ARTS

Grace’s Culture Corner

Here are some reccomendations to bring in the spring season!

JUST BECAUSE — CLAIRE ROSINKRANZ

MAY 5

FOURTEEN DAYS — MARGARET ATWOOD

MAY 30

Fourteen Days is an anthology of stories about how different fictional residents handle the first two weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. Set on the rooftop of a Lower East Side New York apartment building, Fourteen Days is a collection of essays, utilizing the unique voices of different writers, all edited by Margaret Atwood, to portray an eclectic group of people who end up forming a strong bond through this worldwide trauma.

THE LITTLE MERMAID — ROB MARSHALL

MAY 26

Disney’s lineup of live-action adaptations will receive a new addition with The Little Mermaid. This is the first time Disney has included diversity in their classics, having actors people of color at the forefront of the film. Starring Halle Bailey, this film will feature nostalgic melodies, including the music by Alan Menken, as well as brand new music composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Melissa McCarthy, Daveed Diggs, and other Hollywood veterans will bring life to the film which saved Disney from bankruptcy and created a new renaissance for the studio.

At the Oscars ceremony this year, a multi-racial ensemble and two South Asian lead dancers brought the audience to its feet with an energetic performance of the hit song “Naatu Naatu.” A Telugu (a South Indian language) song from the Tollywood movie “RRR,” it was an eye-popping display of cultural pride.

Anika G. ’26, who is North Indian and a competitive dancer, watched the performance online.

“The dancing was really good, and I was really happy that there were South Asian artists being featured on a big stage,” Anika said.

The performance quickly went viral on social media. It initially garnered positive attention, then backlash was swift. Viewers discovered that the lead dancers were not Indian or South Asian but simply brown-skinned. None of the ensemble members were Indian or South Asian, either. (Though the original “Naatu Naatu” dance scene in “RRR” was two Indian leads and a white British ensemble.) To worsen the situation, the choreographers were also not Indian or South Asian. To explain the lack of authentic casting, the choreographers cited wanting to work with dancers they already had experience with.

While many people online— including some Indian and South Asian community members—overlooked the misrepresentation and celebrated the presence of Tollywood (Telugu cinema) and Kuthu (a South Indian folk dance style) at the Academy Awards, others expressed disappointment for the exclusion of South Asian dancers or choreographers.

Sydney E. ’25, who is South Indian, reflects on her emotions regarding the situation.

“This whole situation is annoying and upsetting—but I’m not at all surprised by it,” Sydney said. “At large, this was a very profound way of silencing people of color.”

The casting of two racially ambiguous, brown-skinned lead dancers was more than a small mistake. It indicates a deeper societal problem: conflating people of the same color, rather than appreciating people for their unique heritage or cultural experience. Many questioned why the choreographers casted two Indianlooking dancers, when they could have cast two Indian dancers. Anika agrees: “This is not something that is difficult to do.”

In addition, “Naatu Naatu”’s Kuthu dance style has historically been mocked outside of South India by North Indians, other South Asians, and non-South Asians. Though it seems the choreographers—of nonSouth Asian descent or cultural knowledge—had good intentions, the impact of not having any Southern Indian, Indian, or South Asian voices as part of the creative process and performance ultimately outweigh those intentions The “Naatu Naatu” Oscars performance could have spotlighted many talented South Asian dancers, but they were instead forced to sit on the sidelines.

“It’s a very icky thing, to see people copy-and-pasting your culture onto someone who might not know the meaning,” Sydney said.

Beyond the “Naatu Naatu” controversy, South Indians experienced other wins and losses on Oscars night.

Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel referenced “RRR” as a Bollywood film (Hindi cinema) rather than a Tollywood film, repeating the Academy’s mistake of conflating South Asian cultures. Then, “The Elephant Whispers” producer Guneet Monga was cut off and escorted off the stage before even starting her acceptance speech, one where she would have exclaimed, “It’s India’s first Oscar!”

Reflecting on these moments, Sydney says, “There are so many things that I wish would have happened, that did not.”

Meanwhile, “Naatu Naatu” went on to win Best Original Song, marking the first time an Indian film won in said category. “The Elephant Whisperers,” a documentary film about a South Indian couple that takes care of a baby elephant, won Best Documentary Short Film.

While the Oscars made strides in honoring diversity this year—namely, awarding Everything Everywhere

All At Once, an East Asian-led film that swept the Oscars in many major categories, including the show’s top prize: Best Picture— South Asian, Indian, and South Indian community members are looking to the Academy to do better.

“I think it would have been really cool if the Academy were to issue out a public apology… recognition that this was an issue, and, also, acknowledging that this will not happen again,” Sydney said. “It’s very important to uplift voices of marginalized communities.”

FASHION FORWARD, REACHING FORWARD

Nueva junior-senior duo interview designers across the globe for their nonprofit.

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