Meet the Cast of Fitting Indian - Part 2

Friends, Love interests and fun side characters

Apr 30, 2025

If you missed Part 1, I’m sharing some of the character designs + sketches from my upcoming graphic novel, Fitting Indian by Jyoti Chand! Obligatory preorder link:

PREORDER FITTING INDIAN!

And also a reminder that author

Jyoti Chand

and I might be at a bookstore near you soon! I'll be at the NYC, Philly, Atlanta, and Chicago dates!

Come meet Jyoti Chand and Tara Anand in person for an intimate conversation and book signing.*

**CHICAGO, IL* | MAY 13 | 7 PM**

PHOENIX, AZ | MAY 14 | 6:30 PM

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA | MAY 17 | 4 PM

**NY, NY* | MAY 18 | 12:30pm (TBA)**

**BROOKLYN, NY* | MAY 18 | 7pm**

**PHILADELPHIA, PA* | MAY 20 | 7pm**

**ATLANTA, GA* | MAY 21 | 7pm**

Nitasha’s friends and enemies:

Ava (right) is Nitasha’s best friend. I wanted her features to contrast with Nitasha’s, so she has short, blond, curly hair, whereas Nitasha’s is long, dark, and straight. They have a similar sense of style, except that Ava doesn’t have some of the neckline-and-sleeve-length restrictions Nitasha has.

Chloe (left) is Ava’s new friend. She’s wealthier and more put together than the two other girls, so in the final art, her hair always looks professionally cut and blow-dried. I usually give her a nice pair of pants (rather than regular jeans) + a more basic top, and she always has some jewelry on, even if it’s just a necklace with a ‘c’ pendant.

Nick

Nick is Nitasha’s childhood friend. They have a very close relationship, and although they seem to be subjected to many of the same pressures, Nick seems to have a little more room to do his own thing. He’s generally dressed in dark colours, and his hair is always unruly and a touch longer than a strict parent might like. In the book, he provides a lot of emotional support to Nitasha and is generally a character who brings a lot of emotional sensitivity to a scene.

His initial sketches were made in a phase where I gave everyone really boney faces and receding hairlines. Odd phase that lasted about a month. Couldn’t tell you why. By round 2, his features had softened, and he’d gotten lankier.

Henry is Nitasha’s classmate. We’re told she’s had a crush on him for years. In my script, he was described like this: Henry Winkenwarder standing before her. He is half Filipino, half German, and beyond gorgeous. He could be a model with his nice biceps, smile, and chiseled face

Again, his initial character design had that strange boneyness to it + the receding hairline, but Round 2 had him looking younger and softer with normal hair.

Bonus: Side Characters I Enjoyed Drawing!

Nitasha’s Art Teacher:

I had such a strong sense that this woman was a blend between Patricia Clarkson (thinking specifically of her role as kooky mum in Easy A) and Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman. I have a soft spot for art teachers; I wanted to be one when I was younger, and so her clothes are all based on my own. Two of her dresses are based on ones that I own from Lovebirds India and Cord India (I’m thinking of wearing them at the book tour events as a fun easter egg)

Niyati:

Niyati is Nitasha’s cool older cousin. NRI (Non-resident Indians, a term used slightly inaccurately for the Indian diaspora regardless of their citizenship) traditional wear fashion is famous for being outdated and a little cringey to those of us who grew up in India. I had to consciously remind myself that most people in this book wouldn’t keep up with India's trend cycles. I wanted Niyati to be a little more trendy than your average NR,I and in 202,3, when I was colouring this book, that meant the gradient saris seen in Rocky aur Rani. (Yes, pointing that out is the sole reason she’s in this post.)