Neeraj Pandey

Neeraj Pandey
Born 1973 (age 38–39)
Kolkata, India
Occupation film director, screenwriter
Years active 2000-present
Known for A Wednesday! (2008)

Neeraj Pandey (born 1973) is an Indian film director best known for his drama-thriller film, A Wednesday (2008), for which he won the Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a Director.[1][2] His work on the film was highly praised by audiences as well as critics [3] . He was nominated for "Best Director" category by Filmfare Awards. He also expressed his interest in directing the prequel to "A Wednesday."

Contents

Early life and education

Born and brought up in Kolkata, Neeraj Pandey moved to New Delhi, where he graduated in English.

Career

He started his career working with Delhi-based 'Legacy Entertainment', a company started by the Dalmia group to make television programs where he learnt his film basics.

In 2000, he moved to Mumbai, here a friend got a grant to produce a documentary, and offered him he project.[4] Soon we was making making documentaries and ad films. Thereafter, he formed a production company, 'Quarter Inch Productions', along with a colleague Sheetal Bhatia, which made to make television programmes, ad films and documentaries. After which they formed, Friday Film Works, which was the original producer of his debut film, A Wednesday. Film's script was inspired by the 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings, and a lot of information in the film, was taken from the incidents that followed the bombings.[5] After Wednesday, he story and screenplay of, Marega Salaa (2009).

Currently, his involved in two projects, one Special Chabbis for Ekta Kapoor's Balaji Telefilms is under production. It was based on a high profile heist, at the Opera House branch of 'Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri' jewellery store in Mumbai, when on March 19, 1987, 26 men posing as income tax officials raided the shop and walked away with jewellery worth lakhs. [6], with Ajay Devgn. [7][8] Also in line is the prequel to A Wednesday, which is being directed by assistant, starring Jimmy Shergill. [9]

Awards

References

  1. ^ "56th National Film Awards for 2008" (pdf). Directorate of Film Festivals. 23 January, 2010. p. 1. http://pib.nic.in/archieve/others/2010/jan/r2010012302.pdf. Retrieved 13 April, 2011. 
  2. ^ "National Awards: Antaheen best film, Priyanka Chopra best actress". Indian Express. Jan 24 2010. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/national-awards-antaheen-best-film-priyank/571048/. 
  3. ^ "A Wednesday" Nikhat Kazmi, The Times of India, 5 September 2008.
  4. ^ "‘My worst phase is over’". DNA (newspaper). Aug 27, 2008. http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report_my-worst-phase-is-over_1186130. 
  5. ^ "Neeraj Pandey taking it easy after A Wednesday". Hindustan Times. September 25, 2008. http://www.hindustantimes.com/Neeraj-Pandey-taking-it-easy-after-A-Wednesday/Article1-340390.aspx. 
  6. ^ "Neeraj Pandey's next with Ekta Kapoor, his assistant will make Wednesday prequel". Bollywood Hungama. July 27, 2009. http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/2009/07/27/13106/. 
  7. ^ "After A Wednesday, a heist!". The Times of India. Aug 25, 2009. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-08-25/news-interviews/28188573_1_income-tax-ekta-kapoor-tbz. 
  8. ^ "Abhi's loss is Ajay's gain". The Times of India. Dec 30, 2010. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-12-30/news-interviews/28234561_1_ajay-devgn-jewellery-store-green-signal. 
  9. ^ "Being a Kapoor or Khan wouldn't have helped: Jimmy". The Times of India. Sep 27, 2011. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-27/news-interviews/30204314_1_films-bollywood-actor-jimmy-shergill. 

External links