Friidom is the epitome of visual storytelling. His ability to move, and to move you through his movements, is somewhat of a visceral experience for all who witness his work. In this conversation, we hear what moved him to be the creative genius that he is, and why his life’s mission is to spread this movement philosophy and raw expressive movement by creating worlds and bridging divides, or as he says, create “a true Willy Wonka of Movement.”

Zehra is a triple threat as a journalist, actor, AND director for film and theater! In addition to sharing about all the exciting projects she has been involved in, she highlights the dynamics and support system that every creative must strike in order to follow their path which is often less traversed.

What we know about Tejal:
- Yoga Teacher, Speaker, Social Justice Educator
- An advocate for yoga through a social justice lens AND educates and empowers individuals and groups around the world to do the same
- Creator of Tejal Yoga - a revolutionary, online studio, with an all South Asian teacher-led yoga community focused on social justice actions and authentic, culturally-rooted spiritual practices
- Podcast Host @yogaisdeadpodcast

And... think you know what “ABCD” is? Well Tejal is also the founder of @abcdyogi - a global community led by South Asian yoga and mindfulness teachers, where it stands for “AnyBornConscientousDesiYogi”

We touched on all of this, and so much more!

The art of the “pivot” is what led Anita Mithra to embracing her life’s calling. From Journalist / Communication Specialist to running her direct marketing agency over 25 years, all the while spending her evenings on stage, Anita realized it was time to shift gears.

At the age of 40, she decided to follow her heart and went on to open her own theatre production company - The Tortilla Entertainment Company which produces unique theatrical events and uses theatre in corporate training.

A rare combination (or is it?) of being a social scientist and theatre artist, Shatarupa Bhattacharyya’s artistic practice is focused on representing the lived experiences of women across time and space on stage, which she has done in almost 30 productions over the last 12 years, primarily as an actor, though recently as a director, producer, and soon, as a playwright as well.

Annika Sharma is an agented and published author of romcoms starring South Asians. Her debut, “Love, Chai, and Other Four-Letter Words,” has been named to Amazon’s Best Books, Apple Writers to Watch, and Library Journal’s Best Books of 2021. She is also the co-founder and co-host of @thatdesispark podcast, a show featured on Forbes, the BBC, a Spotify billboard campaign, and more. She is a lover of long conversations, superhero movies, coffee, pizza, and traveling.

Wajiha Ather Naqvi is a singer/song-writer and music researcher from Karachi, Pakistan. As a singer, she trains in Hindustani music under the apprenticeship of Ustad Naseeruddin Saami and his son Rauf Saami from the Qawwal Bachche-Delhi gharana. She is currently based in London and is pursuing her PhD in ethnomusicology from Kings College London researching on the performance histories and hereditary musical practices of the Qawwal Bacche- Delhi gharana.

Surina Jindal is an actress, award-winning producer, and public speaking coach. She is the co-creator and executive producer of the 2021 Comedy Central feature film Hot Mess Holiday. Jindal starred, and executive produced alongside Melanie Chandra and Kal Penn.

Surina co-produced “The Giants” a sumo wrestling docuseries currently airing on Rakuten TV and is the winner of 2022 Sports Industry Award for Best Original Content Series, and “Lemon” - a comedic short that premiered at Tribeca, played in festivals worldwide and aired on United Airlines and Amazon Prime, where it became one of the most watched shorts on Amazon.

Her recent producing stint in India had her developing a sitcom for Netflix India, as well as producing and directing the podcast My Ex-Breast for Audible.

Clearly on a roll, Surina also just completed her directorial debut, “Title Fight: Between Two Worlds”, a feature-length documentary about Arjan Singh Bhullar, the first South Asian MMA heavyweight champion of the world.

Sujatha Balakrishnan is a teacher/counselor and a theatre practitioner based out of Bangalore. She founded “Theatre for Change”. The underlying principle of her initiatives resonate with the Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe’s metaphorical description of dominant narratives, “Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.” Sujatha believes that it’s important that every story is told, heard and counted. Else, it will always be a one sided story.

Marium Jeelani @mariumjeelani is a Digital Media Artivist and Content Creator from Karachi, Pakistan. She uses her online platforms to educate audiences on sociopolitical issues and to start conversations on taboo topics to help those most marginalised. Marium is also a passionate creative who has always explored different mediums of art. Aiming to combine art with activism she enjoys photography, videography, makeup and creative direction. She is the co-owner of @desifinesse - a platform highlighting South Asian creatives and voices. Marium speaks frequently on the oppression of South Asian and Muslim women from the Global South as well as amplifying voices of other marginalised identities. She believes in radical decolonisation and anti imperialism through fighting white supremacy, heteropatriarchy and capitalism.