Anasuya (aka “Ana”) Basu is thrilled to join the Pratidhawani Ensemble. She’s been improvising since July 2024, is a regular at Unexpected Productions’ open mic, and volunteers on their tech crew. Her sketch My Mother, the Cybertruck was featured at SketchFest Seattle September 2025. Born in Rhode Island, raised in India, Ana is fluent in Bengali and can speak some Hindi with a Bengali accent. Outside of improv, Ana is a software engineer and enjoys bouldering.

Deepti is a Seattle-based improv artist and a SAHM to a rambunctious 5 year old. She studied acting at Bangalore’s MISFIT Acting Studio (My Interest Stays Firmly in Theatre) under Ratan Thakore Grant, performing in multiple stage productions including two professional plays.After moving to Seattle in 2015, she discovered the magic of improv at Unexpected Productions where she has been learning the craft, recently completing their Level 700 program.She loves improv because it teaches that there are no mistakes, only opportunities.Her other passion is Bollywood; it has been a big influence in her life and she resonates with the larger-than-life emotions in Indian movies.

Sid is a first generation Gujarati, born and raised in Jersey who came to Seattle to achieve some dreams. He's fallen in love with improv over the last few months and hopes to be on stage again and again!

Anise is excited to make their improv debut with Pratidhwani's Instant Karna, and grateful for the opportunity to bring their cultural background & joy to their art! Originally from NYC, Anise has spent much of their life immersed in STEM—studying astrophysics and working in tech. Performing, however, has always held a special place in their heart, and they're thrilled to have found their way back to it, and to this warm, vibrant community of artists. Past works include The Game Show & The Genie's Therapist with Annex Theatre. When not on stage, Anise enjoys tending to their community garden, playing Dungeons & Dragons, and soaking up sunshine out on the water.    

Dreamer. Actor. Music lover.
Gaurav Chauhan blends rhythm and emotion and is always chasing truth through art.

Sumant is a Seattle based actor. For 5 years, he was part of the cast of Batsu, the longest running live improv show in New York city. In Seattle he has performed with Jet City Improv and Unexpected Productions. He is thrilled to be see Instant Karna come to fruition and privileged to be part of the cast.

Ankur’s rendezvous with the stage came as Mangal Pandey in primary school. That single spotlight lit a lifelong love for debate, drama, or any invitation into the sweet uncertainty of a live performance. In Seattle, theatre continued to be his cardio with him appearing in over ten plays as an actor and in six Bollywood dance-dramas, wearing multiple hats as scriptwriter, actor, and director. He also moonlights as an MC for music concerts and dance shows, and on quieter days, weaves words into poetry. Rooted in the mission of Pratidhwani, he has served as its Treasurer since 2013 and lent his hand as stage manager for its productions. Now, he’s swapping script for spontaneity! Joining the cast of Instant Karna, Ankur is ready to call every slip-up and jugaad as a plot twist "by design.” Buckle up — because the best rehearsals happen right on stage!"

Om is an engineer by day and an artist by night — which basically means he spends half his life debugging code and the other half debugging emotions. He’s been performing improv with Unexpected Improv Productions for over a year and has somehow convinced people to laugh on purpose. When he’s not improvising, he’s on stage telling stories about his life in Seattle — stories that start sincere and end with a life lesson nobody asked for. Om also does stand-up comedy and is currently diving into sketch writing and acting, because clearly therapy was too straightforward. He loves all kinds of art and is always open to trying new things — as long as they don’t involve karaoke."

Nicole Ruiz is a Theater Tech whom has worked with Unexpected Productions doing improvised lights, sound, and filmmaking for live shows. She loves the ability to work with people from all walks of life and variation in experiences. She started theater and film as a teenager and has a passion for the collaborative process of creating a production with many moving people and parts. Her experience ranges from being a stage hand for traveling bands, to being a script supervisor, to doing wardrobe in scripted plays. She believes in the magical power of storytelling to open minds and hearts to new ideas and bridge gaps between people. Nicole is an Improvisational Actor that can be seen in a monthly Spanglish show called Mucho Improv. She is grateful to be playing with this ensemble, connecting with Pratidhwani, and values the uplifting of underrepresented communities and people of color in the arts.

Deeptha is a dancer who accidentally twirled her way into improv and decides to stay. With theatre roots from school and college, she loves bold characters, big expressions and scenes that go places no one planned. She is thrilled to learn, grow, create chaos and joy and say "yes, and" with this wonderful team.

Saina Hussain (she/her) is an ensemble member at Jet City Improv. Her recent credits include Return To Joy Market (JCI), Big Tech (JCI), The Emerald City Slasher (JCI) and Uncle Mike Ruins Christmas. You can also catch her performing in the JCI flagship shows, teaching classes and improv workshops around the city, and doing camp shows with Improv4good. Originally from Austin, TX, originally originally from Karachi, Pakistan, Saina is excited to be a part of Instant Karna and to explore the multitudes of her identity in community with a talented and hilarious group of people.