This new Capt America wears a turban

Khanna, while hosting an exclusive screening of the film, expressed his deep-rooted admiration for the Sikh community, citing their inherent qualities akin to superheroes. He highlighted the community’s steadfastness in extending help and support during challenging times, emphasising their role as protectors and providers of solace.

Acknowledging his personal connection with Sikh values, Khanna elaborated on the significance of Gurudwaras in his life, mentioning how he found refuge, nourishment, affection, and a sense of belonging within their precincts. His involvement in the film was a heartfelt decision fuelled by these profound experiences.

The chef-filmmaker applauded Singh’s endeavour to combat negativity and bigotry with unwavering compassion and love, emphasising the courage required to challenge societal perceptions. Khanna stressed the importance of showcasing Sikh culture to a global audience, expressing his commitment to sharing this story through various mediums like restaurants, books, television, documentaries, and movies.

Eager to secure a spot for ‘American Sikh’ in the Best Animated Short category at the upcoming Oscars, the film’s creators are on a mission to amplify its reach. Scheduled screenings at prominent venues like the Asia Society and the Sikh International Film Festival are poised to further disseminate this impactful narrative, aiming to resonate with audiences on a broader scale.

Singh, who is the film’s director/producer, is a New York City-based illustrator, writer, performance artist and creator of Sikhtoons.com.
Through the animated short, the Washington-DC-born Singh tells his story of living in India in his younger years and then returning to America as an adult, the challenges he faced, not feeling welcomed and trying to fit in the American society.
“I felt a new desire to stand out as myself rather than blend in as no one,” Singh narrates in the film.

Vishavjit Singh was a cartoonist before the 9/11 attack on the US. However, the post-9/11 backlash against the Sikh community in America, due to their mistaken identification as Muslims, influenced Singh’s art. He chose to employ his artistic talents to combat this hate.

Yet, his endeavor wasn’t without challenges. Using art to confront hate exposed him to even more hostility. During this period, he conceived Captain America.

The film depicts his struggle not only against hate towards Sikhs but also for any American perceived as an outsider due to their race or color.

The FBI’s 2022 annual hate crimes report highlighted a record number of anti-Sikh hate crime victimizations at 198, positioning Sikhs as the second-most targeted group in religiously-motivated hate crime incidents in the nation.

“It’s commendable that such a movie is being made. Sikhs in the US have been enduring hate, and the incidents aren’t decreasing. This effort could make a significant impact not only in the US but also in other countries where Sikhs have settled. It’s surprising how, despite their heroic efforts during crises, Sikhs abroad still face discrimination. I hope this movie brings about a change,” expressed former SGPC general secretary Gurbachan Singh Grewal.

Singh states in the film that after the 9/11 attacks, he went from being seen as an outsider to being seen as a “villain.” It is then that he decides to don this new identity of ‘Sikh Captain America’.

“Sikh Captain America is changing the narrative on Sikhs (and anyone else who may not look “traditionally American”) — creating a new American hero that challenges societal expectations and norms. This film also follows his journey of accepting his own identity,” according to the film’s website.

“People have grown up idolising superheroes for decades. Sikh Captain America may not fight evil monsters, but he takes on hate and intolerance that are sadly still very much part of our contemporary society. That’s why an animated documentary, much like the superhero cartoons we’ve all grown up watching, is such a unique way to raise awareness about Sikhs domestically and internationally in a style that people of all cultures and ages can enjoy,” it says.

Underscoring the importance of spreading awareness about Sikhism, Singh stressed that children in schools across America must be educated about Sikhs.

“We (have) got to work with kids…We need to have Asian American Pacific Islanders, including Sikh stories in our schools. Not just learning about who Sikhs are and where they hail from. If you’re born here, start your story here,” Singh said. “My hope is certainly yes, I’m telling Sikh stories but I want to create films that have a lot of different characters.” “You want to tell a really beautiful story, and then let people ask questions,” Singh said.

Singh added that nearly 600 people have supported him and his short film. He said that in this journey many strangers have come forward, showing empathy and extending their support to him over the years.

“Go out and just take care of strangers. If you see somebody down, just take care of them,” Singh says.

The screening event’s co-host, CEO and co-founder of digital agency Digimentors Sree Sreenivasan said that in the aftermath of 9/11, the Sikh community was attacked, targeted and called names but the Sikhs “went out of their way” and “took the blows and tried to educate” others about their identities and culture.

(With PTI)