Filmmaker Statement

My name is Jhanvi and I am the Writer and Director of Mirage. I am driven to tell stories that represent my community in an engaging yet complex fashion. Writing about the Indian-American motel-owning community was born out of visiting and staying at many such motels owned by my friends and family. Their journey escaping post-colonial India to building and dominating the mid to low-budget motel industry in the United States is an inspirational one. One that despite its outward appearance of success, is riddled with challenges when it comes to integrating into American society. When Nitya arrives California, she is optimistic despite the odds. But as the days go by, she becomes acutely aware of the precarious business methods and the inherent danger that operating a highway motel entails. This is the reality of millions of Indian Americans who are motel owners. A glowing example of the American dream with their small business success, but the otherness they experience from customers