Teja (film director)
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Teja (born Jasti Dharma Teja; 22 February 1966) is an Indian
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 ...
turned director and screenwriter, known for his work primarily in
Telugu cinema Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Telugu language, widely spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Telugu cinema is based in Film Nagar, Hy ...
. He ventured into direction with hits such as ''
Chitram ''Chitram'' () is a 2000 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Teja. This film stars debutants Uday Kiran and Reema Sen in the lead roles. The film was sensational hit in 2000. The film is produced by Ramoji Rao.T ...
'', ''
Nuvvu Nenu ''Nuvvu Nenu'' is a 2001 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film directed by Teja who co-wrote it with Dasaradh. The film stars Uday Kiran and Anita while Sunil, Banerjee, Tanikella Bharani, Dharmavarapu Subramanyam, and Telangana Shakunta ...
'', and '' Jayam''. He has garnered several state
Nandi Awards The Nandi Awards are the awards that recognise the excellence in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre and Telugu television, and Lifetime achievements in Indian cinema. Presented annually by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the award is named after ...
, and
Filmfare Award for Best Director – Telugu The Filmfare Award for Best Director – Telugu is presented by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Telugu films. The awards were extended to "Best Director" in 1972. Film world, p 43 Superlatives *K. Visw ...
for ''
Nuvvu Nenu ''Nuvvu Nenu'' is a 2001 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film directed by Teja who co-wrote it with Dasaradh. The film stars Uday Kiran and Anita while Sunil, Banerjee, Tanikella Bharani, Dharmavarapu Subramanyam, and Telangana Shakunta ...
''. Teja debuted as cinematographer with
Ram Gopal Varma Penmetsa Ram Gopal Varma (born 7 April 1962), often referred to by his initials RGV, is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer, known for his works in Telugu cinema in addition to Bollywood, Hindi, Kannada cinema, Kannada language ...
's 1992 bilingual film '' Raat'', for which he won Nandi Award for Best Cinematography. As a cinematographer, He is known for his works in films such as Baazi, ''
Ghulam Ghulam ( ar, غلام, ) is an Arabic word meaning ''servant'', ''assistant'', ''boy'', or ''youth''. It is used to describe young servants in paradise. It is also used to refer to slave-soldiers in the Abbasid, Ottoman, Safavid and to a lesser ...
'', '' Sangharsh'', ''
Jis Desh Mein Ganga Rehta Hain ''Jis Desh Mein Ganga Rehta Hai'' () is 2000 Indian Hindi-language comedy film directed by Mahesh Manjrekar and starring Govinda and Sonali Bendre as leads. It is a remake of the 1972 Marathi film ''Ekta Jeev Sadashiv'', and the 1974 Kannada f ...
'', ''
Krodh {{Five Evils Krodh (Gurmukhi: ਕਰੋਧ ''Karōdha'') is derived from the Sanskrit word krodha (क्रोध), which means wrath or rage. This is an emotion recognized in the Sikh system as a spring of desire and is as such counted as one ...
'', ''
Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
'', ''
Shastra ''Shastra'' (, IAST: , ) is a Sanskrit word that means "precept, rules, manual, compendium, book or treatise" in a general sense.Monier Williams, Monier Williams' Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Article on 'zAstra'' The wo ...
'', ''
Rakshak ''Rakshak'' () is 1996 Indian Bollywood, Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Ashok Honda, starring Sunil Shetty, Karisma Kapoor, Raghuvaran, Sonali Bendre, Alok Nath and Aruna Irani. It is a remake of the Tamil language, Tamil film ...
'', ''
Money Money is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. The primary functions which distinguish money are as ...
'', '' Tere Mere Sapne'', and ''
Vishwavidhaata ''Vishwavidhaata'' is a 1997 Hindi film directed by Farogh Siddique starring Jackie Shroff, Ayesha Jhulka, Sharad Kapoor, Pooja Batra, Arjun and Ashish Vidyarthi. The film is shot in India and Sharjah. It is a loose remake of the Tamil film '' ...
''. Teja also worked as a crew member in films such as ''
Kshana Kshanam ''Kshana Kshanam'' () is a 1991 Indian Telugu-language road thriller and heist film written and directed by Ram Gopal Varma. The film stars Venkatesh, Sridevi, Paresh Rawal, and Rami Reddy. The plot follows Satya (Sridevi), a young woman who is ...
'', '' Rangeela'', '' Drohi'', ''
Antham ''Antham'' () is a 1992 Indian neo-noir crime film written and directed by Ram Gopal Varma, filmed simultaneously in both Telugu and Hindi languages. The film starred Nagarjuna, Urmila Matondkar, Salim Ghouse, and Danny Denzongpa. The soundtrack ...
'', ''
Gaayam ''Gaayam'' () is a 1993 Indian Telugu-language political thriller film, based on the 1980s Vijayawada Gang Warfare. Directed by Ram Gopal Varma, and story co-written by himself and Mani Ratnam, it stars Jagapathi Babu, Revathi, Urmila Matondka ...
'', and '' Govinda Govinda''.


Early life

Teja was born on 22 February 1966 in
Madras Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
(now Chennai) of
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
in an affluent family. His father J.B.K. Chowdhary was an industrialist and exporter, based primarily in
Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. Chowdhary suffered heavy losses in his business which forced Teja to start working at an early age. Teja identifies himself as anti-
caste Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultura ...
, anti-religion, and anti-region. He has legally dropped his surname for the same reason.


Career

Teja doing any work he could get, ended up working in Tamil film shoots as a lighting assistant. After working in lighting and sound departments he moved into the camera department and worked under
Ravikant Nagaich Ravikant Nagaich (5 July 1931 – 6 January 1991) was an Indian film personality. He is an Indian film personality born at Atrauli, Aligarh- Uttar Pradesh, India in a Brahmin family. He started his filming career as a cinematographer in Telugu ...
, and W.B. Rao. He then took up assignments for documentaries presented in
National Geographic Channel National Geographic (formerly National Geographic Channel; abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo or Nat Geo TV) is an American pay television television network, network and flagship (broadcasting), flagship channel owned by the National Geograp ...
. He then joined the bandwagon of Bollywood. Working as cinematographer, Teja used to frequently schedule Hindi film shoots in
Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...
, Andhra Pradesh as to spend more time with his wife and son. Many schedules were planned in
Ramoji Film City Ramoji Film City is an integrated film studio facility located in Hyderabad, India. Spread over 1,666 acres (674 ha), it is the largest film studio complex in the world and as such has been certified by the Guinness World Records. It was estab ...
. ''
Chitram ''Chitram'' () is a 2000 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Teja. This film stars debutants Uday Kiran and Reema Sen in the lead roles. The film was sensational hit in 2000. The film is produced by Ramoji Rao.T ...
'', Teja's directorial debut was planned entirely in Ramoji Film City on budget of forty lakh rupees. The film became a huge hit and paved way for a variety of new age romantic films in Tollywood. Teja gained notability post the release of ''
Nuvvu Nenu ''Nuvvu Nenu'' is a 2001 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film directed by Teja who co-wrote it with Dasaradh. The film stars Uday Kiran and Anita while Sunil, Banerjee, Tanikella Bharani, Dharmavarapu Subramanyam, and Telangana Shakunta ...
'', an all-time blockbuster and that year's highest grosser. The film received six
Nandi Awards The Nandi Awards are the awards that recognise the excellence in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre and Telugu television, and Lifetime achievements in Indian cinema. Presented annually by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the award is named after ...
and had a total run of three seventy five days. The film was also remade in Hindi starring
Tushar Kapoor Tushar Ravi Kapoor (born 20 November 1976), popular as Tusshar Kapoor, is an Indian actor and film producer working in Hindi films. Early and personal life Tusshar Kapoor is the son of Indian actors Jeetendra and Shobha Kapoor. His sister Ek ...
and Anita Hassanandani. Teja's next film was ''
Nijam ''Nijam'' () is a 2003 Indian Telugu-language action film written, directed and produced by Teja on Chitram Movies banner. The film stars Mahesh Babu, Rakshita, Gopichand, and Raasi, with music was composed by R. P. Patnaik. Babu and Rames ...
'', was released in 2003 starring
Mahesh Babu Ghattamaneni Mahesh Babu (born 9 August 1975) is an Indian actor, producer, media personality, and philanthropist who works mainly in Telugu cinema. He has appeared in more than 25 films, and won several accolades including, eight Nandi Award ...
and
Rakshitha Shweta, known by her stage name Rakshita, is an Indian television personality, film producer and former actress known for her work in Kannada cinema. Early life Rakshita was brought up in Bangalore. Her father B. C. Gowrishankar was a cinemato ...
in lead roles. Nijam was a low grosser at the box office but gained critical appraise. In the following year, Teja made '' Jai''. Actor
Navdeep Navdeep Pallapolu (born 26 January 1986) is an Indian actor and television personality who appears in Telugu films along with Tamil films. He made his film debut in 2004 with the patriotic sports drama '' Jai''. He starred in films such as ''Ar ...
debuted with the film, he was paired with Santhoshini and
Ayesha Jhulka Ayesha Jhulka (born 28 July 1972) is an Indian actress who predominantly appears in Hindi films. She has also worked in Odia, Kannada and Telugu languages films. Career She has starred in films including '' Kurbaan'' (1991), ''Jo Jeeta Wohi ...
. It was dubbed in Tamil as ''Jairam''. The film had an average run in both the languages. Teja later directed '' Dhairyam'' and ''
Avunanna Kaadanna ''Aunanna Kaadanna'' () is a 2005 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film directed by Teja. The film stars Uday Kiran and Sadha. Cast *Uday Kiran as Ravi *Sadha as Aravinda (credited as Sadaf) *Pilla Prasad as Mangaraju *Dharmavarapu Sub ...
'', simultaneously. Halfway through ''Dhairyams shoot, Teja dropped the project stating that the producer, N. Sudhakar Reddy,
Nithiin Nithin Kumar Reddy (born 30 March 1983 ), known professionally as Nithiin, is an Indian actor and producer who works predominantly in Telugu cinema. Nithiin's work has earned him one Filmfare Award and two nominations for the Filmfare Award for ...
's father, had changed and edited a part of the film without his consent. Teja returned his remuneration, arranged a press meet, and declared that he had nothing to do with the film. ''Dhairyam'' failed at the box office, whereas ''Avunanna Kadanna'' had a seventy-five-day run and was declared a hit.


Film distribution

Teja also set up Chitram movies distribution offices in Hyderabad and Vizag. He distributed films such as ''
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'' is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling and the fifth novel in the ''Harry Potter'' series. It follows Harry Potter's struggles through his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witc ...
'', ''
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'' is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling and the fourth novel in the ''Harry Potter'' series. It follows Harry Potter, a wizard in his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and W ...
'', ''
Spider-Man 2 ''Spider-Man 2'' is a 2004 American superhero film directed by Sam Raimi and written by Alvin Sargent from a story by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar and Michael Chabon. Based on the fictional Marvel Comics character of the same name, it is the ...
'', ''
Spider-Man 3 ''Spider-Man 3'' is a 2007 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It was directed by Sam Raimi from a screenplay by Raimi, his older brother Ivan and Alvin Sargent. It is the final installment in Raimi's ...
'', '' Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End'', '' Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest'', '' The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift'' and many others in Nizam and other districts.


Personal life

Aurov Teja, Teja's younger son, died of prolonged illness in Hyderabad on Saturday, 19 March 2011. Aurov had been suffering from breathing problems and cerebral palsy, caused by faulty medical procedures followed by the hospital at the time of birth. The baby was taken to
Beijing, China } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
, New York, United States and
Berlin, Germany Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constituent ...
for medical treatment. On the morning of 19 March 2011, the baby's condition deteriorated and was pronounced dead at 12:11 local time.


Filmography


As a writer, director or producer


As a cinematographer


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Teja 1966 births Living people Film directors from Chennai Telugu film cinematographers Hindi film cinematographers Telugu film directors Filmfare Awards South winners Nandi Award winners CineMAA Awards winners Cinematographers from Tamil Nadu Screenwriters from Chennai Film producers from Chennai 21st-century Indian film directors 20th-century Indian photographers 21st-century Indian photographers