CHLOE Magazine Fall Winter 2018 | Page 34

F FROM ALL OF THE COMMENTS, LIKES AND LOVE SHOWN ON SANGITA’S SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS, IT’S EASY TO TELL THAT SHE HAS INFLUENCE. PEOPLE RESPECT HER, ADMIRE HER AND ENJOY KEEPING UP WITH HER DAILY MUSINGS. Which is also why she feels the need to be a voice for women in the entertainment indus- try. (Or when it really comes down to it, any industry.) She’s in a position where people will listen to her—and not only when she’s on-set, speaking to millions of viewers across the country. Being a South Asian woman on television isn’t something that you see very often. But Sangita is helping break away from the norm. She’s had her share of struggles, but it’s her passion for the entertainment business that keeps pushing her forward. “It’s been a journey, and I know I get held back for opportunities because of the colour of my skin unfortunately,” she says. “Just recently you are seeing more Asians in the entertainment world. We are not used to seeing women of colour in certain marketing, but thankfully that is changing, and change is good.” However, diversity in television doesn’t stop there. It’s not only about being a South Asian woman, or a woman of colour, for San- gita—it’s also about just being a woman. Full stop. “I still feel like I’m still trying to belong in this world of media. It’s up to me to have the confidence to use my voice and platform to encourage others.” ET Canada airs weeknights at 7:30pm ET/ 7 pm PT on Global And this is something that she takes very seriously. She tells me that she believes social media can sometimes shine a negative light on the support that women give each other, but that doesn’t mean women aren’t helping one another in real life, off of social plat- forms. “I know some incredible women in the business, and we support each other,” she explains. “If we can all help each other, we should, because it would help women overall just do better in whatever industry they are in.” Sangita lives her life by a single word: passion. (“It has so much meaning!” she says, full of, you guessed it, passion.) She always strives to be genuinely herself in whatever she’s doing. After all, that was a tip given to her at the beginning of her television career, and it’s stuck with her ever since. “The best advice I got was on my third day in a newsroom as a weather personality. The anchor said to me, “Patel you don’t give a f##k about the way you look on-camera. You are just you… keep it that way!” She has kept it that way, and that’s what we love about her.