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Video games have become one of the most powerful storytelling mediums of our time. From narrative-driven indie games to expansive open-world franchises, interactive storytelling now rivals film and television in both audience reach and cultural impact.
For South Asian creators, gaming presents a unique opportunity to build immersive worlds rooted in culture, mythology, and diaspora experiences — while reaching global audiences across platforms. This panel brings together game developers, narrative designers, and producers to explore how storytelling translates into interactive environments, what publishers are looking for, and how creators can move from film or television into game development.
Moderator: Anjali Bhimani, Actor
PANELISTS:
- Zehra Fazal, Actor
- Janina Gavankar, Actor and Narrative Consultant
- Nikhil Koparkar, Composer for Games, Television & Film
- Barathy Rangarajan, Ember Lab
Zehra Fazal
Actor
Zehra Fazal is an Indian/Pakistani-American actor and voice artist known for her work in video games and interactive storytelling. She has voiced characters across major titles, including Wonder Woman in Suicide Squad, Amara in Borderlands, and the announcer in Apex Legends, as well as roles in Halo, Destiny, God of War, Call of Duty, and League of Legends. With an extensive foundation in theatre, film, and television, Fazal brings versatility and emotional nuance to performances situated at the intersection of gameplay and narrative.
Janina Gavankar
Actor and Narrative Consultant
Janina Gavankar has enjoyed a successful acting career in Hollywood, but she is equally renowned as a musician, filmmaker, and hardcore gamer. Her work at the intersection of Hollywood and gaming has made her one of the most recognizable South Asian faces in AAA titles. She starred in Star Wars: Battlefront II, delivering one of the highest-profile lead performances in video game history. While she has featured in major franchises like Far Cry, God of War, and Alan Wake, Janina considers her behind-the-scenes work as a narrative consultant for various studios her most significant contribution to the industry.
Nikhil Koparkar
Composer for Games, Television & Film
Nikhil Koparkar is a composer for games, film, and television, and one of the few South Asian composers working across all three mediums in Hollywood. He has collaborated with Riot Games on multiple projects, including composing
the official theme for the League of Legends Lunar New Year campaign. He is currently scoring The Magical Rejects, the debut title from Cursed Magic, a studio founded by ex-Riot Games developers. His additional credits span 15 PC and mobile titles, including Disney’s Emoji Blitz and Clicker Heroes 2. Outside gaming, he has written music for shows such as Amazon’s The Wheel of Time and HBO’s His Dark Materials.
Barathy Rangarajan
Senior Tools Engineer, Ember Lab
Barathy Rangarajan has over a decade of experience building creative tools for animation and video games. Her work helps artists shape characters and immersive worlds through efficient systems and workflows. Currently at Ember Lab, she develops core tools and drives the cinematic pipeline for the upcoming Kena: Scars of Kosmora. Previously, her work at DreamWorks Animation was credited on films including How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Abominable, and Trolls: World Tour. Barathy also co-founded SAVA (South Asians in Visual Arts), supporting a community of creatives to expand representation across the industry.
MODERATOR:
Anjali Bhimani
Actor
Award-winning actor Anjali Bhimani boasts a prolific career across Broadway, film, television, and gaming. Globally renowned for her voice work, she is best known as Symmetra in Overwatch, Rampart in Apex Legends, and Medusa in the Grammy-nominated Stray Gods. Recent highlights include roles in Avowed, Sunderfolk, and as Priya Zhaveri in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. A mainstay in tabletop RPGs, she has appeared in Critical Role and Dimension 20, and co-executive produced the South Asian-led series DesiQuest via her company, Bad Auntie Entertainment. Her charity event, The Puppy Roll, has raised over $60,000 for animal rescue, earning her Anthem Awards recognition. Onscreen, Bhimani starred in Ms. Marvel and Dead to Me, while her Broadway credits include Metamorphoses. A Games for Change Global Ambassador and bestselling author of I Am Fun Size, and So Are YOU!, she also co-hosts the Character Select podcast.
