“Oceanic Hearts” is my first ever work in the long form and I enjoyed building the characters of “Anusha” and “Aman”…. – Mansi Aggarwal

Mansi Aggarwal an Indian Film Director, Writer and Choreographer and now an author, known for distinctive and “Narrative driven” choreographies. She has directed songs in popular films Dev.D, Gulaal, Shanghai, Gippi, Mary Kom and Kai Po Che, nominated in the ‘Best Choreographer’ category for the song ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ from film ‘Shanghai’ for 58th Filmfare Awards. To begin with in 2005 she was conferred the “Nrityakala Vidushi Samman” for excellence in the field of Indian Classical Dance, Kathak. She has been published as the youngest choreographer in a leading magazine 2012.
 Born in Delhi where she took training in Indian classical dance, Kathak. Her Kathak training started when she was 7 years old. At the age of 14 she received scholarship in Kathak from Ministry of Tourism. She later became a Visharad (graduate) in the dance form. She has also graduated in Economics Honours from Hansraj College, Delhi University. As a filmmaker, she has written, directed and produced the short films “Raani” and “The Handbag” which have won critical acclaim as well as awards in the film festivals and can be streamed online. Raani was a Finalist and won the best actor award at Golden Jury International film festival. The Handbag was an official selection at Lift Off Global Networks, London. Recently her first novel “Oceanic Hearts” has got published by Redgrab Books which is being loved and appreciated by readers worldwide. This versatile personality is all set to share her journey as an author and filmmaker with “Perfect Woman”.

How has your professional life been lately, and what are you working on that’s keeping you motivated?
My first novel “Oceanic Hearts” has just got published by Redgrab Books. The appreciation it is getting is encouraging. I am right now working on a mini web show which is an urban comedy. I am much excited about directing it.

What period of your life do you find you write about most often? (child, teenager, young adult)
I guess most of what I have written till now is woven around my experiences and observations from the period when I was 23 years old till, I was 32. My teenage years and surroundings have also been an influence.

What sparked your interest in filmmaking initially?
During my childhood I used to grasp stories in all forms very quickly. Thats is why there was an allotted time duration for me to watch television and I was shown very selected films to not impact my impressionable mind. There was more focus on studies and academics. I guess I was 9 years old when “Jurassic Park” got released and my parents took us to watch that on my birthday on “Sheila Cinemas” in Delhi, Paharganj area. I enjoyed the film very much and still carry vivid memories of it. Later Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight”, influenced me and made me more intrigued by the filmmaking process.

Can you share a turning point in your career that shaped you as a director?
After doing few films as a choreographer, a friend gave me Andrei Tarkovsky films. I watched “Stalker” and it blew my mind. I understood the power of cinema. I started watching world cinema after that and somehow people around keep giving me DVD’s and films on pen drives and hard drives. “Agnes Varda”, “Stanley Kubrik”, “Pedro Almodovar”, “Akira Kurosawa”, “Majid Majidi”, “Richard Linklater”, “Park Chan Wook”, “Wong Kar Wai” are some of the greats seeing whose work shaped my thought process.

What were some challenges you overcame not being from this industry?
It is difficult to prove yourself even when you have talent, calibre and aptitude. Outsiders are not trusted and accepted as easily. Plus people who are from the industry have been trained and been around films and the film fraternity since childhood. So some of the things come to them and are being understood by them easily. Being an outsider and that too a female outsider has been a challenge.

Which film of yours do you feel most personally connected to, and why?
It is a difficult choice to make. I am connected to all my work.

How did your first book change your process of writing?
“Oceanic Hearts” is my first ever work in the long form and I enjoyed building the characters of “Anusha” and “Aman”. It has motivated me to explore prose writing further along with script writing. I might churn out more work in form of books and novels. Let’s see not figured that out yet! My letter to my younger self, is coming soon as a part of an anthology book.

What do you do when you are not working on a project?
I prefer to spend time with my paw-kid “Olive”, a cocker spaniel with traits of a golden retriever 🙂

Challenges you faced in your journey
Being a female behind the scenes and getting accepted for your work and not because of your gender has been a challenge. The lack of trust, unnecessary judgement and time-consuming power play is exhausting. There are expectations to behave in certain way according to your gender.

Define Perfect Woman and Who is your Perfect Woman in Your Life?
Knowing one’s imperfections and accepting them, makes one a Perfect Woman. I guess all the women in my life have been perfect in some way or the other.

Your message for Perfect Woman Readers
Have some self-compassion!