A South Asian Film Institute

Kalakars means 'artists,' in several South Asian languages. That's who we are. Kalakars is a non-profit initiative to nurture South Asian talent, both in front of, and behind the camera. The organization also works to serve as a resource for the American film and television industries to increase opportunities for underrepresented artists.

We believe that when there's diversity among the decision-makers and storytellers, it inevitably filters into all other aspects of the process as well.

KALAKARS was started in June 2014 by a small group of writers, filmmakers, and actors who recognized the need for a collaborative workshop environment to nurture emerging stories by South Asians in the U.S.

Since then, KALAKARS has grown steadily. We have a loyal group of active participants who regularly workshop their material each month and members in our community who offer expertise and resources to help filmmakers reach the next steps of their processes.

Within a short time, this highly collaborative process has established a supportive group that is striving to raise the standards of our storytelling.

We believe our relatively rapid growth stems from a real need that existed within the community. There is great enthusiasm among the members, and a determination to help each other succeed.

The Team

**Co-Founder/Artistic Director**
**Vishesh Sharma** is a New York-based digital video director, producer & editor. He grew up in Delhi, India. He has worked in film, tv, and advertising production in India, with filmmakers such as Rishi Kapoor (RK Films), Amitabha Roy and Dibakar Banerjee. In the US, he worked as a producer with ImaginAsian TV and has worked with Desihits.com as a head of production, where he managed many web series and shows for the company. His work has been showcased in festivals like Cannes, Woodstock Film Festival, New York Indian Film Festival and many more. His first short film “Color of Anger” has won awards at various festivals. He produced a few short films since. "Love Comes Later" by Director Sonejuhi Sinha, which was one of ten short films accepted to the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. Vishesh is currently an editor at Merkley+Partners during the day, and working on his passion for storytelling in the evenings and weekends.

Executive Director

Prerana Thakurdesai is a New York based documentary filmmaker and producer whose work centers around issues of social justice, women and human condition. She has over 10 years of experience creating content in the US and internationally. Most recently, she produced a 9/11 documentary special for the History Channel and directed a short documentary for the A-Doc #AsianAmResilience series. Originally from India, Prerana's journalism experience helped her in her role as a senior producer on the internationally acclaimed television show, Satyamev Jayate, watched by over 600 million people worldwide. She has directed a series of short films non-profit organizations in India and the US. Between 2017-2019 she was the associate director & co-writer on a documentary television series on the issue of water, hosted by one of India's biggest film personalities, Aamir Khan.

Email: hello@kalakars.com

**Director, Actors Program**
**Shahana Jan** is a Pakistani actress and digital creator. Her acting credits span across theatre, film and television while her artistic pursuits have included hosting a primetime radio show, running a community space for the arts in Islamabad and directing and producing for film and television. She studied Film & Television Production in Cape Town, South Africa and later trained in Acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in New York City. Her production credits include Coke Studio Seasons 6 and 12 as International Production Manager and Head of Editorial as well as working on the New York Emmy nominated Live From The Artists Den producing episodes for John Legend, OneRepublic and The Lumineers. Her directorial work includes the music video for Walk The Moon’s ‘***We Are the Kids***’. She was seen on stage for the Philadelphia Young Playwright’s Mouthful Monologue Festival, Shoebox Theatre Collective’s ‘Amerika’ and Earlie Bird Productions' ‘DREDx’. As a content creator, her expertise lies in video creation, from concept to editing, as well as creating and curating an aesthetic visual tone for her content. As a writer, her content ranges from existential themes such as feminism, humanism and inspiration to the quirky and comedic. Her digital content can be seen on her IGTV.
**Email: actors@kalakars.org**

Director, Writers Program

Ali Ahmed is a writer, actor, and filmmaker, originally from around Scranton, PA (yes, like The Office!). He's represented by Innovative Artists. He is a former employee of ICM Partners, and graduated from the Neighborhood Playhouse drama school and the University of Pennsylvania with degrees in Neuroscience and Film. He recently completed a neo-noir Southasian family drama short film that he starred in, wrote, directed, and produced called “Buried & Forgotten”. His work has been championed by a veteran ICM agent with over 50 years of experience in the industry. One of his feature scripts, The Mirage, was praised by an Academy Award-nominated writer/director and it got him the opportunity to meet with Netflix earlier this year.

Email: writers@kalakars.org

**Co-Founder/Artistic Director**
**GiriMohan Coneti** is a Brooklyn, NY based Writer/ Director and has formal training in screenwriting from Emory University's Department of Film Studies. He has seven feature screenplays that are in various stages of development. His works predominantly reflect the state of the human condition and its evolution in urban cities. His short films were screened at several film festivals including the Cannes Film Festival. He also programs for the New York Indian Film Festival and the Silk Screen Festival in Pittsburgh. When not thinking about Films he makes his living as a digital product innovator.

**Director, Actors Program**
**Ami Sheth** is an actor that has had major Film, TV and Print success in both the United States and India. She has acted in films including the recent SXSW Critics Choice Winning Film "Last Beautiful Island" and the TV Shows "Dietland" (AMC), "Bull" (CBS), "Blue Bloods"(CBS) and most recently was found on the Hit NBC TV show "Blindspot" as Chief FBI lab tech Afreen (Seasons 3,4,5). Ami attended college at Boston University and has a degree in Veterinary Medicine. She currently resides in NYC with her husband, two children and mini dachshund Hudson
**Email: actors@kalakars.org**

**Director, Writers Program**
**Neerja Ramjee** is a New York based actor and producer, originally hailing from Bangalore, India. She is trained in Meisner Technique at the Acting Studio in New York and the New York Film Academy and HB Studio, has studied improv at the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB), as well as Screenwriting and Producing at Sundance Collab. Her credits include roles in Film/TV – most notably – ‘’Designated Survivor” (ABC/Netflix), “Shadowhunters” (Freeform), and Theatre – Broken Images (One Woman Play), Horrible Parent (Off Broadway). In addition to acting, Neeraja is a producer and owner at Tea & Pickle Productions where she actively advocates for diversity, inclusion and better representation in the arts. Her focus is to bring stories that amplify voices of women and people of color, specifically south asian voices and stories that break stereotypes and reflect universal human stories. Neeraja currently lives in New York City, with her Golden Retriever pup!
**Email: writers@kalakars.org**

Partners

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Organizational Support

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