Vinod Chopra Productions

VIDHU VINOD CHOPRA

“Who would give up a chance to do a doctorate from Cambridge University for a course in a government run film school?” asked a professor on the admission panel at the Film and Television Institute of India.

Vinod wasn't fazed by the question; he answered calmly," A mad-man".

Madness is another word for conviction. Vinod's conviction is founded on his love for cinema. He has tremendous belief in his own ability, and a visceral hate for compromise either in life or art. Throughout his career, Vinod has guarded this 'madness' fiercely. The seductions of money, fame, glamour couldn't sway Vidhu Vinod Chopra even when he was a penniless graduate. He rejected lucrative offers to direct films because he was dissatisfied with the scripts. Instead he went on to make a film that he believed in - a documentary for which he was paid $100; the 'short' went on to be nominated for the Oscars - An Encounter with Faces (1978), is a poignant film highlighting the plight of India's destitute children. Forced to film with limited resources, Vinod improvised.

Parinda (1989) was the apogee of Vinod's art. Shot in a realistic style, uncommon for the time, the simple story of two brothers caught in the vicious web of urban gang violence was used as a springboard to explore urban reality's corrosive effects.

Parinda's syntax, sensibility, and open ending influenced a generation of filmmakers.

The harsh gunfire of the gangster epic was drowned out by the melodious music of Vinod's next film, 1942: A Love Story (1993). Inspired by Vinod's favorite compositions, Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and Fur Elise, the film explores the romantic relationship of its protagonists against the backdrop of the turbulent Indian independence movement. Through one powerful, moving film, Vinod was able to paint on celluloid a story with the sweep of a saga and the intimacy of a lyric, while restoring music's former glory to Hindi cinema.

Vinod's success and reputation with music was enhanced by his next film, Kareeb, a fun filled love story. The film is a small gem, a carving on a piece of ivory.

Powerful music, realism, and social awareness come together in Vinod's next feature, Mission Kashmir (2000). A critical and commercial success, Mission Kashmir's effects were felt across the globe.

In 2002, The New York Times reviewed the film, dwelling at length on the uniqueness of its genre and comparing it to Costa-Gavras' classic political thriller, Z (1969) under the title, 'Two Thrillers, Two Traditions' .

Made with the ferocious intensity of his earlier films and the élan of the later, the path-breaking film is a contemporary classic showcasing the loss of innocence. Set in Vinod's lost homeland, the theme acquires a personal resonance.

Vinod was born on 5th September 1956 in Srinagar, Kashmir - a city of shimmering lakes and majestic houseboats, he dreams of a film that will be about the Kashmir of his childhood. Though he cannot live there anymore… Kashmir lives within him.

After the success of Mission Kashmir, Vinod shifted his focus on encouraging new talent and went on to co-write and produce Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003), Parineeta (2005) and Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006). All three films set a mark and have launched the directors Rajkumar Hirani and Pradeep Sarkar as leading names of India Cinema.

Vinod's latest release, 'Eklavya - The Royal Guard', a dramatic action-thriller, won critical acclaim from Indian and world press alike. L.A. Times claimed the film to be suggestive of 'a lost film by David Lean'

In the coming year, Vinod will produce and direct his first English language feature, '64 Squares'. Also on the anvil are three more films which highlight his eclectic range. Ram Madhvani's 'Talismaan', India's first fantasy epic based on the path breaking & hugely successful Indian novel 'Chandrakanta'. Rajkumar Hirani's 'Munna Bhai Chale Amerika', the third of the immensely successful Munna Bhai series and yet to be titled film, a satire on India's educational system.

FILMOGRAPHY

Eklavya - The Royal Guard - ( 2007 )
Lage Raho Munnabhai - ( 2006 )
Parineeta - ( 2004 )
Munnabhai MBBS - ( 2003 )
Mission Kashmir - ( 2001 )
Kareeb - ( 1998 )
1942 - A Love Story - ( 1993 )
Parinda - ( 1989 ) - ( The Peace Dove )
Khamosh - ( 1985 ) ( Silence )
Saaza-E-Maut - ( 1981 ) ( Death Row )
An Encounter With Faces - ( 1980 )
Murder At Monkey Hill - ( 1977 )