Srujan Lokesh, son of veteran actor late Lokesh, who has been in the industry for decades and made his mark as an actor and entertainer, and on small screen, is now stepping into direction with his debut film GST, set for a November 28 release. At the film’s trailer launch, his mother and veteran actress Girija Lokesh couldn’t hide her joy or the pride that came with seeing her son take on a new creative chapter. “I’m very happy that my son has directed so well. As a director, I want Srujan to grow to the level of Upendra.”
The trailer of GST was launched in the presence of Upendra, making the moment even more symbolic for the Lokesh family. Speaking about Srujan’s leap into filmmaking, Girija Lokesh reflected on how the signs were always there.
“This is my son’s first attempt at direction. After watching 600 episodes of his Majaa Talkies, I always felt direction comes naturally to him,” she shared. “When he narrated the story to Sandesh and later to his father, they trusted him and came forward to produce it. I believe my son has lived up to that trust — you can see it in the trailer. As a mother, I feel extremely proud. I want him to grow to the level where Upendra stands today, as a filmmaker. And if he grows as an actor, he should work with directors like Upendra. I bless him for that.”
For Girija Lokesh, the pride also comes from a long family legacy in Kannada cinema.
“No matter what the role is, a director plays the most important part. Every character should stay in the audience’s memory, and my son has created such characters,” she said. “Another thing I’m proud of is that so many ‘firsts’ in Kannada cinema have come from the Subbayya Naidu family — the first hero, the first background singer, the first dubbing, and Lokesh was the first to receive the highest remuneration of that time. And now, with the fourth generation entering cinema, I feel even prouder.”
While GST is being promoted as a comedy, Girija Lokesh highlighted that the heart of the film lies in its emotion.
“This is not just a comedy film. It has a strong mother–son sentiment,” she said. “The portions of Srujan, Ashok and Vinaya Prasad are so impactful that you feel like getting angry just by looking at Ashok that is how well he’s performed the father’s role. And Vinaya Prasad has carried the mother’s role with such depth that no mother would want her son to go through those situations. She has portrayed it beautifully.”
GST brings together a strong ensemble featuring Srujan Lokesh, Rajani Bharadwaj, Girija Lokesh, Vinaya Prasad, Niveditha Gowda, and Ashok Shobaraj, among others.