Episode 8: Dance, Influence, and Empowerment

What happens when a young South Asian woman decides to challenge colorism, feminism, and mental health stigma head-on? In this powerful episode of Brown Queen Diaries, we sit down with Devni Vihara, the lawyer-turned-activist whose voice is reshaping conversations about beauty standards and gender equality in our community.
Devni's journey spans three countries - Born in England, raised in Sri Lanka, and finding her independence in Melbourne, she brings a unique cross-cultural perspective to her advocacy work. Her pivot from biomedicine to social justice wasn't just a career change—it was an awakening. "I realized I had a passion for social justice. I really cared about these things, but I didn't have the language to articulate it," she reveals, explaining how university studies gave her the vocabulary to name the injustices she'd witnessed throughout her life.
The conversation takes a deeply personal turn when Devni shares her childhood struggles with colorism: "I used to stand in front of the mirror as a child and be like, 'Where else am I pretty? Because my skin is too dark.'" Her raw honesty about battling beauty standards that elevate fair skin while belittling darker tones reflects experiences shared by countless South Asian women. Today, she celebrates her complexion and advocates for representation that embraces our diversity.
"We're all silently suffering and silently navigating these things, and if we just talked about it, we would feel less alone," she shares, challenging the silence that often surrounds mental health in South Asian communities.
Whether she's defining feminism in accessible terms, breaking down the difference between tokenistic representation and genuine inclusion, or teaching us Gen Z slang, Devni brings warmth, wisdom, and wit to difficult conversations. Her parting message resonates deeply: "You have a calling for a reason... Speak your truth, but be powerful, because we have so much power. We don't need to be empowered—it's there, we just need to do it."
Listen now to this inspiring conversation that will leave you questioning beauty standards, understanding feminism more clearly, and feeling empowered to embrace your authentic self.

Brown Queen Diaries by Priyanka Nomula

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Brown Queen Diaries by Priyanka Nomula

Directed by Sandeep Raj

Presented by Aussie Talkies

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