Three episodes on children with unique personalities in the Keswanis’ household.
By Raif Karerat
(Courtesy: YouTube)
“The Keswanis: A Most Modern Family” is a new reality series that stars an Indian American family of five from San Diego, California.
According to People, which produced the series, “with a family that includes a Vine superstar – that would be eldest son, Nik, 17, or BigNik, as he’s better known online – a teenage pageant princess – middle child Sarina, 15 – and a transgender princess – Devina, the baby of the family at 6 – it’s really only a matter of time before the Keswanis take over as the most famous family in America.”
Along with their parents, former beauty queen and current “momager” Vaishali, and hospital executive Anil, the family serves as the focal point of the web series as it chronicles Nik’s preparations for college and his mother’s difficulty coping, Sarina’s entrance into a pageant and her father’s subsequently negative reaction, and the “floating ball of noise and craziness” that is life with Devina.
The first episode of the three-part series focuses on Nik, 17, colloquially known as BigNik, with his legion of nearly 3 million Vine followers. He was born with a rare form of dwarfism and has gone through dozens of surgeries.
The second episode follows Sarina, the introverted middle child who shocks her father by deciding to enter the world of pageantry.
The third episode will turns the spotlight to Devina, a six-year-old transgender girl who is the baby of the family.
Being transgender has presented Devina with a set of trials and tribulations not often shouldered by someone so young.
“One [of my classmates] hates transgender, and he hates me because I’m transgender,” she admitted to People Magazine. “Before that he liked me, but now he hates me. He spits at me and pushes me,” she continued.
But the young girl scout is taking all the challenges thrown her way in stride.
“I’m deciding to do a speech about it, and tell my whole school,” she added. “To let people know they can be transgender if they want.”
Father Anil Keswani told NBC News that he hopes the three-part series will not be sensationalized or seen solely as reality television. “The reality is that’s not how we’re trying to portray or position ourselves,” he told NBC News. “We celebrate our children and their uniqueness.”
Anil said he hopes the series will spread a new sense of awareness and, instead, encourage parents to reflect about their own children.