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| Vision-Aid’s “Shakuntala” Dazzles New England Audiences |
Press Release
07/31/2025
Vision-Aid’s “Shakuntala” Dazzles New England Audiences Vision-Aid, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering individuals with visual impairments through innovative programs, marked its 21st anniversary with a spectacular Broadway-style dance production, “Shakuntala – The Legend of the Lost Ring.” Held at the Collins Center for the Performing Arts in Andover, Massachusetts, the event drew an enthusiastic crowd of over 1,000 supporters, sponsors, volunteers, and performers from across the region. A Visionary Production The artistic force behind this stunning production was the acclaimed choreographer, producer, and director, Kalaimamani Madurai R. Muralidaran. Widely recognized for his artistic excellence, Mr. Muralidaran once again mesmerized New England audiences with his impeccable direction. He was ably supported by his talented daughter, Kavya Muralidharan, who played a key role in mentoring and integrating local talent from the region into the show. Artistic Leadership from New England The production was a collaborative effort led by Vision-Aid’s Founding Artistic Director Jeyanthi Ghatraju and Artistic Director Sripriya Natarajan Moorthy, who worked closely with Mr. Muralidaran and Kavya. Together with senior mentors Roopa Modha, Shilpa Narayanan, Priyanka Joshi, Chitanya Gopu, Shruthi Lakshmi, they mentored a team of 60+ dancers and supporting actors to deliver a dazzling and unforgettable show which people are still talking about, delivering a high-caliber performance that set a new benchmark for Vision-Aid’s future events. Inspiring Keynote and Generous Giving Chief Guests Manorama Choudhury and Bhaskar Panigrahi delivered powerful keynote speeches, highlighting the importance of compassion and social responsibility. Reinforcing their commitment to Vision-Aid’s mission, the couple generously supports the new Manorama Choudhury Nayan Jyoti Vision-Aid Center for Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI) Center for children in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, in collaboration with the L.V. Prasad Eye Institute. A generous anonymous donor couple further energized the evening by announcing a matching grant for Vision-Aid’s SATHI initiative (Smart Assistive Technology for Holistic Inclusion). Donations toward this program will be matched dollar-for-dollar until Monday, August 4, at www.VisionAid.org. Sponsors and Community Support Over 200 sponsors provided vital backing, helping Vision-Aid sustain and expand its mission. With operations in 75 locations across India, Vision-Aid aims to serve over 80,000 visually impaired individuals in the coming year. The collective support of sponsors and donors reaffirms the community’s commitment to inclusive empowerment. Behind the Scenes: Flawless Execution Outside the auditorium, volunteers managed staggering logistics - welcoming guests, coordinating check-ins, and providing refreshments. More than 125 dancers and volunteers contributed behind the scenes, ensuring the event’s smooth and memorable execution. 2025 Youth Ambassador Awards Vision-Aid honored the following individuals for their outstanding volunteer service and advocacy for the visually impaired: Jeyanthi Ghatraju, Roopa Modha, Aditi Wadhwa, Kavya Krishnan, Shilpa Narayanan, Aarna Mahadevan, Tanmayee Patil, Prateeksha Nidasesi, Ashvitha Eyalarasan Special Acknowledgments Performing Cast and Props Team Vision-Aid extended heartfelt thanks to the full cast of dancers and the dedicated props team, including parents and volunteers. Thanks to the entire A Team of Dancers & Performers: The Photo Collage has their names too :Aanya Challuri, Aarni Mahadevan, Aditi Wadhwa, Akshadha Ghantasala, Akshaya Anand, Akshaya Mavalur, Akshita Koganti, Amal Balachundhar, Ananya Kumar, Anika Nambiar, Anjali Kannan, Anoushka Nair, Aretha Aravind, Archana , Ashvitha Eyalarasan, Austin Roy, Avantika Nair, Brahmani Tatikonda, Chitanya Gopu, Dhanush , Dhruv Koganti, Dhruthi Kondamareddy, Divyanjali Shivashok, Druthi Choudavarapu, Govardhan , Isha Dwivedi, Jahnavi Wadwani, Janhavi Sripall, Jayaveera Pandian, Kavya Krishnan, Maanya Shettigar, Maedha Naluvala, Mahi Kulkarni, Manuel Jenkin Jerome, Namadevan , Nandita Nair, Nikita Gajaria, Nirupama Bhatt, Nishka , Nora Reddy, Ojo Joshi, Praksitha Rajasekaran, Prateeksha Nidasesi, Preetika Guntireddygari, Priyanka Joshi, Reeya Wadhwani, Risheth , Roopa Modha, Sathish Kumar, Sheethal Udupa, Shruthi Lakshmi Narayan, Shilpa Narayanan, Tanmayee Patil, Thivya Sivarajah, Vaidehi Moorthy, Vanshika Kukunoor, Vinodh Kumar, Yashi Dwivedi Amazing Props Team Led by so many dancer moms and dads - Rajani Rondla Reddy, Ramya Patil, Preetika Guntireddygari, , Saritha Tummalapalli, Pallavi Guddeti, Rajani Guntireddygari, Vanshika Kukunoor, Srinivas Kukunoor, Tanmayee Patil, Prateeksha Nidasesi, Aanya Challuri Culinary Partners and Media Special thanks to Gourmet India and Tashan (Vishal Sood & Yogi Sood) for providing delicious snacks and meals. Vision-Aid also acknowledged its media partners: India New England News, Lokvani, IACNE - Indian American community Of new England and IAL – Indian Americans of Lexington, for their continued support in publicity and outreach. Volunteer Team Vision-Aid deeply appreciates its tireless volunteer team, whose collective efforts made the event possible. Syed Ali Rizvi, Andrew Russo, Anurag Wakhlu, Aparna Raghuram, Asrah Rizvi, Deeba Husain, Deven Atnoor, Hiral Desai Wakhlu, @Itesh Shah, Kamakshi Viswanadha, Kanth Ghatraju, Krishna Pathak, Krish Velmurugan, Lalit Sudan, Loubaina Buxamusa, Manoj Soundar, Mayuri Shah, Monika Manocha Wadhwa , Nalini Rangaswamy, Namadevan, Nara Narayanan, Neeti Bharatan, Padma Reddy, Pragati, Ram Raju, Ram Reddy, Ramkumar Ramamirtham, Ramya Ramakrishna, Ravi Rastogi, Reena Dass, Revathy Ramakrishna, Rishika Makkena, Rukmini Gowda, Sabera Shah, Sanjana, Sanjay Kudrimoti, @Sarayu Gadam, Sathish Kumar, Shilpa Atnoor, Shlok Kudrimoti, Soham Makkena, Sonal Bakre, Srivatsan Sathyamurthy, Sulochana R Devadas, Sushma Sriram, Sunitha Mosurkal, Ujwala Phene, Vasudha Kudrimoti, Veena Handa, Vimal Mannava Vision-Aid Leadership Board of Advisors: Board of Directors: Council of Ambassadors: Note: Any unintentional omissions are deeply regretted. Everyone who contributed has Vision-Aid’s heartfelt gratitude. For more information or to support Vision-Aid's initiatives, visit www.visionaid.org.
Sarayu Gadam, Bharatnatyam student of Jeyanthi Ghatraju, was honored with the US President’s Volunteer Service Award - Gold for her exceptional advocacy of the visually impaired.
Puran Dang (Chairman Emeritus), Veena Handa (Vice-Chair), Ram Gupta, Ashok Khanna, Dr. Sanjay Arora, Cynthia Asmus, Dr. Loubaina Buxamusa, Dr. Yogeshwar Dayal, Dr. Neelam Sihag, Dr. Deeba Husain, Dr. Amy Mehta, Vijay Narang, Dr. Suraja Menon Roychowdhury, Dr. Sabera Shah, Dr. Santosh Vempala
Lalit Sudan (President), Ramakrishna (Ram) Raju (Founder & Executive Director), Revathy Ramakrishna (Co-Founder & Vice President), Sudhir Varma (Treasurer), Ujwala Phene (Asst. Treasurer), Syed Ali Rizvi (Past President), Sonal Bakre, Dr. Arathy Kartha, Dr. Sanjay Kudrimoti, Dr. Aparna Raghuram, Dr. Ramkumar Ramamirtham, Ravi Rastogi, Dr. Sundar Subramanyam, Dr. Jaya Vatsyayan, Hiral Desai Wakhlu
Jeyanthi Ghatraju, Sarika Gopalakrishnan, Sandhya Subramaniam, Revathi Pillai, Dr. Monika Manocha Wadhwa
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