Srikanth: A Gritty Fight For Education Rights

From visual impairment to entrepreneurship

Srikanth is a biographical film based on the life story of Srikanth Bolla who was born in Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh. His parents came from very modest backgrounds.  They were uneducated and their livelihood was farming.  Srikanth was their first born and he was visually impaired at birth. The story of Srikanth is inspiring because of how he overcame the challenges of his disability and his circumstances through sheer grit and determination to become a successful entrepreneur and the founder of Bollant Industries , a company that manufactures eco-friendly paper products and focuses on employing people with disabilities.

A brilliant portrayal by Rajkumar Rao

Srikanth Bolla has been brilliantly portrayed by Rajkummar Rao who played the visually impaired industrialist with great sincerity keeping the audience engaged as he expertly projected the character and strength of Srikanth.  Rao has conveyed Bolla’s struggles and perseverance, his failures and successes, his hard work and dedication, and his emotional tribulations and matters of the heart with a stirring intensity. Bolla’s story is one of determination and hard work that leads to confidence, confidence that leads to success, success that leads to a certain degree of arrogance, and finally awareness and humility after realizing how that arrogance affects the very people who care for him and have helped him reach his potential and goals.

Powerful performances by the supporting cast

Jyothika delivers a powerful performance as Devika, Srikanth’s teacher, mentor, and surrogate mother, embodying the role with simplicity and quiet dignity. Her portrayal captures Devika’s selfless dedication to ensuring Srikanth’s success, both academically and professionally, with a deftness that resonates deeply. In an interview with Pinkvilla before the release of the film, she said that the script touched her deeply, and meeting the real Srikanth Bolla changed her perspective of the visually impaired in a way that she began to admire the resilience and dedication of people with disabilities.

Devika nurtures Srikanth as a mother and teaches him life lessons for character building. She also helps him navigate the judicial system to take on the Board of Education to fight for the right to higher education. Jyothika expertly brings a nuanced depth and dedication to the character she is playing.

Sharad Kelkar portrays the character of Ravi Mantha, Srikanth’s business partner and friend. Kelkar’s Ravi enters the plot during the second half of the film as an investor in Srikanth’s vision of an eco-friendly paper factory and together they grow the enterprise. Ravi’s genuine respect and friendship for Srikanth is portrayed with sincerity and humility by Kelkar.

Jameel Khan plays President APJ Abdul Kalam who is a source of immense inspiration to Srikanth.  On being asked by the President what he would like to become, Srikanth answers that he would like to be the first visually impaired President of India. Srikanth’s confidence and ambition leave a lasting impression on the President and whenever they meet, there is mutual admiration and respect for each other.

Alaya F plays Srikanth’s wife, Veera Swathi, and although her role in the film is minor, it is of enormous significance to the story of Srikanth’s personal life.  The actors complement each other’s performances gracefully as the story moves forward fluidly.

Story and direction

Director, Tushar Hiranandani, has shot the film in both India and the United States. He masterfully weaves Srikanth’s struggles, triumphs, and tribulations into a cohesive narrative, creating a chemistry between the characters that forms a seamless tapestry. This tapestry intricately combines emotional highs, real-life challenges, empathy, the fight for justice, and the social stigma associated with being visually impaired or handicapped. The direction focuses on the personal growth of Srikanth, and his interpersonal relationships with his teacher and mentor, his business partner and friend as well as his romantic love and his parents.

The story follows the chronological events of Srikanth’s life from his birth to his becoming a successful entrepreneur and an industrialist providing opportunities to people with his kind of impairment. His parents’ struggles to bring up a visually impaired child in a society and community that leaves little room for any handicapped child is tragically evident in the film. The determination of people around Srikanth to help him succeed is portrayed well by the cast of brilliant actors.

A fight with the Board of Education

With the help of his mentor, Devika, Srikanth scores well to get into a good college but is denied the opportunity because he is blind.  He has the tenacity and audacity to fight the Board of Education to secure that right to pursue his education in a college. However, his challenges do not end there. After securing the requisite credentials, he is denied admission to the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology because of his disability.  He loses the will to fight the education system for the second time and seeks admission in the United States at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT),  Boston. Srikanth is awarded a full scholarship and is the first International blind student at MIT.

The compelling narrative unfolds naturally and organically at an even pace allowing the audience to stay engaged with the story and the characters to develop and resonate with the audience.

Lasting Impact

The film Srikanth highlights the struggles and challenges faced by not just the visually impaired but by all children born with physical disabilities. The screenplay is well crafted and keeps the audience engaged.  The storytelling and the dialogues evoke a sense of empathy towards the triumphs and tribulations of the protagonist and the complexities of human relations and personal growth.

Srikanth Bolla’s journey is inspiring as it forces us to think of bringing about change in our society by giving everyone an equal opportunity.  Social change and social justice should be the norm and not accidental, and that is the message the audience takes away from the film.

Srikanth is available for viewing on Netflix.

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