Indian Sonal Naroth helped make face shields in New York when the pandemic struck

New York-based Malayali art director and lead art coordinator in films, Sonal Naroth’s work in a movie encompasses a variety of tasks such as building the budget, hiring crew, researching and constructing the film’s backdrop.

She has worked on successful projects such as After The Wedding starring Julianne Moore and Michelle Williams, and the upcoming A24 and Apple TV+ produced feature film The Sky is Everywhere. She has also worked on the blockbuster Chinese film Mojin:The Lost Legend (2000); the TV show Ramy which won a Golden Globe in 2020, and the New York unit of the Oscar-winning Netflix movie Marriage Story directed by Noah Baumbach.

The 31-year-old is currently working on some scripts of her own, including a Malayalam film which is “very close to my heart”.

Your latest venture Grand-Nannies deals with Indian grandparents who visit children in the US and introduce them to Indian culture. How did this idea come about?

During the pandemic, I spent most of my time taking photos of New York and New Yorkers. One of them was a bittersweet image of an almost deserted New York street and a child reaching for an ice cream cone. This particular photo brought back an idea that had been lingering in my mind for a while: Indian grandparents who visit their children and grandchildren in the US.

Back home in Bengaluru, our elderly neighbours used to travel to the US to be with their grandchildren for a major part of the year, bringing the children back to India during the summer. Unlike grandchildren who visit their distant families only during short summer holidays, these children have a closer relationship with their families, and also with their grandparents who introduce them to Indian culture — taking them to classical music classes, Bharatanatyam lessons, introducing them to Indian movies and music. So, I started developing a photo series revolving around this relationship and how COVID-19 might have changed the family dynamics, bringing to our lives not only tragedy but also closeness and appreciation for the family and the unifying role the older generation plays in many Indian-American families.

How close are you to your Indian roots?

I was born in Kannur, Kerala, but I grew up in Bengaluru. Since I moved to New York 10 years ago, life has been a blur — especially working in an industry that runs on a hectic schedule. In the past few years, especially as I grow older, I find myself connecting to my roots more strongly. I have learned to cook my mom’s holy trinity of Indian dishes — channa, rajma and paneer — and now cook it almost every week, I keep more in touch with my family back home, trying to visit them at least once a year.

I have also taken a more vested interest in Indian artists and the work they are doing, and even at times reaching out to them to try and collaborate on future projects.

Tell us a little about your journey as an art director in America.

It wasn’t easy by any means. Very few people have the luxury of graduating from film school and immediately being drowned in offers. I had no contacts in the film industry, so my rise came through a lot of hard work and struggle at first and I can finally say that it has paid off.

My first big break came when I worked as the NY unit art director on the Chinese film Mojin:The Lost Legend. The movie went on to become the highest grossing IMAX film in China. That brought in a lot of other offers. It is still hard being an Indian woman, an immigrant working in a largely male-dominated industry, but the film industry has changed quite drastically over the years and I am glad to have been a part of it just as the change was being welcomed.

Social work comes easy to you. Earlier you had made a film on war veterans and now the work with COVID 19… how do you combine your professional work in the films with social service.

Through my work in film, I’ve met some amazing people who’ve introduced me to projects that are related to social service.

I am a part of IATSE Local 829 (United Scenic Artists) here which represent designers, artists and craftspeople. Being a part of a union comes with the responsibility of taking care of and supporting each other as artists, and it is one that I take pride in. In the current climate, I am working on supporting women who work in the industry and creating an environment that is safe and non-judgemental. Another important aspect of this is talking about the pay gap that exists very prominently even behind the camera. Most people are made to believe that it is crude to talk about your income, but what it also does is help hide the huge gap that exists in what men and women are paid for doing the same job. So on the projects that I work on, I consciously hire women who are keen to find that initial step into the film industry, train them and pass on the knowledge that I have gathered, and also educate them about the wages that they should expect and demand as they move higher up the ladder.

Do you have any plans to work in Bollywood or Malayalam cinema?

Down the line, I definitely want to come back to India to work in the Indian film industry. But currently, my work on the web series Unsettled is the one that connects most to my roots. The show revolves around two female Indian artists in New York and their struggles and triumphs as they try to “make it” in the Big Apple. I think it is a story that most women, not just Indian, will be able to relate to.

I definitely see myself working in the Malayalam film industry. You write what you know and I was born and raised as a Malayali, so my first feature film script that I am currently working on is set in a small town in Kerala.