SEAT AT THE TABLE
A Feature Documentary
South Asians’ Rise in American Politics
In immersive vérité style, Seat at the Table follows several prominent South Asian political candidates during the 2024 election cycle, alongside a community galvanized by the groundbreaking campaign of the first South Asian presidential candidate. Within a hundred years, South Asians in America have gone from being disenfranchised, to seeing the first South Asian presidential candidate on a major party’s ticket.
With unprecedented access to congressional and state-level campaigns, as well as grassroots organizing efforts, the film captures a historic year for the South Asian diaspora as more candidates than ever run for office, providing us a rare front-row seat to an immigrant community awakening to its power in America.
The Characters
Amish Shah
An ER doctor turned state representative, Amish Shah campaigns to mend the broken healthcare system. Facing relentless attacks from both parties - dubbed a “closet Republican” by Democrats and a “Bernie Sanders progressive” by Republicans - Amish gears up for a showdown against 14-year incumbent, Republican David Schweikert,
Arizona State Representative, 5th District
Nabeela Syed
The youngest member of the Illinois State Congress, Nabeela Syed’s platform, focused on reproductive justice, gun reform and prescription drug affordability, is now under fire for her pro-Palestinian stance as she faces a well-funded Republican challenger.
Illinois State Representative, 51st District
Ravi Bhalla
Former Hoboken Mayor, New Jersey State Representative, 32nd District
Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla faces his greatest political challenge yet: running to become the first turban-wearing Sikh in U.S. Congress, confronting his opponent, Rob Menendez Jr., son of scandal-plagued Senator Bob Menendez.
Harini Krishnan
Leading South Asians for Harris, Harini Krishnan is a community organizer, attempting to galvanize the vote for presidential contender Kamala Harris, rallying support in battleground states like Michigan, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Arizona.
South Asians for Harris Organizer
In just over a century, South Asians in the U.S. have moved from exclusion and disenfranchisement to the doorstep of presidency.
A History
What we were witnessing wasn’t just a series of campaigns, it was a community stepping into its political power in America in a way we had never seen before.
Directors’ Statement
When we began filming Seat at the Table, we thought we were making a film about a handful of South Asian candidates running for office. But very quickly, it became clear that something much bigger was unfolding. What we were witnessing wasn’t just a series of campaigns, it was a community stepping into its political power in America in a way we had never seen before
This moment felt deeply personal. Many of us grew up in immigrant households where politics often felt distant — something happening somewhere else, to someone else. Yet suddenly we were watching people who looked like us, who carried the same names, traditions, and family histories, running for office across the country. It felt like history unfolding in real time.
In 2024, that sense of momentum reached a new level when South Asians were galvanized across the country, culminating in the first South Asian presidential nominee on a major party ticket. Following candidates and organizers across the country, we witnessed both the exhilaration and the vulnerability of campaigning. In Seat at the the Table, we aim to capture this historic moment of political awakening in the South Asian American community.
We are making this film because South Asians are reshaping American politics in ways that are profound but under-recognized. Over the last several generations, as South Asian Americans have increasingly engaged in running for political office, and coming out to vote, we've gained more visibility and representation at all levels of government, as well as organized ourselves at grassroots levels across the country. Seat at the Table introduces American audiences to the culture, values, and spirit that drive our community — highlighting our contributions in the heart of democratic life.
When communities who once felt invisible begin to see themselves reflected in leadership, the entire idea of who belongs in American democracy expands.
But beyond documenting a milestone, the film is also about something deeper. At a time when civic participation can feel fragile, these stories remind us that democracy is constantly renewed by new voices.
That is the story we felt compelled to tell.
