video interviews

Kartik Bindra is from Gujarat and grew up in Ahmedabad and Mumbai, India. He completed his Bachelor's of Business Administration from Gujarat University and is currently pursuing his Masters in Business Administration at Gujarat Technological University. During our Chai Chat, we will explore Kartik's ancestral roots in Punjab pre-partition and his commitment to preserving his original linguistics and the history of Punjab pre-partition as well as the various festivals, traditions and celebrations of Punjabi culture.

Ishaa Dhamne is from Minnesota, USA, however, has her roots in Maharashtra, India. Having spent 4 years of her life in India during middle school, she has been able to cultivate a deep connection with Hinduism and channel her faith into storytelling, creative writing and advocacy. Her work, alongside 8 Hindu American college students, culminated into @shantisisterhood , the global Hindu women's community page for everyone interested in learning more about Hinduism. Tune in as we discuss the re-kindling and re-connection that youth are having with their ancestral roots in today's rapidly changing world.

Gauri Taneja is from Dehradun, a city from the Northern state of India called Uttarakhand. She recently graduated from with a Bachelors of Materials Engineering from the University of British Columbia in Canada. Tune in to this 3-part series as we explore the relation between Gauri's work in EDI (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) and Hinduism, in efforts to understand and form healthy relationships with ourselves. 

Adriana Nelson is from Cleveland, Ohio and holds a BA in English - Literature and East Asian studies - from John Carroll University. Join us as we explore her intersections as an African American Hindu and follower of Sanatana Dharma as well as how such complexities shape the way she navigates life as a researcher, academic and individual. 

Dhruv Shah is from a small town in Gujarat called Vadnagar. He works as a software engineer at a tech company in the Bay Area of California. Dhruv is as much of a storyteller as he is an artist, whose paintings generate raw emotion in advocacy for his community. Join us as we explore Dhruv's artistic journey as well as his connection to Jainism. 

Shriya Kamat is from Karwar, a city from the Southern state of India called Karnataka. She holds a Bachelors of Biochemistry from the University of British Columbia in Canada. From India, her family moved to Tanzania and later to Canada to pursue her studies. In our Chai Chat we explore her cultural journey through her lifetime as well as the impact Hinduism has had on her life. 

Anjana is a Malayali from Ontario, Canada but has her roots in Kerala, India. She is currently pursuing her Masters of Science in Neuroscience at the University of British Columbia. During this Chai Chat, Anjana explains the importance of language in retaining culture, which for her is Malayalam. 

Aditi is a Marathi from Pune, India but has settled with her family in Calgary, Alberta. She is currently studying Biomedical Engineering at the University of British Columbia. During the Chai Chat, we learn more about her love for the Hindu epics and historical warrior stories over the campfire. 

Hyacinth Zia is a Canadian Bangladeshi artist. She graduated from University of Western Ontario with a double major in English Literature and Psychology. As a songwriter, Yoga enthusiast, and advocate for Indic Indigenous cultures, she is interested in starting conversations about equality, sustainability and artwork. 

Madura Shruti Katta is someone who has lived in three different countries and should be acquainted with change, but still only like three things best: mountains, the ocean and the smell of gas stations. She graduated from UBC with a degree in Integrated Science (and a focus on microbiology and neuroscience). She has been writing poetry for as long as she can remember: more concretely at the age of seven, trying to describe why she loves the rain. She was published in various Canadian Institute of Poetry anthologies and also competed at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word in 2019. She spends her free time reading science-fiction, walking and semi-successfully cooking her favorite things. During this interview we discuss intersections and dissimilarities with Western and Eastern identity, cultural traditions and values as well as a look into her cultural journey growing up.