Rudaba

ACTOR | SINGER | WRITER | HUMANITARIAN | GLOBETROTTER

Welcome to my website. I appreciate your interest in my work.

I am a multilingual and classically-trained Punjabi-American actor, singer, writer, and humanitarian based in Manhattan.

Growing up in Lahore, I spent many evenings after school with my parents and brother watching old Hollywood and Western films and British TV shows. I found myself falling in love with (and often imitating) characters I saw on screen. From an early age, I knew that I wanted to be an actress, a storyteller, to always express the truth of how I feel, and to touch other people's hearts and improve their lives. It is in this spirit I have dedicated my life to being an artist and humanitarian.

I have several U.S. and international film, TV, and theatre credits to my name, spanning the last 20+ years. My recent career highlights include my Off-Off Broadway performance in Shakespeare's Measure for Measure and acting in an award-winning film, The Foreign Patriot, which screened in NYC, Hollywood, and internationally. I recently co-wrote and acted in a play, Family and Other Fractured Fairytales, produced by the Kennedy Center. We received rave reviews and standing ovations! I am a conservatory-trained actor and I'm also engaged in ongoing acting, voice, speech, and movement training, including at the Ivana Chubbuck Studio.

In Pakistan, I was a series lead on Kabhi Na Kabhi (Someday), one of the most ground-breaking TV shows in the country. I was also part of an English-language theatre movement that adapted Broadway productions for local audiences. I played lead roles in productions such as Bombay Dreams, The Phantom of the Opera, and West Side Story. I also played lead roles in several films.

In addition to my passion for acting, I am a globetrotter (nearly 40 countries and counting), I love plants and pets, and I enjoy fashion, beauty, and home decor. I am also a humanitarian focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. I'm engaged in global projects to advocate for women, LGBTQIA+ people, and persons with disabilities. I stand for equitable access to child care, elderly care, and mental health care and well-being.

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Home: Welcome

Upcoming & Past Events

Catch me on stage in Manhattan’s Theater District on March 27, 28 & 29 in OUT/PLAY MIXTAPE, an evening of contemporary scenes by queer playwrights that may have been overlooked or forgotten.

Art = resistance in these troubling times.

GET OUT/PLAY TICKETS

Excited to perform in this original, full-length, Off-Off Broadway production of Talk of the Town, by Emmy-award winning writer Mike Bencivenga. Contact me below to RSVP.

There's no place I'd rather be than ON SET! The Train I'm On is entering the festival circuit soon!

Excited to perform in this original, full-length, Off-Off Broadway production of Zero Sum Game by Matt de Ganon. Contact me below to RSVP.

Catch me in my dream role as Cleopatra in Shakespeare's Antony & Cleopatra. Contact me below for more information.

Thrilled to perform in Resident Acting Company's Off-Off Broadway production of Shakespeare's Measure for Measure

Read Broadway World article

Click to watch my UN speech on care

The Foreign Patriot premiered in New York City and won awards for Best Film and for Best Acting. The film has since screened at the Bushwick Film Festival, the Academy's Linwood Dunn Theatre in Hollywood, and internationally!

Click to watch my UN speech on care

At the 00:39:00 mark, watch me perform an original piece I wrote on expansive love, the joys of heartbreak, the nuances in our skin colors, loving ourselves, and letting go.

Family & Other Fractured Fairytales, a show that I co-wrote and performed, was produced by Theatre Prometheus and the Kennedy Center and received standing ovations and critical acclaim!