Founder • Storyteller
Surya
Vasishta
Surya is someone who grew into storytelling from an early age. From childhood performances to directing films, from shaping brands to scripting identities—he’s always seen design and narrative as two sides of the same truth: the need to feel something real. To move someone. To make meaning.
Astu Studios was born on Mother’s Day 2017. In a moment of quiet clarity, the name came first—Astu—a Sanskrit word meaning so be it. It felt like a promise to his purpose. Over time, it became more than a name - it became a compass, a reminder to stay honest, intuitive, and human in everything the studio creates.
“Storytelling is an act of surrender, of tuning in, holding space, and bringing a certain humanity back into the work we do”
His career includes projects like Jogula (Zee Kannada), Tamassu, Lucia, U Turn, Badmaash, Gantumoote, Shivaji Surathkal and Swati Muttina Male Haniye as an actor and other capacities. He also acted as Shirdi Sai Baba in Bukkapatna Vasu’s directorial (Kasturi TV, 2011).
Having also directed many corporate and short films, Surya has experience handling post production of international talk shows telecast in over a hundred countries. He was involved in the post production & VFX of Gantumoote and promotional edits of Mundina Nildana and Arishadvarga.
For Surya, storytelling has always been about being present in the moment, and paying attention. Whether it’s a frame in a film or a line in a brand manifesto, what matters most is that the work holds a certain soul – something that lingers. He believes that one cannot be in the business of emotions without holding space for each other’s emotions first. It’s a principle that shapes how he leads, collaborates, and shows up. “Storytelling is an act of surrender, of tuning in, holding space, and bringing a certain humanity back into the work we do”, he opines.
Today, Surya leads Astu as a studio that helps people fall in love with their work – and often, rediscover parts of themselves in the process.
Whether he’s crafting a cinematic world or a brand identity, the question remains the same: how can the soul of this story shine through, no matter the brief?
A spirit of shared ownership runs through both his team and the way Astu works with clients. He’s deeply grateful to be doing what he loves, and it shows – in the way he makes clients feel seen, in the culture of his team, and in every project that leaves the studio with a little more heart than it had before.
At the heart of it, he’s just someone who likes to keep it thoughtful and simple. But if you look closely, you’ll find an an ever-curious, quietly passionate drive to be part of telling stories.
