Today we’d like to introduce you to Sapra.
Hi Sapra, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am grateful for the opportunity. So, before I jump to what I love to do and why let me introduce myself. Hey, I’m Sapra. I’m a South Asian actor straight out of India based in Los Angeles. I have been in Los Angeles for 12 years; I haven’t been back to my home country for the last 7 years. I have my health, a car, a rented apartment, and about 25 projects to my name. This is what I have earned in the last decade. I have put my youth on the line to pursue my dreams. I have a passion to perform, a desire to entertain. My passion to become an Actor/Performer, Musician, and filmmaker started at an early age and followed me through high school when, as my fellow classmates were taking their final exams, I was already on tour with productions around the globe. Today, I am considered a triple threat— a multilingual East Indian performer who can act, sing-rap, and dance. With a Bollywood style of acting, I am often cast as the lead actor, protagonist, and hero in a variety of projects that have taken me around the world!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has never been a smooth road.
Find a voice: It’s easy to get lost in the rat race of Los Angeles. You only get so many auditions and opportunities. So, the most difficult thing that I had to do was find my voice, i.e., creating my own content which is specific to what I want to do in my life and what I am passionate about. After producing, directing for others, I gained money but no satisfaction as I was not pursuing acting and performance. So I started producing for myself. I started with Indian rap music which focused on youth awareness and empowerment. I wanted to create awareness about drugs, body shaming, sex education, etc. and I started doing that through my music in a fun way. Now I create my own music, video and market it myself.
Financial hardships: Losing your ego, doing odd jobs. Living in Los Angeles is expensive and finding an open schedule to audition and making money is a task we all know can be challenging. So I learned to trash my ego. I decided to do whatever it takes to make my music and films and do whatever jobs I need to do on the side to pursue them.
Loneliness: Getting lonely is easy in LA and there have been times when I have gone through tough times as all of my family lives 200k miles away from me (abroad). The biggest challenge is to do all this alone and believe in thyself all the way. Never give up on me! You are and will always be the only person who believes the most in yourself.
However, I was able to find an awesome community world peace organization (sgi.org), where I made so many friends and worked together hand in hand for world peace.
Immigration Status: I have spent thousands of $$ on attorneys to be able to live here. It was not easy to maintain status legally in states.
Heart Break: Finding the right partner and working on an inner change is like looking for the right car or home to stay in. It’s not been easy to have time to put in the work to look for a girlfriend. However, this has taught me a lot and I have grown on the idea that love is to give, not to demand. Also, true love could only be fostered between two independent and mature people. But those heartbreaks add up to all the other struggles. Think of LA LA land, it’s real, haha
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m gifted and groundbreaking rapper from New Delhi, India, do not shy away from pushing boundaries through my music. I have a distinctive style where I artfully weaves together the beats of Hip-Hop and the unique rhythms of Bollywood music. Yet, much of my power also lies in a seamless way the lyricism comments on profoundly relevant social issues I believe in the power of youth and all my songs and art are focused on creating awareness and enthusiasm through arts. I like to make music and films on provocative topics like drug awareness, sex education, female empowerment, Covid-19, etc. When I see humanity suffering, my empathy level goes off the roof and I can’t help but want to create something impactful. I admire topics and concepts relating to equality and tolerance.
My new music video, “Meetha Meetha Pain: Coco,” will be released Nov. 24, 2022. It speaks to those that are turning to drugs for comfort and to assuage their pain. I’m collaborating with Rehabs Asia to bring awareness of substance abuse among youth.
My friends have ruined their life, missed opportunities, and become brain fogged because of drug use, they’ve altered their mind forever and it’s painful to see – all because of one wrong decision.”
“Meetha Meetha Pain: Coco” features music with a hard, driving beat that’s as addictive as the drug. I sing about the girl Coco, using cocaine as a metaphor for her. It’s a story of a failed relationship, depression, and the sweet pain of loss that can drive people to destructive behaviours. The action is filmed in a framework of white space, symbolic of the brain fog that comes with drug use.
I used the word cocaine is bold and deliberately provocative in an effort to get the attention of youth, increase awareness, and start a conversation. “Meetha Meetha Pain: Coco” is highly entertaining, yet captures the mindset of those that are turning to drugs, sex, alcohol and other forms of “forgetfulness” to alleviate their pain. Music is continually evolving and that’s especially true in my – native India.
According to me, the quality that sets me apart from others is an affirmation to hug and welcome the risks of life and trashing my ego. Outside my success as a performer, I am also incredibly active in the community with organizations like the World Peace Organization. I’ve emceed events, fundraised, and participated in public service announcements for the RSG Foundation, Women in Film, and the Khushi India nonprofit organization in addition to serving over 500 police officers during a health event for the Los Angeles Police Academy. I’ve given live performances to boost morale and fundraise at venues like AIM FOR SEVA USA in Raleigh, North Carolina, the Indo-American Association of Houston, Texas, Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, the Ohio Arts Council in Cleveland, the Victoria Theatre Association in Dayton, Ohio, and the Association of Indian Physicians of Northern Ohio.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Just call or email me, and I would love to discuss in person or on zoom 🙂
I would love to collab with new artists! I love diversity, new cultures, and languages!
I run a label called mlm pictures (musiclovemovies.com) and create my own music, videos and do digital marketing! I help other artists with the same!!
I am looking for an investment for a feature film and a youth-driven project for public good!
I want to help the youth and people around me by creating awareness about drug abuse, sex education, handling stress, fitness, equality and human rights through music and films!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sapramusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sapramusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ksapra7
- Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/sapramusica
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SapraMusic
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7A9TRei8uGYELclodc6GAC?si=hNzWHDoORZOvZ-bKTqaeug
Image Credits
Ara Torosyan
