Vivek Agnihotri

Vivek Agnihotri

Vivek Agnihotri
Born Gwalior, MP, India
Residence Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Occupation Director, script writer, producer
Spouse(s) Pallavi Joshi
Children 2

Vivek Agnihotri (born 10 November) is an avant-garde Bollywood Indian film director, producer and screenwriter. He works have been in genres including erotica, thriller, sports, political dramas and love stories. [1]

Agnihotri made his directorial debut with Chocolate: Deep Dark Secrets (2005) and followed it with Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal (2007) and the erotic thriller Hate Story.

In 2014 Agnihotri's film Buddha in a Traffic Jam had an India premiere at the Mumbai International Film Festival. The film was in competition in the India Gold section of MAMI . Buddha in a Traffic Jam is a unique film that is set on the backdrop of the Maoist movement in India. Buddha in a traffic jam was an official entry in the 7th Global International Film Festival that also awarded Vivek Agnihotri and Pallavi Joshi a life achievement award for excellence in cinema. The film would have a theatrical release in 2015.[2][3]

The critically acclaimed film is also an official entry in the 5th Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival besides bagging three nominations in Madrid International Film Festival in the Best Foreign Language Film to Vivek Agnihotri,[4] Best Original Screenplay of a Foreign Language, again written by Vivek Agnihotri himself [5] and Best Lead Actress in a foreign language to actress Mahi Gill.[6]

In 2014, Agnihotri directed a psycho thriller named Zid that was produced by Anubhav Sinha. He distanced himself from the film stating that he has nothing to do with Zid but was bound by a legal clause.[7]

In 2014, he also began the shooting of Junooniyat starring Yami Gautam and Pulkit Samrat.[8]

In 2002, he created a production house named Vivek Agnihotri Creates Pvt. Ltd.

Early life

Vivek Agnihotri was born on 10 November in Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh) to father Dr Prabhu Dayal Agnihotri and mother Sharda Agnihotri. Both Vivek's parents were freedom fighters and worked as activists in the Gandhi movement. His house was often visited by freedom fighters who had worked closely with Mahatma Gandhi and India's first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru. Due to his parent's academic and political awareness, Vivek imbibed these qualities as a young kid. Once in his university, he led a campaign against some local goons indulging in student ragging which was rampant in India those days.

Vivek's father Dr Prabhu Dayal Agnihotri was born in a small village named Dhanyora in Uttar Pradesh but went on to become a senior Hindi scholar and a Vice-Chancellor to the government of Madhya Pradesh. Vivek's mother Sharda Agnihotri hailed from Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh). Vivek lived most of his early life in Gwalior, Jabalpur and Bhopal due to his father's frequent transfers in a government job. His early teen years were influenced by writers, academicians, and political activists, which is quiet visible in his blogs and movies.

Vivek Agnihotri did his early schooling from Kendriya Vidyalaya in Bhopal. Vivek has done his PG in Strategic Planning from Bhopal School of Social Sciences and PG in Advertising from Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi, India. He did his CSS in "Organization & Management" from Harvard University, Boston, USA.

Early career

Vivek has worked in advertising agencies including Ogilvy & Mather, JWT and has been a founder member of McCann Erickson in India. He has launched Gillette & Coca-Cola brands in India. .[9]

Vivek then moved to making Ad films. He has made more than 100 ad films for Procter & Gamble, Tata's, Godrej, National Association for Blind etc. His films on AIDS & NAB have won several awards including AD Club Gold. Vivek has been founder of India's first private TV channels shows such as Saturday Suspense, X Zone, Rishtey (TV series) & Gubbarey.

Vivek has been teaching Creative Thinking at various colleges and universities in London, Delhi and Mumbai, including Indian School of Business, Hyderabad. [10]

Controversies

Vivek Agnihotri reportedly fell out with producer Anubhav Sinha during the filming of Zid. Though Anubhav denied any fall out, Vivek maintained that he has nothing to do with the film.[11] Reportedly, erotic scenes were shot without Vivek's approval and presence.[12] It was much later that Vivek realized to his horror that the film has become an erotic thriller rather than a psycho thriller film.[13] But due to a clause in his contract with the producer, Vivek could not get his name removed from the film. Taking a stand, he did not appear in any promotions of the film. [14]

Personal life

Vivek Agnihotri is married to anchor, theatre and National Award winning film actress Pallavi Joshi[15] and have two children.

Filmography

He directed following films in Bollywood:

References

  1. ↑ "No director wants to work with stars: Hate Story director". NDTV News channel. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  2. ↑ "All genre director".
  3. ↑ "Commercial release planned for Buddha In A Traffic Jam".
  4. ↑ http://www.madridinternationalfilmfestival.com/best-foreign-language-feature-film-2015/
  5. ↑ http://www.madridinternationalfilmfestival.com/best-original-screenplay-of-a-foreign-language-film-2015/
  6. ↑ http://www.madridinternationalfilmfestival.com/best-lead-actress-in-a-foreign-language-film-2015/
  7. ↑ "Vivek Agnihotri wants nothing to do with the film".
  8. ↑ "Junooniyat is my ode to yash chopra".
  9. ↑ "Biography". Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  10. ↑ "Vivek Agnihotri to direct movie produced by ISB students". My India Raafatrola. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  11. ↑ http://www.koimoi.com/bollywood-news/zid-is-not-my-film-vivek-agnihotri/
  12. ↑ http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-zid-director-vivek-agnihotri-wants-nothing-to-do-with-the-film-2039122
  13. ↑ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Vivek-Agnihotri-I-have-nothing-to-do-with-Zid/articleshow/45238931.cms
  14. ↑ http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/2688458/I-havent-directed-Zid---Vivek-Agnihotri. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. ↑ Kumar, Anuj (12 November 2007). "Game on". Chennai, India: The Hindu (Mumbai). Retrieved 19 January 2009.
  16. ↑ "'Chocolate is the revival of suspense drama'". Rediff. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
  17. ↑ "Priyanka Chopra's cousin Barbie to debut in Zid". Bollywood Hungama. Hindustan Times. 13 November 2013.
  18. ↑ "From erotica, Vivek Agnihotri moves onto political issues". INDIAN EXPRESS. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
  19. ↑ "Anupam Kher & Arunoday Singh bond big time – bollywood news". glamsham.com. 21 March 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  20. ↑ Businessofcinema.Com Team. "Vivek Agnihotri Creates & Visione Pictures announce Buddha in a Traffic Jam". Businessofcinema.com. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  21. ↑ "They call it show-biz, Entertainment – Bollywood". Mumbai Mirror. 18 February 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  22. ↑ "Buddha in a Traffic Jam – Times of India". Articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 2 April 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  23. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1890363/plotsummary