We recently had the chance to connect with Eshaana Sheth and have shared our conversation below.
Eshaana , so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
My body wiggles its way out of bed despite my brain remaining asleep until 11:00 AM, because I am a bat. I even have a bat tattoo. My mouth is dry from my cocktail of cancer meds and meds to help the side effects so I drink lots of water. I make my bed and then stretch against the base of it like a dog, unless I’m looking after a real dog, in which case, we’ll do an AM walk. I like to work out in the evenings, but depending on my schedule, a group fitness class could be first on the docket. I open my blinds and play a Marketplace or NPR show while I brush my teeth and wash my face. Sometimes music. Recently, it’s been Wolf Alice’s new album. At this point, I might do my skincare and makeup routine, which can vary in truncation depending on what’s ahead of me and how much dread I am experiencing. Then, coffee. I’m honestly good on the morning…I could do without it…but coffee makes it worthwhile. I have a French press, Nespresso, single pour over, and drip to choose from. Soon, I will have a Matcha bowl as well. I do not play around with coffee, because I grew up with heavy Indian and European influence, and also because I’m enacting the “over-caffeinated Millennial girl boss” from 2016…the ones who’d caption their sepia Instagram photos with “Carpe Caffeine” or something. I have a collection of mugs and espresso sets that I’ve sourced via thrifting, estate sales, inheritance etc.. Finally, I eat a pretty healthy breakfast. More of the cancer cocktail. A multivitamin plus vitamin D. And, finally the day has begun.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m an independent writer, actor, and award-winning filmmaker—mostly comedy. My latest short, The Fishbowl, got me my first acting award on the film fest circuit! I wrote, directed, co-produced, and starred in it. It recently screened at the Culver Theater and Chinese Theatre. I’m also a professional model; I’ve walked in 4 seasons of NYFW, landed international billboard campaigns, done editorial spreads for magazines like CNN Style, and been the face of beauty and lingerie launches.
I’ve been writing a lot of sports-comedy lately. I’m a guest host on a podcast that my brothers started called “International Soccer Break” on YouTube, and it’s reminded me what a cultural touchstone soccer can be and how it can bridge motley crews. My work might feel niche in the context of American comedy, but it plays well to people who want film and TV to feel accessible with a touch of absurdity. I think my character work is pretty strong, because of how I understand people and the cultural ethos of environments. I can place people into boxes easily and shut off the perceptiveness when I need to take them out.
Also, I want to make this clear; being a young South Asian artist in breast cancer survivorship is unique, but everything I’ve managed to accomplish has been in spite of cancer and not because of it. I’ve published personal essays and fictional short stories that draw from my experience, but it’s difficult emotionally and technically with CRCI (cancer related cognitive impairment). I had a voice well before cancer and nothing about it has ignited a newfound beauty in my storytelling or whatever…I hate that narrative. It’s like people want to benefit from the profundity of someone else’s disease without having to live with the side effects themselves. I’m part of a documentary called “Marks of Majesty” with hopes that this societal narrative will be redefined.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
I was very shy growing up and quite an observer. I think given the time in society, I felt uncomfortable expressing my voice and thought no one really wanted to hear it. As I’ve gotten older, I don’t feel like my voice has to be limited to the written word. I’m more comfortable expressing myself and my stage fright is better. I’ve also learned to embrace the whole introverted-extroverted thing instead of wishing I could seamlessly exist in groups. Sometimes on set, I love interacting. Sometimes, I just want to put my headphones on but still be surrounded by people. I’m more of a one-on-one person, and I’m not for everybody, but I don’t feel the need to be, the way I believed as a child. I don’t think the feeling of insecurity around body image and visual mediums will ever go away, because it so deeply crippled my childhood, but I’ve come a long way from where I’ve started even when I’m in rough patches, like I am in right now.
When you were sad or scared as a child, what helped?
I really loved my stuffed animals as a child…I always felt like even if I had nothing, I’d still have them. Creating characters and soccer leagues with them was also the foundation of my interest in storytelling and comedy, I think. I recently read a study about how adults who sleep with stuffed animals actually have much more restful nights and better sleep hygiene. I don’t see anything wrong with an emotional support plushie! We all need comfort. I’m pretty sure some of the Muppets had stuffed animals, even though they themselves are puppets. That should be justification enough. Stop being a loser—grow up and get a stuffed animal!
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
Hopefully, them?
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
Oh, fuck, what a loaded question. I was at a wedding recently, after which I came back and sobbed about this question. I had a pretty bad mental breakdown, which happens from time to time with cancer, because my biggest fear is not having enough time to cement an artistic legacy or find my place in the world. So, I think I’d really love it if people stop waiting until I’m gone to tell stories about me. I’d like for us all to celebrate each other more in everyday life and not wait for milestones like weddings, engagements, baby showers etc. I think it’s really silly that as complex humans, so much of our society is centered around partnership and baby-making. Recently, it feels like natalism has become so conflated with moral rectitude and nothing irks me more as a cancer patient. I think it’s very important to get obsessed with what someone else might deem childlike like a themed party or redecorating your home. I hope people think about this, not when I’m gone, but right now.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.eshaana.com/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the_eshaana
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com
Image Credits
Jason Douglas Photography, Stereogram Films
