Sarath Chandra Sasubilli, a filmmaker from Hyderabad, has won an International Emmy Award in the one-minute creative video category for his short-film Domestic Peace. While he’s the third Indian to win the Emmy award, he’s the first ever Telugu to win the award.
Sarath shares with us his experience at the prestigious Emmy Awards. He speaks about his journey as an aspiring filmmaker from Hyderabad to making India proud on the world stage along with other notable. He says, “My trips — from Hyderabad to New York and then back to Hyderabad — were sponsored by the Emmy organisers though due to some problems at the airport, I arrived a day late to the event. So, I missed my chance to socialise and interact with people and naturally felt quite left out,” recollects Sarath. “Subsequently, I faced troubles in coordinating with people and finding a ride arranged by the management. I remember I just wanted to run back to India once. However, I pulled myself up and presented my film to the jury, which went well.”
The fan boy
Sarath had his fanboy moment when he met his childhood idol, Nawazuddin Siddiqui. “I was feeling out of place, longing to see a familiar face. At that exact moment, I spotted Nawazuddin Siddiqui and I ran up to him,” says Sarath. “As we continued chatting, Vir Das walked in and he made me extremely comfortable, giving me a sense of belonging in a foreign land. He said, ‘Sarath, you’ve already won the award. So, you’re supposed to lead us and not feel left out. We’re always there with you.’ His wife Shivani Mathur was very sweet too, clicking many photos of us together.” It was not only Nawazuddin and Vir but also several other Indians at the Emmys who made Sarath feel at home, he tells us. “I had the pleasure of interacting with Director Ram Madhavan who was there for the nomination of his web series Aarya, international business woman Mrs Kavita Gupta who’d helped me sort out some issues. Overall I’d many good moments and funny conversations with Nawaz bhai especially.” recollects Sarath.
Back home and always grateful
Now back home with the sweet memories and a dream souvenir — a MacBook Pro — as part of the gift hamper from the event sponsors, Sarath is only grateful to everyone and everything that led him up to the moment. “I’m extremely grateful to Michal Grayevsky, the Chairman of JCS International Media in collaboration with Camille Bidermann, CEO of International EMMYs, the sponsors of my award. The gift hamper, comprising the MacBook Pro was like a dream come true, as I’d already been planning to buy a Mac,” says an excited Sarath. Sarath especially has a good word for Camille Bidermann, executive director of the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and her managers. “Whenever there was an issue Camille, who was practically heading the entire Emmys herself, would get on the phone with me and tell me how they’ll take care of everything. Even when there was some trouble with my return flight many people came together to ensure I was sent back to Hyderabad safely,” Sarath remembers. “I’ve immense gratitude for all the wonderful and humble people I met there and created memories with.”
