About Us
Why Rickshaw?
A “rickshaw” or “auto-rickshaw” is a motorized, three-wheeled vehicle used to transport passengers. Rickshaws are widely used all across South Asia, transcending the barriers of wealth, religion, and race, to provide transportation for all people.
Inspired by the humble rickshaw, Rickshaw Film Foundation will be the vehicle that brings cultural perspectives from overseas to a new land, breaking down barriers to entry through the development, promotion, and patronage of South Asian American art and artists.
Our Story
This whole journey began when we started our careers in the film industry and looked at the landscape in front of us. As South Asian filmmakers looking to tell stories that represent our community, we were disappointed by the fact that there weren’t more South Asian artists, grant opportunities, and stories within the American film industry.
That disappointment inspired us to create the change we wanted to see in the industry, which led to the genesis of Rickshaw Film Foundation.
The Team
Hari Ganesh
President
Hari Ganesh is an independent filmmaker in Los Angeles, CA. Hari’s passion for storytelling blossomed as a child and continued into college. While majoring in Chemical Engineering at UCSB, Hari continued to act and write, and eventually started making his own short films. More recently, Hari has produced and directed music videos for various artists. As a creative from the South Asian community, Hari is immensely passionate about lifting multidimensional immigrant perspectives to mainstream media.
Hari’s first solo project, Double Stack, which he wrote, directed, starred in, and produced, earned him a nomination for Best Student Director at the IndieX Festival, and was also a selection at the Hollywood First Time Filmmaker showcase and the Golden State Film Festival in 2020.
You can view Hari’s work here.
Neil Thekdi
Vice President
Neil Thekdi is a film and content producer based out of Los Angeles, CA. After graduating from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Neil moved back to California to be closer to family and begin his career. As a producer, Neil’s goal is to amplify the voices around him. He has a passion for elevating stories and artists that need to be heard, and he brings an unprecedented level of detail and execution to every project he undertakes. The result is powerful, meaningful content that resonates with audiences around the world.
The films that Neil has produced have been accepted into the LA Shorts International Film Festival, Aesthetica Film Festival, Tagore International Film Festival, San Francisco Independent Film Festival, LAIFFA, and Latino Film Market, amongst dozens of other film festivals across the globe.
You can view Neil’s work here.
Mira Thekdi
Head of Design
Mira Thekdi is a graphic designer and creative director based in Los Angeles, California. She's a recent graduate of Chapman University and now works a corporate design job and takes on freelance clients in her spare time. When she's not working, you'll likely find her at the Norton Simon, sitting on a bench and staring at her favorite Renoir painting.
You can view Mira’s work here.
Jaspreet Sidhu
Head of Communications
Jaspreet (Justin) Sidhu is a multidisciplinary artist from the San Francisco Bay Area.
Since college, Jaspreet has released music reviews, essays and poetry independently and through various platforms. Jaspreet believes the stories that comprise our lives and our world are best understood through our art — his greatest passion is creating, sharing and experiencing these narratives.
Jaspreet graduated from UC Berkeley and is pursuing writing, photography, film and music while working full-time. He is currently based in Washington, DC.
You can view Jaspreet’s work here.
Sruchi Patel
Head of Community Engagement
Sruchi Patel is a third-year Film and Television major at UCLA with a concentration in directing and screenwriting. She is interested in pursuing a career in Comedy TV Writing as well as Directing and had the chance to write her first 1/2 hour comedy pilot, Mock’d, through the Rickshaw Writer’s Room Program. She's passionate about telling authentic South Asian American narratives through a dramedy lense while normalizing the post-diaspora generation’s perspective in film and television. Inspired by TV shows like Dave, Ted Lasso, and Master of None while yearning for more female characters in lead roles, Sruchi hopes to draw inspiration from those favorites while creating space for female characters and crew members to thrive. She’s looking foward to directing her own senior thesis this year and writing more dramedy scripts.
You can view Sruchi’s work here.