Wikipedia

Draft:AK Srikanth

AK Srikanth
Born
AK Srikanth

(1969-03-24) 24 March 1969 (age 57)
Madras, India
Alma materBITS Pilani, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland
OccupationsAuthor, Filmmaker
Years active2010–present
Websiteak-srikanth.com

AK Srikanth (born 24 March 1969) is an Indian author and filmmaker best known for his novel A Song for Eresha which was also adapted by him as a feature film starring Savitha Sastry. His work incorporates elements of classical Indian art forms into theme-based productions that are based on original narratives, as opposed to traditional, mythological or religious themes.[1] In a review published in The Tribune, his work was noted for drawing comparisons to the cinematic styles of Satyajit Ray and Balu Mahendra. [2]

Early life and education

edit

AK Srikanth was born in Madras and is an alumnus of the PS Senior Secondary School, Chennai. He graduated from BITS Pilani and received an MBA from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio.[3]

The Stage Productions (2010–2018)

edit

In 2010, Srikanth wrote a short story titled Soul Cages: The Story of Life, Death and Beyond, which he shared with dancer Savitha Sastry. The work was subsequently adapted into the dance theatre production, Soul Cages, which premiered in New Delhi in 2012. The production received critical attention in the Indian media.[4] Critic Ayesha Singh, writing for the Indian Express, called the production 'A Renaissance in Bharatanatyam'.[5]

Sastry and Srikanth subsequently collaborated on three additional stage productions: Yudh (2013), The Prophet (2013), and Chains: Love Stories of Shadows (2015). These works were staged across multiple regions, including the Indian subcontinent, Australia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Media reports noted the productions for their positive critical and audience reception.[6][7]

Short Films (2018–2024)

edit

Since 2018, Srikanth has released his productions on free-to-stream digital platforms in an effort to make his work accessible to a global audience.[8] Alongside Sastry, he has also produced a series of short classical dance films incorporating narrative elements in a format comparable to music videos. These short films have received nominations at over 50 film festivals worldwide.[9]

His first release, The Descent was based on the story of a fallen superstar, and explored themes of depression.[10] The film was awarded the Best Short Film 2019 at the Calcutta International Cult Film Festival,[11] The Top Shorts Awards, the Near Nazareth Festival and the Best Global Short. It was also nominated at the John Abraham International Short Film Festival, the 5th Jaipur Film World 2021, Venice Film Awards, Cannes Short Film Festival, FilmFest by Rogue Dancer, Open Window International Film Challenge, Concepcion International Film Awards, Mumbai 9th Indian Cine Festival 2021, the 11th Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival 2021, Florence Film Awards, and the First Time Filmmaker Sessions.[12]

In 2020 and 2021, Srikanth released the critically acclaimed Colors Trilogy. The series of three films, based on the colours of the Indian national flag, namely green, white, and saffron, explored themes associated with these colours in relation to the lives of women in contemporary India.[13] The first part of the trilogy, Colors: Green is said to have been inspired by the life of his mother.[14] The second part, Colors: White, is a biographical work that examines Sastry’s transition from traditional Bharatanatyam to theme-based productions.[15] The concluding part, Colors: Saffron, is a dystopian work depicting a prison in which women perceived as more successful than men are confined.[16]The series was hugely acclaimed, with critics in Business Standard reporting "Writer AK Srikanth's story, while here as a short film, comes to life as it was written. And it is that much richer as an experience for all."[17] DNA reported "The story is a befitting tribute to the strength and courage of a woman" [18]

Beyond the Rains, a short film based on Srikanth’s short story The Girl in the Bubble, was released in 2022. The film has been described as being structured in a manner comparable to a Haiku, and has been noted for its portrayal of love.[19] In June 2022, Sastry and Srikanth released their short film Dvija to critical acclaim. Dvija is based on a short story by Srikanth titled The Shrine, and was inspired by Ueda Akinari's Harusame Monogatari.[20] The release of this film coincided with ten years of their production company.[21]

September 2022 saw the release of Arangetram, a humorous take on the aspirations of the Indian middle class and their dreams. Critic Monika Monalisa of the Indian Express called the film "a breezy family entertainer, a genre that is hard to come by these days"[22] A review by ANI commented that "While this short film enters around the character played by Savitha, every supporting actor also has quirks and eccentricities that makes the whole characterisation believable, and yet joyous." The review went on to add that "This short film is a throwback to the cinema of breezy comedies by stalwarts such as Amol Palekar, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Chatterjee."[23] In March 2023, they released the second of their 'Families Trilogy' titled Filter Coffee. Critic Monika Monalisa of the Indian Express described the film as one that would "remind the viewers of the breezy light-hearted films of the 70s."[24]

In July 2023, Srikanth launched his film Slow Rivers, starring Bollywood thespian Ashish Vidyarthi alongside Savitha Sastry.[25] A review in the Indian Express described the film as "a story around the relationship between an artiste and her art, a mind-bender that paints its canvas through the real and the unreal."[26] Critic Zeba Khan in her review of the film on WION commented that "Actor Ashish Vidyarthi and the protagonist Savitha Sastry star together for the first time, in roles that crackle with power every time the two appear on screen together. The confrontation between the two goes far beyond just their roles, into philosophies of the relationship between art and the artiste."[27]

In October 2023, Srikanth released the love story The Ghost of the Lighthouse, co-starring actor Jamie Alter, son of thespian Tom Alter, alongside Savitha Sastry. Critic Zeba Khan, in a review in WION described the film as "a touching vignette into the life of everyday people in small towns."[28] Critic Pooja Das described the cinematography with the words "Breathtaking views of rolling hills, beautiful seaside beaches, and crashing waves on the shore."[29]

In 2024, Srikanth released the cinematic adaptation of his debut stage performance from 2012 – Soul Cages. Critic Prashant Tamta writing for DNA commented that the film "at its core, looks at the equilibrium between life and death."[30] News Voir reported via the Print that "The film explores the delicate balance between life and death, weaving a story that is philosophically rich, extremely moving, and yet at the same time easy to understand.[31]

Literary and Film Works (2024 – Present)

edit

Between 2024 and 2026, Srikanth completed his debut novel A Song for Eresha while concurrently directing a feature film adaptation of the work. The stories for his short films were also written by him, continuing his practice of developing original narrative material across multiple mediums.

The novel was published by Cogitabund, a division of Booksthakam. It was released alongside the premiere of the film adaptation on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV in the United Kingdom on 17 April 2026.[32] The film is scheduled for release in the United States and Canada on 9 June 2026 by Freestyle Digital Media.[33]

Co-starring Mayurakshi Sen, Mekha Rajan and Arshya Lakshman, the film received commentary in several publications following preview screenings. An ANI report described it as "poetry in motion", while critic Neha Kirpal, writing for The Hindu, noted its blending of classical Indian dance with narrative storytelling.[34][35] Writing for The Patriot, critic Tahir Bhat observed that “Much of Srikanth’s work resists emotional loudness. His films often unfold slowly, with characters carrying emotional burdens that remain partially unspoken.”[36]

A report in The Tribune described the simultaneous release of the novel and film as "a rare and compelling convergence of literature and cinema", adding that the book "represents a distinctive addition to contemporary literary fiction".[37] Outlook magazine described the dual release as “deeply rooted in emotional restraint, silence, and mood,” adding that the project “explores the same world through two distinct mediums while remaining connected at its core.”[38]

Dance theatre productions

edit

Filmography

edit

Short films

edit

Feature films

edit
  • A Song for Eresha (2026)
  • Mannum Manjalum (Under production)

Documentaries

edit

Bibliography

edit
  • A Song for Eresha (2026)

References

edit
  1. ↑ Kirpal, Neha."A Song for ERESHA, a film based on Indian classical dance, is all set for a theatrical release", "The Hindu", 28 May 2025.
  2. ↑ "Exclusive Media Screening of A Song for ERESHA Unveils a Poetic Fusion of Bharatanatyam and Cinema", "The Tribune", 27 May 2025.
  3. ↑ "The Author | AK Srikanth". AK SRIKANTH.
  4. ↑ Kumar, Ranee. "Enchanting Treatment", The Hindu, 10 August 2012.
  5. ↑ Singh, Ayesha. "Soul Cages – A renaissance in Bharatanatyam", Sunday Standard, 9 December 2012.
  6. ↑ Reviews on YUDH – the dance drama ballet by Savitha Sastry, IndiaStudyChannel, 26 April 2013.
  7. ↑ Pattabhiraman, Arundhati. "Creativity Unlimited", Deccan Herald], 10 March 2013.
  8. ↑ "Storytelling through dance". Deccan Herald.
  9. ↑ "'Bharatanatyam Danseuse Savitha Sastry and AK Srikanth, Writer and Director Mark a Decade of their Bharatanatyam Dance Productions with Beyond the Rains' Business Standard, 7 February 2022".
  10. ↑ Chakrabarty, Roshni (10 November 2020). "Why this neuroscientist changed her career to perform and teach Bharatanatyam for free". India Today.
  11. ↑ "Neuroscientist and Dancer Savitha Sastry Is Giving Bharatanatyam a Digital Makeover" by Manvi Pant, eShe 13 December, 2020.
  12. ↑ "AWARDS | The accolades won by our films". TSSPC.
  13. ↑ Singh, Ayesha (21 November 2020). "Chasing ideals one dance at a time". The New Indian Express.
  14. ↑ SR, Shilpa (25 September 2020). "AK Srikanth releases his short film Three Colors: Green" – via www.thehindu.com.
  15. ↑ "Indian Bharatanatyam dancer Savitha Sastry on dance film 'Colors: White' & more". Wion.
  16. ↑ "'Saffron' completes 'Colours' dance film trilogy of Srikanth, Savitha Sastry (IANS Interview)".
  17. ↑ "The Award Winning Trilogy "Colors" culminates on Independence Day with its third part Colors: Saffron" Business Standard, 10 August 2021.
  18. ↑ "Savitha Sastry gets lauded for her performance in short film ‘Colors: Saffron’" DNA, 8 September 2021].
  19. ↑ "Reinventing Bharatnatyam, one film at a time: Savitha Sastry and her vision for the classical art form by Zeba Khan, WION, 20 March 2022.
  20. ↑ 'In search of selfless love' Indian Express, 28 June 2022.
  21. ↑ 'A short film about god, man and relationships' The Hindu, 2 June 2022.
  22. ↑ 'Unfinished Goals' by Monika Monalisa, Indian Express, 15 September 2022.
  23. ↑ 'Danseuse Savitha Sastry and Director AK Srikanth release their 8th production Arangetram (The Debut)' ANI News, 7 September 2022.
  24. ↑ 'In between two states' by Monika Monalisa, Indian Express, 1 March 2023.
  25. ↑ 'Slow Rivers – Savitha Sastry's new magnum opus' ANI News, 6 July 2023.
  26. ↑ 'Smoky Mirrors' Indian Express, 19 July 2023.
  27. ↑ 'Indian danseuse Savitha Sastry rolls out a new film that tells a unique story of a dancer and her mentor' by Zeba Khan, WION, 10 July 2023.
  28. ↑ 'Award-winning director-dancer duo AK Srikanth, Savitha Sastry launch new dance film' by Zeba Khan, WION, 31 October 2023.
  29. ↑ archive, From our online (21 November 2023). "'The Ghost of the Lighthouse': The Talking canvas". The New Indian Express.
  30. ↑ 'Soul Cages receives more than a million views within a month of its release by Prashant Tamta, DNA, 6 May 2024.
  31. ↑ 'Soul Cages – A Short Film Looking at the Equilibrium between Life and Death ANI, 2 April 2024.
  32. ↑ A Song for Eresha by AK Srikanth Redefines Storytelling with a Landmark Dual Release as Novel and Feature Film, The Report Net, 21 April 2026.
  33. ↑ Freestyle Digital Media Website.
  34. ↑ 'Exclusive Media Screening of A Song for ERESHA Unveils a Poetic Fusion of Bharatanatyam and Cinema ANI, 27 May 2025.
  35. ↑ 'A Song for ERESHA, a film based on Indian classical dance, is all set for a theatrical release The Hindu, 28 May 2025.
  36. ↑ 'One heartbreak, three forms: the quiet cinema of AK Srikanth The Patriot, 23 May 2026.
  37. ↑ 'A Song for Eresha Launches as Both Novel and Feature Film, Bridging Literature and Cinema, The Tribune, 28 April 2026.
  38. ↑ Desk, Nexa (15 May 2026). ""Stories Today Don't Need To Belong To Just One Medium" – K. Srikanth On Bringing A Song For Eresha To Film & Books". Outlook India. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)

Category:Living people Category:Indian writers Category:Indian filmmakers

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Draft:AK_Srikanth&oldid=1355870376"