“Before colonialism rewrote history, Indian women were warriors, rulers, and revolutionaries. My thesis body of work is titled: She is real. This is her story. She fought against colonial powers, centers around three South Indian queens who were forgotten, Rani Abbakka Chowta, Kittur Rani Chennamma and Rani Velu Nachiyar. Through large-scale narrative paintings, I retell the stories of these queens, positioning them at the center of the historical narrative. Drawing from Mughal miniature traditions, archival research, and symbolic imagery, I reimagine these women not as relics of the past, but as powerful forces that still demand recognition today.”