Saurabh Shukla
Encyclopedia
Early life
Shukla's family left GorakhpurGorakhpur
Gorakhpur is a city in the eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh in India, near the border with Nepal. It is the administrative headquarters of Gorakhpur District and Gorakhpur Division. Gorakhpur is one of the proposed capitals of the Purvanchal state which is yet to be formed...
for Delhi when he was two years old. After completing his schooling, he did his graduation from Khalsa College, Delhi. His professional career began in 1984 with his entry into theatre.
Career
Shukla began serious theatre in 1986 with roles in plays like A View From The BridgeA View from the Bridge
A View from the Bridge is a play by American playwright Arthur Miller that was first staged on September 29, 1955 as a one-act verse drama with A Memory of Two Mondays at the Coronet Theatre on Broadway. The play was unsuccessful and Miller subsequently revised the play to contain two acts; this...
(Arthur Miller
Arthur Miller
Arthur Asher Miller was an American playwright and essayist. He was a prominent figure in American theatre, writing dramas that include plays such as All My Sons , Death of a Salesman , The Crucible , and A View from the Bridge .Miller was often in the public eye,...
), Look Back In Anger
Look Back in Anger
Look Back in Anger is a John Osborne play—made into films in 1959, 1980, and 1989 -- about a love triangle involving an intelligent but disaffected young man , his upper-middle-class, impassive wife , and her haughty best friend . Cliff, an amiable Welsh lodger, attempts to keep the peace...
(John Osborne
John Osborne
John James Osborne was an English playwright, screenwriter, actor and critic of the Establishment. The success of his 1956 play Look Back in Anger transformed English theatre....
), Ghashiram Kotwal
Ghashiram Kotwal
Ghashiram 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...
(Vijay Tendulkar
Vijay Tendulkar
Vijay Tendulkar was a leading Indian playwright, movie and television writer, literary essayist, political journalist, and social commentator primarily in Marāthi...
) and Hayvadan. In 1991, he joined the NSD Repertoire Company - the professional wing of the National School of Drama
National School of Drama
National School of Drama is a theatre training institute situated at New Delhi, India, established . It is an autonomous organization under Ministry of Culture, Government of India. It was set up in 1959 by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, and became an independent school in 1975...
- as actor. The next year, he got his first break when Shekhar Kapur
Shekhar Kapur
Shekhar Kapur is an Indian film director and producer. A critically acclaimed director, he rose to popularity with the movie Bandit Queen...
, impressed with his work, created a role for him in Bandit Queen
Bandit Queen
Bandit Queen is a 1994 Indian film based upon the life of Phoolan Devi. It was directed by Shekhar Kapur and starred Seema Biswas as the title character. It was produced by Bobby Bedi's Kaleidoscope Entertainment.The Music was Composed by Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.- Plot :The film opens in the...
. Shukla also did the role of Vijay Anand's sidekick
Sidekick
A sidekick is a close companion who is generally regarded as subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger's Tonto, The Green Hornet's Kato and Batman's Robin.-Origins:The origin of the...
Gopi in the 1994 Doordarshan
DoorDarshan
Doordarshan is an Indian public service broadcaster, a division of Prasar Bharati. It is one of the largest broadcasting organizations in India in terms of the infrastructure of studios and transmitters. Recently, it has also started Digital Terrestrial Transmitters. On September 15, 2009,...
crime drama Tehkikaat
Tehkikaat
Tehkikaat is a Hindi language detective-thriller series about various crime scene investigations, starring Vijay Anand as Sam D'Silva and Saurabh Shukla as Gopichand. Released in May 1994, the series involved resolving mysteries and murders with a touch of humour to it.This became the second best...
. The series was directed by Karan Razdan, but Shekhar Kapur directed the first episode.
Shukla's biggest break came when he co-wrote the script for Ram Gopal Varma
Ram Gopal Varma
Ram Gopal Varma is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer...
's 1998 cult classic Satya
Satya (film)
Satya is a 1998 Hindi crime film directed by Ram Gopal Varma with a screenplay by Anurag Kashyap and Saurabh Shukla. It stars J. D. Chakravarthy, Manoj Bajpai, Urmila Matondkar and Shefali Shah...
and essayed the role of gangster Kallu Mama in the film. He won the Star Screen Award
Star Screen Awards
The Star Screen Awards is an annual awards ceremony in India honoring professional excellence in film. The nomination and award selection is done by a panel of distinguished professional from the industry itself.- History :...
for Best Screenplay alongside Anurag Kashyap
Anurag Kashyap (director)
Anurag Singh Kashyap is an Indian film director and screenwriter. As a director, he is known for Black Friday , a controversial and award-winning Hindi film about the 1993 Bombay bombings, followed by No Smoking , Dev D and Gulaal...
.
"Why do I make realistic films, like Satya? Because that's the kind of films I like to do. Capturing reality is very difficult and challenging," he said in a 2000 interview to Rediff.com
Rediff.com
Rediff.com India is a news, information, entertainment, and shopping portal. It was founded in 1996 as "Rediff On The NeT" and is headquartered in Mumbai, India with offices in New Delhi and New York City, USA....
, making it clear that his prefers realism in his scripts. In the same interview he also talked about his preferred genre of film making - black comedy
Black comedy
A black comedy, or dark comedy, is a comic work that employs black humor or gallows humor. The definition of black humor is problematic; it has been argued that it corresponds to the earlier concept of gallows humor; and that, as humor has been defined since Freud as a comedic act that anesthetizes...
:
In 2003, he wrote the screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
for Calcutta Mail
Calcutta Mail
Calcutta Mail is a 2003 Bollywood film starring Anil Kapoor and Rani Mukerji. It was directed by Sudhir Mishra.- Plot :Avinash comes to Calcutta to search for his only son and finds himself engulfed with too many people interested in him...
. He received his first award for this film, the Zee Cine Award for Best Screenplay
Zee Cine Award for Best Screenplay
The Zee Cine Award Best Screenplay is a technical award.The winners are listed below:-...
. In 2008, he acted in his first international film, the Golden Globe and Academy Award winning Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British epic romantic drama adventure film directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan. It is an adaptation of the novel Q & A by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup...
, as the character Constable Srinivas.
As actor
- Bandit QueenBandit QueenBandit Queen is a 1994 Indian film based upon the life of Phoolan Devi. It was directed by Shekhar Kapur and starred Seema Biswas as the title character. It was produced by Bobby Bedi's Kaleidoscope Entertainment.The Music was Composed by Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.- Plot :The film opens in the...
(1994) - Kailash - TehkikaatTehkikaatTehkikaat is a Hindi language detective-thriller series about various crime scene investigations, starring Vijay Anand as Sam D'Silva and Saurabh Shukla as Gopichand. Released in May 1994, the series involved resolving mysteries and murders with a touch of humour to it.This became the second best...
(1994) - Is Raat Ki Subah NahinIs Raat Ki Subah NahinIs Raat Ki Subah Nahin is a 1996 Hindi thriller film directed by Sudhir Mishra. The film stars Tara Deshpande and Nirmal Pandey, and the entire plot of the film takes place through a single night. The film is based on a story by Sudhir Mishra's brother, Sudhanshu Mishra, who died in 1995. The...
(1996) - KareebKareebKareeb is a 1998 Bollywood film directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. It stars Bobby Deol and Neha.- Plot :...
(1998) - Birju's father - SatyaSatya (film)Satya is a 1998 Hindi crime film directed by Ram Gopal Varma with a screenplay by Anurag Kashyap and Saurabh Shukla. It stars J. D. Chakravarthy, Manoj Bajpai, Urmila Matondkar and Shefali Shah...
(1998) - Kallu Mama - TaalTaal (film)Taal is a 1999 Hindi film directed by Subhash Ghai. Taal was an official selection by Roger Ebert for his 2005 Overlooked Film Festival. The film stars Anil Kapoor, Akshaye Khanna, Aishwarya Rai, Amrish Puri and Alok Nath. It was also dubbed in Tamil as Thaalam...
(1999) - Hey RamHey RamHey Ram is a controversial Indian film released both in Tamil and Hindi in 2000 and written, directed, produced by and starring Kamal Haasan...
(2000) - Manohar Lalwani - Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar (2000)
- MohabbateinMohabbateinMohabbatein , is a 2000 Indian Bollywood film directed by Aditya Chopra. The movie stars Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan in pivotal roles, along with six young debutantes. Aishwarya Rai appeared in flashbacks as Khan's lover. The movie was filmed at Oxford, England and Longleat...
(2000) - Nayak: The Real HeroNayak: The Real HeroNayak: The Real Hero is a 2001 Indian movie starring Anil Kapoor and Rani Mukerji. It was directed by S. Shankar. The film is a remake of S. Shankar's earlier released Tamil film Mudhalvan . The film's score and soundtrack, composed by A. R. Rahman, were dubbed from Mudhalvan into Hindi for the...
(2001) - Panduranga - Yeh Teraa Ghar Yeh Meraa GharYeh Teraa Ghar Yeh Meraa GharYeh Teraa Ghar Yeh Meraa Ghar is a 2001 Indian film directed by Priyadarshan. This story of the film is an adaptation of the Mohanlal starrer movie Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam...
(2001) Saraswati's Uncle - Mumbai MatineeMumbai MatineeMumbai Matinee is a 2003 Bollywood romantic comedy film directed and written by Anant Balani and starring Rahul Bose as a 32 year old virgin. The film premiered on 26 September 2003 and was also released in the UK...
(2003) Nitin Kapoor - AnniyanAnniyanAnniyan is a 2005 Tamil psychological thriller film directed by S. Shankar. The film stars Vikram, Sadha, Prakash Raj, and Vivek, while featuring background score and soundtrack composed by Harris Jayaraj. The film was released worldwide on 10 June 2005....
(2005) (dubbed under titles aparichitudu in telugu and aparichit in Hindi)- the ambitious industrialist - Lage Raho Munna BhaiLage Raho Munna BhaiLage Raho Munna Bhai is a 2006 Indian musical comedy film directed by Rajkumar Hirani and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. It is the second film in the popular Munna Bhai series of Bollywood. Sanjay Dutt stars in this film as Munna Bhai, a Mumbai underworld don, who begins to see the spirit of...
(2006) - Batuk Maharaj - Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute to Love (2007) Dotcom Paaji
- MithyaMithyaMithya is a 2008 Indian film co-written and directed by Rajat Kapoor and produced by Planman Motion Pictures. The film stars Ranvir Shorey, Neha Dhupia, Naseeruddin Shah and Vinay Pathak in pivotal roles. The film's score and soundtrack is composed by Sagar Desai...
(2008) - Hari Puttar - A Comedy Of Terrors (2008) - Diesel
- Slumdog MillionaireSlumdog MillionaireSlumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British epic romantic drama adventure film directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan. It is an adaptation of the novel Q & A by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup...
(2008) - Sergeant Srinivas - Oh, My GodOh, My God (2008 film)Oh, My God !! is a 2008 Indian film.- Cast :*Vinay Pathak as Rajendra Dubey*Saurabh Shukla as God*Divya Dutta as Suman Dubey*Gaurav Gera as Dr. Piddu*Harsh Chhaya as Boss/Shekhar...
(2008) - God - DasvidaniyaDasvidaniyaDasvidaniya is a 2008 Bollywood film released on 7 November 2008.The name of the movie is a pun on the list of ten things to be done before death made by Vinay Pathak, and is derived from the Russian phrase до свидания , meaning good bye.-Synopsis:Shy Amar Kaul lives a nondescript life with people...
(2008) - Boss - Luck By ChanceLuck by ChanceLuck By Chance is a 2009 Indian drama film written and directed by Zoya Akhtar. Produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, the film stars Farhan Akhtar and Konkana Sen Sharma in the lead roles...
(2009) - Acting Instructor - Tera Kya Hoga JohnnyTera Kya Hoga JohnnyTera Kya Hoga Johny is a 2008 Bollywood film directed by director Sudhir Mishra, starring child actor Sikander in the lead role. Actors Neil Nitin Mukesh, Kay Kay Menon, Soha Ali Khan and Karan Nath are also part of the film...
(2010) - Begum - Season's Greetings (2009) - Begum
- Ek Tho ChanceEk Tho ChanceEk Tho Chance is an upcoming Bollywood erotic thriller film directed by Saeed Akhtar Mirza and produced by Rangita Pritish Nandy under Pritish Nandy Communications. The music director is Ismail Darbar....
(2009) - C/o foothpath (2009)
- Mirch (2010)
- Staying AliveStaying AliveStaying Alive is the 1983 film sequel to Saturday Night Fever, starring John Travolta as dancer Tony Manero, with Cynthia Rhodes, Finola Hughes, Joyce Hyser, Steve Inwood, Julie Bovasso, and dancers Viktor Manoel, Kate Ann Wright, Kevyn Morrow and Nanette Tarpey...
(2011) - Gangster Shaukat Ali - Yeh Saali ZindagiYeh Saali ZindagiYeh Saali Zindagi is a 2011 Hindi romantic drama film directed by Sudhir Mishra and starring Irrfan Khan, Arunoday Singh, Chitrangda Singh and Aditi Rao Hydari. The film was released on February 4, 2011.-Plot:...
(2011) - Mehta
Aarakshan (2011) - Education Minister
- Mohalla AssiMohalla AssiMohalla Assi is an upcoming 2011 Bollywood film starring Sunny Deol, and directed by Chandra Prakash Dwivedi who previously directed Pinjar , starring Urmila Matondkar and Manoj Bajpai, and most known for television epic Chanakya.The film is based on Dr. Kashinath Singh's popular Hindi novel...
(2011) (in-production)
As writer
- SatyaSatya (film)Satya is a 1998 Hindi crime film directed by Ram Gopal Varma with a screenplay by Anurag Kashyap and Saurabh Shukla. It stars J. D. Chakravarthy, Manoj Bajpai, Urmila Matondkar and Shefali Shah...
(1998) - Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar (2000)
- Calcutta MailCalcutta MailCalcutta Mail is a 2003 Bollywood film starring Anil Kapoor and Rani Mukerji. It was directed by Sudhir Mishra.- Plot :Avinash comes to Calcutta to search for his only son and finds himself engulfed with too many people interested in him...
(2003) - Raghu RomeoRaghu RomeoRaghu Romeo is a 2003 Bollywood film directed by Rajat Kapoor, starring Vijay Raaz, Saddiya Siddiqui, Maria Goretti, Manu Rishi and Saurabh Shukla.-Plot:...
(2003) - Mudda (2003)
- ChehraaChehraaChehraa , starring Bipasha Basu, Dino Morea, Preeti Jhangiani, and Irrfan Khan, is a Bollywood thriller, released in 2005.-Synopsis:Megha is a college student, in love with her classmate Aakash...
(2005) - Mumbai ExpressMumbai ExpressMumbai Express is a Tamil film directed by Singeetham Sreenivasa Rao, starring Kamal Haasan and Manisha Koirala. This film was produced by Kamal Haasan himself and music was composed by Ilayaraaja. This movie, released on Tamil New Year 2005 along with Chandramukhi and Sachien surprisingly failed...
(2005) - Salaam-e-Ishq (2007)
- MithyaMithyaMithya is a 2008 Indian film co-written and directed by Rajat Kapoor and produced by Planman Motion Pictures. The film stars Ranvir Shorey, Neha Dhupia, Naseeruddin Shah and Vinay Pathak in pivotal roles. The film's score and soundtrack is composed by Sagar Desai...
(2008)
As director
- Mudda (2003)
- ChehraaChehraaChehraa , starring Bipasha Basu, Dino Morea, Preeti Jhangiani, and Irrfan Khan, is a Bollywood thriller, released in 2005.-Synopsis:Megha is a college student, in love with her classmate Aakash...
(2005) - I M 24 (2008) (under production)
- Raat Gayi Baat Gayi (2010)