Govind Nihalani (born 19 December 1940) is an Indian film director, cinematographer, screenwriter and producer, known for his works in Hindi cinema. He has been the recipient of six National Film Awards, and five Bollywood Filmfare Awards. In 1996, his script for ''
Drohkaal
''Drohkaal'' () is a 1994 Indian Hindi-language crime drama film directed and produced by Govind Nihalani, which deals with India's fight against terrorism. The film examines the mental and psychological trauma that honest police officers go th ...
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
68th Academy Awards
The 68th Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 1995 in the United States and took place on March 25, 1996, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles beg ...
Amrish Puri
Amrish Puri (22 June 1932 – 12 January 2005) was an Indian actor, who was one of the most notable and important figures in Indian cinema and Theatre. He acted in more than 450 films, established himself as one of the most popular actor ...
. The film was scripted by noted Marathi playwright
Vijay Tendulkar
Vijay Dhondopant Tendulkar (6 January 1928 – 19 May 2008) was a leading Indian playwright, movie and television writer, literary essayist, political journalist, and social commentator primarily in Marāthi. His Marathi plays established him as ...
Ardh Satya
''Ardh Satya'' () is a 1983 film directed by Govind Nihalani, his second offering after another angst-ridden movie '' Aakrosh'' (1980). The screenplay of both movies was by Vijay Tendulkar, the noted Marathi playwright; this one was based on the ...
'', based on a story by S. D. Panwalkar. The film has received critical reception for depicting the police-politician-criminal nexus. In 1997, he adapted Bengali novelist
Mahasweta Devi
Mahasweta Devi (14 January 1926 – 28 July 2016) ''
's acclaimed novel by the same name to ''
Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa
''Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa'' ( en, The Mother of 1084) is a 1998 Indian feature filmthat deals with the life of a woman who loses her son, a Naxalite, to the violence that is a result of his adopted ideology.
The film is directed produced by Govin ...
''.
Early life and career
Nihalani was born on 19 December 1940 in
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
) and his family migrated to India during the partition of 1947.
He started out as a cinematographer, graduating in cinematography from the Shree Jaya Chamrajendra polytechnic (the present
Government Film and Television Institute
The Government Film & Television Institute, Bangalore (formerly a part of S.J.Polytechnic) is believed as the first government institute in India to start technical courses related to films. It is one of the few government film institutes in Ind ...
) in Bangalore in 1962. He was an Assistant Cinematographer to the legendary V. K. Murthy. He was associated with all the earlier films of Shyam Benegal and with the cinematography of Richard Attenborough's Oscar-winning epic
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- ...
. Nihalani and Benegal are well known for their socially relevant films.
Literary works
* ''Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema'', by Govind Nihalani, Saibal Chatterjee, Gulzar. Popular Prakashan, 2003.
Awards
;Civilian honor
*
Padma Shri
Padma Shri ( IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conf ...
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 ...
Ardh Satya
''Ardh Satya'' () is a 1983 film directed by Govind Nihalani, his second offering after another angst-ridden movie '' Aakrosh'' (1980). The screenplay of both movies was by Vijay Tendulkar, the noted Marathi playwright; this one was based on the ...
(1983)
*National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi (director) - Drishti (1990)
*National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi (director) -
Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa
''Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa'' ( en, The Mother of 1084) is a 1998 Indian feature filmthat deals with the life of a woman who loses her son, a Naxalite, to the violence that is a result of his adopted ideology.
The film is directed produced by Govin ...
(1998)
*
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. It is one o ...
Filmfare Best Cinematographer Award
The Filmfare Best Cinematography Award is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.
The category was first awarded in 1954.
Superlatives
Most Awards
Kamal Bose – 5
Radhu Karmakar – 4
Jal Mi ...
Filmfare Best Cinematographer Award
The Filmfare Best Cinematography Award is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.
The category was first awarded in 1954.
Superlatives
Most Awards
Kamal Bose – 5
Radhu Karmakar – 4
Jal Mi ...
Filmfare Best Director Award
The Filmfare Best Director Award is one of the main awards presented given by the annual Filmfare Awards to recognise directors working in Hindi cinema. It was first presented in 1954 in the inaugural year.
Superlatives
Bimal Roy has the re ...
Filmfare Best Movie Award
The Filmfare Award for Best Film is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.
The award was first given in 1954. Here is a list of the award winners and the nominees of the respective years. Eac ...
-
Ardh Satya
''Ardh Satya'' () is a 1983 film directed by Govind Nihalani, his second offering after another angst-ridden movie '' Aakrosh'' (1980). The screenplay of both movies was by Vijay Tendulkar, the noted Marathi playwright; this one was based on the ...
(1984)
*Filmfare Best Director Award -
Ardh Satya
''Ardh Satya'' () is a 1983 film directed by Govind Nihalani, his second offering after another angst-ridden movie '' Aakrosh'' (1980). The screenplay of both movies was by Vijay Tendulkar, the noted Marathi playwright; this one was based on the ...
(1984)
*
Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie
The Filmfare Critics Award for Best Film is awarded during annual Filmfare Awards, given by the Filmfare magazine.
The awards are the oldest and most prominent film awards given for Hindi films in India. The yearly awards started in 1954. Mo ...