And Just Like That Star Sarita Choudhury On South Asian Inclusion, Cultural Stereotypes And Seema's

And Just Like That star Sarita Choudhury arrived on the swanky New York scene in style thanks to her role as Carrie Bradshaw's new friend, Seema Patel.

During season one, viewers watched as the actress broke ground in the quest for more South Asian representation as the unapologetically confident, super cool, knows-what-she-wants real-estate agent navigating her life in the city that never sleeps. But along with the thrill of much-needed diversity on the show, her Indian-American character's arc also drew some criticism with its arranged marriage storyline and that confusion between a sari and a lehenga.

But having had her big break opposite Denzel Washington in Mira Nair's 1991 romance film Mississippi Masala, a rare critically-acclaimed film that explored a nuanced interracial romance between an African American man and Indian American woman, Sarita has undoubtedly long been familiar with the diversity conversation IRL.

Here, Sarita talks to GLAMOUR about the criticism of her character's storyline and the progression of South Asian culture in mainstream media and beyond.

And Just Like That focuses on the original leads of Sex and the City, but why do you think a new character like yours was welcomed?

Good question, because that was my worry when I joined! I was like, "Why?" It felt dangerous because when you love a show, you're not putting yourself at the table, you're watching the table. You're like, "Why would you want me? I'm going to end up ruining that table!" You want to slip in differently but also not change the vibe. But after doing season one and seeing the response, it made sense, and I started to accept being in it.

Was it imposter syndrome or anxiety over living up to expectations?

Yes, it was that feeling where something worked so beautifully I didn't know how to add in a graceful way. I didn't want to upset that universe. But I was always thinking, "Why the hell me?" It was a joke in my head that I kept saying. But then the writing is so pristine, I started to get it. I was like, "Oh, it can afford this kind of character." Especially the way I entered via Carrie, which was an honour. Sarah [Jessica Parker] looked after me, so there was an ease to that.

Your character is a feisty, successful Indian-American woman trying to keep her traditional parents happy by lying about a boyfriend. Do you think she's so headstrong due to a lifetime of navigating cultural pressures?

Lying at her age is so funny. You relate that to when you're 18! When you are South Asian or from whatever culture involving tradition and negotiating with parents, we don't know our strength because it's stressful, right? Figuring out, "Oh my God, I had just lied to them, etc." Those things are stressful, but it seems like you're just navigating the easier way to someone else. So with Seema, there's something about her as a businesswoman that sees stress as not useful. She doesn't like to waste time in her life on neurosis. I wish I had that quality!

In one scene, Seema and Carrie went sari shopping for Diwali while at an Indianwear shop that only had lehengas out on display. Carrie went on to wear a lehenga at the celebrations. What did you make of the backlash to the mix-up of traditional wear?

It's so interesting about the sari line because I didn't even know if it was in the script initially because we didn't know if I would wear it or what I would wear. So if they [the writers] had come to me and asked me about that, I could have been like, "Oh..." But then, to give them some credit, it's amazing they gave a whole episode to Diwali. You give, and then there'll still be criticism. But I get it because being specific is important. I agree with the fans, but I'm also like, "Let's also celebrate a little bit of what's happening."

What would you say about the backlash of perpetuating stereotypes of South Asian culture, such as the pressure to get married?

You see that in many comedy films about being under pressure by parents. The only reason we used some of those [stereotypes] was because the joke was that I'm in my fifties. If you have a character in your thirties, then it's like, "Here we go again." But the writers thought, this is what's so funny, is that you can't escape your parents no matter what age.

I'd also say that stereotypes mostly have a negative connotation, but do you think it's very much the experience of so many South Asian women having to deal with these challenges growing up in the Western world?

I feel like in London, the experience is very different. It's even reflected differently in film, TV, and theatre. But that's also because England was closer to India, and the migration was different. Culturally being South Asian in London is different from being here [USA]. I mean, I'm impressed that there is even a South Asian on the show. I thought that would take another few years.

Also, what's tricky is I'm half British, I'm half Bengali, and I grew up in Italy. I'm not the perfect representation of everything in a South Asian woman, but I'm trying my best. So it isn't my taste to represent a whole culture. I'd only love to do that if it were a film just about a character of mine. But in a show, you have to be careful because audiences love character, they don't like politics. If they hear a line trying to prove something, they smell it, so it's tricky to pull off.

You touched on not being able to represent a whole culture fully. But do you feel the pressure to do so?

I don't because it's not my personality. I feel like the conversation has to change: if I say to someone I'm Bengali, ask me where I'm from. It's not up to me to promote. It's up to the curiosity level to start increasing, which involves reading South Asian writers. Even when interacting with other cultures, I feel like "I need more access to questions," which means I have to read about it before I bug them. I don't want to put that pressure on them.

But I was so glad they dedicated a whole episode to Diwali. And then they had to go and cast my mother and father. This show has to deal with seven women who now have storylines, including Seema. And just putting in that time and effort, I was like, "Okay, this is the beginning." But I can't stuff every cultural thing in that episode. I also have to let it breathe and play the New Yorker who is South Asian in the show, more than the South Asian trying to talk about being South Asian.

Following on from the criticism, is that sort of online repercussion good to force writers and performers into getting it correct from the onset, or is educating somebody about culture a gradual process?

Both are true. It wakes up the writers that they're being watched. But I think the writers also have to say, "Oh, I'm not going to do what all of you are asking because they're all slightly different things, and I'll get in trouble again".

But I like that whatever community is screaming out has a voice, which they didn't have before social media. It makes writers more aware, which I never thought of before. I can only imagine how people are writing, hopefully without fear about a culture that's not theirs, and they have to try not to be politically correct. But the thing with And Just Like That is it's a comedy, so we have an easier time with that.

Talking to you, you're clearly strong-minded. But how did you navigate setbacks balancing your culture with being raised in a Western world?

It was tricky. First of all, I was raised in Italy, so even weirder because there were so few South Asians where I lived in Rome. But when tough South Asian parents raise you, you're not encouraged to complain. I know it's unhealthy, but you gain strength from "that happened to me. I got to suck it up." It makes you oddly inventive, and your power starts developing. You don't get the credit for your strength because you're slightly lonely. But the strength adds up later in life. You almost don't want to go back and re-explain what you went through because you're benefiting now.

South Asians don't come from a culture of therapy. We come from a culture of mythology, storytelling, tradition and ritual, which has its own level of therapy, which I now use in a weird way when I feel stressed about something.

Did you feel that finding your power later in life affected you when you started in the acting industry?

When you're not the typical face of the industry, you have an advantage because you don't even assume you will be accepted. You don't say, "I hope I get that job." If you love acting, you're constantly inventing a way to do it. Until I did Homeland, I spent most of my time going, "How can I get into that audition? They're going to think I'm this, but I will have to fight." So instead of insecurity, it was more excitement about finding a way to get a job, and I had to get a degree in my head of another kind of study that would get me in the door. Maybe that also comes from our upbringing. Do not complain, just do it. Again, that builds a weird denial but also strength.

Lastly, what do you hope viewers take away from Seema in the second season of And Just Like That?

In the second season, Seema is up to no good, running around town and in the bedroom a lot. One thing I've loved about this season is that talking about the South Asian thing we were talking about; the first season was setting her up through Carrie, while the second season is just pure character.

She will learn whether she wants true love or can she navigate her life without it? Where does her vulnerability lie? Oddly enough, she's more South Asian, but no one would ever see it except you or someone who's relating on a personal level, so I like that. I mean, everyone is having so much fun this season. It's really about love, sex, and the city!

Catch Sarita Choudhury in And Just Like That season two, now available to watch on Sky Comedy and NOW TV.

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