Charul Laul Choyal contributes to the creative space through her work as a multidisciplinary artist, creative advisor, and art promoter. Through the P. N. Choyal Foundation and Udaipur Tales, she works towards promoting artistic expression by organising workshops, international art camps, theatre programmes, talks, and storytelling initiatives.

A Multidisciplinary Artist, Charul Laul Choyal is a Theatrician, Actor, Influencer, and a Creative Advisor and Art Promoter working for the P. N. Choyal Foundation (also known as the P. N. Choyal Memorial Trust or Art Foundation), a nonprofit arts organization based in Udaipur, Rajasthan.

Choyal considers herself a learner of many fields, going along the rhythm of a constant process of learning and exploring various mediums to exhibit her artistic side.

With a love for arts, theatre artist Charul Choyal has also always been fond of dancing, with dance being her first love and something she has practiced passionately. Though not formally trained as a dancer, she has received many awards in dance programs.

Carrying her artistic experience into her professional work, Charul Choyal is also involved with her family trust, the P. N. Choyal Foundation. The foundation organises international camps in painting and sculpture, along with theatre workshops, with the aim of interacting with and reaching a wider audience. Choyal handles the backstage work for these workshops, art classes, lectures, and talks, including their designing and overall management. Drawing from her previous international work experiences, she applies her learning to the functioning of these programmes, managing and designing the various activities she is involved in.

Walking through her childhood memories, Charul L. Choyal recalls that, just like in dance, she excelled in drawing and painting. Growing up in an artistic family and studying at an experimental school gave her a wide scope to explore different artistic avenues across a broad spectrum, while also allowing her to live beyond the expectations of scoring good grades and the pressure of living up to others’ expectations.

Recalling an incident from her school days, art enthusiast Charul shares an encounter with a thought that changed her perspective towards life, when her principal asked her class to write an essay on “How rich are you?”

What lingered in her heart was the idea of writing about the richness of positions and achievements; however, she was redirected towards the idea and thought of the richness of having a number of trees in the surroundings, along with the flowers and fruits they provide.

This experience made Choyal think beyond materialistic achievements and unfolded a lesson in love for nature and empathy, while also opening up ways of expressing herself through art. Charul Choyal shares that even today, whenever passing along the Fateh Sagar lake, she feels rich and abundant by the water in the lake and the greenery around it, recalling her childhood learnings.

Sharing about the early lessons learned as a child and the importance of standing up for one’s own rights, Charul shares that, unlike the upbringing a child is having now, she spent her time climbing trees, walking through mountain trails, and discovering waterfalls.

It was through her family upbringing and homeschooling that she came to understand the values of fighting for one’s own rights.

Recalling one such incident from her early days, Choyal shares that, at the age of eight, she, along with her fellow friends, decided to make a playground on an open government plot to fulfil the need for a playground.

With no support from anyone, the kids then dug the land themselves, which in itself showcases the teachings and application of raising their voices at a very young age.

Charul Choyal also recalls being encouraged by her parents to make decisions and experience democratic rights, values that she learnt at home. Her parents would give her the responsibility of deciding the budget for trips, an experience that Choyal shares gave her great pleasure and helped her learn about democracy at home first. She feels that, in today’s world, this played a major role in helping her become a good human being and understand the difference between right and wrong.

Choyal feels that whatever one learns at home, it becomes easier to adapt to the world outside. She also believes that materialistic things are not important; what holds importance is the quality time one spends with family, playing games together and building a good bond among each other.

Though Charul Choyal completed her graduation in Tourism Management, her love for dance and theatre pulled her towards exploring the world of theatre and drama. She also feels that working hard and staying consistent gave her opportunities to work with good theatre artists.

Choyal shares that after graduating from theatre studies, she got opportunities to work with names like Indian actress and costume designer Dolly Alluwalia, filmmaker Amber, and late TV actor Navninder Behl. Later, she got the opportunity to work as a lead actress under the repertoire of Bhanu Bharati and assisted him in plays, executing and assisting with events, which added more to her experience.

When she realized that music could also be a medium of expression, she made a foray in singing in recent years, as a calling of her heart.

She always wanted to pursue singing but never had the confidence to take it forward. To turn this dream into reality, her very close friend and an amazing singer, Smritesh, and her own daughter inspired her to pursue singing, which she now feels happy to pursue, though not as a professional, but by learning one note at a time.

Talking about her aspiration to write, Choyal shares that her friends always believed in her ability to be a good writer and often encouraged her to start writing. Charul Choyal shares that when she wrote her first story, one of her filmmaker friends asked for the story to legally obtain the rights to make a film based on it. This further added to her confidence to take her writing forward, including poetry.

When asked about her professional work, Art Promoter and Advisor Charul Choyal shares that she is a painter who likes to express stories through painting and colours. Presently, she is working as an advisor for Udaipur Tales, an eminent storytelling festival of the country, as well as an editor for their coffee table book, and an advisor for P. N. Choyal Foundation, where they cater to organising camps, workshops, lecture series, and talks for everyone interested to interact through art.

As a dancer and theatre actor, Charul Choyal considers execution to be her favourite part of her work. She enjoys watching people perform on stage and finds immense satisfaction in being a part of the process and helping bring the performance to life.

Describing her work as an organiser and an art promoter, Choyal shares that being an art promoter is more than just a name and is a difficult job, almost with no paycheques. So, while planning, they focus on making the experience memorable for people.

“From designing each day, designing their costumes to walk on the stage, creating concepts for entertainment, and arranging food, it requires a lot of energy in itself. It drains me in a way that I enjoy doing it,” says Charul Choyal.

Apart from being an advisor for P. N. Choyal Foundation, Charul Choyal also works as a Theatre Facilitator, conducting theatre workshops for children and adults. After a long sabbatical from theatre teaching, Choyal shares that she now often prefers conducting sessions for adults compared to kids, as after becoming a mother, she feels that she has become a little less patient when it comes to teaching children. Though she loves giving sessions for kids, Choyal enjoys taking sessions with grown-ups.

Born and brought up in Shimla, Charul Laul Choyal had a childhood like a free bird, exploring trails while climbing mountain trees on rainy days, hosting picnics in the mountain valleys with friends, playing around the steep valleys, hanging on swings, and falling down, which she remembers as an enchanting and lively childhood experience.

Growing up in a family with supportive parents and siblings, in the peaceful environment of the mountains, Choyal shares that she experienced the true meaning of ‘social security’ during her early years.

Giving an example, she recalls how a friend’s grandmother would keep an eye on all the children and even scold them to return home after playing in the evenings. The grandmother had the authority to scold, guide, and teach the children the difference between right and wrong. Even in the village, people would keep one another informed about things happening in the surroundings, such as boys smoking cigarettes. Choyal feels that such a sense of community, where people looked out for and upheld one another, is not as prevalent today.

Continuing talking about the values she grew up with, Charul Choyal feels that her family stands by the definition of ‘sharing is caring’ even today, which she believes is rare to witness in today’s world. Speaking of the bond between siblings, Choyal shares that they care for one another more than themselves. She credits her family for doing their best to provide her with the best possible environment while growing up.

Along with the lessons she gathered through her creative experiences, Choyal’s connection with art became deeper through her family. Hailing from a family of contemporary artists spanning four generations, Charul Choyal shares that her path towards painting began after getting married.

Unaware that she would be entering an art school, she found herself surrounded by a family where her husband, father-in-law, grandfather-in-law, and his father had all explored painting. This made art a natural part of their conversations, alongside discussions around theatres.

This artistic environment extended beyond painting, as Choyal recalls that her great-grandfather-in-law had written plays, while her father-in-law had directed and acted in many plays along with her mother-in-law. Their coffee-table conversations often revolved around art, theatre, painting, films, politics, and much more.

Every Saturday, they would also organise a slideshow showcasing what was happening around the world, covering topics related to paintings, movies, and different artists. This atmosphere eventually led Choyal to spend more time in her husband’s studio at the art school, which was located amidst a green forest.

It was in this creative environment that she began exploring lines and paints through doodles and colours, enjoying the flow of creating art and allowing her brush to take her wherever it led.

Choyal recalls an encounter with her father-in-law, who asked about a painting she had created. He appreciated her artwork and even expressed an interest in teaching her the subject. For Choyal, it was a moment that left her in awe, as the opportunity to learn painting from an eminent artist as her teacher felt like a treasure.

Building on this encouragement, Choyal recalls a line from her father-in-law, who observed that her drawings consisted of spaces that reflected her intuitive vision. While examining her work further, he noticed how the blocks she created on paper formed spaces that represented composition. This observation encouraged Choyal to learn and pursue art more deeply.

As she continued painting on paper and canvas, Choyal began noticing how the mix of colours in her artwork reflected her complex feelings, moods, and emotions, often influenced by the news and events happening around the world.

This helped her understand that whatever happens in one part of the world can create a ripple effect, ultimately affecting someone at the other end of the world. In this process, art played a crucial role in helping Choyal express herself through painting and drawing, making her own original compositions.

Having inculcated the values and experiences that had shaped her while growing up, screenplay writer and actor Charul Laul Choyal considers her family members, renowned actresses Sushmita Sen and Priyanka Chopra, along with her circle of female friends, to be her inspirations.

While she has learnt a lot from her friends and their experiences have helped her become a better person, they have also encouraged her to push herself forward, have fun, and engage in open conversations without any insecurity.

Among these friendships, Choyal shares a moment of learning from one of her friends, who, despite coming from a very rich background, taught her the value of money and time. Her friend made her realise that having materialistic things and expensive bags does not add value to one’s personality or persona if one is not able to manage and value them.

For Choyal, although it was a small lesson, it made a huge difference in her life, encouraging her to reflect on her true self and understand what she is genuinely comfortable with.

Beyond these lessons, Choyal also credits her family members for inspiring and supporting her, be it her parents or her entire in-laws family, who have always encouraged her to continue with whatever makes her happy. Choyal feels that everyone should have this kind of support in their lives, as it helps them pause, reflect, and get back on track.

Further sharing her thoughts, Charul Choyal encourages everyone to stay connected with friends and family, believing that their presence can not only bring a change in their lives but also help one bring a positive change in oneself.

A line that artist Charul Laul Choyal strongly believes in and carries within herself is, ‘The show must go on’—a well-known phrase in theatre that reflects the spirit of continuing despite challenges.

Reflecting on the learning that shaped her creative path, Charul Laul Choyal shares that the creative field comes with a lot of competition, making it important to put hard work in the right direction. For this, her theatre mentor, Bhanu Bharti, guided her to channel her efforts effectively and taught her how to filter her hard work through the right funnel.

Another lesson Choyal learnt from her family members, which helped her move ahead in her professional life, was to never seek validation from others. She learnt to give her hundred percent to whatever she does, irrespective of whether her work is appreciated or not, giving priority to experience rather than validation, as experience can never be taken away from anyone. It was a lesson she learnt the hard way.

Drawing from her professional experiences, Charul Laul Choyal shares that, irrespective of the profession, one must never say no to an opportunity or judge it without experiencing it. She believes that every opportunity can help one learn, grow, and add to their experience, ultimately making them a better person and helping them improve their craft.

Whether in professional or personal life, Choyal feels that one must always keep the doors open for everyone. The ones who are meant to stay will remain, while those who are not will eventually leave.

Along the same lines, Choyal feels that healthy competition in life is good, but jealousy can make a person weak. Especially in the creative field, she has experienced people being jealous of someone’s work. Over time, she learnt not to take it personally and instead considers it a part of the profession.

Reflecting on the experiences that she considers worth cherishing, multidisciplinary artist Charul Laul Choyal shares that she has received many awards, performed as a dancer, participated in numerous theatre shows, exhibited her paintings at important exhibitions, and interacted with several renowned personalities.

However, for Choyal, the satisfaction she receives from her work is itself an achievement. Sharing one such recent experience, she recalls working as an Associate Producer on an English film in February, which she feels helped build her confidence.

The experience not only gave her an opportunity to work on an international project but also made her rethink her earlier perception that something was lacking in the Indian film and theatre industry. Being complimented by international filmmakers, who suggested that Indians should come to New York and work together, felt like a meaningful compliment for Choyal and made her happy, adding another valuable experience to her basket of life experiences.

Extending her thoughts beyond art and creative pursuits, Charul Choyal conveys a message to all women, emphasising that life can change after marriage, whether in terms of circumstances or work, but one must still try to discover what they want to do and never give up. She believes that one’s life does not end after marriage and having children.

Drawing from her personal experience, Choyal recalls exploring different things even after getting married and having children, and therefore encourages women to keep their hopes alive and continue exploring what brings them happiness.

She also suggests an exercise that she practises with her child: choosing five qualities or activities to develop in life, whether it is baking, cooking, managing a cupboard, or anything else, without considering any task too small. Whether at home or in the workplace, she encourages everyone to do things wholeheartedly and consistently, turning them into a practice.

Multifaceted Artist & Art Promoter, Charul Laul Choyal believes that as technology and AI continue to become more dominant in the coming years, such activities can contribute to better mental and physical well-being. Therefore, she encourages everyone not to consider any experience too small, but to do whatever makes them happy without worrying about other people’s opinions.