Netflix recently received a lot of backlash on social media after news broke that it has sacked all of its diversity departments, Strong Black Lead, Asian American-focused Golden, Latinx-focused Con Todo, and LGBTQ-focused Most. In the past few years, there have been some important discussions taking place on film diversity, particularly in regards to women and minorities. The issue affects not only individuals who appear on TV, but also those who work behind the scenes.
Harshita Reddy, a set designer and assistant art director from Bengaluru who is making her mark in Hollywood despite these turbulent times. She quit a promising job as an architect to pursue a career in an industry wherein women make up under 20% of the workforce.
According to Reddy, her love for movies began when she was 12 years old and saw the Telugu film ‘Arjun,’ in which she was captivated by the recreation of the famed Madurai Temple. She then made the decision to explore being a set design as a career option.
The Bengaluru native, who now calls Los Angeles home, got her start in Hollywood as the lead set designer for Kristen Bell’s Netflix feature ‘The Women in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window.’ S he considers herself fortunate to have stumbled onto such a thrilling opportunity.
Working on the lead character’s house with renowned production designer Melanie Jones was a fantastic learning experience, according to Harshita. “I was expected to make construction drawings for an entire 3- storey house in just under 3 weeks. She elaborates, “Although I was slightly intimidated by the task at hand I decided to take up the challenge. Even though, the pandemic presented multiple challenges such as not having the flexibility to shoot at actual locations and limiting the number of people on set, it was rewarding to see the outcome,” she said.
She aspires to continue to work hard and work her way up in the Art department, eventually becoming an Art Director and Production Designer. “My goal is to develop the skill sets that will allow me to work on a diverse range of projects irrespective of the language or the country itself,” adds Harshita, who is optimistic about her future.
