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Indian film director (born 1950) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Anand Patwardhan (born 18 February 1950) is an Indian documentary filmmaker known for his socio-political, human rights-oriented films. Some of his films explore the rise of religious fundamentalism, sectarianism and casteism in India, while others investigate nuclear nationalism and unsustainable development.[1][2][3][4] Notable films include Bombay: Our City (Hamara Shahar) (1985), In Memory of Friends (1990), In the Name of God (Ram ke Naam) (1992), Father, Son, and Holy War (1995), A Narmada Diary (1995), War and Peace (2002) and Jai Bhim Comrade (2011), Reason (2018), and The World is Family (2023), which have won national and international awards.
Anand Patwardhan | |
|---|---|
Anand Patwardhan | |
| Born | 18 February 1950 |
| Alma mater | University of Mumbai, Brandeis University, McGill University |
| Occupation | Filmmaker |
| Known for | Documentary filmmaking |
Patwardhan was born on 18 February 1950, in Bombay, Bombay State (now Mumbai, Maharashtra).[5] He completed a Bachelor of Arts (|B.A.) degree in English literature at Mumbai University in 1970, a B.A. in Sociology at Brandeis University in 1972, and a Master of Arts (M.A>) in Communication Studies at McGill University in 1982.[4][6][7][8][9] He is a member of the Oscar Academy.[10]
Virtually all of Patwardhan's documentary films have faced censorship from the Indian government, eventually being cleared after legal action. His film Bombay: Our City was shown on TV after a four-year court case,[11] while Father, Son, and Holy War (1995) was adjudged in 2004 as one of 50 most memorable international documentaries of all time by DOX, Europe's leading documentary film magazine. Father, Son, and Holy War was shown on India's National Network, Doordarshan, only in the year 2006, 11 years after its making, after a prolonged court battle that lasted 10 years and ended with the nation's Supreme Court ordering the network to telecast the film without any cuts.[12]
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), refused to certify his next film, War and Peace, released in 2002. The board demanded 21 cuts before it would be certified.[13] Patwardhan took the government to court, leading to the film being banned for over a year.[14] However, after a court battle, Patwardhan won the right to screen his film without a single cut.[15][16][17] As with his previous films, Patwardhan also successfully fought to force a reluctant national broadcaster, Doordarshan, to show this film on their national network. It was commercially released in multiplexes in 2005.[18]
His 2011 documentary, Jai Bhim Comrade, was based on a police firing incident against Dalits at Ramabai Colony in Mumbai in 1997. The film, which took 14 years to complete, is considered by many to be a watershed in Patwardhan's long career.[19] In 2013, the Sheffield International Film Festival honoured Patwardhan with an Inspiration Award.[20] In 2014, the Mumbai International Film Festival honoured him with the V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award.[21][22]
Upon being asked in a BFI interview to deliver a message for future documentary filmmakers, Patwardhan famously replied: "No message really. Do it only if it burns when you don't."[23]
In December 2023, alongside 50 other filmmakers, Patwardhan signed an open letter published in Libération demanding a ceasefire and an end to the killing of civilians amid the 2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, and for a humanitarian corridor into Gaza to be established for humanitarian aid, and the release of hostages.[24][25][26]
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