Lena Khan is a far cry from the Hollywood stereotypes.
BLOG: Valley View
By Zenobia Khaleel
SAN FRANCISCO: How many Indian-American women directors can you name?
Mira Nair.
Gurinder Chadha.
Mindy Kaling.
Then I draw a blank.
Direction in Hollywood has forever been a tough glass ceiling to crack for women, particularly so for women of Indian origin.
So, when I heard about a new kid in that elite club, naturally, I was interested to find out more about her.
Well, Lena Khan is not a newbie to the entertainment industry. Her stellar career graph reveals that she has been directing short films, music videos, and commercials for the past eight years. Lena has been a guest speaker at several universities, film appreciation events and at the Newseum in Washington D.C. she has been profiled in USA Today, The New York Times, and other mainstream publications. Her numerous awards include the Sony Entertainment Television’s South Asian Excellence Award for contributions to entertainment.
Presently, Lena is busy rolling her feature-film directorial debut into production; a dramatic comedy set in the ’70s called The Tiger hunter.
Lena shared some experiences of her journey so far and the insights she gained from the giant learning curve that’s Showbiz.
“I finished my undergraduate degrees in political science and history. Besides having my passion in the arts, I also realized that entertainment seemed to be a much stronger means of educating the public than even academic (which I wanted to enter). So, I entered the film school and wanted to make entertaining films that also help subtly influence audiences.”
“I started out working on the script because the stories that I was drawing upon (from my father, from immigrants who came here in the 60s and 70s, from people I interviewed) were fascinating. They were funny, but they also had heart and were a case study of how different people approached the importance of ambition. After that, when I started pitching the idea to people at my old production company and colleagues, there was a lot of interest. So it just went forward from there. “
Lena worked on the script for years, honing it to a marketable piece. The Tiger Hunter attracted the interest of a producer and a writer who has written for shows like Modern Family. She roped in major players to join her team and garnered interest from powerhouse distributors and recognizable celebrities.
On the challenges she overcame:
“A movie like this is ambitious, and there are so many challenges. The main challenge thus far has been financing. Though we are mostly financed through investors, we still have a small amount left to raise and the expenses are always adding up. Hiring key crew members cost money, applying for grants is expensive, etc. So financing is still our biggest on-going challenge.”
Lena has launched a kick-starter campaign to crowd fund the finances required for the completion of the movie. The kick-starter campaign empowers the audience to support movies and stories that they believe in, which may differ from the formulaic Hollywood movies.
On role models in the film industry:
“I definitely have people I have always looked up to in terms of their professional talents. I loved Spike Lee’s early work, and also the impact of his films for the African-American community. I have always been a big fan of Wes Anderson and Danny Boyle, because they have such a unique style. In different ways, they take risks and it pays off. And, despite some things I wish were done different in Argo, I had always thought Ben Affleck’s case was something I wish I could do – he literally worked hard to get himself into this industry and prove himself, starting from just two college kids writing a script to being an Oscar-winning director.”
The Tiger hunter deals with misrepresented groups. But Lena confirms that the movie isn’t trying to make heavy social statements.
“Thematically it does deal with the limits of ambition and subtly deals with minorities and their treatment in the workplace. We have South Asian characters, and a Muslim lead character. But, the film is not about their ethnicities or religion. I want people to watch the film, adore the characters…and forget about their religion or ethnicities and focus on the story.
“The message is that it’s not necessary that when you see a person of another religion or ethnicity, that those aspects are their defining traits. They have stories, they have personalities. Every person who is South Asian or Muslim or Hindu isn’t trying to be a personal representative of his or her faith or ethnic group.”
On reaction from the studios, to a hijabi filmmaker:
“They don’t necessarily always say something, but you can tell it’s the first thing they notice. Sometimes for some reason they always want to go eat at an Arab place (even though I’m not even Arab), and they assume I wasn’t born in North America right when they see me. Once I’m able to talk about the project though, they get excited about the project and forget about that little piece of cloth on my head!”
On Hollywood blockbusters she would have liked to be part of:
“If I could have been part of The Shawshank Redemption I could have happy dreams all my life! I wish I could be a part of films like Forrest Gump, 500 Days of Summer, The Royal Tenenbaums. There are so many.”
In her blog, Lena narrates the stories behind the movie. It’s a comprehensive journal of moviemaking where she logs everything from the lingo on the set to the research on the tiger’s hunting patterns ; her experiences, strategies that worked and that which did not are documented here so amateurs in the field doesn’t have to start from scratch.
Lena’s guidance for youngsters aspiring to be part of the film industry:
“There are very few careers as intensely competitive as those in the film industry. It’s going to incredibly hard. You might fail for years if not decades. You probably won’t make much money for a long time. You must have not only the initiative, but also the talent. We have too many people entering this field who aren’t working hard enough on making sure other people think their work is good. So get objective opinions. Enter film festivals. Send your script to people (not just friends) who will give you honest feedback. Make sure you have what it takes to stay afloat in this industry.“
Lena Khan is a far cry from the Hollywood stereotypes (another misrepresented group?). She strives for the middle path: a road full of possibilities, where independent filmmakers live out their happy dreams without worrying whether or not they’re part of the Hollywood elite.
(Zenobia Khaleel has donned a lot of hats; writer, photographer, travel enthusiast, troop leader, amateur actor, event coordinator, community volunteer, but predominantly go by the title Mom.)
Recent entries by Zenobia Khaleel:
- From a Maytag washing machine with a meat grinder to Villareal’s Bay Bridge
- All hands on deck
- Unplugging tech, hiking and Jenga blocks
- Learning the language of the tech natives.