Key People

Senthil Kumar, Co-Founder

Widely acknowledged as one of the country's foremost experts in audio and video technologies, Senthil has some truly outstanding achievements to his credit. He set up Media Artists Film and Video Postproduction Centre in Chennai shortly after he graduated from college. Media Artists rapidly grew to become the country's best sound recording studio for film and video programmes. In 1992, he set up Real Image, along with two colleagues, to bring Avid digital nonlinear editing systems to India. He has also supervised computer graphics and special effects for a number of video programmes. As a consultant to several Indian companies for audio and video, Senthil's expertise has had a far-reaching influence on the industry at large. In addition, as an expression of his intense interest in software applications for the film, video, audio and entertainment industries worldwide, Senthil promotes a company called South Beach Software. He is based in Chennai.

Jayendra Panchapakesan, Co-Founder

Jayendra studied Chemistry but found his passion in advertising in 1978. He turned creative consultant in 1985 and had the unique distinction of consulting with three top agencies in Chennai at the same time – HTA, Mudra and Sistas. In 1986, he teamed up with PC Sreeram to start JS Films. In 1993 Jayendra teamed up with Senthil Kumar to set up Real Image Media Technologies introducing non linear editing with Avid. Today, Real Image is known across the world for its end to end digital cinema solution called Qube. Jayendra has also conceptualized and directed India’s first Carnatic Concert Film ‘Margazhi Raagam’. This was the first time in the world that 7 Red digital cinema cameras were used. In association with Sathyam Cinemas, Real Image also produced a Tamil feature film ‘Thiru Thiru Thuru Thuru’ shot and post produced completely with a digital work flow. Jayendra is also associated with various social organizations and has created films to bring awareness and funding to a variety of causes.

Arvind Ranganathan, Chief Executive Officer

Arvind joined Real Image in 2005 to head strategy and business implementation across divisions. Arvind brings deep insight of the cinema industry, across the business value chain. A Chemical Engineer and a Post Graduate in Management, Arvind moved to the Investment Banking domain after spending his early years in manufacturing and marketing with the industrial sector. Arvind has been involved in most facets of the financial markets, from equity research to Investment Banking & Corporate Finance, which included an association with KPMG Corporate Finance in India and the Middle East. His experience includes significant business advisory roles apart from transactional roles. The ability to quickly grasp the key business drivers across industry sectors and driving the management imperatives and actions required to deliver on strategic goals are his forte.

Raja Enok, Chief Marketing Officer

Raja oversees the development and implementation of the company’s comprehensive marketing plan. His area of focus is Digital Cinema and Broadcast Technology. Raja has worked in diverse domains from consumer products to media technology, in roles that covered brand management, marketing and distribution management. In 1991 he joined Media Artists, a leading film and video post-production facility and managed operations. During this tenure, he became well versed with the technology and practices of the film, video and audio industry. In 1994, he took over as head of Skyline Communications, a Media Services Firm and was responsible for channel marketing and commercial airtime sales. He has been with Real Image since 1998, is a key player in Real Image’s digital cinema foray and has extensive domain and technology knowledge.

P Venkatesh, Chief Financial Officer

PV, as he is referred to in office, is a Post-Graduate in Finance, Cost Accountant and Company Secretary by qualification. He has over 15 years of experience across multiple domains in corporate finance and business & financial restructuring including a couple of investment banking stints. His areas of expertise include financial planning & analysis, operations controls and business restructuring.

Rajesh Ramachandran, President & Chief Technology Officer – Qube Cinema

Rajesh heads the dynamic group of software professionals of the Real Image Software Division, Chennai. He has a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Madras. Rajesh comes to Real Image from InstallShield, Chicago where he was architecting software installation technologies and tools. He also led the development teams of two of InstallShield's leading products. Prior to that, Rajesh worked at Sapura, Kuala Lumpur where he was involved in creating a rapid application development tool for the Macintosh and Windows platforms. Rajesh is also a member of the faculty at DevelopMentor, a component software think tank based in Los Angeles where he trained software professionals on component software topics. Currently Rajesh and his team are developing innovative products for the mass entertainment industries.

M.S.Rajagopalan, President – QCN Marketing

MSR (as he is called in office) is an IITM/IIMB graduate with professional experience of 28 years spanning sales, marketing, advertising and media. He started his professional career with TVS Motors as a member of the core team that launched TVS Mopeds and motorbikes in India. He subsequently worked with leading companies like Ogilvy & Mather, Mudra/DDB, Usha Martin Telekom, etc. He co-founded Brand-comm, a Bangalore based brand-consulting company and ran it for six years.

MSR came on board Real Image in 2005 to lead its digital advertising media business. After taking a brief break for private consulting practice, he is back again at Real Image as President-Marketing to run its media business.

MSR has been a visiting faculty at B-Schools teaching courses in Consumer Behavior and Brand Management. He is presently an Adjunct Professor at IIM Bangalore, offering a core course for MBA students. He speaks four Indian languages fluently, loves old film music and never tires of meeting and connecting with people.

Sudha Panchapakesan, Head - Human Resources

Sudha heads Human Resources at Real Image, a responsibility she took on in 2002, prior to which she worked as Manager with JS Films. Before moving to India, Sudha lived in Canada where she began her career as an Office Manager at Arrow TV and Video. She went on to work as an Income Tax assessor with Revenue Canada and as a personal assistant to the commanding officer at CFCC with the Department of National Defense. Sudha has done her Certification in HR Management prior to taking on her new role as Head of Human Resources. She is based in Chennai.

James Abraham, National Head - Technical services

James joined Real Image in January 2000; he is now the National Head in charge of Training and Technical Services and is based in Chennai.

After completing a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering and an M.B.A (Marketing & Advertising), he worked as a Design Engineer (CAD/CAM) in Michigan, USA providing design solutions to fortune 100 companies like IBM, Compaq and Xerox. While he was in the United States, he also completed a Masters degree in Engineering Management. After three years, he returned to India to work as Senior Manager -Operations in charge of Production and Marketing in the MC Group of Companies, Calicut, having varied interests such as a newspaper, printing and publishing, advertising and footwear manufacture. Later he was instrumental in starting one of the first computer based animation studios in Cochin providing services to the advertising and architectural industries. Two years later, on a visit to Muscat, he decided to utilise his engineering background and worked as Marketing Manager in OHI Petroleum & Energy Services LLC. After a 3-year stint he returned to India again to work in a field close to his heart - the digital world. James has gained a lot of experience working in various countries with people of different cultures as well as in a variety of industries and he brings this expertise to Real Image.

P. Murali Krishna, Head - Legal

P Murali Krishna ensures the implementation of systems and procedures for compliance with statutory enactments in Real Image. A Fellow Member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India, New Delhi, he holds graduate degrees in Commerce and Law from the University of Madras and the University of Bangalore, respectively. Before joining Real Image, he worked as Company Secretary with Parry's, Parry's Confectionary, Deccan Cements and S&S Power Switchgear. He was also a member of the Expert Committee of the Madras Chamber of Commerce on Corporate Laws during 1994/95 and 1995/96.

B.M.A. Prabhu, Country Head - Digital Cinema Mastering Services

A graduate in English Literature, Prabhu has been with Real image since 1996, servicing the film video domain for more than a decade. He started of his career here supporting the AVID systems and operated from Mumbai between early 1996 till end of 1997. Prabhu has handled most of the product line that Real image has been dealing with, from AVID to DTS and now the Qube line of products. He has instrumental in testing the Qube range of products from day one and has been coordinating with the in house software development team to get the products on air. He is currently heading the mastering operations across Real Image. Prabhu also handles key broadcast clients within Chennai like Sun Television network and Jaya television network.

Prior to Real Image, Prabhu has worked with Sterling Computers and Ashok Leyland Information Technology.

K.L. Naveen, General Manager - Technology Marketing

Naveen joined Real Image in December 1998 and has moved swiftly from a trainee, to a marketing executive, to a product manager. He later went on to handle responsibilities as National Sales Manager, for Avid and Digidesign products, and now acts as General Manager - Tech Marketing. Based in Hyderabad, Naveen has handled some of our major clients like Mantra - Ramoji Film City, Padmalaya, Maa TV, Star TV, India TV, Suresh Productions and Prasad Studios Naveen has had prior work experience with organizations such RC Studios, Excel Videos, Eenadu Television and ITC in Chennai, and Sterling Holiday Resorts Valley View, Kodai. He speaks Hindi, English, Telugu, and Tamil fluently.

Venkat Giridhar, General Manager - QCN

Venkat has been working with Real Image for the last 3 years. He heads the Southern Region marketing for QCN from Bangalore. A post graduate in Master in Marketing Management, Venkat has been in Media Sales for the last 18 years. Venkat Was with Eenadu Group (AP) heading their Marketing in Karnataka for E TV network , post to this he launched the Zee Kannada channel in Karnataka for Zee Group.

Susan Zachariah, Domain Head - Digital Cinema Mastering Products

With a very unusual combination of degrees in Physics, Philosophy and Mass Communication, Susan was a producer at Iowa Public Television before returning to India where she joined Goldwire Communications as an executive producer. She moved to Real Image in 2001 as an Editing Products Domain Expert, becoming an Avid Certified Instructor and heading the Avid Authorized Training Centre. With her vast experience in production and post-production, Susan started to work in digital cinema some years ago and is currently the resident expert in Qube’s digital cinema mastering and key management products. She also trains customers on the entire Qube product-line in her firm but reassuring voice.