We were lucky to catch up with Nikita Chaudhry recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Nikita thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

Absolutely. I like to believe my life is a love letter to my family and my ancestors. My parents are both South Asian immigrants to the United States, my mother from the UK and my father from India. Getting married and raising three children while also trying to navigate new land, new culture and new jobs all at the same time must not have been easy. Yet, they stayed open-minded, always ready to learn, and connect with people. This is how I was raised – to actively listen and remember the humanity in everyone no matter what. We were commonly advised as kids to “put ourselves in their shoes” and that “you never know what someone is going through.” My parents lead with love, light, empathy, and humor. They encouraged us to work our hardest and be the best we could be every day, doing so with love and by example. But they also never took themselves too seriously. Through all the obstacles and challenges, they managed to laugh together as well as constantly make us laugh. As an artist and storyteller, my understanding that humor and tears are the release of breath that bonds us all came from them. They are the first ones on the dance floor and the last ones to leave. And even beyond the literal sense of this, I think they continue to embody what it is like to figuratively find the music, follow your own rhythm, bring in your community, and keep moving. My parents are the life of the party, to which everyone is invited. When we were kids, they would jokingly “adopt” our friends, especially those who were feeling the need for a safe space. Our house became a home to all, from rehearsals, to cast parties, to sleepovers, to holidays, to hangs – everyone was welcome. Even in our dinner table conversations, they would never make me feel stupid when I’d ask questions. This is what ignited my curiosity for knowledge and understanding. And their creation of a sanctuary for all people (and animals) was pivotal in forming my personal passion for inclusion and belonging.

Finally, my parents showed up for me and my siblings. From attending plays and musical performances, dance and acapella concerts, graduations, speeches, presentations, to playing relay with picking/dropping me to and from dance class…Even when it took them time to understand our respective journeys into adulthood, they were present through it all. Two of my favorite stories with my father and mother respectively demonstrate this dedication. When I was in kindergarten, my class was taking a trip to Camden Yards, the Orioles’ stadium in my hometown of Baltimore, MD. My father had a full time job, two other children, extended family to care for, and much to juggle. It was expected for him to be unable to make it in the middle of a weekday, and that I was to be chaperoned by one of the other teachers or parents. Just as the tour was leaving, we stopped and saw a man in a doctor’s coat and Orioles’ umbrella running our way in the pouring rain. He had left work in the middle of the day to be with his youngest for the biggest field trip of the year. These little things mean so much to me as an adult; he instilled in me that I’m worth showing up for, and that I deserve people in my life who will do the same. Similarly, my mother was not able to be as involved in classroom activities due to her demanding schedule. In fourth grade, I was told I was supposed to bring something to a Halloween party event at school. My mother didn’t know about this until the day-of, and we ended up staying up that whole night making homemade Halloween shaped cookies together, laughing and crying about how we didn’t know what we were doing. But we tried anyway.

My parents did a lot of things “right,” but I think that’s because they were never afraid to be wrong. They learned on the go, with each child. Even among my older siblings and me, they modeled the importance of respecting diversity through equity and inclusion, and being aware of biases. Because they always led with truthfulness, openness, playfulness, and love, my relationship with them has become a safe home to which I can always return.

Nikita, 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 am an actor, organizer/activist, and educator. I grew up singing and dancing, constantly inspired by the culture around me, from school stage performances, to films (national to international, Hollywood and Bollywood), to television, to Broadway shows, to Punjabi parties and the music and dance constantly alive in my household. I attended NYU Tisch School of the Arts, graduating with a BFA in Drama, minor in Performance Studies, and honors certificate in Theatre Studies. My honors thesis “Brownness & Belonging” concentrated on the theatrical representation of South Asian American women. While I began my professional career on New York City stages, as an actor I have since appeared in episodes of various television shows I can’t currently talk about, as well as in independent films. My love for theater remains endless and I have had the privilege of collaborating with East West Players, the Old Globe, IAMA Theatre Company, Hypokrit Live Arts, Lincoln Center, Villa la Pietra and others.

My evolution as an activist began when I was quite young, jumping into every leadership conference and diversity conversation I could. This continued through high school and college, which eventually led me to connect with the Women’s March national team in 2017. Since then, I have continued to organize, particularly within the South Asian American community such as; co-building Chalo Vote (a South Asian American non-partisan voter mobilization organization), campaigning with Nithya Raman for LA City Council, serving as a board member of South Asian Americans Leading Together, and more. I recently completed a campaign fellowship with the Movement School, a project of Organize for Justice/Justice Democrats. Currently I’m consulting with Inspire Justice, engaging with multimedia companies, artists, and celebrities on identity, representation, and the intersections of entertainment and activism. This adds to my own skills as an independent socio-political educator and storytelling advisor on television, film, and theater projects.

Additionally, I am a NASM certified Group Fitness Instructor, having taught for a variety of studios and on-demand platforms (such as POPSUGAR, Equinox, One Down Dog) with specialties in Boxing/Kickboxing, HIIT and Barre formats. What began as a “day job,” has led me to not only improve my own relationship with my body and movement, but also to empower others to do the same.

All of the various aspects of my life journey have allowed for me to discover my purpose of connecting with others.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My mission is to bridge the gaps between people through storytelling, education, and advocacy. Art has the cathartic ability to impact folks deeply, illicit empathy, and connect us all, across borders. Stories are the generational cornerstone of humanity, as well as a vehicle for socio-political change and community. I love bringing people together and building collective power. I want everyone to be able to discover a sense of belonging in themselves and in this difficult world, so whatever I can do as an artist, organizer, or educator, to help them on that journey, I will do.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Society must always remember the unique power of art and artists. Not only for comfort, but also for connection, for change, for life. Characters provide opportunities for folks to be seen beyond their silos. Many don’t have access to understanding the beautiful diversity of the world, which illuminates why transformative representation is so important. As of the moment of this interview, I am currently on strike as a SAG-AFTRA actor. I hope that people will remember that humanity thrives best in community and collaboration, just as art does. Without artists, what we consume would cease to be and the times would cease to be reflected. Because of artists, the revolution will be televised and our stories will be told. We have a duty to contribute to this lineage, the results of which will last far beyond our lifetimes.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nikitachaudhry.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/nikita.chaudhry
• Others: https://www.imdb.me/nikitachaudhry

Image Credits
Stephanie Girard, Sam Rothermel, Christian Vasquez