Pradip Krishen

Last updated

Pradip Krishen
Born1949 (1949) (age 75)
New Delhi, India
Other namesPradeep Krishen
Occupations
Years active1985–1995
Notable work In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones (1989)
Spouse
(m. 1984)
Children2
Awards National Film Award

Pradip Krishen (born 1949) is an Indian filmmaker, naturalist and environmentalist. He has directed three films, Massey Sahib in 1985, In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones in 1989 and Electric Moon for Channel 4, UK in 1991. His films have won significant Indian and international awards, and In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones acquired cult status in the years after it was made. [1] He is married to Arundhati Roy who also acted in his films but they currently live separately from each other. [2] He subsequently gave up filmmaking, and since 1995, has worked as a naturalist and environmentalist. [3] [4]

Contents

Education

Pradip Krishen is born in New Delhi in 1949 and educated at Mayo College and St. Stephen's College, then at Balliol College, Oxford. He taught history at Ramjas College of University of Delhi, New Delhi. [5]

Career

Film-making

Before becoming a documentary filmmaker (Krishen made popular science documentaries).

Krishen began work on a 21 episode television series intended for Doordarshan called Bargad / The Banyan Tree, [13] a project Krishen was forced to abandon before completion, due to interference from the production house he was working for.

Environmental work

Starting in 1995, Krishen began studying trees [14] and spending time in the jungles of Panchmarhi in Madhya Pradesh, with the help of a forester friend. [15] Krishen taught himself field botany and began identifying and photographing Delhi's trees, extensively exploring the city's green habitat. In the course of his work, Krishen led numerous public "tree-walks" on Sunday mornings [16] and became a keen ecological gardener. Krishen has created "native-plant" gardens in Delhi, west Rajasthan, and Garhwal, and is currently working on a large rewilding scheme at Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park near Mehrangarh fort in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. He was briefly associated with the Aga Khan Trust in an eco-initiative in the Sunder Nursery in New Delhi. [17] In 2014, Krishen began work on a new gardening initiative at Abha Mahal in Nagaur Fort, Rajasthan. The following year, he took over as Project Director of the gardens of the Calico Museum in Ahmedabad, and most recently, leads a team of horticulturists and landscape architects to restore an extensive set of sand dunes in Jaipur city, Rajasthan.

Krishen's book Trees of Delhi: A Field Guide, published by Dorling Kindersley/Penguin Group in 2006, met with popular and critical acclaim, and became a best-seller in India. [18] [19]

Krishen's second book Jungle Trees of Central India, published by Penguin India, was released in 2014.

Works

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arundhati Roy</span> Indian author and activist (born 1961)

Suzanna Arundhati Roy is an Indian author best known for her novel The God of Small Things (1997), which won the Booker Prize for Fiction in 1997 and became the best-selling book by a non-expatriate Indian author. She is also a political activist involved in human rights and environmental causes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dadasaheb Phalke Award</span> Indias highest cinema award

The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest award in the field of cinema. It is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organisation set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The recipient is honoured for their "great and outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema" and is selected by a committee consisting of eminent personalities from the Indian film industry. The award comprises a Swarna Kamal medallion, a shawl, and a cash prize of 1,000,000 (US$12,000).

<i>In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones</i> 1989 Indian film directed by Pradip Krishen

In Which Annie Gives it Those Ones is a 1989 Indian English-language TV film written by Arundhati Roy and directed by Pradip Krishen. It stars Arjun Raina as the title character, with Roshan Seth and Arundhati Roy in key roles. The film also features Shahrukh Khan and Manoj Bajpayee, both then struggling actors in the Delhi theatre circuit, in small but significant roles. Set in the 1970s, in the National Institute of Architecture, New Delhi, the plot revolves around Anand Grover, known as Annie, a misguided visionary who gets into trouble for making fun of the principal, Y.D. Billimoria known as Yamdoot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Film Development Corporation of India</span> Central agency devoted to Indian cinema

The National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC) based in Mumbai is the central agency established in 1975, to encourage high quality Indian cinema. It functions in areas of film financing, production and distribution and under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. The primary goal of the NFDC is to plan, promote and organise an integrated and efficient development of the Indian film industry and foster excellence in cinema.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Film Award for Best Actress</span> Film award

The National Film Award for Best Actress is an honour presented annually at the National Film Awards of India since 1968 to an actress for the best performance in a leading role within the Indian film industry. The National Film Awards were called the "State Awards for Films" when established in 1954. The State Awards instituted the "Best Actress" category in 1968 as the "Urvashi Award for the Best Actress"; in 1975, the "Urvashi Award" was renamed as the "Rajat Kamal Award for the Best Actress". Throughout the years, accounting for ties and repeat winners, the Government of India has presented a total of 56 Best Actress awards to 45 different actresses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor</span> Indian film award

The National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor, officially known as the Rajat Kamal Award for the Best Supporting Actor, is an honour presented annually at India's National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF), an organisation set up by the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. A national panel appointed annually by the DFF selects the actor who has given the best performance in a supporting role within Indian cinema. The award is presented by the President of India at a ceremony held in New Delhi.

The National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress is an honour presented annually at India's National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF), an organisation set up by the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Since 1984, the award is given by a national panel appointed annually by the DFF to an actress for the best performance in a supporting role within Indian cinema. It is presented by the President of India at a ceremony held in New Delhi.

The National Film Award for Best Screenplay is one of the categories in the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in India. It is one of several awards presented for feature films and awarded with Rajat Kamal. The award is announced for films produced in a year across the country, in all Indian languages. As of 2016, the award comprises a Rajat Kamal, a certificate, and a cash prize of 50,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Film Award for Best Music Direction</span> State-instituted annual film awards in India

The National Film Award for Best Music Direction is an honour presented annually at the National Film Awards by the Directorate of Film Festivals to a musician who has composed the best score for films produced within the Indian film industry. The award was first introduced at the 15th National Film Awards in 1967. At the 42nd National Film Awards, an award for "Best Background Score" was instituted. It was however discontinued after that, and it was not until 2009 that the category was re-introduced. A total of 51 awards—including award for Best Background score—to 40 different composers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer</span> Indian film award

The National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer is an honour presented annually at the National Film Awards of India since 1968 to a female playback singer for the best renditions of songs from soundtracks within the Indian film industry. The National Film Awards were called the "State Awards for Films" when established in 1954. The State Awards instituted the "Best Female Playback Singer" category in 1968. Throughout the years, accounting for ties and repeat winners, the Government of India has presented a total of 53 Best Female Playback Singer awards to 30 different female playback singers.

The National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film was one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India. It was one of several awards presented for feature films and awarded with Rajat Kamal.

The National Film Award – Special Jury Award is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India. It is one of several awards presented for feature films. The recipients of Special Jury Award are awarded with Rajat Kamal, cash prize of 200,000 (US$2,400) and certificate of merit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arundathi Nag</span> Indian actress, theatre personality

Arundhati Nag is an Indian actress. She has been involved with multilingual Theatre in India, for over 25 years, first in Mumbai where she got involved with Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA), and did various productions in Gujarati, Marathi, and Hindi theatre, and then in Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and English, in Bangalore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uma Sharma</span> Indian dancer

Uma Sharma is a kathak dancer, choreographer and teacher. She is also runs the Bharatiya Sangeet Sadan, Delhi, a classical dance and music academy, situated in New Delhi, founded by her father in 1946. She is most known for reviving the old classical dance form of Natwari Nritya or the Raslila of Brindavan, which later evolved into the Kathak.

Electric Moon is a 1992 Indian film directed by Pradip Krishen and written by Arundhati Roy. The film was produced by Grapevine Media for Channel 4 Television and Bobby Bedi's Kaleidoscope Entertainment and was reviewed at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) and the 36th London Film Festival (1992).

The 43rd annual Venice International Film Festival was held on 30 August to 10 September, 1986. It was the last edition directed by Gian Luigi Rondi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krishen Khanna</span> Indian artist (born 1925)

Krishen Khanna is an Indian painter known for his figurative artworks depicting street scenes of the country. He attended Imperial Service College in England and is a self-taught artist. He is recipient of the Rockefeller Fellowship in 1962, the Padma Shri in 1990, and the Padma Bhushan in 2011.

<i>Massey Sahib</i> 1985 film by Pradip Krishen

Massey Sahib is a 1985 Hindi drama film directed by Pradip Krishen, starring Raghubir Yadav in the title role. It was Krishen's first film, and was an adaptation of Joyce Cary's 1939 novel Mister Johnson. It won Yadav two international acting awards. The film also stars Arundhati Roy, who was yet to write her first novel and win the Man Booker Prize, along with Barry John and Virendra Saxena.

The 62nd National Film Awards ceremony was an event during which the Directorate of Film Festivals presents its annual National Film Awards to honour the best films of 2014 in the Indian cinema. The awards were announced on 24 March 2015 and the ceremony was held on 3 May 2015.

The 11th International Film Festival of India was held from 10-24 January 1987 in New Delhi. The festival gave a breakthrough for commercial cinema, through the introduction of "Indian Mainstream section". India's official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film for the Academy Awards in 1986 - "Swati Mutyam" was screened in the mainstream section.

References

  1. India's lost cult films The Economic Times , 24 May 2008.
  2. "Arundhati Roy, the Not-So-Reluctant Renegade". Archived from the original on 21 April 2016.
  3. ..well-known environmentalist Pradip Krishen ... The Hindu , 25 March 2007.
  4. ‘I’m a plant man now’ Tehelka , 20 May 2006.
  5. Pradip Krishen chaosmag.in. Retrieved 18 November 2012
  6. 36th National Film Festival, 1989 Archived 16 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine . Directorate of Film Festival. Retrieved 7 November 2012
  7. Capitally Curious. The Indian Express. Retrieved 16 November 2012
  8. "36th National Film Awards". International Film Festival of India. Archived from the original on 5 May 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  9. "36th National Film Awards (PDF)" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals.
  10. Goddess of Small Things The Independent. Retrieved 18 November 2012
  11. "40th National Film Awards". International Film Festival of India. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
  12. "40th National Film Awards (PDF)" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals . Retrieved 2 March 2012.
  13. 'I think from a very early age, I was determined to negotiate with the world on my own'. Rediff.com.
  14. 'Studying trees began as a hobby' The Times of India , 15 June 2006.
  15. Romancing Delhi’s trees [ dead link ] Sify.com, Rashme Sehgal, 24 January 2006.
  16. “tree walk”, to be conducted on Sunday morning by Krishen, eco-botanist and author.. Archived 3 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine The Indian Express , 3 February 2008.
  17. "Sunder Nursery, city's new oasis". The Indian Express. 11 June 2010. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  18. Capital’s tree man Pradip Krishen [usurped] The Hindu , 5 August 2007.
  19. Go take a walk with Pradip Krishen’s Trees of Delhi [ dead link ] Gopal Sathe, The Indian Express , 21 May 2006.