Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Koushik Chattopadhyay. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Koushik, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I have always been very passionate about acting. Ever since I was a small kid. I would watch movies and wonder how it would be to act in those movies and to play a character. I would impersonate other actors and play characters out of a movie. Movies transformed me to a dream land to a world of imagination. I loved it. Although I had to pursue a Ph.D. in Human Genetics due to family pressure, the moment I got the opportunity, I jumped back into acting quoting my job.

Koushik, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I was born and raised in India. I had a strong passion for acting and writing right from my childhood. However, growing up I had a lot of pressure for higher studies. I completed my Masters in India and then moved to University of Cape Town in South Africa with a fellowship to pursue a Ph.D. program in Human Genetics. Once I graduated, I started working as a Research Scientist. I moved to the US and soon started working at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

This is when my childhood passion for acting and writing got rekindled. Soon I started acting full-time. I quickly realized that I have a special talent for comedy. My sense of humor, comedic nature and impeccable timing for comedy got me noticed in the Hollywood industry.

I have trained in improvisation at the Groundlings, UCB and IO West. I have trained in sketch comedies at the Pack Theatre. I have performed in several live stage plays, sketch comedies and improvisation shows in various theatre. My roles in stage plays, “A Comedy of Tenors” and “The Naked Yogi” garnered rave reviews.

I have acted in almost every type of acting projects, feature films, TV shows, commercials and voice overs. My roles in Tv shows such as, “Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders” and “The Story of God with Morgan Freeman” were well received. My character as a goofy Principal in the web series, “Mani” is hugely popular among kids. I have played several episodes of Dhar Mann productions, a multi-million subscribed web channel. I have played significant roles in several independent feature film productions such as, “I Believe”, “Above the High Road”, “Karma Dog” etc.

The entertainment boom in the post-pandemic era and wider acceptance of people of color in the Hollywood industry has opened up a pandora’s box for me. The coming few years would be crucial for my career and my success.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist for me is to create an original product, that did not exist before. A piece of art that I created from the scratch and I claim complete ownership of. That is what makes me happy. I like to write scripts and then act and direct them. By doing that I make sure that the vision I have as a writer, is executed using my visual imagination as a director. My acting talent aides to it. When I see the project on screen, that’s when my imagination comes “alive”. That’s the most rewarding part for me.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Non creatives will struggle to understand the struggle we go through. All the hustles and difficulties that are constantly pushing us back. Not having a full-time job, sacrificing family time, almost not having a life. All these for just one gain, to satisfy our creative needs. Many times our creative side doesn’t earn any money, in fact we have to invest money from our own pocket to advance further in our career. A non-creative person will never get that.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.koushikchatt.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indianinhollywood/
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/indianinhollywood

Image Credits
I have permission for all these images