Indian model claps back at critics who tell her to 'tone down the cultural stuff'

An Indian fashion blogger who’s received backlash online while embracing her cultural heritage is hitting back at the critics.

Sruthi Jayadevan, from Dallas, Texas, is frequently pictured on social media donning sparkling bindis, colourful saris, and ornate nose rings.

But not everyone is welcoming of the 22-year-old’s traditional looks — some suggesting she should “tone down all this cultural stuff,” as if it hindered her beauty.

Jayadevan, who unapologetically calls herself the “Curry Queen” on Twitter, took the social platform with a response for the haters.

“People: ‘what’s with the dot,’ ‘what’s that on your nose,’ ‘maybe you should tone down all this cultural stuff,'” starts Jayadevan’s tweet, quoting her critics.

“Me:” she replies alongside two stunning photos of herself in a white, diamante-encrusted sari thrown a mustard bralette, her wrists stacked with chudiyaan bangles and a giant golden nose ring called nath is attached to her hair by a gold chain and flower. She’s also wearing a three-part bindi between her brows.

Her message is plain and simple: Jayadevan is proud of her cultural roots and the ignorance of others isn’t going to change that.

With 21,000 retweets and more than 75,000 likes online, it’s clear the young blogger’s message struck a chord among many.

But standing up for her culture hasn’t always been easy. In an interview with the Daily Mail, the fashion lover admits rejecting her Indian style when she and her family first moved to the U.S.

“When I first came to America, my family and I moved to a small town called Bakersfield. There was no cultural diversity there and I was probably the only Indian student at my elementary school. So, from my strong Indian accent to my braided, oily hair, my skin tone, my clothing, my bindi….everything was perceived as ‘different,'” she revealed.

She says she felt “very lonely and singled-out at school,” as well.

But something changed as she grew older, Jayadevan realized she should never be ashamed of who she is.

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“During the last few years of college, I was really finding my identity as a brown girl and wanted to show off my culture and have pride in where I came from. So, slowly it started with incorporating the cultural accessories I was used to wearing as a young girl back in India,” she revealed.

“I put on my bindi even if I was wearing jeans and a crop top. I put on my nose ring and my anklets with a bodycon dress. I just started incorporating the pieces of my culture and history that I had lost during my years of trying to assimilate to the American culture,” she added.

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Now the social media star wants to break into the fashion design world to help other young women embrace what makes them special.

“I definitely want to pursue fashion. I see myself designing my own clothes that is Indo-western in the very near future. I would love to help people find their unique sense of style and help them express themselves through their clothing,” the business undergrad major shared.

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