Leadership

Hon'ble Cabinet Minister; Hon'ble Minister for Railways; Information & Broadcasting; Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India.

Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw (born in 1970) is a Member of the Rajya Sabha from Odisha. He served the people of Sundergarh, Balasore, Cuttack, and Goa. He earned a Master’s in Technology from IIT Kanpur and an MBA from Wharton. He brings a combination of skills in technology, finance, and its application to the weakest sections of society. He firmly believes in the philosophy of ‘Antyodaya’, i.e., transforming the lives of the marginalized sections of society.

Hon'ble Minister of State, Petroleum and Natural Gas; Tourism, Government of India.

Shri Suresh Gopinathan, widely known as Suresh Gopi, is an Indian actor, politician, and television presenter. Born on June 26, 1958, in Kollam, Kerala, he has made significant contributions to the Indian entertainment industry and politics.

Shri Suresh Gopi initially gained fame as a versatile actor in the Malayalam film industry. He made his acting debut in the film "Odaruthammava Aalariyam" in 1984 and went on to establish himself as one of the leading actors in the industry. Known for his intense performances, he has acted in numerous successful films across various genres, earning several accolades for his work.

He was elected as a Member of Parliament to the Rajya Sabha in 2016, representing the state of Kerala. His entry into politics brought a new dimension to his public persona, and he has been an influential figure in Kerala's political landscape.

Apart from his work in films and politics, Shri Suresh Gopi has also been associated with television. He has hosted popular shows and has been a familiar face on the small screen.

Shri Suresh Gopi's career is characterized by his ability to excel in diverse fields, showcasing his versatility and commitment. Whether it is delivering powerful performances on the silver screen, actively participating in politics, or engaging audiences on television, Shri Suresh Gopi continues to be a prominent and respected figure in Indian public life.

email: chairman@srfti.ac.in

An alumnus of FTII Pune, Shri Samiran Datta, has 18 years of work experience that includes ten feature films to his credit as DOP, along with several documentaries, AD films, etc. Films shot by him have been showcased in leading international film festivals, including Venice, Rotterdam, Moscow, and Chicago. Four films shot by Shri Samiran Datta have bagged national awards as best film in India and Bangladesh. His nonfiction work has been showcased on the BBC, NGC, CNN, and YLE Thema. ‘Meherjaan’, a fiction feature on the Bangladesh war of independence has won the best cinematography award in the Hobocan International film festival, USA. The same film has also bagged an accolade award for excellence[USA] for best cinematography. Beyond Cinema and Cinematography, Shri Samiran Datta has a keen interest in new media art.

email: director@srfti.ac.in

Shri Vipin Vijay, a multiple award-winning filmmaker, is an alumnus of SRFTI. He has been engaged in his search for new cinematic forms since 2000, working in the domain of creative documentary , film essay, feature film, and video art. He has participated in seminars, conferences, and workshops on various themes related to cinema, visual culture, and pedagogy of cinema, and has taught extensively at national film schools across the country. Also served as an Academic committee member, Board of Studies, University of Calicut, Syllabus Committee Member FTIl Pune, and was a Jury member on several occasions in national and international film festivals. He has made several nationally and internationally acclaimed and awarded non-fiction and fiction works, which were exhibited in film festivals of Rotterdam, Karlovy Vary, Oberhausen, São Paulo, Nantes, Montreal, Japan, Vladivostok, IFFL, IFFK etc. Recipient of film grants from Rotterdam, Gothenburg, Global Film Initiative, PSBT, IGNCA, IFA, etc, his works have also been shown under curatorial programs in art museums like Serpentine Gallery, London, Alserkal Arts Foundation, Dubai, Ullens Centre for Contemporary Art (UGCA), Beijing. He has received International awards, several National Awards, Kerala State Awards, Sanskriti Award for his works. The prestigious Oberhausen International Film Festival, Germany, 2015, honored him with a specially curated retrospective of his works. He was the ‘Film Maker in Focus’ at the IDSFFK, 2017.

email: dean@srfti.ac.in

Shri Deepak Kumar is an engineering graduate who joined the Indian Information Service in 2018. As a civil servant, he has held key positions across various media units under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India.

He served as Assistant Director at DD News, where he was responsible for newsroom operations and programming, and also worked as the Editor-in-Charge of the bilingual news channel. He was later posted to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) as a Reference Officer.

Prior to joining SRFTI, Shri Kumar was posted in Itanagar, where he headed the Regional News Units of Doordarshan and All India Radio.

His diverse experience across broadcasting, institutional administration, and policy communication adds a unique perspective to his role at SRFTI.

email: registrar@srfti.ac.in