Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Encyclopedia
Vidhu Vinod Chopra (born on 5 September 1956) is an India
n director and producer. Chopra is the head of his own company, Vinod Chopra Productions, and is particularly known for producing the Munna Bhai
films (Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.
and Lage Raho Munna Bhai
) and 3 Idiots.
family of Kashmir
, he grew up in Srinagar
, Kashmir
, India
. His father was D. N. Chopra and veteran filmmaker Ramanand Sagar was his half-brother. His love of Hindi cinema and support of his family encouraged him to study film direction. Since there was no college for film-related courses in North India, he went to Pune and studied film direction at the Film and Television Institute of India
. Chopra could not speak English and is, by his own confession, self-taught by watching numerous Hollywood films.
This was followed by a short documentary highlighting the plight of India's destitute children, called An Encounter with Faces
, which was nominated for an Academy Award in the Documentary Short Subject
category in 1979.
(Death Penalty) – a thriller made on a shoestring budget with then-unknown actor Naseeruddin Shah
and editor Renu Saluja
, who were his fellow students at FTII, Pune. It was the feature-length remake of Chopra's own diploma film at FTII
, Murder at Monkey Hill (1976), which also had the same cast.. His critically acclaimed films include Parinda
, 1942: A Love Story
, Mission Kashmir
, the Munna Bhai
series, Parineeta
, Eklavya: The Royal Guard
, and the biggest blockbuster in the history of Hindi cinema, 3 Idiots.
, ended in a divorce. Nevertheless, after the divorce, they continued to work together on several films. Shabnam Sukhdev, the only daughter of a well-known documentary maker, was his next wife. Later, he married writer Anupama Chopra
, previously a resident of the United States
. Anupama has recently taken jobs as a movie reviewer with NDTV
and India Today
.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n director and producer. Chopra is the head of his own company, Vinod Chopra Productions, and is particularly known for producing the Munna Bhai
Munna Bhai
Munna Bhai is a series of Bollywood films directed by Rajkumar Hirani and produced by Vinod Chopra Productions. The first film is Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. , the second is Lage Raho Munna Bhai . A third film, Munnabhai Chale Amerika is still under development.-Overview:Murli Prasad Sharma is portrayed...
films (Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.
Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.
Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. is a 2003 Indian comedy directed by Rajkumar Hirani and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The story involves protagonist Munna Bhai , a goon, going to medical school. He is helped by his sidekick, Circuit . It is the first film in the popular Munna Bhai series...
and Lage Raho Munna Bhai
Lage Raho Munna Bhai
Lage 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...
) and 3 Idiots.
Early life
Born in a PunjabiPunjabi people
The Punjabi people , ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ), also Panjabi people, are an Indo-Aryan group from South Asia. They are the second largest of the many ethnic groups in South Asia. They originate in the Punjab region, which has been been the location of some of the oldest civilizations in the world including, the...
family of Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
, he grew up in Srinagar
Srinagar
Srinagar is the summer seasonal capital of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated in Kashmir Valley and lies on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus. It is one of the largest cities in India not to have a Hindu majority. The city is famous for its gardens, lakes and houseboats...
, Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. His father was D. N. Chopra and veteran filmmaker Ramanand Sagar was his half-brother. His love of Hindi cinema and support of his family encouraged him to study film direction. Since there was no college for film-related courses in North India, he went to Pune and studied film direction at the 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...
. Chopra could not speak English and is, by his own confession, self-taught by watching numerous Hollywood films.
Career
Chopra's first student short, Murder At Monkey Hill, won the National Film Award for Best Short Experimental Film and the Guru Dutt Memorial Award for Best Student Film.This was followed by a short documentary highlighting the plight of India's destitute children, called An Encounter with Faces
An Encounter with Faces
An Encounter with Faces is a 1978 short documentary film directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and produced by K.K. Kapil. It was nominated in 1979 for an Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject.- Awards and nominations :...
, which was nominated for an Academy Award in the Documentary Short Subject
Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject
This is a list of films by year that have received an Oscar together with the other nominations for best documentary short subject. Following the Academy's practice, the year listed for each film is the year of release: the awards are announced and presented early in the following year.-1940s:*1941...
category in 1979.
Films
His first feature film, shot in black-and-white, was Sazaa-E-MautSazaye Maut
Sazaye Maut is 1981 Indian film directed and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra . The films was based on Chopra's diploma film at FTII, Murder at Monkey Hill , which he later made into a full-length feature, with same cast.It was his first film with "Murder at Monkey Hill" being his first...
(Death Penalty) – a thriller made on a shoestring budget with then-unknown actor Naseeruddin Shah
Naseeruddin Shah
Naseeruddin Shah is an Indian / Bollywood film actor and director. He is considered to be one of the finest actors of Indian cinema. In 2003, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Bhushan for his contributions towards Indian cinema.-Early life:...
and editor Renu Saluja
Renu Saluja
Renu Saluja was an Indian film editor. Renu was one of the most prolific film editors in the `80s and `90s, in Hindi cinema, she worked with directors from both art house and mainstream cinema, including Govind Nihalani, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Sudhir Mishra, Shekhar Kapoor, Mahesh Bhatt,...
, who were his fellow students at FTII, Pune. It was the feature-length remake of Chopra's own diploma film at FTII
FTII
FTII may refer to:* Film and Television Institute of India, Pune* a title indicating that the bearer is a Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Taxation in the United Kingdom...
, Murder at Monkey Hill (1976), which also had the same cast.. His critically acclaimed films include Parinda
Parinda
Parinda is an award-winning 1989 Indian film directed and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Parinda is considered by many to be the turning point in reality in Hindi cinema, as the theme of the film discusses the real life of Indian underworld gangsters and the general life of residents in the city...
, 1942: A Love Story
1942: A Love Story
1942: A Love Story is a 1994 Bollywood film starring Anil Kapoor, Manisha Koirala, Jackie Shroff, Anupam Kher, Danny Denzongpa, and Pran. The film was the first ever to be given a U/A rating while featuring a scene, previously considered inappropriate for young children, showing the actors kissing...
, Mission Kashmir
Mission Kashmir
Mission Kashmir is a 2000 Bollywood film directed and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and starring Sanjay Dutt, Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta and Jackie Shroff as the main characters. Mission Kashmir follows the life and tragedy of a young boy named Altaaf after his entire family gets killed by...
, the Munna Bhai
Munna Bhai
Munna Bhai is a series of Bollywood films directed by Rajkumar Hirani and produced by Vinod Chopra Productions. The first film is Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. , the second is Lage Raho Munna Bhai . A third film, Munnabhai Chale Amerika is still under development.-Overview:Murli Prasad Sharma is portrayed...
series, Parineeta
Parineeta (2005 film)
Parineeta is a Bollywood musical film adaptation of the 1914 Bengali novella, Parineeta by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. Directed by debutant Pradeep Sarkar, the film was based upon a screenplay by the film's producer, Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The film featured Vidya Balan, Saif Ali Khan and Sanjay Dutt...
, Eklavya: The Royal Guard
Eklavya: The Royal Guard
Eklavya: The Royal Guard is a Bollywood film directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra which was released in India, the Netherlands, the United States, and the United Kingdom on 16 February 2007....
, and the biggest blockbuster in the history of Hindi cinema, 3 Idiots.
Personal life
Chopra's first marriage, to film editor Renu SalujaRenu Saluja
Renu Saluja was an Indian film editor. Renu was one of the most prolific film editors in the `80s and `90s, in Hindi cinema, she worked with directors from both art house and mainstream cinema, including Govind Nihalani, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Sudhir Mishra, Shekhar Kapoor, Mahesh Bhatt,...
, ended in a divorce. Nevertheless, after the divorce, they continued to work together on several films. Shabnam Sukhdev, the only daughter of a well-known documentary maker, was his next wife. Later, he married writer Anupama Chopra
Anupama Chopra
Anupama Chopra is a noted author, journalist and film critic. She has written several books on Indian cinema and has been a movie reviewer with NDTV and India Today.-Career:...
, previously a resident of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Anupama has recently taken jobs as a movie reviewer with NDTV
NDTV
NDTV is an Indian commercial broadcasting television network founded in 1988. It was founded by Prannoy Roy, an eminent journalist and current chairman and director of NDTV Group. NDTV currently has more than 1,000 employees producing news from over twenty locations in India...
and India Today
India Today
India Today is an Indian weekly news magazine published by Living Media India Limited, in publication since 1975 based in Mumbai. India Today is also the name of its sister-publication in Hindi...
.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Munnabhai Chale Amerika Munnabhai Chale Amerika Munna Bhai Chale Amerika is an Indian comedy film produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and directed by Rajkumar Hirani. It is the third film of the Munna Bhai series all of which follow the comic adventures of Munna Bhai or Murli Prasad Sharma and his sidekick, Circuit or Cirkeshwar .Director... |
Producer, Writer |
| 2011 | Ferrari Ki Sawaari Ferrari Ki Sawaari Feraari Ki Sawari is an upcoming Hindi sports family film directed by Rajesh Mapuskar. The film was written and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, starring Sharman Joshi in the lead. Sharman Joshi is making his debut as a lead actor in this film... |
Producer, Writer |
| 2011 | Taalismaan Taalismaan Taaalismaan is an upcoming Hindi romantic fantasy adventure film, directed by Ram Madhwani, produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and written by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Ram Madhvani and Swanand Kirkire. Starring Amitabh Bachchan in the leading role... |
Producer, Writer |
| 2011 | Broken Horses | Director, Writer |
| 2009 | 3 Idiots | Producer |
| 2007 | Eklavya: The Royal Guard Eklavya: The Royal Guard Eklavya: The Royal Guard is a Bollywood film directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra which was released in India, the Netherlands, the United States, and the United Kingdom on 16 February 2007.... |
Director, Producer, Screenplay |
| 2006 | Lage Raho Munna Bhai Lage Raho Munna Bhai Lage 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... |
Producer, Screenplay Associate, Lyricist |
| 2005 | Parineeta Parineeta (2005 film) Parineeta is a Bollywood musical film adaptation of the 1914 Bengali novella, Parineeta by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. Directed by debutant Pradeep Sarkar, the film was based upon a screenplay by the film's producer, Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The film featured Vidya Balan, Saif Ali Khan and Sanjay Dutt... |
Producer, Story and Dialogue Writer, Supervising Editor |
| 2003 | Munna Bhai MBBS | Producer, Writer |
| 2000 | Mission Kashmir Mission Kashmir Mission Kashmir is a 2000 Bollywood film directed and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and starring Sanjay Dutt, Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta and Jackie Shroff as the main characters. Mission Kashmir follows the life and tragedy of a young boy named Altaaf after his entire family gets killed by... |
Director, Producer, Writer |
| 1998 | Kareeb Kareeb Kareeb is a 1998 Bollywood film directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. It stars Bobby Deol and Neha.- Plot :... |
Director, Producer |
| 1993 | 1942: A Love Story 1942: A Love Story 1942: A Love Story is a 1994 Bollywood film starring Anil Kapoor, Manisha Koirala, Jackie Shroff, Anupam Kher, Danny Denzongpa, and Pran. The film was the first ever to be given a U/A rating while featuring a scene, previously considered inappropriate for young children, showing the actors kissing... |
Director, Producer, Writer |
| 1989 | Parinda Parinda Parinda is an award-winning 1989 Indian film directed and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Parinda is considered by many to be the turning point in reality in Hindi cinema, as the theme of the film discusses the real life of Indian underworld gangsters and the general life of residents in the city... |
Director, Actor (corpse) |
| 1985 | Khamosh Khamosh Khamosh is 1985 Indian thriller directed and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra.The film starred Bollywood actors such as Naseerudin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Amol Palekar, Soni Razdan and Pankaj Kapoor. It, however, did not do well at the box office.... |
Director, Producer, Writer |
| 1983 | Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro This article is about the 1983 film. For the 2007 film with a similar title, see Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro is a 1983 Hindi film directed by Kundan Shah and produced by NFDC... |
Actor, Production Controller |
| 1981 | Sazaye Maut Sazaye Maut Sazaye Maut is 1981 Indian film directed and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra . The films was based on Chopra's diploma film at FTII, Murder at Monkey Hill , which he later made into a full-length feature, with same cast.It was his first film with "Murder at Monkey Hill" being his first... |
Director, Producer, Writer |
| 1978 | An Encounter with Faces An Encounter with Faces An Encounter with Faces is a 1978 short documentary film directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and produced by K.K. Kapil. It was nominated in 1979 for an Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject.- Awards and nominations :... |
Director |
| 1977 | Murder At Monkey Hill | Director (Diploma film) |
Star Screen Awards
- 2006: Winner, Best Film for Lage Raho Munnabhai
- 2006: Nominated, Best ScreenplayStar Screen Award for Best ScreenplayThe winners of the Star Screen Awards for Best Screenplay are listed below:...
for 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... - 2009: Winner, Star Screen Award for Best Film, 3 Idiots
- 2009: Winner, Star Screen Award for Best Screenplay, 3 Idiots
IIFA Awards
- 2007: Winner, IIFA Best Screenplay AwardIIFA Best Screenplay AwardThe IIFA Screenplay is a technical award chosen ahead of the ceremonies.The winners are listed below:-...
for 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... - 2001: Nominated, IIFA Best Director AwardIIFA Best Director AwardThe IIFA Best Director Award is chosen by the viewers and the winner is announced at the ceremony. The nominations for the category are given by the film fraternity.Sanjay Leela Bhansali has the most wins with 3 awards.The winners are listed below:-...
for Mission KashmirMission KashmirMission Kashmir is a 2000 Bollywood film directed and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and starring Sanjay Dutt, Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta and Jackie Shroff as the main characters. Mission Kashmir follows the life and tragedy of a young boy named Altaaf after his entire family gets killed by...
Filmfare Awards
- 2009: Winner, Filmfare Best Film Award for 3 Idiots
- 2009: Winner, Filmfare Best Screenplay AwardFilmfare Best Screenplay AwardThe Filmfare Best Screenplay Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.-Superlatives:Most AwardsSalim-Javed - 3Basu Chatterjee - 2Mani Ratnam - 2Vijay Tendulkar - 2Rajkumar Hirani - 2...
for 3 Idiots - 2006: Winner, Filmfare Best Story AwardFilmfare Best Story AwardThe Filmfare Award for Best Story is an given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a writer who wrote a film's story.-1950s:* 1955 Mukhram Sharma - Aulad...
for 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... - 2005: Nominated, Filmfare Best Movie AwardFilmfare Best Movie AwardThe Filmfare Best Film Award 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...
for ParineetaParineeta (2005 film)Parineeta is a Bollywood musical film adaptation of the 1914 Bengali novella, Parineeta by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. Directed by debutant Pradeep Sarkar, the film was based upon a screenplay by the film's producer, Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The film featured Vidya Balan, Saif Ali Khan and Sanjay Dutt... - 2004: Winner, Filmfare Best Screenplay AwardFilmfare Best Screenplay AwardThe Filmfare Best Screenplay Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.-Superlatives:Most AwardsSalim-Javed - 3Basu Chatterjee - 2Mani Ratnam - 2Vijay Tendulkar - 2Rajkumar Hirani - 2...
for Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. is a 2003 Indian comedy directed by Rajkumar Hirani and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The story involves protagonist Munna Bhai , a goon, going to medical school. He is helped by his sidekick, Circuit . It is the first film in the popular Munna Bhai series... - 2001: Nominated, Filmfare Best Director AwardFilmfare Best Director AwardThe Filmfare Best Director Award is one of the main awards presented given by the annual Filmfare Awards to recognise directors working in the Hindi film Industry. It was first presented in 1954 in the inaugural year.-Superlatives:...
for Mission KashmirMission KashmirMission Kashmir is a 2000 Bollywood film directed and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and starring Sanjay Dutt, Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta and Jackie Shroff as the main characters. Mission Kashmir follows the life and tragedy of a young boy named Altaaf after his entire family gets killed by... - 2001: Nominated, Filmfare Best Movie AwardFilmfare Best Movie AwardThe Filmfare Best Film Award 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...
for Mission KashmirMission KashmirMission Kashmir is a 2000 Bollywood film directed and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and starring Sanjay Dutt, Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta and Jackie Shroff as the main characters. Mission Kashmir follows the life and tragedy of a young boy named Altaaf after his entire family gets killed by... - 1995: Nominated, Filmfare Best Director AwardFilmfare Best Director AwardThe Filmfare Best Director Award is one of the main awards presented given by the annual Filmfare Awards to recognise directors working in the Hindi film Industry. It was first presented in 1954 in the inaugural year.-Superlatives:...
for 1942: A Love Story1942: A Love Story1942: A Love Story is a 1994 Bollywood film starring Anil Kapoor, Manisha Koirala, Jackie Shroff, Anupam Kher, Danny Denzongpa, and Pran. The film was the first ever to be given a U/A rating while featuring a scene, previously considered inappropriate for young children, showing the actors kissing... - 1990: Winner, Filmfare Best Director AwardFilmfare Best Director AwardThe Filmfare Best Director Award is one of the main awards presented given by the annual Filmfare Awards to recognise directors working in the Hindi film Industry. It was first presented in 1954 in the inaugural year.-Superlatives:...
for ParindaParindaParinda is an award-winning 1989 Indian film directed and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Parinda is considered by many to be the turning point in reality in Hindi cinema, as the theme of the film discusses the real life of Indian underworld gangsters and the general life of residents in the city...
National Awards
- 2008: Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome EntertainmentNational Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome EntertainmentThe National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment winners:1981 to 1984 and 1992, 1986 & 1977 No Award was given....
for Lage Raho Munnabhai - 2008: Best ScreenplayNational Film Award for Best ScreenplayThe National Film Award for Best Screenplay winners:-References:...
for Lage Raho Munnabhai - 1977: Best Short Experimental Film for Murder At Monkey Hill
Zee Cine Awards
- 2007: Winner, Best Screenplay Award for 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...
- 2005: Winner, Best Dialogue Award for ParineetaParineetaParineeta is a 1914 Bengali language novella written by Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay and is set in Calcutta, India during the early part of the 20th century. It is a novel of social protest which explores issues of that time period related to class and religion.-Title:The word Parineeta is...
- 2005: Winner, Best Director Award for Mission KashmirMission KashmirMission Kashmir is a 2000 Bollywood film directed and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and starring Sanjay Dutt, Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta and Jackie Shroff as the main characters. Mission Kashmir follows the life and tragedy of a young boy named Altaaf after his entire family gets killed by...
Tampere International Short Film Festival
- 1980: Winner, Grand Prix for An Encounter with FacesAn Encounter with FacesAn Encounter with Faces is a 1978 short documentary film directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and produced by K.K. Kapil. It was nominated in 1979 for an Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject.- Awards and nominations :...