Maharanis Gone Wild Book / Publication / Landmark Writing

Maharanis Gone Wild is a 2023 anthology zine dedicated to “highlighting and combating societal expectations within South Asian culture”. Created by activist arts collective Migrant Maharanis, the zine showcases a range of poetry, visual art and essays that both empower South Asian migrants and confront relevant issues within the community.

From colonialism to beauty standards to racism, the zine explores a variety of perspectives and experiences, particularly focusing on topics that may be deemed ‘taboo’. In the introduction to the zine, the team write that:

Maharanis gone Wild is a dedication to uplifting and reclaiming our unapologetic identities, including all things considered ‘taboo’. Gone are the days of letting patriarchal norms and sharam culture be enforced on our bodies.

The writing is distinctly personal, with each contributor sharing anecdotes, memories and reflections about their South Asian heritage. Migrant Maharanis co-founder Anndi Ram states that they “tried not to edit anything. Because we also wanted it to stay true to what [the artist] was presenting”.

Submissions were open to a range of creative mediums and prioritised “the voices of South Asian women and marginalised genders”. Although the Maharanis Gone Wild callouts initially focused on combating stigma around sex and the body, the central theme changed during the submissions period. Migrant Maharanis co-founder Shruthi Priya Balaji mentions that “...the idea developed as we got entries…and when we started putting [the zine] together, we collaged around the submissions rather than trying to fit the work around our concept”.

The overall visual tone of the zine is rooted in a cut-and-paste collage aesthetic. Similar to Migrant Zine Collective zines, Maharanis Gone Wild leans into a DIY design style, embracing the activist and collaborative history of zinemaking. Many of the collages are distinctly political in tone — images of South Asian women and Bollywood figures are collaged alongside confronting visual motifs of colonial buildings or diet pills. Referring to this melding of imagery, Shruthi comments that the collage medium allows for freedom in forming different narratives. Navigating cultural identity and combating stereotypes are also a common theme in the visual arts work. Contributor Sahana Rahman writes about her painting Golden Phool (ফুল) as a way of untangling the tensions of cultural identity:

Being subjected to racism and discrimination in my childhood...I've always found it difficult to express and be proud of my culture heritage...In this painting, I was figuring out how to convey my identity as a South Asian and a Kiwi.

Maharanis Gone Wild sits in a space of political confrontation and community empowerment, encouraging South Asian artists to “share their cultural experiences in a space that promotes progressive ideas, self-expression and individuality”. The zine won Best Activist Zine and Best Overall Zine at Auckland Zinefest 2023. Artwork and writing from Maharanis Gone Wild was exhibited at Kūwao Space in Tauranga from October to November 2023.

Maharanis Gone Wild zine

Mukti exhibition

Migrant Maharanis Instagram

2023 — Auckland Zinefest Best of the Fest: Best Overall Zine

2023 — Auckland Zinefest Best of the Fest: Best Activist Zine