The story of Srikanth N. Reddy and Sudharshan is a little more than hatke . With the social media scene roaring with likes, lols and comments for short comedy films in Hindi, English and Hinglish by well known groups across the country, this creative duo decided to try their luck too. Their short films were in fact an outcome of their ‘itch’ to try and see what they had in them. Neither of them wanted or dreamt of a career in tinsel town.
For Telugu short film comedy buffs, ‘ Idhigo …Priyanka ’ is a familiar phrase. They shot to fame with ‘ America ki Daaredi .’
What makes the duo come as a dream team is the actor's natural style of acting, the work of the director and the topics which they choose. Young college students connect well with the storylines and the onlookers will agree to the incidents which happen or the phases which most young men and women go through.
Add to it Sudharshan’s carefree Nellore Telugu accent and his honest innocence while trying to be the cool dude in most of their short films and the popularity of their films among youth is easily understood.
A series of events had led them to meet and decide on a short film that would get them at least 1000 likes.
Before trying films, Srikanth N. Reddy was raring to enter the business of bricks and cements, after completing his B.Tech. To begin somewhere he says, “ andari burra tinesa (chewed everyone’s head)” to give him the capital to make a film.
“But instead I landed in a school that would teach the nuances of acting, directing and all that is required to sit on a director's chair after graduating from one level to the other. On the ninth day, I decided I had enough of gyaan at the school and wanted to make my own film. Short film. I approached seniors in the school to know if they would act or help with the camera, but everyone asked for money, which I didn’t have. But I wasn’t ready to give up,” recollects Srikanth.
That’s when he remembered a friend Sudharshan. “In a filmy style he came to my mind and I asked him to act. He refused as well listening to my sob story, but it wasn't for the money, he was sure he isn’t ready for screen. He didn’t know anything about acting,” adds Srikanth. Sudarhsan’s story too is an honest one. Replying in Telugu to a question thrown in English, he says. “To escape the life of a businessman in Nellore, I enrolled in spoken English classes,” and laughs. His idea was finish the course, write the necessary exams and do some small job in UK, he recollects and laughs again.
Those dreams are now a thing of the past because he left the course and plans to go to the UK. Now thanks to the short films, “I have 22 new mainstream movies to act in as a comedian. The scope for new faces as a comedian is huge and I am lucky to have got into the industry at a good time.”
The duo’s first comedy short film was based on Sudharshan’s dream to go abroad. "The capital invested initially was Rs 15,000 and we took help of dial services to get a camera man, editing suites, junior actors, so it was an entire new learning process for both of us," says Srikanth who has since become a dialogue writer for Telugu feature films.
