Srihari was born in 1964 in Elamarru near Gudivada in Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh. His parents moved to Hyderabad and settled in Balanagar when he was still a child. He started his career as a stunt fighter. He was also an athlete in gymnastics. He was offered jobs such as sub-inspector of police and railway officer, but he rejected those offers because he was interested in pursuing an acting career.