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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1952|02|23|df=yes}}

'''Sashi Kumar''' '''Balakrishnan Menon''' (born 23 February 1952) is an Indian journalist and academician. He headed the [[Asian College of Journalism, Chennai|Asian College of Journalism]] after it was acquired by the [[The Hindu Group|Hindu grou]]<nowiki/>p and shifted its base from [[Bangalore]] to [[Chennai]].

==Early life and education==

Kumar was born at Karupadanna near [[Kodungallur]] in [[Thrissur District]] of the erstwhile [[Travancore–Cochin|State of Travancore–Cochin]].<ref name="mlwkly-1">[http://www.malayalamvarikha.com/2010/August/20/essay2.pdf Samakalika Malayalam weekly, 2010 August 20 Onam special edition] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714023825/http://www.malayalamvarikha.com/2010/August/20/essay2.pdf|date=14 July 2011}} An interview with Sashi Kumar By O.K Johny-"malayalathinte pinvilikal" page 28-39 ([[Malayalam]])</ref>

Kumar started as a film columnist in [[The Hindu]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Rediff On The NeT Business News: Triangular battle for Asianet scalps Sashi Kumar; Malayalam TV channel market hots up |url=https://m.rediff.com/business/1999/may/07asia.htm |access-date=2024-05-01 |website=m.rediff.com}}</ref> He reported on the issues affecting South Asia, covering [[Sri Lanka]], [[Afghanistan]], [[Maldives|the Maldives]]. His docu-features were telecast as multipart series. He also reported on Sri Lanka during the war in the island and during the [[Indian Peace Keeping Force|IPKF]] intervention.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-08-02 |title=Deja vu in Colombo |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/columns/Sashi_Kumar/deja-vu-in-colombo/article9794815.ece |access-date=2024-05-01 |website=Frontline |language=en}}</ref>

As a print journalist, he was the first [[West Asia]] Correspondent of The Hindu.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Dahiya |first=Surbhi |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WSnFEAAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA383&dq=%22Sashi+Kumar%22+-wikipedia&hl=en |title=Digital First: Entrepreneurial Journalism in India |date=2023-06-14 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-887973-2 |language=en}}</ref>

====== Press Trust of India TV ======

In 1986, he returned to India and set up the television wing of [[Press Trust of India]], the PTI-TV.<ref name=":1" /> From 1986 to 1992, that he produced the series of docu-features. In late 1992, he quit PTI.

'''Asian College of Journalism'''

In 2000, Sashi Kumar founded the Media Development Foundation (MDF) as a nonprofit trust that set up the [[Asian College of Journalism, Chennai|Asian College of Journalis]]<nowiki/>m in Chennai with the support of the Hindu group.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-02-02 |title=Donning the role of a director - Deccan Herald |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202011503/http://archive.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/aug292004/ac1.asp |access-date=2024-05-01 |website=web.archive.org}}</ref>

'''As Filmmaker'''

In 2004, he scripted and directed a full length feature film in Hindi titled ‘Kaya Taran’ (Chrysalis).<ref>{{Cite web |title=From Kaya Taran to Loud Speaker |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/slide-show/slide-show-1-interview-with-shashi-kumar/20090731.htm |access-date=2024-05-01 |website=Rediff |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-11-15 |title=Timesofindia > 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115091456/http://www1.info.indiatimes.com/1984/5.html |access-date=2024-05-01 |website=web.archive.org}}</ref> The film is based on the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 and 2002 [[2002 Gujarat riots#:~:text=According to official figures, the,1,926 may have been killed.|Gujarat riots]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2004-09-27 |title=The Hindu : When the big tree fell |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040927144303/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/08/23/stories/2004082302930400.htm |access-date=2024-05-01 |website=web.archive.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-06-27 |title=Kaya Taran to Punjab1984: Indian cinema's tryst with anti-sikh riots |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/chandigarh/kaya-taran-to-punjab1984-indian-cinema-s-tryst-with-anti-sikh-riots/story-g9atOKG6ALBchNjMoYWpJL.html |access-date=2024-05-01 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref>

He ran a regular column titled “Unmediated” in the fortnightly ''Frontline'' and articles were compiled under the same title and published by Tulika Books, New Delhi in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SASHI KUMAR |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/profile/author/SASHI-KUMAR/ |access-date=2024-05-01 |website=Frontline |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-06-08 |title=Sashi Kumar {{!}} WEF |url=https://www.wef.org.in/sashi-kumar/,%20https://www.wef.org.in/sashi-kumar/ |access-date=2024-05-01 |language=en-US}}</ref> He is also a member of Malcolm and Elizabeth Adiseshiah Trust.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Board of Trustees & Elizabeth Adiseshiah Trust, Chennai |url=http://www.meatrust.in/trustees/ |access-date=2024-05-01 |website=www.meatrust.in}}</ref>

==== Digital platform, Asiaville ====

In April 2019, he launched Asiaville, a multi-platform digital media venture.<ref>{{Cite web |last=www.ETBrandEquity.com |title=Sashi Kumar launches a new digital venture Asiaville - ET BrandEquity |url=https://brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/media/sashi-kumar-launches-a-new-digital-venture-asiaville/68735352 |access-date=2024-05-01 |website=ETBrandEquity.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> Asiaville partnered with [[Twitter]] (now X.com) and [[IIT Madras]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bureau |first=Our |date=2019-04-04 |title=New multi-lingual digital venture Asiaville launched |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/new-digital-venture-asiaville-launched/article26733884.ece |access-date=2024-05-01 |website=BusinessLine |language=en}}</ref> In August 2022, [[Spotify]] announced a collaboration with Asiaville.that is expected to enable 1000 language podcast creators.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-08-04 |title=Spotify Collaborates with Asiaville to Launch 'Create with Anchor' |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/spotify-collaborates-with-asiaville-to-launch-create-with-anchor/articleshow/93346723.cms |access-date=2024-05-01 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> In December 2022, Asiaville launched a 20-episode podcast on a 2017 book, [[Veerappan]]: Chasing a brigand.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bureau |first=The Hindu |date=2022-12-20 |title=Asiaville launches podcast on capturing Veerappan |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/asiaville-launches-podcast-on-capturing-veerappan/article66285149.ece |access-date=2024-05-01 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

==Bibliography==

* ''Unmediated: Essays on Media, Culture and Cinema'', [[Tulika Books]], 2014

*2007: Viayaraghavan Memorial Award for his contribution to journalism by Kerala government.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Correspondent |first=Special |date=2021-07-29 |title=First TV lifetime achievement award for Sashi Kumar |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/first-tv-lifetime-achievement-award-for-sashi-kumar/article35609150.ece |access-date=2024-05-01 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>