Tamara P Nedungadi

Visiting Faculty

Tamara P Nedungadi is a Postgraduate in Sociology from Mumbai University. She had an exposure to cinema right from childhood as her father was an eminent Film critic. Her passion for the visual medium got an impetus when she did the Film Appreciation course of FTII in 1986.

After her post-graduation, she joined renowned Film Editor Renu Saluja in 1990. Amongst the films she assisted Renu were films such as ‘Sardar’, ‘Dharavi’ and ‘Maya Memsaab.’ She decided to expand her horizons and became an assistant director to renowned filmmakers Ashutosh Gowarikar and Kundan Shah.

In the Mid 1990’s she started her independent career as an online editor (vision mixer) for multi camera TV Shows. Some of the shows she edited were ‘Swabhimaan’, ‘Farz’ and ‘Nyay’. She got her first break as a Director for a TV show titled ‘Waaris’ in 1999. She then went on to direct many shows over the next 12 years. Some of the shows she directed were, ‘Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi’, ‘Kittie Party’, ‘Remix’.

Apart from her career as a Director and Editor, she is trained in Oddissi dance form under Guru Jhelum Paranjpe. She has performed in dance ballets and shows, choreographed by dancers like, Astad Deboo and Illeana Chirasti.

She has also been part of Satyadev Dubey and Sunil Shanbag’s plays like ‘Andha Yug’ and ‘Pratibimb’. Her association with these stalwarts helped her understand Stagecraft and nuances of speech and performance.

Sahil Vaid

Visiting Faculty

Sahil Satish Vaid is an Indian voice actor and who is known for his screen film roles in Bittoo Boss (2012), Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014), Bank Chor (2017), Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017), Dil Bechara (2020) and Coolie No. 1 (2020). Sahil has starred in a number of plays over the past 25 years. He started his career with school theatre, professionally acting for stage since 1997. He made his Bollywood debut in 2012 with Bittoo Boss. Early in his career, Sahil was recognised for portraying a variety of roles in the first online standup comedy show Jay Hind!. He then rose to prominence after starring in Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014), where his character Poplu was much appreciated.

Ashok Kumar

Visiting Faculty

Ashok Kumar studied Acting at the National School of Drama, Delhi. Founder of Actoghraphers, theatre organization active in India, he has been involved in the productions of plays and conducting workshops from 2014 till 2020. He conducted numerous Performance Oriented Workshops and also wrote the play Mirage. He has been the associate director for plays such as King Lear and Romeo and Juliet in the National School of Drama, while he also taught Physical Theatre. He also acted in Bose: Dead or Alive, a web series on Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. He has done extensive research on different acting styles and schools of thought during and after graduating from the National School of Drama. Ashok has also taught and practiced ‘Konstantin Stanislavski’, ‘Stella Adler’, ‘Lee Strasberg’ techniques of acting. His international collaborations include, co-directing the play Tum Kaun at the NAPA International Theater festival, participated and performed in the Asian Theatre Festival conducted in Beijing, China in 2012, and performed as an actor and Assistant Director of the play Raddi Bazaar at the NAPA International Theater festival conducted in Karachi, Pakistan.

Aru Verma

Visiting Faculty

Aru Verma is a trained professional actor with acting experience of over 15 years, he started his life in theatre and has been working in the Indian Television and Film Industry from the last 10 years.

He is an alumnus of Whistling Woods International and graduated top of his class in 2010, trained under veteran Indian actors like Naseeruddin Shah, Benjamin Gilani and Kenneth Desai. He has an Acting Diploma – 2 years Understudy to Rob Reece (member of Actors Studio, LA for 3 years Understudy to Shernaz Pater (veteran Indian Actor) for 1 year Understudy to Salim Arif (veteran Indian Director and Production Designer) for 1 year. He has trained for 3 years in professional theatre under Arvind Gaur (prominent Indian Theatre director and Social Activist) in the theatre society known as Asmita Theatre Group.

He is the first Plus size Model for India and the Brand Ambassador for ALL (future Group Clothing Brand)
He has also been part of more than 40 television commercials including the following brands KFC, AIRTEL (4) VODAFONE (3), MAKEMYTRIP.COM, SABTV PROMO, SONY SPORTS PROMO, CADBURY’S ECLAIR, ETC. His latest work experience in a principle role is in Dil To Happy Hai Ji (2019) for Star Plus Network in Indian Television. Supporting role in ITTRAT – TV SERIES (2019) KULFI KUMAR BAJEWALA – TV SERIES (2019) JAB HARRY MET SEJAL – FILM (2017) BEFIKRE – FILM (2016) WEDDING PULLAV – FILM (2015) BEZUBAN ISHQ – FILM (2015) BEGUSARAI – TV SERIES (2015) 2 STATES – FILM (2014), ETC.

Anil Mange

Visiting Faculty

Anil Charanjeett, an alumnus of Whistling Woods International, Actors’ Studio, is an Indian film actor, who predominantly performed in the Hindi Film Industry. Anil has acted in several movies such as PK, Raees, Singh Is Bling, Hasee Toh Phasee, Shershaah, Sooryavanshi, Mubarakan, Golmaal Again, and more and made an appearance in the song “Main Badhiya Tu Bhi Badhiya” from the movie Sanju the biopic of actor Sanjay Dutt.

Vandana Trivedi

Visiting Faculty

Vandana Trivedi is a Wellness coach and owner of YOGVAN FOR HEALTH & HAPPINESS ®, an organization that is committed to extending holistic health and happiness. She was initiated into Yoga at a very early age at The Yoga Institute, which is more than a century old, and in the very heart of Mumbai. Her mentors Dr Jaydeva and Hansa Jaydeva Yogendra are her inspiration to offer Classical Yoga as a lifestyle rather than just a form of exercise. It is this education that is being extended to the students at Whistling Woods International.

Now for more than two decades, Vandana has been teaching & spreading the goodness of Yoga through versatile platforms, workshops and retreats and has had the opportunity to see lives being transformed in amazing ways. She has taught people of all ages, backgrounds, and to people from all over the world.

She regularly conducts workshops for expecting and aspiring parents through her programme called Enlightened Pregnancy and Parenthood which helps parents to nurture their child’s inherent genius, vision, and intuition with help of holistic, scientific and traditional approach.

Vandana was on the panel of Yoga examiners of TQcert, an organisation which certifies Yoga teachers-to-be. She has majored in MA Philosophy and has also released 2 Yoga DVD’s, ‘YOGVAN for EVERYONE’ and ‘YOGVAN for PRENATAL CARE.’