A Writer By Heart, Producer by Destiny: Founder of NRI Life Productions Gunjan Kuthiala Shares How She Balances It All
“I always say NRILIFE productions is not just a company but a community of crazy passionate creativity seekers working together to create films.” Today’s woman dreamer, Gunjan Kuthiala is the Founder/CEO of NRILIFE Productions and Owner/Head of Jobgini.com. A Writer By Heart and Producer by Destiny, Gunjan shares her creative journey, what she learned from each of her projects, and how she balances it all! Enjoy!
Tell us your story. You are the Founder/CEO of NRILIFE Productions and Owner/Head of Jobgini.com. A writer by heart and producer by destiny, what inspired your passion for creativity?
Creativity is ingrained within all people whose right brain is active, and it was my soul calling from an early age. I have always been a writer and storyteller since childhood. An artist usually starts showing their natural traits very early on. But I have been in the corporate HR/Talent Acquisition sector for 19 years now, and the universe conspired me to pursue my soul calling with two initial missions:
A) To create a production house that gives opportunities solely and purely on the basis of production. It came from a series of experiences, especially when a top casting director in India asked me if I was available for compromise or not. I wondered if they had the audacity to ask a strong and settled mom of two like me, what other small-town needy individuals go through.
B) For most creativity seekers among NRIs, it’s not feasible to quit their financial, social, and family commitments and explore Mumbai or LA. Hence, the intent is to bring authentic filmmaking within the vicinity of our neighborhood since we have great shooting locations, integrity, talent, money, and more here. All we need is the right production ecosystem. I had the belief and dream, and then the universe started connecting many angels to support the mission. I always say NRILIFE productions is not just a company but a community of crazy passionate creativity seekers working together to create films.
2. Tell us more about your work at NRI Life Productions. What types of stories do you like to tell, and what was the need you saw?
So far, we have one film at Amazon Prime- Encrypted, one about to get released - NRI Wives (with star cast Bhagyashree, Raima Sen, Kiku Sharda, Jugal Hansraj, Samir Soni,Hiten Tejwani, Gaurav Gera, Aditi Govitrikar, Sadiya Siddiqui, Sameksha Oswal, Javed Pathan & more), and we have produced a few Ads, music videos, and few film projects are in the pipeline/pre-production. Stories I want to tell: preferably real-life inspired stories of NRIs. Every life is a story, and “Ek kahanikaar kahaaniyon si zindagi jeete jeete kahanikaar banta hai.” I personally love touching taboo subjects with beautiful messages woven within them. Stories that are entertaining and super engaging, unique in some ways, thought-provoking, yet inspiring. I would prefer creating anthology stories but don’t want to limit us either.
3. You are also a managing partner at Jobgini. With the current challenges in the job market, what are your top tips for women in finding a job that excites them?
Job hunting is a job, so when hunting for your dream job, don’t just limit yourself to applying for a few jobs. Please post your resume on top-tier job boards as 60-70% of jobs don’t get posted, but resumes are sourced for those via recruiters. Moreover, career fairs and LinkedIn are great ways to connect with Talent Acquisition professionals. Lastly, people don’t hire people because of their mandatory skills, but when they resonate with them, when they feel the click with them, and hence, please go in an interview with your ‘authenticity hat’ on along with professional attire as that will automatically make you confident and humanly resonating. I also give a Triple E formula for public speaking/interviews, which is to remindpublic speaking/interviews which is remind yourself of Energy, Enthusiasm and Eye contact as that always does the magic :)
4. You are working on multiple amazing initiatives. How do you balance your time between projects?
Well, I am a very average next-door mom full of flaws and can be lazy at times, but if I can do it, so can you! Moreover, women are born with multitasking genes. Just believe that your dreams are given to you by the universe for a reason, and if you know the A and Z, start taking baby steps. The whole world full of wisdom around you will guide you, and gradually, you will learn to maintain balance (I am still learning the balance, lol).
5. As the platform for women dreamers, what is your next big dream?
Honestly, my biggest dream is to contribute to millions of souls' dreams through both my babies: Jobgini & NRILIFE Productions. Creating ecosystems is my profession and my Ikigai, and I feel that the universe blesses us with specific strengths and weaknesses for an explicit calling or purpose, like a piece of a puzzle.