On the first day of kindergarten, my teacher pulled my mom aside and said, “You have a very positive child.” I simply don’t understand how negative energy can create. It pulls down the feeling of a room, it censors people, it isn’t the heart of creation - of an idea. In my many years of improv training (more below) it is essentially the spirit of Yes And.
There’s nothing in the world like a good idea. It’s like a spark - you can’t contain it, it travels, it connects people of all backgrounds instantly.
As a daughter of hardworking Indian immigrants, I’m very lucky - they didn’t force me to be a doctor (trust me, there are stories.) They noticed my animated nature, my quirkiness, my energy, my endless stream of thoughts. They encouraged me to enter writing contests as a child which resulted in awards and newspaper publishings at an early age and eventually into advertising.
I remember when I wrote my first commercial. In casting, I noticed a huge lack of diversity. Yes, we'd see them - but for them to book? Much harder. Film and TV is growing with diversity...but commercials? Take a look at casting. That's what I thought. Commercials are what most people see, starting from the youngest of ages, and media is powerful. Noticing this, I kind of saw it as a calling to go in and book work to represent more culture on camera. It hasn’t been the easiest journey but I’m glad I did.
Being on the other side of the camera has taught me patience, presentation skills, and tenacity. My improv skills help me add to the commercial without taking away from the message. You learn a lot when you switch places.
This is a shot for an American Express commercial shot by Ogilvy. We had some time on set and the director asked me to do some improv takes for about half and hour with Tina Fey. Um, yes please! I saw sparkles for the rest of the day and it wasn't those shoes.
This is my reel featuring me on 30 Rock, Broad City, The Ridge (Amazon Prime.)
This past year, my first play was featured on Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls blog - which was created to support women out there making their dreams come true using a little more noggin, a little less boob job. You can see my interview here.
I’ve also done two commercials for Kohls, Amex, & 2 spots for Kayak.com
This was a fun spot I shot this past year for Kayak.com. I'm looking for dates. Not like real life. At all.