*’Few people write about identity with Jassa’s fluency and sincerity ‘ – Sathnam Sanghera, author of EMPIRELAND*
‘This guy has better Punjabi than both of us and he’s only half Punjabi.’ Only.Half. I stared at those words. The intent behind the comment was in no way malicious, but it hurt. I felt diminished. I felt like I was being robbed of something essential to me. And as I stared at my screen, realisation dawned. ‘#bothnothalf’ I replied.
For over twenty-five years, actor Jassa Ahluw alia described himself as ‘half Indian, half English’. But he looks white. His fluent Punjabi always prompted bewilderment, medical staff questioned the legitimacy of his name, and the world of casting taught him he wasn’t ‘the right kind of mixed-race’