A QISSAA with Ishika

Ishika Muchhal

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DOCUMENTARY

Join performer and storyteller Ishika Muchhal as she interviews and tells the Quintessential and Inspiring Stories of South Asian Artists, the trailblazers who have paved their own path in the visual and performing arts in America. A new guest, a new episode every week, Sundays at 12 p.m. PST.

03/05/2025

A QISSAA with Ishika: Rehana Lew Mirza

Welcome to the 36th episode of A QISSAA with Ishika! My guest today is playwright and filmmaker Rehana Lew Mirza! With a BFA from NYU TISCH and an MFA from Columbia University, Rehana’s prolific career has seen her plays produced at venues across the US. Some play highlights include: Hatefuck (First Floor, Chicago; WP/Colt Coeur, NY); A People’s Guide to History in the Time of Here and Now (Primary Stages Toulmin commission); Soldier X (Ma-Yi); Tomorrow, Inshallah (Living Room Theater; Storyworks/HuffPost commission); Neighborhood Watch (NNPN/InterAct commission, upcoming production: Jackalope 2025) and Barriers (Desipina, Asian American Theater Company.) She founded the award-winning South Asian theater and film company, Desipina & Co, alongside her sister Rohi Mirza Pandya in 2001, where together they produced the popular Seven.11 series. She shares a Kleban Award and a 2016-2022 Mellon Foundation National Playwright residency administered in partnership with Howlround at Ma-Yi with Mike Lew. Together they’ve co-written The Colonialism Project (LJP commission) and the musical Bhangra Nation (originally Bhangin’ It) with composer/lyricist Sam Willmott. Rehana’s short film MODERN DAY ARRANGED MARRIAGE won the NBC ShortCuts audience award, and screened at “Just for Laughs” in Montreal before being acquired by LOGO/MTV. Her feature film, HIDING DIVYA, had a limited North American release and toured to colleges through a grant from the Asian Women's Giving Circle.Her additional accolades include being a WP Resident Playwright, NYFA Fellow, HBO Access Fellow, Lilly Award recipient, CCTP Residenct, Colt Coeur member, and a TCG Fellowship.

48 min
02/24/2025

A QISSAA with Ishika: Ravjot Mehek Singh

Welcome to the 35th episode of A QISSAA with Ishika! My guest today is Ravjot Mehek Singh, an award-winning Sikh Indian American Film and TV Director and art activist. Many Indian and American media outlets refer to her as one of the youngest female directors in Bollywood and one of the first openly LGBTQ+ Sikh women directors in South Asia. By age 21, she had directed 3 television talk shows for Dish Network through the largest Asian American TV channel Jus Punjabi. She began directing Bollywood music videos and was listed as the youngest female music video director to be launched by T-Series (India's largest record label) in 2021.Ravjot's work in curation and installation art has been featured in major galleries globally including the Guggenheim Museum. Her curatorial debut "Pardafash" gained critical acclaim as one of the only shows in the world to address the often censored struggles Sikhs went through in 1984 in India. As an LGBTQ+ art activist, Ravjot has been featured in Harper's Bazaar and Cosmopolitan magazine, amongst other publications. Her film and art activism work is driven by a passion to create lasting change in the entertainment field and society. www.ravjotmeheksingh.media www.ishikamuchhal.com-a-qissaa-with-ishika

1h 8m
02/06/2025

A QISSAA with Ishika: Sheela Ramesh

Welcome to the 34th episode of A QISSAA with Ishika, Quintessential and Inspiring Stories of South Asian Artists, funded by the California Art Council’s Individual Artist Fellow Grant. My guest is music director, composer, and arranger Sheela Ramesh! She was recently named a “Woman to Watch on Broadway” by the Broadway Women’s Fund. Professional highlights include Broadway (SIX, Almost Famous, Once Upon a One More Time, Merrily We Roll Along, Hells Kitchen); Off-Broadway (Lincoln Center Theater, New York Theatre Workshop, The York, Theatre Row); TV (NBC's Annie Live!); concert (Carnegie Hall, Kings Theater, Town Hall); and regional theater (Berkeley Rep, A.C.T.). She is an Artist Ambassador for the New York Civil Liberties Union, a teaching artist with Lincoln Center Theater, and an Associate at Liz Caplan Vocal Studio. Undergraduate and graduate degrees in music from Carnegie Mellon University and the Royal College of Music; psychology/cognitive science (BS, Carnegie Mellon; MSc, University College London) and law (JD, Yale Law School). She has spent her nonmusical professional life working to ensure that all youth have opportunities to thrive. www.sheelarameshmusic.com www.ishikamuchhal.com/a-qissaa-with-ishika

1h 3m
01/28/2025

A QISSAA with Ishika: Sonya Venugopal

Welcome to the 33rd episode of A QISSAA with Ishika, Quintessential and Inspiring Stories of South Asian Artists, funded by the California Art Council’s Individual Artist Fellow Grant. I am so excited to welcome my guest today, fresh off the UK and Asia tour of Life of Pi, actor Sonya Venugopal! A proud Californian, she has lived in New York for 8 years.! In 2023, she made her Broadway debut in Life of Pi as Rani, while also covering the role of Pi. Some of her many theater credits include the Life of Pi (UK & Asia) tour, Come Fall in Love at The Old Globe, Atlantis at Virginia Rep, and Maggie with Goodspeed Operahouse. She has also been a part of readings like MĀYĀ and In Emily’s Words. Sonya also performed in the film Little Boxes and her song evrymee is streaming on all platforms. She holds an MFA in Musical Theater from the Boston Conservatory and a BA in Theater and Communications from Santa Clara University. Outside of performing, Sonya loves searching for the best East Coast replica of In-N-Out and is an avid reader and runner, though the cold weather in NYC this time of year really deters her from wanting to be outside! www.sonyavenugopal.com www.ishikamuchhal.com/a-qissaa-with-ishika

1 hr
10/11/2024

A QISSAA with Ishika: Zi Alikhan

Welcome to the 32nd episode of A QISSAA with Ishika: Quintessential and Inspiring Stories of South Asian Stories! My guest today is theatermaker and director Zi Alikhan. Raised in California and based in New York, Zi is an alum of NYU TISCH and programs including TCG Rising Leaders of Color, Drama League Directors Project, Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab, Drama League Artist Residency Program, Manhattan Theatre Club Jonathan Alper Directing Fellowship, Williamstown Directing Corps, and Drama League Rough Draft. Zi’s award-winning directing work has been seen across the country. His direction of On That Day in Amsterdam at Primary Stages earned Drama Desk Award and Lucille Lortel Award nominations. I saw Zi’s vision in action in Sanctuary City at Pasadena Playhouse and was floored by the poetic world he built! He has also directed the US regional premiere of The Band’s Visit and a drag-centered reimagining of the Wizard of Oz at geva Theater Center. He was the resident director for the national tour of Hamilton, and he assistant directed the first national tour of The Band’s Visit, as well as Six Degrees of Separation, The Rose Tattoo, and It Shoulda Been You! on Broadway. Zi’s directing work has also been performed at Juilliard, Yale, Pace, Writers Theatre/TheatreSquared, Paper Mill Playhouse, Classic Stage Company, Portland Center Stage, Olney Theatre Center, Playmakers Repertory Company, Prospect Theatre Company, Access, The Pearl, and Manhattan Theater Club. He will soon be directing world premieres of Keiko Green's You are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! at South Coast Rep, Deepak Kumar's House of India at The Old Globe, John Anthony Loffredo's Frou Frou at Boston Court Pasadena, and Julia Riew's ENDLESS in Korea. www.zialikhan.com www.ishikamuchhal.com/a-qissaa-with-ishika

56 min
10/11/2024

A QISSAA with Ishika: Robin Sukhadia

Welcome to the 31st episode of A QISSAA with Ishika: Quintessential and Inspiring Stories of South Asian Artists! My guest today is Robin Sukhadia, a highly accomplished tabla player. With a World Music MFA from CalArts, Robin’s work spans many concert, film, and album productions. He has composed for and toured with Rupa & the April Fishes, J-Boogie's Dubtronic Science, PremaSoul, and Walter Kitundu. He has scored many films including the Emmy award-winning PBS documentary Sikhs in America. Robin has worked extensively to empower underserved youth through music education, through developing Global Lingo, serving as International Grants Program Director with Project Ahimsa, and as a Fulbright Scholar developing and touring EKATVA. Robin has performed, done residencies with, and developed programs at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Mahatma Gandhi Ashram, Weill Institute at Carnegie Hall, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, GRAMMY Museum, Academy Museum, Hammer Museum, Machine Project in Los Angeles, and Blue Mountain Artist Residency, among others. Robin works as a strategic consultant for non-profit leadership and fundraising and has served as a Board Member of the Ali Akbar College of Music since 2015.

1h 4m
10/11/2024

A QISSAA with Ishika: Reena Dutt

Welcome to the 30th episode of A QISSAA with Ishika! My guest today is director Reena Dutt. Reena is dedicated to new and reimagined texts that catapult polarizing conversations through unexpected stories with the bodies, voices and life experiences of the underheard. She just closed An Experiment with an Airpump that she directed for CalArts. Her Broadway debut was on The Collaboration at Manhattan Theatre Club as Assistant Director to Kwame Kwei-Armah, and she recently assisted Leigh Silverman on Merry Me at New York Theatre Workshop. She has worked with theatre companies like Columbia University, Playwrights Realm, A.R.T., UC Riverside, Artists At Play, Coeurage Ensemble, UC Riverside, Greenway Court Theatre, East West Players, Sacred Fools, The Public, The Fountain Theatre, and Geffen Playhouse. Reena’s fellowships include Drama League NY Directing Fellow, LCT Directors Lab, and Directors Lab West. Reena is also a film director and producer having screened films at over 80 festivals including Sundance, LAFF, Outfest, Frameline, Cucalorous, NBCUniversal, BET, PBS/Latino, and HBO. She will be directing the world premiere of Pang Spa at Chalk Rep.

59 min
03/17/2024

A QISSAA with Ishika: Romen Borsellino

Welcome to the 29th episode of A QISSAA with Ishika! My guest today is comedy writer and performer Romen Borsellino! A member of the Writers Guild of America, Romen has been a writer for Comedy Central’s The Daily Show during Kal Penn’s weeks as guest host. Before that, he was a staff writer for Season 2 of NBC’s A Little Late with Lilly Singh as well as the sole writer for CTV’s Battle of the Generations, hosted by Lilly Singh. In 2020, Romen co-created and executive produced Freeform’s comedic election series Kal Penn Approves This Message. Romen has also written comedy for President Biden’s 2023 White House Correspondent’s Dinner remarks, the 2023 Pen America Literary Awards, the 2021 WGA Awards, and Adam McKay and Will Ferrell’s This Giant Beast That Is The Global Economy on Amazon Prime. You may have seen him as White House Staffer from the Motown Night episode of Fox's I Can See Your Voice Season 3. Before writing comedy, Romen served as a political appointee in the Obama Administration. He has also worked on a number of high-profile political campaigns in his home state of Iowa, including President Obama’s historic 2008 Iowa caucus race and 2012 re-election. Romen is a graduate of Amherst College.

55 min

TRAILER

A QISSAA with Ishika Trailer

Hello and welcome to A QISSAA with Ishika, Quintessential and Inspiring Stories of South Asian Artists! I'm your host, Ishika Muchhal! From a young age, I knew that I wanted to be a performer and artist, and I have always been inspired by the trailblazing South Asian artists who have challenged the norms and carved the path for themselves and others in the arts. They followed their hearts and strived for representation so that young artists like myself could follow in their footsteps. But how did they do it? Why don't I ask them! Join me each week for some qissaas, or episodes, from the lives of these artists, a new guest every week! Stay tuned for the truly Quintessential and Inspiring Stories of some incredible South Asian Artists on A QISSAA with Ishika.

03/04/2021

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2 min

Join performer and storyteller Ishika Muchhal as she interviews and tells the Quintessential and Inspiring Stories of South Asian Artists, the trailblazers who have paved their own path in the visual and performing arts in America. A new guest, a new episode every week, Sundays at 12 p.m. PST.

Creator

Ishika Muchhal
Years Active

2021 - 2025
Episodes

37
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© Ishika Muchhal
Show Website

A QISSAA with Ishika