Seema Rahmani

While her family background links to Pune, India, Seema was born and raised in Kuwait. Her father worked with an oil company and her mother as an English teacher in a Kuwaiti government high school. At age 15, she moved to the U.S., completed high school in Newark, New York, a Bachelor of Science with a minor in Mathematics at State University of New York at Fredonia, and an M.A. in Marketing-Advertising from Emerson College in Boston. She enjoyed a marketing-advertising and public relations corporate career for a few years before she started her acting career.In 1997, Seema left a PR corporate career in Los Angeles, California and joined theater, thus beginning her acting career. She soon landed stints in two television series - Alias for ABC and Roswell for Warner Brothers 2000–2001. Rahmani moved to India in 2003 to work with choice filmmakers in films such as Vinod Pande's true-story inspired Sins in 2005, where she was noticed for her range and fluency in exploring a character's vulnerability, Zee TV Films' Arjun Varma, and Missed Call by Mridul Toolsidas and Vinay Subrmanium, which was adjudged the Best International film at Israel's Red Sea International Film Festival. Rahmani's performance received accolades in the super-hit comedy film Loins of Punjab Presents in 2007, which won the Audience Award for best feature film at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. These films gave her recognition and drew the attention of independent filmmakers looking for an "effortlessly natural" actor and a "quintessential Indian face". In 2005, two years as an actor in the Indian film industry, and in the wake of a media sting operation that brought acts of incredulous unprofessionalism by Bollywood power-personalities to the forefront of media discussions and debates, Rahmani contributed to public awareness by authoring a politically incorrect but honest personal account of ungentlemanly behaviours she faced. The article was lauded and published by Outlook Magazine (10th anniversary edition) and The Times of India. Rahmani said she felt "a sense of responsibility to silence talks that denied compromising of ethics in what should be an artistic, safe, fair, and respectful environment for actors to work in." Her work between 2007 and 2012 as host of the super hit TV show on domestic, street, and wild animals -- titled Heavy Petting, airing on NDTV Good Times -- brought her recognition both as a television presenter and spokesperson for compassion towards animals and animal rights. Her show traveled the length and breath of India, eradicating culturally induced fears regarding animals, while educating and inspiring viewers to care for them. As a film actor, Rahmani again demonstrated her versatility in the critically acclaimed 2012 independent film Good Night Good Morning and in the lighthearted comedy Love Wrinkle-free. In 2013 Seema revisited the theater circuit after ten years, this time in Delhi, writing, directing, producing and acting. Her play Life Like Rainbow Grey -- sponsored by and premiering at The American Embassy in New Delhi in celebration of Women's International Day -- was very well received. Performing also in The Contemporary Arts Festival at The French Embassy, the play is a true to life account of Rahmani's experiences with children who were wards of the state of California, rescued from abusive homes and living in a Catholic church group home. The play, which includes doses of original poetry and song, delves into the subject of neglected and abused children, healthy parenting, and marriages. Rahmani went on to produce skits for children and co-wrote and directed several plays while in Delhi. As an author, her literary offerings include "The Journey of a Truth Seeker", a memoir; "Hold the Space of Truth", a spiritual self-help and healing handbook; "Seven Wonders, Short Stories for our Young and Older Young"; "One Wonders, Short Stories for our Youngins"; "Hone Your Craft", a compilation of her original monologues and skits; and "Life Like Rainbow Grey", a play. Her book of poetry "Euphoria, A Journey Unravels..." published through a Kolkata publishing house in 2003, was deeply appreciated by former president of India, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, as expressed in a personal letter to her, listing poetry he resonated with. She has produced the timeless music album "Rab Se...", a collection of carefully crafted, empowering, loving lullabies and songs in Hindi "for children and their adults" [released January 2016]. The album features revered and respected singers from India, namely, Rekha Bhardwaj, Roop Kumar Rathod, Suresh Wadkar, ghazal maestro Sudeep Banerjee, Aditi Paul, Dilip Shankar and herself. Its music and songs have been appreciated for their unique therapeutic effect on both children and adults. Rahmani hosted the 21st Annual World Travel Awards Asia and Australasia Ceremony in 2014, in India, an awards event called "The Oscars of the travel industry" by The Wall Street Journal.