Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hyderabadi

HYDERABAD: If you’ve spotted a handsome, desi-looking man in the ad of an international airline or a computer firm, chances are he is Mahesh Sriram from Hyderabad. A Nizam College and OU campus management grad, Mahesh who grew up loving chai, biskut aur biryani in Himayath Nagar, is now happpily pursuing a career in global modelling and acting landscape. 

He is currently excited about the release of his new music video titled Aye Meri Jaan released in November 2020, a music video project where the  ‘pandemic’ is highlighted as the subject. 

“We have all gone through separation, pain, or the loss of our loved ones. True love endures through the test of time. “Aye Meri Jaan” showcases how true love is abiding, unflinching and unconditional while transcending the test of time. During our most challenging moments, if we are anchored in a relationship that has withstood challenges, then that very same love is what will sustain us as we all battle this pandemic. I would like to say that true love stories never have endings,” he says.  

“My current music video is a Bollywood song in which I play the lead role,” says the model and aspiring actor. He believes that being able to speak Telugu, Hindi, Tamil and Bengali gives him an edge over others. 

“My journey into the industry began during my college days when I was spotted by fashion photographers in Hyderabad. After winning several fashion awards, I made my debut as a print model and was featured in several marketing campaigns, fashion photo shoots and runway assignments. This quickly escalated into becoming a well-known face in magazines and billboards for several local and global brands. My experience as a fashion model in India helped me to understand the requirements in the US market. This ability to transfer my international knowledge in the industry led to major runway assignments and commercial films in the global market in the US.” 

A few of those assignments for international brands include Dell Technologies, Verizon Wireless, Dell EMC, Hewlett-Packard, United Airlines, Intel etc. How different is modelling in India from that of shooting abroad? Is there a stark change in ethics and the final quality? 

“Modelling here in the US has been a great learning process for me, especially on the international projects. It is important that in any field, we are constantly updating our knowledge to remain competitive. As such, I underwent special training and have consistently been able to maintain my own high standards as a result. The major difference between modelling in India and in the US is that the approach is well structured in the US,” he replies.

“I feel fortunate to work on international projects in the US and will always stick to my roots. I enjoy working on Indian projects too whenever the opportunity presents itself,” Mahesh adds. Apart from the commercials/print ads,  he is currently filming for an English film where he is playing one of the lead actors. His next film project, which is based on a real story, will start in 2021 in the US, he informs. Mahesh lives at Texas in the US, and apart from modelling and acting, he works with a production studio on animation projects. He is involved in training and mentoring, too.

Does social media play a big role in an artiste’s career? “Social media does enable us to be seen on many platforms, opens the doors to a wider audience and provides us an opportunity to showcase true authentic work. There have been several situations where I have received offers of work through my social media network,” says the Hyderabadi NRI.  

— Manju Latha Kalanidhi
 kalanidhi@newindianexpress.com
 @mkalanidhi