Born and educated in India, Richa Ahuja Badam is an accomplished performer whose artistic journey spans theater, film, television, and arts education across multiple continents. Her artistic foundation began at age five under the guidance of her mother, Sushmaa Roshan Ahuja, an Indian Kathak classical dancer, singer, playwright, actor, and director. After high school, she trained in Stanislavski's method acting under the renowned Ebrahim Alkazi, known as the "father of Indian theater" and founder of India's first theater training institute in New Delhi, the prestigious National School of Drama. Under his direction, Richa performed in Hindi productions of classic works including Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters, and Mahesh Elkunchwar's Viraasat Parts I and II, as well as worked on Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, and Euripides’ Greek tragedy Medea.

Her screen career launched with M. Night Shyamalan's Praying with Anger (1992), establishing her presence in international cinema. She went on to build a diverse portfolio in Indian cinema, starring in Hindi films like Ziddi (1997) and Tamil productions including Uyirodu Uyiraga (1998) opposite Ajith Kumar and Mani Ratnam’s Dumm Dumm Dumm (2001). Her global reach expanded further with a leading role as Indra Hamsa in the French production Le Mystère Parasuram (2000) and 30 performances of Girish Karnad’s Hayavadana as Padmini. Her television career features prominent roles in long-running series such as Shanti and Parampara. Her Bollywood recognition grew even further in her widely recognized video jockey role in Plus Channel's Mirch Masala in the early 90’s, working alongside industry luminaries Chiranjeevi and Nagarjuna.

Richa’s command of Hindi, Tamil, English, and French enabled her to move seamlessly between different performance mediums and cultural contexts, establishing herself as both a voice artist and stage performer across multiple languages and cultural genres.

In recent years, Richa has invested her extensive experience into nurturing the next generation of performing artists. As the founder and director of Ojai's Oak Grove School Theater Program in 2018, she successfully mounted six major productions, including Fiddler on the Roof, Matilda, Sound of Music, Shrek, Mary Poppins, and A Peasant of El Salvador, working with casts of 50 or more young performers. She recently directed Hadestown Teen, which was performed at Matilija Auditorium June 27-29, 2025.

Through her ongoing dedication to arts education and a career spanning multiple performance disciplines, Richa continues to be a dynamic artistic force, bridging cultures and inspiring a new generation of artists. She is currently developing an arts education program that is diverse, inclusive, and accessible. Alongside her artistic career, Richa cultivated contemplative practices that deepened both her performances and her capacity to guide others through transformative experiences.