Abhijat Joshi

Last updated

Abhijat Joshi
Born (1969-12-01) 1 December 1969 (age 54)
Occupations
Known for Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006)
3 Idiots (2009)
PK (2014)
Sanju (2018)
SpouseShobha Joshi
Children1
Relatives Saumya Joshi (younger brother)

Abhijat Joshi (born 1 December 1969) [1] is an Indian screenwriter, film director, producer and editor who works in Hindi cinema. His is known for collaboration with Vinod Chopra Productions and director Rajkumar Hirani, as the screenwriter for Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006), 3 Idiots (2009), PK (2014) and Sanju (2018). He is a professor of English at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio, since 2003. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

Early life and education

Joshi was born and brought up in Ahmedabad, [5] Gujarat to family of professors, including his father Jayant Joshi. Abhijat received his early education in Gujarati medium. He obtained his higher education and qualifications from shri H.K.Arts College,(With Bagal thela group) Gujarat University. After doing his M.A. (English) with distinction.

He received his Master of Fine Arts from the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin. [3] Apart from English, he can fluently read, write and speak Gujarati language as he was born and brought up amidst Gujarati-speaking people.

Career

He studied in one of the very reputable Gujarati schools named Shree Vidyanagar High School in Ahmedabad, where he took part in the annual competitions for Gujarati dramas in the school [ citation needed ]. He won multiple awards [ citation needed ]. He enjoyed playing cricket[ citation needed ]. He joined C.U. Shah Arts College situated in western part of Ahmedabad city, as a professor of English for a while before moving to the US for his MFA degree[ citation needed ]. Writing stories and plays was his passion from his childhood. He penned number of plays, skits in Gujarati and English languages[ citation needed ].

Apart from teaching, he was also involved in theatre activities. His younger brother Saumya Joshi was also professor and is now theatre personality. His father and mother also were professors. During 1992 Gujarat riots, he wrote a theatre production, "A Shaft of Sunlight", which was critically acclaimed; subsequently director Vidhu Vinod Chopra saw the play, which led to them working together in the films, Kareeb and Mission Kashmir . [4] A UK based Tamasha Theatre Company in collaboration with Greenwich Repertory Company performed more than 300 Shows, later the play was also adapted in Gujarati as "Marmbhed" [6]

Like his father Jayant Joshi, who is a Sane Guruji (noted Marathi social reformer Pandurang Sadashiv Sane) scholar[ citation needed ], Abhijat was deeply influenced by Sane Guruji. His father drew his attention to the profound concept of dharma as Sane Guruji saw it. All these readings have helped him immensely in writing stories.[ citation needed ]

In 2015, he scripted Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Hollywood flick Broken Horses . [7] [8] As of 2016, he is working on two scripts, the third film of the Munnabhai series, and actor Sanjay Dutt's biopic. [9] [10]

Personal life

He lives in central Ohio, where he teaches at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio. He is married, and has one daughter. [1] His younger brother, Saumya Joshi, is a playwright and screenwriter best known for the 2012 film OMG - Oh My God! and 102 Not Out , both of which were directed by Umesh Shukla. [11]

In 2016, Joshi underwent brain surgery at the Mumbai's Hinduja Hospital, performed by neurosurgeon B. K. Misra. [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17]

Works

Filmography

YearFilmRole(s)
2023 Dunki Co - writer
2020 Shikara Writer
2018 Sanju Co-writer
2016 Wazir Writer, Co-editor
2015 Broken Horses Writer
2014 PK Writer
2012 Nanban Writer (Tamil)
2009 3 Idiots Writer
2007 Eklavya: The Royal Guard Writer, producer
2006 Lage Raho Munna Bhai Writer
2000 Mission Kashmir Writer
1998 Kareeb Writer

Awards

YearAwardCategoryFilm
2007 National Film Awards Best Screenplay Lage Raho Munna Bhai
2007 Filmfare Awards Best Story
Best Dialogue
2010 Best Story 3 Idiots
Best Screenplay
Best Dialogue
2015 Best Screenplay PK
Best Dialogue
2007 Screen Awards Best Story Lage Raho Munna Bhai
Best Dialogue
2010 Best Screenplay 3 Idiots
Best Dialogue
2015PK
2007 IIFA Awards Best Dialogue Lage Raho Munna Bhai
2010 Best Story 3 Idiots
Best Screenplay
Best Dialogue
2015 Best DialoguePK
2007 Zee Cine Awards Best Story Lage Raho Munna Bhai
Best Screenplay
Best Dialogue
Bollywood Movie Awards Best Story
Best Dialogue
Global Indian Film Awards Best Story
Best Dialogue
2015 Star Guild Awards Best DialoguePK

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References

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  2. Faculty Archived 27 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine Otterbein College.
  3. 1 2 "Abhijat: why should joy vanish from studies?". The Times of India . 17 January 2010. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011.
  4. 1 2 Sahu, Deepika (8 March 2007). "Lage Raho Abhijat!". The Times of India .
  5. "Abhijat Joshi made 'Gandhigiri' part of India's social lexicon". The Economic Times . 17 January 2010.
  6. "ATG". ahmedabadtheatregroup.org.
  7. "I'm taking long drives with Raju for the next script". The Economic Times . 17 January 2010.
  8. "It's a benchmark award: After the Best Screenplay award." The Hindu . Chennai, India. 22 June 2008. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012.
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  11. "Bollywood News". Rediff. Retrieved 4 September 2023.[ full citation needed ]
  12. "Scriptwriter Abhijat Joshi undergoes brain surgery".
  13. "3 Idiots, PK scriptwriter Abhijat Joshi undergoes brain surgery". 24 April 2016.
  14. "'3 Idiots' and 'PK' scriptwriter Abhijat Joshi undergoes brain surgery". 23 April 2016.
  15. "Scriptwriter Abhijat Joshi undergoes brain surgery". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 23 April 2016.
  16. "Scriptwriter Abhijat Joshi Undergoes Brain Surgery". 24 April 2016.
  17. "PK writer Abhijat Joshi undergoes brain surgery, out of danger". 22 April 2016.