Surya Balakrishnan

Based in Mumbai

Surya Balakrishnan is the Founder and Director of Footloose Films, a Mumbai-based production company renowned for its evocative storytelling.

Surya's filmmaking journey began during her final year at art school in Bangalore, where she created a documentary for an NGO. This experience ignited her passion for storytelling through film. She further honed her craft at the New York Film Academy, specialising in direction.

With a talent for capturing emotion and delivering projects that resonate with audiences while conveying the brand’s message effectively, Surya has directed campaigns for prominent brands such as Siemens Innovation, Microsoft Teams Birthday, Tata Tea Jaago Re, P&G Shiksha, Airtel 'Udaan', Indian Soccer League Kolkata, Shoppers Stop, Britannia, and Axis Bank, among many others.

Surya has also written and directed two short films and is one of the directors of Train Station, a collaborative feature film created by 40 directors from around the world, which premiered at the Berlin Independent Film Festival in 2018.

Her directorial debut, Right Forward, is a feature documentary that chronicles the journey of a girls' football team from Dharavi to San Francisco, highlighting themes of empowerment and resilience.

She also directed episodes 5 and 7 of Khauf, an Amazon Prime original series that blends horror with social commentary on gendered trauma. Her approach focused on creating atmospheric tension that mirrors the characters’ internal struggles.

Beyond her professional work, Surya is actively involved in social initiatives. She co-founded HOPE, a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting underprivileged communities.

Social Media Handles:

• Instagram - @suryab

• Vimeo - Surya Balakrishnan