Ishq
Pradhan
First.
Love.
Writer & Director
ABOUT ISHQ
Ishq Pradhan was drawn to the medium of film following a rigorous study of Kathak, a North-Indian classical dance form, in which the dancer utilizes movement and facial expression as a means of storytelling. Her desire to tell stories in a manner that could be understood universally, across cultures, led her to study at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, where she discovered a passion for exploring how romantic and familial relationships shape the creation of cultural, sexual, and artistic identity. Her work explores themes of complex relationships, coming-of-age, and dysfunctional family dynamics, often while blending in dance as a means of contributing to the narrative.
She has worked under and been mentored by acclaimed writer-directors Lara Shapiro and Vikramaditya Motwane, a pioneer in the modern Indian Independent film movement. Her short films have been screened and awarded globally. She wrote, directed, and starred in her most recent film, "Tadap," showcasing the heartbreaking reality of child marriage in India. It recently premiered at the Chicago South Asian Film Festival, and International South Asian Film Festival, and was a Semi-Finalist at the Academy-Award and BAFTA Qualifying Flickers Rhode Island Film Festival. As a writer, her work has been recognized by the LA Femme International Film Festival and Screencraft.
PHILOSOPHY
I believe human emotion transcends racial, cultural, and ethnic barriers.
I have felt caught between my American and Indian identity, often being told that my heritage determines the kind of stories I am able to tell. In other words, I have been told that due to my Indian heritage, I am only capable of creating work based on South Asian culture, despite being born and raised in the United States.
However, in discovering that film is a universal medium, responsible for pushing cultural and social boundaries, I have come to disagree with the labels placed on me. I aim to be true to my beliefs as an artist; that one’s heritage does not create barriers to the kind of artistic work they are drawn to create, creating cultural barriers inhibits collaboration, and the influence of heritage, while inevitable, can often be indirect. I aspire to portray people of color, including those in the South Asian diaspora, in a manner that does not depend on culture alone to define their identity and story.
I strive to portray those in my community as people, in all their glory, complexity, and beauty.
Projects
Tadap (Yearning)
Set in Pre-Partition India, “Tadap” follows 14-year-old Rani’s plight of being forced to embrace womanhood on her wedding night, against her own will.
Accolades
Official Selection at the Chicago South Asian Film Festival alongside films starring Danny Pudi, Nawazzudin Siddiqui, Anupam Kher, and Neena Gupta
Official Selection at Canadian Screen Award Qualifying International South Asian Film Festival
Official Selection at the Katra Film Series with jury members including Academy Award-nominated producers Stephen Nemeth (The Sessions) and Jason Kliot (Welcome to The Dollhouse)
Semi-Finalist at the Academy Award and BAFTA Qualifying Flickers’ Rhode Island Film Festival
Top 5 Finalist of the Academy Award Qualifying Tasveer Film Festival’s Short Film Grant sponsored by Netflix
Dear Fay
Fay, a woman in her 60's, has surrendered to the challenges that come with aging, until a chance encounter forces her to realize that she can still hold on to a part of her youth.
Notable Accolades & Screenings
Official Selection at the All American High School Film Festival and screened at AMC Times Square
Awarded Best Director at teh Moonwhite Films International Film Festival by Jury Members including Indian acclaimed musician Anup Jalota and screened at INOX Mumbai
Official Selection at the Smita Patil Documentary & Film Festival
Offical Selection at the Silicon Valley Asian Pacific Film Festival
Shigmo
A closeted gay 25-year-old in Goa, India grapples with a toxic relationship, a father in denial about his sexuality, and the trauma of being sexually abused by his uncle as a child - all within the framework of Shigmo, Goa's annual festival celebrating the festivity of Holi (Indian festival of colors).
Accolades for Screenplay (Film not produced)
Official Selection at the LA Femmes International Film Festival
Quarter-Finalist at the San Francisco International Screenwriting Competition
Mohnika
17-year-old Monika, born and raised in the U.S. grapples with accepting her deep connection to Indian culture amidst her western surroundings. Through navigating the familial dynamics brought on by her parent's divorce and forming life-altering relationships in her college years, Monika comes to realize that her mixed cultural identity is a strength rather than a weakness.
Accolades for Screenplay (Film not produced)
Semi-Finalist at Screencraft
Awarded Best Dramatic Screenplay at the Canadian Diversity Film Festival
Portrait
Over the course of a New Yorker interview, a famed war photographer falls prey to the obsessive-compulsive disorder hiding behind his artistic process and is forced to confront its impact on the picture-perfect marriage he once had.
Currently in Development
Producer: Rianjali Bhowmick
Rianjali is a NYC-born and raised, Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter/composer with a mission to change South Asian independent musicians’ perspective in the diaspora, Rianjali was a former domestic violence case worker until she found her ‘pinch me’ moment when she caught the Oscar award-winning musician A.R. Rahman’s attention and was asked to work alongside her musical hero. Rianjali has collaborated and performed with internationally acclaimed artists like U2, Bishop Briggs, and Shawn Mendes,. She has worked on multiple projects such as the Award-Winning Netflix original documentary Daughters of Destiny, and penned songs for films such as Blinded by the Light and Love Sonia (directed by the producer of Life of Pi) and was also featured on Broadway World as a notable female songwriter.
Producer: Kunal Patel
Kunal Patel is an entertainment attorney and co-founder of award winning multimedia production company Mild Mannered & Timid (MMT). Previously at Maxim, Universal Music Group and Vice Media, he has also released 7 albums, been featured on multiple bollywood soundtracks, video games, and performed at the IIFA awards. His work has been featured on NBC, All Def Digital, VIBE Magazine and more. He has lent his legal experience to shows like F*ck That’s Delicious, the Oscar Award-winning film Coda, and M. Night Shyamalan’s Servant. Kunal’s experience puts him in a unique position to understand the artist’s motivations while also having knowledge of the business that can influence an artist throughout not only their career but their life.
The Paris Syndrome
In Paris, the American daughter-in-law of a dysfunctional French film family is disillusioned by her notions of romance and intimacy while building a secret life with her husband’s co-star, sinking into a psychiatric condition known as “The Paris Syndrome.”
Debut Feature, currently in development.
Media & Press
LA Femme International Film Festival
Chicago South Asian Film Festival