Get to Know Tia Bhatia!
Some of you may remember my blog post about meeting Raptors Superfan and entrepreneur Nav Bhatia which was an amazing experience. Now this blog post is about his daughter Tia Bhatia who's just as awesome! Many may know her simply as Nav Bhatia's daughter but the reason I chose to highlight her is because I can truly relate to her and the goals she plans to achieve! I first felt like I could totally relate to Tia when I realized how close she is to her father, then as she started taking more steps into the industry as an actress and YouTuber I saw how truly passionate she is for what she does and that she's striving to make a name for herself. Even though we haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet, Tia is honestly one of the kindest people I've come across!
Ever since she can remember, Tia always wanted to be an actress! Remember when you used to lock yourself in your room as a kid and indulge in your favorite hobby? That's exactly what she used to do! "All I ever did was lock myself in a room and act out different scenarios in front of the mirror." When asked about her other hobbies or interests Tia told me she loves spending time with her family and friends. " I would choose to stay in with my loved ones and just talk, rather than go out."
Tia has her own YouTube channel where she shares the very important story about her adoption and also posts a bunch of inspirational and funny videos and challenges. Here's how she got started: "About 5 years ago, I released my first video on YouTube. I didn't have the confidence, nor a thought process when recording the video. So I took it down the next day, and I told myself I would come back to it when I'm more confident. All these wonderful YouTubers began to inspire me as the years went by, then eventually when I started to embrace myself more I was confident enough to release my first video."
Her detailed and emotional adoption story was one of the most touching videos I've seen. I highly recommend everyone to watch it with their families. Personal stories like this are very difficult to share and Tia showed a lot of courage by sharing her story with the world. While many shy away from sharing things like this with others I asked Tia how she chose to make this story public. "There was something inside of me that said that the time was right to release this story. I felt confident enough to hopefully inspire and make a change. To be honest, I was doing some research on the orphanages in India and trying to figure out where I might have come from. While doing this I stumbled upon statistics on female infanticide. Through this I came across abuse stories and neglect. Also my parents had told me that when they adopted me an individual had asked why they didn't adopt a boy because a girl is a burden. All of this just gathered up inside of me, and I knew what message I wanted to send across. I was hurt that a daughter was ever seen as a burden in the first place. I wanted people to understand a child deserves to be loved no matter what age, gender, state they are in, and etc." After sharing an experience like this I wondered if people viewed her differently. When asked, Tia said "Oh yes, people have begun to view me so differently. I've never had so many individuals, who I don't know, come up to me and tell me how my story touched their lives. It still surprises me." Tia's message in this video is truly inspiring. Watch her adoption story here.
If you didn't already know, Tia was in a film that was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival, so naturally I had to ask her about her experience! "This filming experience for Anatomy of Violence was truly something I had never been through before. Originally this was a workshop that was supposed to help us train and be prepared for when we actually shoot the feature film. While filming in India, Deepa Ji began to realize the magic of what was unfolding. It was something that could not have been re-created again, therefore turning the workshop into the film. About 5 years ago, I attended my first Toronto International Film Festival and told myself that one day with my hard work I will have a film of mine premiere here. Lo and behold, fast forward those years and there I was at my own premiere. I have never had such nervous, confused, yet excited emotions. It was truly such a memorable time."
When I asked Tia where her inspiration came from, I kind of already knew what her answer would be. Like I said in my blog post about Nav Uncle, his face seriously lit up as he spoke about Tia. "My inspiration comes from my father, even though he is not an actor. I knew that I wanted to be a part of this crazy acting world and I was blessed to have such supportive parents who kept motivating me constantly. Seeing the accomplishments my parents have had, inspires me to work hard for not just myself, but also them. The best piece of advice my father has ever given me is to be honest and to stay true to who I am. He told me to not care about what others think, but focus on how I view myself. I shouldn't be what anyone thinks I should be."
Tia recently shared a message she received from someone on social media and made it a point to mention that she will not tolerate any negative messages of that sort. The way she handled the situation was admirable so I had to know how she deals with this sort of situation! "My definition of a hater is someone who doesn't view themselves in a positive way, doesn't know how to embrace their own insecurities, and needs to bring down others to feel happy. I don't let haters get to me, but if I see them talking nonsense I am always keen on responding and sometimes I do. For example, one time an individual made a comment about my skin colour and my dad's turban. I made sure to educate them and sometimes they send a beautiful response feeling enlightened, or they continue with their ignorance. If they continue with the negativity then I don't bother responding after that. I'm happy I tried educating them but they couldn't let go of their mentality, so hopefully one day they learn."
Before we ended this I needed to know one more thing- There are so many people out there who have dreams they'd like to follow but are hesitant. What is her advice for them? "Honestly, just start. The moment you begin the first step you will be hungry to see what the next step will do for you. It's easier said than done so pace yourself because life isn't a race, it's a journey."
Guys, this conversation with Tia honestly really motivated me personally and I hope that it motivated and inspired you as well! She has some really cool projects lined up that we'll get to know about soon enough so be sure to follow her on Twitter, Instagram and of course, YouTube! Keep shining Tia!
