Lilly Singh on Manifesting Shah Rukh Khan Energy and Hollywood Challenges
Lilly Singh, the actor-producer and social media star, is currently in Mumbai recording episodes for her podcast ‘Shameless’ while meeting Bollywood’s biggest names. During her visit, she opened up about her unforgettable experience at Shah Rukh Khan’s home Mannat and the ongoing challenges for South Asian representation in Hollywood.
Key Takeaways
- Lilly Singh visited Shah Rukh Khan’s home Mannat, calling it “one of the greatest days” of her life
- She’s learning Mumbai’s culture of flexibility and ‘jugaad’ for her podcast work
- South Asian representation in Hollywood has regressed despite growing community
- Singh emphasizes producing as key to creating content when studios don’t back diverse projects
Learning Mumbai’s Ways and ‘Jugaad’ Culture
While Singh has visited Mumbai before, she admits she’s still adapting to the city’s unique rhythm. “I’m still learning,” she says. “People told me it’s hard to confirm things. ‘Tension mat lo, things will happen.’ As a control freak, that’s something I had to learn. What comes with that flexibility is ‘jugaad’. I even tell my team in Los Angeles to do ‘jugaad’ – pretend you’re in Mumbai and make it happen.”
The Unforgettable Day at Mannat
During a previous trip, Shah Rukh Khan hosted her at his iconic home. As someone who grew up “manifesting SRK energy,” she describes it as profoundly memorable. “It was one of the greatest days of my life, being hosted at Mannat,” Singh recalls. “Which is why when I landed I wore an SRK shirt. What’s funny is every time I’m in Mumbai in an auto, the rickshaw driver will say ‘Madam that’s Shah Rukh Khan’s house’ and I say ‘Oh really.’ Of course I don’t tell them I’ve been in his house. I met his family, had lunch there. He gave me one of his blazers that I have till date.”
Hollywood’s Representation Challenges
Discussing South Asian representation in Hollywood, Singh notes concerning trends. “We were taking steps forward but right now we’re taking steps backwards,” she observes. While she celebrates the growing desi community in Hollywood – evidenced by her annual Diwali party now being “full of desis” – she emphasizes that community doesn’t translate to opportunities.
“Unfortunately that doesn’t make it easier for things to get made. There’s still not enough roles for us,” she states. Her solution? Taking production into her own hands. “My last film was an independently financed feature. That’s how to get things made – be the producer, the decision maker. When you don’t have a big studio backing you, you have to put in your own money.”
The Burden of Cultural Education
Singh admits she finds producing challenging compared to acting and writing. The core difficulty lies in cultural education. “In LA, majority of the crew does not look like me. The person making the props and editing does not understand the culture,” she explains.
This creates additional labor for diverse creators. “There’s so much educating to do, it takes away time and energy from other things,” she says, recalling an incident where producers asked her to translate “Madhuri Dixit” – not realizing it was a famous actor’s name she’d referenced multiple times.
