MG Srinivas
M.G. Srinivas is an Indian Film Actor, Director and Screenwriter who works in Kannada cinemas. In a career spanning over 10 years, Srini has directed and acted in multiple films over a period of time. He made his debut as a director in the Kannada film industry with Topiwala. The commercial entertainer starred Upendra, an A-list hero in the lead. With this film, he emerged as one of the youngest film makers to have directed a superstar.
Srini's first rendezvous with the entertainment industry was as an RJ. His show on 93.5 RED FM, Blade Raja, won just not a million hearts but also a host of popular Awards. His short films had also generated an equal amount of buzz in the media circles. While Rules, his first short film, has the distinction of being screened at Australia's Bollywood and Beyond Film Festival, his next project won him the prestigious Platinum Remi Award at the Houston Film Festival. Titled ‘Simply Kailawesome’, the film centers itself around the life and literary works of renowned Kannada writer T P Kailasam. It was also this very film that caught Upendra's attention, following which Topiwala happened. This led to his first feature film in Kannada language, Topiwala, with Upendra in the lead.
Early life and background
He was educated at Bangalore's Presidency School. After completing his graduation and acquiring his BSc degree from Seshadripuram College he commenced his career as a dance choreographer. Later in 2007, he joined Red FM as a professional radio jockey.Film career
Alongside his radio jockey career, MGS started making short films. His first short movie was Rules, grabbed attention for its slapstick comedy inter-twined with satirical tone on speed breakers. This film was officially screened in the Australian Film Festival, Bollywood and Beyond.Following this stint, MGS, trained at Abhinaya Taranga to learn the nuances of acting. He made his second short film Simply Kailawesome, which was strongly based on TP Kailasam’s works. He even essayed the lead role in the film. Simply Kailawesome’s win of the Platinum Remi Award at the Houston Film Festival, paved way for a formal introduction to Kannada superstar Upendra. MGS then went on to direct Topiwala for Upendra and the film opened to positive response.
Srini next directed a romantic comedy, Srinivasa Kalyana, produced by Bharat Jain under Mars Films. This movie also saw Srini making his commercial movie debut as a lead actor. However, Srini was first seen as an actor in Sudeep directorial, Just Maath Maathalli.In this 2010 Kannada movie, he was seen as Ramya's music freak brother.
Srinivasa Kalyana opened to positive reviews across the state. Deccan Chronicle gave the movie 3/5 and praised the movie for its light hearted comedy and youthful charm which showed a complex philosophical thought in a simple manner. Times of India rated 3.5/5 and praised the sass touch to this candy floss romance. IndiaGlitz gave a rating of 4/5 calling the movie a "jovial journey" and praised Srini for his direction, story and screenplay.
The movie released in USA and Australia after its critical and commercial success in India.
Srini's next venture was the crime thriller Birbal Trilogy. The first part is,, followed by Case No.2 : Avrn bitt, Ivrn bitt, Ivryaru? and the last one is Case No.3 : Turremane. "Birbal Trilogy" - Case No. 1 : Finding Vajramuni, released in January 2019.
, released in January 2019, and starred MGS himself and Rukmini Vasanth in the lead.
, Suresh Heblikar and Madhusudhan Rao are also, seen in prominent roles. The film ran for over 50 days was a hit among cinema lovers. The screenplay and background score of the film were the topics of discussion among film buffs and students alike. A Bhurka scene shot in the Majestic bus stand is another highlight of the film. The film was rated 8.7/10 on IMDB, 86% on Bookmyshow, 3.5/5 by Filmy Beat, 3/5 by News Minute, Vijaya Karnataka and Times of India.
MGS is currently working on his next film and conducting auditions in various cities like Mangalore, Hubli, Mysore, Shimoga and Bengaluru. The actor-director stars opposite Aditi Prabhudeva in this upcoming romantic film.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Director | Notes | Ref. | - |
| 2010 | Rules | Main Character | Himself | Kannada | Nominated at Bollywood & Beyond film festival in Australia | |
| 2010 | Just Maath Maathalli | Tanu's brother | Sudeep | Kannada | Acting debut | |
| 2013 | Simply Kailawesome | T.P. Kailasam | Himself | Kannada | Won Platinum Remi Award at the 44th Houston Film Festival | - |
| 2013 | Topiwala | NA | Himself | Kannada | Directional debut | - |
| 2017 | Srinivasa Kalyana | Srinivas aka Lakshmi Kantha Baalu | Himself | Kannada | Second film as director & debut as a lead actor | - |
| 2019 | Adv. Mahesh Das | Himself | Kannada | - | ||
| 2019 | Ranganayaki | Madhav | Dayal Padmanabhan | Kannada | - |