# M. G. Srinivas

M.G. Srinivas aka Srini is an Indian actor, film director and screenwriter who works in Kannada cinema. He made his debut as a director in the Kannada film industry with Topiwala (2013), a commercial entertainer starring Upendra. He made his debut as a lead actor in Srinivasa Kalyana (2017).
Srini first became an RJ with his show on 93.5 RED FM, Blade Raja. He did short films. His first short film Rules, has the distinction of being screened at Australia's Bollywood and Beyond Film Festival, his next project won him the 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 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 began his career as a background dancer for various shows before transitioning to dance choreography. In 2007, he joined 93.5 93.5 RED FM as a professional radio jockey. His morning prime time show "Blade Raja" became one of the station's most popular programs during that period.

## Personal life

He married Shruti IL, a Journalist on 30 June 2019 in Mysore.

## Film career

Alongside his radio jockey career, Srinivas started making short films. His first short movie was Rules, which grabbed attention for its slapstick comedy inter-twined with a satirical tone on speed breakers. This film was officially screened in the Australian Film Festival, Bollywood, and Beyond.
Following this stint, Srinivas, trained at Abhinaya Taranga to learn the nuances of acting. He made his second short film Simply Kailawesome, which was based on TP Kailasam’s works. He 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 a positive response.
He 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.
His next venture was the crime thriller Birbal Trilogy. The first part is, Case 1: Finding Vajramuni, followed by Case 2: Avrn bitt, Ivrn bitt, Ivryaru? and the last one is Case 3: Turremane. Birbal Trilogy Case 1: Finding Vajramuni, released in January 2019, and starred MGS himself and Rukmini Vasanth in the lead. Sujay Shastry, Suresh Heblikar, and Madhusudhan Rao are also, seen in prominent roles.
Srinivas completed the film Old MonkThe film features MG Srinivas, Aditi Prabhudeva in lead role. The film's title was inspired from the popular alcohol beverage brand, but it also means "Hale Sanyasi" in Kannada. Veteran actor Rajesh, made a special cameo appearance in the film. The film was released on February 25, 2022 simultaneously in the Kannada and Telugu languages. Critics praised the direction, comedy, writing, dialogue and performance of the film. Music Director duo Saurabh and Vaibhav collaborate a second time with Srini after Birbal, and are one of the producers of the movie.
His next film was Ghost which is an Indian Kannada-language action heist thriller film written and directed by M. G. Srinivas, and produced by Sandesh Nagraj under Sandesh Productions banners. The film stars Shiva Rajkumar, Prashant Narayanan, Jayaram, Anupam Kher, Satya Prakash and Archana Jois. The film was officially announced in 2022 under the Sandesh Nagraj Productions Sandalwood. The film was released theatrically on 19 October 2023, coinciding with Dussehra. It is the second installment of a cinematic universe following Birbal Trilogy Case 1: Finding Vajramuni in which M. G. Srinivas reprises his role as Mahesh Das. The film received positive reviews from critics.

## Awards

* Nominated at Bollywood & Beyond film festival in Australia for work Rules
* Srini had won Platinum Remi Award at the Houston Film Festival for the short movie Simply Kailawesome.
* Srini won RISING STAR Award at the Chittara Star Awards in 2022
* Srini won Most Entertaining Star Of the Year Award at the Chithra Santhe Awards in 2023
* Srini won Best Director Award (Critics) for GHOST Award at the Chithra Santhe Awards in 2024

## Filmography

| Year | Film | Credit as | Credit as | Credit as | Role | Notes | Ref. |
| Year | Film | Director | Writer | Actor | Role | Notes | Ref. |
| 2010 | Rules | Yes | Yes | Yes | Main Character | Short film | |
| 2010 | Just Maath Maathalli | No | No | Yes | Tanu's brother | Acting debut | |
| 2010 | Chirru | No | No | Yes | Chirru's friend | Credited as Srini Dilip | |
| 2010 | Simply Kailawesome | Yes | Yes | Yes | T.P. Kailasam | Short film | |
| 2013 | Topiwala | Yes | No | No | — | Feature Film Debut as Director | |
| 2017 | Srinivasa Kalyana | Yes | Yes | Yes | Srinivas aka Lakshmi Kantha Baalu | Debut as a lead actor | |
| 2019 | Birbal Trilogy Case 1: Finding Vajramuni | Yes | Yes | Yes | Mahesh Das | | |
| 2019 | Ranganayaki | No | No | Yes | Krishna Murthy | | |
| 2021 | Old Monk | Yes | Yes | Yes | Appanna/ Narada | Also co-produced the film | |
| 2023 | Ghost | Yes | Yes | Yes | Mahesh Das | | |
| TBA | Birbal Trilogy Case 2: Avrn bitt, Ivrn bitt, Ivryaru? † | Yes | Yes | Yes | Mahesh Das | Filming | |
| TBA | Andalamma † | No | No | Yes | TBA | Filming | |
| TBA | Ghost 2 † | Yes | Yes | Yes | Mahesh Das | Planned | |
| TBA | Birbal Trilogy Case 3 : Turremane † | Yes | Yes | Yes | Mahesh Das | Announced | |

## Business ventures

In 2024, Srini founded AI Samhitha, a company specializing in voice cloning technology.
Also in 2024, Srini collaborated with Iranian VFX company ASOO VFX as a co-founder to establish their branch in Bangalore, India.