Jagadeesh Kanna

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

Kanna made his acting debut in the crowd-funded Tamil film Naalu Peruku Nalladhuna Edhuvum Thappilla (2017). 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.

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, and attended IIT Madras as a PhD coursework student in creative writing within the Humanities and Sciences department.

Career

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

In 2025, Kanna became the CTO of "Drone Hub," an edutainment center at VGP Wonder World. 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. . 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. . Manikanda Bharath, K., et al. (2026). "Geo-pedological controls on soil erosion vulnerability... in diverse landscapes of Tamil Nadu". Remote Sensing of Environment, 332. .

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

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, and the feature film The Stealer.

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. These were compiled into the book Science with Young Hanuman (2025).

"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. Lessons in the air 7 Mar 2021 Hanuman learns about air mass. On top of the world 26 Mar 2021 Leaving Earth's atmosphere. The power of perseverance 5 Apr 2021 Importance of knowledge in flying. The real power 26 Apr 2021 Energy from minute elements. The science behind his flight 7 Jun 2021 Aerodynamics of Hanuman's flight. Power of the pull 21 Jun 2021 Moon's orbit and gravity. Ready for take off 9 Jul 2021 Secrets behind Lord Vishnu's weapons. It's all in the shape 30 Jul 2021 Aerofoils and wings. Sailing across space 23 Aug 2021 New ways of flying. Designing a simple spaceship 4 Sep 2021 Buoyancy and Venus. The light of knowledge 18 Sep 2021 Electrolysis lesson from Sukracharya. Ready for take off! 25 Oct 2021 Making rockets at home. Across space and time 13 Dec 2021 Communicating with ethereal beings. Travelling through time 5 Jan 2022 Wormholes and communication. Inspired by Nature 17 Jan 2022 Wright Brothers and nature. Swimming in the air 20 Feb 2022 Sampati teaches flying. Jatayu's epic flight 7 Mar 2022 Story of Jatayu's wings. Magnetic attraction 21 Mar 2022 Lecture on magnetism. When things heat up 2 Apr 2022 How Sampati's wings burnt. Energy and Quantum physics 4 Jun 2022 Meghnath meets Shakti. Unravelling a surprise 4 Jul 2022 Building an air-powered vehicle. Can stones float 25 Jul 2022 Curse on Nala and Nila. On Stealth mode 29 Aug 2022 Stealth technology. Balancing act 5 Sep 2022 Centre of gravity. Forces that power us 23 Sep 2022 Different types of forces. Weapons of power 14 Oct 2022 Goddess Durga's weapons. The potential of power 5 Nov 2022 Building a rocket launcher. Smoke effect 17 Nov 2022 Illusionary tricks. electrifying invention 2 Dec 2022 Wireless electricity. Nature, the teacher 15 Dec 2022 Inventions inspired by Nature. Getting crafty 21 Jan 2023 Principles of war. A matter of favouritism 9 Feb 2023 Quantum physics connection. The artist in the sky 27 Feb 2023 Science behind Nature's art. Churning the 'matter'''

Sailing in the cosmic ocean'' 17 Apr 2026 Alcubierre drive

Filmography + Feature Films, Short Films, and Series Year Title Director Writer Actor Role Notes Ref 2015 Oru Cup Coffee Short film 2017 Naalu Peruku Nalladhuna Edhuvum Thappilla Johnny Feature film 2022 Kadhal Neeye Warrior Music Video (Lyricist) 2022 Hey Babe Lyricist 2024 The Stealer Feature film TBA Thiraikadal Lyricist, Unreleased