Meet Nimisha Nair | Writer/Director

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

Hi Nimisha, what is the most important factor behind your success?

I’m yet to find my success but my journey towards it has been made easier by my family; my mom, dad, and my brother.

During my second year in undergrad, when I realized I wanted to pursue filmmaking, I was wary of how my parents would react. It was, of course, a career that none of us had envisioned in our family, far from the stability and security of life. I picked up the phone and called my dad to let him know about my newfound passion and to my joy, he understood what I felt for the art form and supported me wholeheartedly. His interest in cinema and storytelling has got me a friend in the family to whom I can constantly go for creative and career advice.

My mom has always supported my every whim and fancy while keeping me grounded. When things go wrong, she is my go-to person for all aids and remedies, never failing to remind me that the challenges I face on set are merely preparations for the bigger obstacles I will encounter in life.

Then there’s my brother, probably the only one in the world who truly enjoys what I make, saving all the movies I’ve made onto his hard drive – my first movie, the good ones, the bad ones, the non-movie movies, everything.

In India societal opinions can hold significant influence over families, resulting in many individuals being discouraged from pursuing a career in the arts. When there are so many obstacles that you have to constantly surpass, especially as a woman in the creative field, I am grateful to have a family that understands and supports me.

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.
My choice to pursue filmmaking, very simply, came from my love of cinema. I love watching movies. All kinds of movies. During a time when I was unsure about my direction in life, I found comfort in watching movies. I would wake up and put on a movie that would occupy my mind for the rest of the day. I found myself falling in love with the visual spectacle of it, the imagery, the worldbuilding, the characters, and the stories people around the world had to say. I was in awe of the creativity in filmmaking. Having always loved reading and writing, a very clever friend suggested that I try my hand at filmmaking to tell my stories.

There’s truth to what Ingmar Bergman said about films, “No art passes our conscience in the way film does, and goes directly to our feelings, deep down into the dark rooms of our souls.”

Over time, filmmaking has taught me so much not only about storytelling but also about life. It takes a village to make a movie and to me, that’s one of the best parts of the job. To be able to work with, collaborate and learn from uniquely talented people who all come together for a period of time to achieve one vision, to tell a story that has the potential to affect a person. And honestly, it’s quite fun!

I am looking forward to creating more movies and hopefully directing my feature film soon. My goal is to create films that not only entertain but also captivate the audience’s mind, just as they do for me. I aspire to create movies that people can relate to, especially during challenging times, and find a connection to the world around them. I want to make films that represent where I am from but also make people feel seen and heard.

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.
The first step is to ensure that at least one of us possesses a vehicle.

We would then proceed to do the Hollywood tour – the Walk of Fame, the Hollywood sign, and so on because one must experience Hollywood if they are in LA. We will then hit the beach, a concert at the Hollywood Bowl, check out the stand-up comedy scene at the Hollywood Improv, go to Koreatown for their seafood, and Culver City for some yummy Kerala food at Mayura restaurant in addition to Sunday bottomless mimosas at Idle Hour, do a little book shopping at the Iliad Bookshop, do a walk at Huntington Gardens and rounding it up by soaking up some sun at The Lake Hollywood Park.

One thing to be sure of is that my friend will not be leaving LA without having the Guava Cheese Strudel from Porto’s Bakery!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
To start a life in LA, a city so large, alien, and unwalkable, moving thousands of miles away from everything and everyone familiar was and still is, scary and lonely. With days filled with doubts and fears, emotionally and financially, I’m grateful for the love and support from the people in my life.
Shoutout to my friends back home for their,  I’m thankful for our friendship.
Shoutout to my friends and fellow filmmakers in LA, my roommates, and NYFA classmates who have constantly inspired me and made me feel at home in LA.
Shoutout to my super cool grandma whose food packages she sends from home have got me surviving in LA. Last but not least, a shoutout to my family.

Website: https://www.behance.net/nimisha-nair

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nims.nair/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nimisha-nair/

Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm14195007/