Kay Curry
Northwest Asia Weekly
Rhea (Avantika) participated in a DJ competition combining Indian and Western music. (Provided by Disney Channel)
The Disney Channel TV movie “SPIN” was released on August 13th. What it doesn’t have is the same as what it does. It’s excellent. The layered production not only shows the storyline where the girl learns to follow her passion, but also shows a world in which we all really get along, mainly.
The title is a culmination of the plot, where we met Rhea, an Indian-American high school student. After her mother died, she assumed the responsibility of helping her father in the family restaurant while embarking on a responsible STEM path in school. She liked both, but closed her creative side, until the romantic interest Max, a white exchange student, ignited her buried passion through DJ competitions, and it turned out not for him, but for mixing music.
This is something that the movie doesn’t have. racism. Avantika, who plays Rhea, calls SPIN “aspiring” because it shows us a possible world. Conditioned by the hate incidents that seem to happen frequently in our real world, I have been waiting for Max’s mother to come into the room and say something terrible. She never did. No one has ever done it. “The point of this film is to represent this ideal universe, where people respect each other’s culture, and we as Indians — or whatever community you come from — respect our own culture.” That’s why, Avantika said , SPIN does not include any negative emotions related to the Rhea race. Rhea’s conflict is deep in her heart, but it has nothing to do with it.
“I think she is Indian, and this is very mature in her and the people around her.” For Avantika, this type of film is as important as those featuring racism, so the audience can see that no one is alone. What does your skin color or race really feel like?
As Rhea discovered her affinity for music, she learned to combine her culture and her favorite things (such as the sound of the ocean or the jingling of bells on the ankles of traditional Indian clothing) with modern electronic music and dance music. Everywhere in the movie is the synthesis of the two worlds, in sharp contrast to the struggle we often see, which does not appear in SPIN. Aryan Simhadri, who plays Rhea’s younger brother Rohan, finds this absence refreshing.
“I know there is a very common and exaggerated stereotype, especially for South Asians,’I am Indian, but I am also American. Now I have to choose between my legacy. Oh. Woe to me! In Simhadri’s view, one of the highlights of SPIN is “You don’t always have to have all’A’ or all’B’-you can have both at the same time. [and] Blend them together. “
Aryan also enjoys the relationship between Rhea and Rohan. Although they are different, they support each other and there is no competition between siblings. Rohan is not in the sight of his father like Rhea, he is more willing to associate with his passion, which for him is designing new menu items for the restaurant-but his upset father Arvind (Abhay Deol) brushed It was not until through his own journey in the movie that he realized that his children had other needs. But before you start to think that Arvind must be that kind of domineering conservative Indian immigrant father, he is not. He is just very busy, honestly he thinks his daughter likes to work in the restaurant because she keeps telling him that she likes it!
This is one of the most enjoyable aspects of SPIN, it is both owned and not. What we have is Rhea’s grandmother Asha (Meera Syal), she is a Bollywood fanatic who dances for restaurant customers and is the most supportive grandmother and mother-in-law in the history of the universe.
For example, we don’t have this grandmother insisting that Rhea follow a traditional career or marriage path; or her widowed son-in-law; although she wants Arvind to have a new life, when he and her granddaughter bring home their non-Indian lover, She was very happy. It was Asha who helped Rhea connect with her love of music, and helped her father connect with his children better. (She might also help Rhea cheat when she is banned so that she can participate in DJ competitions.)
We also don’t have a movie that is too naive or too catering to adults-this is just a good story. Avantika told The Weekly that although she is sure that many families will be discouraged from their children who want to pursue DJ hobbies, the film helps the audience imagine an acceptable world.
“I think a lot of parents will be scared, which is natural. At the same time, what Rhea is doing is very possible-both an academic career and a career as a DJ. You can do both, one for the other One cheer. Her coding helped her master the technical aspects of DJ, and music opened up pathways in her brain, which would help her write more interesting things.”
In an era when everyone seems to be divided, SPIN helps viewers realize all the “both” we can have in life. We can cherish and nurture all aspects of our heritage and all aspects of our personality. We can merge Indian music with Western music. We can be interested in science and art. We can have different people and get along with each other.
Kai can be info@nwasianweekly.com.
