Mani Kaul
Encyclopedia
Mani Kaul was an Indian film director of Hindi films. He graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India
(FTII) where he was a student of Ritwik Ghatak and later became a teacher. Started his career with Uski Roti (1969), which won him the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie
, he went on to win four of them in all. He won the National Film Award for Best Direction in 1974 for Duvidha
and later the National Film Award for his documentary film, Siddheshwari in 1989.
, Rajasthan into a Kashmiri
Kaul family, he first joined Film and Television Institute of India
(FTII), Pune as an acting student and later shifted to the direction course, graduating in 1966.
He was the nephew of actor-director Mahesh Kaul. Initially studying acting at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, he changed over to directing. He is a 1966 graduate of the FTII.
Asad ka Ek Din (1971), his next film, was based on a play by Mohan Rakesh.
Duvidha (1973), his third, was his first in colour. It grew out of a short story by Vijayan Detha and tells the story of a merchant's son, who returns with his new bride to have to depart on family business. A ghost falls in love with the bride... It was widely shown across Europe.
Mani Kaul was one of the co-founders of the Yukt Film Co-operative (Union of Kinematograph Technicians) in 1976, leading to avantgarde films. Critics suggest that 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.
.
He was a visiting lecturer at Harvard University for the 2000–2001 school year. Currently he was the Creative Director of the Film House at Osian's Connoisseurs of Art, Mumbai
.
starrer Sapnon Ka Saudagar (1968). Mani Kaul died on 6 July 2011 at his home in Gurgaon, near Delhi. He had been ailing for sometime.
According to a tribute from Prabha Mahajan on the Indian documentary film discussion network Docuwallahs2http://groups.yahoo.com/group/docuwallahs2, 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" are like poetic documentaries." Mani Kaul's fellow alumni from 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 commented, " As a film director, he discussed the status of women (Uski Roti, Duvidha), crafted visually seductive documentaries (Arrival, Before My Eyes, A Desert of a Thousand Lines) and went through a spell of interpreting Fyodor Dostoevsky’s masterworks. The Russian writer’s short story A Gentle Creature inspired Nazar, shot in low, chiaroscuro lighting."
four times.
Film and Television Institute of India
Film and Television Institute of India , is an autonomous Institute under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India. It is fully aided by Central Government of India. It is situated in the premises of the erstwhile Prabhat Film Company in Pune, India...
(FTII) where he was a student of Ritwik Ghatak and later became a teacher. Started his career with Uski Roti (1969), which won him the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie
Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie
The Filmfare Awards are the oldest and most prominent film awards given for Hindi films in India. The yearly awards started in 1953. Movie awards were first given by popular vote...
, he went on to win four of them in all. He won the National Film Award for Best Direction in 1974 for Duvidha
Duvidha
Duvidha is a 1973 Bollywood ghost movie directed by Mani Kaul. The film stars Ravi Menon and Raisa Padamsee. The film was critically acclaimed and won the director National Film Award for Best Direction and Critics Award for Best film at the 1974 Filmfare Awards.The film is based on a story by...
and later the National Film Award for his documentary film, Siddheshwari in 1989.
Early life and education
Born as Rabindranath Kaul in JodhpurJodhpur
Jodhpur , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital, Jaipur and from the city of Ajmer. It was formerly the seat of a princely state of the same name, the capital of the kingdom known as Marwar...
, Rajasthan into a Kashmiri
Kashmiri people
The Kashmiri people are a Dardic linguistic group living in Kashmir Valley in Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir and parts of the Pakistani territory of Azad Kashmir who speak the Kashmiri language...
Kaul family, he first joined Film and Television Institute of India
Film and Television Institute of India
Film and Television Institute of India , is an autonomous Institute under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India. It is fully aided by Central Government of India. It is situated in the premises of the erstwhile Prabhat Film Company in Pune, India...
(FTII), Pune as an acting student and later shifted to the direction course, graduating in 1966.
He was the nephew of actor-director Mahesh Kaul. Initially studying acting at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, he changed over to directing. He is a 1966 graduate of the FTII.
Professional life
His first film Uski Roti (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 techique, form and narrative. It was one of the early formal experimental films in Indian cinema.Asad ka Ek Din (1971), his next film, was based on a play by Mohan Rakesh.
Duvidha (1973), his third, was his first in colour. It grew out of a short story by Vijayan Detha and tells the story of a merchant's son, who returns with his new bride to have to depart on family business. A ghost falls in love with the bride... It was widely shown across Europe.
Mani Kaul was one of the co-founders of the Yukt Film Co-operative (Union of Kinematograph Technicians) in 1976, leading to avantgarde films. Critics suggest that 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.
Career
In 1971, he was a member of the jury at the 21st Berlin International Film Festival21st Berlin International Film Festival
The 21st annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from June 26 to July 6, 1971.-Jury:* Bjørn Rasmussen * Ida Ehre* Walter Albuquerque Mello* Paul Claudon* Kenneth Harper* Mani Kaul* Charlotte Kerr* Rex Reed* Giancarlo Zagni...
.
He was a visiting lecturer at Harvard University for the 2000–2001 school year. Currently he was the Creative Director of the Film House at Osian's Connoisseurs of Art, Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
.
Personal life and death
He was a nephew of the noted Hindi film director Mahesh Kaul, who made films like Raj KapoorRaj Kapoor
Known as Ranbir Raj Kapoor Rāj Kapūr, 14 December 1924 – 2 June 1988), also known as The Show-Man, was an Indian film actor, producer and director of Hindi cinema. He was the winner of nine Filmfare Awards, while his films Awaara and Boot Polish were nominated for the Palme d'Or at the...
starrer Sapnon Ka Saudagar (1968). Mani Kaul died on 6 July 2011 at his home in Gurgaon, near Delhi. He had been ailing for sometime.
According to a tribute from Prabha Mahajan on the Indian documentary film discussion network Docuwallahs2http://groups.yahoo.com/group/docuwallahs2, 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" are like poetic documentaries." Mani Kaul's fellow alumni from 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 commented, " As a film director, he discussed the status of women (Uski Roti, Duvidha), crafted visually seductive documentaries (Arrival, Before My Eyes, A Desert of a Thousand Lines) and went through a spell of interpreting Fyodor Dostoevsky’s masterworks. The Russian writer’s short story A Gentle Creature inspired Nazar, shot in low, chiaroscuro lighting."
National Film Awards
- 1974: Best Direction: DuvidhaDuvidhaDuvidha is a 1973 Bollywood ghost movie directed by Mani Kaul. The film stars Ravi Menon and Raisa Padamsee. The film was critically acclaimed and won the director National Film Award for Best Direction and Critics Award for Best film at the 1974 Filmfare Awards.The film is based on a story by...
- 1989: Best Documentary FilmNational Film Award for Best Non-Feature FilmThe National Film Award – Best Non-Feature Film is given by the Directorate of film festivals under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The winners are given a Swarna Kamal and a cash prize of Rs.1,00,000.-Winners:...
: Siddheshwari
Filmfare Awards
Mani Kaul won Filmfare Critics Award for Best MovieFilmfare Critics Award for Best Movie
The Filmfare Awards are the oldest and most prominent film awards given for Hindi films in India. The yearly awards started in 1953. Movie awards were first given by popular vote...
four times.
- 1971: Uski Roti (1970)
- 1972: Ashad Ka Ek Din (1971)
- 1974: Duvidha (1973)
- 1993: IdiotIdiot (1992 film)Idiot is a Hindi film based on Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel, The Idiot. It was directed by Mani Kaul and starred Shahrukh Khan and Ayub Khan-Din. The film debuted at the New York Film Festival on 8 October 1992, although it was originally made for television...
(1992)
Filmography
- Uski Roti (1969)
- Ashadh Ka Ek DinAshadh Ka Ek DinAshadh Ka Ek Din is a debut Hindi play by Mohan Rakesh in 1958 and is considered the first Modern Hindi play. The play received a Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for best play in 1959 and has been staged by several prominent directors to critical acclaim...
(1971) - DuvidhaDuvidhaDuvidha is a 1973 Bollywood ghost movie directed by Mani Kaul. The film stars Ravi Menon and Raisa Padamsee. The film was critically acclaimed and won the director National Film Award for Best Direction and Critics Award for Best film at the 1974 Filmfare Awards.The film is based on a story by...
(1973) - Ghashiram KotwalGhashiram KotwalGhashiram Kotwal is a Marathi play written by playwright Vijay Tendulkar in 1972 , as his response to the rise of a local political party, Shiv Sena, in Maharashta . The play is a political satire, written as historical drama. Based on the life of Nana Phadnavis , one of the prominent minister in...
(1979) - Satah Se Uthata Admi (1980)
- DhrupadDhrupadDhrupad is a vocal genre in Hindustani classical music, said to be the oldest still in use in that musical tradition. Its name is derived from the words "dhruva" and "pada"...
(1982) - Mati Manas (1984)
- Siddheshwari (1989)
- NazarNazarNazar may refer to:* Nazar , or evil eye stone, is an amulet of stone or glass which is believed to protect against evil eye, widely used in Turkey* Nazar , a masculine given name....
(1989) - IdiotIdiot (1992 film)Idiot is a Hindi film based on Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel, The Idiot. It was directed by Mani Kaul and starred Shahrukh Khan and Ayub Khan-Din. The film debuted at the New York Film Festival on 8 October 1992, although it was originally made for television...
(1992) - The Cloud DoorThe Cloud DoorThe Cloud Door is a 1994 short Indo-German dramatic film, directed by acclaimed Indian director Mani Kaul and featuring Hindu and Muslim erotic literary themes. The film was produced by the German producer Regina Ziegler. The Cloud Door was featured along with other short films such as Susan...
(1995) - Naukar Ki Kameez (The Servant's Shirt) (1999)
- Bojh (Burden)(2000)
- Ik Ben Geen Ander (I Am No Other) Nederland 2002
- A Monkey's Raincoat Nederland (2005)
- 'Signature Film' for Osian Cinefan Festival of Asian Cinema (2006)
External links
- Mani Kaul on Cinematography and Time at Indian AuteurIndian AuteurIndian Auteur is an English-language e-magazine and website devoted to film criticism. Established in 2009, it is published by NSFI, a New Delhi-based film initiative, involved in organizing film screenings and independent film production....
- The Films of Mani Kaul
- Mani kaul in Hindi
- Mani kaul in BBC Hindi
- FTII remembers its illustrious alumnus Mani Kaul
- Mani Kaul was like a God to us
- 'Kaul delved into world of traditional philosophy'
- Mani Kaul, pioneer of new age cinema dead
- Friends say his films reflected the way society functioned
- His visuals talked
- 'Mani Kaul was, by far, our most original
- Mani Kaul (1944–2011) – A different filmmaker, a different man
- Indiase regisseur Mani Kaul (66) overleden
- Indian filmmaker Mani Kaul dies after long illness
- Loss of the radical
- The determined outsider, by Khalid Mohamed
- Bollywood condoles the death of Mani Kaul
- Indian Director Mani Kaul Dies at 66