Delhi,Dubai,New York

Sud,who has previously acted in short films by directors such as Mohit Marwah and Karan Boolani,among others,sets the record straight. She only wants to do “stuff that matches my sensibility since I have cultivated an understanding of films and art which,having lived in New York,is different from the normal Bollywood understanding”.

Her foray into films and commercials began during her graduation years at NYU. It was,however,her love for art,which she fulfilled by studying at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in New York,that set her off. “My interest in films can be attributed to art. Art requires one to be at the centre of creativity and my outlet was through films,” she says.

Therefore,when not acting,Sud consults art enthusiasts in New York and Los Angeles on contemporary South Asian art. She has also created an art network with her Sotheby’s friends in countries such as Lebanon,Korea and Hungary. “The art market has hit a bubble and the prices of works by prominent artists are really inflated. So,people in the West want to turn to emerging artists,not just Indian but also those from Middle East and Far East,” she says. Some of those she occasionally guides are The Big Bang Theory-actor Kunal Nayyar and Moises de la Renta,son of fashion designer Oscar de la Renta.

Her contribution to The Owner,which has been shot by 25 directors across five continents,is a five-minute segment set in Dubai,directed by Dubai-based Pakistani filmmaker Fahad Sheikh. “I do not usually get chosen for earthy,Indian looks,”she says.

That brings us to her coming up as an emerging fashion icon. “I don’t know where that came from,” she says with a laugh,adding,“But then I’m a woman and I’m creative and that allows me to be experimental and quirky in the way I dress. The reason,however,could be my mother who is into textile exports and I got to wear a lot of brands even during my school days at DPS R K Puram in Delhi.”

Shuttling between the US and India,acting and consulting,Sud seems to have finally found her calling. “We’re planning to start a bi-weekly art blog that will update readers on art markets and collectors’ from across the world,” she says. Besides,she will soon be creating a space for “super underground” films and art.

“The idea is to deconstruct the intimidation exuded by museums. Also,everything’s so Bollywood-centric and non-mainstream films and art also need an outlet,” she signs off.