NRI Spotlight

Of Creating Home in a Foreign Land

For Ishaan Dalapati and Sindu Vellanki, fate seems to have guided their paths towards each other. Now settled in sunny California, the couple speaks to Juveria Tabassum on life as an immigrant and what it is like to fall in love in a foreign land…

Sindu Vellanki, now a board certified paediatrician, moved to the US as a nine year old. As she learned to traverse a foreign landscape, Sindu says she has always put in conscious effort to assimilate into her adopted home while retaining her Indian roots. Her high school class of 400 only had two Indians, and in her home in the mid-West, there weren’t too many people of Indian origin around either. Sindu attended Saint Louis University School of Medicine, and completed her residence at Stanford University, California.

All this while, Ishaan Dalapathi was following a similar path to life in the United States. Born in Hyderabad, Ishaan moved to Chicago at 11 years of age, and settled in the Windy City among family and friends. “People from my hometown had a close influence on me, and that helped shape my personality as a first generation Indian American,” says Ishaan. He moved to California within two months of Sindu in June 2015. Ishaan’s meeting with Sindu was a pure stroke of good luck. Ishaan managed to swipe right on Sindu’s profile on Dilmil, a dating app for desis(people of South Asian origin living in the US) merely a couple of hours before Sindu had made her mind up to delete it. The duo connected over the next six months, and when they finally met in January 2016, they had fallen head over heels with each other.

The couple has lived for 20 years in the US now, a place they have called home ever since they were kids. However, Sindu and Ishaan both maintain that they are striving hard to maintain their Indian identity. “We keep in touch with what’s happening in India in terms of the socio-political scenario, such as the on-going farmers’ protests, but we are careful not to form strict opinions about anything. But we have managed to retain our culture in our day-to-day lives, right from staying on top of Bollywood, to cricket, to all the various Telugu festivals, which we celebrate with much gusto,” shares Sindu, who wears a bindi even now, and says she feels much pride in donning it.

The duo currently reside in Philadelphia, where Ishaan is an Associate VP at an IT consulting company, and Sindu is a paediatrician at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. Ishaan started pursuing an executive MBA during the lockdown. “In the last ten years of work I’ve had to wear different hats, and adapt to new challenges. The personality of the COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear to me that I need to keep developing new skills,” says Ishaan, who, along with his partner Sindu, has imbibed adaptation as a way of life.

March 27, 2021

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MAKING HER MARK – MEGHANA REDDY

From doodling on notebooks during class to working on animated films, Meghana Reddy has come a long way. Currently the Lead Concept Artist at Amplify Education, where she collaborates with authors and creates illustrations for children’s books for schools all across North and South America she has been the 2D/ 3D artist for animated films like Elf Pets: Santa’s Reindeer Rescue, Elf Pets: Fox Cub’s Christmas Tale. The Chennai-born artist talks about her journey and how she started her career in animation. Mallik Thatipalli catches up with artist Meghana Reddy who talks about her inspirations, how she chased her dream in a foreign land and more… CHASING HER DREAMS At the age of six, Meghana began painting using watercolours, acrylics, and oils. Even as a child she enjoyed creating and letting her imagination run free on a canvas. No wonder she worked for the award-winning animation company Primal Screen and carved a niche for herself. “Even in high school, I was the kid who would scribble in my notebooks during class.” recalls the 29-year-old, “I chose to take up art lessons after school because there weren’t many design or arts-related subjects offered where I studied. At the time, it was the only creative outlet I had, and it helped to shape what I do now.” “I chose to take up art lessons after school because there weren’t many design or arts-related subjects offered where I studied. At the time, it was the only creative outlet I had, and it helped to shape what I do now.” PURSUING HER DREAMS After a couple of years, the youngster began studying design foundation and gained knowledge about everything, from the history of animation to fine arts, design, packaging, printing, and filmmaking. The Chennai-born artist moved to the US in 2016 and admits that

NRI Spotlight

Shruthi Mukund: One Woman Tour de Force

Hashtag Magazine captures the many facets of Shruthi Mukund, a mother, a danseuse, and a consultant. From Washington DC, USA, in a conversation with Mallik Thatipalli, she spills the beans on her life and more. Living Many Lives A freelance curator, consultant, and speaker, Shruthi Mukund wears multiple hats with elan.After earning a B.S. in Computer Science from Bangalore University, Shruthi moved to the US around two decades ago. Since then, she has worked as a scientific writer for Astra Zeneca and as a Community Outreach Director and Choreographer for Natyabhoomi School of Dance in Gaithersburg, Maryland, amongst other roles. “An arts administrator, a curator of cultural programs for community engagement, mother of two teenaged daughters—my life is a whirlpool of activity,” laughs Shruthi. She adds, “My life represents all things that matter to me. My culture and my Indian upbringing have held me in good stead, ensuring that I live life to the fullest in the US exploring all the facets it has to offer.” Desi At Heart As an Indian in America, Shruthi says that in the last five years there has been a lot of conversation about representation and identity. She explains, “When I came to the US in the early 2000s, it was different from when my aunt came in the 70s, when there was lower representation and fewer people from different cultures. Since then, so much has happened. Today, the first-generation Indians in the US co-exist with say third or fourth generation Indian Americans. The perspective of someone like me who was born and brought up in India is certainly different from those who are born here, but all of us have contributed to the community in our own ways.” Today, as there is more awareness about different cultures in the US, India is known

NRI Spotlight

One Hat, Many Feathers: The Multifarious Life of Tanvi Chandna

A chartered accountant, an entrepreneur with her own dance studio, an actor, and a model, TANVI CHANDNA wears many hats with elan. In a chat with MALLIK THATIPALLI, the 26-year-old outlines her dreams plans for the future, and much more… Dancing to her own tune Having worked with renowned companies like General Electric and KPMG Canada, 26-year-old Tanvi Chandna quit her corporate job last year to pursue her passion for dance and acting. Born and brought up in New Delhi, she moved to Canada in 2013 and has always been a firm believer in following her heart. From CA to dancer and entrepreneur “I think it was a dancer who decided to become a CA in order to become a successful entrepreneur.” laughs Tanvi and adds, “I started dancing when I was 7 years old and have always wanted to open my own dance school one day. However, I also wanted to study accounting in under-graduation. I strongly believe that education doesn’t always have to be directly linked to the profession you end up choosing and I say that because education provides you with a lot more than just a degree that gets you the job.” Having realized her passion for dance, the youngster started her dance school ViDance Studio, a global studio that is travelling across the world, spreading happiness through dance. With her own name making up the studio’s title – Vi comes from the last letters of her name – the studio echoes her own spirit, aiming to be a safe space that enables each dancer to truly celebrate their emotions and express themselves through easy and simple steps. “Like any other art form, dance is an expression of oneself.” The founder explains, “Dance is rarely about the steps. Like any other art form, dance is an

NRI Spotlight

The grace in grooves: Indrani Davaluri

A Bharatanatyam performer, actor, and guru, INDRANI DAVALURI has constantly pushed the envelope with her various activities. Now settled in Virginia, USA, this free-spirited Hyderabadi girl speaks to MALLIK THATIPALLI, about how dance is a passion, her various interests, and her upcoming plans! Dancing like a dream: “I want to perform till the day I drop dead,” chuckles Indrani Davaluri. An actor, a model and chiefly a Bharatanatyam dancer, she began learning the traditional art form at eight years of age and continues till date, all while undergoing two pregnancies (she was back on the dance floor within three months of delivery!) and a debilitating knee surgery in 2009. Armed with a Master’s in Microbiology as well as a distinction-level Bachelor’s in Dance, she is now pursuing her Master’s in Bharatanatyam from the University of Madras. Apart from dedicating her life to dance, she has also acted in mainstream south Indian movies – such as Bidda, Maya Bazaar, and Magane Marumagane, amongst others. The formative years of dance are extremely crucial for anyone… Dance as a passion: Indrani started learning dance at a very young age from the famous Thyagaraja Gana Sabha in Chikadpally in Hyderabad. She later trained under gurus Sri V.S Ramamoorthy and Smt. Manjula Ramaswamy. She recalls, “It was in those years that I understood the importance of a guru. The formative years of dance are extremely crucial for anyone and though my gurus were very exacting, they were loving and generous as well.” The danseuse still recalls her first performance at a Ganesh temple in Secunderabad as a euphoric memory! A form of life: Unlike any other profession or career, dance is demanding and requires a passion beyond the ordinary. It also requires support, states Indrani and adds, “I would like to thank my parents for