Sameera Iyengar, Cultural Animator
Co-founder, Junoon
Hometown : Kolkata, India
Greatest inspiration : Mother Teresa
Education : Bsc. Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; PhD. Theatre, University of Chicago
One thing that she strongly believes in : Arts are incredibly important to our lives. Arts make us human
Sameera Iyengar was born and brought up in Kolkata. Her father worked closely with Mother Teresa. As a child, she grew up under that influence. At 18, she left India to study Mathematics at the respected Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). At MIT, 25% of one’s course work has to be in humanities, arts or social sciences. Sameera chose Theatre, and was for the first time exposed to how Theatre as a medium can influence and change lives. She never left it since.
After pursuing a PhD. on Theatre at University of Chicago, Sameera came back to India and started her venture Junoon. With this venture, Sameera aims to introduce Theatre to all Indians. She believes arts are integral to a healthy society and this is especially important in a country like India.
Sameera calls herself a non-conformist, and believes Theatre as a medium allows one to be herself/himself.
