Apurba Kishore Bir (born 1948), also known as A. K. Bir, is an Indian film

cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the ch ...

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

and director. An alumnus of the

Film and Television Institute of India The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) is a film institute under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government of India and aided by the Central Government of India. It is situated on the premises of the erstwhile ...

Pune Pune (; ; also known as Poona, (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million ...

, he worked in various Ad-films and documentaries before making his feature-film debut. He won the

National Film Award for Best Cinematography The National Film Award for Best Cinematography is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India. It is one of several awards p ...

for '' 27 Down'', his debut film. His directional debut '' Aadi Mimansa'' won the

Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration The Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organization set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of ...

. Bir's other directional ventures ''Lavanya Preeti'' and ''

Baaja ''Baaja'' (Mouth Organ; hi, बाजा) is a 2002 Indian Hindi film directed by Apurba Kishore Bir. Synopsis A free and compassionate human spirit is trapped in Shibu, an eleven-year-old boy. In order to guide Shibu's wandering energy on ...

'' were bestowed with the

National Film Award for Best Children's Film The National Film Award for Best Children's Film is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India. It is one of several awards ...

. As of 2014, he has won nine

National Film Awards The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorat ...

—including three for Best Cinematography—and is one of the directors of

National Film Development Corporation of India The National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC) based in Mumbai is the central agency established in 1975, to encourage high quality Indian cinema. It functions in areas of film financing, production and distribution and under Ministr ...

Biography

Born in Balikuti village of

Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...

, Bir had a great passion for painting. At the insistence of his father, he joined the

with a specialisation in motion-picture cinematography. After passing out of the institute, he worked on short films and documentaries. '' 27 Down'', his debut feature-film as a cinematographer, won him the Best Cinematographer award at the 21st National Film Awards. Nearly 70 percent of the film was shot using a handheld camera. Bir was one of the first-unit cameramen for

Richard Attenborough Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough, (; 29 August 192324 August 2014) was an English actor, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. He was the president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the British Academy of Film and Televisio ...

Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

. He won two more awards for "Best Cinematography" for '' Daasi'' (1988) and '' Aadi Mimansa'' (1991). The latter also marked his directional debut. It won the

. As a director Known for his work in

Parallel Cinema Parallel cinema, or New Indian Cinema, is a film movement in Indian cinema that originated in the state of West Bengal in the 1950s as an alternative to the mainstream commercial Indian cinema. Inspired by Italian Neorealism, Parallel Cinema ...

. Bir's films focused on children as two of his films—''Lavanya Preeti'' and ''

'' won the

in 1993 and 2002 respectively. The former received the "Best Asian Film" award at the Osaka International Film Festival in addition to an "International Jury's Critic Award" and a screening at the

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...

. ''Hamari Beti'', for which he wrote the screenplay apart from photography and direction, was screened at the competitive section of the "World Film Section" of

Chicago International Film Festival The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964 by Michael Kutza, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America. Its logo is a stark, black and white close up of the comp ...

in 2006. In 2012, Bir was appointed as one of the directors of the

. He headed the "Technical Sub-committee" and was the chairman of the feature film jury of the 45th

International Film Festival of India The International Film Festival of India (IFFI), founded in 1952, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. Held annually, currently in the state of Goa, on the western coast of the country, the festival aims at providing a common pla ...

in 2014.

Filmography

* '' 27 Down'' (1973) * ''

Gharonda ''Gharaonda'' (''The Nest'') is a 1977 Hindi drama film, produced and directed by Bhimsain. The film stars Amol Palekar, Zarina Wahab, Shreeram Lagoo and Jalal Agha. The music is by Jaidev. Plot ''Gharonda'' explores the lives of Sudip (Amol Pa ...

'' (1977) * ''

Godhuli ''Tabbaliyu Neenade Magane'' or ''Godhuli'' is a 1977 Indian drama film co-directed by Girish Karnad and B. V. Karanth, starring Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Om Puri and Naseeruddin Shah. It is based on the Kannada novel '' Tabali Neenade Magane'', ...

'' (1977) * ''

Ondanondu Kaladalli ''Ondanondu Kaladalli'' () is a 1978 Indian Kannada-language epic film co-written and directed by Girish Karnad with soundtrack by Bhaskar Chandavarkar, starring Shankar Nag and Akshatha Rao in their debut. Through this movie, Kavita Krishnamur ...

'' (1978) * ''

Khatta Meetha ''Khatta Meetha ''is a Hindi/Urdu phrase which means "sweet and sour". It may refer to: * ''Khatta Meetha'' (1978 film), a Bollywood film directed by Basu Chatterjee, starring Ashok Kumar and Rakesh Roshan in the lead roles * ''Khatta Meetha'' (20 ...

'' (1978) * '' Prem Vivah'' (1979) * ''

Dooriyaan ''Dooriyaan'' is a 1979 Bollywood film directed by Bhimsain Khurana and written by Shanker Shesh.It starred Uttam Kumar and Sharmila Tagore Plot Cast *Uttam Kumar as Kailash *Sharmila Tagore as Ratna *Shreeram Lagoo as Prabhakar *Jalal Ag ...

'' (1979) * ''

Hamari Bahu Alka ''Hamari Bahu Alka'' (Our Daughter-in-Law Alka) is a 1982 Hindi movie, directed by Basu Chatterjee, based on the Bengali story ''Eto Tuku Basha'' by Manoj Basu. It stars Rakesh Roshan, Bindiya Goswami and Utpal Dutt. Music was by Rajesh Roshan, ...

'' (1982) * ''

'' (1982; was a part of the first-unit cameramen) * '' Rangula Kala'' (1983) * '' Aadat Se Majboor'' (1983) (screenwriter) * ''Tum Laut Aao'' (1983) * ''

Maa Ooru Maa Ooru () is a 1987 Indian Telugu-language anthropological film written and directed by B. Narsing Rao. The film won the Best Ethnographic Film at the 36th National Film Awards "For recalling with nostalgia the life of a village community of t ...

'' (1983; documentary film) * ''Ram Avtar'' (1988) * '' Daasi'' (1988) * ''

Pestonjee ''Pestonjee'' is a 1988 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Vijaya Mehta, starring Anupam Kher, Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi, based on a story by film journalist B. K. Karanjia. At the 35th National Film Awards, it won the award ...

'' (1988) * '' Matti Manushulu'' (1990) * '' Aadi Mimansa'' (1991, also director) * ''

Diksha Diksha (Sanskrit: दीक्षा) also spelled diksa, deeksha or deeksa in common usage, translated as a "preparation or consecration for a religious ceremony", is giving of a mantra or an initiation by the guru (in Guru–shishya tradition) ...

'' (1991) * ''Lavanya Preeti'' (1991, also screenwriter and director) * ''

Aranyaka The Aranyakas (; sa, आरण्यक; IAST: ' ) are the part of the ancient Indian Vedas concerned with the meaning of ritual sacrifice. They typically represent the later sections of the Vedas, and are one of many layers of the Vedic texts ...

'' (1994) (also screenwriter and director) * '' Shesha Drushti'' (1997, also director) * ''Nandan'' (1998, also director) * ''

'' (2002, also screenwriter and director) * '' Shararat'' (2002) * ''

Hari Villu ''Harivillu'' or ''Hari Villu'' ( te, హరివిల్లు;English title: Rainbow) is a 2003 Telugu drama film written and directed by B. Narsing Rao. The film is produced by D. Rama Naidu of Suresh Productions. This 2003 film is based on ...

'' (2003) * '' Sikhar'' (2005) * ''Hamari Beti'' (also screenwriter and director) * ''Jianta Bhuta'' (2008) * ''Huppa Huiyya'' (2010)

Awards

National Film Awards

Best Cinematography

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...

: '' 27 Down'' *

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...

: '' Daasi'' *

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...

: '' Aadi Mimansa''

Best Regional Film (Oriya)

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...

: '' Shesha Drushti'' *

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...

: '' Nandan''

Best Children's films

: '' Lavanya Preeti'' *

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...

: ''

Best Film on National Integration

: '' Aadi Mimansa''

Other awards and honours

* 1991 – Aravindan Award for Best First Film of a Director ''Aadi Mimansa'' * 1993 – International Jury's Critic Award at Udaipur International Film Festival for ''Lavanya Preeti'' * Jayadeba Award * ''Lavanya Preeti'' – Best Asian Film award at the Osaka International Film Festival. * 2011 – Taranga Cine Awards for Best Cinematography * 2013 –

Padma Shri Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...

References

External links

*
Apurba Kishore Bir on 27 Down

AK Bir at CFS India
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bir, Apurba Kishore 1948 births Living people Hindi film cinematographers Indian male screenwriters Screenwriters from Odisha Odia film directors Hindi-language film directors Best Cinematography National Film Award winners Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts 20th-century Indian film directors Film and Television Institute of India alumni Odia screenwriters Cinematographers from Odisha Directors who won the Best Children's Film National Film Award Producers who won the Best Film on National Integration National Film Award Directors who won the Best Film on National Integration National Film Award Odia film screenwriters