About Acha
Acha's Core Team
Dr. Sujatha Maringanti (Founder)
I have donned two coats in my life: White and Black. White during many years of research life in Molecular Biology at University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and Black for my Bar registration in Hyderabad High Court. I run a patent consultancy in the twin cities and that is my profession. With that out of the way, let's get quickly to my passion: Dance. I grew up in a small town in an era when art happened without any tag lines. Reality shows never existed back then and art was enjoyed without any pressure. Courtesy, Saraswathi Gaana Sabha, the only cultural organisation in town, I was fortunate to watch the stalwarts perform dance, drama and witnessed maestros of Carnatic and Hindustani music perform their best. I loved those red curtains because every time they opened, they revealed a beautiful dance form or a drama! That was the foundation that stuck with me and saw me through my rough days in life in India and abroad. This experience is the core strength that fuels my passion for ACHA. Yes, art can happen anywhere: in day to day life, and in the most unassuming places. I have been a student of Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music all my life and I use theatre, dance and music to connect to children and youngsters. I indulge in occasional review writing on art.
Dr. Srinivas Chilakamarri
With three decades of experience in teaching and performing theatre, Dr.Srinivas Chilakamarri, the co-founder of ACHA, brings his tremendous passion and excellent skills in core aspects of theatrical performance to the table. He is currently working as a Reader in Drama at Utkal University of Culture, Bhubaneshwar.
Dr. Ravindra Tejasvi
With an exuberant personality and boundless energy, Dr.Ravindra Tejasvi, a staff artist at Song and Drama division, Ministry of I&B, Hyderabad, brings his musical talents and the experience in theatre to ACHA. Toured extensively in India and abroad he had enchanted many listeners on percussion instruments and accompanied great maestros such as Mangalampalli Balamaruali Krishna, Nookala Chinna Satyanarayana and Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. He provided percussion music for films (Anand, Godavari, Chandamama, Rainbow, Lakshmi rave maa intiki, Nadi teeram etc). He was the playback singer for Hridaya Kaleyam. He worked as co-director for various filims. He teaches yoga. Presently focusing on sanskrit theatre and ethno-musicology.
Vamsi Madhavi
Vivacious and vibrant, Vamsi Madhavi is another valuable associate of ACHA. A graduate of Kalakshetra, a cultural center of international repute, she brings the playfulness and immense joy in dancing to ACHA. She bagged the prime roles such as Sita and Rukmini in Kalakshetra dance dramas and essayed the complex layers of these characters with ease and elan. Open to experimenting and learning from various disciplines, she is a wonderful asset to ACHA group.