My efforts to find my calling in life culminated in an 8000-mile journey from my hometown of Nashik, India to the Bay Area.

After specializing in Environmental Studies and Economics at college, I was on track for a career in social science research, but writing happened. Through journalism, I could combine my love for storytelling with my interests in current affairs, travel, cultural history, technology and music.

After working as a freelance environmental and sports journalist for two years, and a full-time travel writer for three years, I arrived in the Bay Area to study documentary film-making at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.

In the four years since, I have produced documentaries about the history of foraging in the U.S. and the rise of video disinformation, profiled a self-described hustler from North Oakland, and produced contemplative pieces on migration in India, the early days of AI-generated art and bread (yes, bread). 

Simultaneously, I also wrote environmental stories for Bay Area-based publications. Since 2023, I have been a California Local News Fellow, covering the Indian-American diaspora in depth through my writing at India Currents. In this role, I’ve written issue-driven stories; reviewed concerts and films; interviewed athletes, artists, and politicians; and produced short vertical video documentaries for social media.

Currently, I am reporting on the mental and physical health challenges of Indian undocumented immigrants in California, supported by the USC California Health Equity Fellowship.

When I am not being sucked into Wikipedia wormholes to research a story, I am noodling on the guitar, cooking, watching test cricket or being sucked into Youtube wormholes. Lately, I’ve also been fine tuning my resumé!