Smitha Mahesh
"It was when Priyanka Chopra starred in the TV show "Quantico." When the first scene of her aired on ABC channel, I was amazed that this bold, brave, liberated, and brilliant character was instilled in a woman that looks like me. Priyanka Chopra has worked very hard to make it into the American media light, from movies to songs and now television. Every episode captured my attention because the show made it very clear - Priyanka Chopra, a woman like me, is real, is authentic, and is very much a symbol of liberated womanhood. And that is so important to me. Growing up as an Indian-American 1st generation child, my parents instilled in me the beautiful values of Indian culture and Hinduism. However, while growing up in American culture, having Indian blood within me made it frustrating and a lonely experience to not see someone like me in any form of media, much less a liberated bold Indian woman in the media. It was because of Priyanka Chopra, Lily Singh, Deepika Padukone, and so many more inspiring women in media that I had strength and courage to be my freely-expressed self."
