Anand Patwardhan

Anand Patwardhan is an Indian documentary filmmaker, known for his activism through social action documentaries on topics such as corruption, slum dwellers, nuclear arms race, citizen activism and communalism.[1][2][3][4] Notable films include Bombay: Our City (1985), Ram ke Nam (In the Name of God) (1992), Pitr, Putr aur Dharmayuddha (Father, Son and Holy War) (1995), and Jang aur Aman (War and Peace) (2002),[5] which have won national and International awards. His latest documentary is Jai Bhim Comrade (2011) based on police firing incident against Dalits at Ramabai Colony in Mumbai in 1997.[6]

Biography

Anand Patwardhan was born in 1950, in Mumbai, 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.[7][8][9][10][11]

Films of Anand Patwardhan

Virtually all Patwardhan's films faced censorship by the Indian authorities, but were eventually cleared after legal action. His film Bombay Our City was shown on TV after a four year court case,[12] 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, Europe's leading 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 the nation’s Supreme Court ordering the state-owned media to telecast the film without any cuts.[13]

Patwardhan during the show of Ram ke nam at Kollam His next 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.[14] As always, Patwardhan took the government to court, hence the film was banned for over a year. However, after a court battle, Anand 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]

Filmography

1971: 'Waves of Revolution' (Kraanti Ki Tarangein), this film first of his films was on government repression in Bihar Movement.[19] 1978: 'Prisoners of Conscience' (Zameer ke Bandi), a film on political prisoners in The Emergency (India) The Tyne Award, Tyneside Festival, UK, 1982.[20] 1981: 'A Time to Rise' (Uthan da Vela): Concerns Indian immigrant farm workers’ efforts to unionize in Canada. Grand Prize: Tyneside International Film Festival, UK in 1982 Silver Dove: Leipzig International Film Festival in 1982. 1985: Bombay: Our City (Hamara Shahar): Everyday survival issues of slum dwellers in Bombay. National Film Award for Best Non-Feature Film 1986 Special Jury Award, Cinema du reel, France, 1986 Filmfare Award for Best Documentary, 1986 1990: 'In Memory of Friends' (Una Mitran Di Yaad Pyaari): On rebuilding communal harmony in Punjab. National Film Award for Best Investigative Film, 1990 Silver Conch, Mumbai International Film Festival in 1990 Anand Patwardhan Films. Special Jury Award, Mannheim International Film festival, 1990 1992: Ram ke Nam ('In the Name of God'). On the rise of Hindu Nationalism and the demolition of the Babri Mosque. National Film Award for Best Investigative Film, 1992 Filmfare Award for Best Documentary 1996 Best Documentary Film at Fribourg International Film Festival,[21] 1993 Citizen's Prize, Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival, 1993. 1993: We are not your Monkeys: A Dalit critique of the epic Ramayana through a music video. 1995: Pitr, Putr aur Dharmayuddha ('Father, Son and Holy War') Concerns the patriarchal roots of violence in India. National Film Award for Best Film on Social Issues and National Film Award for Best Investigative Film, 1996; Toronto Film Festival, 1994[22] Special Jury Prize, Vancouver Film Festival, 1994[23] Special Jury Award, Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival, 1995 Grand Prize, Jerusalem International Film Festival, 1996. Audience Award, Sheffield International Film Festival, 2010 1996: 'A Narmada Diary': Introduces the Narmada Bachao Andolan of Gujarat. Grand Prize at the Earth Vision Film Festival in 1996; Filmfare Award for Best Documentary 1996. 1996: 'Occupation: Mill Worker': Chronicles the actions of mill workers who, after a four-year lockout, forcibly occupied The New Great Eastern Mill in India. 1998: 'Fishing: In the Sea of Greed': Response of fishing communities in India and Bangladesh, to industrial-scale fishing. 1998: Ribbons for Peace: An anti-nuke music video. 2002: 'War and Peace', Jang Aur Aman. Traces the development of nuclear weapons by India and Pakistan. Grand Prize at the Earth Vision Film Festival in 2002 Best Film at Mumbai International Film Festival in 2002 FIPRESCI International Critics' Award at Sydney Film Festival in 2002 Best Documentary in Karachi International Film Festival in 2003[24] National Film Award for Best Non-Feature Film, India, 2004,[25] etc. 2011:"Jai Bhim Comrade"- a documentary film based on a real incident- the killing of 10 dalits by police in Mumbay 1997[26][27] Ram Bahadur Grand Prize, Film South Asia, Kathmandu, Nepal, 2011 Best Film/Video?, Mumbai International Film Festival, India, 2012 Firebird Award for Best documentary, Hong Kong Film Festival, 2012 Special Jury Prize, National Awards, India, 2012 Bartok Prize, Jean Rouch Film International Film Festival, 2012