Sujata Day Has Directorial Debut with Definition Please with Indian Sibling Story [Exclusive Interview]
Sujata Day in Definition Please
Sujata Day makes her directorial feature film debut with the comedy-drama Definition Please about two siblings trying to overcome their differences in order to care for their mother.
Day plays the lead in the film that she also wrote, produced, and directed. Also, it features Ritesh Rajan (Russian Doll, Jungle Book), Anna Khaja (The Walking Dead: World Beyond), Jake Choi (Single Parents), Lalaine (Lizzie McGuire), with LeVar Burton (Roots, Reading Rainbow), and introducing Maya Kapoor.
Here is the full synopsis of Definition Please:
When we meet Monica Chowdry in 2005, the eight-year-old is on top of the world as a champion of Scribbs National Spelling Bee. Fast-forward to the present day: grown-up Monica (Sujata Day) is still living at home in Greensburg, Pennsylvania with her ailing mom Jaya (Anna Khaja), making a living tutoring a new crop of future overachievers while hesitating to make any big moves in her own life. Monica faces an unwelcome disruption in her mundane routine when her older brother Sonny (Ritesh Rajan) reappears from out of the blue. A sweet-natured, fitness-obsessed goofball, Sonny blithely refuses to address his bipolar disorder, and Monica is wary of embracing his presence lest they repeat past traumas.
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LRM Online’s Gig Patta chatted with the multi-talented Sujata Day on crafting the story, Spelling Bee words, Indian culture, and tackling mental illness.
Sujata Day was known for her starring role as CeCe in Issa Rae’s The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl. Later, she had a recurring role for three seasons on HBO’s Insecure as Sarah. She created two short films with Cowboy and Indian and Wallflower. The former short film is sold to a major studio for series development with Sujata attached to star and write. Also, she directed This Is My Story, a series with beloved storyteller LeVar Burton as he narrates real-life personal experiences of everyday racism.
Definition Please is currently streaming on Netflix today.
Watch the exclusive interview with Sujata Day below. Let us know what you think of the interview.
Source: LRM Online Exclusive, Netflix
