Meet Sydelle Aaliyah Bhalla | Performer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sydelle Aaliyah Bhalla and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sydelle Aaliyah, can you share the most important lesson you’ve learned over the course of your career?
This career is a challenging one. Not only because of the mental force you need to pick yourself up after every rejection (and there are a lot more losses than wins), but also because it is an industry completely dependent on other people’s opinions about you. Most “conventional” careers have linear, measurable paths to success that can be accomplished by your objective intelligence and understanding of certain procedures. There are markers in those careers that let you know you are on the path to success. But artistic careers are a little different. There is no linear path, you can go up, down, left, right, in circles. I mean, think of a direction, we’ve probably been there. So it is hard to separate yourself from the “norms” of how to be successful and look at your success objectively. Especially since this is such a subjective career. We often get told that it has more to do with luck and “right place, right time” than it has to do with your talents.

Casting directors, producers and managers are looking for people with a certain criteria, and most times that criteria is something beyond your control. For example, if they are looking for a 6 foot tall, blue-eyed, blonde, I cannot magically grow ten inches and change my eye color, and I certainly cannot pull off blonde hair. And that makes it harder because you are constantly comparing yourself to other people in your field and wondering why you are not progressing as fast. But 9 times out of 10 they are probably thinking the same about you. The constant inner battle we face with the little demons that tell us we are not good enough, or pretty enough, or talented enough is exhausting, and it’s only heightened by the presence of social media in our lives. We can’t escape it because it has become such a big part of this industry. But I have learned that nothing about this career is personal. It has nothing to do with your talent or your looks and everything to do with the people on the other side of the table who already have an idea of who they want. I now look at every audition as an opportunity and learning experience whether or not the outcome was positive. I got in the door, and I brought my a-game and I am proud of myself for that.

This career has also taught me that it is so important to find your people. To build that village of support. Being the youngest, only girl in my family it sometimes felt like I had to keep it together and help everyone. I would prioritize other people and leave myself last because I never felt like I could ask for help. But all of that just burnt me out emotionally. And it is hard to know who to trust. There are a lot of people in the world who do not have the best intentions. They look out for themselves and other people are simply steps on a ladder that leads to the top. So I have learned to trust my gut and never lower my boundaries and expectations for other people. I am a big believer in second chances, but not a third. “Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me” and I have never felt like a quote was more important.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have always been drawn to the arts as a creative outlet. My parents put me in ballet when I was three, as most parents do with their daughters, and I immediately fell in love. I would talk about my class all day at school in anticipation of what was coming at 2.30 when the school bell rang. Seeing my love for ballet my parents decided to put me in acting classes and once again it was love at first sight, and though we have had a couple of tiffs here and there, performing has always been my first love.

But there was a point in my life where the idea of pursuing Musical Theatre seemed so shortsighted and laughable, especially being an Indian girl, I felt like I had a lot of expectations to meet. For a long time the arts became a hobby and Law was the way to go. But a couple years after my grandpa died, I would think of the times we would sing together and how much joy that brought me. My late grandpa used to love the arts and he was one of my biggest supporters. His favorite song to sing was Daddy Cool by Boney M. And his spirit and passion lived on through me and I decided I wanted to pursue a career that I actually loved and wanted as opposed to doing something I thought would make everyone else happy. So here I am on the precipice of graduating with a BFA in Musical Theatre and I couldn’t be more excited!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
L.A. was a bit of a challenge for me at first. I moved here in 2021 so Covid was still very present in our lives and it was scary moving nearly 10,000 miles away from home in the middle of a pandemic. But there were spots that my friends and I loved frequenting that made everything just a little bit more bearable.

Some of my favorites are all accessible by public transport and a little walking.

Downtown Disney is one of my favorite spots for a day out with friends. It is a little strip out in Anaheim, right by the parks, that has the cutest restaurants and shops that are all Disney themed. And then you can walk around the Anaheim area a bit and explore the amazing food they have there.

If you’re coming to L.A. you have to go to a beach and I always recommend Venice. Venice is so beautiful and Abbot Kinney Boulevard is full of local shops and dining that is also great for a day out.

My favorite bar here is Barney’s Beanery, and I prefer the one out in Westwood because it is usually filled with college kids, and being 21, that is exactly the vibe we are looking for. And they have really fun karaoke nights on Thursday where you can belt your heart out with your friends. And if you are looking for a day trip, they have Westfield Century City mall about a 2 minute drive from the main campus and it is a fun outdoor mall that isn’t overly crowded.

We all know and love the Grove, but if you are anything like me and the crowd just gets too much, the Americana is a great substitute with the same vibe of an outdoor pavilion mall, and if you get too hot cross the street and head into the Glendale Galleria. If you can grab a seat at Trattoria Amici and try their amazing Crème brûlée while you people watch, which is one of my favorite activities. Or hop over to Din Tai Fung at the Galleria for an amazing dining experience.

My favorite café here is Solar de Cahuenga. It is also a great brunch spot with ample parking and seating. They have seating both indoor and outdoors and my favorite part is they have gluten free, vegan options and they don’t charge extra for alternative milks, which is a surprisingly hard find in LA.

Finally, if you’re friends are here on a Sunday they have to visit the Ivar Farmer’s Market (open 8 am to 1pm) and then head on over to the Melrose Trading Post (open 10 am to 5 pm) for the ultimate L.A. farmer’s market experience.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My parents are my biggest supporters and one of the only reasons I am where I am today. Their unwavering support has given me the courage to keep going even at times when all I wanted to do was give up.

My parents have worked so hard to give me the best life possible and have sacrificed so much to send me here and all I want to do is make them proud. Everyday they tell me “We are already so proud of who you are as a person”, but that is all a testament to their patience and unconditional love. They taught me how to pick myself up if ever I should fall because nothing worth anything in life comes easy. You have to work hard everyday, and you can only succeed if you decide you want to. They instilled in me this belief that kindness, generosity and strength of spirit are the keys to be being successful in life

I am the person I am because of them. They taught me how to cry, laugh, and most importantly, they taught me how to love. And everyday I wonder how I could ever repay them.

Instagram: sydelle_b

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R81s7QP0kbo&list=PLDkiI8zM8IvP55eLl4CWJbvIe4KT1xQx3