We recently connected with Sushmita Kohli and have shared our conversation below.

Sushmita, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

Every encounter I have with another creative, my only advice is “don’t wait and never stop!” I grew up in a family of intelligent, hard-working, and driven people. I am one of 4 children and we all had big shoes to fill. It would be fair to claim that my parents did their best to support me but did not have all the answers to my neurodivergent brain. I did well in school, when it came to popularity, public speaking, and performances but test-taking was definitely not my cup of tea. I struggled in an environment that appreciated my talents but only awarded the studious. Hence I was always left with a sense of being good yet never good enough. That environment coupled with my excessive need for approval from my parents blinded me from my true passion. I can hear the voice of those few teachers who saw my talents telling me to not turn my back on art, yet I had something else I needed to prove.

My family plays a big role in who I am and who I’ll always be. There may have been a time when it was easy to blame my family and displace my anger onto them. However, as time has passed I have been able to gain clarity and acceptance about the path I am on in life. My parents both grew up In India, just one generation after the freedom of our great country. After being stripped of generational wealth, and opportunities, my parents grew up in the shadows of a traumatized nation. For them, getting an education and gaining financial security was extremely important. That was the goal they set and they did all they could to achieve that. My siblings and I grew up with blessings and access to the world around us. My parents did not have the luxury of “art”. The mindset wasn’t that art is bad, but those rich kids being able to do art for a living may be a reflection of their privilege it seems to me like a reflection of the fact that a human that doesn’t have to worry about money will often choose art. everyone is an artist until rent is due. I wish we all had that! To be honest, it’s still a little hard for me to sometimes shake off that feeling and I carry that guilt sometimes with me or label me “selfish” when I am consumed by my work.

I guess growing up “art” was never an option as a career, it was merely a hobby at most. Art was synonymous with laziness, unproductive, and even luxury. I recall a conversation with my father at 17, I was studying for the SATs and getting ready to apply for college the following year. He looked over my applications and casually suggested that I take a course in filmmaking. I remember hearing that statement and being deeply hurt by it. Looking back, it’s funny how my father always knew who I was but maybe my mindset got in the way, Back then I felt hurt because my interpretation was that he thought I was not smart enough for anything else. It’s ironic how that actually forced me to prove myself even more to my parents and that lead me down a path where I spent the next 4 years achieving a degree in both psychology and criminal justice. I was almost certain that I would end up a lawyer until I realized that I was actually deeply miserable, and I was nothing but a trained monkey with a degree. I was the true master of people pleasing and desperately wanted to be seen as “worthy” to my parents and the community we belonged to.

There are many stories I could tell you about how and why I was late to the party. But I think there is purpose and beauty in the path I’ve walked in life. I also think it allows me to really see art, stripped away from big price tags and tax loopholes for rich people. It was an instrument of healing, a tool of love and compassion that I had to learn to use. I do believe now that I am where I am supposed to be, I believe that my divergence into art will help me heal generations worth of trauma and pain. I believe that I am honoring my culture and heritage and not falling into the grinding traps of post-colonialism, I am excited to see where my life goes from here and my hope is to let people like me know that their dream of art is not out of reach. The leisure and luxury of art belong to all.

Sushmita, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

A big part of achieving any goal is to make the most out of your journey. It’s hard to talk about my accomplishments and achievements without recognizing my failure and shortcoming. It’s the struggle that truly bears the weight of what it means to accomplish something. I have always struggled with my self-identity, “who am I?” was more urgent to answer before I could ever answer “what do I wanna become?”

Growing up with a mix of people, cultures, religions, and lifestyles was an absolute blessing. I was pushed to have a flexible mindset and an attitude that was also willing to do outside my comfort zone. But perhaps I left my comfort zone a few too many times, to ever really allow myself to be comfortable and to really feel like I belong. As a child, I kept myself on the sideline and observed the world around me, and did my very best to soak in as much as I could. Some parts of me felt hidden and separate but I knew in my heart that I was lucky. I’ve probably worn several masks in my life to keep myself adjusted and popular, even when something did not bring me any joy. The only thing that was ever consistent in my life was the magic of art and film, there was not a corner of the world that did not have its own art. Art was a light into the people and the place. It was this thread of consistency that made me fall in love with art at a very young age. Even when I was searching for something new and unseen, it was only human of me to deeply desired consistency. Art become that me, my comfort zone when I was drawing, painting, writing, or even dancing. But above all, this was a private ritual, not one that was meant for the world to see.

I have always labeled myself as a selfish artist, mainly because I did not believe that this world cared for the innocent and the vulnerable, And my art was nothing more than an expression of just that, parts of me that were too sacred and fragile for the world to tear apart. In a way, I was slightly cynical and afraid, and that was the first thing I really learned about myself. My fear had disguised itself in so many forms and emotions and uncovering the truth and bringing it to the light was beyond freeing. It’s really extraordinary how unveiling your true self always starts with confrontation your greatest fear. Mine were simple ones, I understood them, I was afraid of being unloveable, I was afraid of being unoriginal and I was afraid of spending my life to be what others expected and not what I desired. Life throws you many opportunities that define who you are, and I will always try to define myself as a good person. I know that may not mean much on paper but in my everyday life, I try to be more conscious, and more knowledgeable about the world that extends beyond me. I acknowledge that I am not physically out in the world fighting battles, I am limited in my abilities, for now. It is simply put, contributing with your actions and your thoughts. The only way I can make this world a happy place, is if I am happy, in my truest form. It’s difficult to find that true form in a world full of hate, commercialism, classicism, racism, sexism, and all not “isms”. Life is so complicated, and being honest, original, and kind in the face of adversity, is who I am! and I am going to spend every day of my life staying true to that.

In terms of a career, in all honesty, my friend, I have a lifetime ahead of me. I will create in all forms, I will preserve with love and I will perceive with pride. My journey as a creator, artist, and filmmaker will continue to grow! I am not sure where I am heading, but I am diving head-first into it!

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I want to showcase my ability to tell a wide range of stories. I also want to help focus and bring attention to the large diaspora of the Indian community around the world. I want to explore the unexplored and the unconventional. I am like many artists who seek originality and work hard to perfect their craft. The ultimate goal is the pursuit of happiness. Art is just the path I walk to get to that goal. There are many small goals in life I do hope to achieve, making my film in India, watching its premiere to the world, taking photos with my parents on the red carpet, bringing home my first award, and placing it on the fire mantel. when I was younger, I always felt the weight of the world on me. I was convinced that it was my impeccable duty to save this world. I was so overwhelmed and suffocated by the problems of the world that there was no space for me and how dare I even try and put myself first. I know it may sound a bit dramatic but the feeling was indescribable, I was always someone to felt too much and a little too hard. “Crybaby” was probably the taunt that my classmates used the most. But regardless during all the heaviness of life, the only time I truly felt powerful and whole was during the movies. I was the hero, the savior, the resilient character that always knew how to make the right choices. it allowed me to believe in myself, to see myself transformed like a caterpillar in metamorphosis eager to burst out its new wings. I am eager to create this same feeling to other in the future.
Along with my long term goals, in 2023 I am excited to shoot a short film titled “Gulag”. Based on a short story written by my little brother Kabir Kohli, who took his inspiration on the really life story of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. The story is based in 1950’s soviet russia and the guilt that takes over the life of a retired commander of a sound-ranging battery in the Red Army. The story is about the truth coming to light and the unraveling of darkness. This theme is very important to me, as the coming into the light and into the truth is very resonent to my journey and many of those around me. I have the best team and I cant wait to have this project done!
Along with Gulag, I hope to make moves on another short film titled “Tukda” (pieces). This story is about the partition of India and the greatest mass migration that followed it. My mothers family was one of many families who were forced to abandon their home, their wealth and event their families behind. This film also resinates with the theme of brining the truth to light. The partition and the independence of India has always been described as “Peaceful” by the colonizers to showcases good face during their defeat and downfall. The truth is, the pain and destruction of the Indians were hidden and disguised in all historical records. My hope is to shoot this film in India in my home land and use this an an opportunity to honor my linage and shed light on the truth.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

The best way anyone can support artists is by recognizing that art is part of life. We experience art with every waking moment of our life. Art is in the clouds, in buildings, in what we read and what we experience. There is not a signal profession that does not require some amount of creative ability. I come from a community in which art is so associated with leisure and luxury and for the most part, there are not wrong. Over the last few decades, art has been nothing but a pawn for the rich to get richer and the art world is flooded with the viewpoints of privileged people. We as a community can support artists by associating a value with those who have a true vision. Supporting artists who wish to inspire and tell a story. As a community, we need to collectively leave the idea of “art for the rich” to “art for everyone”! Because that is the true essence of art and creativity, it is meant to inspire you in your business deals, in your kitchen, in your writing, and in your design. Art is unlimited and only we as a society can break the boundaries and really unleash all the potential and possibilities it holds.
Art is also a great way for children to develop their cognitive abilities and encourage childer at home and in school curriculums is an amazing way for society to support art and young artist. Creating a world in which art is assessable to everyone is the best way to support artist, creatives and build a thriving creative ecosystem.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hi_iam_sushi/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sushmita-kohli/
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm12219853/?ref_=fn_al_nm_0 https://www.redbubble.com/people/Sushi-N-Soy/shop?asc=u&ref=account-nav-dropdown https://shoutoutla.com/meet-sushmita-sushi-kohli-filmmaker-writer-artist/ https://www.gofundme.com/f/gulag-shortfilm?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer

Image Credits
– Photographer is Rithvik Reddy