IN HER WORDS

This screenwriter examines the power of stories and makes the case to embrace them

- POOJA SHAH

When Mrittika ‘Mou’ Sarin was 10, she sat next to a girl in math class, who kept asking her what she was doing. At an age when children would use any excuse to play outdoors or sneak in additional TV time, Mou was intently working on writing an original fantasy novel.

Storytelling has always come naturally to this Assamese/Punjabi writer. Born in Assam, but raised in Delhi and Baltimore, in the US, Mou’s global travels and upbringing, professional work across two continents, and identity impacted her formative years by being a bridge between cultures to inspire the stories she writes and tells.

From a young age, she developed a knack to work in film, but didn’t know what her path would be. After taking classes in directing and cinematography in college, she realised that she could fuse two of her passions into writing for film.

It’s no surprise that breaking into Hollywood or Bollywood is a difficult task and Mou notes that both locations were difficult in their ways. Though there is no direct ladder to the top, Mou, currently residing in Los Angeles, emphasises how perseverance and dedication to the hustle are key to succeeding.

“At first it was really hard to break into the industry. I began as a script reader for a studio, and for two years, I read over 200 scripts which gave me a sense of what to do and what not to do as well as helped me develop my skillset in writing and how I want to tell stories.”