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Vakeel babu
Akshata Samant brings over 13 years of dynamic expertise in the media and entertainment industry as the Head of Creative Development at Civic Studios. With a career marked by influential roles and successful projects, Akshata is instrumental in leading the team of creative producers, ensuring projects are high on storytelling, impact, and commercial viability. She oversees the entire development process from inception to release, aligning each project with the studio’s strategic vision. Akshata cares about producing meaningful and impactful content and having fun while at it. Outside of work, her passion is dance.
Anushka Shah is the CEO of Civic Studios, the Mumbai and London based media production company that creates entertainment for social change, that was incubated by her at the MIT Media Lab, USA. Previously, she has worked with non-profit organizations involved with low-income communities, at-risk young adults, and undertrial prisoners in India. Anushka has published in and spoken for various news outlets such as the Washington Post, NPR, The Wire, and The Huffington Post. Her education background spans Applied Statistics from New York University, and Government & Economics from London School of Economics. She divides her time between Mumbai and London.
Mahvash is a Senior Marketing Associate at Civic Studios. She brings 4+ years of experience in marketing and entertainment, having worked on projects for major players like T-Series, RSVP, Zee Studios, and Amazon Prime Video. Her expertise extends to hands-on experience with photoshoots and production. In her leisure time, Mahvash loves immersing herself in new places, savoring their local flavors and culture. She’s also an avid reader and a dedicated movie enthusiast, always eager to dive into a good book or film.
Yogesh is the Head of Marketing at Civic Studios, and is a seasoned marketing professional with over 15 years of experience in the M&E industry. He was previously associated with The Viral Fever (TVF), Fox Star Studios, Walt Disney India, Moser Baer Entertainment, where he led marketing for movies (Hollywood & Bollywood), OTT shows, Home Entertainment, Consumer Products & more. Yogesh holds an MBA in Business Analytics from BITS Pilani, along with a Post Graduate in Mass Media from MET Institute, Mumbai. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music, travelling & consuming content.
Nishkal Vaidya is the Director of HR & Culture at Civic Studios. With over 18 years of experience in HR, he has worked with Perfect Relations Pvt. Ltd, the largest Public Relations agency in South Asia, and also other organizations such as GEON Studios, Mahuaa Media, NISA Group of Companies, Ultra Media & Entertainment, Adsert Web Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (Exchange4media group) and EORTV. He loves to play volleyball, and has represented Maharashtra at the national level.
Akshada heads Sales & Acquisitions at Civic Studios and comes with a robust background in the content business. In her career spanning over 12 years, she has worked with reputed companies like Walt Disney, Applause, MX Player, Pocket Aces & Viu. Apart from work, she loves traveling, cooking, and reading.
Narad is the Office Assistant at Civic Studios in our Mumbai office. He started his career in exporting food grains from Bihar to Nepal from the years 1998 to 2005. In 2006, he came to Mumbai and started working as a production spot boy in the film & television industry. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his kids.
Shrey Jain is a Creative Producer at Civic Studios. With a little over 5 years in the media business, he has previously worked on shows like Scam 1992 and Scam 2003 at Applause Entertainment. His proficiency lies in developing and producing original concepts, international formats and book adaptations, while establishing strong partnership with creative partners to source and commission content. An alumnus of AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia, Shrey wants to make thought-provoking, intelligent and entertaining content. Outside work, Shrey likes reading, writing, and playing video and board games.
Shuchi is a Social Media Associate at Civic Studios. Despite graduating as a lawyer in 2018, her creative streak led her to swiftly embrace the dynamic world of social media and digital marketing. Beyond her knack for crafting compelling content, she is an avid cinephile who finds joy in the world of movies. Her love for music and strategic board games reflects her ability to approach challenges with a mix of creativity and strategic thinking.
Sharmila is the Creative & Business Lead at Civic Studios, and has over 20 years of work experience as a creative media professional. Her previous tenure at top companies such as Banijay Asia, Marching Ants, Star India and Wizcraft has honed her expertise in content creation, talent curation, producing fiction and non-fiction content, and designing unique business & marketing strategies for them. She divides her time between Mumbai and London. She finds joy in art, traveling to unexplored destinations, and watching movies that no one has watched.
Roohi is the Director of Strategy and Operations at Civic Studios. Her previous experience has been in content management, qualitative research, and PR across the development and corporate sectors. She has designed content-based interventions and digital campaigns that
drive conversations on issues like gender, sexuality, labour rights, and corporate inclusion. She is passionate about creating content that drives social impact at scale. In her free time, she is a Kathak student, and enjoys spending time with dogs and nature.
Rachel is our Operations Associate and the inaugural member of our London, UK office. With over a decade of corporate experience, she has held executive assistantship positions at The London Stock Exchange, Goldman Sachs, and Marcho Partners, a technology hedge fund. She is also a seasoned actor, who has graced theatre stages in London & Oxford, including an Indian TV series. Her love for meaningful cinema and TV revolves around amplifying authentic voices from marginalized communities. She is a globetrotter, an avid foodie, and enjoys exploring diverse music genres.
Namrata is the Director of Impact & Partnerships at Civic Studios. Her domain expertise lies at the intersection of gender, education, and media for social impact. Since 2012, she has worked in the international development sector in South East Asia & Africa across the domains of research, strategy/intervention design, and impact evaluations. Outside work, Namrata finds joy in exploring bookstores and watching live shows.
Naman is a Senior Marketing Associate at Civic Studios. With over 7+ years in content strategy & marketing, he is a Radio Jockey turned marketer hailing from Nagpur, Maharashtra. Naman has conceptualised and executed campaigns for brands like Red Chillies Entertainment, RSVP Movies, Samsung, etc. He is a Carnatic Classical trained vocalist, movie enthusiast and an out-loud extrovert.
Minakshi is the Research Head at Civic Studios. Prior to this, she worked as a development sector professional with grassroot organizations as well as INGOs. Minakshi has been a Swedish Institute Fellow (2017-18), and also a Bill & Melinda Gates Fellow (2019-2020) at KIT The Royal Tropical Institute, The Netherlands. When not engrossed in any search or research, she finds her high in solo travels and baking her signature tiramisu.
Mitali is a Research Associate at Civic Studios. She is an intersectional qualitative researcher and writer and is interested in exploring politics, science and education. She has been a fellow with Teach for India, where she worked towards creating an inclusive, safe and interdisciplinary classroom. She loves documentaries, dogs, trying to keep her plants alive, and diving.
KKashmira is a Creative Producer at Civic Studios, who has worked as a director of Ads, Music Videos, Documentaries, Corporates, Short Films, and Sketches. She strongly believes that films can be more than a medium of entertainment, and aims to inspire change through every film she is part of. Her end goal is to make travel features, to learn about different people & cultures. She is an animal lover, and a proud cat parent.
Jayesh is the Production Accountant for Civic Studios. He is a seasoned manager of Finance & Accounts in the Media and Entertainment Industry, who has previously worked with Vidhu Vinod Chopra Films as their Accounts Manager, handling various F&A works. He holds vast experience in managing books of accounts, finance, taxation and allied compliances. He is passionate about health & fitness.
Ammaar is the Administration and Operations Associate at Civic Studios, with over 7 years of experience in the events & entertainment industry. He started his career with the Navi Mumbai International Film Festival, covering a range such as music festivals, weddings, corporate events, etc. He has also worked as a freelance production assistant in the film & television industry & was part of projects like Social Currency, Unacademy Unwind with MTV, and Ted Talks India Nayi Baat. In his free time, he loves reading shaayari.
Pulkit is Senior Marketing Associate at Civic Studios. He has 7 years long experience in communications, creative solutions, and Digital marketing in Delhi and Chandigarh. Pulkit has conceptualized and executed several marketing and on-ground social campaigns. He is a Digital content marketing enthusiast, a cinephile, and has a knack for learning new languages.
Format: Series/ Feature
Genre: Romance / Drama
Project stage: In development
6th September 2018 marked an important milestone in the history of queer rights in India. The Supreme Court of India unanimously ruled that Section 377 was unconstitutional in criminalising sex between consenting adults.
But who were the people behind this movement- the lawyers, litigants, NGOs, and the citizens? What drove this collective to a historic victory, and what were the factions exposed along the way? This story will unpack the Indian queer movement’s journey to repeal the draconian Section 377, and reflect on where we go from here in the average queer Indian’s fight for acceptance, dignity, and love.
Key theme
This story deep dives into this successful chapter of the India queer movement to glean lessons on the challenges and possibilities in creating social movements, as well as articulate the current state and road ahead for queer rights in India.
Format: Web-series
Genre: Dramedy
Director: Parikshit Joshi
Starring: Apoorva Arora, Sonali Sachdev, Nitesh Pandey, Masood Akhtar, Aakarshan Singh, Prakhar Singh
Project stage: Releasing in Feb 2023
About
The Kashyaps think they are an open-minded family. With their own past as an interfaith couple, the parents would want their kids to marry anyone of their own choice. But when their daughter, Meher, reveals she is dating a cab driver, they face a dilemma. Now is no work really too small? And will they be able to look past their biases to give a chance to Varsha’s relationship? Nuclear Parivaar is a heartwarming, wholesome journey of family bonding, acceptance, and choice.
Key theme
The series starts a conversation on the biases we hold against people basis their class identity and profession, and highlights how young people are looking past such stereotypes and re-defining what really matters while choosing a partner- compatibility, honesty and integrity.
Genre: Romance / Drama
Project stage: In development
About
6th September 2018 marked an important milestone in the history of queer rights in India. The Supreme Court of India unanimously ruled that Section 377 was unconstitutional in criminalising sex between consenting adults.
But who were the people behind this movement- the lawyers, litigants, NGOs, and the citizens? What drove this collective to a historic victory, and what were the factions exposed along the way? This story will unpack the Indian queer movement’s journey to repeal the draconian Section 377, and reflect on where we go from here in the average queer Indian’s fight for acceptance, dignity, and love.
Key theme
This story deep dives into this successful chapter of the India queer movement to glean lessons on the challenges and possibilities in creating social movements, as well as articulate the current state and road ahead for queer rights in India.
Azima Shafaque is a Social Media Associate at Pocket Change who can speak Hindi, English, Memes and Movies fluently. From being a commerce graduate to completing Masters in Mass Communication, Azima’s journey has been a rollercoaster ride. She’s always had her unwavering honesty and super lame jokes by her side!
Nikhil Shambharkar is the Marketing Lead at Civic Studios. He has a decade long marketing experience in the Media & Entertainment industry. Having worked with leading entertainment houses in Mumbai, he has conceptualized and executed several marketing campaigns. He is a digital marketing enthusiast and a cinephile who loves to slip in movie dialogues in everyday conversations.
Niranj is a Music Producer at Pocket Change. He is an Indian musician, playback singer, director and actor. He is the lead vocalist of the Indian rock bands Motherjane and Nemesis. He is also the lead vocalist and songwriter of a progressive rock band called Blank planet. Apart from producing music, he’s an automobile enthusiast, who loves to travel places on his bike, loves food and always loves to experiment with new things in life.
Divay Khurana is a Creative Producer at Pocket Change. He has been associated with The Times of India Group (ENIL) producing web series for Amazon Prime Video, MX Player, Sony LIV, etc. He has been an Executive Producer for branded content and advertisements for Airtel, Samsung, RealMe, PNB, Voltas, etc. An avid traveler, he is often seen taking long weekends off for quick adventure trips.
Ramanuj is a Brand Solutions Lead with Civic Studios. He has an experience of a decade in associating with Brands and media agencies, from all over india and providing digital media engagement solutions. He is a mass comm graduate , EX viacom 18, Ex Jagran, Ex BIGO. Expert in Revenue Generation, product and campaign management.
Prannoy Nair leads the Social Media team at Pocket Change. He loves social media and has spent all his career perfecting his digital content game with brands like MTV India, SUGAR Cosmetics, and a bunch of other startups. Speaking of game, on a free day, you’ll find him gaming away most of his awake hours, and reading up on new tech in the rest. Never really finishes what he says, but it really
Jeff Dani, A.K.A Jithin AK Daniel is a Content/Line Producer for Pocket Change. From being a musician to rock/metal promoter & metal concert organizer to an RJ for Radio City Metal Takeover, Jeff got into a serious transition, choosing a career in Direction/Art & then presently in the production department. Through his journey he has been a part of various firms like Lowe Lintas/Endemole Shine/TVF/Yellow Montage/Cinematic Liberty & others. He has a serious addiction issue with WMMM (Work, Music, Motor & Mountains).
Sashi is part of the Writers’ Room at Civic Studios. He has been working as a writer of short form comedy content for the past 5 years, having worked with brands like TVF, Being Indian and ScoopWhoop on digital. In addition to comedy, he’s a huge cinephile and an aspiring filmmaker; pro-indie, not anti-mainstream. Post work hours, he makes film analysis videos and conducts podcasts with filmmakers.
Jeet is a Creative Producer at Pocket Change. He has been an assistant director, writer, DOP, editor and also a director in various formats of filmmaking such as sketches, ads, corporate films and also a feature film. He believes that film is a medium that gives him the liberty to show the people the world through the keyhole of his choosing. He is also a heavy metal entusiast who growls and loves travelling and adventure sports.
Parikshit is a Director at Pocket Change. He has been around in the Digital industry since 2016 as a Writer, Director and Actor. He has been a collaborator with some mainstream YT channels like TVF, TSP, Filter Copy, RVCJ and Alright and certain OTT platforms. He considers himself to be a Director and has immense love for a variety of cinema ranging from Tees Maar Khan to Before Sunset.
Vipul is a Content Producer at Pocket Change. An engineer turned event manager turned film maker, he has produced a feature film which is streaming on Prime Video. His special talents include making and appreciating puns, finding good Punjabi food in any new city on the planet and waking up fresh in the morning without coffee.
Farzeen is an actor and social media content creator at Pocket Change. She loves consuming content online, and telling engaging stories. She has worked with Times Internet and Colors, Viacom 18 and produced shows like Sasural Simar Ka and Naagin in the past, a dark past she wants to forget. She has watched a tonne of movies and shows, but won’t remember anything in case you want to have a nuanced discussion.
Nikhil is a video editor at Pocket Change. He loves Adobe softwares, and spending time on them all day all night. He is a fan of Hindi, English, Korean & Japanese cinema & web series. He is passionate about helping people. You can also check out his Instagram page @NikhilismOfficial!
nikhil.sidhwani@civicstudios.com
Kaviraj is the Channel Head of Pocket Change, and looks after its end to end content planning from inception to execution. He comes with extensive experience, having led the content creation for various platforms such as TVF, Great Indian Laughter Challenge and Being Indian.
Somnath Karmakar is a writer with Pocket Change. He has formerly worked with TVF as a content creator and actor, where he led properties like Action Kumar Vlogs. He is a standup comedian who has performed in The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, and has been a dubbing artist for Bollywood stars like Akshay Kumar, Shahrukh Khan, etc.
Reyansh is a Social and Production Executive at Pocket Change. His sentences are carefully constructed with movie and meme references. Writing comedy, enjoying cinema and getting people to watch The Office are the three things he is passionate about.
Siddhartha is a content producer at Pocket Change. He has worked as a line producer for channels like Being Indian, Blush, VIVA and Awesome Sauce. He has also worked in films, advertising and television in the past to groom his career in filmmaking. In short, he is just a regular guy living a filmy life.
Varun does content research at Pocket Change and produces social media content for Civic Studios. He loves cinema and his student- documentary film ‘Udaan’ got shortlisted at two film festivals. Outside of work, he spends time making music, playing basketball, and creating meaningful content.
Greg assists with research around the intersection of law, civics, and media. He is currently a practicing lawyer & law student in Mumbai, and has ten years of work experience between the social sector and sports broadcast management industry.
Vishnu is a creative producer at Pocket Change. He has worked as a creative producer for channels like BLUSH, Being Indian, 101 India and Epic TV Channel in the past. He is passionate about telling compelling stories.
Sachin is part of our writer’s room at Pocket Change. He is also a singer and a self proclaimed meme addict. He believes death note is the best thriller ever made, likes cats and snacks on milk powder.
Ethan Zuckerman is director of the Center for Civic Media at MIT, and an Associate Professor of the Practice at the MIT Media Lab. His research focuses on the use of media as a tool for social change, the role of technology in international development, and the use of new media technologies by activists.
Samyuktha has a background in water management, sanitation, social policy and gender. At Civic Studios she conducts research on civic participation theory and practices in India. She also hosts a podcast called In The Field that looks at development issue in India.