Actor, producer and writer Lilly Singh, who rose to global fame as a social media creator, is in Mumbai catching up with some of Indian cinema’s biggest names for her podcast. Although she has visited before, she says she is still learning how the city works: “People told me it’s hard to confirm things. They said, ‘Tension mat lo, things will happen’. As a control freak, that was new for me. But with that flexibility comes the magic of jugaad. I even tell my team in Los Angeles to use jugaad, pretend you are in Mumbai and make it happen.”

One of her fondest Mumbai memories is from an earlier trip when Shah Rukh Khan hosted her at Mannat. A lifelong fan who grew up “manifesting SRK energy,” she calls it one of her greatest days. “Every time I sit in an auto, the driver says, ‘That’s Shah Rukh Khan’s house.’ I say, ‘Oh really,’ and keep quiet. I met his family, had lunch there, and he even gave me one of his blazers. I still have it.”

Talking about Hollywood, she says South Asian representation has slowed. She says, “We were taking steps forward but now we are stepping backwards. When I first moved to LA, it was hard to even find other desis. Now my Diwali party is full of South Asians, but it still doesn’t make it easier to get projects made. There are not enough roles for us. My last film was independently financed because that’s how things get made without studio backing.”

She adds that working as an actor, writer and producer is challenging, especially in Hollywood. “Most of the crew does not look like me or understand the culture. It puts extra responsibility on the producer. When I hosted my late-night show, people would email asking me to translate Hindi words. The word was Madhuri Dixit. A simple Google search would show it’s a person’s name.”

Singh is currently filming her podcast Shameless in Mumbai.