Movies / Music / Culture
Enjoy South Asian Arts in the US
You asked. We listened.
Austin Arts and Drama Initiative (AADI) is a local, non-profit organization that promotes South Asian art, culture, and entertainment. Started by 10 friends in 2014 in Austin, Texas, AADI has put on dozens of events throughout the city including concerts, movie screenings, and book readings.
What we do.
AADI was the first organization to bring a Pakistani film to a local theater. Our first film — Bin Roye starring Mahira Khan — drew in a huge crowd resulting in a full house. Subsequent movies included Shah, a Pakistani sports biopic on the life of boxer Hussain Shah, Jawani Phir Nahi Ani (I & II), Laal Kabootar, and Main Punjab Nahin Jaungi.
AADI’s largest concert occurred in 2018 — Austin Desi Limits. Hosted at Dougherty Arts Center, it featured both Pakistani and Indian musical groups. Prior to that, AADI had collaborated with Pakistani artists during SXSW and South Asian musicians hosted by South Asia Institute and the Butler School of Music at The University of Texas at Austin.
AADI’s most recent literary event, the Reading Room, was launched during the Coronavirus pandemic. A virtual reading club hosted on Zoom, the Reading Room encourages South Asian women to broaden their horizon by exploring short stories and articles across genres and geographic boundaries.