Academic Advisory Board
Rajesh Jog
Rajesh Jog is the Chairman and MD of Waygate Capital, a boutique technology, media and entertainment investment bank. He brings a rich experience in private equity, investment banking and corporate policy-making and new business initiatives. Rajesh graduated with an advanced degree in Computer Science from Stony Brook in 1987 and joined AT&T Bell Labs.… Learn more …
Javed Akhtar
Javed Akhtar is an Indian lyricist, scriptwriter and poet. At the start of his career Javed Akhtar, along with his colleague Salim Khan, began writing together and developed the story for Adhikar. Soon after they were hired by G.P. Sippy. Together they created screenplays for Andaz, Seeta Aur Geeta, Sholay and Don. He then made … Learn more …
Shabana Azmi
Shabana Azmi is an Indian actress who has not only received critical acclaim in India but also internationally.. She is well known for her roles as strong leading women and has acted in commercial films as well as many independent films. She is best known for her roles in Fire, Junoon, Amar Akbar Anthony, Mandi, Morning Raga … Learn more …
Kamal Hassan
Kamal Hassan is an Indian film actor, screenwriter and director, and is considered to be one of the leading method actors of Indian cinema. He has won many Indian film awards, including four National Film Awards and numerous Filmfare Awards, and is known for having starred in the largest number of films submitted by India to the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Learn more …
Jayasudha
Jayasudha is an award-winning Indian film actress who has done Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi movies. She is well known for the diversity of roles she has played throughout the span of her career. Her films include Idi Katha Kaadu, Jyothi, Illalu, Sivaranjani and Magadheerudu. She has won six Filmfare Awards (South) … Learn more …
Karan Johar
Karan Johar is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer in Bollywood as well as the head of Dharma Productions. He has directed four movies Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Kabhi Alvida Nah Kehna and My Name is Khan of which all have received critical acclaim globally. Karan Johar is also a host of his own … Learn more …
Anurag Kashyap
Anurag Kashyap is an Indian film director and screenwriter and is known to be one of the most progressive directors in India today. He is well known for his work with Black Friday, Dev D, Udaan, Satya, No Smoking and many more. In 1999 he won Best Screenplay for Satya. In 2011 he won Filmfare Awards for Best Story and Best … Learn more …
Deva Katta
Deva Katta is an Indian film director in the Telugu film industry. Although he pursued engineering and further studies in mechanical engineering in USA he eventually began making films. He is well known for his films Vennela and Prasthanam. Both films approach very different themes but both were received well and were critically … Learn more …
Farah Khan
Farah Khan is a choreographer and a film director. She is internationally known for her work with the production Bombay Dreams, as well as the films Vanity Fair and Monsoon Wedding. Her debut as a director was highly successful and her first film Main Hoon Na was very well received by the public. In 2007 her next film Om Shanti … Learn more …
Krish
Radhakrishna Jagarlamudi, popularly known as Krish, is an Indian Director in the Telugu film industry. He made his debut in 2008 with the film Gamyam and received high recognition for it. In 2010, Krish released his next film Vedam which was also very well received. Soon after, he recreated the film in Tamil. He is currently … Learn more …
Hema Malini
Hema Malini is an Indian film actress who is a legend in the Bollywood film industry. She first entered the industry as a dancer acting in the South, specifically in Tamil Nadu, and eventually she made her first big break in the film Sapnon Ka Saudagar with Raj Kapoor. Her films Sharmatma, Sholay, Sharafat, Raja Jani, and Gulzar … Learn more …
Suhasini Maniratnam
Suhasini Maniratnam is an Indian film actress and is well known for her roles in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam films. She is the niece of Actor Kamal Hassan and the spouse of filmmaker Manirathnam. She is known for her roles in Sindhu Bhairavi, Swathi, Muthina Haara and many more. In addition to her contributions as an … Learn more …
Gautham Menon
Gautham Menon is an Indian director and producer specifically in the Tamil film industry. Many of his films in Tamil are remade into Hindi and Telugu. Gautham Menon went to college for mechanical engineering but soon discovered his love for film making and began working under filmmaker Rajiv Menon. In 1997 he was an assistant … Learn more …
Radha Mohan
Radha Mohan is an Indian film director, specifically in Tamil and Telugu. He has directed six films: Azhagiya Theeye, Ponniyin Selvan, Mozhi, Abhiyum Naanum and Payanam (Tamil)/Gaganam (Telugu). His films have received critical acclaim and recognition nationally. His films deal with strong themes and messages but also carry … Learn more …
Govind Nihalani
Govind Nihalani is an Indian cinematographer, director, screenwriter and producer. He is well known for his films that confront highly emotional themes. Govind Nihlani made his directorial debut with the film Aakrosh which starred Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, Amrish Puri and Smita Patil. As his first directorial debut Aakrosh … Learn more …
Vijayendra Prasad
Vijayendra Prasad is one of the leading scriptwriters in the Telugu film industry. He has also directed a Kannada film. Some of his stories, that have been made into films, are Chatrapathi, Vikramarkudu, Mitrudu, Magadheera and Rajanna. His son, S.S. Rajamouli, often directs his stories and adapts them into screenplays. Vijayendra … Learn more …
Resul Pookutty
Resul Pookutty is an Indian film sound designer, editor and mixer. He is well known for his work in the film Slumdog Millionaire. In 1995 he graduated from the FTII, Pune and moved to Mumbai to make his debut in sound design for the film Private Detective: Two Plus Two Plus One. His big break … Learn more …
Raghavendra Rao
K Raghavendra Rao is one of the most prolific and influential directors in the Telugu Film Industry. Mr. Raghavendra Rao’s father was the acclaimed cinematographer/director K.S Prakash Rao and his son Prakash is also a producer/director who has create films including Morning Raga and Anaganaga Oka Dheerudu, a … Learn more …
Mani Rathnam
Manirathnam is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter and producer. He made his directorial debut with the Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi starring Anil Kapoor in 1983. He went on to become one of the leading directors in Indian Cinema, directing landmark films such as Mouna Raagam, Nayagan,Anjali, Thalapathi, Iruvar, Alaipayuthey, Kannathil Muthamittal , Yuva , Guru and his terrorism trilogy Learn more …
Gopal Reddy
Gopal Reddy is a cinematographer in the Indian film industry and a producer in Tollywood. He established Durga Arts with Dr. K.L Narayana and produced Santosham. Among his many credits as cinematographer are: Don, Rakhi, Sri Ramadasu Naa, Autograph, Varsham, Santhosham, Prematho Raa, Criminal, Kshana Kshanam and Shiva. Learn more …
Anushka Shetty
Anushka Shetty is an Indian film actress, working in the Telugu and Tamil film industries. Anushka Shetty began her acting career in Telugu cinema as Sasha in Super with Sonu Sood and Nagarjuna. She delivered more hits with Vikramarkudu, Rendu, Astram, Lakshyam Souryam Chintakayala Ravi,Billa,Varudu and Singham. Her performance as Arundhati and Jejamma in the supernatural flick Arundhati earned her good reviews. Billa in Learn more …
Shobana
Shobana is an Indian film actress and a Bharatanatyam dancer. She has been in Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil and Kannada films. She is well known for her performances in Enakkul Oruvan, Siva, Thalapathi, Manichitrathazhu, Kanamarayathu and many more. She is also well known for her role in the film Mitr, My friend which was in English. Learn more …
Sonu Sood
Sonu Sood is an Indian Actor who has been in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Kannada films. He is extremely popular within the Tollywood industry and is frequently portrayed as the antagonist. The films he has been featured in include; Yuva, Chandramukhi, Super, Athadu, Jodhaa Akbar, Dabangg, and Dookudu and many … Learn more …
Tabu
Tabu is an Indian film actress who has not only worked within the Bollywood film industry but also has worked with Telugu, Tamil and Bengali films. She received an immense amount of praise for her performances in Astitva, Chandni Bar, Maqbool and Cheeni Kum. She has also starred in a Hollywood film by Mira Nair, The Namesake … Learn more …
Srinu Vaitla
Srinu Vaitla is an Indian film director and writes screenplays in the Telugu film industry. His films Nee Kosam, Anandam, Dhee, Venky, King and Dookudu are critically acclaimed. He has created a space for himself in the genre of comedy in the Telugu film industry. In addition to this he has also been a part of the cast for Parama … Learn more …
