I had been trying to work with Almass Badat for a while. Known for spreading and cultivating diasporic talent around the world, she is one of those rare creatives that has the talent to go mainstream (and has done so), but has remained firmly planted in projects she believes in with diverse audiences. Boiler Room in Pakistan, then to BBC to host a show. Curate for Glastonbury, SXSW and The British Council, but remember to make ample time for Dialled In (a thriving artist-led platform showcasing the breadth of South Asian creativity). Then it’s back to co-hosting podcast What is This Behaviour?, before mentoring upcoming creative professionals and practicing collage-making and ceramics.
So of course, once we were connected and scheming on what to do together, it was clear that letting her lose to direct a doc was a big win for EST and the community writ large. When I saw Nikita Chauhan’s name on a list of possible subjects my interest was piqued. Nikita and I met briefly at a dinner in London in 2019, and I had watched her rise on social media. She was desi, a boss in the music scene and bringing West African artists the mainstream in a way I’d witnessed few others involved in at the same level. It was an enticing idea to learn the hows and whys of that story, and so we greenlit the doc.
Some docs are made and released in a month, and some take years. As Above, So Below was the latter. The title itself is a nod to the worlds we are each trying to reconcile within us and also in our world. Almass says the question the doc answers is “When you’re at rock bottom, what keeps you going?” Read on below to learn more about these powerhouses, and what it takes to build legacy as women, people, the diaspora, in the music industry.
(As Above, So Below Documentary Still)
Keshia Hannam:
Nikita this is a very personal story on every level; what has been your process for handling the inevitable vulnerability hangover that comes with sharing a story like this?
Nikita Chauhan:
I am still dealing with it to be honest. I question every other week “Isis this a good idea? Does this matter? Why are we doing this?” What has eased that is having a strong support network of peers, family and friends who give you the reality check. It is bigger than me. It is about sharing a story that may resonate, may hit home for some people, may even inspire but most importantly, share a small insight. Having a strong team around the project with Almass and you [Keshia] has also been instrumental – mentally it gives you ease knowing you’re in this together.
I always say we are human first. Being human does come with some vulnerability.
Keshia Hannam:
As you watch this doc, what do you think your child self would feel seeing how the grown up Nikita lives her life?
Nikita Chauhan:
Little Nikita would most likely be in awe! She would be excited to know that living a life centered on one’s passions is possible, and very much a future reality. She would be really proud too – seeing her grandparents sharing part of their story.
Keshia Hannam:
What surprised you the most when you watched the doc for the first time?
Nikita Chauhan:
I was more vulnerable than I thought I was when we were recording. I remember ringing Almass weeks after we wrapped filming saying, “erm hey, I think I held back a lot”. But when I watched the doc I was surprised that she managed to capture some moment of realness and, for lack of a better word, vulnerability. It takes a lot to open up right? Well for me it does. Almass made it super easy. I was also surprised by wholesome it is to see my grandparents share a part of them in the documentary. Hearing them speak, that really got a few tears.
Keshia Hannam:
How has the music industry changed since you’ve been part of it?
Nikita Chauhan:
The music industry is in a constant state of change – global and local. For me one of the biggest changes is seeing the rise in love for music from around the world grow. Language isn’t as big of a barrier as it was before. Artists can build communities that can grow into global audiences. There are less barriers to entry, and there are more ways to grow yourself and your artistry. Over the last eight years independent artists and teams have grown enormously. Now you can carve out your own path and find the right collaborators and partners to build. There is no one set formula for success.
Keshia Hannam:
What is your hope for the music industry writ large, in terms of how hospitable it is for minority folks?
Nikita Chauhan:
We are seeing it in real time: artists from across different parts of the world – South America to South Asia, West Africa to South Africa – are playing main stages at some of the biggest festivals in the world. Those championing these incredible acts are being celebrated. Look at the formidable force that is Sonali Singh (who manages Diiljit Dosanjh) receiving ‘Global Manager Of The Year’ from Billboard Canada. Karan Aujla selling out the O2 Arena. Steel Banglez is trending globally for a song in Panjabi and English. Tems taking it to the Grammys and the Oscars. Rema performing in India. It is a global playing field now.
It’s no longer about making it hospitable for the minority. They are becoming the majority. There are more similarities between cultures than differences and that’s what is going to make collaboration on a global scale vital for the future of music making and entertainment. It’s already happening; it’s only going to get bigger.
Keshia Hannam:
Nikita’s story was one that early on we agreed deserved to be more widely known: what was it that made you choose her?
Almass Badat:
Nikita’s story is about a fierce achiever who uses music to overcome ancestral legacy to transform her world as well as the world’s of those around her. As Above, So Below asks the question: “When you’re at rock bottom, what keeps you going?” My mission (my “why”) is to help people realise that self worth is crucial to world change. As I watched her build connections between communities, cultures and continents, she was transforming her grandparent’s legacy. Nikita’s journey contributes to the movement of human stories that inspire people to break out of rigid, oppressive patterns of low self worth.
As Above, So Below also documents the power of collaboration between South Asian and West African communities. As a professional in the music industry, Nikita’s determination to uplift her clients takes them to impressive heights proving that together, we are stronger. All of this spoke to me, and in this documentary, we’ve been able to uncover the softer, sometimes hidden strands that weave through a business mogul’s DNA, unearthing the strength beneath the surface that fuels Nikita’s success.
Keshia Hannam:
What is important about this story right now?
Almass Badat:
As Above, So Below demonstrates how to tell honest stories about difficult themes with compassion and gentleness, something I feel like we don’t often see on-screen. Having managed Grammy award-winning artists with a career across continents and roots in Derby that extend back towards India, Nikita is at a pivotal point in her career. This film is important because many music professionals, especially women, are instrumental yet unseen in the light of global stardom and the hyper focus on celebrity. As Above, So Below brings you up to speed with a key industry player who is on her way to changing the scope of music as we know it.
Keshia Hannam:
How has your history as a London-born, African raised South Asian who settled in London influenced the stories you tell?
Almass Badat:
I spent ages 3-10 in Zambia, which tremendously shaped my curiosity to learn about different cultures and through contrast. Moving back to Hackney in London at age 10 as a South Asian girl taught me to be nimble: I had to learn fast if I was going to not only survive, but thrive. The tragedy of 9/11 made that growth even harder, as I was scared and ashamed to come from a Muslim family. At that age, I wasn’t sure why I felt that way, but I did know that being me wasn’t always safe. At this time, immersing myself into learning about other cultures soothed me as I began to contextualise my place in the world.
Growing up through my teens and into my twenties, I avoided tapping into my heritage for many different reasons, some of my community were anti-black, or some British Asians were judgemental that I wasn’t South Asian like them. Today, I feel most at home when I’m with the South Asian diaspora by way of Africa – typically Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Kenya, South Africa.
When I was in Ghana in 2022, I met a South Asian woman who was born and bred in Accra, and I felt so seen! During this time I also bumped into Nikita in Accra, and I felt comforted seeing another South Asian woman in the creative industry who understood, appreciated and respected African people and their culture. So, a lot of my formative community is non-Asian. All the above means that my most prominent creative influences are from Black culture: films, music, art, language across family gatherings, house parties, radio, television shows, popular music, annual events like Notting Hill Carnival, Ghana Independence Day celebrations and so on.
As I enter my late twenties and thirties, I get to choose my South Asian friends, and that’s so lovely as I base my friendships, relationships and creative collaborations on shared value systems i.e. kindness and respect to all. I feel that my cross-cultural observations and immersion in culture is reflected in all my work through whose stories I choose to tell and how I use film, music and art to tell those stories.
Keshia Hannam:
You are like a transformer–adapting to each creative scenario what it requires of you. How did you get like this!? Was it always the way you moved through the world or have you added more disciplines as you’ve attained them?
Almass Badat:
It’s less about the medium and always about the message for me. Practicing multiple creative mediums feels natural, similarly to how we all have the ability to practice cooking, develop careers, enrich personal well-being and build community relationships alongside one another – one tool sharpens the other. My DJ practice has sharpened my film editing, but film editing itself led me to DJing, as I would lay down the sound first before bringing in the visual in the editing suite. This led me to attentively listen to vocals, music and sound in an informative way, which eventually transformed into DJing.
Keshia Hannam:
When it comes to your creative process, what is one widely held filmmaking rule you follow religiously, and one that you threw out long ago?
Almass Badat:
As a documentary filmmaker, I believe the story reveals itself. So once I have an initial question, I film first and build the story after. This requires trust from the commissioner and the subject and confidence in myself.
I threw out keeping people’s stories from them. Oftentimes documentaries are built without the subject, but I believe that collaboratively working together creates a film that is better balanced.
