For South Asians around the world, 2023 was a big year — from India becoming the first country to land on the lunar south pole to Humza Yousaf becoming First Minister of Scotland. This year also saw “Naatu Naatu” and The Elephant Whisperers winning Oscars, Mahira Khan getting married, Padma Lakshmi in an iconic Sports Illustrated swimsuit shoot, and Nepal registering its first ever same-sex marriage. This August marked the 76th anniversary of Partition and independence for India and Pakistan. And September saw global outrage over a Seattle police officer laughing at the death of Jaahnavi Kandula.
Below, we revisit, honor, and reflect upon some of this year’s most notable moments for South Asians globally — in politics, business, film and television, music, and more.