Portrait of Banda Shiva Teja

Banda Shiva Teja

XR Designer/Developer — An Unreal Guy in a Real World

About

My work explores immersive storytelling, interactive media, and the evolving language of spatial narratives. With a focus on 6DoF cinematic experiences, I merge design and real-time technology to craft XR pieces that communicate with presence and agency. My latest project, Into the Manhole, continues a practice that treats VR as both an artistic and experiential medium.

Featured Project

Into the Manhole

“Compelled by the exigencies of poor economic life and caste identity, Amitabh, a young law graduate, becomes a manual scavenger. One day, to earn some extra money to support his family, he decides to get inside a large, unsafe sewer to clear a blockage. He has neither protective gear nor an accompanying engineer to check for poisonous gases. Will Amitabh come out safely?”

A 6DoF VR narrative built in Unreal Engine, as part of a broader effort to raise awareness about the dangers of manual scavenging in India.

Awards

🏆 FICCI BAF Award 2025 — Best XR Short Film for Into the Manhole

Experience

XR Designer/Developer — IMXD Lab, IIT Bombay
Aug 2024 — Present
Cinematic XR research & prototyping; interaction design for presence-driven experiences.
Technical Director — Into the Manhole
Feb 2024 — Mar 2025
6DoF VR narrative production in Unreal Engine; spatial narrative design & real-time pipeline.
Research Intern — IIT Bombay
Jan 2024 — July 2024
Research Topic: Grammar of Real-time Storytelling in Virtual Reality.

Education

B.A. Multimedia & Gaming — Amity University Mumbai
Aug 2021 — Jun 2024
Gold Medalist (CGPA 9.65).
Intermediate — Government Junior College, Peddapalli
Jul 2019 — May 2021
Computer Graphics & Animation.

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