(April 30, 2024) Following in the footsteps of her father, Manoj Nelliyattu ‘M. Night’ Shyamalan, Ishana Night Shyamalan also graduated from his alma mater, New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Similar to her father’s journey, the Indian American youngster has turned into a filmmaker.
She started her career by working on music videos and short films before stepping into the world of filmmaking. The 22-year-old, recently released the trailer of her debut feature film, ‘The Watchers,’ which boasts of an impressive star ensemble including Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Oliver Finnegan, and Olwen Fouere.
Scheduled to hit theatres in June 2024, ‘The Watchers’ trailer went viral soon after its release. In her debut feature film Ishana has worked on a horror-themed narrative, a genre that her father is renowned for.
Influences in approach to cinema
Although Ishana is deeply inspired by her father, she shared in an interview that a significant influence on her craft also comes from the works of Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. “I think like in my bones, I’m most inspired by Miyazaki,” she remarked adding, “Like I just think those have been the movies that throughout my life have moved me the most and they’re very sacred things to me. So, in many ways, this was just like chasing the experience that I feel when I watch those movies, which is one of wonder and adventure and innocence in many ways.”
Wong Kar-wai, Hong Kong’s director, screenwriter and producer and Polish film director Krzysztof Kieślowski are some of the other filmmakers who have had an influence on Ishana’s approach to cinema.
Carrying forward the legacy
“From making shorts, to going to Tisch, to becoming one of our top writer/directors on ‘Servant’ (TV series) to this incredible moment of #TheWatchers in theatres this summer… Ishana has always made me very proud. And even better than making a dazzling film, she is a wonderful person,” tweeted her proud father. He had immigrated with his doctor parents from Pondicherry to the USA when he was six weeks old.
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The New York University Tisch School of the Arts alumni graduated in 1992, adopting ‘Night’ as his second name during his time there. A blend of Eastern and Western influences in name extended to his three children, including Ishana.
Not the first father-daughter collaboration
It’s not the first time that the father-daughter duo has collaborated for a project. Ishana contributed to M. Night Shyamalan’s eerie Apple TV+ series ‘The Servant,’ as a writer and co-writer for 10 episodes and as director for six episodes. She also served as the second unit director for her father’s box office hits, ‘Old’ (2021) and the recent ‘Knock at the Cabin’ (2023). Both the productions had topped the charts during their opening weekends.
While working with him, M. Night Shyamalan, Ishana, his middle daughter, inherited his knack and expertise for crafting suspense, thrills, and compelling drama. “The training from him has existed my whole life,” she remarked.
Ishana Night Shyamalan at the sets of M Night Shyamalan’s movie ‘Old’ (2021)
For her directorial debut, Ishana adapted the screenplay from a novel by the Irish author A.M Shine who has written several literary horror masterpieces.
Talking about her adaptation Ishana remarked, “It’s a journey of suspense that hopefully leads into a feeling of wonder at the end. My hope is it’s an experience that plays on that sense of unease – then takes you to a bigger, wonderful place.”
Pursuing art to survive
Since she was a child Ishana was creatively inclined whether it was painting, ballet, poetry and even designing clothes.
“I’ve moved through different forms of art throughout my whole life and kind of later in life came to filmmaking. But there’s really been no other option in terms of my psyche – I’ve only felt that I need to be doing art to survive,” she remarked.
For nearly twenty years, Ishana and her family, including her siblings Saluki and Shivani, along with their parents Bhavna and their father, have lived in Ravenwood, a 1937 Georgian revival house nestled on a 125-acre estate in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Proudly, the father has also backed Ishana’s directorial debut through his production company, Blinding Edge Pictures.
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