The Critical Stans Episode Seven: “Desi Girl Feels”

Join The Daily Vox journalists SHAAZIA EBRAHIM and FATIMA MOOSA every week as they chat all things fun and serious around fan culture, fandoms and what it means to be a stan. They’ll be destroying tropes around the supposedly traditional hardcore male football fan and the manic pop culture fangirl; covering everything from football, Young Adult fiction to Beyoncé and K-pop. Living in the fanworld as women of colour who are avid consumers of all things fan-related means that it is impossible to ignore the politics of these things. And that’s what the Critical Stans are all about.

As brown women of South Asian descent in the Indian diaspora, Bollywood has a special place in our hearts. And as humble critics/supporters of the Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra ship, we thought it’s only fitting that we explain to Nick just why Priyanka is a Bollywood queen. One of the biggest movie industries in the world, Bollywood movies are loved by people around the world. We delve into what makes the stories and characters from these movies so popular. It wouldn’t be The Critical Stans without some critique, we take a deep dive into the common tropes used in movies to portray women and the focus on nationalism.

Produced by Sipho Hlongwane.

Which is your fav iconic Priyanka Chopra song? Desi Girls or Lal Dupatta? Tweet us @thedailyvox

If you missed our last six episodes, check them out below.

The Critical Stans Episode Six: “On The Obsession With Reality TV”

The Critical Stans Episode Five: “The (Mostly) Wonderful World of K-pop”

The Critical Stans Episode Four: “The Science Behind The Boy Bands”

The Critical Stans Episode 3: “Worshipping At The Altar of Celebrity (And Beyoncé)”

The Critical Stans Episode Two: “YA Is Lit”

The Critical Stans Episode One: “World Cup Misogyny”