Anand Patwardhan

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Anand Patwardhan (b. 1950) is an Indian documentary filmmaker, most known for his activism through social action documentaries on topics ranging from corruption, slums dwellers, nuclear arms race, citizen activism to communalism [1][2][3][4], noted amongst these are Ram ke Nam ('In the Name of God' (1992), Pitr, Putr aur Dharmayuddha ('Father, Son and Holy War') (1995) and War and Peace (2002) [5], which have won several national and International awards.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early Life and Education

Anand Patwardhan was born in 1950, in Bombay, Maharashtra.

He completed a B.A. in English literature at Bombay University in 1970, a B.A. in Sociology at Brandeis University in 1972, and an M.A. in Communication studies at McGill University in 1982 [6][7].

He participated in the anti-Vietnam War movement from 1970–1972; as a volunteer in Caesar Chavez’ United Farm Workers Union in 1972; in Kishore Bharati, a rural development and education project in Central India in 1972–1974; and other movements for civil liberties and democratic rights.

[edit] Films of Anand Patwardhan

Virtually all his films faced censorship by the Indian authorities but were finally cleared after legal action. His film, ‘Bombay Our City’, has been shown on TV, after a four year court case [8], while, 'Father Son and the Holy war' (1995), was adjudged in 2004, as one of 50 most memorable international documentaries of all time, by DOX, Documentary film magazine; though it was shown on India’s National Network, Doordarshan only in the year 2006, 11 years after its making, and that too after a prolonged court battle, which lasted 8 years, and ended with nation’s Supreme Court ordering the state-owned media, to telecast the film without any cuts, as it has earlier suggest. [9]

His next important film, 'War and Peace' made in 2002, brought him in the news once again, when the CBFC India (Central Board for Film Certification, or the Censor Board), refused to certify the film without making 21 cuts [10]. As always, Patwardhan took the government to court, hence it was banned for two years, however, after a court battle, and Anand won the right to screen his film without a single cut. As with his previous film, Patwardhan successfully fought in court, which eventually forced a reluctant national broadcaster, Doordarshan, to show his film on their national network through its ruling in June 2003 [11][12][13], it was commercially released in multiplexes in 2005 [8]

[edit] Filmography

[edit] References

  1. ^ Interview Tehelka October 13, 2007.
  2. ^ 'Michael Moore’ of India, screening and Interview University of California, Berkeley October 13, 2004.
  3. ^ Silverdocs Documentary Film Festival American University School of Communication, June 16, 2004.
  4. ^ Anand Patwardhan University of California, Los Angeles
  5. ^ Review The New York Times, June 26, 2003.
  6. ^ Films of Anand Patwardhan Icarus Films, New York.
  7. ^ About Anand Official website.
  8. ^ a b War and Peace hits the box office for the first time in India Tehelka, June 25, 2005.
  9. ^ Father, Son and Holy War The Frontline, The Hindu, September, 2006.
  10. ^ Filmmaker's Battle to Tell India's Story in India The New York Times, December 24, 2002.
  11. ^ Alone against India's nuclear nationalism BBC News, August 12, 2003.
  12. ^ Director Interview BBC Four, August 4, 2003.
  13. ^ Film Review BBC Four, 2002.
  14. ^ Review India Today
  15. ^ Films Index Official website.
  16. ^ Awards imdb.com.
  17. ^ Screening of screen Patwardhan's films at Stanford University Rediff.com, October 2001
  18. ^ Father, Son and Holy War – Review and Awards
  19. ^ 3rd KaraFilm Festival Karachi International Film Festival, website.
  20. ^ 51st National Film Awards - 2004 Official listings Directorate of Film Festivals Official website.

[edit] Online writings

[edit] External links