Directors
About - Among the winners is Noida resident Bhaskar Hazarika, whose directorial debut 'Kothanodi' won the award for Best Assamese Feature Film. The filmmaker, who has shot many of his documentaries in the city, talks to us about Bollywood dominating the National Awards, and crowdfunding as an option for independent filmmakers.
About - Rajat Kapoor is an Indian actor, writer and director born in 1961. Kapoor was born in Delhi, India. As a teenager, he would watch films with his family and decided to become a filmmaker at the age of 14. He mainly focused on acting at first. In 1983 he joined the theatre group Chingari in Delhi, later moving to Pune to attend the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).
About - Nalin Kumar Pandya or Pan Nalin is an Indian filmmaker. Nalin is best known for directing award-winning films like Samsara, Valley of Flowers, and Ayurveda: Art of Being. His debut film, Samsara went on to win awards like "Grand Jury Prize – Special Mention" at AFI Fest and "Most Popular Feature Film" at Melbourne International Film Festival in 2002.
About - Rohit Mittal is a director and writer, known for Autohead (2016), Megalopolis (2018) and Popcity (2019).
About - Kamakhya Narayan Singh is known for Bhor . He is a Director, Story writer, Screen writer and dialogue writer.
About - Vishal Bhardwaj (born 4 August 1965) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, music composer and playback singer. He is known for his work in Hindi cinema, and is the recipient of seven National Film Awards in four categories.
About - Kabir Mehta movies include - Buddha.Mov and Sadhu in Bombay.
About - Priya Ramasubban has over a decade of experience directing, producing, writing and developing programs for media outlets including National Geographic Channel, Discovery Channel, History Channel, and PBS. She has shot in 29 countries ranging from Argentina to Zimbabwe. Her work in all these countries has allowed her to hone and tailor her content for diverse audiences.
Chaitanya Tamhane - Court
About - Chaitanya Tamhane is an Indian filmmaker, known for the 2014 Marathi courtroom drama Court. It was announced as India's official submission for the 88th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.
About - Sudhir Mishra is an Indian film director and screenwriter known for directing films including Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, Dharavi and Chameli. Mishra has had a 30-year career with his work recognized by the Government of India by him receiving three National Awards from the President of India, as well as Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government (equivalent to knighthood).
About - Vibha Bakshi (born 23 September 1970) is an award-winning film director, producer, and journalist. She is the recipient of four National Film Awards from the President of India. In 2018, Vibha was conferred with the Honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters from her alma mater Boston University for her work as a journalist and filmmaker. She was the Commencement Speaker at Boston University's School of Communications.
About - Kiran Rao Khan is an Indian film producer and director. She is the wife of Aamir Khan. Kiran Rao Khan started her career as an assistant director in the epic movie Lagaan directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, whom she also assisted later for movie Swades: We, the People. Lagaan was nominated for 74th Academy Awards in the foreign films category. Aamir Khan was also working on the same film. She then assisted another Academy Award-nominated director Mira Nair in the movie Monsoon Wedding.
Nagraj Manjule - Fandry
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About - Nagraj Manjule is an actor and writer, known for Sairat (2016), An Essay of the Rain (2017) and Fandry (2013).
Nitin Kakkar - Filmistaan
About - Award-winning filmmaker and screenwriter Nitin Kakkar is best known for his acclaimed debut movie Filmistaan (2012), which recounted the story of a wannabe actor who gets mistakenly kidnapped by terrorists. The comedy, which Nitin wrote and directed, was feted at the Kerala International Film Festival with a Silver Crow Pheasant for Best Debut Director; and also won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi.
Ridham Janve - Gold Laden Sheep And The
Sacred Mountain
About - Indian filmmaker Ridham JANVE is a graduate of India's National Institute of Design. His short documentaries and fiction films have been screened at various international film festivals.
About - Sudhish Kamath is an Indian film critic working with the daily newspaper The Hindu and also an Independent filmmaker. He started working as a Chief reporter with a tabloid called Metro Ads in 1995. Then, from 1997, he worked for A.M.Plus, the Saturday supplement to Udayavani's Morning News. He left that work to join The Hindu in 1999.
Nila Madhab Panda - I Am Kalam
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About - Nila Madhab Panda, has been hailed as a new-age sensation of Indian cinema. His first feature film, the highly-acclaimed I Am Kalam, has already won 24 International awards, one national award, two Industry award (Film fare and screen) and several nominations, which traveled over 60 International film festivals. His second released film "Jalpari-the desert Mermaid" received critically acclaimed as well as well received by the audience. His latest release is "Kaun Kitney Paani Mein".
About - Ruchika Oberoi is a writer and director, known for Island City (2015), Lust Stories (2018) and 10th Film Bazaar (2016).
About - Nothing about Aadish Keluskar, whose first feature-length film, the Marathi-language ‘Kaul (A Calling)‘, will play in the ‘India Gold’ competitive section of the JioMAMI Film Festival 2015 – is straightforward. The FTII dropout is elusive, introspective and can rarely be seen making the rounds in the Mumbai ‘Indie’ (a generic term he cannot comprehend) film circuit. However, ‘Kaul’, his exploration of a diverse craft he so passionately explains, has already captured imaginations with its trailer and ambiguous descriptions.
Aditya Vikram Sengupta - Jonaki
About - Aditya Vikram Sengupta and his student shorts have screened at various international festivals including Clermont Ferrand Short Film Festival, Animafest Zagreb and Sao Paulo International Film Festival. His paintings have been showcased in galleries across India and one of his posters is exhibited at the Religious Art Museum, Tehran. He realised that filmmaking encompasses all his interests, allowing him to express himself in a wholesome manner. Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s debut film “ Labour of Love” created a tremendous buzz in the international film festival circuit.
Karan Gour - Kshay
About - Karan Gour is an Indian musician known for the 2014 Hindi drama film Titli. Produced by Aditya Chopra and Dibakar Banerjee, the movie stars Ranvir Shorey, Amit Sial, Shashank Arora, Lalit Behl and Shivani Raghuvanshi in the lead roles. Karan Gour’s 2017 release includes the comedy drama Haraamkhor. Directed by Shlok Sharma, the movie stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Shweta Tripathi in the lead roles.
Rahul Riji Nair - Light In The Room (Ottumari Velicham)
About - Rahul Riji Nair is a State Award winning filmmaker, script writer and producer based out in Kerala, India. His debut feature film "Ottamuri Velicham" (Light in the Room) had won 4 awards in Kerala State Film Awards 2017, including Best Feature Film of the year. The film had its World Premiere at the New York Indian Film Festival 2018 and its India Premiere at the India Gold Competition Section of the prestigious Mumbai International Film Festival. The film also won the prestigious German Star of India Award for Best Feature film at the Indian Film Festival of Stuttgart. Rahul ventured into Independent Filmmaking through Documentaries, Short Films and Music Videos. He founded the production company First Print Studios in 2011 and is serving the company as its CEO.
About - Alankrita, one of India's leading contemporary writer-directors, most recently co-wrote and directed episodes of Amazon's critically acclaimed series, Made in Heaven. She has previously assisted noted Indian director Prakash Jha on films like Gangajal, Apaharan, and Rajneeti among others. She has also been associated with Sudhir Mishra's critically acclaimed film Khoya Khoya Chand. Alankrita's latest feature, the Lipstick under my Burkha starring Konkona Sen Sharma and Ratna Pathak Shah, garnered wide praise and acclaim from audiences and critics alike around the world. It won numerous awards at several prestigious international film festivals including Tokyo, Glasgow, MAMI Mumbai Film Festival and IFFLA. She is working on her next feature produced by Balaji Motion Pictures' Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare, and is also developing an original series for an international platform.
Sudhanshu Saria - Loev
About - Born in the tea estates of Darjeeling, India, award-winning filmmaker Sudhanshu Saria earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Film and Photography from Ithaca College in New York. His previous film work has premiered festivals such as Hollyshorts and Rio de Janeiro International Short Film Festival, taken him to Berlinale Talent Campus and been featured on NPR and Good Morning America.
Pawan Kumar - Lucia
About - Pawan Kumar is a writer and actor, known for Lucia (2013), U Turn (2016) and Lifeu Ishtene (2011). He has been married to Sowmya Jaganmurthy since June 6, 2010. They have one child.
Vasan Bala - (Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota & Peddlers)
About - Vasan Bala is a writer and actor, known for Mard Ko Dard Nahin Hota (2018), Psycho Raman (2016) and Peddlers (2012).
Neeraj Ghaywan - Masaan
About - A National Award winning director of the critically acclaimed Indo-French drama Masaan. He has previously assisted filmmaker Anurag Kashyap on films like Gangs of Wasseypur 1 & 2. Masaan received wide acclaim from critics, mainstream media, and audiences alike, and won the FIPRESCI prize in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes Film Festival 2015 as well as the Promising Future prize (Prix avenir prometteur), in addition to several other awards and nominations around the world. He directed the Fuelled By Love commercial for British Airways, which has won multiple international awards. Neeraj also directed the widely popular Vicks commercial #TouchOfCare, which won hearts all over. The touching ad tells the story of a transgender woman and activist who came to adopt a young girl whose birth mother died of AIDS. His latest award-winning short, Juice, subtly tackles patriarchy and misogyny in the Indian household. He has directed the second season of Sacred Games.
Ashim Ahluwalia - Miss Lovely
About - Ashim Ahluwalia is a director and editor, known for Miss Lovely (2012), John & Jane (2005) and Thin Air (1999).
Manjeet Singh - Mumbai’s King
About - Manjeet Singh is an Indian screenwriter, producer and director. He is a mechanical engineer by qualification and a self taught artist, who paints, photographs, makes films, etc. Sacrificing his engineering career in the USA, he switched to film-making. Variety considers him, ' New voice of Indian Cinema'. Manjeet is a contemporary Neo-Realist film maker, with a gift to extract great performances from non-actors and use natural light/real locations to create rich imagery. 'Mumbai Cha Raja' aka 'Mumbai's King' his debut feature film, set in Mumbai slums, is inevitably compared to 'Slumdog Millionaire' despite being made at a fraction of later's cost. The film premiered at Toronto International Film festival in 2012, where he was also selected for Toronto's Talent Lab. The film was in competition at the Abu Dhabi, Palm Springs and Mumbai Film Festivals, where(Mumbai) it won a special Jury prize. The film earlier won the 'Prasad award' in 'Work in Progress' section of 'Film Bazaar' , Goa in 2011. Mumbai Cha Raja was selected for the 'Producer's Lab' Cinemart, International Film Festival Rotterdam. The film travelled to Shanghai, Fribourg, Santa Barbara, Cinequest, Cleveland, Chicago, New York's Asian American, Stockholm Junior, Bradford, Tromso, Indian film festival Hague, Jaipur, Bengaluru and many other festivals
Kamal Swaroop - Om Dar B Dar
About - Kamal Swaroop is a director and writer, known for Om Dar-B-Dar (1988), Rangbhoomi (2013) and The Battle of Banaras (2015).
Myshkin - Onayum Aatukuttiyum
About - Mysskin is an Indian film director and screenwriter. He made his directorial debut in 2006 with Chithiram Pesuthadi. His other directorials Anjathe and Nandalala received high critical acclaim. He has also proved his acting skills by starring as a mentally challenged person in Nandalala. Mysskin made his directorial debut with the low budget film Chithiram Pesuthadi which went to become one of the biggest hits of the year. A simple love story, it became a hit owing to the unique style the film was written in His latest film, Yuddham Sei, a dark thriller was a huge hit at the box office as well. His visual style and directing prowess were appreciated and talked about by everybody. He has now started pre-production works on his magnum opus - Mugamoodi to be produced by UTV Motion Pictures. The film will star Jeeva as a superhero.
Subhash Kapoor - Phas Gaya Re Obama
About - Subhash Kapoor is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter. He was a political journalist, and later became known for directing satirical comical dramas like Phas Gaye Re Obama (2010), Jolly LLB (2013) and Jolly LLB 2 (2017). After completing his MA degree in Hindi literature, Kapoor started his career as a political journalist in Delhi in the 1990s covering North India; thereafter, when his short film got him acclaim in 2001, he started making commercial short films, documentaries and ad films, eventually shifting base to Mumbai in 2006.
Paromita Vohra - Q2P
About - Paromita Vohra is an Indian filmmaker and writer. She is known for her documentaries on subjects such as urban life, pop culture and gender. She has also written the screenplay of the award-winning feature film Khamosh Pani. Her film production company Parodevi Pictures is based in Mumbai. She also writes the column Paro-normal Activity for the Sunday Mid-day and Mumbai Mirror.
Anup Singh - Qissa
About - Anup Singh is Geneva based filmmaker, born in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania, East Africa and grew up in a Sikh family of Punjab origin. He graduated in literature and philosophy from the Bombay University and from the Film and TV Institute of India, Pune. He directed films for Indian TV, and was a consultant for BBC2 and wrote film reviews for several specialised press. Ekti Nadir Naam (The Name of a River), Anup Singh’s first feature-length film was selected in 30 festivals worldwide and won several awards. His second movie, QISSA - The Tale of a Lonely Ghost premièred at Toronto 2013, and was critically acclaimed, hailed by the international press: “stuns its audience”, “beyond boundaries”, “conjure such intense feelings”, “distinctive storytelling”.
Nagesh Kukunoor - Dhanak
About - Nagesh Kukunoor is an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter and actor known for his works predominantly in Bollywood. He is known for his works in parallel cinema, such as Hyderabad Blues (1998), Rockford (1999), Iqbal (2005), Dor (2006), Aashayein (2010), Lakshmi (2014), and Dhanak (2016). Kukunoor has received seven International Awards, and two National Film Awards for his works.
Leena Yadav - Rajma Chawal
About - Leena Yadav (born 6 January 1971) is an Indian Film Director, Producer, Screenwriter & Editor. She started her career in the television industry and gradually moved on to making feature films. Her first international feature film, Parched, premiered at Toronto International Film Festival in 2015. Born to an Indian Army General in Madhya Pradesh, she graduated with Economics honours from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi. She did Mass Communications from Sophia College, Mumbai.
Nagraj Manjule - Sairat
About - Nagraj Manjule is an actor and writer, known for Sairat (2016), An Essay of the Rain (2017) and Fandry (2013).
Mira Nair - Salaam Bombay
About - Accomplished Film Director/Writer/Producer Mira Nair was born in India and educated at Delhi University and at Harvard. She began her film career as an actor and then turned to directing award-winning documentaries, including So Far From India and India Cabaret. Her debut feature film, Salaam Bombay! was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1988; it won the Camera D'Or (for best first feature) and the Prix du Publique (for most popular entry) at the Cannes Film Festival and 25 other international awards. Her next film, Mississippi Masala, an interracial love story set in the American South and Uganda, starring Denzel Washington and Sarita Choudhury, won three awards at the Venice Film Festival including Best Screenplay and The Audience Choice Award. Subsequent films include The Perez Family (with Marisa Tomei, Anjelica Huston, Alfred Molina and Chazz Palminteri), about an exiled Cuban family in Miami; and the sensuous Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love, which she directed and co-wrote.
Sanal Kumar Sasidharan - Sexy Durga
About - Director Sanal Kumar Sasidharan is known to make thought-provoking and evocative films, usually sub-texted with contemporary political and social issues in India. Sanal’s third film, Sexy Durga, has won accolades and awards at many festivals abroad, like the Tarkovsky Film Festival in Russia for excellence in cinematography, and the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2017.
Hansal Mehta - Shahid
About - Hansal Mehta is an Indian film director, writer, actor and producer. Mehta started his career in television with his show Khana Khazana and later moved on to movies like …Jayate, Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar and Chhal. He is best known for Shahid for which he won the National Film Award for Best Direction.
Krishna D.K - Shor In The City
About - Krishna D.K is a US-based filmmaker of Indian origin who is known for his quirky and unique storytelling. Along with Raj Nidimoru, he produced and directed the cult English film Flavors (2003). The director/producer duo then forayed in the Hindi film industry with the film 99.
Amit V Masurkar - Sulemani Keeda
About - Amit V Masurkar is an Indian film director and screenwriter. He directed the independent comedy film Sulemani Keeda in 2013. His second feature film, Newton was selected as the Indian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards.
Ritesh Batra - The Lunchbox
About - Ritesh Batra is an Indian filmmaker. Batra is widely known for his debut feature film The Lunchbox starring Irrfan Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Nimrat Kaur, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013 and won Rail d’Or.
Kanu - Titli
About - Kanu is a multiple award-winning writer and director. He previously assisted Dibaker Banerjee on the cult hit Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! and also co-wrote Love, Sex our Dekha. Titli, his directorial debut has excelled and has been honoured at several prestigious international film festivals, including Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro, Zurich, Filmfest Hamburg and BFI London, among several others. Titli was also nominated for Caméra d'Or at 2014 Cannes Film Festival, the only Indian feature film in Cannes that year.
Rishi Chandna -Tungrus
About - Rishi Chandna is an independent filmmaker based out of Mumbai and Tungrus is his first short film. In December 2018, he was awarded Best Director Non-Fiction at the first CCSFA (Critics Choice Short Film Awards), put together by the Film Critics Guild, India.
Samarth Mahajan - Unreserved
About - Samarth Mahajan is a non-fiction Filmmaker based in Mumbai. Self-taught in the art of filmmaking, he is passionate about telling stories from India that remain invisible to the mainstream. His documentary projects have received critical and mass attention in the media.
Rima Das - Village Rockstars & Bulbul Can Sing
About - Rima Das is an Indian filmmaker best known for her film, Village Rockstars (2017). Das made her first short film, Pratha in 2009. She started work on her first feature film Antardrishti (Man with the Binoculars), shot with a Canon DSLR camera in Kalardiya, in 2013. In 2016, Antardrishti was screened at the Cannes Film Festival, the Mumbai Film Festival and the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia. It marked the arrival of Ms. Das as more than a self-taught filmmaker. She became a one-woman crew, writing, directing, producing, editing and shooting a film, besides handling art direction and costume designing.