Daily Inspiration: Meet Mrittika ‘Mou’ Sarin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mrittika ‘Mou’ Sarin.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
The story starts as all stories start — I was born in India. I moved to the States at the age of 13 and then I moved back and forth quite a bit all my life. Unlike other people I know, I can confidently say that I have grown up in both countries, had formative experiences in both, worked professionally in both, been an immigrant in both, and been a child as well as an adult in both. This is what I feel makes my writing unique. I feel I can speak very seamlessly across the two cultures.

When I was a kid, I had an insane imagination and used to plot fantasy novels instead of paying attention to my teachers. I have always used writing as a way to express myself. I used to write my parent’s essays about how I was feeling instead of just saying it. By the time I was in high school, I was also in love with movies. Movies like BUT I’M A CHEERLEADER and SAVING FACE had characters I could relate to. So, it was obvious for me to just marry my two passions and dive into the path of a screenwriter.

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?
There are no paths in the film industry that are straightforward. It’s not like the corporate world where one position leads to another and then another. Especially in Screenwriting, people have had many kinds of careers, jobs, and experiences before getting to do it. That’s a big part of the struggle. When I moved to India to start my professional career, TV writing was very nascent so I bumbled about in various other jobs like editing, development, producing, etc.

Eventually, I grew disillusioned and wanted to get back to my roots so I applied for grad school. I went to the UCLA MFA program expecting to learn more about screenwriting. What ended up happening was that I unlearnt everything I had been taught before. In this unlearning, I found the kind of writer I wanted to be and finally got back on my original path.

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 have produced the official remakes of THE OFFICE and CRIMINAL JUSTICE in India. I also wrote on CRIMINAL JUSTICE, a BBC series that was also adapted into THE NIGHT OF (HBO). These are the projects I’m most well-known for.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
I think it’s really important to know what your voice is. Every writer has a distinct voice and it takes time to hone it. In my process of learning how to write for the screen, it took me a long time to shut out all the other voices and trust myself.

This goes hand in hand with being open to learning. I am excited by the idea that I won’t ever know everything there is to know about screenwriting no matter how successful I am. Being open to criticism and feedback makes me a stronger writer.

Contact Info:

• Website: mrittika. me
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/mousarin