Meet Aaroosh Kohli | Creative Assistant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Aaroosh Kohli and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Aaroosh, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
I have always been more of a risk-taker in most of what I do. My career in film/TV was always a risk, especially given that I have a degree in Economics and come from a family of bankers. I can attribute a lot of that to the privilege my parents afforded me throughout my life by supporting me in whatever I wanted to do. Whether that was my career or my numerous moves around the world, I have always been supported by those around me, and that has made taking risks so much easier. Big risks are easier to take when the people around you make you feel like anything is possible.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am currently an assistant at Olive Bridge Entertainment (Anyone But You, Easy A, Friends with Benefits, Peter Rabbit franchise). I landed this job in the summer between my two years completing my MFA at USC in the Peter Stark Producing Program. Before that, I was on the Scripted Series team at Netflix in India, where I was lucky to have worked on countless shows that I am very proud of.

I had always dreamed of working in Hollywood, but growing up abroad with an Indian passport meant that, despite finishing my undergraduate degree at Cornell University, it was very difficult for me to stay in the country. So, I spent six years working in Bollywood—first in feature films and then for Netflix—before deciding to come back to the US to try again. I have always been an avid fan of comedy, and one of the big reasons I wanted to work in Hollywood was the ability to work on larger-scale comedies and sitcoms that have a huge impact across the world. Olive Bridge, as a company, has an incredible track record of theatrical comedies as well as television comedies, which made it a perfect fit for what I wanted to do.

I think one of the biggest reasons for my love of comedy is its ability to bring people together. As someone who grew up all over the world, I was always able to fit in no matter where I went, and I attribute that to my ability to relate to and empathize with anyone. I have always aimed to bring that aspect of my personality to what I do, and it allows me to see the best in both people and projects.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
In terms of food, I have always been a foodie, but not for high-end food. I would take them to the best taco trucks and holes-in-the-wall. From Mexican to Arabic to Italian, LA has an extremely eclectic food scene that I haven’t really experienced before. I do miss good Indian food, though, so always open to more recommendations!

In terms of activities, first would have to be Disneyland. As a millennial, I grew up on Disney, and the joy of Disneyland cannot be matched. I also recently went for a studio tour at Warner Bros., and that is a great way to get some of that movie magic without the same high price tag and time commitment. Apart from that, LA has some amazing beaches and hikes all within spitting distance of the city that are beautiful and accessible.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I will always give credit to my parents and my sister for where I am today. They allowed me to chase my passion and find my way through my career on my own terms. They had their doubts (as they should have), but they allowed me to find my own path, and they saw the passion I had for Film & TV throughout my childhood, even if I hadn’t expressed it as my desired career early on. I will always be eternally grateful for their support in letting me follow my dreams, and I hope I can repay them for that support in the years to come.