Vidhu Vinod Chopra (Hindi:विधु विनोद चोपड़ा) (born on 5 September 1956) is an Indian director and producer. He is considered to be one of the most talented and pathbreaking Indian filmmakers. He is also the head of Vinod Chopra Productions. He is particularly known for producing the Munna Bhai films.

[edit] Early life

Vidhu Vinod Chopra was born in a Punjabi family of Kashmir. He grew up into the beautiful valleys of Srinagar, Kashmir, India. His love of Hindi Cinema and support of his family encouraged him to study Film Direction. Since there was no College for film related courses in North India, he went to Pune and attended Film Direction at Film and Television Institute of India. Vindu is one of the few Directors who are passionate of creating Films based on Original Scripts. He is well known for originality of stories he tries to deliver through his films.

[edit] Career

Chopra's first student short Murder At Monkey Hill won the National Film Award for the Best Short Experimental Film and also the Guru Dutt Memorial Award for Best Student Film.^[1]

This was followed by a short documentary highlighting the plight of India's destitute children called An Encounter with Faces, which was nominated for an Academy Award in the short, non-fiction film category in 1979.

His first feature film, shot in black-&-white, was Sazaa-E-Maut (Death Penalty) - an edge of the seat thriller made on a shoe-string budget with then unknown actor Naseeruddin Shah and editor Renu Saluja, who were his fellow students at FTII, Pune.

Chopra has since then been involved with a number of critically acclaimed films including Parinda, 1942: A Love Story, Mission Kashmir, the Munna Bhai series, Parineeta and the recently released film, Eklavya: The Royal Guard.

[edit] Personal life

Chopra first married, film editor, Renu Saluja, though the married ended in a divorce, they continued to work together in many films. Later he married to writer Anupama Chopra, previously a resident of the United States is now a movie reviewer with NDTV and India Today. Chopra is the half-brother of Ramanand Sagar of TV series, Ramayan.

[edit] Filmography

[edit] Awards and nominations

[edit] Star Screen Awards

• 2006: Winner, Best Film for Lage Raho Munnabhai
• 2006: Nominated, Best Screenplay for Lage Raho Munna Bhai

[edit] IIFA Awards

• 2007: Winner, IIFA Best Screenplay Award for Lage Raho Munna Bhai
• 2001: Nominated, IIFA Best Director Award for Mission Kashmir

[edit] Filmfare Awards

• 2006: Winner, Filmfare Best Story Award for Lage Raho Munna Bhai
• 2005: Nominated, Filmfare Best Movie Award for Parineeta
• 2004: Winner, Filmfare Best Screenplay Award for Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.
• 2001: Nominated, Filmfare Best Director Award for Mission Kashmir
• 2001: Nominated, Filmfare Best Movie Award for Mission Kashmir
• 1995: Nominated, Filmfare Best Director Award for 1942 A Love Story
• 1990: Winner, Filmfare Best Director Award for Parinda

[edit] National Awards

• 2008: Best Popular Film providing wholesome entertainment for Lage Raho Munnabhai
• 2008: Best Screenplay for Lage Raho Munnabhai
• 1977: Best Short Experimental Film for Murder At Monkey Hill

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] External links

• Vidhu Vinod Chopra at the Internet Movie Database
• Official Website
• Interview