ED- The Eerie Digest is really thrilled to introduce actor/ producer Suniil Sadarangani to our readers. Suniil, please tell us about your work in India and the start of your career there in filmmaking.
SS- I started my career in Filmmaking at MTV India as a production assistant trainee. Thereafter I assisted filmmakers before branching out as an Independent line producer. My landmark project as a line producer was the indie American Sundance hit, September Tapes which was my 1st co-starring role. It was distributed by First Look Media theatrically and now airs on Showtime Extreme.
ED- Tell us about your work with MTV/ India.
SS- At MTV, India I was a production assistant trainee and worked on several shows with various producers during production and post production. Appeared on a few shows as a performer as well.
ED- Tell us all about the projects that you supervised the visual effect for and the company that you worked for on these.
SS- I worked as an Associate Producer for Binc, VFX based in Thailand and India, out of their Bombay office where I coordinated the visual effects activities for 3 Sc-Fi horror films for Hallmark Television. This was the first time I worked in VFX, so it was an amazing learning experience actually how work flow is coordinated in that world.
ED- Since then you had come to America to pursue your career and dreams in filmmaking. What was the first production that you had starred in?
SS- Yeah, I came to the US to pursue my acting career and further advance my producing career as well. I wanted a shift from line producing and wanted to jump to the next level. A month into enrolling in acting school, I landed a gig in a Serj Tankian music video in 2007 but I never made the cut! Haha! BUT my first starring role was in September Tapes while I was in India. That’s what motivated me to pursue my acting career.
ED- Tell us something about the films ‘Indelible’ and El Ghorba’
SS- Indelible is a short film set in 1800 persia where I played a scheming murderer slithering from one enemy camp to the next and literally stabbing people in the back.
El-Ghorba on the other hand is a feature film set partly in Egypt and rest in the US about a yong Egyptian man coming to the US and how he finds his voice as an artiste. I play he assistant to a show runner on a TV show the protagonist gets a job. Nice supporting role.
In the recent months however I have gotten the opportunity to play the lead as a wronged man in an action-drama short film called Group Therapy where I hold 4 people hostage.
I also played an interesting cameo in the comedy feature, The Visitor From Planet Omicron, as a sharp tongued TV anchor that’s out to upset my stiff upper-lipped co-anchor.
ED- You are currently starring in the web series ‘Bollywood to Hollywood’. Please tell us all about the show, its cast, and the characters portrayed in it.
SS- I am starring, have co-created and produced the web-series Bollywood To Hollywood which is currently running online on the website www.bollywoodtohollywoodtv.com It’s story of two star-struck individuals my business tycoon neighbor Amitabh, turned producer wannabe and me, Sunil, actor wannabe, who come to Hollywood to make a film they have no clue how to get done. On their journey they meet other Hollywood has beens and wannabes such as Sunil’s coach-an extra-played by Jeff Doucette (desperate housewives), Sunil’s eccentric sponsor whos been an aspiring writer since 20 years, Radhika-Sunil’s agent whos actually a real estate agent.
ED- You have also formed partners with Saba Moor-Doshette to start your own production company, ‘Humana Films’. What projects and productions are you currently working on?
SS- I have formed a business partnership with Saba Moor-Doucette to start Hanuman Media andn our first project is Bollywood To Hollywood. Our immediate project is the spin off feature of Bollywood To Hollywood whichis in development. The story takes a different turn here as all the quirky characters of web-series finally gets jobs as extras in film set to learn how to make a film. So the feature starts from there and becomes a whole different adventure. We have signed on Bollywood star Gulshan Grover in one of the major roles and Deepti Daryanani from Cheetah Girls One World. We also have on board VFX master, Robert Kurtzman. We will be making an announcement soon about the film, which will excite people, so watch out ED fans!
ED-We have also learned that you are working on the 2010 Topanga Film Festival with the project ‘Suitable for All Seasons’ competition. Please tell us all about it and your involvement with this project.
SS- I am helping and supporting the 2010 Topanga Film Festival through outreach and getting people to submit their short films for the Suitable For All Screens category. Its still not too late log on www.suitableforallscreens.com and submit your work!
ED- Suniil, we want to thank you for spending your time with us and look forward to hearing more about you project, company, and show. Please promise to keep us apprised of all your latest news.
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