Today we’d like to introduce you to Aishwarya Haldankar.
Aishwarya, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Growing up in a highly education-driven country, I always believed the conventional method of learning was not really my cup of tea. I was driven more towards being a part of sports teams, playing soccer and basketball from an early age and even taking part in athletic events at my school. Always choosing science as a stream during my high school years. Unfortunately, Math and science were never my forte. I tried my best but the pressure to perform well in a field I did not particularly like, put me in a very difficult phase of my life. The anxiety and depression that followed led me to isolate myself and disregard everything related to education. I learned a lot about myself by going through an existential crisis of sorts and became more and more sure about where I would want to see myself in the future. I’ve always thought of myself to be the main character of my own story, not really fitting into any stereotypical cliches.
Having a family with a background in arts back in India, definitely encouraged me to steer away from the 9-5 job routine. I’ve had an early interest in storytelling and conceptualizing ideas in my mind that needed a little bit of channeling. Enrolling in film school definitely provided the structure I needed to create these extravagant universes in my mind world, as I like to call it and give it a more visual medium. Coming to Los Angeles was definitely in the books as being in the heart of Hollywood where there’s content being created at every corner just brings the right inspiration to ignite that passion I have for making movies. I am a filmmaker in the whole essence of being hands-on with every part of the process of making a film. When I’m not creating my own films, I’m working on gaining experience as a producer and the business aspect of moviemaking, aspiring to make a commercial feature of my own down the line.
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?
My journey to where I am right now definitely has had its ups and downs. From the early stages of having a very athletic stature and being called out for it to accepting the way I am and loving myself wholeheartedly has been a difficult journey in itself. Figuring out who I am and what I’ve wanted to do took a while and a lot of internal and external of having to convince my parents to not pursue the standard career route (architecture in my case), opting for filmmaking as my career path and then coming to Los Angeles, living on my own for the first time, had its challenges. But I had help from my relatives around California, whom I’m eternally grateful for.
Then dealing with being in film school during the pandemic had a different set of challenges. I have always been a hands-on learner and a visual thinker, so when we were asked to switch to learning over zoom, it had ample of downsides starting with a lack of motivation and interest to learn anything new without having access to any film equipment and in the bigger picture, not being able to network and form those connections amongst my fellow peers; something which affects my career trajectory to date.
But I’m reeling from all those downsides and picking up from where I left off to proceed with the plans I have in terms of my career as a filmmaker.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m first and foremost a filmmaker, in the whole and soul. I specialize mainly in writing and directing psychological thrillers and occasional comedies, having filmed four short films of my own in the past five years.
Being a film enthusiast, I not only watch the film as an audience but also look at various aspects that go into making just a scene. My mind has questions like, ‘how did they film that?’, ‘what angles did they use in that scene?’, ‘how did they manage the continuity of that action scene?’ and so on. Some I manage to find answers for but the others intrigue me to learn more about film every day.
From Bollywood to Hollywood, from the best academy award-winning films to the best romantic comedies, I have covered almost all the genres of film which has given me the ability to come up with concepts that haven’t been created before and allow me to incorporate unique twists to seemingly normal concepts.
Aside from making my own movies, I have worked in the production teams in various capacities and as an Assistant Director on multiple films, some of which are having their festival runs at the moment while others are in the process of getting there.
I’m most proud of having the ability to think on my feet at any given situation pertaining to film and being able to problem solve my way out of any obstacle; it gives me an indescribable adrenaline rush that no other career would entice within me.
Being Indian, I have experienced major cultural shifts within the country adapting to them as I’ve grown up, I’ve had the interest in learning new languages and traditional values wherever I go. It helps me actively adapt towards becoming a citizen of the world, a long-term goal of mine. It’s given me the ability to accept socio-cultural changes happening around me including having friends of various backgrounds and constantly learning from their experiences and incorporating their values to align with mine. Especially being in a diverse city such as Los Angeles, every person has their own story to share and being a filmmaker, I’m a sucker for good stories which makes me a great listener and an even better friend. I believe that’s what sets me apart.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I personally thrive on taking risks. I have become a chronic over-thinker in recent times because of my mental health but I dislike being stagnant at any given point in my life. I enjoy the comfort that comes with being stuck to a routine but after a while, there’s an urge in my gut to make calculated impulsive decisions. It makes and keeps my life interesting to say the least. Having chosen film as a career path itself, I believe is a risk with no guarantee of return in investment that my family has put into getting me the required education to pursue this career. I have to push myself to back the risk I have taken which is encouraging most of the time but comes with high expectations I’ve set for myself. Which in itself is what I believe setting me up for failure. I love living in the moment and living life as it comes but when I’ve made a choice, I believe it has to be backed up with strong willpower to withhold the risk value before it comes crashing down on you and then you’re back to where you started; a very big fear of mine.
Risk taking comes from you having a strong mindset and seeing yourself through any risks knowing the reward or satisfaction you’d get at the end of it is all worth it. I started taking small risks from diving head first on high steep water slides to making it a point of not living in the same apartment for more than a year and even being a stranger in the world where everyone knows everyone. The adrenaline and exploring the unknown of it all is what makes it worth in the end.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm12070072/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashaldi97/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashaldi
- Other: https://vimeo.com/ashaldi
Image Credits
Diane Devilers
