found joy in gardening, picking fruits and vegetables.”

Growing up in Guwahati and later in Arunachal Pradesh, she went around dressed in a regular top and a pair of jeans, often handed down from cousins. She was not aware of popular fashion brands that she is currently associated with, such as Ralph Lauren, Abercrombie & Fitch, Saks Fifth Avenue, American Eagle and MAC.

After finishing schooling in Assam, Sharma moved to Delhi to pursue a degree in political science and economics.

One of her friends was applying to the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad and had to submit a portfolio of his work. He requested Sharma to step in as the model. After much coaxing, she relented. She posted the somewhat amateur pictures on her Instagram feed and was spotted by a modeling agency.

She recalls the response to the post: “There was an outpouring of messages. People were asking me, are you from this place? Are you from that place? Are you signed with any agents? Do you have a management office? These are words that were alien to me, and I didn’t know what they meant. So my mother and I took a trip to Mumbai, to get a feel of things, and had a few meetings with agencies. Then I decided, with my mother, that we would just do it, for fun.”

But that small stint soon mushroomed into a fullfledged career. Within a week of signing up, she got booked for a show for designer Anju Modi, and soon after for a big campaign for Fab India. She was lapped up by the industry, which was trying to fill the need for a young brown girl with unconventional features.

But juggling an honors degree in Delhi and managing a modeling career in Mumbai was a challenge.

Sharma recalls the trying time: “I was feeling immensely blessed. But this whole time I was an honors degree student; I would carry my homework backstage at Lakme Fashion Week and other shows. I would do homework in between or after the shows and would still go for a lecture in the morning in Delhi and then fly straight back from Delhi University to Mumbai. I led a dual life in college.”

In just under six months, Sharma had worked with the top brands, designers and had graced the covers of premium Indian fashion publications, such as Grazia, Cosmopolitan, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, and Conde Nast.

After doing many high-profile editorials and campaigns in India, a day before her mother’s birthday

PHOTO CREDIT : ALEX JULIUS CRAMER

Shoot for sustainable clothing brand Reformation, shot by Alex Julius Cramer

PHOTO CREDIT : NNADIR FIROZ KHAN

Campaign for Elan, shot by Nadir Firoz Khan

For Prabal Gurung, shot by Ankur Maniar

PHOTO CREDIT : MICHELLE PHOTO CREDIT : HEATHER HAZZAN

in 2019, Madhulika picked up her three bags and moved to New York. She had been approached by Muse Model Management for international placements, but the company representing her in India did not offer work abroad.

“They discovered me through a contact while I was in India,” she says. “They were very interested in me. They said, ‘We really believe in your talent. Why don’t you complete your college, and then you can come to the US. So right after finishing college, I decided to move, bag and baggage, to New York.”

That move brought with it the usual challenges, which the then 20-year-old had to face on her own. Initially, she lived on a couch in a relative’s apartment and took the bus and the subway to go out and seek work. In less than a month, she started appearing for castings for the New York Fashion Week. But her big break came that fall, when she made a worldwide debut for Sies Marjan, Zimmerman, Brock Collection and Ralph and Russo.

“I was a completely new face to the market and I started doing my castings in September that year,” she says. “I had that big break and I started walking for these giant designers. And they started noticing me and I got editorials and more press. Yes, it was a wonderful year.”

Sharma, with her unique blend of Indian skin color and eastern features, stormed the international modeling scene and was instantly featured by brands trying to address issues of inclusiveness and diversity. Even the pandemic could not slow Sharma’s progress. She continued to work for big brands, both in India and the US, learning production and doing photography herself. Recalling her work during the COVID-19 lockdown, she says, “The brands that I worked with really trusted my vision and creative direction. I shot for Cosmopolitan India, Harper’s Bazaar, and did many more such campaigns from home. I learned the skills of photography, creative direction and art direction. This was all self-production; I would set up the tripod, bring the boxes from UPS, and then send them back.” However, in the world of fashion, the going is not always smooth. Sharma faced her share of challenges, including that of having to always perform at their best. “As a woman, there are times of the month when you’re not feeling well. It does not matter, because you still have to look bright and sprightly happy,” she says.

“THE INDUSTRY HAS She also has to contend with the perils

A LOT OF WORK TO of tokenism. Casting for any gig is dominated DO, DESPITE THE TALK by the economy,

ABOUT DIVERSITY, which has a large base of white consumers,

IT HAS TO COME Sharma frequently finds herself the face of

FROM THE HEART, an underrepresented

AND I ALWAYS FACE minority, pulled in to complete the palette.

A CHALLENGE OF “The industry has a lot of homework to do, TOKENISM. IT’S A RARE THING FOR ME TO SEE despite the talk about diversity,” she says. “It has to come from the

THREE OTHER GIRLS heart, and I always face a challenge of tokenism.

OF MY SKIN TONE ” It’s a rare thing for me to see three other girls of my skin tone because we’re not being celebrated for our personalities, but for the way we look. It feels sad sometimes because there’s so much more that you have to offer than simply your face or bare skin.” The challenges notwithstanding, the 23-year-old from Assam has a busy schedule, working on campaigns for Dior Beauty, Beauty Blender, Westman Aterlier, Oribe, Reformation, Skims by Kim Kardashian, Maybelline, Prabal Gurung, La Mer, Escada, and other established industry names. Sharma has a long career ahead of her. For now, she is living the dream – one that just happens to be reality.