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Srutika/Tika

@chandrakari

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Doctor turned clown. Award-winning disappointment to Malayali parents. Spiritually NJ, culturally TO.
Santosh’s manager @san.t0sh_c00lguy.tosh1

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In February I made an animated short film for the @canfilmfest @firecrackerdept Comedy Ignitor challenge. In this month long challenge you are given a few prompts, four weeks and a deadline to make something funny on screen. I decided to animate a short film about a pair of tumblr-era galaxy pants/leggings going through an existential crisis. The pants are played by one of the many funny and kind humans I met on my artist journey @blemilybleffers , who so graciously shared their bottomless talent to the role.

I am honoured to announce that with eight other films, Galaxy Pants has been chosen to be screened at the Comedy Ignitor Showcase next week.

Making an animated film in a month is in retrospect very very ambitious. Especially since I was learning how to animate this way (shout out to @procreate for procreate dreams) while making it. But despite it all, I had fun bringing this into the world. I learned a lot, espically about my storytelling tastes and sensibilities. Animating is tedious, but creating this brought me immense joy. It also made me reflect on my influences. Anime and all the clown classes I took @sweetactiontheatre very much shaped how this turned out.

Slides:
1-the poster!
2-the hand drawn story board done in anime storyboard templates. I did this before I wrote the script.
3- the animatic! To figure out timing with the audio
4 - @blemilybleffers very funny impression of a pair of pants ugly crying while in a washing machine
5 - vintage shoujo manga as the visual inspiration. This is from my copy of a Hagio Moto work
6- music was basically my voice layered with reverb to give haunted choir or Y2K harmonies
7,8,9 - procreate clips

Credits:
Written, directed, animated by Srutika Sabu (me) @chandrakari

Starring @blemilybleffers as Galaxy Pants

Music also by me @chandrakari taken in Toronto Canada by @chandrakari

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6 months ago

2025 when I officially became a ✨multidisciplinary artist✨ or rather the year I felt comfortable calling myself this without some part of caveat.

The first half of the year was DIY theatre school through the creative producer’s unit @paprikafestival shout out to the amazing paprika team and unit facilitator @fatumaadar and mentors @qucollective ! I got to create and perform a show while discovering my taste and style. So many people told me how loved they were by the vulnerability of my Paprika show—very validating.

I also got to be part of @buddiesto ECU with amazing fellow artists @emilyduckett_ and @loosetomato under the thoughtful guidance of @theamandacordner and mentor turned friend @soleahm. I really powered up as a performer through this. And the show I created through this really clarified a lot.

There were so many adventures and side quests:
@factorytheatre ‘s TEPs training program and working fellow talented artists also trying to figure things out.
Getting to perform @tosketchfest
A film I worked on last year by pure chance got into tiff this year (shout out to fellow ambitious kind human @alisonkayealmeida)
Getting to be a judge for the @toronto_fringe @wtfestivalto award
Getting my first Canada council grant
Writing a musical on casteism with @hrh_anand_rajaram as dramaturge and mentor
Going to my first Edinburgh Fringe
Getting to do my first commercial gig
Getting to be featured in a @cbcarts article and be consulted for the arts forecast
Meeting character sketch teachers irl
(There’s probably a lot I forgot)

Special shout out to my family, found family and friends and mentors such as @5onthe5 who is a big sister to me, @thekenhall whose patience and care nurtured my artistry, @fatma.fatma.fatma.fatma who is my art tiger mom, @j0hnnyfantast1c and the weirdos of the @sweetactiontheatre community, @amruthakris and @mahdacious and @emilia.mich who are such a joy to play and create with. by @chandrakari

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9 months ago

Midnight w/ a moon star sorceress 🌘🌟🔮

I took these last year as a Halloween costume of sorts. Used my old but reliable iPhone 11 and some led lights to take photos that play with contrast and lights reflecting off my skin. I remember this taking a very long time because I was blind sans glasses and could barely see the monitor of what I was taking a photo off (the screen mirroring feature comes in handy). Modeling is hard.

#melanin #darkskin #southasianactors #southasian #halloweenmakeup #halloween #darkandlovely by @chandrakari

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2 years ago

Congrats to Sara Jade Alfaro-Dehghani, Srutika Sabu, Jaskaran Singh, Claudine Yip, and Mayumi Yoshida on being selected for the inaugural Reel Asian TV Writing Program!

Over the next several months, they’ll receive script development mentorship, workshops and speaker sessions, industry access, a table read opportunity at our festival, and more.

👉Explore their projects at reelasian.com/tvwriting-participants by @chandrakari

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23 days ago

@humuslayer and I driving around Philly commenting on a nearby furry convention.

@alinasj88 and I getting harassed by Philly geese

AmERICA and Philly Chinatown

Pasta themed tarot cards reading us to filth (shout out to @5onthe5 for encouraging me to buy it during a Hamilton trip)

Philly walks with old and new friends and a toddler destined to be a theatre kid.

The first time I was helping people move. Ended the trip helping more people move. I impressed people with my upper body strength.

Philly is the land of murals and this mural talked about Indigenous land and climate justice on Turtle Island for everyone.

deity of safe car rides

Visiting my second home

Best friend time ❤️❤️❤️

(Central) NJ nights

The duality of America in an 100 year old NJ dinner.

Kollywood for @san.t0sh_c00lguy.tosh1 inspo

“normalizing hitting the curb”

No drama skateboard in Philly

Gotham Batman tower in Philly

Two of my platonic loves

No veg biriyani in NJ

AMERICA part 2

Philly sunset by @chandrakari

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2 months ago

AWARD-WINNING SUCCESS! Santosh Santosh the 2026 @toronto_fringe has come to an end and a winner of @wtfestivalto Strange Maker Award. This would have not been possible without Team Tosh.
@soleahm @lucas_ttm_ming @meryldianne @tdalvi @kevinangelus

This show was developed in the @buddiesto ‘s ECU 2025 under the patient and whimsical direction of @theamandacordner in the many rehearsals with fellow ECU @loosetomato @emilyduckett_ (the clips in the blue dress is where the Tesla fucking sequence first came alive. Also the last clip where Amanda suggested I have a strict choreo for Hustle! grind! mindset! ). Without the ECU this show and this award would not be possible. I truly grew as an artist and performer.

I would like to thank all the clown teachers and mentors who so kindly encouraged me and invested in me even when I was painful to watch on stage. @thekenhall @j0hnnyfantast1c @isaackessler and of course @houseofbigd who without Santosh Santosh would have never been born. Shout out to @sweetactiontheatre

I would like to also thank @just_a_turd for so patiently indulging me in making fake Tosh podcast clips. Sometimes we struck gold. Working with him was a joy and fun and pushed me to write more, write faster, write better and flesh out Tosh’s world further. I learned so much from this funny funny human!

Thank you to @projectfourpr for publicity and investing in me and reminding me that I am a legit artist even if I add caveats everytime I say I am.

And finally, thank you to friends and family. Special shout out to @_dei_ali_ abhi, asaap family, @humuslayer and @alinasj88 and all the talented ass people I got to perform and make art with and just power up as an artist: @mahdacious @emilia.mich @amruthakris . Notably @rtay24 who saw me in improv 1 and the disaster I was to now. Every year I make art with community I am enriched spiritually. I am reminded that I am meant to be here even though I don’t know where all this leads.

Do I still have thoughts that maybe I should have stuck with being a doctor instead of a theatre artist or clown? Maybe. But I sober up quickly when I remember just how much more joy and purpose I have in my life now. by @chandrakari

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3 months ago

Rave reviews by @thegrindarts for Strange Maker Award show 1 Santosh Santosh 2 Go: Live at Grind Con! Congratulations to @chandrakari on a great fringe run! by @chandrakari

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3 months ago

Why you should watch 1 Santosh 2 Go: Live at Grind-Con! Come for the immersive LinkedIn influencer conference experience, stay for the car fucking which has been described as beautiful physical theatre.

1 Santosh Santosh 2 Go write a be performed by @chandrakari @san.t0sh_c00lguy.tosh1
Directed by @soleahm
Produced by @meryldianne
Stage managed by @lucas_ttm_ming
Lighting design by @tdalvi

Photos by @seyamo_

#cringe #torontotheatre #fringeisfunny clown by @chandrakari

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3 months ago

Only 5 shows left!!!! Tosh may be a Mallu uncle but luckily he knows his taste in Kollywood music and aspirations to be a Tamil Masala film action star will also resonate with the Tamil community.

Tosh paid his nibbling $20 bucks to follow him in a parking lot one afternoon.

Tosh’s official Tamil VO @kevinangelus

1 Santosh Santosh 2 Go write a be performed by @chandrakari @san.t0sh_c00lguy.tosh1
Directed by @soleahm
Produced by @meryldianne
Stage managed by @lucas_ttm_ming
Lighting design by @tdalvi

#brownuncle #torontotheatre #fringeisfunny #clown #drag by @chandrakari

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3 months ago

@chandrakari is featured in @eulaliemagazine where she discusses bringing 1 Santosh Santosh 2 Go to the 2026 @toronto_fringe and the inspiration behind the hilarious new comedy.

Catch 1 Santosh Santosh 2 Go at the Toronto Fringe Festival, running till July 12 at Sweet Action Theatre. by @chandrakari

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3 months ago

7 more shows to go!!! He can’t speak a lick of Malayalam, but he paid a cousin to dub his video for the community.

Shout out to my bestie @humuslayer for subbing this ridiculous man

1 Santosh Santosh 2 Go: Live at Grind-con!
1 Santosh Santosh 2 Go write a be performed by @chandrakari @san.t0sh_c00lguy.tosh1
Directed by @soleahm
Produced by @meryldianne
Stage managed by @lucas_ttm_ming
Lighting design by @tdalvi

#genz #torontotheatre #fringeisfunny #clown #drag

[satire, podcast-bro, parody, sketch comedy, Kerala, South Indian, model minority myth, Malayali, Tamil, characters, Brampton, Mississauga, Scarborough, Edison New Jersey, Rutgers, Waterloo, South Asian diaspora, queer art, brown uncle, desi uncle, drunk uncle at the wedding, South India,] taken in Greater Toronto Area by @chandrakari

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3 months ago

Get your tickets!!!!! We open tomorrow!!We really need to sell these tickets. Or come see him during one of many shows @toronto_fringe.

Directed and edited by @just_a_turd
Written by @chandrakari
Nouri AI couples therapist bro played by @mahdacious
Santosh Santosh aka Tosh played by @san.t0sh_c00lguy.tosh1 @chandrakari

Hustle! Grind! Mindset! You can watch your favourite tech, bro, thought-leader, second-hand Tesla owner live at the Toronto fringe Theatre festival @toronto_fringe this July. He’ll be live at Grind-Con doing a live episode of his almost-award winning podcast Second-hand Success! Ticket link in the bio.

#torontotheatre #fringeisfunny #bayarea #podcastclip #drag

[satire, podcast-bro, parody, tech-evangelism, techno-feudalism, sketch comedy, Kerala, South Indian, model minority myth, Malayali, Tamil, etsy witch, tarot, astrology girlies, drag king, masculinity crisis, male loneliness epidemic, disappointed Indian parents, desi, ancestors, abcd, Elon musk, Sam Altman, clown, pride, immigration, characters, Brampton, Mississauga, Scarborough, Edison New Jersey, Rutgers, Waterloo, South Asian diaspora, queer art, brown uncle, desi uncle, drunk uncle at the wedding, South India, Pune, Bengaluru] taken in Greater Toronto Area by @chandrakari

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3 months ago