Meet Devansh Pandit | Director & Producer

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

Hi Devansh, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
Moving out. Moving out of my house, moving out of my city, moving out of my country. I was born and raised in Mumbai, India, and had a pretty sheltered life for most of my teenage years. I’d never ventured out into the real world (whatever that is) and had melted into a dull, repetitive routine that left no room for growth. Comfort had taken up all the space.

Moving to LA was the best decision I’ve ever made; it was years in the making. I’d grown up watching the city through shows like Entourage, Californication, Two And a Half Men, and many others that escape my memory right now. For some strange reason, I felt like I belonged in LA. After fighting numerous battles, I finally flew in 2019 and have been soaring ever since.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My first foray into art was drawing comic strips on blank sheets of paper. I’d wield a Natraj pencil and carve 16:9 frames; bringing them to life with dialogue bubbles and caricatures. Now, I mostly use letters, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs; I write. These words usually come to life in the form of films.

I always felt a calling to film because of the way the art form delivered itself. It’s the perfect amalgamation of sound, video, finance, and expression. This interest brought me on set for the first time when I was 17; I worked as a clapper for a commercial advertising basmati rice. The role was minuscule, but the impact was massive. I fell in love with the form. The electricity, creativity, and camaraderie I saw on set convinced me that this was exactly where I was meant to be.

This led to my first professional internship at Fremantle Media, where I ran around the set of TED Talks India: Nayi Soch as an Assistant Manager. Although it wasn’t quite a ‘film gig’, it was still involved with entertainment. One step closer…

Through some serendipity and hard work, I then landed a job at a content IP studio, Applause Entertainment, producing TV shows for the Indian diaspora. From reality TV to real TV, now as an Assistant Producer. This was an arduous 9-5 job, but absolutely crucial nonetheless. Another step closer.

Los Angeles has been a breeze of fresh air. I don’t possess the same network here as I did in Mumbai, so the opportunities are sporadic. But regardless of their low frequency, they’ve been very rewarding.
I will admit: it’s a more challenging playing field; there’s no home advantage here. But what fun is life if it’s all easy? I always say, “In LA, surviving is thriving.” If you play the game long enough, you will succeed. You will make it.

There are countless lessons I’ve learned along the way; enough to write a whole book. But that’s for later… For now, the most important lesson I could judiciously impart is the lesson of impermanence. Life is ebbs and flows, ups and downs, round and rounds; it’s everything we think it is and nothing at all. The only consistent aspect of life is impermanence. Everything changes; it rises and then it falls. Accepting this reality helped me endure pain and fuel growth.

The people in my world know me for my creativity, perspective, and imagination. The rest of the world will know me for all those and more. Much more.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
It’s a lovely coincidence that I’m answering this question now. A very dear friend and constant collaborator is coming to town next week so I feel like I’m primed for this question.

First, we’re getting a Korean BBQ at Road To Seoul. Gotta satiate the stomach before starting any adventure. Then we’re watching Oppenheimer in 70mm IMAX at the Chinese Theater. Good food, check. Great film, check check.

This will then transition into brainstorming for my feature film. At the beach, on the streets, in my home – wherever inspiration strikes, the work begins.

For people visiting LA for the first time, check all the touristy spots and then come to me. We’ll have the time of our lives.

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?
There are so many entities and people to thank that it’d be a boringly long article about people you don’t know about. So I’ll keep this short and sweet.

A huge shoutout to my parents, first and foremost. As cheesy as this may sound, there’s no way I would’ve reached where I am without my parents. Support, advice, care, and love – all in exceptionally enormous quantities through the years.
A turning point in my life in LA was living at Westwood Hall, a simple little residency on Hilgard Avenue. I met people from around the world. Although our languages were different, we all spoke the same tongue: brotherhood. That place also acted like a launchpad because of this.
And finally, UCLA. The lessons, the opportunities, and the activities. All shaped the being I am today. Although I didn’t attend college, I managed to get the experience through one of their Extension programs.

The remaining shoutouts will be given during my Oscar speech.

Website: https://www.thisisdevansh.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/devansh.mov/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devanshpandit/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DEVansh_xyz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/devanshpandit19

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dev-ansh