Actress Pallavi Sastry talks about “Land of Gold” on HBO Max, and “Walking Dead: Dead City.”
She also opened up about being a part of the digital age, and she shared her future plans.
‘Land of Gold’ on HBO Max
“Land of Gold” on HBO Max is a movie that interrogartes the American dream. “It tells the story of a truck driver Kiran who hears pounding from inside his shipping container and finds Elena, a young Mexican-American girl, his already tumultuous life takes a drastic turn as he seeks to reunite her with her family,” she said.
“It is written/directed by Nardeep Khurmi and is a classic American road trip drama that is told from the perspective of first-generation. It’s that rare gem of independent film that gets picked up to be on one of the biggest streamers in the business,” she said.
“I’m very proud to have been a producer on this film alongside Keertana Sastry (my sister) and Simon Taufique. I also play one of the leads in the film and after 15 years in this business, it’s my first feature as a lead on a platform like HBO Max. We’re super proud of this movie and what it represents for all of us on the team,” she elaborated.
She opened up about her character Preeti in “Land of Gold” on HBO Max. “Preeti is based a lot on me and my experiences with pregnancy and new motherhood. I had the privilege of developing the character with our writer, Nardeep Khurmi which is such a rare thing. I don’t take it for granted,” she said.
“What I love most about her is that she isn’t written as a passive or submissive wife even in the scenes with her mother-in-law. So often, South Asian women are reduced to the dutiful daughter or wife who just accepts everyone around her flaws without being able to show her messiness,” she said.
“All humans are messy, scared, flawed, and have desires and expectations of their partners – especially women who are about to become new mothers. I was happy she got to be all of that,” she added.
‘Walking Dead: Dead City’
She noted that “Walking Dead: Dead City” was a great deal of “fun.” “I was new to the whole universe when I got the job and everyone was so kind and welcoming. Eli Jorne (showrunner) is so smart and collaborative. I really felt taken care of by the team. ‘The Walking Dead’ universe is a massive operation and so cool to watch it all happening in front of me let alone be in it,” she said.
The synopsis is: New walkers, new villains, New York. Maggie (Lauren Cohan) forms a lethal alliance with Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) to rescue her kidnapped son.
Together they will try to navigate the mean streets of NYC. If they can survive #DeadCity, they can survive anywhere. This show premieres on June 18 on AMC and AMC+.
The digital age
On being an actress in the digital age, now with streaming and technology being so prevalent, she responded, “This is a juicy question since we’re currently going through a Writer’s Strike in Hollywood with the actors and directors unions contemplating the same thing next month.”
“I think the quantity of content has definitely increased but with the episode orders getting smaller and smaller, it keeps the A-list stars always at the top of the lists and doesn’t leave a ton of room for journeyman actors like me to get our shot at the big shows,” she said.
“I have nothing against the A-listers, they are stars for a reason. But my hope is that the studios and powers that be will understand that they are responsible for creating a sustainable industry for all workers both in front of and behind the camera. Cutting corners on content in order to churn out more does not advance the industry,” she added.
Future plans
On her future plans, she shared, “I really enjoy both producing and acting so my hope is that I’m able to balance both for many years to come. My dream career is to be a series regular on a TV show and to be able to produce one film a year whether I’m in it as an actor or not. I’m also a podcaster and host a show all about Platonic Love with my best friend, Gabrielle Ruiz (CW’s ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’).”
“Our hope is for the show to continue later this year with our 7th season and beyond. Most importantly, I’m a mom and a wife and really value my family and friends. Would love to take my daughter to India soon and also have some vacation time in Mexico and Europe,” she said.
Dream collaboration choices
On her dream collaboration choices, she said, “As an actor I want to work with Riz Ahmed, Viola Davis, Sandra Oh, and Sarayu Blue. If I got to duet with any musicians, I would choose Paul McCartney, Beyonce, and The Roots.”
Success
On her definition of success, she said, “Success to me is having complete control over how I spend my creative energy and time and who I work with. I will have made it when I can choose to work (or not work) on a project without feeling the pressure to succeed on behalf of all of my fellow South Asian creatives in Hollywood.”
She concluded about “Land of Gold,” “We might come from different places but we all want the same things; to be loved, to be safe, and to be seen.”
To learn more about actress Pallavi Sastry, follow her on Instagram, and visit her website.
