Hollywood recently witnessed a first-time and one of a kind event at the Arth Bar & Kitchen in Culver City. Called CINEMA & SANITY, the evening was a showcase put on by actor Prashantt Guptha along with friend and fellow Bollywood actress Kashmera Shah, to create awareness about mental well-being in the field of arts & entertainment. In attendance were Hollywood producers, filmmakers, talent managers, celebrities and business professionals from various walks of life.
Says Prashantt Guptha, ‘this has been the need of the hour for a long time and I can’t believe it has remained a vacant niche to fill for so long.’ The format of the evening was a chat show moderated by LA based actress and esteemed personality of Rukus Avenue Radio and the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA), Priyadarshini G Roy. Kashmera and Prashantt entertained the audience with humorous quips on the reality of showbiz when also asked about what it takes for South Asians in America to make it in Hollywood, and, offered poignant tips on breaking through Bollywood.
Both actors expressed that the single greatest take away from all the guests was that never before has an event been done in Hollywood that reflected upon the importance of mental health, happiness, mindfulness, along with offering tools for showbiz people to avoid depression, anxiety, suicide, drugs, and alcohol addiction.
In her reflection of the evening that was attended by over 150 guests, Kashmera Shah expressed, “there are many seminars and masterclasses but to see people attend something in Los Angeles where everyone that attended was from varied professions was heartwarming. People here have so much understanding about the shortcomings of our industry and they are so supportive. I am super impressed by Prashantt’s efforts and I want to help him in taking this further.”
Prashantt was most enthusiastic in crediting all the people who made generous contributions towards the fruition of what he called, a ‘party with a purpose.’ Foremost, LA based entrepreneur and event promoter Sameer Moosani, and along with him: New York based attorney and motivational coach Ariana Tadler, founder of 2Meditate – Swati Desai, Long Island based real-estate powerhouse Fran Lisner, Califonia based entrepreneur & film producer Vivienne Kjono, Writer/Filmmaker and MD Dr. Raj Gupta, Real-Estate and community leader Anil Bansal, artiste Namrata Sharma of Namah, Les Dotson and Rob Williams of the revolutionary breakthrough medical technology Swiss Precision, and Jasmine Singh of Solm8 sports shoes.
Possibly the most heart-warming moment of the evening was Prashantt’s revelation of having been through clinically treated depression & anxiety, and wanting to ensure that along with a successful career as an actor, he did his best to create a movement to prevent such from happening in the lives of all who pursue the arts & entertainment as a career.
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