Christ University Alumni Network

Bruce Lee Mani is an alumnus of Christ University and started a rock band with his Christ bandmates ‘Thermal and A Quarter’ (TAAQ).

Christ University (Deemed-to-be University) is one of the top and sought-after private universities in India, offering undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral courses in humanities, sciences, social sciences, law, engineering etc. Christ University, founded in 1969, is a deemed university, with its main campus in Bengaluru, Karnataka. It is a UGC-recognised college and NAAC accredited college. The university has over 800 faculty members and intakes over 25,000 students every year. It offers undergraduate, postgraduate and research programs at each of its campuses.

Christ University has established alumni, who have made their marks in fields like Music, Television, Politics, Law, Administration, Management and Politics. 

Christ University boasts of the following most acclaimed alumni:

1. Vineet Vincent is one of the best beatboxers in India. He has been working in the field since 2008 and has done more than 600 shows. He is an alumnus of Christ University and Mrinalini Sarabhai’s famous Darpana Academy of Performing Arts in Ahmedabad. Christ University, under the guidance of Vineet, featured in the Limca Book of Records to create the largest human beatbox ensemble in an event ‘Can You Say Beat Box?’. 

2. MN Reddy is the Director-General of Police, Civil Defence, Fire and Emergency service and Home Guards in Karnataka. He is an alumnus of Christ University and then joined the National Police Academy. He won the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service. He is known for introducing digital-friendly communication between police and people through social media. He is credited for the Bangalore police's social media friendliness. 

3. Krishna Byre Gowda is an alumnus of Christ University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management. He completed his post-graduation from American University. He has been the Member of the Legislative Assembly in the Byatarayanapura Constituency, Bengaluru and the Minister of Rural Development, Law and Parliamentary Affairs. 

4. Ankur Betagri completed his Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology from Christ University, Bengaluru. He is a poet, fiction writer and visual artist and was featured as one of the top ten best writers of India. He is best known for Hulchul, which is a public arts and social activist platform used to reclaim public spaces through artistic expressions. The Madness of Being Human and The Bliss are some of his best works. 

5. Rime Kallingal pursued her graduation in Journalism from Christ University. She is an actress and TV anchor, one of the prominent faces in Malayalam and Tamil cinema. She made her acting debut in ‘Ritu’ and is a recipient of the Kerala State award for Best Actress. She has performed on national and international stages. She has also received training in martial arts. 

6. KM Chaitanya holds a journalism degree from Christ University. He is a film director, documentary maker and theatre person. ‘Aa dinagalu’ is one of his most successful works and he has bagged awards including the Filmfare Awards South for Best Director. He has won several awards like Best Debutant Director by the South India Cinematographer’s Association. 

7. Madhukeshwar Desai received his law degree from Christ University. He is a prominent face in politics and was appointed the Vice President of the Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha. He is the founder and CEO of the Mumbai Centre for International Arbitration. He has also been elected as the Vice President of the International Young Democrat Union. He started his political career with the BJP. 

8. Shruti Hariharan is an actress and producer. She has worked in Malayalam and Kannada films. She made her debut with ‘Cinema Company’. She is a trained Bharatnatyam dancer and has worked as a background dancer. She has been awarded the Filmfare award in the best actress category and Karnataka State Award for best actress. She graduated with a Business Management degree from Christ University. 

9. Bruce Lee Mani is the sole recipient of Rolling Stone Magazine ‘Guitar Player of the year' award twice. He is an alumnus of Christ University and started a rock band with his Christ bandmates ‘Thermal and A Quarter’ (TAAQ). He is the recipient of the Leon Ireland ‘Vocalist of the Year Award’. He opened a music school called ‘Taaqademy’ and started a campaign to make music education available to the underprivileged kids in Bengaluru.

About The Author

Mallika was born and raised in Delhi. She combined her love for psychology and corporate wonder, to pursue a career in People Operations.

Note: The views expressed in this article are solely the author’s own and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha.