The stories we tell are at the heart of the change that we create through our art, music and media. And no one embodies this heart more than @smritimundhra . For those of you who watched (and loved) Indian Matchmaking, meet the creator of this show. Meet the woman who wanted South Asian culture to be highlighted, examined, demystified and brought into your homes through the stories of seven South Asian singletons looking for love. Meet the woman who stood by me and cheered me on, even in the toughest of times. She was my cheerleader after season 1 aired, my supporter in telling my own story on my own terms in my book “She’s Unlikeable” and a friend throughout it all. And today, her work shines brighter than ever in the episode she directed on Growing Up on @disneyplus . The episode centers on body image and eating disorders and stars an AMAZING young woman named Athena Nair, who is a kathak dancer, Tufts University student and body positivity activist. Smriti says it best when she describes her love for this project: “Eating disorders and body dysmorphia has always been presented in the media as a wealthy white woman's issue, so much so that until recently, women of color were not even included in studies about its impact, treatment and recovery. For South Asian women in particular, it touches on the pressure for perfectionism, colonialist beauty standards and a culture of shame. Athena and I wanted to tell a story that not only stems from our own histories of disordered eating and body dysmorphia, but helps other women of color — especially South Asian women — feel less alone.” I urge you today...watch this episode. Talk about this topic. Normalize radical self love so that it is no longer so... radical. And thank the brave @athena.nair for sharing her story, @smritimundhra for bringing it to life and @brielarson for creating this masterpiece show. 🫶🏾 I sure do. I’ve linked Smriti’s @elleusa piece in my stories! Check it out there 💗