Surya Balakrishnan

It is difficult to think of more than ten names of women in ad film directors in the Indian advertising industry. Surya Balakrishnan is one of those stars in the ad film industry. There is no single brand for which she has not made ad films, from Amul to Apple all companies she has worked for. She is a woman with an experience of seven years in this industry at Mumbai.

Since childhood, she has an innate passion for painting, as a consequence, she did her bachelor in fine arts from Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore. Also, Surya had a great influential impact on her mother, who was the principal of the college of social work at Mumbai. In 2007, she decided to design posters and calendars for her final master’s submission. And she was determined towards her decision to make a film about NGOs work, and for that, she took up an internship at a production house to learn the basics. In 2008, she went to the USA to pursue a one year course in filmmaking from Newyork film academy.

After returning, she worked for two years with Buddhayan Mukherji’s little lamb films. Immediately after that, Surya was approached by an NGO that uses sports as a tool for development, and Surya accompanied the girls sent to the states by the NGO who were also being prepared for Olympics 2012. In the states, Surya worked upon her documentary despite all the difficulties; she had the courage and concentration which was required. Surya always said that, documentaries are always like a relationship; you have to be okay with the fact that you may give it everything, and it may still not go anywhere.

Then Surya found ad films comparatively much easier, as they are scripted, and each film she makes is different from the others. But her documentary on Dharavi soccer girls made her jump towards success rapidly. And by 2012, she didn't want to be an assistant director anymore. She never felt discriminated against in the industry because of her gender. There are so many filmmakers, and everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. She used to go to remote areas for the shoot sometimes, and then many a time she was the only woman on the set. Surya Balakrishnan is an excellent example of women empowerment and hard work. She has set an example in the ad film industry that a woman is no less than a man and a woman can be a film director.