From Bollywood to Ojai: Richa Badami and the Next Generation of Actors

Ojai: Talk of the Town · May 14, 2026 · 1h 8m

In this episode of Ojai Talk of the Town, Bret Bradigan sits down with Richa Badami — actor, director, and founder of the Living Theatre Academy of Dramatic Arts in Ojai — whose journey runs from the intensity of the Indian film and television industry to the intimate, exacting work of training young actors in a small but culturally ambitious town.

Badami’s career began in India, where she worked in film and television before turning her focus toward directing and teaching. That evolution — shaped by mentors, artistic rigor, and a search for deeper meaning — eventually led her to Ojai, where…