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Interview:
Preity
Üpala feature - June 2017
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Body and Spirit Television
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Photo
credit: Winny Clum
International
beauty queen and Hollywood actress Preity Üpala
has the distinction of being a global citizen given
her remarkable heritage.
Rubbing
shoulders with Jackie Chan, Hosting an awards festival
in Russia, endorsing Resorts in Thailand and Greek
islands, being the face of a jewelry line and appearing
in numerous commercials and TV shows in Hollywood
is all a days work for Ms. Üpala.
You
see, Preity is a former investment banker turned Hollywood
Actor, producer and TV presenter. Being crowned several
beauty queen titles, she also is multi-lingual having
worked across four continents and speaks 5 languages.
But
still at the heart of it all, she is just a girl from
Wollongong. Growing up in Australia, she is now doing
big things in Hollywood and beyond. Hers is a story
of a girl from a small town who took a leap of faith
and followed her heart. I had the pleasure of interviewing
her for Media Man:
Tell
us about your involvement on a Global platform?
A
global citizen of the world, having travelled to over
60 countries alone and speaking five languages, my
work has always been imbued by an international fragrance.
Growing up in Dubai, Paris, Sydney and New York has
provided me with a wide comprehension of global cultures
and values.
I
have been appointed board member of the FPA- Federation
of Producers Association in Asia Pacific since 2010
and was recently in Beijing for the annual FPA Meeting
discussing future of films in the region. I was honored
to be the head delegate for India from 2011 till 2016.
I feel blessed to have had my first thrust into international
limelight when I was awarded 3 major film awards in
China by the legendary Jackie Chan. I have also been
the official host of the Moscow Horror Film Festival
in Russia where I had pleasure in engaging Russian
audiences with my speech in Russian, a story that
was covered by MTV Russia and turned into media frenzy.
I am also an ambassador for GWEN- Global Women's'
Empowerment Network and Black pumps Inc.- an African
Women's' leadership organization. For a non-westerner
to do so well in these foreign markets is remarkable
and I feel privileged.
What
sort of an artist does you view yourself as?
Although
I consider myself as a global citizen, my heart is
still very eastern and traditional endowed with family
values and pride. These help me as I move around in
Hollywood.
As
an international actress, model, TV producer and humanitarian
- and a former investment banker - I always strive
to bring my unique perception and worldview to any
project.
I
am passionate about the environment and involved in
several philanthropic activities. My life "Dharma"
or life purpose is to inspire and empower people though
her work and presence.
I
started University at 16 and at 20 was offered a scholarship
for a Ph.D. upon graduation. I hold a Bachelor of
Technology, and a first-class honors degree in E-marketing.
My corporate experience in investment banking and
consulting has added business tools to my varied skillset
and will come in handy in my future projects.
What
inspires you the most?
Humanity
does. Seeing people being lit up when they hear words
I have spoken or some knowledge I may have imparted
to them. I get a hit from other people being inspired
by me in some way.
I'm
a very curious person and always looking to see the
similarities that we all share rather than differences.
Do
you see yourself coming back to Sydney?
Absolutely!
Sydney is very dear to my heart. My parents and my
family still live there and I am always open to coming
back to work on TV/ Film projects and Film festivals.
I was in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide last year
as a promotional campaign for Oenoviva - the premiere
urban winery brand in the world.
It
was amazing to explore the wine country in South Australia.
Having dined at some of the top restaurants in wine
country as well as Adelaide I must say, boasts excellent
food, wine and coffee. I think it would give Sydney
and Melbourne a run for their money any day. I Love
Australia and in particular Sydney and hope to visit
this year.
How
can projects you are involved in bring about greater
understanding and perhaps peace amongst the world's
diverse peoples?
I
feel it's very essential for people to come together
and communicate their ideas, goals, vision and wants
and needs. Forums where you have wide range of diverse
representatives that come together are key as then
we can get a glimpse of the other. And thereby we
can deduce the similarities or differences even. By
understanding each other and being empathetic can
we alone be at peace amongst ourselves.
At
the end of the day, we are all mortal human beings
and want essentially the same things in life, to be
loved, engaged, understood and entertained.
I
have had the great pleasure of positioning myself
as a sort of a bridge in a way, due to my background
and upbringing, growing up in several countries, speaking
several languages and having worked across 5 continents.
Co-production
are very successful these days in Hollywood and its
essential for ventures like this and forums like the
FPA etc. operate to enhance collaborations and be
a voice for diversity.
What
in general is your message to the world as you embark
upon this new journey?
The
world is getting smaller thanks to technological advancements
as well as the growing interest in the world for cross-
cultural content and connection. Movies and shows
are becoming more international than ever. Movies
have also been a great connective tool. I'm excited
about the future of TV and Film on an international
level. I would like to see a paradigm where we have
simply "global programming"- with very diverse
casts and storylines. Perhaps it's not time yet for
that, but the world is indeed very diverse; it's about
time for TV to start mirroring that.
I
am excited about my own personal journey in parallel
with the paradigm shift occurring in life and art.
I feel like a bridge of sorts between the east and
the west and now between the Asia Pacific region and
Hollywood. I highly encourage people to keep and open
mind, travel and be enthusiastic about co- productions
and collaboration and cross- cultural content production.
It really is the way of the future and an exciting
one at that!
What
advice would you give a young person in the entertainment
industry?
"Believe
in yourself unconditionally, as if you don't, no body
else will be inspired to do so! Know your worth and
never compromise on your values and integrity.
Be
yourself as everyone else is taken!
Finally
tell us about your latest projects and where we can
see you?
I
am honored to present my own spiritual radio show
that I Host and present called The Eternal Hour. We
tape weekly at the Sunset Gower Studios right in Hollywood.
You can catch it here on https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-eternal-hour-with-preity-and-kevin
I
am also just about finished writing a book called
The Eternal Gift- keep a watch out for that.
I
am producing my own spiritual TV show, which should
be out sometime soon.
In the meantime please tune into my YouTube channel
as I put out a lot of content and engage with my audience
there.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJTaFo2h9kgl2N71Ey9xkOg?view_as=public
I have really enjoyed this Interview. Thank you so
much!
Ms.
Üpala is available for press interviews and bookings.
To contact her please email her directly at [email protected]
Please check out her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/preityu
And twitter: https://twitter.com/preityuupala?lang=en
Photo
credit: Winny Clum
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