Lunar | From Never Have I Ever to Ms Marvel, the rise of South Asian-led shows on Netflix is welcome

From the coming-of-age show Never Have I Ever to Bollywood’s biographical drama Gangubai Kathiawadi, films and television shows starring characters of Indian descent have claimed Netflix’s top 10 spots this year, boosting South Asian representation on screen in the US at a time when it matters most.

It’s been a long time coming. The Asian community as a whole has not only long been under-represented on screens in the US, but Asian actors have traditionally been cast as side characters or comic relief. In 2021, a study which reviewed the top grossing US films each year from 2010-2019 found that Asian Americans were often the punchline of jokes and women of Asian-American and Pacific-Island (AAPI) descent were often sexualised.

Representation matters, because the media has the power to tear down – and to reinforce – stereotypes and perceptions. Particularly since the start of the pandemic, Asians have faced an onslaught of racist abuse, spurred by misrepresentations of the Asian community. In the US last year, anti-Asian hate crimes increased 339 per cent compared to the previous year.

A survey last year revealed one in two Indian Americans experienced recent discrimination, often on the basis of skin colour. Just this week, a woman in Texas was arrested for shouting racist abuse at four Indian women, her actions captured in a video that went viral. So, as Michelle Sugihara, executive director of the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, put it, “this is not just a representation issue, but a social justice issue”.

But now, Indian actors, writers, directors and producers are taking centre stage – particularly on Netflix, where Indian-led shows have not only been promoted this year, but also feature a spectrum of characters and storylines that break the mould.