This week we’re talking about an Indian teen making sports history, unpacking TikTok’s discovery of “Amla” oil, a Hallmark movie about an Indian matchmaker, and the Indian origins of many English words.

— Rumneek Johal

An Indian American Teen Just Got Drafted in The MLB

An Indian American 17-year-old shortstop just got drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the MLB.

Arjun Nimmala made history this weekend when he was drafted in the first round, making him the highest-drafted Indian-American player in MLB history.

Some facts about Arjun:

Nimmala’s parents immigrated to the United States from Andhra Pradesh in 2002, originally putting their son in little league because of the sport’s similarities to cricket.

At just 17 years old, Nimmala, who hails from Tampa Bay, Florida, is one of the youngest players in this year’s draft.

Nimmala also has some impressive stats, including a .479 batting average, six home runs, and 29 RBIs in his final high school season.

He also ranked 11th on MLB Pipeline's pre-draft board and has certainly proved himself as one to watch.

Amla Oil Is Taking Over TikTok

Hair oiling is an ancient Indian tradition that has been practiced for decades.

The Ayurvedic practice of oiling your scalp and hair has many beneficial properties, and many have fond memories of sitting at the feet of their mothers and grandmothers who massaged the oil into their hair.

Now, the age-old tradition has picked up popularity and is taking TikTok by storm, triggering some trauma in the brown girls who were made fun of their oily hair with a pungent odor, which is now seemingly in fashion everywhere.

A popular hair oil that can be found in Indian grocery stores is Amla oil, which has recently gone viral on TikTok because it has seemingly just been discovered by white people.

@poppunkaries

if yall think THIS smells bad…

Amla oil is derived from the “amla” fruit, also known as the Indian gooseberry. However, the version that’s being promoted online, “Dabur Amla Oil” is actually made of a number of different oils, including sesame oil and canola oil…which we aren’t entirely sure you should be using on your hair.

@daniawiththegoodhair

#stitch with @lovingg_liz amla oil getting the recognition it deserves! Using higher quality oils will be better for your hair long term! ... See more

Whether it’s the original used by brown moms and grandmas, or a new version with a more potent form of the ingredients, amla oil is seriously having its moment.

Hallmark Just Dropped A Movie About An Indian Matchmaker

Last week Hallmark released their most recent made for TV film, and it’s surprisingly not just another movie about a a happy white couples like the ones that we’re used to seeing on their channel.

Directed by Heather Hawthorn Doyle and written by Nikhil S. Jayaram, Make Me a Match, follows a dating app executive (Eva Bourne) as she seeks the expertise of an Indian matchmaker (Rekha Sharma) for her algorithm, unaware that the love she's seeking could be found in the matchmaker's own son (Rushi Kota).

The film’s American and Indian creative team is a direct reflection of how the film follows modern dating apps in comparison to traditional Indian matchmaking.

While this romantic comedy tells a fun and light-hearted story, it also capitalizes on the success of the three-season Netflix series, Indian Matchmaking. Sometimes it’s easier to capitalize on what’s already working in the entertainment industry rather than trying something new.

What themes in South Asian film/tv do you want to see?

These English Words Have Their Roots In South Asia

The Western world has borrowed and taken a lot from South Asia, including chai and yoga. Because of colonization, we see lots of cultural elements find their way to the U.S. and sometimes—we even find words.

Several Indian words and concepts have found their way into the English vernacular. These words are used daily but very few know they are derived from one of the many South Asian languages.

Here is your non-exhaustive list of English word with South Asian-origin

1. Shampoo

   1. From the Hindi and Urdu cā̃po which is an imperative of cā̃pnā, meaning to massage. When you use the word shampoo, you are quite literally saying you are going to “massage” your hair and you are saying it in Hindi/Urdu.

2. Pyjamas

   1. From Hindi pājāma. Also from Persian pā (leg) and jāma (garment). The British changed the spelling of this to Pajamas but the real, authentic way to write it is Pyjamas. Do not listen to autocorrect!

3. Cash 

   1. From Tamil kācu which is a small coin. Also from the Sanskrit karṣa which is the weight of gold. This one makes a lot of sense since gold is extremely prevalent in brown communities (you can read about the significance of gold in India here)

4. Thug 

   1. From Marathi thag, thak which means cheat/swindler. Also from Hindi thag. The first known usage of this word was in 1810 to describe gang members.

5. Candy 

   1. From Arabic qandi. Also from the Persian qand which translates to “cane sugar.” If you have had Desi sweets, you know that they are some of the most delectable treats ever.

There are so many more English words that come from Arabic, Hindi, Tamil, Sinhala, Bengali, etc. Tell us what words you were surprised to hear came from Desi origins.

Other Notable News

• Hrjxt and Intense release new album “Heat.”

• The cast of The Barbie Movie looked amazing at the premiere.

• Supreme Sidhu Releases New Single “Jaal.”

• Prabh Release The Music Video For The Viral Hit Song 9:45.

• SRK dropped a new trailer for the action-packed new film “Jawan.”

Listen to the PopShift Playlist on Spotify.

Writers: Aneesa Khan, Saumya Monga & Rumneek Johal
Editor: Rumneek Johal