East Meets West: Cultural Differences and Common Ground
Friday 10/24/25, doors open at 5:00pm ET, interview starts at 5:30. Come early so we can meet you!
Community Gathering on Zoom - register with the bright red reservation box to receive the Zoom link. These gatherings are a service for the theater community and are offered free for TRU members; we ask that non-members help keep us running by buying a ticket, making a
donation or joining as a
member.
In the room: Neeraja Ramjee, New York based actor & producer originally from Bangalore India, working in film, TV and theater; and Rudaba Zehra Nasir, a Manhattan-based, conservatory-trained actress, writer, and singer originally from Lahore Pakistan. We'll consider the rich cultural heritage of Neeraja's native India and Rudaba's Pakistan, and some of the performing arts modalities that are unique to South Asia. Most of us know Bollywood and popular film influences, while many other performance forms are perhaps unfamiliar to us. Have eastern and western cultures cross-pollinated over the years? What are the influences and inspirations that have shaped South Asian art, and are they different from what influences and inspires artists in our western culture? In what ways might British colonialization of India and Pakistan have changed their heritage? And how have our guests' heritages shaped them as artists?
Panelists
-
NEERAJA NAMJEE
is a New York based actor and producer, originally from Bangladore, India. She is trained in the Meisner Technique at The Acting Studio in New York, with additional studies at the New York Film Academy, The Barrow Group, and HB Studio. Her creative toolkit also includes Improv training at Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) and Screenwriting and Producing at Sundance Collab. Her credits include roles in Film/TV – most notably – ‘’Designated Survivor” (ABC/Netflix), “Shadowhunters” (Freeform), and Theatre – Broken Images (One Woman Play), Horrible Parent (Off Broadway). In addition to acting, Neeraja is a producer and owner at Tea & Pickle Productions where she actively advocates for diversity, inclusion and better representation in the arts. Her focus is to bring stories that amplify voices of women and people of color, specifically south asian voices and stories that break stereotypes and reflect universal human stories.
-
RUDABA ZEHRA NASIR
is a Pakistani, conservatory-trained actress, writer, and singer as well as a humanitarian and life coach based in Manhattan. Rudaba is currently producing Halal-ish, her first solo show as a writer and actress, which is about her journey from Pakistan to America to find love. On screen, she has starred in award-winning films The Foreign Patriot and The Train I’m On, and was a series regular in Kabhi Na Kabhi (Someday) on Hum TV. Her New York theater credits include sold-out, Off-Off Broadway shows such as Novecento (Paradise Factory Theater), Arsinoe IV (Chain Theatre), Talk of the Town (The Players), and Measure For Measure (Resident Acting Company). Rudaba’s work focuses on meaningful projects in theater, film, and TV that amplify voices of underrepresented communities. Rudaba has made it her mission to showcase South Asian, immigrant, POC, and queer stories, marked by authentic representation and inclusive storytelling. Visit www.rudaba.com and Instagram @RudabaNasir to learn about Rudaba’s work. For coaching, visit www.theruniverse.org
