Tuckered Out with Ami Thakkar
Rianjali Is Mild Mannered And Timid
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Episode notes
Rianjali is an award-winning, NYC-born, Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter/composer. Previously working as a former domestic violence and teacher, Rianjali found her “pinch me moment” when Oscar award-winning musician A.R. Rahman invited her to work with him And she hasn’t looked back.
From composing music for hit shows on Amazon Prime and Netflix to collaborating legends such as U2, Bishop Briggs, and Shawn Mendes, Rianjali’s big mission in life is to change the perspectives of South Asian musicians’ perspective in the diaspora and to encourage women to explore careers within music and film, and she does this with humor and heart through her Mild Mannered and Timid Podcast, which Rianjali co-hosts and produces, sharing her no-holds-barred views on the society, music, and culture of the South Asian diaspora.
Rianjali’s production company is Mild Mannered Timid whose short films include Seeing God, which won Best Documentary at the South Asian Film Festival of America, and Saltwater, which was officially selected for the Wisconsin Film Festival and Chicago South Asian Film Festival of America.
This drive to break barriers and defy traditional expectations and stereotypes defines every aspect of her life from her marriage to her music to her films. She is a true trailblazer and and yes, now my soul sister
Rinajali shares her crazy ride and lets us into her darkest moments, the challenges she faced taking care of her parents and South Asian expectations, and her decision to follow AR Rahman to Chennai. She reveals how AR Rahman became her personal Mr Miyagi and what he’s like up close and personal. We talk about how her marriage to Kunal by a queer Hindu priestess inspired her first doc; how her latest short film,Saltwater, explores communication in South Asian families; and how her film work helped her connect with her own family.
The Mild Mannered and Timid Podcast: Challenging the stereotype of South Asian women + using humor to deal with pain +wanting to support South Asian community + the freedom to be honest about South Asian culture + fear of being shamed five years from now (04:48)
Breaking the Film Barrier: Making debut movie with $800 + getting married + the tattooed, weed-smoking queer Hindu priestess + Saltwater and how Indian fathers communicate + having your film used in film classes (12:42)
Rianjali and Kunal - How the Crazies Found Each Other: Rianjali details her husband’s talents as an attorney and musical creative + how she and Kunal connected through music + how their parents thought they were crazy + how Kunal supports and complements her. (20:11)
Rianjali’s Dark Journey: Rianjali’s early love of singing and how her teacher pushed her to musical high school + Giving up singing for college and being diagnosed with depression + Getting polyps on vocal cords and fighting back + Getting a “realistic” job and the stress of helping battered women. (24:44)
Enter AR Rahman: Rianjali tells how a singing clip on Facebook led to her meeting AR + how she had to care for her sick parents + Singing for AR while he videoed her like a dad + the offer of a lifetime to go to India + Deciding to go and the guilt of “abandoning” her parents. (30:12)
Rianjali’s Journey Begins: Joining AR Rahman in Chennai as a purple-haired girl in a traditional Indian community + the intensity of being mentored by AR and learning on the fly + how AR took care of her like a father + her first triumphs with Amazon and Netflix and Bollywood (41:34)
Returning to Earth: Rianjali talks about finding her musical voice, being South Asian but wanting to do her own thing + the joy she took in becoming a full-time teacher + how the pandemic forced her to switch from gigging to writing music + advising people on the hard realities of the music business + the South Asian impulse to be realistic about career choices and how it clashes with following your dream. (50:32)
Rianjali and U2: Rianjali recalls her jamming session with Bono, the Edge, and AR Rahman. (59:01)
Current and Future Projects: The excitement of making documentaries with Academy Award-Winning Vanessa Roth + plans to showcase traditional South Asian recipes and moving beyond South Asian food + having her dad star in a pilot episode, how he shared his life story with her on camera, and her love-hate relationship with him + the clash of generational attitudes towards family and ambition in South Asian culture (01:01:16)
What Now for Rianjali? Rianjali reflects on her changing goals in life and work + her desire to be known as just a female composer + the importance of getting more women into making music and film + the pleasure of helping people on their own music journeys.
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