Directing

Tharun Bhascker

Born 5 November 1988 · Warangal, Telengana, India · 37

Tharun Bhascker Dhaassyam (born 5 November, 1988) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, actor, and television host who predominantly works in Telugu cinema. He earned a degree in filmmaking from the New York Film Academy. His early directorial work included the short films *Anukokunda*, which screened at the Cannes Film Festival, and *Sainma*. He made his full-length directorial debut with the romantic comedy *Pelli Choopulu* (2016). The film won two National Film Awards, including Best Screenplay (Dialogues) for Bhascker and Best Feature Film in Telugu, as well as the SIIMA Award for Best Debut Director. He later directed *Ee Nagaraniki Emaindhi* (2018), directed the "Ramula" segment in the anthology film *Pitta Kathalu* (2021), and wrote and directed the crime comedy *Keedaa Cola* (2023). As an actor, Bhascker appeared in the biopic *Mahanati* (2018) as Singeetham Srinivasa Rao and played the lead role in the comedy *Meeku Maathrame Cheptha* (2019). He also appeared in *Falaknuma Das* (2019), *Middle Class Melodies* (2020), *Sita Ramam* (2022), *Keedaa Cola* (2023), and the web series *Dhootha* (2023).