Neha Negandhi

Chai Pani restaurateur premieres documentary Cutting Chai

Two years in the making, the 45-minute culinary travel documentary Cutting Chai, made by the Chai Pani (CP) restaurant team, premiered at the 40th anniversary Atlanta Film Festival on March 10, 2016, appropriately enough, at Ponce City Market. A reception before the screening featured Indian-spiced movie popcorn, Indian-inspired gin and cardamom cocktails, and classic Indian […]

Entrepreneurs Roundtable with new Indian Consul General in Atlanta

evening, Atlanta business leaders gathered for an exclusive entrepreneurs’ roundtable for investment and trade between India and Georgia. The roundtable was organized by Nitin Shah, CEO of Embassy Bank. The chief guest for the occasion was the newly-appointed Consul General of India in Atlanta, Ramesh Babu Lakshmanan. [Left] Business leaders from Atlanta’s Indian community gathered […]

25 years of Ek Shaam Raksha Ke Naam

Raksha, a nonprofit based in Atlanta dedicated to promoting healing, justice, and empowerment for survivors of violence within the South Asian community, celebrated twenty-five years of its flagship annual event, Ek Shaam Raksha Ke Naam (An Evening in the Name of Raksha), at the Rialto Center for the Arts in downtown Atlanta on October 27, […]

Atlanta leaders show dance skills, raise $200k for Vibha Vibe 2019

The third annual Vibha Vibe: Dancing for a Cause was held on April 20, 2019 at The Hotel at Avalon in Alpharetta, Georgia. After months of learning all the right moves, “celebrity” dancers showcased their high-voltage dance routines to a sold-out, 360+ crowd. The dance competition was modeled after TV’s Dancing with the Stars. Twisting, […]

Sabyasachi Collections showcased at ‘Ramp it up for Raksha

Combine fun and fashion, spice it with a worthy charity and you’ve got a designer saree showcase benefiting the nonprofit organization, Raksha. Barkha Jayaswal, owner of Bollywood Closet boutique, Sumeta Satija, choreographer/creative director, and Pooja Kapoor Badlani, jewelry designer for Elegante, joined forces for an afternoon fashion-focused fundraiser on March 28. “Ramp it Up for […]

Building a seven-figure business” with money expert Monica Shah

  Seven-figure entrepreneur, money expert, and author Monica Shah was the keynote speaker on Thursday, March 14, 2019 at an event hosted by the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)–Atlanta chapter. The monthly luncheon event held at the spacious Georgian Club off Galleria Parkway in Atlanta was packed with business owners eager to hear […]

SOLD The Movie premieres in Atlanta, ignites action to end human trafficking

  Unfortunately, it is no newsflash that the world’s most vulnerable are being sold to modern-day slave masters—those who barter human beings in human sex trafficking. The narrative feature film SOLD released in April 2016 depicts the brutal and emotionally intense human trafficking experience from a 13-year-old girl’s perspective and in doing so, gives a human face […]

An Ancient Art Meets Cutting Edge Science

Ram Mallappa didn’t pick up his first flute till he was 32-years-old. And when he did, little did he know that this was the start of an exciting, unusual 13-year journey that would culminate in a historic Arangetram  (for the uninitiated, Arangetram, derived from Tamil, is the public onstage debut performance of a classically-trained artiste, […]

Films: A Charmer about Young Love amidst Culture Clash

Despite clichés, Growing Up Smith is an endearing film. And it’s yet another example of how Indian themes and characters continue their steady rise in American movies.   (Left) Dreaming of Travolta! Roni Akurati as Smith Bhatnagar is one of the highlights of the movie. A heartfelt immigrant story set amidst a nostalgic 1970s backdrop, feature film Growing […]