Page 18 - Masala Lite Issue 176 August 2025

18 IN FOCUS

Ain't Nobody Like These

DESI GIRLS

Bangkok
Bridging the gap between tradition and
modernity might not be

as difficult as it seems. 35
BY APOORVA MAHAJAN

points

ave you ever been to a party
where everyone seems to be
having fun except for you? That’s
what it feels like to be a third-culture
kid sometimes. You’re the middle piece
of the Venn diagram, constantly caught
between two different worlds. Even then,

you might be “too much” for one side and
“too little” for another.
Harpriya Bajaj and Yashvi Shah,
through their thesis project, tackle
these feelings and explore the unique
challenges and wisdom of balancing
traditional expectations with modern
perspectives and opportunities as part
of the South Asian diaspora, or desis as
we are affectionately known. Their thesis

project, titled Desi-Me, is a clever play on
words that encapsulates the campaign’s
mission to inspire pride in their roots and
share its timeless beauty.

How did this project come to be?

When we first received our thesis brief, we panicked. How were we supposed to commit
to one project for an entire year? All we knew was that it had to be something that
felt personal, something that mattered. So, we asked ourselves: What sets us apart?
That’s when it all clicked: our desi identity. That constant in-between feeling we’d
always talked about amongst friends, of growing up as third-culture kids, of navigating
tradition and modernity on a daily basis.
Desi Me started as a thesis, but it quickly became something much more meaningful.
This, combined with our passion for content creation, was the perfect opportunity to
create a space to explore, celebrate, and reclaim our identities and who we truly are.
What inspired your everyday content like “this or that” and “your fave Bollywood
movies says…”? What’s next—for you and for Desi Me?
As integrated media students, we’re always tuned into what works and what feels
Harpriya: Through this project, and other experiences, I’ve come to realise how
real not only from a marketer’s perspective but from the user too. We wanted our
much I thrive in environments that centre around content creation and audience
content to be fun, nostalgic, and above all, deeply relatable. One of the goals we had
engagement. Desi Me reinforced my love for storytelling, ideation, and building
in mind was to let people take control of their own narrative: answering questions,
meaningful connections through media. I’m excited to keep growing in the media
sharing stories, and knowing there are other people like us out there. So, we tried
and marketing space, particularly within fast-paced, creative industries like fashion
to base our platform on building deeper connections and finding entertaining and

and beauty. Ideally, I see myself working at an agency or in-house with a brand where
personal ways to connect with our viewers.
I can contribute to bold, strategic campaigns that resonate with real people. But who
How did the community respond? knows where life will take me?
Yashvi: Desi Me has been a passion project and it really showed me how meaningful
The responses were one of the best parts of the whole journey. Our podcast snippets
it is to share real stories and connect with people who relate. I’m planning to keep
tackled real things, things that mattered to us and our community. Some of our
growing my own social media and hopefully turn content creation into a full-time thing.
topics included family pressure, language loss, weddings, and identity. To our surprise,
I love making content, especially around fashion and lifestyle, and it’s something that
people really opened up. We had really created a community where people felt safe
just feels really natural to me. I want to keep building my personal brand, connecting
to share their experiences.
with people, and just having fun while staying true to myself.

At first, it was scary to put our unfiltered thoughts out there but the reactions were
H & Y: In the long-term, we want Desi Me to be a safe space for desi youth navigating
so positive. It was incredibly rewarding. Turns out, saying what we all feel but are too
identity where they can feel seen, proud, and connected so we hope to expand 59 676 147
afraid to talk about? It’s powerful. Many people have approached us, saying, “We

beyond offline interactions and hopefully bring more events and interactions to
have also experienced this.”
the community we’ve built. Whether that’s through collabs, workshops, or podcast % offers offers
What was your thesis exhibition at House Samyan like? snippets tackling more issues that affect the community.

It honestly felt surreal. We spent months online working on our thesis, so to bring
Desi Me into the real world felt incredible. We designed our booth to spark a genuine In todays age of individuality crises, and the rise of “-core”, Desi Me offers a beacon to

connection with a conversational card game. The card game had two decks to initiate young Thai-Indian youth struggling to coincide the different aspect of their upbringing.

conversation between the people who came to our booth. It surprised us that so Growing up in a melting-pot of cultures, it often feels like your situation and background Preliminary results
many people, both desi and non-desi, related to these topics. To us, it proved how is unique, but through Desi Me’s platform,from their podcast snippets talking about
universal these “in-between” feelings really are. code-switching accents, or the expectations placed on desi children to become thriving
Non-desis were eager to learn and indulge in our culture, try out the snacks, and members of society to current media trends voicing the thoughts and culture of the
understand our community. It was really refreshing to see! We left that day feeling South Asian community, Harpriya and Yashvi show us that they-see you.
like our message had landed.
Follow Harpriya and Yashvi on Instagram:
@desiii.me
MASALA LITE ISSUE 176 - AUGUST 2025