Meet Anusha Halwai | Filmmaker

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

Hi Anusha, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
“What you think, you become. What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you create.” – Buddha

This isn’t just a quote; it’s a philosophy my family lives by every moment. My twin sister and I were raised with a very positive approach to life, instilled by our parents, who defined how we receive, perceive, and interact with everything around us – with a lot of gratitude, acceptance and patience.

This mindset resonates deeply with me because I’ve witnessed firsthand how my parents have embodied it, unconditionally, and have transformed their lives. Growing up in Maharashtra, India, I saw stark disparities in resources and opportunities among different communities. In a society where work-life balance is nearly nonexistent and survival is often a relentless pursuit, success requires more than just tangible effort—it demands an unshakable mindset and a firm belief in one’s own vision.

My parents came from rural India, where even a single meal wasn’t guaranteed, yet twenty five years down the line – today, they have built a life from scratch in the US and funded both their daughters’ full education. While for my family, education has been the key to break the cycle of adversities, I often reflect on the sheer grit, determination, and optimism it must take to emerge from those adversities and still approach life with as much kindness and positivity as them. They thought, felt, and imagined their way into becoming, attracting, and creating exactly what they aspired to—minding their own path, building their own world, and lifting their family through resilience and belief. What I love about this quote is it simply reassures me to keep my head down and work towards building my world, regardless of what’s happening or being said around me. There are times when my own dreams scare me, but these words help me ground myself and keep going.

This is the reason why my sister and I can dream big today and actually believe in a future for ourselves and our family where nothing is impossible. We all carry the weight of our past and the karma of generations before us, but ultimately, our thoughts and actions shape our reality.

Please tell us more about your art. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I come from a very academically rigorous education system in India where STEM is the gold standard, which is ironic considering its extremely rich history in artistry. I found my affinity towards the arts very early on – be it performing on stage for concerts or making arts and crafts for class projects – the emotional aspects of being and expressing intrigued me the most. For the same reason, I was drawn to subjects under the Humanities as they felt most meaningful in terms of understanding the “whys” and “hows” of the world. Learning about contexts and histories of places and communities through films, plays, paintings, religious art forms, archeological remains, or mythological stories and illustrations had a very transformative impact on the sensitivity and curiosity with which I approached everything. It made me realize the power of transcending and reinforcing information through mere images and colors.

Being brought up in a society that was almost completely ripped of this culture and history through repeated invasions, colonialism, and foreign influence spanning over more than ninety decades, I witnessed firsthand what the loss of access to one’s own visual and cultural literacy can do to a society that once was at the peak of its self-reliance and singular essence. While the wars and blood bath might have had temporary damage, cultural imperialism was the main weapon of destruction, the effects of which a lot of newly independent nations besides India are still struggling to recover from. I know for a fact that art and literature, when accessible and rightly understood, can be the DNA of a society and can define its ethos and economic standing as an ultimate result. I want to use this power to reclaim what might be lost – parts of our identity and broken unity. This is what I want my work to do in general – be rooted in brave decisions and originality and question, investigate, and reflect on our ways of living, which is more often than not – selfish and destructive. This is what I am most proud and excited about.

Every form of art I make reflects many facets of what I value around me. When it comes to film, exploring human connections and their tenderness in different contexts on screen is something that means the most to me. When I illustrate or animate, it’s a lot about strong colors and texture (being the Indian that I am) used to reflect on the consequences of the battle between human progress and the environment, something that hopes to spark imaginations of the creative possibilities of a symbiotic relation between mankind and wildlife. My photography is a blend of all moods and genres depending on the phase of life I’m in. My goal, through my stories and visuals, is to highlight how beautiful and spirited life can be, and it is imperative for the process of making it reflect the same.

Choosing films to make a living is in itself a challenge every step of the way in this fast and monetary world. For me too, convincing my parents who had to support my decision required some tough conversations and a lot of self-assurance to make sure they felt confident in their own willingness to back me up. A strong sense of self and purpose has been my key to getting through day-to-day skepticism and micro-aggressions around me. I am freelancing today in LA, finding my people and my grounding in the vastness of possibilities in this city. I would say with the trusting, open-minded, and giving parents and twin sister (who is thankfully a Software Engineer, continuing the legacy of this little Indian family) I have, it has been fairly easy for me. However I have just begun, and whatever ‘challenges’ are to come, I feel equipped to tackle them.

I have never intentionally done anything to set myself apart from anyone. I have worked very hard to resist the urge to compare myself to the insanely accomplished people around me and instead find beauty in our shared passion. I will say, that I am extremely curious in nature, and I fear the void of information in my life or the sheer inability to complete a task that needs a new skill. My excitement to learn and openness to do new and ambitious things are the most valuable assets I have to bring to the table.

For the longest time, I felt like I didn’t have what it takes to “succeed” in an industry brimming with talent and hard work. Over time, I realized this was because I was trying to fit into industry molds that didn’t align with me. I am most comfortable and at peace when I am breaking a pattern or defying norms; which is the whole idea of creation. I’m not one for formulas or strategies when it comes to creativity—and I have learned that I need to take pride in my ways and keep things authentic to my nature and intentions. I hope to keep this thought process alive and burning in me with everything I want to make – rooted in who I am and my own context.

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.
I’m not the most outgoing person when it comes to city exploration, but Tana and I (fellow food monsters) have uncovered some incredible restaurants. For vegetarians especially, these spots are must-tries: Tofu House, Araya’s Vegetarian Place, The Sisters Cafe, and MDK Noodles.

Beyond food, I’m drawn to nature. I’d recommend hikes around LA or OC, or even a drive to Joshua Tree, Palm Springs, or nearby National Parks and beach towns. My guilty pleasure is taking my friends for cruising through Beverly Hills to admire the massive and very quirky houses. And for a bit of charm, the thrift stores I discovered through Yi-Chien on Magnolia Street in North Hollywood are a treasure trove – I have never seen more playful themed stores anywhere else!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
This is tough because the list is so long, but I’ll start with the most important: my father, mother, and twin sister, Ani. Words can’t do justice to everything they’ve done for me – going against all odds to give me all the resources and emotional backing to be happy and fulfilled. Then comes Krishna Uncle, who put in the most laborious time in helping my sister and me navigate our very hectic schedules in high school, and taking care of Muffin, our foster dog/sister while we focused on our studies. Ajji- Ajoba, my grandparents have given me some of the best childhood memories and teachings that have shaped my understanding of my family and the kinds of stories I want to tell.

Another member of my family is my best friend from school, Vidi. We’ve been chaddi-buddies (literal translation: friends since we were in underpants—lol) for 13 years. The bond between us has been irreplaceable and transformative, and we are the backbone of each other’s personal and professional journeys.

Shoutout to my group of high school friends back home who have been my constants and never let me feel a sense of loss when I left home for college in Boston. They are the reason why India still feels like home, despite the distance: MehJo, Tee Bro, Aro, Jig, Pui, Bihari, Salu and Saand.

Special thanks to my high school teacher Sapna Ma’am. In a pool of teachers who only valued grades over anything else, she was one of the only ones to recognize and encourage the artist in me and gave me multiple platforms to shine and grow.

I give a HUGE shoutout to my Boston buddies who literally created a home away from home and were responsible for my new found identity in a new country – for the first time in life, as an artist: Lauren, Ale, Danny, Isabella, Cecilia, Jay and Gordon.

Lastly, the amazingly talented and giving humans who made my move to LA far less daunting and way more comforting than I could imagine: Tana, Yi-Chien, Natalie, Freddy, and Trasy!

These names will always be the most precious ones in the first quarter of my life’s chapter. There are so many more to name, but I’ll save that for another time!

Website: https://www.anushahalwai.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/square_makes/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPBxCFyztmIzmAF8GTGq8bQ

Image Credits
Photo credits:
Izzy Espejo
Jenn Babick
Jun Cao (CJ)
Brett Bailey
Ahri Agawa