R. Balki | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 16 April 1964 |
| Other names | R. Balakrishnan |
| Occupation(s) | Former Group Chairman Lowe Lintas, film director, screenwriter |
| Spouse | |
R. Balakrishnan, popularly known as R. Balki, [2] [3] (born 16 April 1964) is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter and former Group Chairman of the advertising agency Lowe Lintas (India). He is best known for directing the films Cheeni Kum (2007), Paa (2009), Pad Man (2018), Chup: Revenge of The Artist (2022), and Ghoomer (2023).
Balki wrote and directed the 2007 comedy-drama film Cheeni Kum , starring Amitabh Bachchan and Tabu, which marked his directorial debut. [4] His second directorial was the critically acclaimed and commercially successful Paa , produced by Sunil Manchanda and Abhishek Bachchan which was released on 4 December 2009, starring Amitabh Bachchan, his son Abhishek Bachchan and Vidya Balan. The film received multiple nominations in addition to winning the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi the following year. In 2015, he directed the satirical drama Shamitabh which would mark his third collaboration with Amitabh Bachchan. The film also starred Tamil actor Dhanush and marked the acting debut Akshara Haasan, daughter of actor-director Kamal Haasan. [5] In 2016, he directed the comedy-drama Ki and Ka which starred Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor. [6] In 2018, he directed the social comedy Pad Man starring Akshay Kumar and Radhika Apte. The film was based on the life of Arunachalam Muruganantham, which he co-produced, scripted and directed. [7] [8] In 2019, he co-produced and scripted the 2019 film Mission Mangal , in addition to serving as a creative director. [9] His next directorial was the thriller Chup : Revenge Of The Artist, starring Sunny Deol, Dulquer Salmaan and Shreya Dhanwanthary in lead roles. The film revolved around a serial killer who targets film critics. In 2023, he wrote and directed and the sports drama Ghoomer starring Abhishek Bachchan and Saiyami Kher. It premiered at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne.
Balki was born on 16 April 1964 in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu. Prior to his filmmaking career, he worked in advertising and served as the charmain of advertising agency Lowe Lintas. In 2016, he retired from advertising to focus on his filmmaking career.
Balki married filmmaker Gauri Shinde in 2007. [10] [11]
 | This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources .(December 2022) |
| Year | Title | Credited as | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Producer | Writer | |||
| 2007 | Cheeni Kum | Yes | No | Yes | |
| 2009 | Paa | Yes | No | Yes | |
| 2012 | English Vinglish | No | Yes | No | |
| 2015 | Shamitabh | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2016 | Ki & Ka | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2018 | Pad Man | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2019 | Mission Mangal | No | No | Yes | |
| 2022 | Chup: Revenge of The Artist | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2023 | Lust Stories 2 | Yes | No | Yes | Segment: Made for Each Other |
| Ghoomer | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
Paa received 14 nominations at the 16th Star Screen Awards [12] of which the film won five awards. It also won National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi.[ citation needed ]
For Pad Man , he won the award for Best Director at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne in 2018.[ citation needed ]Padman also won the National Film Award for the Best Film on Social Issues. [13]
| Year | Award | Category | Film(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 9th IIFA Awards | Best Story | Cheeni Kum | Nominated | [14] |
| Producers Guild Film Awards | Best Story | Nominated | [15] | ||
| Best Dialogues | Nominated | [15] | |||
| 14th Screen Awards | Most Promising Debut Director | Nominated | [16] | ||
| Stardust Awards | Hottest Young Film Maker | Nominated | [17] | ||
| 11th Zee Cine Awards | Most Promising Debut Director | Nominated | [18] | ||
| 2010 | 55th Filmfare Awards | Best Director | Paa | Nominated | [19] |
| Best Screenplay | Nominated | [19] | |||
| 11th IIFA Awards | Best Director | Nominated | [20] | ||
| Best Story | Nominated | [20] | |||
| 57th National Film Awards | Best Feature Film in Hindi | Won | [21] | ||
| 16th Screen Awards | Best Director | Nominated | [22] | ||
| Best Story | Nominated | [22] | |||
| Best Screenplay | Nominated | [22] | |||
| Best Dialogue | Nominated | [22] | |||
| 2018 | Indian Film Festival of Melbourne | Best Director | Pad Man | Nominated | [23] |
| 2019 | 66th National Film Awards | Best Film on Other Social Issues | Won | [24] | |
Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema. With a cinematic career spanning over five decades, he has played pivotal roles in over 200 films. Widely recognised as one of the greatest actors of all time, he is considered to be amongst the most accomplished and influential actors in the history of Indian cinema. Bachchan is often hailed as the Shahenshah of Bollywood, Sadi Ke Mahanayak, Star of the Millennium, or simply Big B. His dominance in the Indian film industry during the 1970s–80s led the French director François Truffaut to describe it as a "one-man industry".
Abhishek Bachchan is an Indian actor and film producer known for his work in Hindi films. Part of the Bachchan family, he is the son of actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan. From 2012 to 2016, Bachchan appeared in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list, based on his income and popularity.
Jaya Bachchan is an Indian actress and politician. She has served as a member of parliament in the Rajya Sabha from the Samajwadi Party. Known for her work in Hindi films, she is noted for reinforcing a natural style of acting in both mainstream and "middle-of-the-road" cinema. A recipient of several accolades, she has won a record nine Filmfare Awards and the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian honour awarded by the Government of India.
Bunty Aur Babli is a 2005 Indian Hindi-language crime comedy film directed by Shaad Ali and written by Jaideep Sahni, based on a story by Aditya Chopra, who produces the film under the Yash Raj Films. The film, inspired by the 1967 American film Bonnie and Clyde, stars Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, and Rani Mukerji in lead roles and marks the first of the many collaborations between the former two. The younger Bachchan and Mukerji play the titular con-artist partners-in-crime, while the elder Bachchan plays the DCP whose focus is solely to catch them.
Sarkar Raj is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language political crime thriller film directed by Ram Gopal Varma. The film is a sequel to the 2005 film Sarkar and the second installment of the Sarkar film series. The film was premiered at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, the New York Asian Film Festival, and the 9th IIFA World Premiere-Bangkok.
P. C. Sreeram is an Indian cinematographer and film director who works in Indian films. He is also the president of Qube Cinemas, a digital cinema technology company. He is an alumnus of the Madras Film Institute. Apart from his work as a cinematographer, Sreeram was much appreciated for his directorial venture Kuruthipunal. The film was internationally acclaimed and was submitted by India as its official entry to the Oscars in 1996. Sreeram is known for his association with Bharathan, Mani Ratnam, R Balki, Vikram Kumar, and received critical acclaim for his work in films such as Thevar Magan, Mouna Ragam, Nayakan, Cheeni Kum, Agni Natchathiram, Paa, Geethanjali, Alaipayuthey, I, Pad Man, O Kadhal Kanmani, Thiruda Thiruda, Ishq, and Remo. He has worked as a cinematographer in over 30 films spanning across Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi language, besides directing three films and a few TV commercials in Chennai and Mumbai. He is also one of the founding members of Indian Society of Cinematographers (ISC).
Cheeni Kum is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film directed by R. Balki and starring Amitabh Bachchan, Tabu, Paresh Rawal, Zohra Sehgal and Swini Khara.
Dharma Productions Pvt. Ltd. is an Indian film production and distribution company established by Yash Johar in 1979. It was taken over in 2004, after his death, by his son, Karan Johar. Based in Mumbai, it mainly produces and distributes Hindi films.
Kajra Re is a song composed by Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, written by Gulzar and sung by the playback singers Alisha Chinoy, Shankar Mahadevan and Javed Ali. It is from the 2005 film Bunty Aur Babli, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukerji. Aishwarya Rai plays a courtesan trying to express her desires to attract the male, or her client. It features Amitabh and Abhishek at a nightclub and Aishwarya Rai, making a special appearance in the film, sings for Amitabh while ignoring Abhishek's approaches. Amitabh eventually joins Abhishek and Aishwarya in the singing and dancing.
Sarika Thakur is an Indian actress and costume designer. In 2005, she won the National Film Award for Best Actress for the English-language film Parzania. She was also awarded the National Film Award for Best Costume Design for her work in Hey Ram (2001).
Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian actor, occasional playback singer, film producer, television host and former politician who primarily works in Hindi films. He made his acting debut in 1969 with Saat Hindustani, and narrated Mrinal Sen's Bhuvan Shome (1969). He later appeared as Dr. Bhaskar Banerjee in Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Anand (1971), for which he won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. In 1973, Bachchan played the role of Inspector Vijay Khanna in Prakash Mehra's action film Zanjeer. He has since appeared in several films with the character name "Vijay". During the same year, he appeared in Abhimaan and Namak Haraam. For the latter, he received the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. Two years later he appeared along with Shashi Kapoor, in Yash Chopra's Deewaar, which earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Actor nomination. He was caited as the "angry young man" for his roles in Deewaar and Zanjeer. Later he starred in Ramesh Sippy's Sholay (1975), which is considered to be one of the greatest Indian films of all time. After appearing in the romantic drama Kabhie Kabhie (1976), Bachchan starred in Manmohan Desai's action comedy Amar Akbar Anthony (1977). He won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor for his performance in the latter. He then played dual roles of Don and Vijay in Don (1978), which again earned him the Filmfare Best Actor Award for the consecutive year.
Paa (transl. Father) is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama film directed by R. Balki, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, and Vidya Balan. Jaya Bachchan makes a cameo appearance in the opening credits of the film as a narrator. The film is inspired by the 1996 Hollywood film Jack as per some reports and is based on the relationship of a boy with a rare genetic condition known as progeria and his parents. Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, in real life, are father and son respectively, but in Paa, they played opposite roles. The film was released worldwide on 4 December 2009. Veteran composer Ilaiyaraaja scored the music. The film was critically acclaimed in India and fared well at the box office. Despite a warm reception from Indian film critics, the film received mixed reviews from overseas film critics, according to the websites Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes. Amitabh Bachchan received his third National Film Award for Best Actor at the 57th National Film Awards for his performance and his fifth Filmfare Award for Best Actor and Vidya Balan got her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress.
Sunil Manchanda is an Indian film director, and producer, and an advertisement producer.
English Vinglish is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama film written and directed by Gauri Shinde. The film stars Sridevi as Shashi Godbole, a small entrepreneur who makes snacks and sweets. Shashi enrolls in an English-speaking course to stop her husband and daughter mocking her lack of English skills and gains self-respect in the process. Shashi was written by Shinde, inspired by her mother. The film marked Sridevi's return to film acting after a 15-year hiatus post Judaai (1997); it also features Adil Hussain, French actor Mehdi Nebbou, and Priya Anand. Amitabh Bachchan makes a cameo appearance in the film's Hindi version, whereas Ajith Kumar replaced him the same portions of the film which was reshot for the Tamil-dubbed version.
Gauri Shinde is an Indian film director and screenwriter. Shinde made her directorial debut with the highly acclaimed English Vinglish (2012), which marked the comeback of actress Sridevi. Shinde featured in the Financial Times 2012 list of '25 Indians To Watch'. She also featured on Rediff's list of 'Bollywood's 5 Best Directors of 2012'.
Abhishek Bachchan is an Indian actor and producer known for his work in Hindi films. He made his debut in 2000, opposite Kareena Kapoor, in the J. P. Dutta-directed war drama Refugee. His portrayal of the titular unnamed refugee garnered him a nomination for Best Male Debut at the Filmfare Awards ceremony. However, the film was a box office failure, as were a series of his subsequent films, including Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai (2001), and Shararat (2002). His career prospects improved in 2004, when he played a gangster in the Mani Ratnam-directed political drama Yuva, and a police officer in Sanjay Gadhvi's action thriller Dhoom. For the former, he won his first Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor, and the latter became one of the highest-grossing films of the year and his first commercial success.
Akshara Haasan is an Indian actress who has appeared in Tamil and Hindi-language films. The daughter of actors Kamal Haasan and Sarika Thakur, and the younger sister of Shruti Haasan, she made her film debut with the comedy drama Shamitabh (2015), and later appeared in Kadaram Kondan (2019).
Shamitabh is a 2015 Indian Hindi-language satirical drama film written and directed by R. Balki. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Dhanush and debutante Akshara Haasan. The film is jointly produced by Sunil Lulla, Balki, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, R. K. Damani, Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan under their respective production banners. Ilaiyaraaja composed the soundtrack album and background score, while cinematography was handled by P. C. Sreeram.
Ghoomer is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language sports drama film written and directed by R. Balki. It stars Shabana Azmi, Abhishek Bachchan, Saiyami Kher, and Angad Bedi.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
