Profile of  Chilkuri Sushil Rao, Journalist. 

Chilkuri Sushil Rao from Hyderabad has been a journalist for the last 35 years.  He has been with The Times of India, Hyderabad since its launch in Hyderabad from the year 2000. He is Editor-Special Reports and focuses on covering Defence, Indian diaspora across the world, the Telugu film industry, socially relevant subjects and Telangana state. He has covered several elections during his career as a journalist, including interviewing national leaders and doing investigative reports.

He began his journalism career at the age of 20 in 1988. He is a gold medalist in bachelor’s in Communication and Journalism from the Department of Communication and Journalism, Arts College, Osmania University, Hyderabad. He also did his Master’s in journalism from the same department.

In the socially relevant stories that he has written, Chilkuri Sushil Rao wrote reports highlighting the plight of women trafficked to various countries. Through the intervention of the then Union external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, many could return home to Hyderabad. His writings on the abduction of Indian seafarers by pirates in Nigeria and stranded sailors on ships in various parts of the globe have had a positive impact. The Government of India took measures to rescue them.

Through his writings, Chilkuri Sushil Rao highlights the heroic deeds of common people and highlights their achievements. His focus is also on the under privileged and the helpless highlighting their difficulties so that they receive help. He also does video reports and podcasts for The Times of India where he is currently working.

As one interested in the art of filmmaking, he has educated himself in the subject. He has done an introductory course on films from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune. He has also cone a course on ‘Film Appreciation’ from the Central University of Kerala equipping himself with the knowledge of filmmaking for film criticism. 

Sushil Rao has pursued a four-week certificate course in ‘Discover acting’ offered by the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London, securing 90 per cent marks.

Sushil Rao has successfully completed a course on mobile film making offered by Sundance Collab, Sundance Institute, California.

Chilkuri Sushil Rao has also authored four books. He is also invited as a guest speaker at different functions, including to give talks in universities.

In his career in journalism spanning 35 years, he has worked for five newspapers and has also done television reporting during its infancy in 1996-97. He was also a web journalist right from its initial stages in India during 1998.

Chilkuri Sushil Rao has equipped himself with the knowledge of film-making. 

He has done a course in Film Studies from IIT Madras. 

In addition, he has done a course in Carnatic music from IIT Madras.

He has also successfully pursued a course in Hindustani music from IIT Madras. 

Sushil Rao has studied a course in Incubation and Entrepreneurship from IIT Bombay.

The 55-year-old Sushil Rao continues to pursue studies even as he is engaged in his work as a journalist.

He has studied a course in Philosophy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, US. Sushil Rao has also completed a study in “The Threat of Nuclear Terror” from Stanford University, California, US. 

He has also done a Stanford University Lead Preview course on “Neuroscience and the Connection to Exemplary Leadership.”

Sushil Rao has learnt the art and craft of filmmaking during the four-month ‘Cinepreneur’ course at T-Hub in Hyderabad where start-ups are incubated. The ‘Cinepreneur’ course is on the practical aspects of filmmaking. 

Sushil Rao is currently pursuing a course in “Moral thinking: An introduction to values and ethics” offered by IIT, Kanpur.

 He is also pursuing another NPTEL Online Course titled: “Indian Art: Materials, Techniques And Artistic Practices” offered by IIT, Kanpur. 

A documentary film that he made titled “Kafeel Mujhe India Jaane Do” on the trauma of women trafficked from Hyderabad to the gulf countries was screened at the Paidi Jairaj Preview Theatre at Ravindra Bharathi by the Department of Language and Culture. He has made several home video documentaries since 1998. 

Chilkuri Sushil Rao lives in Hyderabad with his wife Maria Clara, a Batik and Kalamkari artist. His son Nishan Sampreeth Chilkuri lives in London working for The Daily Mail newspaper as a video journalist. Chilkuri Sushil Rao’s family hails from Wangamarthy village in Shaligouraram mandal of Nalgonda district. The village is 20 km from Nakrerkal town in Telangana. 

Born in Hyderabad in 1968, Chilkuri Sushil Rao studied at St Patrick’s High School, Secunderabad, Wesley Boy’s High School, Secunderabad, Wesley Boys’ Junior College, Secunderabad, Badruka College of Commerce, Kachiguda, Hyderabad and at Arts College, Osmania University, Hyderabad. 

A documentary titled “The Great Indian Tamarind Tree” on the tree that saved 150 lives during the 1908 Musi River floods in Hyderabad was selected as an official entry at the 11th Mumbai Shorts International Film Festival in December 2022.  His documentary “India’s GreenHeart – Dusharla Satyanarayana” won the special jury award at the Telangana International Film Festival in Hyderabad in December 2022.  His short documentary “The Great Indian Tamarind” tree was selected as screened as part of the Lift-Off Film Sessions in the UK. 

His documentary "India's GreenHeart Dusharla Satyanarayana" made it to the semi-finals of the Cannes World Film Festival.

Sushil Rao has made a one-hour documentary on his father Chilkuri Samuel in connection with his 100th birth centenary in 2023. The documentary was screened in Wangamarthy village in Nalgonda district. It was also screened in Bengaluru. The title song "Wangamarthy Maa Ooru" in Telugu was picturised at various places including Hollywood, London, Pennsylvania, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Wangamarthy. 

Chilkuri Sushil Rao.

Email: sushilrao1@gmail.com

Twitter: @sushilrTOI

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Linkedin: Sushil Rao Ch

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