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about.

about.

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Ottapalam, the Indian community where my grandparents live.

My name is Sunitha Palat, and I'm a first generation Indian-American woman. Throughout my life, I’ve been pulled in various directions by the two cultures clouding my life. These influences have had a say in many aspects of my adolescence that many of my white peers never faced. Whether it was the small things, like not being able to tell my mom about my first kiss, or the larger things like expectations about my education, religion, and family life, my heritage has always been a large part of my identity (for the better and for the worse). But with that comes contemplation and reflection of who I am and what my values are. 

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Through going on family trips to India every few summers, hearing anecdotes of adolescence from older relatives, and by watching Bollywood movies, I’ve been able to formulate opinions on how Indian media relates to the society it represents. It confuses me, to say the least.

 

My observations have shown me that girls in India are raised more conservatively and traditionally, and are expected to bring honor to their family, dress modestly, and be complacent and respectful. Although these attributes are changing in modern cities like New Delhi and Mumbai, many hold true in smaller, rural communities. 

 

On the other hand, girls on screen are portrayed in a much different light. Indian media often sexualizes and objectifies girls in films, and shows them as a reckless symbol of independence. Many of these actresses and roles are not representative of the true way girls are raised in India. When you combine this with the strength of Bollywood, there is a real possibility of influencing the mindset of Indian society and how they view women; yet, when these perceptions don’t align, it could lead to serious consequences. 

 

In my podcast, I host interviews with my mother (an immigrant from India), my close friend Vay (also a first-generation Indian American), and include a snippet from an interview between Anupama Chopra and Anuksha Sharma, prominent female leaders in Bollywood. With their help, I discuss my take on girls in Indian reality and media, and the societal implications. Happy listening!

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My mother and I in India last summer.

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Throughout Writing 220, a series of experiment cycles with genre led me to my final podcast creation.

 

I started by writing a satire piece about how women in Indian media are seen, citing them as empowered, relatable, and completely normal (which is not the case, a.k.a the satire part). Yet, while writing, I felt that the purpose I wanted to get across was being undermined and not given the gravity with which I would have liked. 

 

I then proceeded to create a podcast script because I thought it would allow me to express my thoughts in a conversational, but also serious and explanatory manner. I really enjoyed this process and felt that using a podcast would be the best way to express my ideas in an informative and impactful way. 

 

My last experiment cycle was a research paper regarding the content of my podcast that could enhance its evidence and explanatory value. I used academic resources through the University of Michigan library that I reference throughout the session.

 

These cycles really helped me identify how I could communicate my content while maintaining my purpose---a podcast. My first steps when creating the podcast were to collect a combination of personal, archival, and academic evidence from myself, interviewees, the University of Michigan library, and examples from Indian media. Then, I drafted and edited a script that combined my own dialogue, snippets of interviews I used, and an example of an Indian song. After inputting these recordings in order on Audacity (a podcast editing software), I used BlueDot Sessions to find background music that fit each section. This music develops the mood of the podcast which adds greatly to the user experience and understanding.

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All of these elements allowed me to create a conversation with my audience that is made relevant by studies, examples, interviews, and data. I'm extremely happy and proud that I was able to develop this concept into tangible product for others to consume in an informative, impactful way; it really allows me to express feelings I've had since my early adolescence. I hope you enjoy!

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author.

Hi all, my name is Sunitha Palat. I'm currently a sophomore at the University of Michigan studying Business with a minor in Writing. Thank you for visiting my site and (hopefully) listening to the podcast I created. As a first generation Indian American grappling with my own identity and values, the issue of female representation is very important to me. I hope you could learn something new from my podcast, Objectified. 

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