*This review includes spoilers*
My favorite romance movie? 
The one during which the girl 
dumps the guy at the end and 
walks off into the sunset fulfilled 
with the knowledge that she is 
enough and doesn’t need a man.
“Queen” is my favorite not-so-
typical Bollywood movie. This 
movie 
shattered 
stereotypes 
and launched a new era in Hindi 
cinema. Of course, some of the 
credit for successful women-
oriented Hindi films goes to my 
fav, Priyanka Chopra, for her 
iconic role in “Fashion” (a project 
of which actress Kangana Ranaut 
was also a part), but “Queen” was 
the movie that did extremely well 
at the box office and put Ranaut 
on the map. Ranaut has gone on 
to fearlessly call out nepotism 
and sexism in the industry ever 
since.
“Queen” tells the story of Rani, 
a woman whose fiancé leaves her 
days before their wedding. Despite 
her heartbreak, Rani decides to go 
on her honeymoon alone and ends 
up on a whirlwind journey of self-
discovery and growth. This movie 
shattered stereotypes about desi 
women and what the trajectory of 
our lives should be.
“Queen” is also the least 
problematic Bollywood movie I’ve 
ever seen. This in itself is quite 
an accomplishment, considering 
the industry we’re talking about. 
Yet, there were still elements of 
this movie that bothered me — 
the tiny details that perpetuate 

stereotypes despite the fact that 
the director could have easily 
made 
different 
choices 
that 
wouldn’t be harmful.
First, there is a moment in the 
film when Rani is approached by a 
stranger who is trying to help her. 
Rani doesn’t know this and all she 
sees is a Black man standing near 
her and she screams in terror. 
It’s a rational reaction for her to 
be frightened in the context of 
the movie, but it was absolutely 
unnecessary for the director to 
choose the only Black character in 

the film to be the one who scares 
her. The image of Black men 
in India is permeated with the 
harmful stereotypes we see in U.S. 
media and accentuated by the fact 
that most Indians have never even 
met a Black person. Furthermore, 
Tim, the only Black character in 
the movie, has the least lines and 
isn’t given a backstory.
The last scenes of the movie 
are some of the best, especially 
the combination of the music 
and aesthetics. However, these 

are the only scenes of the movie 
where Rani’s hair is straightened. 
Throughout most of the film, Rani 
wears her hair naturally curly, 
and as a curly-hair girl myself, this 
is one of the many reasons I loved 
her character so much. However, 
the final scenes, when Rani is 
portrayed as her most badass and 
confident self, her hair is straight. 
This sends the subtle message that 
straight hair is more beautiful and 
somehow more closely associated 
with feeling empowered.
The most typical Bollywood 
element of this movie is the 
flashback showing how Rani 
and her fiancé Vijay fell in love 
— Vijay essentially stalked her 
until she finally agreed to have 
dinner with him. This is how 
most Bollywood movies go — 
women are pursued until they 
finally “wear down” and “agree.” 
In fact, sexual harassment and 
assault in Bollywood isn’t just 
limited to what we see on-screen. 
The industry itself is also rife with 
instances of well-known actors 
taking advantage of actresses. 
“Queen” was refreshing because 
Rani doesn’t end up with the 
stalker at the end.
Since 
I 
first 
watched 
it, 
“Queen” has become one of my 
favorite Bollywood films. Though 
there are details that I find 
troubling, the beauty in seeing a 
main character who is strong in 
her convictions and unwavered by 
society’s expectations is hard to 
measure. A movie like this is rare 
in mainstream Bollywood, but it’s 
exactly the kind of high-quality 
cinema I want to see.

Interracial 
relationships 
haven’t been something accepted 
in America for a long time at all. It 
was only legalized about 50 years 
ago with the landmark Loving 
v. Virginia Supreme Court case, 
during which a Black woman and 
a white man took their wedding 
vows in Washington, D.C., but 
then moved to Virginia, a state 
that banned interracial marriage.
Due to this law, the couple 
was indicted by a grand jury four 
months into the marriage, and 
they were forced to move back to 
the place where they had taken 
their vows to avoid another year of 
imprisonment. Luckily, when the 
couple appealed to the Supreme 
Court, the case overturned the 

conviction and struck down the 
law in Virginia.
Fifty years ago is not that 
long ago. There are people still 
alive who very well remember 
interracial marriage illegalization. 
However, that being said, there 
has still been progress with the 
general public’s perception of 
interracial couples. Well, most 
interracial couples.
The media has played a big 
role in this with movies like 
“The Big Sick”, “The Incredible 
Jessica James” and even the 
newest heartwarming romantic 
comedy “To All The Boys I’ve 
Loved Before”. TV shows like 
“The Flash”, “Scandal” and “How 
To Get Away with Murder” have 
also featured interracial couples as 
main plot points. However, do you 
notice a pattern with these forms 
of media?

These are all some of the most 
popular movies and TV shows, 
yet all feature a person of color 
and a white person. It’s never two 
interracial people of color who 
come together. In fact, there seems 
to be more positive representation 
in mainstream pop culture of a 
white person with a person of color 
than even two people of color from 
the same background together!
To give one example of many, 
Aziz Ansari got our hopes up in 
the first episode of the second 
season of “Master of None” when 
he found a Black woman he 
was romantically interested in. 
However, he lost his phone and as 
a result communication with her 
forever. Of course, he proceeded 
to fall in love with a white Italian 
woman, and not without the 
periodic flux of interest and 
disinterest in the South Asian 

woman who appeared within the 
season.
There’s always an edge of fear 
and controversy of calling this out. 
Interracial couples and friendships 
that are a white person and a 
person of color aren’t negative 

by any means, and calling this 
disparity out doesn’t imply they 
are bad in any way. They should 
still be encouraged — it’s just that 
there needs to be more romantic 
and even platonic representation 
of what two different non-white 

cultures 
look 
like 
together. 
Hollywood 
has 
been 
making 
great strides in diversity lately, 
but as with any institution mainly 
founded by people with privileged 
identities, there is unsurprisingly 
always room for improvement.

When I was 11 years old, I 
decided to wear a headscarf. I 
knew I would eventually wear 
one because as a Muslim, I believe 
it’s required of me. While others 
don’t, it all depends on people’s 
personal beliefs. My close friends 
wore one, and so did my mom, so 
it seemed like the appropriate time 
to take the plunge. When I told my 
mom I wanted to wear a scarf, she 
took me out to buy headscarves for 
girls my age. Before I knew it, the 
day came when I chose to wear 
one in public for the first time. It 
was pretty anticlimactic. My mom 
was going to the grocery store, so 
I wore a cardigan as I normally 
would, and put on my headscarf. 
I remember walking out the door, 
self-conscious, because it was the 
first time I went out in a scarf and 
I thought those who knew me 
would stare. But nobody did. It 
was just like any other day.
I should clarify, however, that 
I’m from Dearborn, Michigan. 
Dearborn is home to the largest 
population of people of Middle 
Eastern origin in the United 
States and has a large Muslim 
population. So, my wearing a 
scarf was completely normal, as 
many other girls and women in 
Dearborn wear headscarves. I also 
didn’t feel any different on my first 
day of sixth grade, which was the 
first time I wore a scarf to school.

The only time I did feel weird 
was when I went outside of 
Dearborn. People from Dearborn 
refer to this phenomenon of the 
“Dearborn bubble,” because it’s 
like we live in our own protective 
shell and I’m starting to realize 
the truth of it. When I went to 
Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi for the 
first time, which is only 35 minutes 
away, I remember feeling people 
stare at me. I don’t know if this 
was because I was self-conscious 
because 
there 
weren’t 
many 
Muslims around, or because it 
actually happened. As I’ve grown 
older, however, I’ve learned not to 
let people’s staring bother me.
But my headscarf wasn’t the 
only thing that made me feel 
different from others. While I 
may look different from many 
Americans, I’m still an American. 
On a family trip to Lebanon, I 
realized how different my sisters 
and I were from my cousins. They 
always refer to us as Americans, 
because we don’t entirely fit into 
their culture. We prefer English 
music to their Arabic music, and 
we have distinct fashion tastes. 
Even the way they style their 
headscarves is different than how 
I style mine.
Still, when I come back home, 
some Americans don’t think I’m 
American. In fact, I was once 
walking to class when I heard 
two voices behind me talking 
about how many Arabs (people of 
Middle Eastern origin) are boaters 
(derogatory term for immigrant) 

and don’t understand English. 
I wanted to tell them English is 
my first language and I was born 
here. But either out of fear or not 
wanting to give them the pleasure 
of provoking me, I just kept on 
walking.
I have never felt like I really fit 
in anywhere except Dearborn, 
where I’m still judged by others, 
but so is everyone else. Yet we’ve 
somehow created a culture of our 
own — a part of the old country 
and part of our own country. I 
don’t feel like a true Lebanese 
when I visit Lebanon, and I feel 
different than some Americans in 
America. But I’m just like many 
people from Dearborn, the child 
of immigrants. I hope I find that 
same sense of belonging in Ann 
Arbor, where I’ve come to realize 
people differ in many ways, not 
only in their backgrounds. At the 
University of Michigan, people 
can be whoever they want to 
be, without facing judgement 
as harshly as they might face it 
somewhere else. I’ve found I can 
be myself and be welcomed by 
inclusive communities here on 
campus, such as PILOT. PILOT 
is a student-run organization 
that works to empower and 
make leaders of students from 
underrepresented 
minorities 
on campus. This organization 
welcomes each of its members like 
family, which is truly an amazing 
thing. Inclusive environments like 
PILOT here at Michigan, makes 
me glad to say I’m a Wolverine.

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Michigan in Color
Monday, October 8, 2018 — 3A

Fitting in: leaving home for AA
Bollywood: “Queen” defies tropes

Cultural context and power dynamics: who has the right

How “interracial” is Hollywood’s interracial relationships? 

SWATHI KOMARIVELLI
MiC Blogger

EFE OSAGIE
Assistant MiC Editor

KHADEJA JOMAA
MiC Columnist

ZAINAB BHINDARWALA
Senior MiC Editor

CASEY TIN/Daily

Who has the right to say the 
word nigger? 
Not nigga, with an a, but nigger. 
Hard r.
If you’re Black, at this point 
into the article you’re probably 
enraged 
this 
word 
is 
being 
published in a news article. If 
you’re white, you’re probably just 
plain uncomfortable. You can 
rest assured though, because the 
writer of this article is also Black, 
which makes this okay. Or does it?
The word nigger is taboo. Even 
just typing the word makes me 
uncomfortable. Why? Partially 
because it’s a traumatic term 
that encompasses years of brutal 
history Black people faced at the 
hands of their oppressors. Because 
it’s ugly and holds too much pain. 
Also 
because 
it’s 
practically 
forbidden. Arguably it’s one of the 
most avoided words in our English 
vocabulary, censored before you 
have a chance to understand what 
someone’s trying to say. But does 

censoring it protect us from the 
harsh triggers of the word or just 
gloss over a history that can never 
be erased?
I typically hold the belief that 
if you’re not Black, you shouldn’t 
say it. Ever. But recently I’ve 
questioned this after discussing 
the use of the word — and if it’s 
okay for non-Black people to say it 
in plays and productions — in one 
of my classes. I wanted to discuss 
my personal opinion on it, which 
was a bit hard to do as I was the 
only Black person in the class that 
day. This blurred the line between 
having a fruitful conversation 
and taking the role of “educating” 
the other white students in my 
class, as all the white students 
would inevitably look to me as the 
definite stance of who deserves to 
say the word.
Besides obvious reasons of not 
having to be a spokesperson for 
my race, I could not provide an 
answer. Even among Black people 
it’s not clear who deserves to say 
that word. I personally think it’s 
okay for Black people to say nigger 
and nigga because I see it as a 

form of reclaiming a word that 
was used against them for so long, 
taking the power away from it by 
making it their own. This follows 
same way women have reclaimed 
the word “pussy” and “bitch.”

But is it exactly the same 
thing? Because the words “pussy” 
and “bitch” don’t have the same 
cultural significance as the word 
“nigger.” And I’m not saying 
this to rank the pain caused by 
different words as that argument 
is virtually pointless, but it’s still 
important to note pain is different.

A lot of Black people believe 
the word deserves to die because 
of the amount of pain it’s caused 
and probably also believe it’s past 
the point of reclaiming. In 2007, 
the NAACP held a “funeral for 
the n-word” to lay it to rest and 
prevent it from doing any more 
harm. Something important to 
note is the coffin carried during 
the funeral though had the word 
“nigga” on the side, not the word 
“nigger.” Nigga is the reclaimed, 
now colloquial form of the word 
used casually among Black people 
and in their music. The word 
nigger, however, was the actual 
contemptuous word used by white 
people in the past. But does laying 
the word down to rest actually 
pave the way for a future without 
hate or racial slurs? Or does it even 
placate all of those who have been 
traumatized by that word for ages? 
One good point made by Jordan 
Cooper is even if the n-word is laid 
to rest, “They’ll (white people) just 
come up with other words — like 
‘thug.’”
Al Sharpton once said, “If you 
call yourself the n-word, you 

can’t get mad when someone 
treats you like that.” This brings 
into question the idea of what 
Black people are saying to white 
people on how they should be 
treated if they call themselves 
that word. In my opinion, white 
people shouldn’t be looking to 
Black people on how to treat Black 
people anyway. If they’re curious 
then they should just ask us. 
Also, because white people aren’t 
Black, they definitely should not 
be treating Black people the same 
way other Black people do. But 
that’s a whole other conversation 
on appropriation of culture.
The discussion on who has the 
right to say nigger is something 
that will undoubtedly carry on for 
a while. Within Black people it’s 
more of a personal choice on who 
can say it. Even I, as a Black person, 
feel hesitant on whether I have the 
“right to say it.” Yes, I am Black 
but I’m also a first-generation 
Nigerian. My ancestors did not 
share the same history as Black 
people here whose ancestors went 
through slavery. It might not even 
be my word to reclaim and I’m 

profiting off my privilege as an 
African-Black person that allows 
me to say this word with which I 
don’t share the same history.
But though I don’t share the 
same history as my Black brethren 
across the diaspora, I still feel the 
same pain living as a Black person 
in America, in a world that wasn’t 
built for me and is so eager to 
bring me down. In a world Where 
a police officer could take the 
life of my brother, cousin, father 
and it wouldn’t matter if they’re 
Nigerian or “African-American” 
Black. In a world where I get 
called that word on school trips 
for laughing too loudly with my 
friends.
Regardless of this, it’s still a 
personal choice among all Black 
people of who can say it, not 
something on which we might not 
come to a consensus. At least not 
anytime soon.
Despite the significance of 
this word though, at the end of 
the day this unfortunately might 
just become another battle in 
linguistics. But one that no one is 
willing to have.

Interested in writing about campus or pop culture? 

Michigan in Color is hiring bloggers! Email 

michiganincolor@michigandaily.com for more information.

“[T]he director 
could have easily 
made different 
choices that 
wouldn’t be 
harmful”

“This follows the 
same way women 
have reclaimed the 
word ‘pussy’ and 
‘bitch’”

SADHANA RAMASESHADRI/Daily