Tutors

Varun Parikh

Director

Varun Parikh is a musician-turned-audio engineer who was instrumental in bringing the globally renowned Abbey Road Institute to Mumbai. As Director of the institute, he oversees programme delivery and mentors emerging talent, ensuring that our students benefit from an academic environment aligned to the highest global standards.

His musical journey began on stage, performing with college bands across Mumbai and Pune in the late 2000s. Although he initially pursued chartered accountancy, it was while studying filmmaking that he discovered his true calling in sound. He went on to complete a diploma in sound engineering and gained hands-on experience at studios around Mumbai, before embarking on a varied career as both a studio engineer and freelancer.

Over the past decade, Varun has collaborated with leading Indian and international artists including Karsh Kale, Sa Dingding, Warren Mendonsa, Benny Dayal, Apeksha Dandekar, Vir Das, Ankur Tiwari, Divine, MC Altaf, KSHMR and a wide range of independent across a diverse range of genres. Beyond working with artists, he has contributed to over 2,000 commercial projects in roles such as recording engineer, sound designer, post-production engineer, re-recording mixer, dialogue editor, Foley editor, ADR engineer, mastering engineer and music supervisor.

In 2020, Varun founded Bay Owl Studios with two purpose-built rooms dedicated to recording and audio post-production. Under his leadership, despite opening only a month before the Covid-19 lockdowns, the facility has expanded to five multipurpose studios, establishing a reputation as a centre of excellence for audio recording, production and artist collaboration.

Varun earned industry recognition for his work in 2024; when he received the Indian Recording Arts Academy (IRAA) Award for Best Song Mix (Electronic), and also when another mix of his won Best Rock Song (Original) at the Cannes World Film Festival Awards in France.

Today, Varun brings that same passion for sonic excellence and hands-on expertise to shaping India’s next generation of audio professionals as the Director of Abbey Road Institute Mumbai.

Puneet Samtani

Head Lecturer

Puneet Samtani is an accomplished sound engineer, music producer, sound designer, and educator with over 18 years of diverse experience in the sound and music industry.

As Head Lecturer at Abbey Road Institute Mumbai, Puneet will oversee the day-to-day academic operations, delivery of lectures, mentoring of students, conducting assessments and examinations, and ensuring that the continued curriculum delivery from other faculty meets the global standards. He strives to develop the skills needed by students to thrive in real-world scenarios, while fostering their personal growth and professional discipline. His strong profile within the audio industry will allow for facilitation of top industry workshops and mentorship programmes, as well as strong student placement support.

Alongside his role at the institute, Puneet continues to his foray into the world of commercial audio work, and his expertise spans across recording, mixing, editing, and producing music for feature films, music albums, OTT series, radio, and television commercials.
He has contributed to the background scores of more than 15 feature films, including Rockstar, Ishaqzaade, Shaitaan, Tashan, Dawaat-e-Ishq, and Bhool Bhulaiyaa, and has recorded music for globally acclaimed films such as Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, Delhi-6, and No One Killed Jessica. Puneet has collaborated with industry legends such as Ranjit Barot, A.R. Rahman, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Taufiq Qureshi, Mikey McCleary, George Brooks, and Vijay Prakash.

He was instrumental in creating and editing music for high-profile international events, including the 2010 Commonwealth Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies and the 2018 Hockey World Cup Opening Ceremony in Odisha for composer Ranjit Barot. In the world of streaming and contemporary entertainment, Puneet recently served as Sound Designer for The Greatest Rivalry – India Vs Pakistan, and as Music Editor for IC814: The Kandahar Hijack, both Netflix Originals.

Ashyar Balsara

Lecturer & Recording and Mixing Engineer

Ashyar Balsara is a Mastering & Mixing Engineer who graduated from Abbey Road Institute London in 2017. Shortly after, he joined Island City Studios in Mumbai as an engineer. He became part of the team even before the studio was fully operational, contributing significantly to the final stages of construction and the setup of all audio equipment. He also helped train assistant engineers — an experience he describes as deeply enriching.

Today, apart from teaching at Abbey Road Institute Mumbai, Ashyar primarily focuses on mastering and mixing. His portfolio spans a wide range of projects, including Netflix true crime documentaries like Indian Predator, wildlife films, BBC Radio 4 audio dramas such as The Jungle Book, commercial Bollywood productions, independent music, movie background scores, podcasts, and audiobooks. The diversity of projects continues to inspire Ashyar in his day-to-day work. He looks forward to delivering exceptional studio experiences for artists and clients, while actively working to refine and improve studio systems and workflows.

Richard Francis

Lecturer, Mix Engineer

Richard Francis is an audio engineer and lecturer at Abbey Road Institute Mumbai. With over 20 years of hands-on studio experience, Richard brings deep industry knowledge and a practical, no-nonsense approach to both his engineering work and his teaching. Having started his career in 2003, he spent a decade honing his craft as an assistant engineer, learning the ropes entirely on the job in professional studio environments.

Richard’s career is defined by versatility. He has worked across a wide spectrum of audio projects, particularly excelling as a mixing engineer. His credits include collaborations with respected artists such as Louie Banks, Rajat Dholakia, Roy Venkatram, Bobby Duggal, and Zubin Balaporia, among others. Richard’s strength lies in his ability to adapt to a wide range of styles and workflows, an approach he sums up simply: “Variety is the spice of life.”

Today, Richard continues to work on diverse audio projects while also teaching modules in the programmes at Abbey Road Institute Mumbai. His extensive real-world experience allows him to provide students with a grounded and highly practical understanding of studio practices and working with clients.
Whether in the control room or the classroom, Richard’s passion for sound and dedication to craftsmanship make him a valued mentor for the next generation of audio professionals.

Mujeeb Dadarkar

Lecturer, Live Sound Engineer

A qualified Electronics Engineer, Mujeeb Dadarkar has had varied experience as an independent consultant in a variety of fields including Sound Engineering, Studio Design, Computer Hardware, Live Sound Engineering and Systems Integration. He has been a recording engineer and technical consultant to the Audio/ Video industry since 1983. In addition, he has designed and custom built various electronic equipment for specific application in the field.

Mujeeb has had extensive experience as an Acoustical and Technical consultant for a number of studios and performance halls involving design and equipment & systems specifications.

His experience as a sound engineer has spanned numerous documentary, advertising and feature film projects. In addition, he has extensive Live sound experience for world class artistes like Ustad Zakir Hussein for whom Mujeeb has worked as FOH engineer on concert tours like “Masters of Percussion” as well as several other concerts.

In addition to working as an Acoustical and Systems/ Technical Consultant and Sound Engineer, he is also visiting faculty for Sound Engineering at a leading institute for technical services education.

Raghav Meattle

Lecturer

Raghav is an acclaimed singer-songwriter, music entrepreneur, and creative visionary whose work bridges the worlds of artistry and the music business. His music has resonated with audiences far and wide, from intimate live venues across India to the screens of popular OTT shows and films, including Farzi and Rafta Rafta. His ability to amplify storytelling through sound has made him a sought-after collaborator in the entertainment industry.

Beyond his work as an artist, Raghav is also the founder of first.wav, a music company run by artists for artists. He previously spearheaded Big Bang Music (Records) India, and established them as a powerhouse in the Indian music landscape. Today, through his role and platform at first.wav, and his broader work as a music business executive, he helps shape new opportunities and build stronger creative communities within India’s independent music scene.

At Abbey Road Institute Mumbai, Raghav will teach the Music Business & Management curriculum, bringing his unique perspective to help our students understanding the evolving landscape of the modern music business in India.