Ep. 90: How I Healed Back Pain

Sri Rao is a writer-director-producer based in New York City. He has created and sold numerous TV pilots in both network and cable television, spanning drama as well as comedy. Recent credits include dramas Alpha/Omega to BBC America, White House Affairs to NBC (with Craig Zadan & Neil Meron), Courtesan to Universal (with director Shekhar Kapur), The Black Widow to NBC, and comedy S.O.B. to ABC (with Kelly Ripa). His previous pilot sales include musical dramedy I Am Not Myself These Days to Bravo (with Darren Star) and drama U.N. to Fox.

Sri began his career in New York’s indie film and theater scene. His first professional production as writer-director was the play, Precipice, which premiered at NY Performance Works before transferring to LA’s Greenway Court Theater. Sri then adapted Precipice into the pilot, Quarter Life, before going on to write and direct the indie film, Tuesday.

His early work led to a career in television, beginning with the drama series, What Goes On, which Sri created for TeenNick. In addition to serving as Executive Producer/Showrunner, Sri wrote and directed most of the 10 episodes in the show’s first season. Moreover, Sri’s production company acted as the independent studio on the series, creating a 50,000-square-foot soundstage in Philadelphia to successfully leverage Pennsylvania’s film tax credit. Sri oversaw all aspects of production – from negotiating Union contracts to managing the production budget, payroll, production and post – all while guiding a writing staff of seven writers.

On the motion picture side, Sri’s production company has produced two major Bollywood films for India’s largest and most well-respected studio, Yash Raj Films. The movies, New York and Badmaash Company, were filmed in the United States for a global market. Sri and his team managed an international cast and crew, including A-list Indian talent such as Irrfan Khan of Slumdog Millionaire and Life of Pi.

In addition to his unique production experience, Sri has a keen eye for story and crafting characters, plot, and drama – as demonstrated by his stint as Head Writer for the primetime soap, General Hospital: Night Shift. Sri oversaw a writing staff of eight writers and under his direction, the show was nominated for 11 Soap Opera Spirit Awards, including Best Head Writer.

In the unscripted arena, Sri directed and produced the docudrama pilot, U. of Fashion for MTV, as well as webisodes for TVLand’s High School Reunion.

Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Sri is an honors graduate of The Wharton School of the University of PA. He is represented by CAA.