Srikanth Bolla: ‘To Me Challenges Are Opportunities!’
In an exclusive interview, Srikanth Bolla, the real life hero of the Netflix biopic ‘Srikanth’ speaks to India Currents about his relationship with President APJ Abdul Kalam, his journey to MIT and the fight for equal education opportunities.
Born blind to a family of farmers in a small village in rural Andhra Pradesh, Srikanth Bolla (SB), CEO of Bollant Industries, faced immense adversities to emerge a successful entrepreneur and an advocate for inclusive education in India. Recently in California to launch Earth Cleanse, his line of sustainable products, and as keynote speaker for Sankara Eye Foundation, USA’s gala, he spoke to Nandita Bose of India Currents (IC) in an exclusive interview- his trademark charm and wit intact – on various issues close to his heart.
IC: You’ve fought for the right of blind students to pursue STEM education in India. Tell us about it.
SB: I always wanted to study science and become an engineer, but the system told me I couldn’t, just because I was blind. I scored over 90% on my SSC exams, so why was I being barred from pursuing science? I took this issue to the High Court and eventually won the right for blind students to pursue STEM education in India. For me, this victory wasn’t just about personal success — it was about creating opportunities for others who may not have the ability to fight for themselves.
38 years of Indian American stories depend on what you do next. Stand with us today.
IC: What was your relationship with President Abdul Kalam like?
SB: I met my role model Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in 2006 when I was 17. The protocol said we couldn’t shake hands with him, but I wanted to do that and perhaps also feel his long silky hair! Soon, the President walked in and briskly asked us what we all wanted to become. And here I went and said, “Sir, I want to become the first blind President of India and want to make India a $5Trillion economy.” I am still committed to that goal. After that, Dr. Kalam became very close to me and we worked together on several projects at the NRSC till he passed away.
IC: What’s your take on Raj Kumar Rao as Srikanth Bolla?
SB: He’s a lovely actor and he has emulated me very well with utmost accuracy and perfection, but after seeing the movie and interacting with me, tell me who looks better, Raj Kumar Rao or me? I really think if there’s a sequel, I should be the one acting in it (laughs)!
IC: How accurate is the reel life of Srikanth Bolla?
SB: I would say 98-99% of it is depicted true to life, other than a little bit of sauce here and there. Devika’s character was inspired by the efforts and sacrifices from all my mentors and teachers over the years, and I was fortunate to have some truly inspiring ones.
IC: What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
SB: While studying in the US, I received a grant from MIT for nonprofit projects. With that, I set up a Braille library and printed Braille books for schools in Hyderabad and Telangana. We also started an audio library and provided rehabilitation and mobility training for the physically challenged. However, one thing we couldn’t provide was employment. At that time, there weren’t many companies willing to hire people with disabilities. So that’s when I thought ‘kitna lad sakte hain? How much should we fight? Why not be the change we want to see?
That’s when we started the company. The mission was to employ disabled people and prove to the world that they could outperform others. Currently about 30% of our employees have some disability. We started in the paper and packaging sector, but the amount of waste we were generating really bothered me. How could we create so much waste without thinking about the environment? So we focused on sustainability, which today is at the core of everything we do.
IC: How did you meet your wife?
SB: That again was exactly as you see in the movie. She randomly started writing to me on Facebook. Maybe she was just sitting in class and browsing Facebook when she saw a photo of me playing baseball. I had a really smart profile with lean shoulders. So she thought, oh, this is the guy I want and then somehow she started chasing me (laughs). Of course, the fact that she was studying to be a doctor was the cherry on the cake!
But seriously, I told her two things. One, you are getting into uncharted territory by marrying a blind man, but you should not regret it. Secondly, I may not be able to give you that much time because I’m completely occupied with work and I have clear goals in life. She said, ‘I don’t look at your disability, I look at you as a person.’ And that was it.
IC: Tell us about your parents.
SB: My parents were incredibly supportive. They taught me compassion.
When I was born, the whole world said ‘get rid of Srikanth’, but my parents said ‘he will be a beacon of hope’. They didn’t listen to the ignorant comments of the society and treated me equally as my brother. Without that conviction in them, I couldn’t have developed the resilience and mindset that helped me succeed.
IC: You’ve spoken about integrating blind students in mainstream schools and colleges in India. Is it feasible?
SB: They should definitely be integrated into the mainstream education system. It’s a huge issue because blind students often study in special schools till the 12th grade and then often onto special colleges. At special schools you are shielding them inside four walls, giving them food, some kind of education for free. It lacks quality and rigor. You’re just damaging them! When children are in regular schools, they develop social skills, confidence, motivation and get the right exposure.
IC: The challenges that you faced, many would think they were insurmountable…
I don’t think of them as challenges! To me challenges are opportunities. In general, whenever someone says ‘no’, I hear it only as ‘yes’. If the whole world looks at me and says you cannot do this, I will walk right into the problem and be the change that I want to see.
I want to say here that vision and sight are two different things. The eyes are limited to the body while vision is about the mind, therefore my disability is limited to sight but my vision has no limitations. I am unstoppable in doing things that I want to do.
*Interview has been edited for clarity and readability.
