About Katha Munch
Fostering cultural awareness, inclusion, and reflection within global communities through innovative storytelling.
First Indian Theater production platform in East Bay, San Francisco Bay Area
Katha Munch org is a registered, 501(c)(3) non profit in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. Based out of Dublin, CA, it is the first Indian theater production platform in East Bay, registered in 2024. We aim to drive cultural awareness, sensitivity, inclusion and reflection within global communities, mostly via innovative and entertaining theater productions. We strive to create content that resonates with our global audiences.
With an interesting pipeline of upcoming plays, Katha Munch is all set to make its mark. Katha Munch has successfully completed four productions thus far— The Legend of Kohinoor (performed in Sept, 2025) Akbar Birbal (performed in Feb, 2024), Indian MatchMaking (performed in Nov, 2024) and Community Ram Leela (performed in 2022 and 2023).
Our Team
Spandana Akella
Co-founder & President
Spandana is an avid enthusiast of art, history, and culture, and an Indian classical dancer. With a deep passion for storytelling and promoting dying art forms, she co-founded Katha Munch. She is actively involved in their productions as a writer, producer, director, and creative advisor. Spandana has written several well-received plays, including Akbar Birbal, Indian Matchmaking, Community Ram Leela, and Husband on Hire (an adaptation of a Hindi play), each blending cultural richness with engaging, contemporary narratives.
Vimal Pannala
Co-founder & Treasurer
Driven by a strong passion for innovative storytelling, movies, arts, humanities, and history, Vimal brings a wealth of creativity to Katha Munch. With his years of professional experience in consulting, finance and thought leadership, he also brings a strong execution and strategic focus to our productions. A voracious reader and ardent writer, Vimal is currently adding to Katha Munch's diverse productions pipeline as a playwright. Co-founding Katha Munch, Vimal's vision is to deliver quality entertainment through Indianized content that resonates with global, immigrant communities.
Lalitha Nanduri
Creative Advisor
Lalitha is a trained Indian classical dancer (primarily focused on the Kuchipudi dance tradition), and an IT professional. She is an active performing artist and a choreographer, as well as artistic director, and has performed in several theater, dance and dance ballet productions. She has been an integral part of establishing Katha Munch, and has been the artistic director of its debut stage production, 'Akbar Birbal'.
Kasturi Karle
Visual Designer
With a background in theatre, literature, and graphic design, Kasturi Karle serves as a Visual Designer at Katha Munch Productions, where she blends storytelling with visual communication. She has designed posters and promotional materials for stage plays, created interactive video experiences that enhance live performances. Kasturi’s work bridges design and performance, while strengthening Katha Munch’s mission of connecting communities through art and culture.
Murali Krishnan
Board Member (Director)
With over 24 years of experience in the tech industry and a profound dedication to promoting Indian art and culture globally, Murali brings a wealth of knowledge, leadership, strategic thinking, and passion to the Board of Directors at Katha Munch. As a Director at Katha Munch, Murali aims to inspire positive societal change by uniting communities through our shared passion for stage plays and community development, fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment for cultural promotion.
Pavan Sura
Secretary
With over two decades of experience in the tech industry and a deep commitment to community service, Pavan brings a wealth of leadership experience to Katha Munch. He is dedicated to driving impactful results for the organization and its communities, prioritizing the cultivation of meaningful relationships, both personally and professionally, while fostering a collaborative culture. At Katha Munch, Pavan endeavors to inspire positive societal change by uniting communities through our shared passion for stage plays and community development.
Former team members:
Richa Pareekh
Creative Advisory Committee Member (2024)
Richa is a versatile artist, deeply passionate about art, music, and theater. She is also a trained singer and lifelong student of Hindustani classical music. In the past decade, Richa has performed in several theatrical productions in India and the US as an actor/vocalist, alongside working as a product and payments executive. Some of these include - 'HAL', 'Hayavadan', 'Ramayan', 'The Mousetrap', and her latest - Katha Munch's musical, 'Akbar Birbal'.