About Me

Pratik Patel, New Zealand Actor of Indian heritage, found his true calling in acting and wellbeing through his life's journey in New Zealand. Transitioning from a successful career as an IT Engineer, in 2019 he followed his heart to explore the world of acting at Peter Feeney’s Acting Studio, where his love for the craft blossomed. Alongside nurturing his own artistic endeavours, Pratik is deeply committed to uplifting his community, offering voluntary well-being assistance to those in need.

His path took an exciting turn when he participated in the Mr. India 2019 pageant, where he bravely conquered stage fright and shared his message of well-being. This remarkable journey was immortalized in the global award-winning documentary film "Mr. India" by Zine Film Collective, showcasing Pratik's unwavering resilience.

In 2020 Under the expert guidance of mentor Jamie Irvine, Pratik learnt the foundational skills for his Acting prep work leading to representation by Collaborate Management. Beyond the realm of acting, Pratik finds joy and balance in activities like yoga, physical training, meditation, and photography.

Currently, Pratik is proudly represented by The Proactors Acting Agency, where he continues to passionately works towards becoming an established global actor. Motivated by personal growth and fulfilment, he uses his platform to extend voluntary support to those grappling with emotional well-being challenges, embodying the transformative power of following one's heart.

My Story

I was born in incredible India. I came to beautiful New Zealand in 2008 when I was a teenager to fulfill my responsibilities to support my family and stand on my own two feet. The first 8 years of my life in New Zealand presented me with lot of mental and physical challenges.

With my family not around, it was extremely discomforting transitioning to a new country on my own. Around 2011, I was living in New Plymouth, a beautiful city in the North Island. I seldom went outside. It was too painful to see people on the street with their loved ones, a reminder that I didn’t have mine. Till now, I have gone through three stages in life. Struggle > Survival > Striving.

Struggle

For the  first few years after arriving in New Zealand, I was homesick and had a constant pressure of meeting deadlines, and needing to find a permanent job to be able to settle down.

I went through what is usually described as “living hell.” I know that is a very strong phrase, but that is what it felt like. I went through depression, anxiety, and excessive sleeping problems for nearly 8 years. I was suffering a lot internally and it took toll on my emotional and physical health, as a result I had severe eczema, sleeplessness, hair loss, self- frustration, and self destructive thoughts.

If I was lucky, I'd barely squeeze in about two to three hours of sleep. Exhaustion was the only thing that could put  my body into resting, typically around 5am in the morning. Night after night, for many years, my sleep was disturbed constantly. I'd wake up at least ten times due to restlessness, anxiety, and the urgent need to use the bathroom, leaving me even more drained, especially knowing I had another workday ahead. Despite these brief moments of rest, I’d get very vivid dreams, filled with imagery of my family, childhood friends, school, and the familiar places of my upbringing. It's incredible how our brains conjure such vibrant images to fill the emptiness in our lives.

I would cry because of excessive pain, but I kept it inside because I didn't want to worry my family. I didn't go out much, and I didn't feel like talking about how I felt. I didn't realize it then, but that's what happens when you're depressed. Still, deep down, I believed things would get better.

During tough times, people often pick up bad habits, but I had seen enough of the consequences of alcoholism in my neighborhood to know I never wanted to go down that path. My dad, despite his drinking, was my role model, a unique person in his own way. But seeing him and others drink so much when I was young made me never consider relying on alcohol or drugs for help. Despite how hard things were, I refused to turn to alcohol or drugs to cope.

Survival

I found some hobbies that made me feel better and cope with the pain.

First, I joined a gym and started learning about healthy food and nutrition around mid-2012. This helped me a lot with eczema.

I also went for motorbike ride with my colleague on the weekend. I also played a lot of video games like Borderlands 2, Killing Floor, Left for Dead, and Awesomenauts. Playing these games helped me escape from reality and I felt better.

Things were getting better until August 2015 when I had a near death car accident. I fell asleep while driving and lost control of my car. It went off the road and almost hit a power pole. Luckily, a fence stopped the car, and I survived with only minor bruises.

This accident made me realize how precious life is. It rescued me up from depression, excessive anxiety and sleeping challenges and taught me to be grateful for life and all its blessings. At end of 2015, I decided to go back to India to be with my family. After almost 8 years away, I finally went home, and it felt amazing to be with my loved ones again. I felt truly alive.

Striving

Improving my mental and physical health through gym workouts and eating well was a big help in overcoming depression, anxiety, sleep troubles, and negative thoughts. But what really made a difference was helping others with their wellness. It gave me a sense of purpose and satisfaction.

I started by supporting my family and friends. Then, in early 2019, I decided to pursue my passion for acting and continue helping people for free. I participated in Mr India 2019 to break free from my shyness and spread my message further. I won the First Runner-Up title at the grand finale in November 2019.

In 2020, I celebrated one year of offering free voluntary wellness assistance by launching my website. I also achieved a milestone in my acting career by signing with a top agency after two years of acting training , Collaborate Management in New Zealand. In 2021, I took a big step by leaving my IT engineering job to study full-time diploma in filmmaking at South Seas Film School.

By 2024, I had signed with another top acting agency, The Proactors in New Zealand. Since 2019, my life has been flourishing, especially in self-discovery and self-growth. I'm grateful for all the past experiences that brought me to where I am today.

I, Pratik Ishwarbhai Patel, am grateful for life and everything in it.