Singer Jonita Gandhi was born in Delhi to a Punjabi family. Her parents moved to Canada when she was just nine months old. She grew up there.
In a recent interview with Hauterrfly, Jonita opened up about painful childhood memories. She spoke about facing racism, bullying, and body image issues.
She Felt Like a Stranger in India
Jonita said she had many brown-skinned friends in Canada. So, she felt accepted while growing up there. But when she came to India, she didn’t feel welcome.
She said rickshaw drivers treated her differently. They charged her more than locals. This made her feel like an outsider.
She Faced Bullying for Facial Hair
Jonita talked about how people mocked her appearance. She said, “I used to get a lot of racist comments while growing up. But I was more bothered about being bullied for my facial hair. I used to have curly side-locks. They used to call me Godzilla. I think they just thought I was ugly. I used to come home and cry. Even the Punjabi boys in my class would make fun of me.”
Her words show how much this bullying hurt her.
She Struggled with Her Body Image
Jonita also faced issues with how she saw herself. She said, “Growing up, I was convinced that I was never going to have sex because of the same issues. I couldn’t accept my own body; how can someone else accept it?”
Even now, she deals with some of those feelings. But music helped her gain confidence.
She added, “Music helped me. It made me feel I am doing something different in life. That made me feel cool when nothing else made me feel cool. Even when I did shows in Toronto, I didn’t dress up good. I used to wear a kurti, whereas everyone wore a lehenga. I feel like I am the ugly duckling who became the swan.”
Her New Music Video Wins Praise
Now, Jonita is getting love for her latest music video Beparwai. Fans are praising her singing and dancing.
She shared a clip on Instagram and wrote, “This one’s been a long time coming and I’m so proud of it! Give it your love.”
