Sanctuary

I discovered the French Horn when I was nine at my elementary school instrument demo, where we were all required to choose one instrument to learn. I remember thinking as my teacher played it that the sound that came out of its shiny bell was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard.

While some things in my life spiraled out of control, my music felt like the one thing I could control. It became my refuge—a safe place that I always knew I could turn to when words weren’t doing the trick. A medium through which my emotions could be channeled when they felt like too much to handle on their own. While I am so thankful to have had that space, I think artists of all kinds can get lost in their passions, ultimately disconnecting themselves from family, friends, and even themselves during particularly difficult times. An artistic passion can be like a drug: an immediate relief from hardships, resulting in isolation from important people in your life. At the same time, when art is shared, it can be life-changing and uniquely unifying—a mode of communication that can be infinitely more effective than any written language. “Sanctuary” explores the relationship between these two contradictory ideas through the story of Priya, an extremely talented pianist who has somehow lost her authentic connection to the art form along the way, which has profoundly strained her relationship with her mother, Lakshmi. It reminds you that your sanctuary can become your prison if you allow it to, and that true artistry is deeply intertwined with vulnerability and freedom.

I had the pleasure to work with the brilliant lead actress Sriamsha Dubbaka, who I immediately knew was right for the role when I witnessed the restrained resentment she brought to the character in her audition. Sri graciously brought in her lovely and incredibly brave non-actress mother, Niveditha, to play Priya’s mother, Lakshmi. With their help and willingness to collaborate and be vulnerable with me, “Sanctuary” has become more than I ever thought possible. I am incredibly grateful to Sri and Niveditha for educating me about authentic Indian-American representation and helping my story come to life in a new way. It is now not only a story about an isolated artist rediscovering the medium, but a story about a young Indian-American pianist struggling to connect with her distant, immigrant mother amidst familial conflict.

“Sanctuary” is a celebration of music—just one example of an artistic language that humans may designate as their safe place—and the transformative ways it can be used to communicate with each other in difficult circumstances. It’s a reckoning with your inner child, and a reflection of your past self’s rights and wrongs. It’s a call for introspection and empathy, which I feel is especially important in a world where bitterness has become the status quo. It’s a story about the emotional weight that passions can hold in people’s lives, and how interrogating the root of your artistry can bring about life-changing discovery. I hope you all enjoy it!