Mission Statement
-Promote and help keep our culture alive
-Bring people of the sub-continent together under one roof
-Operate the theater group as a non-profit organization
-Provide a platform for artists of all ages to showcase their talent
-Provide affordable and wholesome entertainment for the entire family
About Us
Our Story
Hamid Daudani & Group has kept the Southeast Asian culture alive through its theatrical productions for for over three decades now. The Group was founded in 1991 by a few enthusiastic artists as a not-for-profit organization to serve the San Diego community, and that remains the goal for the years to come.
The group was founded by a core group of artists like Hamid Daudani, Nipul Shah, and Tushar Shah in 1991. Laila Daudani, Anita Daudani Bhakta Yamini Patel and Nadira Javaid became the backbone of the group right from the beginning and stayed committed for all these years. There were a few other artists like Bharat Shah, Alka Shah, Manoj Maniar, Sonal Sheth, Yogini Shah, etc. who contributed heavily to this new adventure for a number of years. They could not devote their time consistently due to other commitments. Some other members like Kamla Singh, Dolly Bakshai, Sameera Khan, etc. joined in and stayed with the group for a considerable length of time and moved away due to some personal reasons. Thankfully they were replaced by Mamta Malhotra, Zainab Ansari, Anuradha Atri, etc.
One of our founding members, Nipul Shah passed away in July 2017. Year after year, he was taking charge of set design, set construction and the technical aspects of production. Each year, Nipul and Hamid would meet and agree upon a basic blueprint of the plan and then Nipul would take ownership of the technical project and convert dreams into reality.
Laila Daudani, also one of the founding members of our group passed away in June 2018. This totally committed artist coordinated productions of all the plays and performed a variety of production tasks year after year.
We all miss them both immensely. They will always remain in our memories.
The group has earned a tremendous amount of respect from the local community and boasts of over sixty percent of repeat audience, year after year. It has also been praised for showcasing stories that appeal to a diverse audience. Wholesome entertainment for the entire family, quality productions, first class venues, timely presentations, and minute attention to all details have become trademarks for this art forum. The group commands the highest attendance in paid performances and has become an institution and a tradition in San Diego. So far close to 1000 artists have participated in Group’s productions.
MEET OUR STARS
HAMID DAUDANI
FOUNDING MEMBER, WRITER, DIRECTOR
Hamid has been writing, producing and directing plays throughout the years, as well as supporting all aspects of production. He has also acted in some of the plays and steered the group to maintain the highest quality of standards in presentation.
ANURADHA ATRI
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Anuradha, joined our group in the year 2014 to provide backstage management support. Eventually she took over the position and title of the Production Manager. She is a detail-oriented person and believes in excellence. She takes over many tasks beyond her job description.
YAMINI PATEL
STAGE MANAGER
Yamini has been with the Group since its inception, year after year meticulously managing stage and taking care of set changes during the play. It is her responsibility that each artist is well prepared before each scene with his/her set of props
MAMTA MALHOTRA
COSTUME DESIGNER
Mamta has been our Costume Consultant since 2001. Our audience has often remarked on how close to real life our characters look, and all that has been made possible by Mamta’s connoisseurship.
ZAINAB ANSARI
MAKEUP ARTIST
Zainab, a professional beautician has been our makeup artist Since 2011. She prepares each actor, perfectly, to reflect the character he/she is playing on the stage.
ANITA DAUDANI BHAKTA
PROGRAM BOOKLET EDITOR
Anita has designed most of the Annual Play booklets, which have remained the best memories of the play for the artists and the audience
RAYHAN DAUDANI
MULTI-TASK PRODUCTION SUPPORT
Rayhan is with the group since its inception. He has been performing variety of tasks including editing promotional material, providing tech support, creating video clips, emceeing the show, etc. Even not being in San Diego, he helps the production every year as needed.
BHARAT SHAH
LIGHTING ENGINEER
Bharat Shah has been taking care of the Lights department off and on for over 13 years now. He is always there to contribute when in town and available.
TUSHAR SHAH
FOUNDING MEMBER/ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Tushar Shah, the third founding member and an excellent artist, has acted in a number of plays. He has also performed the role of Assistant Producer/Director and has supported a few other aspects of production.
NADIRA JAVAID
MARKETING MANAGER
Nadira joined the group since its inception and actively promoted our plays and marketed our ticket sales. She is now retired from the group.
DOLLY BAKSHAI
MAKE-UP ARTIST
Dolly provided 11 years of invaluable makeup services for our plays. She reluctantly resigned in 2010 because of personal reasons
SAMEERA KHAN
STAGE MANAGER
Sameera was a big part of the backstage management team for over 10 years before she retired for personal reasons. She provided seamless services to bring out the best for the stage.
ALKA SHAH
CHOREOGRAPHER
Alka has choreographed dances for the plays for over 10 years. With the shortage of time and her other commitments, she has not been able to contribute for the last few years
YOGINI SHAH
ACTOR, PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
Yogini has provided 10 years of service in various areas of production. She has supported our group as a fine artist and choreographer.
IN OUR HEARTS FOREVER
LAILA DAUDANI
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
Laila Daudani, one of the founding members and backbone of our group since its inception, passed away in June 2018. This totally committed artist coordinated productions of all the plays and performed a variety of production tasks year after year.
She will always remain in our memories as our brightest star. We all miss her immensely.
NIPUL SHAH
FOUNDING MEMBER, TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Nipul Shah, one of our founding members , passed away in July 2017. He was totally committed to our group and contributed tremendous amount of technical expertise. He created a variety of amazing sets every year and used technology to its fullest.
We all miss him immensely . He will always remain in our memories.