Episode #141 with Neeraja Raj

The Swinging Palm Trees Podcast

On today's episode I have the honour of chatting to the talented animator, director and screenwriter Neeraja Raj. We geek out over all things animation including Studio Ghibli, 'Wallace & Gromit', Stop-motion animation legend Ray Harryhausen, and anime.
Amongst other things, Neeraja shares which animation inspired her on her career path, her Malayali heritage and how other other cultures have had a profound influence on her. We talk about why she believes the importance of telling the right story, creating strong female roles, mental health within the industry, imposter syndrome, and the challenges she encounters
Neeraja also discusses the projects that she has worked on including 'The Girl Who Built a Rocket', commissioned by WaterAid; 'She Creates Change'- a Nonprofit film series for gender equality. We also talk about her time working at Aardman Productions, a series development with Disney, and her personal projects like 'Meow or Never', which is a personal favourite of mine.
Neeraja Raj is a director, screenwriter & animator based in London. She has featured on Variety’s 'Top 10 Animators to Watch, 2022' list and is a 'Forbes 30 Under 30 - Entertainment' honoree of 2023. With over 7 years of diverse artistic experience, she excels in creatively directing projects with a focus on exceptional craftsmanship and execution.
For more about Neeraja and her work, please check her website:
https://www.neerajaraj.com/
Thanks for listening to the episode. I'd like to thank my guest for their time, insight and being a great sport!
I would also like to thank my producer, Ashanti Omkar, for all her hard work.
If you'd like to be a guest, drop me a line at [e-mail].
Keep Rising & Thriving. Aṣẹ!