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Sachin Kundalkar

Sachin Kundalkar or Sacin Kuṇḍalakar is an Indian film director[1] and screenplay writer who mostly works in Marathi cinema. He is known for his directorial works of Nirop (2007) and Gandha (2009). He has also written for the theatre.[2] He is recipient of two National Film Awards, as a director for Nirop and as a screenwriter for Gandha, the first Marathi film to win Best Screenplay award since the category's institution in 1967.

Sachin Kundalkar
Kundalkar in 2021
NationalityIndian
Occupation(s)Film director, screenplay writer

Career edit

Theatre and other works edit

Kundalkar, who had had an interest in film making since his school days, had approached director Ashutosh Gowarikar for assistance. But the director asked him to come back after finishing his education.[3] While still a student, he assisted Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukhthankar in their first film together, Doghi (1995). The film was adjudged as the Best Film on Other Social Issues at the 43rd National Film Awards.[4] He also assisted in other films including Zindagi Zindabad, Bhaais Barabar and Dahavi Fha.[5] After completing his degree in Commerce, Kundalkar later on enrolled at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).[3] With a scholarship from the French Government, he then attended La Fémis, Paris, and made a short film, One Cafe Please.[5][6]

Kundalkar directed short films and worked in theatre before entering the mainstream cinema. His first short film, Out of the Box, was made while he was still a student at FTII. His 2005 documentary short film The Bath, starring Rajat Kapoor, is based on an explicit gay theme.[7] The film won 2nd prize in the Short Fiction category presented by the Indian Documentary Producers' Association (IDPA) for "its sensitive depiction of issues of male sexuality"[8] and was also screened at the 30th San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival.[9] Kundalkar has also portrayed homosexual characters in his Marathi plays Chotyasha Suteet (literally meaning In the Short Break) and Poornaviram (literally meaning Fullstop). He went on to write Fridge Madhe Thevlela Prem and Chandralok Complex. All four plays were directed by Mohit Takalkar.[10] These plays have also been staged in Hindi and English.[11] Chotyasha Suteet has been staged as On Vacation for English audiences.[12][13]

Feature films edit

Kundalkar released his first feature film, Restaurant, in 2006. Featuring Sonali Kulkarni in the lead role, the film screened at the 4th Goa Marathi Film Festival,[14] 12th International Film Festival of Kerala,[15] 8th Mumbai Film Festival[16] and was also appreciated in other film festivals.[17] His second directorial film, Nirop, presented the unsurfaced feelings of a musician in his last days in his hometown in Konkan before he moves to France. The film was adjudged as Best Feature Film in Marathi at the 55th National Film Awards for being "an original offbeat film that gives a fresh perspective of the internal landscapes of the human mind."[18] He shared this award with the producer of the film, Aparna Dharmadhikari. The film stars Sameer Dharmadhikari and Devika Daftardar in the lead roles.[19] Kundalkar also wrote the script of this film.

His 2009 film Gandha is a blend of three different stories connected by the common factor of the human sense of smell. The stories were written by Kundalkar and his mother Archana Kundalkar. The film won the Best Screenplay Award at the 56th National Film Awards for "its remarkable integration of three different plots using the sense of smell as a liet motif to focus sensitively on human relationships". Gandha became the first Marathi film to win this award after the category's institution in 1967.[20] The film was screened at the 8th Third Eye Asian Film Festival.[21]

Kundalkar's Bollywood directorial debut, Aiyyaa, starring Rani Mukherjee and Prithviraj in lead roles released in 2012. The film was produced by Anurag Kashyap and Viacom 18.[22]

In 2022, he directed Marathi relationship drama film Pondicherry, which was entirely shot on iPhone with only 15 crew members.[23] Most recently, Kundalkar's 2013 novel Cobalt Blue was adapted into a feature film of the same name. It was released on Netflix in 2022.[24]

Filmography edit

Films
Year Film Language Notes
2000 Out of the Box Marathi Short film
2004 Shubra Kaahi Marathi Short film
2005 The Bath  – Documentary film
2006 Restaurant[25] Marathi Writer-Director
2007 Nirop Marathi Writer-Director
2009 Gandha Marathi Writer-Director
2012 Aiyyaa Hindi Writer-Director[22]
2014 Happy Journey Marathi Writer-Director
2015 Rajwade and Sons Marathi Writer-Director
2016 Vazandar Marathi Writer-Director[26]
2017 Gulabjaam Marathi Writer-Director[27]
2022 Pondicherry Marathi Writer-Director[23]
Cobalt Blue Hindi Writer-Director
Plays
Title Language Role(s)
Dreams of Taleem English Writer[28]
Chotyasha Suteet Marathi Writer-Director
Poornaviram Marathi Writer-Director

Awards edit

National Film Awards
Others

Publications edit

At the age of 22, Kundalkar published his first novel, Cobalt Blue. The novel, which he started when he was 20, concerns a brother and a sister from a traditional Marathi family falling in love with the same man.[30] His other publications are:

  • Chotyasha Suteet Genre: Play Publisher: Keshav Bhikaji Dhavale[31]
  • Fridge Madhe Thevlela Prem: Purnaviram Genre: Play Publisher: Majestic Publications[32][33]

He has also written articles for the Marathi newspaper Sakal.[34]

References edit

  1. ^ "Feels Like Ishq star Neeraj Madhav: 'Unlike Bollywood, Malayalam cinema doesn't idolise romance as much'". Indian Express. 23 July 2021.
  2. ^ Saumya Ancheri. "Theatre practices". Archived from the original on 28 November 2010. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  3. ^ a b Kulkarni, Pranav (4 March 2010). "Director's Choice". Indian Express. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  4. ^ "43rd National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  5. ^ a b Mahesh Bardapurkar (4 March 2012). "आउट ऑफ बॉक्‍स (फास्ट ट्रॅक)". Sakal (in Marathi). Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  6. ^ "the Influentials". Daily News and Analysis. 16 January 2010. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  7. ^ Maithili Rao (31 January 2011). "Resurgence of sorts". The Hindu. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  8. ^ "Independent Documentaries Awards". Indian Documentary Producers' Association. Archived from the original on 21 June 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  9. ^ David Lamble (22 June 2006). "Short takes". Bay Area Reporter. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  10. ^ Gokhale, Shanta (5 August 2008). "Vibrant tradition". DNA. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  11. ^ Vishakha Avachat (5 August 2008). "But homosexuality is not taboo". DNA. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  12. ^ "On Vacation – Play". Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  13. ^ "On Vacation – Play by Sutradhar". Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  14. ^ "Vikram Gokhale will open film fest on June 3". The Hindu. Panji. 30 May 2011. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  15. ^ "12th IFFK". Chalchitra Academy. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  16. ^ "Archives 2006". Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  17. ^ Rutuja Wakankar (11 March 2008). "Reel Relations". Indian Express. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  18. ^ a b "55th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  19. ^ "National award for second film, 'Nirop' director thrilled". Indian Express. Pune. 8 September 2009. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  20. ^ a b "56th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
  21. ^ Blessy Augustine (7 December 2009). "An eye for cinema". Live Mint. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  22. ^ a b "Rani Mukerjee signs Anurag Kashyap's next". NDTV. 5 October 2011. Archived from the original on 23 June 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  23. ^ a b Zore, Suyog. "Pondicherry review: This melancholic yet charming film is all heart". Cinestaan. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  24. ^ Ramnath, Nandini. "'Cobalt Blue' review: A sexual awakening in primary colours". Scroll.in. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  25. ^ K. Moti Gokulsing; Wimal Dissanayake (17 April 2013). Routledge Handbook of Indian Cinemas. Routledge. pp. 77–. ISBN 978-1-136-77284-9. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
  26. ^ "Looking ahead 2016: Feast for the eyes".
  27. ^ "Sonali Kulkarni and Siddharth Chandekar Together for Sachin Kundalkar Directorial 'Gulabjaam' !". 2 April 2017.
  28. ^ "The Time Out-Mint Planner". Live Mint. 25 March 2010. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  29. ^ Sonali Kulkarni. "Gandha Marathi". Archived from the original on 21 April 2012. Retrieved 24 March 2012.
  30. ^ Biswas, Premankur; Kulkarni, Sushant; Nair, Nandini; Bhardwaj, Ashutosh (17 July 2011). "Best Young Writers". Indian Express. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  31. ^ "छोट्याश्या सुट्टीत" (in Marathi). Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  32. ^ "फ्रिजमध्ये ठेवलेलं प्रेम पूर्णविराम" (in Marathi). Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  33. ^ "फ्रिजमध्ये ठेवलेलं प्रेम पूर्णविराम". Sakal (in Marathi). Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  34. ^ Kundalkar, Sachin (26 June 2011). "टक...टक..." Sakal (in Marathi). Retrieved 11 September 2012.

External links edit

 
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