February 22, 2022
Why did I choose my major?
Well, simply put, I am fascinated with films.
On a longer note, there are many things that piqued my interest in film. One is my early upbringing in India where the culture puts film actors and actresses on a pedestal. There, the film industry is something that everyone can connect to. The fandom in India towards actors is so wild that male actors are called “heroes” and female actors are called “heroines.” And all through my life, they’ve played characters bigger than life in my eyes, and that is the catalyst to my fascination of films.
I also consider the power that films can hold in society as another reason why I chose my major. I have stayed in India, Japan, Malaysia, and the U.S., and if you forget about the individual happenings in society, the most common thing that I noticed is that each country and culture was that people resonate with emotions and imagery more than anything. The prime example is films. Film has the unique power to bring people from all different backgrounds into one movie theater and resonate with almost everyone.
A third reason is how film has the power to blur language barriers. Just look at the biggest cinematic event of the 21st century, Avengers Endgame. That movie went on to dominate box offices worldwide. You can also look at a Hindi movie like Dangal, which was a Bollywood movie but went onto become a success and a fan-favorite in China. This power that I saw was the turning point where my fascination became my ambition.
I also think I chose my major because of my interest in business, which bodes well with creativity. During my late middle school and high school years, I was often consumed with the exploration of classic and critically acclaimed films. I thought that if I take such a great interest in films, why not look into a career path regarding that? When I did find the career path, I realized it was something where you needed to be consumed by the idea you were working at, and I felt as if it wasn’t for me. At that point, I kind of gave up when a sudden interest in box offices came over me, and I noticed that film is an industry as well, where the end goal is to make a great movie that can make money. So, I felt that since I have that fascination with films, I could look into exploring the financial workings of films. That is how I came up with the idea of being a finance major with a minor in fiction filmmaking at Michigan State University (MSU).
I felt that MSU offered the right opportunities in terms of extracurriculars and coursework to help me pursue this career path. On top of that, I feel like being in the greater Detroit area has allowed me to experience so many cultures and backgrounds that making diverse connections is easier which will only benefit me positively if I choose to pursue my education as a career.
Written by Avi Kodwani, Spring 2022 Let’s Detroit Campus Ambassador
