Anirudh (Ani) Balan, Founder / President
Ani is a South Asian, multilingual actor, writer & producer based in New York City whose work spans television, film, and theater. He is the founder of The Preserve Theater, a non-profit created to champion character-driven storytelling that centers our shared humanity above all else . As a playwright, his first work, Fault Lines, explores AI-driven isolation & the fragile, sometimes misunderstood nature of generational relationships. Its recent theatrical reading in NYC, received an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response, with audiences describing it as “engaging,” “emotional," & “unique,” praising its subtle moments, organic character evolution, and surprising sci-fi elements.
His upcoming screen credits include Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed (Apple TV), Unaccustomed Earth (Netflix), The Beauty (FX) & FBI (CBS). His film work includes the seriocomic indie film Fool’s Gold, which is currently enjoying a successful film festival circuit. The film was praised by director Bob Giraldi for his nuanced emotional performance as Anu Dasari, a sculptor chasing ambition and self-worth.
Ani's acting roots trace back to 2007, Manipal, India, where he debuted as the morally ambiguous Amyas Crale in Agatha Christie’s Go Back to Murder. He went on to perform in crowd pleaser comedies, including Lie, Cheat & Genuflect, What the Bellhop Saw, & Confessions of a Dirty Blonde, all staged before audiences of 700+ people. He also performed street plays, using satire and direct engagement to raise awareness on social issues.
In New York, his stage credits include Sad Magic Sins at the New York Theater Festival and By the People for the People at the Blank Page Theater Festival, as well as understudy work in the acclaimed Off-Broadway production This Much I Know.
Ani trained in Manipal, Bengaluru, and in New York City at The Barrow Group & the New York Film Academy, though his primary artistic grounding comes from his time at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting.
Fluent in Hindi and English, and shaped equally by Indian and American cinema, Ani cites Javier Bardem, Irrfan Khan, Emma Thompson, Olivia Colman & Kamal Haasan as key artistic inspirations.
Michael Doe
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