London based filmmaker Jan Rufus' film The Lyrics That Took Me Home explores the British South Asian female experience, featuring three creatives that have redefined what it means to be a young woman of South Asian heritage in Britain. Exploring the confidence these artists have to express themselves freely and honestly outside of cultural stereotypes. Highlighting the importance of culture and identity through creative individuals that understand ‘home’ to be in more than one place.

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The film features:

Vidhu Sharma is a writer who performs poetry under the stage name BananaSharma. Her work explores the relationship between her British and Indian identities. She is passionate about using arts and creativity as a means of conveying sustainable ideas and connecting communities.

Jasmin Sehra is a freelance illustrator and designer passionate about creating artwork based on identity, empowerment, self-love and positivity. Jasmin has amalgamated her Punjabi heritage, love for 80s graphics and pattern, bold typography reminiscent of vintage film posters and cassette tapes into her work. She also uses her love for nature to form her artistic storytelling through illustration, typography and design.

Priyanka Chauhan is a community-focused creative based in London, with a specialism in Indian dance. Alongside delivering inclusive, dance-based workshops for marginalised groups in the community, she explores ways to place Indian dance forms in a contemporary context, finding a personal interaction with it as a British Indian, growing up in and around a variety of cultures, movements and music.  

Rufus "The Lyrics That Took Me Home’ was my first independent documentary film. As the producer, director and editor the film really helped me to grow in confidence as a Filmmaker.

The idea for this documentary film was inspired by my friend Priyanka Chauhan. I found it very interesting how she was able to remain connected to her heritage whilst having a connection to urban culture and how she is able to merge the two within her dance work. This intrigue sparked the idea for the film and I wanted to find other South Asian creatives who had similar experiences. When we found Jasmin and Vidhu, I discovered that there were many uncanny experiences shared between the three women. A common theme and experience that was uncovered was that they all had a relationship with different genres of rap music which helped them all to connect to their Indian heritage on a deeper level, guided through their chosen art forms."