Academic Models in Hollywood
Do models need a PhD? Some certainly do — especially when it comes to walking the talk, so to speak, in critical studies of fame and fashion. Gaining a practical understanding of the Hollywood industry rather than simply studying the runways can provide deep insights into academic models at large. As a certified actor from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (Los Angeles) and first South Asian celebrity studies scholar, I critically explore socio-cultural issues in fame while I offer media interviews and modelling to represent visible minority and sexism in the entertainment industry. My...
Read MoreFrom Modeling to Interview- Rewriting Fame
As I work on five publications, I am developing Samita Nandy Productions – It is an immense honor to be able to return to production after 15 years of documentary filmmaking that I started with Premiere Cinematic Productions but put it on hold for my Ph.D. and post-doctoral journey. In this creative journey, I crossed paths with photographer Christine Mooijer from Amsterdam and received an honor to model for her project called “Under Pressure” – a visual critique of Hollywood’s American Dream that started with actors in Los Angeles this year. As the author of Fame in...
Read MoreFeminist Stories in Bridging Gaps – Reflections
I finally shared my opinion piece on #MeToo https://www.browngirlmagazine.com/2019/03/metoo-finding-my-voice-post-weinstein-era/ Huge thanks to Texas-based Brown Girl Magazine for publishing it. More at the end of my previous op-ed published by Feminism in India, which marked the start of my Ph.D. in Australia: https://feminisminindia.com/2019/02/01/overcame-trauma-found-voice/ How can these stories make a social change? What is the art of storytelling, literal and visual? Earlier this year, I had the privilege of reflecting on a couple of poignant articles that celebrity...
Read MoreInterview with Dr Kabir Bedi – Journalism and Storytelling
From Journalism to Fashion Activism: Refashioning Stories for Social Change Interview with Kabir Bedi – Samita Nandy Today celebrity activists and fashion models are accomplishing what most journalism schools cannot. While this statement is rooted in controversy, influencers and activists have come to rely on storytelling, both literally and visually, to help their fans spark social change. This is what international actor and Oscar-voting member Kabir Bedi indicates in his radical views of journalism education. He also expresses his opinion on the critical state of the tabloid...
Read MoreStepping into 2019 – What’s Moving You?
Hope the Brazilian Samba in the video moved you! But that’s not it. For me, there is more… It’s feminist freedom – the freedom in feminist storytelling – that has moved me across borders, literally and metaphorically, in the last 2.5 months. I just came back from a 10-week journey with my carry-on luggage across India and Portugal – yes, I travel light! But that has enabled me to rush to multiple locations that needed my activist voice. Was it easy? NO! If you have followed my Instagram, I was in high-risk situations day and night but stood firm as a woman. And I am so incredibly proud...
Read MoreFrom Still to Moving Images
Earlier this week, I shared the driving force behind the use of still images on Instagram @fame.critic – it’s more than an aesthetic reason. When I use photography and public hashtags to display living example of changes, it’s motivated by bearing witness @torontopigsave and visual evidence of heavily injured & consciously gas chambered non-humans and / or mechanical interventions into female reproductive organs by & for those who are entitled to produce eggs and dairy in patriarchal settings everyday. Read...
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