Anirban Bhattacharyya is an Indian television producer, author, standup comedian, and actor.
Early life
He was born on 26 October in
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
. He studied in a boarding school in
Kalimpong
Kalimpong (Hindi: कलिम्पोंग) is a town and the headquarters of an eponymous district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located at an average elevation of . The town is the headquarters of the Kalimpong district. The re ...
called
Dr. Graham's Homes
Dr. Graham's Homes (formerly St. Andrew's Colonial Homes) was founded in 1900 by John Anderson Graham, a missionary of the Church of Scotland, who settled in Kalimpong and worked with the local community for several years during the turn of the ...
. He then did his Bachelor of Arts in English literature from
St. Xavier's College, Kolkata
St. Xavier's College is a private, Catholic, autonomous higher education college under Calcutta University run by the Calcutta Province of the Society of Jesus in Kolkata, India. It was founded by the Jesuits in 1860 and named after St. Fra ...
. He acquired his Master's Degree in Mass Communication from the
A.J.K. Mass Communication Research Centre
A.J.K. Mass Communication Research Centre (AJK MCRC) is a mass communication research centre located in New Delhi, India and a constituent college, constituent institute of the Jamia Millia Islamia. The full form for AJK MCRC is Anwar Jamal Kid ...
, New Delhi.
Television career
He began his career in television by working in
TV18
TV18 Broadcast Limited (formerly Global Broadcast News and IBN18 Broadcast Limited) is an Indian entity belonging to Network18 Group based in Mumbai. TV18 owns and operates various national channels in separate partnerships with NBCUniversal ( ...
. He worked in the music channel of
Star India
Disney Star Private Limited is an Indian media conglomerate and a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company India. It is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Disney Star network runs more than 70 TV channels in eight languages, reac ...
called
Channel V
Channel '' ("V" standing for the letter, not the Roman numeral "5") is a Chinese and former Asian pay television musical network originally launched by Star TV Hong Kong (now Fox Networks Group Asia Pacific). It was part of the unit of Disney ...
where he was the Executive Producer and the Head of Content. He worked on various shows, including co-editing and Associate Directing the 2nd season of the Indian version of ''
Popstars
''Popstars'' is an international reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Realit ...
''. He was the Head of Non-Fiction Content at
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
where he directed the popular flagship show ''
Studio Disney
''Studio Disney'' (originally ''Studio D'') is a show that aired on Disney Channel in Asia, Australia, and India.
History
It aired in Asia as ''Disney Buzz'' from 1999 until it changed its name to Studio Disney in July 2003, and went off the ai ...
''. He partnered in a Production House called RowdyRascal and began to produce content for Indian Television channels. He co-created and produces one of India's most popular crime shows on television called ''
Savdhaan India
''Savdhaan India – India Fights Back'' ( ''Attention India! – India Fights Back'') is an Indian Hindi-language crime show aired by Star Bharat. The series is hosted by Ashutosh Rana, Tisca Chopra, Sushant Singh, Gaurav Chopra, Mohnish Be ...
'' on
Life OK
Life OK was an Indian pay television channel owned by Star India. It was launched on 18 December 2011 replacing Star One.
It also started airing in the United States on 1 March 2012, and in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 28 May of that same ...
which has subsequently been branded as ''
Star Bharat
Star Bharat is an Indian Hindi language General Entertainment pay television channel owned by Disney Star (formerly ''Star India''), a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company India. It telecasts dramas, crime and comedy shows. The channel was l ...
''.
He co-created and produced ''
Ishq Kills
''Ishq Kills'' is an Indian crime thriller television show, which premiered on Star Plus on 16 February 2014.The show is based on true events and it wrapped up in 13 episodes. The show is produced by Rowdy Rascals Productions and hosted by Vikr ...
'' which aired on
Star Plus
StarPlus is an Indian Hindi language general entertainment pay television channel owned by Disney Star (formerly ''Star India''), a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company India. The network's programming consists of family dramas, comedies, ...
. He is also the Series Producer of the longest running crime show on Indian television ''
Crime Patrol''.
He has also written and produced the third season of ''
Fear Files: Darr Ki Sacchi Tasvirein''
His company also produced the Indian adaptation of the Emmy Award-winning reality show MTV ''
True Life
''True Life'' is an American documentary television series that aired on MTV from March 31, 1998 to June 21, 2017. Each episode follows a particular topic, such as heroin addiction as in the first episode – "Fatal Dose". The show is created by ...
'' for
MTV India
MTV India is an Indian pay television channel specialising in music, reality and youth culture programming. It was launched in 1996 as the Indian version of MTV and is owned by Viacom 18, a joint venture operation between MTV International owne ...
.
Anirban also directed two music videos. The first was for the song Rok Sako To Rok Lo by
Euphoria
Euphoria ( ) is the experience (or affect) of pleasure or excitement and intense feelings of well-being and happiness. Certain natural rewards and social activities, such as aerobic exercise, laughter, listening to or making music and da ...
&
Mehnaz_Hoosein
Mehnaz Hoosein (born 30 January 1973) is an Indian pop singer and songwriter from Mumbai, India, popularly known for her hit song 'Banoongi Main Miss India'. She is a graduate from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai. At the age of 13, Mehnaz started ...
and the second was for
Aasma
Aasma was an Indian pop group that formed in 2003, and has disbanded since. The band was composed of the winners of the second season of Indian version of the international television talent show Popstars, named Coke Popstars, after its princi ...
's superhit song Chandu Ke Chacha.
Author
Anirban released his debut book entitled ''
The Deadly Dozen: India's Most Notorious Serial Killers'' which is published by
Penguin India
Penguins ( order Sphenisciformes , family Spheniscidae ) are a group of aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: only one species, the Galápagos penguin, is found north of the Equator. Highly adapt ...
. It went on to become a No.1 bestseller on Amazon India. The book was launched by film-director
Anurag Kashyap
Anurag Kashyap (born 10 September 1972) is an Indian filmmaker and actor known for his works in Hindi cinema. He is the recipient of several accolades, including four Filmfare Awards. For his contributions to film, the Government of France a ...
. The book has been endorsed by actors
John Abraham
John Abraham (born 17 December 1972) is an Indian actor, film producer, writer and former model working in Hindi films. He has won a National Film Award and received five Filmfare nominations.
After modelling for advertisements and companies ...
,
Ayushmann Khurrana,
Ronit Roy
Ronit Bose Roy (born 11 October 1965) is an Indian actor, known for his works primarily in Hindi television and films alongside Tamil and Telugu cinema. Roy has earned numerous accolades in his career including a Filmfare Award, two Screen Awa ...
and film directors
Kiran Rao
Kiran Rao (born 7 November 1973) is an Indian film producer, screenwriter, and director who works in Hindi cinema. In 2016, Rao co-founded Paani Foundation, a non-profit organisation working towards the mission of fighting drought in Maharashtr ...
,
Shashanka Ghosh
Shashanka Ghosh is an Indian filmmaker and writer. As a director, his notable works include the commercially successful films like ''Khoobsurat (2014 film), Khoobsurat'' and ''Veere Di Wedding''. As a writer, he penned the story for ''Waisa Bhi ...
, and writer
Jayant Kripalani
Jayant Kripalani is an Indian film, television and stage actor, director and trainer. He is most known for his role in the TV series, like '' Khandaan'', ''Mr. Mrs'' and ''Ji Mantriji'' (2003). He also wrote the screenplay for Shyam Benegal's fil ...
. The book is a true-crime non-fiction account about 12 of the deadliest serial killers of India.
Dec 2021 Anirban's second book Mumblings & Musings was published by Petals Publishers and Distributors. It is a collection of modern poetry and photographs. The book has received rave reviews from celebrities like actor
Sushant Singh
Sushant Singh (born 9 March 1972) is an Indian character actor, television actor, author and Television presenter, presenter known for his works predominantly in Hindi cinema, and Telugu cinema. He made his screen debut in 1998 with Ram Gopal V ...
, actor and supermodel
Dipannita Sharma
Dipannita Sharma (born 2 November 1979) is an Indian actress and model.
Career
Sharma came into the limelight after making it to the final five of the Miss India 1998 contest. She also won 'Miss Photogenic' title in the same contest. She has wal ...
, actor and author
Jayant Kripalani
Jayant Kripalani is an Indian film, television and stage actor, director and trainer. He is most known for his role in the TV series, like '' Khandaan'', ''Mr. Mrs'' and ''Ji Mantriji'' (2003). He also wrote the screenplay for Shyam Benegal's fil ...
, bestselling author
Vish Dhamija
Vish Dhamija is a British Indian crime-fiction writer. According to the Indian Press he is India's Best Page-Turner and one of the ten most popular Indian thriller authors. He is the only writer of Indian origin listed among the major legal thri ...
and poet Dr. Santosh Bakaya.
June 2022: Anirban's third book was published entitled The Adventurous 6: The Sinister Summer Holiday by Om Books International. It is the debut adventure for the 5 siblings and their dog. Anirban had written the book in 1985 when he was 11 years old in
Kalimpong
Kalimpong (Hindi: कलिम्पोंग) is a town and the headquarters of an eponymous district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located at an average elevation of . The town is the headquarters of the Kalimpong district. The re ...
. It is a tribute to the adventures of
The Famous Five (novel series)
''The Famous Five'' is a series of children's adventure novels and short stories written by English author Enid Blyton. The first book, ''Five on a Treasure Island'', was published in 1942. The novels feature the adventures of a group of youn ...
by
Enid Blyton
Enid Mary Blyton (11 August 1897 – 28 November 1968) was an English children's writer, whose books have been worldwide bestsellers since the 1930s, selling more than 600 million copies. Her books are still enormously popular and have be ...
which he read while growing up. Instead of getting celebrities to endorse the book, Anirban shipped the manuscript to kids across the world who reviewed the manuscript and gave their quotes which are printed in the book.
August 2022: Anirban's fourth, true crime book India's Money Heist: The Chelembra Bank Robbery was published by
Penguin India
Penguins ( order Sphenisciformes , family Spheniscidae ) are a group of aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: only one species, the Galápagos penguin, is found north of the Equator. Highly adapt ...
. The book is about one of India's biggest bank robberies - ''
Chelembra Bank Robbery'' which took place in
Malappuram
Malappuram (also Malapuram) () is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of including the surrounding suburban areas. The first municipality in the district formed in 1970, Malappuram serves as the administrative headquarter ...
district in
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
and the investigation that was led by ''
P Vijayan
P Vijayan (born 4 February 1968), is the Inspector General of Police. He is a 1999 batch official of the Indian Police Service. He is the founder and chief architect of the Student Police Cadet Project, a youth development initiative.
Present ...
'' The book was launched in
Kochi
Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...
by superstar actor ''
Mohanlal
Mohanlal Viswanathan (born 21 May 1960), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor, film producer, playback singer, film distributor, and director who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically appeare ...
'' and ''
Ranjith (director)
Ranjith Balakrishnan (born 5 September 1964) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, lyricist, producer, and actor who works in Malayalam cinema. Ranjith made his directorial debut in 2001 with ''Ravanaprabhu'', the sequel to ''Devaasuram'' ...
'' The book became a No.1 Bestseller on Amazon India within 1 week of its publication.
Actor and voice actor
Anirban made his Bollywood debut in the Yashraj hit "
Sui Dhaaga: Made in India" (2018) starring ''
Varun Dhawan
Varun Dhawan (; born 24 April 1987) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. One of India's highest-paid actors, he has been featured in ''Forbes India'' Celebrity 100 list since 2014. He has starred in 11 consecutive box-office successes b ...
'' and ''
Anushka Sharma
Anushka Sharma (; born 1 May 1988) is an Indian actress and former producer who works in Hindi films. She has received several awards, including a Filmfare Award. One of the highest-paid actresses in India as of 2018, she has appeared in '' F ...
'', and directed by ''
Sharat Katariya
Sharat Katariya (born 15 June 1978) is an Indian film director and screenwriter.
Career
Katariya started out as an assistant director to Rajat Kapoor during the making of Raghu Romeo. He also worked as a lyricist on the film. Apart from this he ...
''. He also appeared in ''
Mission Mangal
''Mission Mangal'' (English: "Mission Mars") is a 2019 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Jagan Shakti and produced by Cape of Good Films, Hope Productions, Fox Star Studios, Aruna Bhatia and Anil Naidu. Loosely based on the life of s ...
'' (2019). He is also a voice performer and dubbing artist and has dubbed for the Indian (Hindi language) versions of
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, which is owned by The Walt Disney Company. The studio is the flagship producer of live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Studios uni ...
and
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californi ...
movies
Cars 2
''Cars 2'' is a 2011 American computer-animated Spy film, spy comedy film produced by Pixar, Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It is the sequel to ''Cars (film), Cars'' (2006), the second film in the Cars (franchise), ''Cars'' f ...
(2011)
Planes (film)
''Planes'' is a 2013 American 3D computer-animated sports comedy film produced by Disneytoon Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed and co-written by Klay Hall, it is a spin-off of Pixar's ''Cars'' franchise. Despite not bein ...
(2013) and
The Wild
''The Wild'' is a 2006 American computer-animated adventure comedy film directed by animator Steve "Spaz" Williams and written by Ed Decter, John J. Strauss, Mark Gibson and Philip Halprin. It features the voices of Eddie Izzard, Kiefer Sutherla ...
(2006). In
Cars 2
''Cars 2'' is a 2011 American computer-animated Spy film, spy comedy film produced by Pixar, Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It is the sequel to ''Cars (film), Cars'' (2006), the second film in the Cars (franchise), ''Cars'' f ...
he dubbed for the main villain
Professor Zündapp
''Cars'' is a media franchise including the 2006 film ''Cars'', the 2011 film '' Cars 2'', the 2017 film ''Cars 3'', the 2013 film '' Planes'' and the 2014 film '' Planes: Fire & Rescue''. Characters in the fictional universe include:
Piston ...
.
Anirban has acted in Opium (2022) along with ''
Vinay Pathak
Vinay Pathak (born 12 July 1968) is an Indian theater and film actor. He has starred in many films including ''Khosla Ka Ghosla,'' '' Bheja Fry,'' ''Island City'' and ''Johnny Gaddaar'' and had a supporting role in movies like ''Jism'', ''Rab ...
'', ''
Sharib Hashmi
Sharib Hashmi (born 25 January 1976) is an Indian actor, writer, producer and director who works in the Hindi cinema. He is best known for portraying J.K. Talpade in the Amazon Prime Video series ''The Family Man'' (2019-2021) and Sunny in Film ...
'' and ''
Manu Rishi
Manu Rishi Chadha (born 3 January 1971) is an Indian actor, lyricist, script and dialogue writer who works in Hindi films. Rishi is trained under theatre director Arvind Gaur for six years. He won the Filmfare Best Dialogue Award, 2009 for ''Oy ...
'' which premiered at the 2022 ''
Tokyo International Film Festival''
Standup comedy
Anirban was the winner of the first-ever open mic to be held at ''
The Comedy Store
The Comedy Store is an American comedy club opened in April 1972. It is located in West Hollywood, California, at 8433 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip. An associated club is located in La Jolla, San Diego, California.
History
The Comedy ...
'' in Mumbai in 2011. Since then he has toured all over the country with his solo show Don't Mess With The Bong.
References
External links
Anirban's Amazon Author PageAnirban Bhattacharyyaat
Penguin India
Penguins ( order Sphenisciformes , family Spheniscidae ) are a group of aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: only one species, the Galápagos penguin, is found north of the Equator. Highly adapt ...
BooksByAB on Facebook
Anirban's Standup Comedy on YoutubeAnirban's Standup Comedy on Facebook
Anirban Bhattacharyya on IMDB
Anirban's Twitter
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhattacharyya, Anirban
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
Indian television producers
People from Kolkata