Akansha

29/07/2026

Are We Witnessing an Asian Spring?

From Sri Lanka to Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal, and India, a new generation is taking to the streets. Rising living costs, unemployment, corruption, housing pressures, and growing distrust in institutions are pushing young people to demand change.

But these movements are not all the same.

Are we witnessing isolated protests- or the beginning of a broader generational shift across Asia?

Full video on my youtube channel.▶️🔗

02/07/2026

India has deep problems, and millions of people struggle because systems have failed them for generations.

But you cannot comment on a country this complex through stereotypes alone.
A nation of 1.4 billion people cannot be reduced to “they use water” or “they’re illiterate.”

Understand the history. Understand the scale. Understand the systems before judging the people.

Ignorance is loud. Understanding takes effort. 🇮🇳

Check out the full video on my youtube channel. LINK IN BIO.

20/05/2026

Day 1: Landed in Potsdam 🇩🇪 accidentally walked into a local wine festival, ate sausages, and briefly considered becoming a countryside philosopher.

Day 2: Meetings at Einstein’s summer house discussing collaborations while time remained suspended in the most calming way possible.

Day 3: Film museum meetings, followed by an afternoon in Berlin to see Fujiko Nakaya’s Fog Sculpture in the Sculpture Garden, to remember that art can always shake something loose inside you.

Day 4: Quick stop in Barcelona for lunch with an old friend.

Day 5: Arrived in La Palma 🇪🇸- La Isla Bonita, truly. Intended to “rest.” Naturally ended up hiking 4 hours through forests instead.

Day 6: 8 hour hike across Ruta de los Volcanes ; craters, lava, clouds beneath us, and eating dal at volcanic altitude like Himalayan pilgrims with digestive optimism.

Day 7: Somehow ended up swimming inside a cave with an arch.

Day 8- 10 - 🌋🍌La Isla Bonita felt endless in the most beautiful way ; layers of forests, lava, clouds, cliffs, oceans, and banan plantations folding into each other like the island was constantly revealing another version of itself. Every road curved into another landscape, another silence, another reminder that nature can still humble you completely.

Somewhere between Einstein’s summer house, Berlin trains, volcanoes, banana plantations, and nearly losing my calves on downhill hikes, I realised this month has mostly been about mobility ; across countries, landscapes, ideas, and versions of myself.Very grateful for all of it.❤️

18/03/2026

For millions from the Global South, travel is not freedom.
It is papers, permits, rejections, detentions, questions that never end.
It is a reminder that the world trusts some more than others.

Some passports are keys.
Others are chains.

The most radical thing today? Keeping your original passport.
Refusing to let centuries of colonial power, Western privilege, and global hierarchies rewrite your freedom.
Refusing to trade your history, your story, your identity for access defined by the afterlife of colonialism.

Holding your own passport says: I will move on my terms. I will exist on my terms.
Your birthplace. Your culture. Your story. Your place in the world claimed on your own terms.

Borders are human-made. Mobility is a right, not a privilege inherited by the few.
The world is changing. Economic power is shifting.
New global centers are emerging across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Freedom belongs to those who refuse to surrender it.

The boldest revolution today? Claim your freedom. Protect your identity. Own your passport. Live your sovereignty. ✊🌍

I’ve explored passport privilege, mobility inequality, and the invisible hierarchy of who gets to move in depth in my latest video essay — check it out in the link in bio.

22/02/2026

In summer 2026, France will send fertility letters to 29-year-olds, citing falling birth rates and an aging population. On the surface, it’s about biology. But reproduction isn’t just medical data it’s tied to careers, housing, equality, and stability.

When the state reminds citizens about their biological clock, it may sound neutral, but it rarely is. Real freedom isn’t just having a choice it’s making that choice without pressure.

00:00 Fertility, freedom and choice00:41 - France sends letters to 29 year olds to have kids01:02 - Declining birth rate across Europe01:19 - Esping Anderson...

17/02/2026

This February has been about being outdoors. I let the wind shape me and the waves test me. Somewhere between rock and sea, in waves that never break the same way twice, I found a quieter version of myself
and found my way back to the board, trusting the water again.

17/02/2026

This February has been about being outdoors. I let the wind shape me and the waves test me. Somewhere between rock and sea, in waves that never break the same way twice, I found a quieter version of myself and found my way back to the board, remembering to trust the water again.

09/01/2026

Salaam, Morocco!🇲🇦

Landed in lively Marrakesh in ' 25 to transition to 2026 with the most fun amiga travel buddy . We drifted into the new year beneath the liquid-gold-and-ember sunsets of Agadir, and wrapped it all up amid the stormy charm of sleepy yet postcard-perfect Essaouira.

The markets of Marrakesh were a kaleidoscope of colour, sound, and scent, transporting me straight back to the buzz of my own hometown. Tea has always been my beverage of choice, but add pomegranate juice to the mix and I found myself questioning why I ever needed the other kind of bubbles in a drink at all.

The sunsets of quiet Tamraght unfolded like chromatic poetry, while the surfers of Taghazout had me fully Rip Curl-ing heart, eyes, and spirit. The tall valleys of Paradise were a whirlwind hike, overwhelming in the best way, a feast for tired eyes and sore legs.

Landscapes so wide, so cinematic, so undeniably big-screen that I kept tugging at the bus window, unable to look away.

Essaouira greeted us pouring and gusty, yet still let us wander its medina impossibly rich in texture and life. I flew in after the storm had passed, and flew out once it had settled again. Flight delays gifted us front-row seats to the Africa Nations Cup at the airport live, loud, and unforgettable.

And above all, the amazing people we met along the journey : fellow travellers, locals, and street-side dreamers made every moment sparkle a little brighter.

Shukran, Morocco.
Coming back very, very soon. 🌍

09/01/2026

When Indian Women Became ‘pretty’ For Western Audiences — A Racism Case Study
Indian women didn’t suddenly become attractive.
The internet just decided to look.

After Tyla’s Mumbai concert, social media was flooded with comments like “Didn’t know baddies existed in India” and “Never knew this side of India existed.” What sounded like compliments quickly revealed something darker: shock, low expectations, and deeply ingrained stereotypes about Indian women, beauty, and culture.

In this video, I break down why Indian women’s attractiveness is still treated as a debate, not a given. This isn’t about proving that Indian women are beautiful — it’s about questioning who decides beauty standards, where those ideas come from, and why racism often hides behind “surprise” and backhanded praise.

We talk about:

Why people are shocked to see confident, stylish Indian women
How colonial beauty standards and colourism shaped global perceptions
Why Indian culture is celebrated while Indian people are still disrespected
The difference between attraction and exoticization
How Indian aesthetics are trending while Indian bodies remain dehumanized
Cultural appropriation in fashion (Prada Kolhapuris, Gucci saree moments, dupatta scarves)
Algorithms, media bias, and why this conversation is happening now
The psychological impact of online racism on brown women and girls

Using real-world examples from pop culture, fashion, music, and social media, this video looks at how Indian women became “baddies” overnight — and why that moment says more about racism and the Western gaze than it does about us.

This is a cultural case study, not a rant.
If you’ve ever felt invisible, stereotyped, or reduced to an aesthetic — this conversation is for you.

If this resonated, feel free to share your experience in the comments — respectfully.
And if this made you uncomfortable, that discomfort is part of the conversation.

Watch the whole video on Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMd9iLPzork

25/12/2025

This year didn’t arrive loudly, but it unlayered slowly, unevenly, and exactly as it needed to. I met new people, stood in unfamiliar countries, said yes to things that stretched me and no to things I once thought impossible to refuse.

Some days were about building; others were about unlearning. I learned that growth doesn’t always look like sparkles or favourable outcomes.

It often looks like choosing peace, trusting timing, doing the work quietly, claiming what’s mine, being unapologetic about my worth, knowing exactly what I bring to the table, and walking away without needing closure.

I became quieter where I once over-explained, braver where I once hesitated, and softer with myself in moments that used to demand perfection.

Grateful for the lessons, the pauses, the connections, the challenges, and the quiet strength that carried me through. Still becoming and carrying my fire forward without asking permission to write my story on the big screen.