N. Chandra | |
---|---|
Born | Chandrashekhar Narvekar 4 April 1952 |
Nationality | Indian |
Occupation(s) | Film director, producer, screenwriter, editor |
Notable work |
Chandrashekhar Narvekar (born 4 April 1952) is an Indian producer, writer and director, known for gritty realism, in his early dark and loud films. His most successful commercial films are Ankush , Pratighaat , Tezaab and Narsimha . [1] [2]
Chandra also made moderately successful but critically scorned Style and its sequel Xcuse Me . [3]
He was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Chandra grew up in a middle-class neighbourhood in Worli Naka. [4]
After his schooling, he started his career as a film editor at Film Centre in Tardeo, Mumbai, where his father worked. He received his first break in the film industry, when in 1971, as a clapper boy in Gulzar's Parichay (1972). Gradually moving up as film editor and assistant director. [4]
He worked as associate director and editor in Anil Kapoor starrer Woh 7 Din (1983). [5] Eventually, with Ankush , his directorial debut, in 1986, Chandra began his projection of the angry young man. [6] Influenced by Gulzar's Mere Apne , he wrote, directed, produced and edited the film about four frustrated unemployed men who roam the streets of Bombay, which also starred Nana Patekar. Made at a budget of Rs 12 lakh, the film and grossed Rs 95 lakh to become surprise hit of 1986, the year when many blockbusters failed. [4] [7]
The following year he remade Telugu film, Pratighatana (1986) in Hindi as Pratighaat (1987), starring Sujata Mehta and Nana Patekar, a film on the gruesome reality of politics in India. It also brought the strong mental make-up of the Indian woman to the thoughts of the Indian youth. [6]
In 1988, he made Tezaab , the film that effectively launched Madhuri Dixit's career. [8] It was the beginning of the Bollywood diva's long and successful pairing with Anil Kapoor, and her mastery of dancing through the song Ek Do Teen . [8] With Tezaab, N Chandra scored a box office hat-trick at his previous hits, Ankush (1986) and Pratighaat (1987). [4]
In 1991, his successful streak continued with Narsimha, his fourth consecutive hit. He wrote, produced and directed the film, which starred Sunny Deol, Dimple Kapadia and Urmila Matondkar. [2]
As a director:
Year | Film | Director | Producer | Editor | Writer | Lead cast |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1986 | Ankush | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Madan Jain, Arjun Chakraborty, Nana Patekar, Nisha Singh, Suhas Palshikar |
1987 | Pratighaat | Yes | Yes | Yes | Sujata Mehta, Charan Raj | |
1988 | Tezaab | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, Chunky Pandey |
1991 | Narsimha | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Sunny Deol, Dimple Kapadia, Urmila Matondkar |
1992 | Humlaa | Yes | Yes | Dharmendra, Anil Kapoor, Meenakshi Seshadri, Kimi Katkar | ||
1993 | Yugandhar | Yes | Yes | |||
1994 | Tejaswini | Yes | ||||
1996 | Beqabu | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
1998 | Wajood | Yes | Yes | Yes | Madhuri Dixit, Nana Patekar, Mukul Dev | |
2000 | Shikari | Yes | Govinda, Tabu, Karisma Kapoor | |||
2001 | Style | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
2003 | Xcuse Me | Yes | Yes | |||
Kagaar: Life on the Edge | Yes | Om Puri, Nandita Das | ||||
2009 | Y.M.I : Yeh Mera India | Yes | Yes | Yes |
As an editor only:
Year | Film |
---|---|
1983 | Woh Saat Din |
1984 | Dharm Aur Qanoon |
1985 | Mohabbat |
1986 | Mera Dharam |