We had the good fortune of connecting with Vrushali Hanamghar and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Vrushali, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I believe in taking risks. Up until now, the only times I have grown as a person and learnt something is when I have stepped out of my comfort zone and went for something that seemed impossible at the time. I was coming out of a really dark place during covid and I just decided to move to a new city and find work. I had no place to stay. I went to a backpacker’s hostel and stayed there for a week and found some work. I met one of the coolest people in my life there and made some unforgettable experiences. I then properly started working in the film industry as an art assistant after I made enough connections. So yeah, I would say always risk it. I am taking a huge risk right now, but that story is for another day.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
User I am a production designer. I work on designing and building sets for movies, advertisements, short films and music videos. My first project was with Netflix, and I continued to contribute to various advertisements and music videos in Mumbai. I served as an art assistant, responsible for prop and fabric sourcing, budget management, and on-set coordination for advertisements and music videos. While studying at SCAD, I worked on three short films as a production designer and a set decorator.
I am really excited about graduating from SCAD and start working in the film industry in the United States. That will be my new chapter and I cannot wait to begin it.
My journey faced challenges in the Mumbai film industry due to gender bias, particularly from some older men reluctant to see young women progress. Despite this, my female and some male superiors were supportive. Encountering sexism fueled my determination, influencing my choice to pursue a master’s at SCAD. My goal is to return to my homeland eventually, and help young women rise up and get what they deserve.
To all the young girls embarking on their journey without much support, I’d offer this advice: maintain unwavering faith in yourself and your dreams, even when the world may seem unjust and discouraging. Through relentless hard work and an determination, things will eventually align in your favor. I aim to preach the same.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend was visiting my hometown city in India, Pune; I would take her to my favorite cafe called Ganache and make her try the famous blueberry cheesecake. I would then take her to the ARAI hill right behind the cafe and catch the sunset with her. It is a beautiful view and you can overview the entire city from there. After walking back, I would then take her to one of my favorite restaurants and make her try my favorite boneless crab dish. Then we would drive at night to eat some ice cream and end our day with a nice movie at home. The next day, I would take her to the old historic parts of my city and make her visit Shaniwar Wada and Kelkar Museum. I will take her walking through that part of the city and explore old Maratha Wada and British Architecture. The old city is a huge market for shopping so we would do some street shopping. Later on, in the evening, I would take her to eat momos, which is my all time favorite food. Some good Chicken Schezwan momos and cold coffee is how we would end our day. I am getting excited just talking about it. Cannot wait to go back and actually do this with her.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am the closest to my family. I will always be grateful for the constant support and patience they have shown me. I have not been the easiest child but they always handled me with care and believed in my dreams with me.
Website: https://vhanam20.myportfolio.com
Instagram: vrushalii10
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/vrushalii10