Meet Pragathi Yadhati, Actress

Born in Anantapur, India, Pragathi Yadhati is a film and theater actress who lives in New York. In addition to acting, Pragathi writes plays and poems, and she also does modelling work. Learn more about her by visiting her IMBD profile.

1. How does it feel to be an Indian actress in New York City?

It feels great. In this era of globalization, the world is coming together sharing all the different cultures that exist in it. I'm glad that I have the opportunity to portray my own and contribute to creating this awareness of multicultural impact globalization has. New York audiences loved my performances in off-Broadway shows like Bollywood Wedding, Baggage Claim, and others, and my stand up comedy which introduced our culture to them. We all know that a high percentage of Indians are into IT as engineers, and many of them work here in the United States. But there are hardly any Indian actors who represent this population or capture the essence of their lifestyles. I'm working in cross cultural movies that are mainly targeted to present this to the American audience and at the same time provide a platform for those Indians to connect their lives with the global culture.

2. What was it like for you to attend the well-known Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute?

It was a wonderful experience and I learned a lot in the two years that I spent there. Apart from acting on stage and in front of camera, I've learned the importance of punctuality and discipline. I learned how to keep my body, mind, and soul in tune so as to perfect the craft that I perform.

3. Would you tell us about some of the awards you've won so far for your acting work? What are some of your achievements so far?

As I'm working my way to doing big things, one of my short films got nominated for the Best Film at Queens World Film Festival (2011), and the other one just got accepted at the prestigious Heritage Film Festival. One of my Indian short films won the Best Short Film award at the Kalaignar Television channel awards show called "Naalaiya Iyakkunar 3" in 2012. Now I'm working in a feature film which is the first language agnostic film ever made. Apart from these, I’ve received several prizes in dance and acting growing up when arts was just an extracurricular activity. I performed on many a great stages in my hometown in India such as Hari Hara Kala Bhavan, Thyagaraya Gaana Sabha, and others, all places dedicated for performing arts and cinema. I won several prizes for these performances and received them from the hands of notable people in India like the present Home Minister for the State of Telangana, India, Nayani Narasimha Reddy (formerly the Technical Education Minister of the State), elite stars of South Indian cinema like Ramya Krishnan and Chiranjeevi. I feel fortunate to have received several awards from award winning seasoned actors and movie industry prominents like Dadasaheb phalke award winner (India's highest award in cinema) Dr. Akkineni Nageswara Rao , C. Narayana Reddy, Telangana Shakuntala , Madhukar Anand, Shobha Naidu, and others. The tradition in India is that the awardee is honored by donning a silk shawl around their shoulders for their contribution to excellence in their field. I feel extremely proud to have received such an honor by Mr. Nageswara Rao and Mr. Reddy at such a young age that I was.

4. As someone who enjoys writing as well as acting, do you hope to expand your career into writing and possibly directing work in the future?

Acting and performing is my passion. There is nothing like being on stage, in the moment and in front of the live audience. And there is no feeling better than reaching out to and touching lives of millions of audience through cinema. I choose to be an actor.

Putting in words what you want to bring to live performance is a tough process. I love writing and I enjoy this process of writing. I've started writing my own screenplays. But I haven't thought about directing yet though.

5. What else would you like American audiences to know about you--and when can we see you on screen?

As many of you in New York call me, I'm your Indian girl. An authentic Indian girl who has roots in India and education in America. Who else could better portray all those Indian roles that you wanna see on TV and movies? With a few projects currently in works, I'm looking forward to more opportunities that give me a challenge to bring out my full potential and present it to the audience.

Thanks, Pragathi!

Introducing StoryLTD for Art from India

Brimming with beautiful culture, Indian paintings can be a worthy investment and an affordable way to add art to your home. StoryLTD sells a variety of works of art in classic and contemporary forms. From watercolor drawings to smudged texture outlines and so much more, you can buy paintings online and have them delivered to your doorstep.

Affordable art available from StoryLTD includes the works of various artists in India such as Datta Thomare, Deepa Vedpathak, Dhananjay Sastaker, H.R.Das, Mrityunjay Mondal, and Sanjiv Sankpal. The site has a carefully curated selection of original paintings for anyone who already loves--or wants to learn about!--Indian art.

In short, the goal of the website is to make it easy for art buyers to browse a varied collection of work and find pieces that are within their budget. The site really is a showcase for art and is made by people who love and appreciate art and want to share it with others. It is easy to order from the site and to have great art delivered to your doorstep. Why go gallery hopping to find art for your home, when you can do it easily from your computer?

For more information about how to buy paintings online, the StoryLTD website has a great variety available to view, with lots of images and information for buyers to review.

Note: the picture in this post is of an untitled acrylic work on canvas by Suhas Vyavarkar, represented by the Painted Rhythm gallery.

Meet Ritoban Chakrabarti, Author and Internet Marketer

Ritoban Chakrabarti has loved the internet since he first got an internet connection in 2005. He studied computer science in Chandigarh, and he became a full-time internet marketer in 2008. More recently, he published his first novel, When She Smiled. Learn more about Ritoban's fiction writing at www.WhenSheSmiled.com, and on Goodreads. And learn more about Ritoban on his website.

1. How did you first become interested in internet marketing?

It all started when I was in college pursuing my engineering degree. We had a lot of free time, and while most of my friends would go out to parties, I was never too fond of partying. I decided to sit at home and work on my passion, which at that time was making websites.

There's something about making websites that brought out my creative side, and I loved it. Soon, I started freelancing and started making websites and doing graphic designing for clients. I started making a proper livelihood out of it, and as soon as college was over, I got more and more into it.

Soon, I realized I was taking on more projects that I could handle, and that's when I started my first company. It's been an amazing five-year journey since then, and we have done some remarkable things in the field of internet marketing.

2. Have you always had an interest in writing and publishing fiction?

I used to be an avid reader as a child, but since college my reading habits had been suppressed because I got busy with engineering studies and my internet marketing work. But recently, I started reading again, and I had an epiphany a few months ago about writing a novel, and I followed that dream.

To be completely honest, it has been on my dream board for a long time, but I seriously considered it only a few months ago.

3. What's your novel about?

The novel is about a teenager who grows up in the mountains of Shimla, in India. It describes how he meets a girl in a school and falls in love, and how she changes his perception of feelings, hope, and life altogether. It's a very simple story, but I believe everyone can relate to it because we have all gone through first love, and we know it changes our life.

4. How are you utilizing your background in marketing and entrepreneurship to promote your novel?

I noticed a big trend in the publishing industry, especially in India. Most of the authors here don't do much marketing of their books. Essentially they are authors, not marketers. My marketing background helps me to claim that uncharted territory because I know how to promote any product using websites, online ads, and email marketing.

I'm using all my knowledge and more for marketing this novel. Since I have about three months more before the launch of the book, I'm pretty sure I can create enough buzz around the book to get it on some bestseller lists.

5. What's your advice to independent entrepreneurs--and/or indie authors/artists!--who are facing a lack of encouragement from family, friends, etc in their pursuit of their goals?

To be honest, I didn't have much support from my family when I told them I wouldn't pursue an MBA degree, and that I wanted to open my own company. They were very reluctant, but I was more stubborn than they could handle. I kept following my passion, and slowly they got to be a part of my success. Now, they proudly tell everyone they meet about what I do and how I got there.

I have always believed in "hustling." No matter how adverse your situation may be, if you're somebody who can hustle long and hard at what they believe in, no one will be able to stop you. Your success is in your hands. Your failure is also in your hands. So keep hustling, and you'll see how each of your goals will keep becoming a reality.

Thanks, Ritoban!