Earlier this week, I asked Vogue ’s Radhika Seth what her plans were for Diwali , before I found myself repeating how frustrating it is that brands seem to only acknowledge South Asian culture once every 12 months – and usually without nuance. We rolled our eyes, and went back to eating a surprisingly authentic motichoor ladoo she’d been sent by a PR.

The interaction stayed with me as this year’s Diwali roll-outs continued. Because while consumer culture so often flattens South Asian identity into a single religious festival, our customs and practices are multi-layered, rooted in many faiths. It wasn’t until adulthood, for example, that I learnt that my favourite celebration – Bandi Chhor Divas, or the Day of Liberation for Sikhs – had long been mislabelled as Diwali. It’s just one in

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