Former WWE Superstar Raj Dhesi, also known by his ring name Jinder Mahal, expressed concerns about the scarce representation of South Asians on television when he was growing up. This was during his recent participation in the ‘For the Love of Wrestling’ convention.
Dhesi commented,
“Growing up, there were no South Asians on TV. All we had was Apu [from The ‘Simpsons’] for representation [laughs]. Unfortunately … it’s the truth. We didn’t have anybody, we had typical stereotype characters, [like] a gas station worker or a tech nerd. So, growing up, I didn’t have anybody I could relate to.”
Corroborating his earlier career as Jinder Mahal, he underlined that the absence of representation instilled in him the need to pave the way to inspire the forthcoming generation of South Asian performers.
Dhesi placed emphasis on the fact that he was not the only significant figure from Southern Asia, as he acclaimed the efforts of performers like The Great Khali and Tiger Jeet Singh.
In 2024, Dhesi was given the boot by WWE, alongside Veer and Sanga. Another South Asian talent, Shanky got dismissed from the company in 2023.
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, a recurring character in ‘The Simpsons’ has been gradually phased out due to the allegations of perpetuating harmful stereotypes. Some South Asians have even cited instances of abuse and being constantly likened to Apu as a common insult.
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