Conversations with Rakesh Palisetty

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rakesh Palisetty.

Hi Rakesh, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was born in New Delhi, India and spent most of my life there. During my undergrad years, I started acting professionally and continued to do so after school. I performed in over thirty productions all over the country. Simultaneously, I was assisting directors and finally directed a show of my own. The show was a huge success and toured all over India. I also co-wrote and co-produced a feature film that played at festivals across India and then premiered on a streaming platform. I felt I was getting too comfortable in my life and needed to challenge myself. I applied to the MFA Directing program at Columbia University and got accepted. I graduated from the program in the summer of 2022. Since then I have been working in the US and Europe with different directors and productions.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s not been a smooth road. I started off as a theater actor in India, which doesn’t pay very well, and so I was forced to take on a lot of projects at once. I worked as a lighting designer, sound designer, theater manager, associate artistic director, scenic designer, art critic and journalist on top of being an actor and director. When I applied to Columbia, I had never been to New York or the US before. I thought my audition for the MFA program went terribly, but somehow I got in. It has been difficult making work at Columbia and then finding work after graduation as an immigrant. I do not have the long-standing connections that people usually have in the theater and film community. On top of which I have to deal with visa restrictions and navigating a new culture.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a theater, film, and opera director. Since the very beginning of my theater career in India, I possessed a deep connection to work that challenged the status quo and focused on reimagining classics. While I believe this stems from an ever-complex relationship with colonial texts and what they have meant in my culture and upbringing, my hunger for understanding the thin line between the legacy and betrayal of classic texts only deepened when I moved to New York in 2018 to attend my MFA in Theater Directing at Columbia University. I have found it to be the most important time of my life, as I spent three years sharing ideas with a heavily international and diverse group of collaborators and educators who pushed each other to question who we were at our core as creators. I have worked as a director, actor, and assistant director in the US, India, and Europe and have worked with directors such as Ivo van Hove (Battles and Metamorphoses of a Woman, ITA Amsterdam), Thomas Ostermeier (Who Killed My Father, St. Ann’s Warehouse) and Jessica Stone (Kimberly Akimbo, Atlantic Theater Company).

I have also adapted and produced my own production of 12 Angry Men that toured India for two years at venues like India Habitat Centre and National Centre for the Performing Arts (the biggest theater venues in India) amongst many others and wrote and produced a feature film that played in festivals across India and on a self-created streaming platform. At Columbia, I directed an adaptation of Hedda Gabler at Lenfest Center for the Arts, which was driven by my postmodern influences. I then directed Much Ado About Nothing at Two River Theater, which I also approached as a contemporary adaptation. This summer (2022) I worked on a new play by Siting Yang called Sky of Darkness at Theatrelab in NYC, which was a documentary-style play that took a somber look at neocolonialism, race, and the perils of personal choices in the face of complex global issues.

I create work that tackles uncomfortable questions. I come from a country where racism and prejudice are as rife as in the US, though what I found fascinating working here is that most people avoided talking about these issues directly because they are afraid to say the wrong thing. I’ve wondered how do we grow and change as a society if we cannot face difficult conversations and reach self-awareness?

I am proud to be able to collaborate with artists in a mutual pursuit of work that questions and pushes boundaries, and am eager to explore and create, boldly and freely, work that questions the relevance of art in these strange times. And what sets me apart, I think, is the range of experiences I have had in my life which inform my art and work and help me to tell stories with a complexity in perspective that is nonwestern but historically influenced by the West due to colonialism.

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Well, nothing specific. I read a lot and like to think that I am constantly challenging myself and learning, not just from books but also from people and experiences.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rakeshpalisetty.com

Image Credits
Image 1,2,3: Scenic Design: Michael Lewis Costume Design: Lukas Wassman Lighting Design: Betsy Chester Image 4,5: Dop: Daniel Cho Production Design: Jiaqi Lui Producer: Elliot Gong Image 6, 7: Photography: Lauren Klain Scenic Design: Ana Novacic Costume Design: Lukas Wassman Lighting Design: Emma Deane Image 8,9: Photography: Maria Baranova Scenic Design: Diana Fathi and Elena Vannoni Costume Design: Diana Fathi Lighting Design: Danielle Elegy Projection Design: Andrew Freeburg Image 10: Photography: Judy Goldstein Scenic Design: Michael Lewis Costume Design: Lukas Wassman Lighting Design: Betsy Chester