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{{Short description|Indian actor and film director}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{POV|date=March 2025}}
{{Resume-like|date=July 2025}}
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = M. G. Srinivas
| image =
| birth_name = Madihalli Gopalakrishna Srinivas
| birth_date = 9 July 1984
| birth_place = [[Hassan, Karnataka]], India
| nickname =
| alma_mater = Seshadripuram College
| occupation = Actor, [[Film director|director]], [[screenwriter]]
| spouse = {{marriage|Shruti. I. L|2019}}<ref name="Marriage">{{Cite web|url= https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/entertainment/movies-pl/kannada-movies-pl/director-srinivas-married-shruti-il-in-mysuru/videoshow/70010659.cms|title=Director Srinivas married Shruti IL in Mysuru|website=Times Of India|date=30 June 2019|access-date=6 September 2020}}</ref>
}}

'''M. G. Srinivas''' 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), which stars [[Upendra (actor)|Upendra]]. He made his debut as a lead actor in ''[[Srinivasa Kalyana]]'' (2017).

Srinivas first became a radio jockey with his show on [[93.5 FM|93.5 RED FM]], Blade Raja. He made [[short film]]s, his first being ''Rules'', which was screened at Australia's Bollywood and Beyond [[Film festival|Film Festival]]. His next project, ''[[Simply Kailawesome]]'', won him the Platinum Remi Award at the [[Houston Film Festival]]. The film is about the life and literary works of the Kannada writer [[T. P. Kailasam]]; it caught Upendra's attention and led to his first feature ''[[Topiwala]]'', with [[Upendra (actor)|Upendra]] in the lead.<ref>[https://www.filmibeat.com/kannada/news/2013/upendra-topiwala-release-105239.html Upendra's] [[Topiwala]] ready for massive release 13 March 2013</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Srinivasa|first=Srikanth|url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/slide-show/slide-show-1-Topiwala-is-a-political-satire/20130314.htm|title=Topiwala is a political satire|date=14 March 2013|accessdate=5 January 2020|publisher=Rediff}}</ref><ref>[https://archive.today/20130620010220/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-19/news-interviews/35911808_1_real-star-upendra-malayalam-actress-bhavana-election-time Upendra's Topiwala for election time] Dec 2012</ref><ref>[http://www.chitraloka.com/news/1580-simply-kailawesome-wins-] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231005225826/https://www.chitraloka.com/news/1580-simply-kailawesome-wins-|date=5 October 2023}}remi-award.html Simply Kailawesome Wins Remi Award 27 April 2011</ref><ref>[http://movies.rediff.com/slide-show/2010/oct/06/slide-show-1-south-kannada-film-simply-kailawesome.htm Looking at Simply Kailawesome] 6 October 2010</ref><ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20131227080745/http://www.supergoodmovies.com/16957/sandalwood/award-for-45-minutes-short-film-news-details award for 45 minutes short film]}} 28 April 2011</ref>

== Early life and background ==
{{BLP unreferenced section|date=July 2025}}
M. G. Srinivas was educated at [[Presidency School]] in [[Bangalore]], India. After graduating, he acquiring his BSc degree from [[Seshadripuram College]].

Srinivas began his career as a background dancer before moving into choreography. In 2007, he joined the radio station [[Red FM 93.5|93.5 RED FM]] as a presenter; his morning primetime show [[Blade Raja]] became one of the station's most popular programs during that period.{{citation needed|date=September 2025}}

== Personal life ==
M. G. Srinivas married Shruti IL, a journalist, on 30 June 2019 in [[Mysore]].<ref name="Marriage" />

== Film career ==
Alongside his radio career, Srinivas started making short films, his first being ''Rules'', a slapstick comedy that was officially screened at the Australian film festival [[Bollywood and Beyond (Australia–New Zealand)|Bollywood & Beyond]].

Following ''Rules'', Srinivas trained at Abhinaya Taranga to learn acting. He made his second short film ''Simply Kailawesome'', which was based on [[TP Kailasam]]'s works,{{Citation needed|date=August 2021}} and played the lead role in the film. ''Simply Kailawesome'' won of the Platinum [[Remi (award)|Award]] at [[Houston Film Festival]], leading to a formal introduction to Kannada actor Upendra. Srinivas went on to direct ''Topiwala'' for Upendra and the film opened to a positive response.{{Citation needed|date=August 2021}}

He next directed the romantic comedy ''[[Srinivasa Kalyana]]'', which [[Bharat Jain]] produced under Mars Films. This movie is Srinivas' commercial debut as a lead actor. Srinivas was first seen as an actor in the [[Sudeep]]-directed flick ''[[Just Maath Maathalli]]'' (2010), in which Srinivas played as [[Ramya (actress)|Ramya]]'s brother.{{citation needed|date=September 2025}} ''Srinivasa Kalyana'' opened to positive reviews across the state. [[Deccan Chronicle]] gave the movie a 3/5 and praised the movie for its light-hearted comedy and youthful charm. [[Times of India]] rated the film a 3.5/5 and praised the sassy touch to this candy-floss romance.{{Citation needed|date=August 2021}}

His next venture was the crime thriller ''Birbal Trilogy'', which consists of [[Birbal Trilogy Case 1: Finding Vajramuni|''Case 1: Finding Vajramuni'']], [[Birbal Trilogy Case 2: Avrn bitt, Ivrn bitt, Ivryaru?|Case 2: Avrn bitt, Ivrn bitt, Ivryaru?]], and ''[[Birbal Trilogy Case 3: Turremane|Case 3: Turremane]]''.{{citation needed|date=September 2025}} ''Birbal Trilogy Case 1: Finding Vajramuni'' was released in January 2019, and stars Srinivas and Rukmini Vasanth in the lead roles. Sujay Shastry, Suresh Heblikar, and Madhusudhan Rao are also seen in prominent roles.{{citation needed|date=September 2025}}

Srinivas completed the film ''[[Old Monk (film)|Old Monk]]'', which stars Srinivas and [[Aditi Prabhudeva]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vijaykarnataka.com/vk-gallery/cinema/photoshow/73670913.cms|title='ಓಲ್ಡ್‌ ಮಾಂಕ್‌'ಗಾಗಿ ಶ್ರೀನಿ ಜೊತೆ ಕೈ ಜೋಡಿಸಿದ ಅದಿತಿ ಪ್ರಭುದೇವ!|date=14 April 2017|website=Vijaya Karnataka|language=kn|access-date=28 January 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kannadaprabha.com/cinema/news/2020/jan/28/aditi-prabhudeva-to-play-lead-role-in-old-monk-410841.html|title=ಓಲ್ಡ್ ಮಾಂಕ್ ಗೆ ಅದಿತಿ ಪ್ರಭುದೇವ ನಾಯಕಿ!|website= Kannadaprabha|date=28 January 2020 |language=kn|access-date=28 January 2020}}</ref> in the lead roles. The film's title was inspired by a popular alcoholic beverage brand and means "Hale Sanyasi" in Kannada.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/kannada/2022/feb/24/old-monk-will-bea-stress-buster-2422996.html|title=Old Monk will be a stress buster|website=The Hindu|date=24 February 2022|access-date=10 April 2022}}</ref> Veteran actor Rajesh, made a special cameo appearance in the film. The film was released on 25 February 2022. Critics praised the direction, comedy, writing, dialogue and performance of the film.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/kannada/movie-reviews/old-monk/movie-review/89820817.cms|title=Old Monk Movie Review: A clever and entertaining comedy, after a long time|author=Sunayana Suresh|date=25 February 2022|website=Times Of India|access-date=11 April 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/review/2022/feb/26/old-monk-review-this-comedy-drama-willdefinitely-lift-our-spirits-2423759.html|title=Old Monk review: This comedy-drama will definitely lift our spirits|author= A Sharadhaa|date=26 February 2022|website= New Indian Express |access-date=11 April 2022}}</ref> The music-director duo [[Saurabh-Vaibhav|Saurabh and Vaibhav]] worked a second time with Srinivas after Birbal, and are one of the producers of the movie.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.deccanherald.com/entertainment/dh-talkies/this-quirky-comedy-drama-will-give-you-a-high-1085212.html|title=This quirky comedy drama will give you a 'high' |website= Deccan Herald|date=25 February 2022 |access-date=11 April 2022}}</ref>

Srinivas' next film was [[Ghost (2023 film)|Ghost]], which is an Indian, Kannada-language, action-heist thriller film that was written and directed by Srini, and produced by Sandesh Nagraj under Sandesh Productions. The film stars [[Shiva Rajkumar]], [[Prashant Narayanan]], [[Jayaram]], [[Anupam Kher]], and [[Archana Jois]]; it was officially announced in 2022 under the Sandesh Nagraj Productions Sandalwood and 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 Srinivas reprises his role as Mahesh Das. The film received positive reviews from critics.{{citation needed|date=September 2025}}

== Awards ==
{{BLP unreferenced section|date=July 2025}}
{| class="wikitable" width=100%
|-
! width=8% | Year
! width=25%| Category
! width=25%| Event name
! width=11.5%| Work
! width=25%| Award Name
! width=5.5%| Result
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |2011
| style="text-align: center;" |Best Short Film
| style="text-align: center;" |''[[Houston International Film Festival]]''
| style="text-align: center;" |''[[Simply Kailawesome]]''
| style="text-align: center;" |Platinum Remy award
| {{Won}}
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |2022
| style="text-align: center;" |Rising Star
| style="text-align: center;" |Chittara Star Awards
| style="text-align: center;" |''[[Birbal Trilogy]]''
| style="text-align: center;" |Chittara Rising star award
| {{Won}}
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |2023
| style="text-align: center;" |Most Entertaining star of the year
| style="text-align: center;" |Chithra Santhe Awards
| style="text-align: center;" |''[[Old Monk (film)|Old Monk]]''
| style="text-align: center;" |Chithra Santhe Most Entertaining star of the year
| {{Won}}
|-
| rowspan="3" style="text-align: center;" |2024
| style="text-align: center;" |Best Director – Critics
| style="text-align: center;" |Chithra Santhe Awards
| style="text-align: center;"rowspan="3"|''[[Ghost (2023 film)|Ghost]]''
| Chithra Santhe Best Director – Critics
| {{Won}}
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Best Director
| style="text-align: center;" |[[South Indian International Movie Awards]]
|| Best Director
| {{Nominated}}
|-
|style="text-align: center;" |Best Director
| style="text-align: center;" |[[International Indian Film Academy Awards]]
| Best Director
| {{Nominated}}
|-
|}

== Filmography ==
=== As an actor ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Year
! Film
! Role
!Notes
!{{Tooltip|Ref.|References}}
|-
| rowspan="3" |2010
|''[[Just Maath Maathalli]]''
|Tanu's brother
|
|
|-
|''[[Chirru]]''
| Chirru's friend
|Credited as Srini Dilip
|
|-
|''[[Simply Kailawesome]]''
|[[T. P. Kailasam]]
|Short film
|
|-
|2017
|''[[Srinivasa Kalyana]]''
|Srinivas aka Lakshmi Kantha Baalu
|
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2019
|''[[Birbal Trilogy]]''
|Mahesh Das
|
|
|-
|[[Ranganayaki (2019 film)|''Ranganayaki'']]
|Krishna Murthy
|
|
|-
|2021
|''[[Old Monk (film)|Old Monk]]''
|Appanna / [[Narada]]
|
|<ref name="auto1">{{cite web|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/kannada/2020/feb/12/srinivas-to-start-shooting-for-old-monk-from-today--2102113.html|title=Srinivas to start shooting for 'Old Monk' from today |website=Indian Express|date=12 February 2020 |accessdate=5 September 2020}}</ref>
|-
|2023
| ''[[Ghost (2023 film)|Ghost]]''
| rowspan="2" |Mahesh Das
|
|<ref name="auto">{{Cite news |date=15 November 2022 |title=Kannada director Sreeni on the movie 'Ghost' |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/mg-srinivas-on-ghost-it-has-nothing-to-do-with-the-paranormal/article66086211.ece |access-date=21 July 2023 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
|-
|{{TBA}}
|{{Pending film|[[Birbal Trilogy Case 2: Avrn bitt, Ivrn bitt, Ivryaru?]]}}
|Filming ||
|-
|}

=== As a director ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!rowspan=2|Year
!rowspan=2| Film
! colspan="2" |Credit as
!rowspan=2| Notes
!rowspan=2|{{Tooltip|Ref.|References}}
|-
!Director
!Writer
|-
|2010
|''[[Simply Kailawesome]]''
|{{yes}} ||{{yes}}
|Short film
|
|-
|2013
|''[[Topiwala]]''
|{{yes}} ||{{no}}
|
|
|-
|2017
|''[[Srinivasa Kalyana]]''
|{{yes}} ||{{yes}}
|
|
|-
|2019
|''[[Birbal Trilogy]]''
|{{yes}} ||{{yes}}
|
|
|-
|2021
|''[[Old Monk (film)|Old Monk]]''
|{{yes}} ||{{yes}}
|Also co-produced the film
|<ref name="auto1" />
|-
|2023
| ''[[Ghost (2023 film)|Ghost]]''
|{{yes}} ||{{yes}}
|
|<ref name="auto" />
|-
|{{TBA}}
|{{Pending film|[[Birbal 2]]}}
|{{yes}} ||{{yes}}
|Filming ||
|-
|TBA
|{{Pending film|[[A for Anand]]}}
|{{yes}}||{{No}}
|Announced
|
|-
||TBA
|{{Pending film|Dalavayi}}
|{{yes}}||{{No}}
|Announced
|
|-
||TBA
|{{Pending film|Ghost 2}}
|{{yes}}||{{No}}
|Announced
|
|-
|}

== Business ventures ==
In 2024, Srini founded AI Samhitha, a company specializing in voice cloning technology.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ghost director MG Srinivas launches voice cloning |url=https://www.ottplay.com/news/ghost-director-mg-srinivas-launches-voice-cloning/f7b704498a997 |access-date=10 March 2025 |website=OTTPlay |language=en}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb name|id=nm4297037}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Srini}}
[[Category:Kannada film directors]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1984 births]]

M. G. Srinivas - Revision history

Sunking at 23:21, 7 April 2026