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Mani Kaul (25 December 1944 – 6 July 2011) was an Indian director of
Hindi film Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
s and a reputed figure in Indian
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 ...
. He graduated from 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 ...
(FTII) where he was a student of
Ritwik Ghatak Ritwik Kumar Ghatak (; 4 November 19256 February 1976) was a noted Indian film director, screenwriter, and playwright. Along with prominent contemporary Bengali filmmakers Satyajit Ray, Tapan Sinha and Mrinal Sen, his cinema is primarily rememb ...
and later became a teacher. Starting his career with ''
Uski Roti ''Uski Roti'' (English titles: ''Other's bread'', ''His/her bread'', ''A Day's Bread'') is a 1969 Hindi film directed by Mani Kaul. It was Kaul's first feature film, based on a short story of the same name by Mohan Rakesh, who also wrote the dia ...
'' (1969), which won him the
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. Mov ...
, he went on to win four of them in all. He won the
National Film Award for Best Direction The National Film Award for Best Direction is an honour presented annually at India's National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF), an organisation set up by the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Since ...
in 1974 for '' Duvidha'' and later the National Film Award for his documentary film ''
Siddheshwari ''Siddheshwari'' (Hindi: सिद्देश्वरी) is a 1989 Hindi documentary directed film by Mani Kaul. It is a cinematic portrait of Siddheshwari Devi, a Hindustani classical music singer from Varanasi, India. It was produced by th ...
'' in 1989.


Early life and background

Born Rabindranath Kaul, in
Jodhpur Jodhpur (; ) is the second-largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan and officially the second metropolitan city of the state. It was formerly the seat of the princely state of Jodhpur State. Jodhpur was historically the capital of the Ki ...
, Rajasthan, in a
Kashmiri Pandit The Kashmiri Pandits (also known as Kashmiri Brahmins) are a group of Kashmiri Hindus and a part of the larger Saraswat Brahmin community of India. They belong to the Pancha Gauda Brahmin group from the Kashmir Valley, a mountainous region l ...
family, Kaul first joined FTII, Pune as an acting student and later shifted to the direction course, where noted film director Ritwik Ghatak was a teacher, graduating in 1966. He was a nephew of actor-director
Mahesh Kaul Mahesh Kaul (10 April 1911 – 2 July 1972) was an Indian film director, screenwriter and actor who primarily worked in Bollywood film industry during his career span. Kaul is known for his contribution to the cinema of India. He mainly worked as ...
, who made films like
Raj Kapoor Raj Kapoor (pronunciation: aːd͡ʒ kəpuːɾ born Shrishti Nath Kapoor; also known as Ranbir Raj Kapoor; 14 December 1924 2 June 1988) was an Indian actor, film director and producer, who worked in Hindi cinema. He is considered one of th ...
starrer ''
Sapno Ka Saudagar ''Sapno Ka Saudagar'' () is a 1968 Indian Hindi-language film directed by Mahesh Kaul and produced by B. Ananthaswami. The film stars Raj Kapoor, Hema Malini, Tanuja and Nadira. The film's music was composed by Shankar Jaikishan. Plot Thi ...
'' (1968).


Career

His first film ''
Uski Roti ''Uski Roti'' (English titles: ''Other's bread'', ''His/her bread'', ''A Day's Bread'') is a 1969 Hindi film directed by Mani Kaul. It was Kaul's first feature film, based on a short story of the same name by Mohan Rakesh, who also wrote the dia ...
'' (1969) has been described as "one of the key films of the New Indian Cinema or the Indian New Wave". It marked a drastic departure from earlier Indian cinema technique, form and narrative. It was one of the early formal experimental films in Indian cinema. ''
Ashadh Ka Ek Din ''Ashadh Ka Ek Din'' (Hindi: आषाढ़ का एक दिन, One Day in Ashadh) is a Hindi play by Mohan Rakesh that debuted in 1958 and is considered the first Modern Hindi play. The play received a Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for best ...
'' (1971), his next film, was based on a play by
Mohan Rakesh Mohan may refer to: People * Mohan Shumsher JBR, Former prime minister of Nepal * Mohan (actor) (born 1956), Indian film actor * Mohan (director), Indian director of Malayalam films * Mohan (name), a name generally found among Hindus * Mohan ...
. '' Duvidha'', his third film, was his first in colour. It grew out of a short story by
Vijaydan Detha Vijaydan Detha (1 September 1926 – 10 November 2013), also known as Bijji, was a noted Indian writer of Rajasthani literature. He was a recipient of several awards including the Padma Shri and the Sahitya Akademi Award. Detha has more than 80 ...
and tells the story of a merchant's son, who returns with his new bride. When he departs on a business trip, a ghost falls in love with the wife. It was widely shown across Europe. He was awarded the prestigious
Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship The Jawaharlal Nehru Trust Scholarship U.K. was founded by Admiral Lord Mountbatten of Burma in 1966 as a tribute to the India's first Prime Minister – Jawaharlal Nehru – after his death in 1964. The scholarship was funded by the Nehru M ...
in 1974. Kaul was one of the co-founders of the Yukt Film Co-operative (Union of Kinematograph Technicians) in 1976, leading to avant-garde films. Critics opined in "Mani Kaul's cinematic conception, fiction and documentary films have no clear demarcated dividing line." He also taught music in the Netherlands, and was Creative Director of the film house at Osian's Connoisseurs of Art, Mumbai. In 1971, he was a member of the jury at the 21st Berlin International Film Festival. He was a visiting lecturer at
Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
for the 2000–2001 school year.


Death

Mani Kaul died on 6 July 2011 at his home in
Gurgaon Gurgaon (pronunciation: ʊɽɡãːw, officially named Gurugram (pronunciation: ʊɾʊɡɾaːm, is a city located in the northern Indian state of Haryana. It is situated near the Delhi–Haryana border, about southwest of the nationa ...
, near Delhi, after prolonged battle with cancer. He is survived by two sons and two daughters.


Tribute

According to a tribute from Prabha Mahajan on the Indian documentary film discussion network Docuwallahs

Mani Kaul's significant body of work included both feature films and documentaries. In an interview Mani stated: "The dividing line from my films and documentaries is thin. Some of my films like ''
Siddheshwari ''Siddheshwari'' (Hindi: सिद्देश्वरी) is a 1989 Hindi documentary directed film by Mani Kaul. It is a cinematic portrait of Siddheshwari Devi, a Hindustani classical music singer from Varanasi, India. It was produced by th ...
'' are like poetic documentaries." Mani Kaul's fellow alumni from Film and Television Institute of India, FTII intend to put together a collective tribute to Mani Kaul and his work, and interested persons were invited to send in their thoughts on Mani as a film maker, teacher/ mentor, colleague, and as a person. Indian film critic
Khalid Mohamed Khalid Mohamed is an Indian journalist, editing, editor, Film criticism, film critic, screenwriter and film director. He formerly worked for the ''Hindustan Times'' and was the lead editor for ''Filmfare'' magazine. He is the son of Bollywoo ...
commented, "As a film director, he discussed the status of women (''
Uski Roti ''Uski Roti'' (English titles: ''Other's bread'', ''His/her bread'', ''A Day's Bread'') is a 1969 Hindi film directed by Mani Kaul. It was Kaul's first feature film, based on a short story of the same name by Mohan Rakesh, who also wrote the dia ...
'', '' Duvidha''), crafted visually seductive documentaries (''Arrival'', ''Before My Eyes'', ''A Desert of a Thousand Lines'') and went through a spell of interpreting
Fyodor Dostoevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (, ; rus, Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский, Fyódor Mikháylovich Dostoyévskiy, p=ˈfʲɵdər mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪdʑ dəstɐˈjefskʲɪj, a=ru-Dostoevsky.ogg, links=yes; 11 November 18219 ...
’s masterworks. The Russian writer’s short story ''A Gentle Creature'' inspired '' Nazar'', shot in low, chiaroscuro lighting." Filmmaker Sameer Wadhwa, in his obituary of Mani Kaul published in
Hindustan Times ''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media, an entity controlled by the KK Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia. It was founded by Sunder Singh Lyall ...
writes: “Mani Kaul had perfected the art of deeply moving his audience cerebrally by meticulous philosophical exposition. His films effortlessly employed temporality to create a deep spatial landscape in which human emotions oscillated with an incendiary provocation. This cinematic gesture was so subtle that if one were not attentive the meaning would be lost.”


Filmography

*''
Uski Roti ''Uski Roti'' (English titles: ''Other's bread'', ''His/her bread'', ''A Day's Bread'') is a 1969 Hindi film directed by Mani Kaul. It was Kaul's first feature film, based on a short story of the same name by Mohan Rakesh, who also wrote the dia ...
'' (1969) *'' Sara Aakash'' (1969) *''
Ashadh Ka Ek Din ''Ashadh Ka Ek Din'' (Hindi: आषाढ़ का एक दिन, One Day in Ashadh) is a Hindi play by Mohan Rakesh that debuted in 1958 and is considered the first Modern Hindi play. The play received a Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for best ...
'' (1971) *'' Duvidha'' (1973) *''Puppeteers of Rajasthan'' (Documentary) (1974) *''A Historical Sketch of Indian Women'' (Documentary) (1975) *''
Ghashiram Kotwal '' Kotwal'' is a Marathi play written by playwright Vijay Tendulkar in 1972 as a response to the rise of a local political party, in Maharashtra. The play is a political satire, written as historical drama. It is based on the life of Nana Phadna ...
'' (1976) *''Chitrakathi'' (Documentary) (1977) *''Arrival'' (Documentary) (1980) *'' Satah Se Uthata Admi'' (1980) *''
Dhrupad Dhrupad is a genre in Hindustani classical music from the Indian subcontinent. It is the oldest known style of major vocal styles associated with Hindustani classical music, Haveli Sangeet of Pushtimarg Sampraday and also related to the South Ind ...
'' (1982) *'' Mati Manas'' (Documentary) (1984) *''A Desert of a Thousand Lines'' (Documentary) (1986) *''Before My Eyes'' (Documentary)(1989) *''
Siddheshwari ''Siddheshwari'' (Hindi: सिद्देश्वरी) is a 1989 Hindi documentary directed film by Mani Kaul. It is a cinematic portrait of Siddheshwari Devi, a Hindustani classical music singer from Varanasi, India. It was produced by th ...
'' (Documentary) (1989) *'' Nazar'' (1991) *''
Idiot An idiot, in modern use, is a stupid or foolish person. 'Idiot' was formerly a technical term in legal and psychiatric contexts for some kinds of profound intellectual disability where the mental age is two years or less, and the person cannot ...
'' (1992) *''
The Cloud Door ''The Cloud Door'' ( hi, बादल द्वार, german: Die Himmelspforte) is a 1994 short Indo-German drama film, directed by acclaimed Indian director Mani Kaul and featuring Hindu erotic literary themes. The film was produced by the ...
'' (1995) *'' Naukar Ki Kameez'' (The Servant's Shirt) (1999) *'' Bojh'' (Burden) (2000) *'' Ik Ben Geen Ander'' (I Am No Other) (Netherlands) (2002) *''A Monkey's Raincoat'' (Netherlands) (2005) *''Signature Film'' (for
Osian's Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema Osian's-Cinefan is one of Asia's leading film-festival devoted to Asian and Arab cinema, and is part of ''Osian's Film House Division''. The festival celebrated its 10th anniversary in July 2008. After a two-year break, the 12th staging of the f ...
) (2006)


Awards


National Film Awards

* 1974: Best Direction: '' Duvidha'' * 1989: Best Documentary Film:
Siddheshwari ''Siddheshwari'' (Hindi: सिद्देश्वरी) is a 1989 Hindi documentary directed film by Mani Kaul. It is a cinematic portrait of Siddheshwari Devi, a Hindustani classical music singer from Varanasi, India. It was produced by th ...
Interview with Mani Kaul
UNESCO Courier, July–August 1995.


Filmfare Awards

Mani Kaul won
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. Mov ...
four times. * 1971: ''Uski Roti'' (1970) * 1972: ''Ashad Ka Ek Din'' (1971) * 1974: ''Duvidha'' (1973) * 1993: ''
Idiot An idiot, in modern use, is a stupid or foolish person. 'Idiot' was formerly a technical term in legal and psychiatric contexts for some kinds of profound intellectual disability where the mental age is two years or less, and the person cannot ...
'' (1992)


References


External links

*
Mani Kaul
at
Avijit Ghosh, "He was, by far, our most original filmmaker"
''The Times of India''.
Mani Kaul on Cinematography and Time
at ''Indian Auteur''
The Films of Mani Kaul
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaul, Mani Film directors from Rajasthan 1944 births 2011 deaths People from Jodhpur Kashmiri people Hindi-language film directors Film and Television Institute of India alumni Indian documentary filmmakers Filmfare Awards winners Best Director National Film Award winners Film educators Deaths from cancer in India Jawaharlal Nehru Fellows 20th-century Indian film directors