We have been featuring the best writers from our writers’ community for their committed contribution to FII, making it what it is today. FII would not exist if not for the passionate and loyal feminist writers’ community that we have steadily been building over the last three years.
This November, we feature Mahika Banerji. Mahika is a voracious and a quick writer who had been a part of the FII family, as the content editor, for almost a year. We cherish the time we spent with her. She is particularly famous for her contribution to our pop culture section where she has reviewed movies and series like 13 reasons why, Sacred Games, The Crimes of Grindelwald, etc. She also passionately writes about social issues like the death penalty and how to be an ally to the LGBTQIA+ communities and many more.
FII: Tell us a little about yourself and what you do.
Mahika Banerji: I’m a professional procrastinator, professional daydreamer, professional dog-petter – except I don’t get paid for any of these.
FII: How did you become a part of the FII writer family?
MB: I’ve been avidly following FII since 2014. 3 years later, I saw my fan-girling through and I joined FII as a content editor.
FII: How and when did you become a feminist? Which issues within feminism are close to your heart?
MB: I went to a horrendously patriarchal boarding school, which got me thinking about gender dynamics and the ridiculous stereotypes that we are conditioned into. Following which, I started reading a lot of feminist literature. As an intersectional feminist, I cannot pick a particular issue, but I do wish we talked about mental health more.
FII: What is your favourite piece on this site that you have written, and your favourite piece on this site that you have read? Why did they strike you?
MB: Where my work is concerned, I’m going to have to pick 2. As one was written from a place of all-consuming anger, which is India Advocates Death Penalty For Consensual Same-Sex Relationships. The second is from a place of joy – Why The Women In Black Panther Deserve Their Own Film. I cannot possibly pick a favourite piece as there are too many. But an article I really related to was Reflections On Being A Fat Woman: My Body As The Site Of Moral Panic. I’m also a huge fan of the work done by authors Nolina Minj and Tanika Godbole.
FII: What do you like to do when not writing about gender and social justice?
MB: Making bubbles, swinging, cooking, befriending dogs, fiddling around with graphic design, making and curating memes, roam the streets of Delhi looking for a perfect plate of golgappas and (completely unrelated to one another) that perfect cup of filter coffee. I’ve also recently started travelling solo and it’s addictive.
FII: What do you like about FII and our work? What more would you like to see from us?
MB: FII is the perfect resource spot. The sheer range of content is overwhelming – in a good way. It’s a tribute to how much Indian feminism has to offer. I would like to see a bigger push for diversity and intersectionality. I also hope that there is more work and dialogue applied to mental health.
FII thanks Mahika for being such a dedicated writer. We are incredibly grateful to have her as a part of our writers’ community and appreciate her for her deep and nuanced writing. She can be followed on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
