Dear TWR readers,
This is to commemorate Baahubali’s half a century run and wishing the team another half a century and more! My 1st thought on July 12th was to knock on the door of Srinivasa Mohan, the ‘VFX hero’ of this film for an interview.
I have met him briefly on the sets of ‘Nanban’ in 2012. Let me tell you this, if there is ever a man who is really, truly, simply humble, it is Srini, as he is called by his friends. After spending 3 hours with him in animated conversation that flew like 3 minutes, here’s Srini for you, a slice of his life, how his career sky rocketed, his kaleidoscopic dreams and how he made it big.
His school and college days were spent in Vijayawada. Coming from very very humble beginnings that Srini has no qualms talking about (which makes him all the more endearing) he started his career graph as an electrician. He then got to work in a cassette shop, mostly self taught. He took up a BASIC computer course which probably was the 1st milestone in his career. He gained experience because he became a faculty member in ICS (Institute of Computer Science) and teaching sure is the best way to learn.
The 1st animation that came his way was in 1995-1996, when he was a young man in his mid 20s in Sri Tech. Srini’s excitement knew no bounds. He started designing titles for marriage videos that probably laid the foundation for his mind boggling work today in Baahubali! During this time, he also watched a minimum of 4 films a week, to gain parallel knowledge of the celluloid world.
At this juncture in walked into his life Mr Balakrishnan who wanted to start an advertisement agency and Srini to head the animation. This guardian angel sponsored a computer and Rs 15000 for Srini to learn animation in 45 days. Srini came to Chennai in 1997 to attend this course. His next promoter was Mr Kamalakannan of Indian Artists Computer Graphics. Jayendra (of then JS films, now Real Image) was his first client. Not knowing Tamil or English, Srini finished the job in 2 days and Jayendra was mighty pleased in fact. Today Srini regards both Jayendra and P.C.Sreeram as his gurus. This started the pattern for a steady flow of work commissioned by Kamalakannan. It was in this phase of his life he met Philomena who is now his equal half!
Arunachalam (Telugu) produced by A.M. Rathnam was his 1st film project wherein he had to create the titles in March of 1997. Kamalakannan spoke to Balakrishnan and got Srini transferred to Chennai permanently. Sanath was in charge of the creative side while Srini was in charge of the technical side.
In 1999, he worked as senior compositor in ‘Kadhalar dhinam’ his 1st film project which was a huge commercial success. Then came ‘Boys’ in 2003 and a very pleased director Shankar told Srini, “you hit a goal” for his ‘maro maro’ song, shot in Kerala. This is where I guess God’s hands were really evident because Indian cinema entered the digital transition phase. This was a period in time when the DoPs and Srini grew together in widening their knowledge and working as a team.
His company won the national award for best special effects the first time in 2003 for the stereoscopic 3D movie ‘Magic Magic'. And again in 2008 Srini waved his magic wand in Shankar’s Sivaji wherein credit for the song ‘Style’ of Superstar’s skin tone is not due to the makeup but to the VFX effects of Srini and team. In fact the term ‘digital skin grafting’ was coined by Srini.
Then Enthiran created history and Srini bagging the national award for the 3rd time personally (Magic magic being awarded to the company) is well known world over.
Individually he has worked at the helm of films like Maattrraan, Shankar’s Nanban, I and now the talk of the world Baahubali. Extremely foresighted on Srini’s part was to start a multimedia course in MGR film institute, 2011-2013. He had to devise the entire syllabus, from scratch, to ensure young talent need not waste time and effort looking for a needle in a haystack but know exactly where to go to hone their skills. He is the 1st technician to hold the post of VFXSupervisor and for more than 10 films so far.
Coming to Baahubali, Srini said his team consisted of 16 studios, of which 1 in USA, 1 in Korea and 1 in China including 600 technicians who worked 24x7x366 to make Baahubali a stupendous success.
What caught my attention is this man from Vijayawada who did not even know Tamil or English when he stepped into Chennai, who had no Godfather or Godmother to smoothen his path, who chiselled his own destiny, of course he adds ‘with the Grace of God’ has made every Indian hold his / her head high and stand proud.
I would like to add ‘dream, dream big, for you don’t know when you will see your dream materialize as reality. If you don’t even dream how will your wishes take shape?’
Srini dared to dream, he is now a satisfied soul, with Philomena by his side to share his dreams and their son Praneeth in 6th grade in total awe of his dad. What more can a person ask for? Kudos to this national award winner thrice who wants to share what he has learnt with the younger generation. A decade from now Indian cinema will have more Srinis taking pride in their work and leaving foot prints in the sands of time.
But Srini will stand tall as the man who...I think Ayn Rand says it better than any of u ever could! I would like to quote from the 1943 best seller Fountainhead:
“Throughout the centuries there were men who took first steps down new roads armed with nothing but their own vision. Their goals differed, but they all had this in common: that the step was first, the road new, the vision un-borrowed. Every great new thought was opposed. Every great new invention was denounced. The first motor was considered foolish. The airplane was considered impossible. The power loom was considered vicious. Anaesthesia was considered sinful. But the men of un-borrowed vision went ahead. They fought, they suffered and they paid. But they won”.
Srini...you are a winner, no doubt about that. Looking forward to Baahubali part 2. Rajamouli garu, a heartfelt thank you for believing in Srini and your team. Even if just a dot, you’ve put India in the world map of visual effects. We owe you big time!
I call upon many youngsters to follow your dream, remember, dream really big. And start right now...ciao until my next TWR
With a new hope in my heart for South India cinema to reach greater heights, a spark(le) in my eyes, a spring in my stride,
ttfn
rekhs
