First Year
Production Option
What medium do you prefer to work in? Film.
Favorite TV show? I am always afraid of the questions that include the word “favorite”; can't ever pick one with certainty! (And if I said Friends, it won't sound like a “TV-and-film guy”) Maybe I'll say Suits at the moment.
Favorite film/documentary? Will you laugh if I say Harry Potter? But again, can't pick favorites! From The Holiday to Hugo, and Avengers to Revolutionary Road, many could be my answer here.
Favorite play? Thanks to Fall quarter, I can answer this one with some certainty: The Price by Arthur Miller and Paula Vogel's How I Learned To Drive.
Why did you choose Cal State L.A.’s MFA program in Television, Film and Theatre? For its unique design and for its ethnically rich location with professional proximity. Also, it was one of the very few quality options that suited my budget.
What were you doing before you enrolled in Cal State L.A.’s MFA program? I finished my master’s degree in development communication and then started working as a feature writer turned copy editor in the popular English daily of my country, Times of India. Following that and before coming down to the U.S., I worked as a creative writer turned visualizer in a communication agency. I also taught part-time in master’s degree courses.
Do you have film/TV industry experience or are you currently working in the industry? Apart from a couple of good internships, nothing as a full-time professional.
What are you passionate about? Expressing, communicating, creating, making people happy and hopeful.
What themes are important to you in your work? Hope and happiness.
What projects/people in the film industry inspire you? All that have anything to do with above two!
Most fascinating thing you have learned in the MFA program? That the world is even bigger than I had thought. Coming from an international student and a very curious person, this answer can actually extend in an essay. Just being in such a fascinating nation and society, among equally fascinating group of individuals and teachers is a constant learning process as a creator. This quarter made me learn how to appreciate and love theatre like I never thought I would.
What are your plans for after graduation? Try and get some hands-on industry experience in the U.S. and then go back to India and put in all what I gather from here in good practice.