Naatu Naatu inspires Srishti Guptaroy to highlight millennial trends

Visual artist Guptaroy uses humor in her art to call out Indian prejudices and stereotypes

When the Naatu Naatu dance performance took centerstage at the recently concluded Oscars ceremony, Indians across the world sat back and felt proud of the historic moment.

The moment also led Bangalore based visual artist and illustrator Srishti Guptaroy to come up with pop culture art work that took inspiration from the song and dance and made it relatable to the young generation.

Read: Post Oscar Hollywood may need lessons in Indian cinema (March 16, 2023)

Creating artworks that speak about hot trends and jaded stereotypes while adding humor to it in a tongue in cheek way, is a talent that comes naturally to Guptaroy. Her artwork titled Sharam Masala — a take on the ubiquitious Indian spice garam masala highlights the Indian culture of elders often shaming Indian kids and burdening them with peer pressure.

The young designer who has held shows in Germany and has also worked with American fashion giant Michael Kors on their first ever Diwali collection talks to the American Bazaar about stereotypes, success and the stories that interest young Indians around the globe.

AB: There is a lot of humor in your illustrations. Tell us more about it.

SG: Growing up, humor especially sarcasm was my greatest self-defense and almost an act of self-preservation. An all-girls school during puberty can be brutal without a sense of humor.

In due course this humor found its way to my art and almost became a backbone of my design identity. Humor is a great way to express certain realities of life in a palatable way without getting into the territory of being preachy. Also on Instagram specifically, witty takes tend to be more relatable and ‘shareable’.

AB: Tell us about the Oscar inspired “Not You” illustration. What were your thoughts when you created it?

SG: It was a glorious year for the Indian community at the Oscars this year. While western validation should not be the benchmark for judging global creative talent, the impact on popular culture is undeniable.

Like everyone else, I was also caught up in the Naatu Naatu fever. The song is about celebrating friendship and what is one of the greatest metric of friendship? — mutual dislike for the same people! I wanted to explore this idea in a fun and frivolous way.

Read: RRR’s Naatu Naatu makes Oscar history for India (January 24, 2023)

AB: The other one that caught our eye was the Sharam Masala. It actually stands true for the expat community in the US or everywhere else. What was your inspiration?

SG: Feeling inadequate is probably one of the most unifying feelings all over the world. This is amplified to a large degree in Indian households combined with the feeling of utter shame since conversations about so many things are taboo.

I do believe that it is changing though. A lot more open conversations are taking place and we need to give parents time to evolve and understand the new world view at their own pace.

This was a hot take on that constant feeling of inadequacy, our ‘imposter syndrome’ and the perpetual ‘Sharmaji ka beta is doing so much better than you.’ The Internet can often feel like that-a show-reel of people’s achievements, best holidays and curated relationships

AB: Tell us about speaking at the Adobe Max Stage in Sydney.

SG: Being a keynote speaker for the APAC region at the Adobe Max Conference in Sydney was probably one the most flex-worthy moments in my independent artist career. I am not exaggerating when I say that I wouldn’t be an artist today without the Adobe tools helping me out from Day one.

It was an honor to speak at their crown jewel event. Adobe as a company loves and respects their artist community, wholeheartedly and any association with them is always so much fun. This conference gave me the chance to tap into my childhood love for public speaking and theatre.

It was important for me to approach the talk as a friend as opposed to a preacher who knows more than them, when in reality I am just as clueless as any other creative. It was important to talk about my life in India and how that’s shaped me as an artist on almost a cellular level.

Read: Oscars won, Indian cinema poised for greater glory (March 14, 2023)

AB: As an independent artist you have worked with some American clients too like MK? Tell us about it.

SG: I worked with MK for their 2021 Diwali campaign where we created a range of motifs along with typefaces for unique hand painted customisations. It was such an exciting project to work with a luxury brand and their first-time effort to create a Diwali inclusive line.

The motifs were all a homage to the colorful, maximal and festive sensibilities of our country. It was even more exciting that they picked some of the best fine artists in the country to hand paint these bags, adding an almost artisanal quality to a luxury product.