monologue.
"My website says I'm a filmmaker, a creative director, and an "artist." If you're wondering what the hell an "artist" is in the context of commercial work and deadlines, the answer is: someone who gets paid to be creative without losing their mind. (Most of the time.)
My website says I'm a filmmaker, a creative director, and an "artist." If you're a normal human being—not from the ad world—that last one probably gets you. “Artist? So, like, you paint stuff?”I don't. But I used to hit a yellow ball really, really well. My first career was supposed to be as a professional tennis player. I spent my teenage years in the junior circuit, a blur of sweat, backhands, and intense focus. It was a good life, a disciplined life. But eventually, I swapped the racquet for a camera and switched gears entirely. Why? Because what matters isn't just the final creation, it's the beautiful, messy, sometimes-confusing journey of the human who made it.
This is my journey.
I went to Symbiosis Institute of Media Studies and, let me tell you, I was a student on a mission. I crammed in internships with two NGOs, Viacom18, and even Dharma Productions. I worked as an AD on a Bollywood film ( Gabbar is back )—all while still in college. When I graduated, I was cocky. I thought I had the "real" world figured out.
Spoiler alert: I didn't.
After two film projects that I'd rather not talk about, I made the jump to advertising. And that’s where the real education began. I started as a 3rd AD, then a 2nd AD, then a Chief AD, and finally, a Director's Assistant. And that's when it finally clicked. This was where the magic happened—where I got to truly dive into the creative process.
I started writing treatment notes for other directors, which, on the surface, might sound like a pretty raw deal. Basically, I was giving away my killer ideas to other people. Some people would call that a violation; I called it a masterclass. It was my secret weapon. I was learning the art of the pitch—how to build a creative world from a simple script. I already knew the nuts and bolts of production from my AD days; this gave me the missing piece of the puzzle: the creative, visionary stage. Soon, directors I worked with trusted me so much they’d give me a script with no brief at all, knowing I’d cook up something amazing on my own.
Fast-forward a couple of years. I finally got to direct my own commercial for a direct client, and it was a direct hit. It was one of those projects where the final product is better than all the references and mood boards you started with. When that happens, you know you're on the right track. I spent the next few years directing, writing treatments for myself and others, and even working as a B-unit director. Life was good, but I wanted more. I had a nagging feeling that a director should be a jack-of-all-trades, or at least a master of understanding them. I needed to learn more, see more, and live more.
So I packed up my tiny furry baby and moved to Prague for a year. Yes, to grow.
I had a nagging feeling that a director should be more than just a boss shouting "action." You can't lead a team if you don't understand what everyone else is doing. A good director should know how to speak the language of every department—lighting, sound, and of course, cinematography. So, in true "I'm a jack-of-all-trades" fashion, I packed up my tiny furry baby and moved to Prague to get my diploma in cinematography.
Working on over seven films from the other side of the lens was a complete game-changer. It taught me how to communicate better, grow my aesthetic, and really see things differently. It was in Prague that I was introduced to experimental film, and it felt like coming home. As a "style director" obsessed with the abstract, this genre spoke to my soul. It’s the medium I breathe. This new passion led me to create my first experimental short film, Dead Fish. It’s the one piece of art I’m most proud of—a personal project that somehow becomes personal to everyone who sees it. The film was submitted to the Dedo Light Competition in 2020, and we came in 19th in the world. That was my first real "I made it!" moment.
The Creative Director: A New Kind of Storyteller.
I came back to India, continued directing, and—surprise!—a client approached me to be a Creative Director for a pet app startup. As a mother to 12 rescued and adopted furry kids, it was an offer I couldn’t refuse. I was hired to completely redesign and re-strategize their entire brand. Since it was a startup, I had the freedom to build it from the ground up. I collaborated with the company’s Creative Director, built teams for design, marketing, and video production, and steered the whole ship for two years. Social media, online, and offline marketing—I did it all.
Now, the project is set. The firm is solid, and I’ve given them everything they need and more. So I'm back to being a freelance filmmaker, a creative director for hire, and I'm still writing those treatment notes. And, most importantly, I’m working on scripts for my next short films."