Meet Shreya Patel

 

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shreya Patel a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Shreya, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

My parents!

My dad studied English under street lights and grew up with no food. The entire family used to survive on leftover breadcrumbs from a bakery and drank a lot of water to fill their stomachs. Despite these hardships, he always had a vision for a better life that drove him forward. He often tells the story of taking a train to Mumbai, spending the night at the station, and going for a job interview the next day. After landing the job, he wasn’t satisfied and aimed for better pay. His colleagues laughed at him, saying it was the best job he could get. But he dreamt of either taking over the manager’s job or going to the Gulf for a brighter future. Despite the ridicule, he never gave up on his dream. He somehow made it to the Gulf, just as he had envisioned, and has been the biggest success story I know. His relentless pursuit of a better life instilled in me a work ethic grounded in resilience, ambition, and unwavering determination.

My mom lost her dad early on and had to take on the responsibility of caring for her mom and siblings. She worked tirelessly and took care of the family with utmost responsibility and grace.

Both of them have profoundly inspired and instilled a strong work ethic in me. Their blessings have been a guiding factor, along with my uncle Julius, who is like a second father to me and sends me blessing messages every day.

This consistent support from my parents has been a cornerstone in my life, inspiring me to follow my passions with full dedication and a grateful heart.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

From the age of 6, I was enchanted by the world of fashion. Inspired by summer memories of my mother dressing me up, snapping photos, and introducing me to fashion magazines, I set my heart on the industry. Leaving university and my home country, with not a single connection in the fashion world, was a daunting challenge. But I believe, that without taking risks, we can’t truly chase our dreams. The path wasn’t handed to me; my parents, while supportive, couldn’t guide me through an industry unfamiliar to them. They also had their apprehensions, often associating success in entertainment with wealth and connections.

Yet, my determination led me. Learning from mistakes and failures, I carved my niche, eventually gracing over 600 runways across Asia, the Middle East, and North America, and working with iconic magazines like Vogue and Grazia.

My journey in the fashion world, however, intersected with profound moments of realization. Volunteering with the Make-A-Wish Foundation in both Canada and India, I was confronted with stark disparities: while children in Canada dreamed of meeting celebrities or visiting Disney World, those in India longed for basic necessities. Witnessing these contrasting realities, coupled with heart-wrenching sights at government hospitals in India, I felt an overpowering need to amplify unheard voices.

Returning to Canada, I pursued documentary filmmaking. My debut, “Girl Up”, which I single-handedly shot, edited, and produced, spotlighted domestic human trafficking issues. While its release faced hurdles, the documentary garnered acclaim, screening at many film festivals and sparking critical dialogues about human trafficking at events like the Civic Action Summit, which was partnered with the Toronto International Film Festival.

With my production company, Window Dreams Productions Inc, we aim to produce content that not only entertains but also makes a tangible impact.

During this pandemic, I gathered 66 countries on 6 continents and made a documentary called Unity showcasing the plight of the human spirit. It was the closing film at Munich International Film Festival.

Following the release of Unity, I remotely directed a music video called Freedom Dance by Faynyx, which got over 1.2 million views on YouTube. Rolling Stone India reported about it.

I have appeared in lead roles in numerous films, tv shows, and theatre productions. My first film role in “Vivid” helped garner the film multiple award nominations, while my feature film “Strangers In A Room” achieved acclaim by winning the Audience Choice Award at the prestigious 23rd Reelworld International Film Festival.

Our short film, “Unibrow” by Iranian-Canadian filmmaker Nedda Sarshar, got into Palm Springs International ShortFest and Canadian Film Fest, making it Canadian Screen Award Qualifying. It also won at the New York International Children’s Film Festival, making it Oscar Qualifying. “Unibrow” also won Best Screenplay and Best Director (both to Nedda Sarshar) and Best Performance (Lina Sennia) at the Hollywood North Film Awards. It also won at ReelAsian Film Festival (Air Canada Short Film Award, Air Canada Audience Choice Short). It had an official selection at the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, McMinnville Short Film Festival (nominated for the Founders Award), to name a few.

I am an honoree of Forbes 30 Under 30, Top 100 Most Powerful Women of Canada, RBC’s Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards, and the Women’s Achiever Award. DissDash named me one of the “Top 50 Coolest South Asians of 2021” along with Priyanka Chopra, Kamala Harris, and Hasan Minaj.

In essence, my journey embodies my belief: Dream, take risks, and forge your path. And while you’re at it, ensure your work resonates, impacts, and uplifts others because there is plenty of room for everyone up here.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

In no particular order:

Resilience: This is crucial because, without it, most people will give up when faced with challenges. To build resilience, embrace failures as learning opportunities, and keep pushing forward despite setbacks.

Patience: Good things rarely come quickly, and there are no shortcuts to lasting success. Understand that persistence and steady progress are key.

Ambition: Having a clear dream and vision is essential. To develop ambition, take time to understand what you truly want, set specific and achievable goals, and continually remind yourself of your end goals to stay motivated.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

Being a global citizen comes with its pros and cons. One of the biggest challenges is staying away from family and friends for extended periods while working and forming connections elsewhere. However, I’ve learned to overcome this by realizing that the world is small. Many of my friends are also world travellers, and I’ve been fortunate enough to meet up with family and friends in various parts of the world, allowing us to explore different communities and cultures together. This global lifestyle has given me wings to embrace diversity and enrich my life experiences, which has been incredibly rewarding.

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