Film virtuoso Shruti Ganguly is a multi-paradigm inspired wonder
Shruti is a phenomenal filmmaker who currently lives and works in New York City. Her diverse origin makes her a whole lot more interesting if not amazing. Both of her parents are from India, though her dad is from Bengal then moved to Delhi, and her mom is an Anglo-Indian from Mussoorie. Shruti was raised in Oman before deciding to live in The Big Apple. The stunning multi-cultural diversity made a lasting exposure and uniqueness to Shruti which ultimately reflected in her works.
Multiple places and cultures shaped her identity
“I had a happy childhood, with multiple places and cultures contributing to a rich upbringing. My life is made up of pleasant memories be it of my boarding school days at Woodstock, or the warmth of my Omani friends.” Shruti claims.
Shruti considers all three places special to her — Oman is her soul, India her spirit and New York as her unyielding passion.
Staying inspired is never losing your sense of wonder
One major turning point for Shruti was the tragedy that happened when she was 19. It made such a deep impact on her and radically made a big transition within her. One of her closest cousin Pooja Mukherjee passed away in an accidental death. Pooja was a successful Channel [V] visual brand and a VJ. She was also considered as one of the most talented actresses and did some hosting stints for celebrity shows. Shruti and Pooja were like sisters and lived together in Oman for some time. The loss made Shruti realize the importance of the fleeting joys of life. It gave her the determination to make the best of life and explore the wondrous opportunities it presents.
Turning from an investment banker to a filmmaker
She went on and later decided to study Economics and Art at Northwestern University. Her initial plan was to pursue investment banking for her career and then pursue art on the sides as a hobby. During her internships, she had struggles finding her primary area of interests and juggled between investment banking, media, and even advertising.
The spark of clarity she was waiting for came when she attended a course entitled “Women in India Cinema” by a visiting professor in the university. That course helped Shruti understand the ultimate power of the myriad-faceted cinema. It invoked a combination of art, music, culture, social impact, and everything else that she loved. She found an ultimate canvas of her being and decided to pursue interning for different films in Bombay.
New York is her adopted home
Shruti found her place deep in New York City where her multi-cultural background is embraced with the warm nurturing welcome for independent filmmakers. She studied at New York University where she had her MFA in Film and MBA at Stern simultaneously. Shruti met and worked with James Franco, whom she met in the MFA program she was attending. They collaborated in the movie “The Color of Time”, which also starred Jessica Chastain, Zach Braff, and Mila Kunis. Shruti ran and developed video strategy for NYLON, MTV, and Conde Nast. She currently practices yoga, loves travelling and going on long walks. She also enjoys exploring new perspectives in filmmaking as evidenced by her recent VR movie “Through You”, which premiered at Sundance Festival.
h/t: Your Story
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