Gautami “Shankul” Lohakare is a filmmaker and storyteller currently studying Cinematic Arts and Chemistry at Duke University. She loves working at the intersection of creativity and strategy, with experience in directing, editing, and production management. While Shankul likes to direct and edit short-form promotional content the most, she is also skilled in social media, photography, and graphic design, giving her a wide toolkit for bringing projects to life.

She has worked as a production intern at SixTwentySix Productions in Los Angeles, where she supported the team on sets for music videos and commercials with clients like Priceline, AMEX, and LesserEvil. At Duke Chapel Media, she produces multimedia content ranging from weekly broadcast edits to social media campaigns and live event coverage. On campus, she’s an active member of Duke Freewater Productions, Duke’s student-run film company, where she has worn many hats, including director, editor, cinematographer, and assistant director, on short films and music videos.

Beyond film, Shankul is the dance captain for Duke’s South Asian dance team Ishq, and a lover of Bollywood, cooking, and fashion design.