Kailash Surendranath

  1. Home
  2. Wiki

Kailash Surendranath
Kailash Surendranath wearing a navy blue suit and white shirt, standing against a marble-textured background, smiling confidently.
Born (1950-06-24) 24 June 1950 (age 75)
EducationSt. Xavier's College (BS, Physics and Mathematics)
Occupations
SpouseAarti Gupta Surendranath
FatherSurendra

Kailash Surendranath (born June 24, 1950) is an Indian advertisement filmmaker, director, and producer.[1]

He has directed over 6,000 television commercials over several decades, and has also worked on numerous films promoting national integration.[2] In 1986, he directed Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, a short film that aimed at promoting India's "unity in diversity", as part of a trilogy produced for Doordarshan's Lok Seva Sanchaar initiative.[3][4]

In 2022, Surendranath directed Har Ghar Tiranga, his fifth national integration film,[2] commissioned by the Ministry of Culture as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav campaign commemorating the 75th anniversary of Indian independence.[5]

Surendranath has directed numerous well-known television advertisements, including the Liril commercial featuring Karen Lunel,[6][7] the Nirma ad campaigns,[8] the Glucose-D advertisement[9] featuring Amjad Khan, and the Campa Cola[10] advertisement featuring Salman Khan[11] and Aarti Gupta Surendranath.

He also directed the 2001 romantic comedy Love You Hamesha, featuring music composed by A. R. Rahman.[12][13]

Early life and background

[edit]

Surendranath was born and brought up in Bombay, India (now Mumbai). From 1970 to 1974, he pursued higher education at St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Physics and Mathematics.

His father, Surendra, a singer and actor from the Golden Age of Indian cinema, who appeared in numerous Bollywood classics.[14]

Career

[edit]

Surendranath began working in filmmaking and advertising at the age of 17.[15] In a 1976 India Today feature titled “Hustler at Home,” he reported having completed approximately 30 advertisement films by the age of 26, including the national integration short film Sita Salim. He said that he left college to pursue advertising full-time and had proved a reputation in the industry prior to 1975.[16]

Advertisements

[edit]

Liril (Early 1970s)

[edit]

In the early 1970s, Kailash Surendranath directed one of India's most well-known television advertisements—the Liril soap commercial for Hindustan Unilever. The ad featured Karen Lunel under a waterfall, symbolizing freshness and freedom, and was shot across multiple locations including Tiger Falls in Kodaikanal, Ooty, and Khandala. These visuals, set to a memorable jingle, introduced a bold aesthetic that departed from more conventional-branded storytelling of the time. [17] The commercial also helped establish Surendranath's reputation in the advertising industry.[18]

Britannia Glucose-D (1976)

[edit]

In 1976, Surendranath directed a Britannia Glucose-D commercial featuring Amjad Khan, famously known for his role as Gabbar Singh, a popular Bollywood villain.[19] This advertisement was Khan's first commercial, marking a significant moment in Indian advertising history and highlighting the early use of celebrities to endorse products.[20]

Nirma (1980s)

[edit]

In the early 1980s, following an initial advertisement by filmmaker Subhash Ghai, Surendranath supervised and directed a series of Nirma washing powder commercials.[21] These advertisements featured the widely recognized "Washing Powder Nirma" jingle and promoted the product's affordability and cleaning effectiveness. The early version of the advertisement featured one of the top actresses of the time, Sangeeta Bijlani. The campaign coincided with the brand's rise in popularity by 1985.[22]

In the late 1990s, he directed Nirma Beauty Soap commercials starring actress Sonali Bendre, with a jingle sung by Hariharan and Kavita Krishnamurthy. Running on cinema and TV for 12 years from 1997 to 2009, it became one of Nirma's most successful campaigns.[23]

Other advertisements

[edit]

Throughout his career, Surendranath directed advertisements for several major Indian brands, including Thums Up, Amul, Rasna, and Cinthol.

In 1978, he directed one of India's earliest celebrity-sports person commercials for Thums Up, featuring Sunil Gavaskar, Sandeep Patil, and Ravi Shastri. The ad included scenes of the cricketers interacting with the product as part of the storyline.

National Integration Films

[edit]

Sita Aur Saleem (1970s)

[edit]

Surendranath directed Sita Aur Saleem, a national integration film produced for the Films Division of India.[24] The film focused on social themes related to national unity and was recognized within film circles for its thematic emphasis on social issues.

Torch of Freedom (1984)

[edit]

Surendranath directed Torch of Freedom, also known as Freedom Run, the first in a trilogy of films promoting national unity. [25] The film featured prominent Indian sports figures across the nation, including cricketers K Srikkanth, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi (Tiger Pataudi, who appeared with his daughter Soha Ali Khan), Kapil Dev, and Sunil Gavaskar. Athletes Milkha Singh, P.T. Usha, Shiny Abraham, and Adille Sumariwalla, as well as footballers PK Banerjee, Chuni Goswami, and Jarnail Singh, were also part of the cast. Other prominent sports figures included tennis players Ramanathan Krishnan and Ramesh Krishnan, swimmer Taranath Shenoy, billiards player Michael Ferreira, hockey players Balbir Singh and Mervyn Fernandis, basketball player Abbas Moontasir, and badminton player Prakash Padukone.[26]

The soundtrack, composed by Louis Banks, included a partial rendition of India’s national anthem. This inclusion initially faced resistance from Doordarshan. However, then-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi approved its use.[26]

Mile Sur Mera Tumhara (1986)

[edit]

In 1986, Surendranath conceptualised and produced Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, aimed at showcasing India's cultural and linguistic diversity. Created in collaboration with Suresh Mullick and along with his team, developed the concept of a song presented in multiple languages which was then performed by various public figures including actors Kamal Haasan, Amitabh Bachchan, Mithun Chakraborty, Jeetendra, Waheeda Rehman, Hema Malini, Tanuja, Sharmila Tagore and Shabana Azmi; dancer Mallika Sarabhai; cartoonist Mario Miranda; filmmaker Mrinal Sen; authors Sunil Gangopadhyay and Annada Shankar Ray; singers and musicians M. Balamuralikrishna, Lata Mangeshkar, Suchitra Mitra and Kavita Krishnamurthy; sportsmen Narendra Hirwani, S Venkataraghavan, Prakash Padukone, Ramanathan Krishnan and many more.[27]

The soundtrack, composed by Louis Banks, incorporated elements of Hindustani classical music. The music was adapted into various regional languages, including Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu, with new musical arrangements created for each language. Surendranath proposed incorporating strains of the national anthem, which was initially met with reservations from Doordarshan but later approved by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.[28]

Surendranath and his team encountered challenges assembling the personalities, as some were unavailable. Yet, many agreed to participate due to the success of Spread the Light of Freedom in the previous year.[29] Upon its release on Independence Day, the film garnered widespread attention. It has been often described in Indian media as “India's second national anthem,” and is regarded as a prominent cultural work associated with national integration.[30]

Desh Raag (1988)

[edit]

The final film in the trilogy, Desh Raag, focused on India's classical music and dance heritage through the Desh Raag. Broadcast on Doordarshan, the film featured an ensemble of renowned musicians, including Ravi Shankar (sitar), Shivkumar Sharma (santoor), Hariprasad Chaurasia (flute), Ram Narayan (sarangi), Zakir Hussain and Alla Rakha (tabla), Lalgudi Jayaraman (violin), and M. Balamuralikrishna (vocals).[31]

The production also showcased vocalists like Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and classical dance forms such as Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Manipuri, Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, and the folk tradition of Kalbelia.[32]

As the trilogy films were conducted in the pre-internet era, it required extensive coordination through letters and trunk calls to bring together the diverse cast across India.[33]

Har Ghar Tiranga Campaign (2022)

[edit]

In 2022, Surendranath was commissioned by the Ministry of Culture to direct a film for Har Ghar Tiranga, a national campaign launched under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, to commemorate 75 years of the country's independence. The film encouraged citizens to hoist the national flag on their homes, vehicles, and public spaces.[34] The film was co-directed by his son, Angadveer Surendranath, and produced by Aarti Surendranath. It was released around India's Independence Day in that year.[35]

The Ministry of Culture facilitated key permissions and granted access to important locations. The campaign anthem, sung by Sonu Nigam, Asha Bhosle, and Amitabh Bachchan, featured prominent personalities from various fields, including Kapil Dev, Virat Kohli, Anupam Kher, Anushka Sharma, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Keerthy Suresh, Prabhas, Mirabai Chanu, Mithali Raj, Neeraj Chopra, and Mary Kom.[36]

Nurturing early talent

[edit]

Surendranath has been involved in launching early careers in the Indian entertainment and advertising industries. Several actors appeared on screen for the first time under Surendranath's direction. Notably, Salman Khan featured in a Campa Cola advertisement in the early 1980s, one of his earliest roles prior to entering Indian cinema. [37][38] Jackie Shroff featured in a Cadbury Drinking Chocolate ad,[39] Arjun Rampal appeared in a denim campaign,[40] and Aishwarya Rai starred in a fairness cream commercial alongside Mahima Chaudhry.[41]

Additionally, Surendranath provided early industry exposure to Ekta Kapoor, who interned with him at the age of 15, gaining experience in filmmaking and advertising. This internship preceded her later work at Balaji Telefilms.[42]

Personal life

[edit]

Kailash Surendranath is married to Aarti Gupta Surendranath, a former model and actress, who later worked alongside him as a producer after their marriage in 1985. She has also been involved in animal welfare, environmental advocacy, and event organisation.[43] They have two children. They have two children: their son, Angadveer Surendranath, is a director who co-directed the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign and worked on the Bollywood film Race 3[35] and their daughter, Kshiraja Surendranath, is a classical Odissi dancer.[44]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Harneet Singh (27 April 2002). "Arti Surendranath: Up, close and personal". Times of India. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Independence Day Special: Har Ghar Tiranga Creator Kailash Surendranath Shares His Journey". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  3. ^ "Sachin roped in for new Mile Sur Mera Tumhara". The Hindu. 8 February 2010. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  4. ^ Deol, Taran (10 October 2020). "Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, an advertisement for unity in diversity and India's unofficial anthem". ThePrint. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  5. ^ PTI (2 August 2022). "Govt to honour Tricolour designer P Venkayya, launch Har Ghar Tiranga anthem & video". ThePrint. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  6. ^ www.ETBrandEquity.com. ""Liril transformed my life completely," says former Liril girl, Karen Lunel Hishey - ET BrandEquity". ETBrandEquity.com. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  7. ^ BS50, B.S. News. "40 Years Ago...and now: Liril Girl showed how to target a state of mind". www.business-standard.com. Archived from the original on 18 May 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ Venkatesh, Mahua (13 January 2019). "Liril and Lalitaji: A tale of two ads and how they captured India's attention". ThePrint. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  9. ^ "Gabbar the first villain to be ambassador". CNN-IBN. Archived from the original on 19 January 2015. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  10. ^ www.ETBrandEquity.com. "When Campa Cola gave Salman Khan his first break - ET BrandEquity". ETBrandEquity.com. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  11. ^ Feb, Mumbai Mirror / Updated; MM; Ist, Mumbai mirror. "Salman Khan revisits old days with ad-filmmaker friend Kailash Surendranath at Mehboob Studio". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  12. ^ "Kailash Surendranath". Sify. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  13. ^ "Kailash Surendranath awarded for Phir Mile Sur video". Times of India. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  14. ^ "It's going to be an incredible future; stay relevant to be part of it: Kailash Surendranath at BrandSutra Annual Lecture". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  15. ^ "BrandSutra Annual Lecture: What sets adman Kailash Surendranath apart from the rest". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  16. ^ "I prefer classical dances, they have much more finesse: Kieil Djenev". India Today. 15 April 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
  17. ^ Susan Pinto, Viveat. "40 Years Ago and now: The Liril Girl showed how to target a state of mind". ETBrandEquity.com. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  18. ^ "50 Years On, How Liril And Karen Lunel Changed Indian Advertising". www.ndtv.com. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  19. ^ www.ETBrandEquity.com. "Glucose-D: When Gabbar's asli pasand became every child's favourite - ET BrandEquity". ETBrandEquity.com. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  20. ^ "Gabbar the first villain to be ambassador - IBNLive". archive.ph. 19 January 2015. Archived from the original on 19 January 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  21. ^ www.ETBrandEquity.com. "How Nirma connected with Bharat - ET BrandEquity". ETBrandEquity.com. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
  22. ^ Krishnan, Revathi (28 November 2021). "'Washing powder Nirma, washing powder Nirma': A simple jingle that became earworm for millions". ThePrint. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
  23. ^ Anand, Vejay (13 July 2021). "Iconic Ads: Nirma Beauty Soap - Saundarya Sabun Point of View". Point of View. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
  24. ^ "Kailash Surendranath | Producer, Director, Writer". IMDb. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  25. ^ Anand, Vejay (9 July 2021). "Iconic Ads: Spread the Light of Freedom - Torch Point of View". Point of View. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  26. ^ a b John, Geeta (12 August 2021). "The torch song: flashback 34 years". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  27. ^ Kulkarni, Shreyas. "What will it take to create another 'Mile Sur Mera Tumhara'?". www.afaqs.com. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  28. ^ "Blog: Remembering 'Mile sur mera tumhara', the song of united India | Opinion". Campaign India. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  29. ^ Deol, Taran (10 October 2020). "Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, an advertisement for unity in diversity and India's unofficial anthem". ThePrint. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  30. ^ www.ETBrandEquity.com. "Celebrating 35 years of India's second national anthem, 'Mile Sur Mera Tumhara' - ET BrandEquity". ETBrandEquity.com. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  31. ^ "The song that's India: Revisiting Desh Raag". The Indian Express. 14 August 2017. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
  32. ^ Scroll Staff (7 May 2017). "Flashback: When 'Baje Sargam' challenged the popularity of 'Mile Sur Mera Tumhara'". Scroll.in. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
  33. ^ "Mile Sur Mera Tumhara: When 'one melody' instilled nationalistic pride". www.storyboard18.com. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
  34. ^ Standard, B 50. "Business Standard 50".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  35. ^ a b www.ETBrandEquity.com. "'Har Ghar Tiranga' and 'Mile Sur Mera Tumhara': There's really no need to compare, says Kailash Surendranath - ET BrandEquity". ETBrandEquity.com. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  36. ^ https://www.pressreader.com/india/the-free-press-journal/20230815/283029764143775. Retrieved 8 April 2025 – via PressReader. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  37. ^ "Kailash and Arti Surendranth talk about good friend Salman Khan and his rise to super stardom". The Indian Express. 26 October 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  38. ^ "I have been flooded with messages after Salman spoke about me on Koffee with Karan - Kailash Surendranath". www.tellychakkar.com. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  39. ^ www.ETBrandEquity.com. "When chills of Kashmir and steams of Cadbury drinking chocolate came together - ET BrandEquity". ETBrandEquity.com. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  40. ^ "Fotocorp : Arjun Rampal, Rajesh Shringarpure Arjun Rampal hosts screening of film Daddy". www.fotocorp.com. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  41. ^ Team, DNA Web. "Throwback Video: When Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Mahima Chaudhry featured together in fairness cream TVC". DNA India. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  42. ^ "Transformation of Ektaa Kapoor from producing family-oriented to bold content – Bilkul Online". 22 October 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  43. ^ "Over 1,000 Mumbaikars gathered to protest outside the building where Lucky was beaten". The Times of India. 3 August 2019. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  44. ^ "Veteran ad filmmaker Kailash Surendranath's daughter Kshiraja makes her grand solo Manch Pravesh as an accomplished Odissi dancer". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
[edit]