Archives: Our Team

Hari Kiran Vadlamani ( Hari) is a Chartered Accountant by qualification and a serial entrepreneur, having been involved in four ventures in Technology and Energy sectors.

He is deeply passionate about Art, Philosophy and Indian Cultural Heritage and is a Dharmic- Indic Liberal.

In 2015 he transformed himself into a Social Entrepreneur pursuing the preservation, protection and promotion of Indian Heritage. He founded INDICA ( www.indica.in)  and NICE (www.niceorg.in) , both not for profits in the area of Cultural Education and Entrepreneurship.

Hari brings in an entrepreneurial mindset to his work of delivering indigenous knowledge as a service, product or an experience by incubating a portfolio of ideas, rapid prototyping, absorbing failures, applying a three horizon framework, thinking of scale etc.

Having the mindset of a venture investor, Hari is focussed on backing passionate individuals. He encourages, enables and empowers them to discover, nurture and express their creative potential. He believes in transforming the narrator and not the narrative.

A strong advocate of pluralism, Hari envisions a vibrant ecosystem of diverse set of players and ideas and seeks to build the enabling infrastructure.

Hari believes that Indian thought and the indigenous way of life from various global traditions have solutions to some of the key challenges we face today, especially sustainability, happiness, well-being and peace. He is working on developing the requisite institutional mechanisms that can transform a billion global consumers into conscious thinkers, entrepreneurs, leaders and most importantly seekers.

He has developed a unique six dimensional integral strategy for pursuing this vision.

Danji Thotapalli is Chief Curator at Indica Pictures. He is a senior global technology sourcing professional with a passion for cinema. Having spent the past 10 years at major Hollywood studios – previously at NBC Universal and Sony Pictures – Danji understands the power of film and the extent of its reach. In addition to working in Hollywood, Danji has been associated with the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles for about 12 years, and comes with a deep insight into all facets of running a film festival such as community outreach, sponsorship/funding, event management, programming and media relations. Currently, Danji volunteers as a Vice President at ManaBadi, a reputed Telugu-language school in the US, and responsible for ideation and implementation of value-added curricular and extra-curricular programs. Danji is passionate about pre-Buddhist Andhra history, and enjoys immersive experiences that blend modernity with tradition.

Arvind Chenji is Curator for Indica Photography. He is a self-taught photographer and filmmaker who has forayed into various verticals of photography and film, and continues to explore new vistas with unwavering enthusiasm. With credits to around 40 magazine covers and numerous stories in publications such as Illustrated Weekly, Society, Savvy, Stardust, Filmfare and many newspapers Arvind’s portfolios cover people, fashion, food, sport, industry, product, editorial and many other interesting subjects. Besides making over 25 corporate films for his clients, Arvind was the main character is Zee TV’s ‘Photo Show by Arvind Chenji’, a program focused on teaching photography. He has mentored many students in photography apart from having worked as guest faculty at the College of Journalism, Osmania University. Arvind has also worked for the National Geographic Society as a photographer on assignment. Arvind is also a keen sportsperson and the key person involved with the Hyderabad Racing League which helped identify, train and nurture potential champion caliber cyclists. Arvind always believes that his next picture will be his best one.

Nikita Vyas Hattangady is Head of Programming at Indica Pictures. Nikita is a writer and filmmaker in the DFW metroplex in Texas, USA. She completed her writing and directing debut, a British comedy set in London, in July of this year. She is currently in pre-production of her second film venture as a writer and director. Nikita is an advisory board member of ISOFEST, a new international film, and arts festival based in New Delhi, India. She was a member of the program selection committee for the DFW South Asian Film Festival, a five year internationally recognized festival. She authored and illustrated a children’s book on diversity in America, We Are American, that is used in various school districts as a teaching tool. Nikita’s greatest passions are spending time with her family, storytelling, and learning new cultures and has had the great fortune of traveling and living across the world. She has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Master’s in Business Administration.

Christian Frost is Head of Filmmaker Liaison. Christian has been working in Hollywood for nearly 20 years in marketing and creative print at DreamWorks and Paramount.  What makes Christian unique is his absolute passion for India and his ability to talk to anyone anywhere. Christian received a B.A. in Anthropology with an emphasis on Indian studies from Brigham Young University and is currently pursuing his Masters in Asian Studies. He has traveled extensively to India and made friends with some of Bollywood’s elite. Christian is also a filmmaker and a content creator and has several projects in the works from feature films to TV series.  He also has a YouTube channel called Uncle Frosty-Ji where his entertaining and informative interviews and travelogues bring a fresh perspective to Indian culture.

Kumar Kanchu, also known as KK is a Curator for Indica Photography. An accomplished photographer and mentor, KK believes photography has the greater responsibility in documenting history. KK is well known in the amateur community and often found mentoring or teaching photography to beginners as well as seasoned photogs. Preaching what he believes, KK incorporates the importance of ethical responsibility in photographers while teaching them technical and aesthetic aspects of photography. KK is predominantly focused on wildlife photography while also covering architecture, landscape, people and culture. He is an extensive traveler and has spent considerable time in jungles and villages of India and Africa. KK has received several commendations as teacher, jury member and writer. As technical consultant and adviser for camera gear, KK conducts workshops and sessions. Supported by companies such as Tamron and Manfrotto, the sessions attract significant participation. KK has a couple of publications in the works, one of which involves collaborating with an international team of watercolor artists. KK’s key goal is to promote photography in rural areas of India.

Kaali Sudheer is an art curator and a film producer. He manages Muse Art Gallery along with Marriott.

Gayatri Iyer is a curator and creator of Ultra Short Films. She is an eternal artist & traveler with a mission to discover the unknown, lost and beautiful parts of herself while also discovering the true meaning of her roots of being an Indian in today's context. A free spirited yogini with a deep love for yoga, India, theater, food, watercolors, story-telling evident through her book, Life's Macchiato: A collection of your stories. A lot of her passions saw the light through her start-ups of Chef In A Box, Ahem Stationery & Arts, theater production Unrest, travel and creative consultancy. The list has not ended and would never end!