“How Our Parents Used to Take Pictures” - Vinita Khilnani Reflects on Her Professional Journey in Comedy and Storytelling
“At the end of the day, seeing people shed whatever troubles they are going through thanks to laughter is what drives me daily.” Today’s woman dreamer, Vinita Khilnani is an an actor, comedian, and improviser based in Los Angeles, California. She is known for her viral video titled, "How Our Parents Used To Take Pictures", has been featured in commercials such for platforms such as ESPN, Volkswagen, Opendoor, and Yahoo Mail, and in 2023 she co-created and sold a comedy sketch show to the 'Always Funny' channel on PLUTO TV called "Mother's Day Mom-A-Thon. This past spring, she also emceed the Akshaya Patra USA Boston Gala. In this inspiring interview with Women Who Win, Vinita reflects on how she pivoted from her STEM background to pursue the creative fields, the inspirational role of her family in her career, the importance of giving back, and her lifelong passion for telling stories and making people laugh. She shares, “My mother is my pillar for education and my father is my pillar for generosity and giving back, which are some of the fundamentals of Akshaya Patra.” Enjoy!
1. Tell us your story. You have an academic background in biology and science, but have also built a strong following as a comedian and content creator. Tell us more about how you grew up and what drives you in your career?
My parents were always emphasizing the importance of education. Empowering yourself with education would allow you to accomplish anything is what they would say. Not to say they were extremely strict, my parents love to have a good time and were extremely good story tellers. Growing up, I took after them and at our big Indian family dinners, I would somehow find my way being the emcee of an impromptu event where I would gather everyone around our fireplace and put on a show - whether it was jeopardy, a musical, or a play. I always loved entertaining people.
As I graduated from UCSD with a degree in Biology, I took more of an interest in music and pursued a music career. Even then, my parents said that you need to pursue a Masters degree in case your music career doesn’t pan out. Eventually, I got not one, but TWO masters degrees - one in Public Health and the other in Biology.
Singing will always be my first love, but I loved making people laugh, so I slowly shifted to comedy. Having that conversation with my parents was not as tough as I thought it would be. They said, OK, if this is what you want to do, then you need education for this. I then enrolled in the world famous improv school-The Groundlings Theater.
Slowly, but steadily, studying acting has become my full time occupation. I began auditioning for commercials and booked multiple national commercials and recently sold my own comedy variety show to Pluto TV. Content creation was a natural outlet and it exploded for me during the pandemic where I would post a video every day. At the end of the day, seeing people shed whatever troubles they are going through thanks to laughter is what drives me daily. And regarding my science educational background - don’t worry, I still tutor privately!
2. Through your channel OMG Vinita, you have brought relatable and witty comedy such as the viral video, "How Our Parents Used To Take Pictures", for South Asians and the millennial/Gen Z demographic overall. First, tell us more about your experience with going viral. Secondly, How do you find inspiration for your comedic material?
Let me explain this viral video and how it's changed my life. So yes, in 2020 I was creating a lot of content during the pandemic and this one video, “How Our Parents Used To Take Pictures” went viral and shortly after, I realized a lot of news articles were coming out about how I, this Indian girl from Los Angeles, was the doppelganger of this world famous Pakistani cricket player named Shoaib Akhtar. I was shocked, but it was so hilarious. The internet really remains undefeated. Naturally people started to refer to me as Shoaib and I embraced it. It drove my growth and boosted my following on social media. I ended up meeting him in person last year in 2023 and we made a video together. It hit the news again and everyone loved it and went viral again! Shoaib was so nice in person and a true professional.
Regarding how I find inspiration, a lot of my inspiration comes from hanging out with my parents and their friends. Everytime we hang out, there is something that I can use as motivation. I take notes and create content based around that.
3. You have appeared in numerous films,tv, and commercials, including as Endario Zinn from Disney’s Star Wars and you were recently awarded Best Supporting Actress in a dark comedy "Dead To Me" in the Sweden Film Festival. What is the key lesson you have learned in your entertainment career, and what is the biggest challenge you've faced?
The key lesson I've learned in my entertainment career is to have thick skin and keep it moving. You just can't take anything personally and have to keep going on to the next audition/project. It's a fast paced game and you gotta keep up. Also, another important thing is to be kind to everyone because it's a small business and you never know who you are going to run into and work with. The biggest challenge I've faced is learning how to use my unique self throughout the process-use what makes me me-to play characters. It's a work in progress.
4. You emceed the Akshaya Patra Boston gala this year. What inspires you most about the Akshaya Patra cause and what is your advice to other young professionals on giving back?
I had the best time emceeing the Akshaya Patra Boston Gala this year! I have to thank Samantha Ganglani for discovering me online and inviting me. I was greeted by such a warm welcome and was immediately drawn by what they stand for as my pillars in life - my parents - share similar attributes. My mother is my pillar for education and my father is my pillar for generosity and giving back, which are some of the fundamentals of Akshaya Patra.
I love that we are feeding children, so they can attend school to get an education. There is nothing better than this. I think it's so important to give back. Everyone should find a cause they are passionate about and give back. We were given so much growing up that it's so rewarding to share and give our time to help others. I can't wait till Akshaya Patra hits their 5 billionth meal and I look forward to visiting an Akshaya Patra kitchen in India one day.
5. As the platform for women dreamers, what is your next big dream?
My dream is to continue to make people laugh through my storytelling and I want to inspire other women to follow their dreams. I’m working on a few projects now that will showcase my upbringing and the comedy within it. I’m very excited to share!