Actor Sharad Kelkar, who was last seen in the biographical film Srikanth starring Rajkummar Rao charged only Rs 101 as his fees for the film, revealed the film's director Tushar Hiranandani. In a conversation with ETimes, Tushar Hiranandani noted that Sharad Kelkar first wanted compensation as per his market value. However, after hearing the film's narration, the actor was moved and decided to do the project regardless of the fee amount. The director stated, “When Sharad came to meet me, there was a price he quoted, and he deserves it also. But then I told him that it was difficult for me and requested him to listen to the narration.”
The director added that after the narration, the Goliyon Ki Raasleela-Ram Leela actor left and he did not expect him to do the film. But the next day, producer Bhushan Kumar informed Tushar Hiranandani that the actor was eager to work on the project at whatever cost as he did not “want to miss out on an opportunity of this kind.”
For the unversed, Sharad Kelkar plays the role of Ravi, Srikanth Bolla's best friend. “Sharad enters the film post interval and guess the fee on his Srikanth contract? It is just Rs 101! In reality, Ravi is the man behind the success of Srikanth Bolla,” noted Tushar Hiranandani.
While reviewing the movie for NDTV, film critic Saibal Chatterjee wrote, “Srikanth is a classic rags-to-riches saga that is enriched enormously by the director's refusal to employ the standard tropes of the genre. Not only does he keep the storytelling simple and ship-shape, he also ensures that the craft that has gone into the project - cinematographer Pratham Mehta and editors Debasmita Mitra and Sanjay Sankla do their jobs to perfection - does not overshadow the essence of the narrative.”
Srikanth marks the first-ever on-screen collaboration of Alaya F and Rajkummar Rao.