Saeed Akhtar Mirza (b. 1943)

Hindi-Urdu director born in Bombay. Son of noted scenarist Akhtar Mirza. Worked in advertising before joining the FTII (1973-6). Co-founder of Yukt Film Co-op with K. Hariharan, Mani Kaul, Kamal Swaroop et al., where he made Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan. Early films attempt a free-flowing narrative style claiming partial influence of Brazilian Cinema Novo, using vérité shots usually of Bombay’s working class. Started Iskra in collaboration with Kundan Shah, producing major TV series with each episode directed in turn by Mirza, Shah and colleagues like Raman Kumar and brother Aziz Mirza. Directed 17 of Nukkad’s 39 episodes, a drama series set on a Bombay street corner. Made 11 of Intezaar’s 26 episodes, a drama series about life in Kamalpura, a very small town. The group faced censorship trouble when Kundan Shah’s serial Police Station was denied telecast permission by Doordarshan. Stated that his TV work was aimed at 14-year-olds ‘because the medium is geared to that age level.’

FILMOGRAPHY: 1976: Corpses (Doc); An Actor Prepares (Doc); 1977: The Problem of Urban Housing (Doc); 1978: Slum Eviction (Doc); Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan; 1980: Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Aata Hai; 1982: Piparsod (Sh); 1983: Mohan Joshi Haazir Ho; 1984: Rickshaw Pullers of Jabalpur (Doc); 1986: Nukkad (TV); 1987: Is Anybody Listening (Doc); 1988: We Shall Overcome (Doc); Intezaar (TV)Di; 1989: Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro; 1992: Ajanta and Ellora (Doc); 1995: Naseem.

Director