Is it possible to excel at whatever you do? also, at times, is it possible to do something that you never knew that you are capable of doing? That you are able to excel even more just from the love, passion for what you are doing. For all those who have never heard of their hearts loud, here is one perfect story that is gonna motivate you for sure. Her stage was set when took a break from her career, and how that break gives her a new identity.
Today
Meet Anindita, who’s lovingly called Andy, is the Founder and Director of the creative production house, ArcLight Productions. She is currently living a life full of creativity in Singapore as an independent artist. Anindita is also the co-founder & COO of APEXPERT – a Strategic Business Consultancy company that manages multi-billion dollar portfolios of international clients.
Present brief about her
Lights, camera, action! are the words that have redefined the life of Anindita Ghosh. After starting her career as a corporate banker, Anindita has now become an entrepreneur, artist & film-maker. Anindita is a woman, who is always ready for new challenges. She continues to grow after her stunning journey – from a Director of a Multinational Bank in Singapore – to an Artrepreneur.
As a multi-talented artist, Anindita acts, directs, produces, writes, sings, dances, and choreographs. She has been part of 40+ prestigious projects across Films, Advertisements, Theater, Book Publications. Anindita has achieved the feat in just the last 4 years of her new creative life. Presently, Anindita is juggling with a lot of hats but not cribbing. Rather, she is happy and enjoying every moment of her journey towards achieving more success.
Anindita is a multi-disciplinary artist & entrepreneur based in Singapore. Award-winning Actor (Love Yours Truly, Kathaah@8, Lizard on the Wall, Vesta), Producer – Films: Mainstream (Mr Chef), Commercial (PsychoLogical, Love Yours Truly, The Lighthouse, Put a Ring on It), Independent (Achaar); International Theatre, Films and Arts events
Here’s the soulful interview we had with Anindita Ghosh.
We started the interview by first asking her: “How did your entrepreneurship journey start?. Kindly narrate the journey right from your academic qualification to professional expertise?.” We also asked Anindita to describe how she overcomes the high-stress startup environment.
Anindita told us she is a Mathematics Honours graduate from India’s prestigious St. Stephen’s College in Delhi. She also has a Marketing & Finance MBA from SP Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai.
Anindita is adaptable, gritty in the face of challenges and obstacles, and highly sociable, people’s person. She has spent her childhood across 9 schools in various cities of India. That is what has made her the person she’s today, Anindita says.
The interesting story of Anindita’s career transition
She said, “Yes, my career transition is an interesting story. Well, it won’t be wrong, if you call me an accidental entrepreneur. The banking profession has been absolutely amazing for me. The last designation I was having was of the Director for an MNC bank. This organisation I joined just after my degree from Business School. The growth graph for me has been phenomenal as I have had 6 promotions in a decade. Had zero arts in my life but didn’t ever feel that I was missing anything. I was working hard and partying harder.”
Anindita Ghosh does live an active social life and has been a travel throttler with her husband.
She says, “Three years ago I chanced upon the world of dramatics during a short motherhood break. It attracted me so much that I haven’t looked back since. The universe has been kind and opened many doors.”
Anindita Ghosh said she went from strength to strength – from acting to directing to co-producing Singapore’s biggest multi-ethnic theatre festival. Today there are also many prestigious projects in the pipeline, she added.
Anindita Ghosh continued, “Today when I see my media features referring to me as a Film & Theatre Actor, Director, Producer, Singer, Choreographer and Writer – I wonder – what a far throw this has been from my Banking career. I have always wanted to make my life a Masterpiece. I want to believe there are no limitations on who we can be or what we can do.”
Anindita Ghosh says she has no formal training for any of the creative hats she proudly wears today!
She said, “Everything I do, I have learnt while doing it!. And by first believing that I CAN DO IT.”
How did Anindita Ghosh become an artrepreneur?
Anindita Ghosh said, “This is how it all happened. I had just wanted to spend time with my kid. But within the first few months I landed up in a film audition and I made it! It was just pure chance. So I became a part of Singapore’s biggest budget film of the year. The film was government funded for the Singapore International Festival of Arts. It was made by one of the most prominent filmmakers in Singapore. I was the choreographer for the film as well as one of the actors. And I had a great time on the sets. That was it – the bug just bit me and since then I have not looked back.”
She continued, “Since then – I have shot for advertisements/commercials including some government ads, prestigious brands like Singapore airlines etc. I picked up all good projects that came my way – across the commercial theatre, films, dance, concerts, band performances. I am actually finding out new facets of my own self!”
Anindita Ghosh says as a kid, she never knew she could write and now she has written film scripts and plays that have been staged. She has also written internally published poetries and freelanced across art genres & mediums.
Anindita Ghosh shows how ArcLight Productions was born
Anidita Ghosh says when she founded ArcLight Productions – it was just a very ambitious dream project. ArcLight Productions was initially an attempt to make a sustainable career in the arts,
Anindita says.
She said, “ArcLight Productions went on to create the Timeless Tales & Rhythm Dance Festival. We are now making 10+ films, including features, shorts, minis, independent, commercial, mainstream (featuring A list Indian ‘stars’) – the whole spectrum & have more very interesting projects in the pipeline! I am just going with the flow. I just happened to chance into this world and enjoyed it so much that I stayed. And I love it so much that I can’t think of anything else at the moment. My head is brimming with ideas as to what to do next!”
Anindita shows what entrepreneurship means to her
Entrepreneurship is very different from working in a corporation, for Anindita. She says especially in the initial days you have to do everything by yourself.
Anindita says she had been working with global teams in her banking job. But managing them was a lot easier because Anindita had the support of organisational hierarchy. She says in her productions though, she had to lead 60 member teams in a project. Most of the team members were many times senior to Anindita in the industry. She says those people were not bound to her with a full-time job because they are project-level associations.
Anindita says the success of the team is very publicly visible, as it is in the media industry. The success rests completely on her shoulders, Anindita said.
She also says no school can teach the accountability, the management skills required, the breadth and depth of experience necessary. You just have to put all you have out there and JUST DO IT!.
The preparations/experience Anindita required to succeed as an entrepreneur
Anindita explained, “Well – I am completely untrained and I have learnt everything I know on the job. I come from a family of salaried people. I am a Bengali and usually, Bengalis love the comfort of a high paying corporate job. So, I had few to nil role models in my extended family, firstly, of entrepreneurs, and even more – an artist! In spite of Bengalis being very intelligent and talented as a race, if I may add. So leaving my illustrious corporate job so young in my life was a huge mental hurdle, apart from the social implications (the questions, the raised eyebrows et all).”
She further said, “Also, having been completely immersed in my corporate life for the past 10+ years – I had lost all touch with the arts, which I had thoroughly enjoyed as a child and through my college life. So – I jumped right into the deep end, floundered, caught a breath, sank again, rose again, but just kept swimming.”
Anindita agrees technical skills can be learnt. She says she decided to take on freelance projects to learn all the required technical skills to pull off my mammoth endeavours. But, she did not study them through books and courses, Anindita added.
How Anindita got the idea for Timeless Tales Theatre Festival
Anindita explained, “The story of how ArcLight productions and our now famous Timeless Tales Theatre Festival came into being is also a source of inspiration to my own self, every time I undertake yet a new journey. When the notion of creating a Theatre Fest struck me – it was unrealistic, to say the least, at the time. I was a freelance actor, just one year old in a new industry full of veterans who have been the face of the entertainment industry of Singapore for many years. I was little known, having done a handful of films, theatre and commercials. But what I had done – no one else in the industry did. I had diversified.”
She further said, “Most artists in Singapore are associated with a particular ethnicity of theatre groups. But, I decided to work in different ethnic theatre groups than just stick to the comfort of Indian theatre. The challenge was to make a fresh start in each production with a different group altogether. The reward – priceless. My learning curve was super steep, I learnt how to work with creatives of different ethnicities, and I formed friendships and associations which were to become the foundation of all my productions in the future. And it did happen soon! I realised a gap in the market – a platform for the artists across these ethnic groups to come together, to collaborate and create art. That was the seed idea of our multi-ethnic Theatre Festival and has been the cornerstone of all of ArcLight Production’s subsequent events”
How Anindita created her Theatre Festival
Anindita says she now wanted to create a Theatre Festival, but knew that she was ill-equipped for the same. She then decided to take up a directorial job – to learn direction skills.
Anindita says, “As mentioned previously, I am not much of a theoretical learner, I am much more enjoyable learning on the job. I then picked up stage management jobs, even for free! To paint the picture – a high flying ex-banker doing odd jobs on sets for some / no pennies. But I knew I would…rise from the ashes…and shine for the world to see.
Armed with a diverse network, acting, direction, production management skills and of course a wealth of people management experience from my banking career – I still lacked event management capabilities and a deep marketing network. So what do you do when you wish to fill your gaps – either pick up the skills or partner up! As a god sent – when I reached out to a fellow actor friend with the idea – our passions matched and she jumped on board! She came armed with almost a decade’s experience in event management and inimitable marketing skills. A well-matched work ethic, passion for the arts and a perfectly complementary skill set. Together, we went on to create a brand of entertainment that is unique and best in class and is awaited by our audiences keenly year after year.And just like that – I went from being a freelance actor to a director, to now a Producer and creator of events with fifty+ crew members and thousand odd audience members in each production.”
Anindita talks about RHYTHM International Dance Festival
She says, “RHYTHM International Dance Festival – my other annual cultural extravaganza – for the first time ever in Singapore – brought together exotic dance forms from across the world on one stage! Audiences were treated to KOREAN Pop, ARABIAN Bellydance, BRAZILIAN Samba, CUBAN ChaCha, SPANISH Flamenco, INDIAN Classical fusion, THAI contemporary, SRI LANKAN Kandyan, CHINESE Classical, AMERICAN Jazz – all in 1 show! Again – an event was never before seen on a Singapore platform.Again – like in all my previous escapades, this was a huge gamble.
When Rhythm was initially launched – it was Arclight’s first solo production. I didn’t have access to audiences who enjoy dance shows, wasn’t sure if my usual audiences would be ready to support a dance show, or would enjoy the same! But I left no stone unturned when creating the event. Again I built a diverse 60 member team of artists and crew, created such a glamorous, beautiful and entertaining show – that audiences and media were wowed beyond words!Thus the importance of finding your niche, the gap in the market that when you fill effectively – you will surely taste success.
Even if there are many more followers after you – you will always be remembered as the pioneer! Also, trust your gut and have faith in yourself. Know that God’s blessings will be backing you – even if you have no other tangible backing or support.”
Anindita explains the difference in the Indian and Singapore entertainment industry
She said, “Yes, there definitely is – the biggest being audience size. Indian entertainment content has billions of viewers. Singapore is a Red Dot, a city-state, a couple of million adults, and not so many art patrons. Hence – being a producer in the Singapore market is a lot riskier and sometimes, less financially rewarding in comparison to India. But it is growing – and geographical borders no longer limit it, due to the advent of OTT and virtual media, content. I am grateful to be part of the tribe of Art Entrepreneurs (or Art-entrepreneurs) that are leading the way in Singapore – creating art, building audiences, and expanding reach.”
The places in which Anindita’s films play
Anindita said, “My most recent film as an actor has been featured in International Film Festivals across the world – Including the UK, USA, India, SG – and has won multiple awards. It is currently available on a reputed OTT platform Zee5 as well.
For the next set of films that I am currently working on – 5 of them will be screened in Cinema halls in SG (with OTT, TV channel discussions in the pipeline), some are intended for film festivals & social media release.
There is another big commercial film project featuring reputed Indian stars, an SG-India cross-over film supported by Singapore Tourism Board (!) that is in pre-production at the moment. We will distribute this mainstream across cinemas in India.
We will screen my debut film as a director at UK’s iconic Pinewood Studios (home to franchises like James Bond, Star Wars, Avengers etc). The film will also be screened at the historical 100-year-old Raleigh Studios in Hollywood and others through awards and official selections at international film festivals.
How Anindita makes an impact through your films for Indians in India and abroad.
We asked her “How are you creating a positive environment for many new startups in the entertainment industry?
She replied, “Timeless Tales features multiple plays, now films, in each season – written, directed and performed by different groups of artists, from across the world. It is an amalgamation of talent like never before – we have featured ~60 artists from ~16 nationalities in each of our seasons – all resident in Singapore. Thus we have created a platform for artists across ethnicities to come together to collaborate and create more works of art – and now – reach audiences much beyond Singapore. We believe in giving chances to new artists – since I have been one just a few years ago. They get the opportunity to work alongside established industry veterans and learn so much. Also, I have already collaborated with 2 film production houses in India – to give them an opening to the Singapore market.
So ArcLight Productions is creating jobs, creating opportunities, creating amazing works of art, creating multi-ethnic collaborations reflective of the rich cultural tapestry of cosmopolitan Singapore. We are also supporting new talents, independent filmmakers in their ventures to make their own mark in the industry.
Anindita Ghosh’s expansion plans in the coming five years
Well – all the world’s a stage now in our extremely well-connected generation. So while we increase our penetration of the SG market, we also plan to massively increase our reach to global audiences. Collaborations benefit and enrich all parties involved – so that is definitely on the cards for our expansion plans.
During the interview, we asked Anindita Ghosh, “What are some of the best ways to fund your idea or project especially as you get started and thereafter how you build sustainability?”
She replied, “Once a production house has built a reputation of successful ventures – they can seek grants from the SG govt. We also seek sponsorships from corporates in addition to the revenues from Sales and Marketing! We can only achieve sustainability in our industry through consistency in quality – producing good content and ensuring marketing success. Also, nowadays with the advent of OTT platforms – there are additional avenues apart from the traditional film screens and Television networks and even social media.”
Anindita Ghosh shares some common challenges of entrepreneurs and how she overcame them
Funding is definitely the single biggest challenge that entrepreneurs face. And it has not been any different for us – especially when we were starting out. Also critical is self-belief – that you can pull off something that is way beyond your league in a completely new venture, industry; in mid-life without the exuberance of youth and with many familial responsibilities.
Success is never an accident. It is Hard Work (a lot of it), perseverance (in the face of failures or stumbling blocks), being open to trying out new things, learning new skills – and all of this is just so much easier if you LOVE what you do!
We also asked Anindita ” How do you stay motivated and focused on your mission. And how do you plan for the future?”
She explained “When you Love what you do – it is not difficult to stay on track. Having said that – sometimes life deals you blows – that is when you need to stay motivated and keep moving forward.
How Anindita Ghosh’s business was affected by Covid-19
I was in the midst of a major expansion drive, with multiple prestigious projects in the pipeline when Covid-19 struck – a pandemic that shook the world and shut out all of us creative events/content producers. Singapore Tourism Board supported my biggest production endeavour – a cross-border India Singapore Feature film project. But, the project was stuck indefinitely and so were my flagship annual events. Everything looked bleak – but the fighter in me refused to take a back seat.
I started writing and directing short films. I started writing poetry for the first time! During lockdown – I got some of my poems in Hindi and English published in multiple anthologies – like The Poet, a British publication featuring poets around the globe, and Irshaad, an Indian publication. I also got some of them made into videos for a wider audience reach.
Moreover, I rode the virtual wave and started creating content for global audiences, participating in global concerts, programmes – building my network to not just India and Singapore but much beyond. This is now helping me plan the next big step for my productions!
I also created modules of dance and drama workshops for corporates, adults and kids based on my learnings from my diverse experience in the field, albeit in a short span of time – which have proved immensely successful. These have also proved to be excellent grounds for talent spotting for my future projects!
The problems that Anindita Ghosh faced as a woman entrepreneur, and what keeps her motivated
Anindita says, “I am fortunate to be a woman entrepreneur in Singapore, to be honest. Of all the challenges I have faced – none were specifically because I am a woman. But yes – during my corporate life – I have faced many challenges as a woman, none insurmountable, however.
The world is what it is, of course, there have been situations that have been tough to navigate. Not to point any fingers – but there are times, especially when you are a mother to a young child, it gets tough. When I went back to work after my 4 months maternity break – I remember feeling very stretched – and inadequate both as a senior banker at work and as a mother at home.
Though women are exceptionally good at multitasking, and I consider myself a fairly efficient and productive person who can get a lot done in less time – but somehow face time was very important at the workplace. So even after completing my work – when I would leave the office at 7 pm – I could feel eyes on me, of my co-workers – thinking ‘ Ah she gets to go home on her child’s pretext’. But that is it – it is not a pretext.
So while organisations at policy levels are supportive of working mothers – I feel our society is still not conducive. Though I do feel now covid has caused a huge positive change in this matter. Anyway, at the time, I did continue for 2 years post-maternity. But then when I got the opportunity for a break, I jumped at it. All turned out well for me – but I do wish things would change for women at the workplace.”
What motivates Anindita Ghosh on a bad day?
I have always been an achievement-oriented person. That is the food for my soul and that is what keeps me going. Also, my a self-belief that I can do it. Every time life throws a curveball – I know I will rise up from the ashes again…and again…till I quench my thirst for achievement. This has been my guiding compass and has defined me in my life. So an end is always a new beginning for me – of something bigger, better.
The message Anindita Ghosh has for young and budding innovators
She gave a fabulous reply, “The entertainment industry isn’t a bed of roses, to be honest. It is highly competitive and not as commercially generous unless you are an A-list Bollywood star. So it is important to get a good education, have an alternate career path or income stream to fall back upon (like I have my consultancy business), and then – go chase your dreams. We have but one life – so live every day to the fullest possible, take risks, try out new avenues of creativity wherever the chance occurs, persevere till you win.
Anindita Ghosh added, “When you fail – give yourself the chance to try again – experiment, innovate, find your niche, and be ready to work very very hard to rule your kingdom. And for all you artists-at-heart out there, cloaked under corporate or other such armour, I can share with you that – when the audience breaks out into thunderous applause – there is no feeling in the world like it.”
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