Bio
Anika Chowdhury grew up in a Bengali-American immigrant household in Queens. English was her second language, but she took refuge in books, music, and television shows like Mister Rogers' Neighborhood to help her learn English and develop socioemotional tools. She also loved watching Hindi films, and she would often try to match Hrithik Roshan's dance moves. From a young age, she knew she wanted to be a part of stories that could be as impactful for others.
She earned her Bachelor's degree in Media Studies from Queens College with a minor in Business and Liberal Arts. She uses her media degree and background in performance to create and produce content that tackles inequity through impactful storytelling in multiple mediums like theater, audio, film, and television.
During college, she started her career as a freelance model. She photographed for multiple brands, including Make Up Forever Academy and FUBU. This led to her being cast in a few commercials and television shows, including locking eyes with Ravi Gavron in FX's The Godfather of Harlem and looking very stoic in ABC's Quantico.
As a Community Liaison & Producer at Time Television, a Bengali media company, she had the opportunity to wear many hats. She created and co-hosted a live 30-minute bilingual program with immigration lawyer Sumaiya Khalique to create more literacy and awareness around hot-topic immigration issues like visas, asylum status, and more for the Bangladeshi-American community. She also created a new media kit, which helped her forge connections with new advertising clients, like New York City agencies, who could now reach Bengali audiences for important services.
Currently, Anika works for DreamWorks Animation Television on the critically acclaimed pre-school live action/animated show Gabby's Dollhouse, which airs on Nick Jr. and streams on Netflix. The show has garnered record breaking views, making it one of the most popular original children's shows on Netflix. Anika started out coordinating the live action production and providing creative notes to every department. She has since moved into managing scripts and voice over records, and she has written her first episode for the show, which is slated to air in 2024.
In her free time, Anika loves to cook, write, binge-watch the latest shows, and play with her golden retriever, Clover. She is always looking for new projects to work on, and with her passion for storytelling, she is committed to using her skills to make a difference in the world.