DIDIHOOD ~ Issue 44

Happy October Didis! 

Fall is here, and that means our mentorship program is in full swing for its third straight year. Mentorship is one of the three pillars that we built Didihood on, and we love watching the pairs dive into this program every September. So for this month's feature, we reached out to Shaleen Sangha, one of the mentors in this year's program. 

Meet the Didi: 

Shaleen Sangha is the vice-president of content at Boat Rocker Studios where she oversees TV development and production operations. She has also been a writer, director and producer of award-winning short films.

 
What inspired you to get into TV development and production? 

I have been passionate about storytelling my whole life! I was an avid reader, TV and film watcher and gamer. I immersed myself in story from an early age, even writing and directing a play in front of my Grade 4 class, just because I wanted to! As I grew up, I loved making videos and even founded an A/V club (yes, I was an A/V nerd) and storytelling club in school. So naturally, I went to film school and made short films while I worked part-time. Then I realized I craved stability and wanted to find a way to use my passion for story and for TV in a career. Once I learned that TV development was a thing and I could actually have a job being creative and helping TV get made, I jumped at the chance. 

Tell us about your role at Boat Rocker Media: 

I work on various series in the Kids and Family space both in live action and animation, and I also work on primetime animated series. I work at every stage of the life of a TV series, from the inception of an idea all the way through to producing it for the world to see. I act as a creative executive working with showrunners, writers, directors, and designers to hone the creative vision and ensure there is a home for it in the market. I've worked on various series in my career like Chip and Potato, Polly Pocket, The Strange Chores, The Next Step and the upcoming series A Tale Dark and Grimm on Netflix. 

What are some of the obstacles you've come across in your career? 

Aside from the standard challenges, of being gaslit or deal with unconscious bias, I realized something recently that I wasn't aware of early in my career. As a woman — and a South Asian woman at that — you are given fewer opportunities to stand out or even speak in meetings, presentations, etc. So you have to ensure you are always prepared. Even if I didn't anticipate being in a meeting or needing to pitch something, I was ready — always. This ensured that when I did get the moment to shine, I did, and I was asked to speak again. I worked extra hard, long hours, no breaks, educating myself in my off time, so that I could be at my personal best. What is clear to me now, is that this was out of necessity. I couldn't make mistakes or be viewed as not knowing what I was talking about because BIPOC women are held to a different standard. Our respect is earned and not given freely. 

Why did you decide to volunteer your time as a mentor?

I am passionate about mentoring underrepresented voices. Generally, I've always loved giving advice — even unsolicited advice sometimes! Truthfully, I want to be a small part of the reason someone follows their dreams, or gets a show made, or gains some knowledge or insight that they wouldn't otherwise have access to. I want to be the person I needed, when I was that weird story girl in Grade 4 or that young filmmaker or the person just starting out in her career. I saw the post and thought, if I can help, I want to be a part of the Didihood. 

Tell us about how you are structuring the program for your mentee: 

My mentee wants to pursue writing and has an idea she would like to pitch, I plan to help her achieve that goal. Using my knowledge, I'll help her craft her pitch, hone it, and get it buyer ready! We also plant to talk about the various buyers and opportunities to pitch, how to get into development with a producer, and all the steps in between. Further, the biggest part of working in the creative field is creating your own opportunities — so we will spend some time doing that! 

What advice do you have for Didis looking to get into the TV and film industry? 

Go for it! There are various career paths and it is never too late to pivot! If you are passionate and willing to learn, you can achieve your goals. There are countless opportunities to enter the industry — you just have to look for them. There are mentorship programs like this one, but also script competitions and networking events. There are also online communities and resources, meet-up groups, residencies, and calls for proposals. Take advantage of every opportunity and even if you face rejection or obstacles, learn from those experiences and grow, eventually you will succeed. Trust me, we all fail — a lot. It's the few successes that make it all worthwhile! 

What we're reading: 

How Wearing My Mom's Jewellery Keeps Us Connected by Sadaf Ahsan in Chatelaine 

Finding Memories, and Mom's Sewing Stuff, in a Reused Cookie Tin by Priya Krishna in The New York Times

South Asian Women Are Finally Getting More Screen Time, And It's Long Overdue by Alicia Vrajlal in Refinery29 

What we're watching: 

Artworx TO has a new pop-up in Bayview Village in Toronto called chashm-e-bulbul, curated by Didi Raji Aujla, that explores the erasure of Sikh grandmothers' visibility from historical records and tells their stories through oral traditions, Punjabi textile, and Phulkari folk embroidery. It is running until December 31 and can be explored virtually by clicking here. 

— Nikkjit Gill 

Issue 44
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