Jagadeesh Kanna

Jagadeesh Kanna
Born (1988-09-22) 22 September 1988
Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India
EducationHindustan University
IIT Madras
Occupations
  • Actor
  • playwright
  • film director
  • entrepreneur
  • author
Years active2015–present
Known forFounder of Vaayusastra Aerospace

Jagadeesh Kanna (born 22 September 1988) is an Indian stage actor,[1] playwright, author, film director,[2] and entrepreneur. He is the author of the book Science with Young Hanuman[3] and is best known for writing and directing The Stealer, an experimental film that utilizes the Rashomon effect.[4][5]

Kanna made his acting debut in the crowd-funded Tamil film Naalu Peruku Nalladhuna Edhuvum Thappilla (2017).[6][7] He is the founder and CEO of Vaayusastra Aerospace, an educational firm incubated under IIT Madras's RTBI that combines theatre arts with aeronautical science.[8][9]

Education

Kanna holds a bachelor's degree in aeronautics from Nehru Institute of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore. He obtained a master's degree in aeronautical engineering from Hindustan University,[10] and attended IIT Madras as a PhD coursework student in creative writing within the Humanities and Sciences department.[11]

Career

Entrepreneurship and Research

As CEO of Vaayusastra Aerospace, Kanna developed a curriculum combining theatre and aeronautics for children.[12] Under his leadership, the company achieved "Space Tutor" status from ISRO[13] and partnered with the Government of Tamil Nadu's "Naan Mudhalvan" program to train engineering students in drone technology.[14]

In 2025, Kanna became the CTO of "Drone Hub," an edutainment center at VGP Wonder World.[15] He heads the R&D unit contributing to research in aerostats, space suits, and space food.

Selected Research Publications

  • Rawal, S., Madhubalan, A., Manikandan, P., & Kanna, J. (2022). "Study on the Design of Space Gloves and EVA Suits with Future Challenges". Textile & Leather Review, 5, 18–30. doi:10.31881/TLR.2021.25.[16]
  • Mahalakshmi, D., Sankarganesh, P., & Kanna, J. (2025). "Formulation... of a Calcium-enriched, Millet-based Freeze-dried Yogurt Mix... for Long-term Space Missions". Asian Journal of Dairy and Food Research. doi:10.18805/ajdfr.DR-2307.[17]
  • Manikanda Bharath, K., et al. (2026). "Geo-pedological controls on soil erosion vulnerability... in diverse landscapes of Tamil Nadu". Remote Sensing of Environment, 332. doi:10.1016/j.rse.2025.115098.[18]

Entertainment

Kanna began his stage career with The Little Theatre (2009–2012)[19] and performed in Grand Rehearsals at The Hindu Theatre Fest in 2015.[20] He wrote the play Never Give Up (2016), inspired by Olympian Derek Redmond.[21]

In film, Kanna acted in Naalu Peruku Nalladhuna Edhuvum Thappilla (2017) and worked as an assistant director on Sarvam Thaala Mayam (2019) and 90 ML (2019). He directed the short film Oru Cup Coffee, dealing with euthanasia,[22] and the feature film The Stealer.[23]

Literary Works

Kanna writes "Sky High," a fortnightly column for The Hindu Young World, which re-imagines the Ramayana through the lens of aeronautical science.[24] These were compiled into the book Science with Young Hanuman (2025).[25]

"Sky High" Articles

Articles published in The Hindu Young World
Title Date Description Ref
Take to the skies 8 Feb 2021 Meghnath's first flying lesson. [24]
Of flying and freedom 22 Feb 2021 Ravana's flying machines. [26]
Lessons in the air 7 Mar 2021 Hanuman learns about air mass. [27]
On top of the world 26 Mar 2021 Leaving Earth's atmosphere. [28]
The power of perseverance 5 Apr 2021 Importance of knowledge in flying. [29]
The real power 26 Apr 2021 Energy from minute elements. [30]
The science behind his flight 7 Jun 2021 Aerodynamics of Hanuman's flight. [31]
Power of the pull 21 Jun 2021 Moon's orbit and gravity. [32]
Ready for take off 9 Jul 2021 Secrets behind Lord Vishnu's weapons. [33]
It's all in the shape 30 Jul 2021 Aerofoils and wings. [34]
Sailing across space 23 Aug 2021 New ways of flying. [35]
Designing a simple spaceship 4 Sep 2021 Buoyancy and Venus. [36]
The light of knowledge 18 Sep 2021 Electrolysis lesson from Sukracharya. [37]
Ready for take off! 25 Oct 2021 Making rockets at home. [38]
Across space and time 13 Dec 2021 Communicating with ethereal beings. [39]
Travelling through time 5 Jan 2022 Wormholes and communication. [40]
Inspired by Nature 17 Jan 2022 Wright Brothers and nature. [41]
Swimming in the air 20 Feb 2022 Sampati teaches flying. [42]
Jatayu's epic flight 7 Mar 2022 Story of Jatayu's wings. [43]
Magnetic attraction 21 Mar 2022 Lecture on magnetism. [44]
When things heat up 2 Apr 2022 How Sampati's wings burnt. [45]
Energy and Quantum physics 4 Jun 2022 Meghnath meets Shakti. [46]
Unravelling a surprise 4 Jul 2022 Building an air-powered vehicle. [47]
Can stones float 25 Jul 2022 Curse on Nala and Nila. [48]
On Stealth mode 29 Aug 2022 Stealth technology. [49]
Balancing act 5 Sep 2022 Centre of gravity. [50]
Forces that power us 23 Sep 2022 Different types of forces. [51]
Weapons of power 14 Oct 2022 Goddess Durga's weapons. [52]
The potential of power 5 Nov 2022 Building a rocket launcher. [53]
Smoke effect 17 Nov 2022 Illusionary tricks. [54]
electrifying invention 2 Dec 2022 Wireless electricity. [55]
Nature, the teacher 15 Dec 2022 Inventions inspired by Nature. [56]
Getting crafty 21 Jan 2023 Principles of war. [57]
A matter of favouritism 9 Feb 2023 Quantum physics connection. [58]
The artist in the sky 27 Feb 2023 Science behind Nature's art. [59]
Churning the 'matter' 7 Mar 2023 Black hole phenomenon. [60]
A baffling mystery 31 Mar 2023 Origin of matter. [61]
Drawing with music 14 Apr 2023 Sound vibrations. [62]
A view like no other 28 Apr 2023 Supersonic flight and vortex. [63]
Celestial relationships 9 Jun 2023 Moon and stars. [64]
On a lunar mission 24 Jun 2023 Remote exploration of Moon. [65]
View from space 8 Jul 2023 Sputnik and Moon rabbit. [66]
All in the shape 21 Jul 2023 Aerodynamics. [67]
A hibernating mentor 18 Aug 2023 Jambhavan's hibernation. [68]
The story of Jambhavan 8 Sep 2023 Meeting Jambhavan. [69]
A musical interlude 23 Sep 2023 Music and spacecraft. [70]
Powered by air 27 Oct 2023 Kinds of aircraft. [71]
A battle and two boons 16 Nov 2023 Dasaratha and Shambara. [72]
Enter the twins 1 Dec 2023 Science behind archery. [73]
The Prince of Ayodhya 6 Jan 2024 Thrust vectoring and guided missiles. [74]
Of universes and multiverses 2 Feb 2024 Magnitude of the universe. [75]
Learning of the Raman Effect 22 Feb 2024 Sir C.V. Raman. [76]
Earthy matters 29 Mar 2024 Planet's wonders. [77]
Spheres that spin 26 Apr 2024 Mysteries of the Solar System. [78]
Ready for the race 26 Jun 2024 Test by Prahasta. [79]
The first challenge 12 Jul 2024 Stormy winds and turbulence. [80]
Winging it 16 Aug 2024 Piloting craft using Nature. [81]
Fight over a flying machine 20 Sep 2024 Pushpaka Vimana story. [82]
A question of frequency 25 Oct 2024 Resonance and oscillations. [83]
Preparing for war 29 Nov 2024 Ravana and Kubera. [84]
The glowing pillars of Alakapuri 26 Jan 2025 Kubera's city. [85]
The wonders of Alakapuri 28 Feb 2025 Science in daily life. [86]
Ravana's weapons 28 Mar 2025 Learning about weapons. [87]
Ravana wins the Pushpaka Vimana 13 Jun 2025 Ravana takes the vehicle. [88]
The secret of the vajrayudha 18 Jul 2025 Indra's weapon and lightning. [89]
The wind beneath their wings 5 Sep 2025 Making a drone. [90]
The secret of the curve 17 Oct 2025 Torque and drones. [91]
Learning from the ants 21 Nov 2025 Bio mimicry. [92]
The secret of Jambavan’s palace 12 Dec 2025 Keplers laws. [93]
Here comes the Sun 16 Jan 2026 Science of sankranti. [94]
The colours of light 16 Feb 2026 National Science day [95]
The shadows of space 20 Mar 2026 Dark matter [96]

Filmography

Feature Films, Short Films, and Series
Year Title Director Writer Actor Role Notes Ref
2015 Oru Cup Coffee Yes Yes No Short film [22][97]
2017 Naalu Peruku Nalladhuna Edhuvum Thappilla No No Yes Johnny Feature film [6][98]
2022 Kadhal Neeye No No Yes Warrior Music Video (Lyricist) [99]
2022 Hey Babe No No No Lyricist [100]
2024 The Stealer Yes Yes No Feature film [2][4]
2024 Call Kill Repeat No No Yes Kumar Micro Series [101]
TBA Thiraikadal No Yes Yes Unreleased [98]

References

  1. ^ "Theatre's T-20 format lures Chennai youth on stage". DT Next. 3 July 2017. Archived from the original on 29 October 2017.
  2. ^ a b "The Stealer 2024". IMDb.
  3. ^ "Science with young Hanuman". The Hindu. 2 August 2025.
  4. ^ a b "The Stealer bags awards at International Film Festivals". News Today. 25 October 2024.
  5. ^ "The Stealer". FilmFreeway.
  6. ^ a b "A successful crowd funded film". Deccan Chronicle. 1 April 2017.
  7. ^ "Crowdfunded film hits screens finally". Deccan Chronicle. 1 April 2017.
  8. ^ "Great Companies: Jagadeesh Kanna". Great Companies. 2021.
  9. ^ "SRMIST and The Hindu host webinar on experiential learning in science". The Hindu. 29 May 2021.
  10. ^ "Campus Talk Hindustan University Newsletter". Issuu. 20 March 2014.
  11. ^ "for-the-child-in-you". The Hindu. 11 July 2013.
  12. ^ "Vaayusastra – Aeronautical Dreams and Paper Planes". Government of Tamil Nadu.
  13. ^ Kandavel, Sangeetha (7 December 2022). "Chennai based Vaayusastra Aerospace accorded status of registered Space Tutor of ISRO". The Hindu.
  14. ^ Kandavel, Sangeetha (21 July 2023). "Students under 'Naan Mudhalvan' scheme will now get to learn about drones and AI". The Hindu.
  15. ^ "start-up-stars-series-16-vaayusastra-aerospace". Vikatan. 2025.
  16. ^ Rawal, S. (5 February 2022). "Study on the Design of Space Gloves and EVA Suits with Future Challenges". Textile & Leather Review. 5: 18–30. doi:10.31881/TLR.2021.25.
  17. ^ Mahalakshmi, D. (12 June 2025). "Formulation, Standardization and Microbial Viability Analysis..." Asian Journal of Dairy and Food Research. doi:10.18805/ajdfr.DR-2307.
  18. ^ Manikanda Bharath, K. (January 2026). "Geo-pedological controls on soil erosion vulnerability". Remote Sensing of Environment. 332. doi:10.1016/j.rse.2025.115098.
  19. ^ "The story of the bak-bak tree". 18 January 2014.
  20. ^ "take-3three-oneact-plays-citizen-reviews". The Hindu. 18 August 2015.
  21. ^ "Never Give Up". The New Indian Express. 2016.
  22. ^ a b "want-some-coffee". The Hindu. 16 February 2015.
  23. ^ "This investigative drama is set in the corporate world". The Times of India. 5 November 2024.
  24. ^ a b "Take to the skies". The Hindu. 8 February 2021.
  25. ^ "The Hindu Young World presents two new books for children". The Hindu. 18 July 2025.
  26. ^ Kanna, J. (22 February 2021). "Of flying and freedom". The Hindu.
  27. ^ Kanna, J. (7 March 2021). "Lessons in the air". The Hindu.
  28. ^ "On top of the world". The Hindu. 26 March 2021.
  29. ^ Kanna, J. (5 April 2021). "The power of perseverance". The Hindu.
  30. ^ Kanna, J. (26 April 2021). "The real power". The Hindu.
  31. ^ Kanna, J. (7 June 2021). "The science behind his flight". The Hindu.
  32. ^ Kanna, J. (21 June 2021). "Power of the pull". The Hindu.
  33. ^ "Ready for take off". The Hindu. 8 July 2021.
  34. ^ "It's all in the shape". The Hindu. 29 July 2021.
  35. ^ Kanna, J. (23 August 2021). "Sailing across space". The Hindu.
  36. ^ Kanna, J. (4 September 2021). "Designing a simple spaceship". The Hindu.
  37. ^ Kanna, J. (18 September 2021). "The light of knowledge". The Hindu.
  38. ^ Kanna, J. (25 October 2021). "Ready for take off!". The Hindu.
  39. ^ Kanna, J. (13 December 2021). "Across space and time". The Hindu.
  40. ^ "Travelling through time". Young World Club. 5 January 2022.
  41. ^ Kanna, J. (17 January 2022). "Inspired by Nature". The Hindu.
  42. ^ Kanna, J. (20 February 2022). "Swimming in the air". The Hindu.
  43. ^ Kanna, J. (7 March 2022). "Jatayu's epic flight". The Hindu.
  44. ^ Kanna, J. (21 March 2022). "Magnetic attraction". The Hindu.
  45. ^ Kanna, J. (2 April 2022). "When things heat up". The Hindu.
  46. ^ Kanna, J. (4 June 2022). "Meghnath meets Shakti Energy". The Hindu.
  47. ^ Kanna, J. (4 July 2022). "Unravelling a surprise". The Hindu.
  48. ^ "Can stones float". The Hindu. 24 July 2022.
  49. ^ Kanna, J. (29 August 2022). "On stealth mode". The Hindu.
  50. ^ "Balancing act". The Hindu. 5 September 2022.
  51. ^ "Forces that power us". The Hindu. 23 September 2022.
  52. ^ "Weapons of power". The Hindu. 14 October 2022.
  53. ^ "The potential of power". The Hindu. 5 November 2022.
  54. ^ "Smoke effect". The Hindu. 17 November 2022.
  55. ^ "electrifying invention". The Hindu. 2 December 2022.
  56. ^ "Nature, the teacher". The Hindu. 15 December 2022.
  57. ^ "Getting crafty". The Hindu. 21 January 2023.
  58. ^ "A matter of favouritism". The Hindu. 9 February 2023.
  59. ^ "The artist in the sky". The Hindu. 27 February 2023.
  60. ^ "Churning the 'matter'". The Hindu. 7 March 2023.
  61. ^ "A baffling mystery". The Hindu. 31 March 2023.
  62. ^ "Drawing with music". The Hindu. 14 April 2023.
  63. ^ "A view like no other". The Hindu. 28 April 2023.
  64. ^ "Celestial relationships". The Hindu. 9 June 2023.
  65. ^ "On a lunar mission". The Hindu. 24 June 2023.
  66. ^ "View from space". The Hindu. 8 July 2023.
  67. ^ "All in the shape". The Hindu. 21 July 2023.
  68. ^ "A hibernating mentor". The Hindu. 18 August 2023.
  69. ^ "The story of Jambhavan". The Hindu. 9 September 2023.
  70. ^ "A musical interlude". The Hindu. 23 September 2023.
  71. ^ "Powered by air". The Hindu. 27 October 2023.
  72. ^ "A battle and two boons". The Hindu. 16 November 2023.
  73. ^ "Enter the twins". The Hindu. 1 December 2023.
  74. ^ "The Prince of Ayodhya". The Hindu. 6 January 2024.
  75. ^ "Of universes and multiverses". The Hindu. 2 February 2024.
  76. ^ "Learning of the Raman Effect". The Hindu. 22 February 2024.
  77. ^ "Earthy matters". The Hindu. 29 March 2024.
  78. ^ "Spheres that spin". The Hindu. 26 April 2024.
  79. ^ "Ready for the race". The Hindu. 26 June 2024.
  80. ^ "The first challenge". The Hindu. 12 July 2024.
  81. ^ "Winging it". The Hindu. 16 August 2024.
  82. ^ "Fight over a flying machine". The Hindu. 20 September 2024.
  83. ^ "A question of frequency". The Hindu. 25 October 2024.
  84. ^ "Preparing for war". The Hindu. 29 November 2024.
  85. ^ "The glowing pillars of Alakapuri". The Hindu. 26 January 2025.
  86. ^ "The wonders of Alakapuri". The Hindu. 28 February 2025.
  87. ^ "Ravana's weapons". The Hindu. 28 March 2025.
  88. ^ "Ravana wins the Pushpaka Vimana". The Hindu. 13 June 2025.
  89. ^ "The secret of the vajrayudha". The Hindu. 18 July 2025.
  90. ^ "The wind beneath their wings". The Hindu. 5 September 2025.
  91. ^ "The secret of the curve". The Hindu. 17 October 2025.
  92. ^ "Learning from the ants". The Hindu. 21 November 2025.
  93. ^ "The secret of Jambavan's palace". The Hindu. 12 December 2025.
  94. ^ "Here comes the Sun". The Hindu. 16 January 2026.
  95. ^ "The colours of light". The Hindu. 26 February 2026.
  96. ^ "The shadows of space". The Hindu. 20 March 2026.
  97. ^ "Arav starrer A Cup of Coffee". Talks of Cinema. 13 December 2023.
  98. ^ a b "Jagadeesh on a roll". Deccan Chronicle. 15 April 2017.
  99. ^ "Kadhal Neeye". YouTube. 13 September 2017.
  100. ^ "Bjorn's new Tamil single is a feel-good number". The Times of India. 26 March 2022.
  101. ^ "Call. Kill. Repeat". Madras Meter. 24 December 2024.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.