Amit Sharma (director)
{{short description|Indian director and producer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Amit Sharma
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| image = Amit Sharma 2024.jpg {{!}} Amit Sharma on 13 January 2024. Picture shows a bearded man with greying hair, sitting down wearing sunglasses.
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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1978|04|13}}
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| occupation = {{hlist|Director|screenwriter|producer|entrepreneur}}
| years_active = 1997–present
| notable_works =
| networth =
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Amit Ravindernath Sharma (born 13 April 1978) is an Indian film and advertisement director and producer. In feature films, he is best known for producing and directing the 2018 National-award winning film Badhaai Ho, which was one of the highest grossing Bollywood films of 2018, having earned ₹220.34 crore ($31 million) as of December 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/badhaai-ho/box-office/|title=Badhaai Ho Box Office Collection till Now|website=Bollywood Hungama|language=en|access-date=2018-12-08}}
Biography
= Early life and career =
Sharma was born in Delhi, India, to parents who worked for the government.{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Amit-Ravindernath-Sharma-I-promised-my-mother-at-her-funeral-that-I-would-never-let-her-die/articleshow/45793363.cms|title=Amit Ravindernath Sharma: I promised my mother at her funeral that I would never let her die – Times of India|website=The Times of India|access-date=2018-12-08}} While still in school, he connected with film director Pradeep Sarkar, and was invited to shoot an advert in Manali. After graduating, he worked with Sarkar for six years before moving to Mumbai in 2001.
Two years later, he left the tutorship of Sarkar, and in 2004 he set up his own company, Chrome Pictures, with Aleya Sen and Hemant Bhandari. Later that year, he was offered an assistant role on Sarkar's film, Parineeta, which he turned down.
= Advertising =
Between 2004 and 2024, Sharma has produced and directed over 6000 advertisements, including those for Google, Coca-Cola and Amazon.{{Cite web|url=http://bestmediainfo.com/2011/03/coca-cola-rolls-out-brrr-campaign-in-india/|title=Coca-Cola Rolls Out Brrr Campaign In India|website=www.bestmediaifo.com|access-date=2018-12-08}}{{Cite web|url=http://bestmediainfo.com/2018/04/amazon-s-chonkpur-cheetahs-the-journey-from-a-small-town-to-a-big-city/|title=Amazon's Chonkpur Cheetahs: The journey from a small town to a big city|first=Akansha Mihir |last=Mota|date=26 April 2018|website=www.bestmediaifo.com|access-date=2018-12-08}}{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/amit-sharma-meet-the-director-of-landmark-ads-from-google-lifebuoy-visa-idea/articleshow/35633411.cms|title=Amit Sharma: Meet the director of landmark ads from Google, Lifebuoy, Visa, Idea|last1=Bapna|first1=Amit|date=2014-05-28|work=The Economic Times|access-date=2018-12-08|last2=Balakrishnan|first2=Ravi}}
In 2011, he directed an advert entitled 'The Silent National Anthem' featured deaf and mute 'singing' the Jana Gana Mana through sign language, and won a silver award at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.{{Cite web|url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/silent-national-anthem-ad-wins-top-award-378011.html|title=Silent National Anthem ad wins top award|website=News18|date=21 June 2011|access-date=2018-12-08}} A 2013 advert for Lifebuoy focused on hygiene in Indian villages, and won Gold at the Spikes Asia awards later that year.{{Cite web|url=https://www.afaqs.com/news/story/36818_Lifebuoys-moving-message|title=Lifebuoy's moving message|date=2013-02-24|website=www.afaqs.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-11}}{{Cite web|url=http://www2.spikes.asia/winners/2013/film/entry.cfm?entryid=4733&award=2|title=Spikes Asia Festival of Creativity|website=Spikes Asia Festival of Creativity|language=en|access-date=2018-12-11}}
The best-known advert he directed is perhaps the Google Reunion advert from November 2013, which told the fictional story about the reunion of two elderly men, one from India and one from Pakistan, who were childhood friends but were separated as children during the Partition of India. The ad had a strong impact in both countries, leading to hopes that travel restrictions between the two countries might be eased,{{Cite web|url=https://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/19647/google-can-envision-pakistan-india-harmony-in-less-than-4-minutes-can-we/|title=Google can envision Pakistan-India harmony in less than 4 minutes…can we?|date=19 November 2013|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-11}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/131115/news-current-affairs/article/google-ad-reignites-hope-easier-indo-pak-visas|title=Google reunion ad reignites hope for easier Indo-Pak visas|date=2013-11-15|website=Deccan Chronicle|language=en|access-date=2018-12-11}} and the video garnered over 1.6 million views on YouTube before debuting on television.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ibtimes.com/reunion-googles-nasdaq-goog-ad-evoking-partition-separation-big-hit-india-pakistan-video-1477042|title='Reunion': Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG) Ad Evoking Partition Separation A Big Hit In India And Pakistan (VIDEO)|date=2013-11-19|website=International Business Times|access-date=2018-12-11}}
His work during this time was described by The Economic Times as a "contemporary greatest hits of Indian advertising".
= Early film career and breakthrough =
In 2014, Sharma was invited by producer Boney Kapoor to direct Tevar, a remake of the 2003 Telugu film Okkadu, starring Arjun Kapoor.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/arjun-kapoors-tevar-to-be-produced-by-sanjay-kapoor/|title=Arjun Kapoor's Tevar to be produced by Sanjay Kapoor|date=2013-12-17|website=Bollywood Hungama|language=en|access-date=2018-12-08}} The film generally received mixed reviews.{{Cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/review/review-tevar-is-a-tiring-watch/20150109.htm|title=Review: Tevar is a tiring watch|website=Rediff|access-date=2018-12-08}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/reviews/story/tevar-review-weak-story-covered-up-with-power-packed-dialogues-234969-2015-01-09|title=Tevar review: Weak story covered up with power packed dialogues|first=Saurabh |last=Dwivedi|date=10 January 2015|website=India Today|language=en|access-date=2018-12-08}}
In 2016, Sharma was elected on the Cannes Lions Craft Jury.{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/52520543.cms|title=Cannes Lions 2016: Clichés Indian jury members don't want to see in the ad fest|date=2016-06-01|work=The Economic Times|access-date=2018-12-11}}
Sharma worked as the director on Badhaai Ho, which began shooting in late 2017, and starred Ayushmann Khurrana and Neena Gupta.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/ayushmann-khurrana-teams-up-with-tevar-director-amit-sharma-for-badhaai-ho-to-shoot-in-delhi/story-d3hYZMHCQkdB8LTeXInknN.html|title=Ayushmann Khurrana teams up with Tevar director Amit Sharma for Badhaai Ho, to shoot in Delhi|date=2017-11-24|website=www.hindustantimes.com|language=en|access-date=2018-12-08}} Sharma's production company Chrome Pictures produced the film alongside Junglee Pictures, and it was released on 18 October 2018.{{Citation|title=Badhaai Ho|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7725596/|access-date=2018-12-08}} The film became the seventh-highest opening weekend grosser of 2018,{{Cite web|url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/box-office-special-features/box-office-badhaai-ho-becomes-7th-highest-opening-weekend-grosser-2018/|title=Box Office: Badhaai Ho becomes the 7th highest opening weekend grosser of 2018|date=2018-10-22|website=Bollywood Hungama|language=en|access-date=2018-12-08}} and earned ₹220.34 crore ($31 million) worldwide. The film won the National Film Award for Best Film Popular Providing Wholesome Entertainment.
His next was an anthology film Lust Stories 2 - 'Tilchatta' starring Kajol Devgn which released on 29 June 2023 on Netflix. It became hugely popular and garnered great reviews.
Sharma's latest release, Maidaan, is about the life and career of Syed Abdul Rahim, also produced by Boney Kapoor. The filming started in 2019, but was delayed due to the pandemic.{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/who-is-syed-abdul-rahim-the-man-ajay-devgn-is-playing-in-his-next-film-1284817-2018-07-13|title=Who is Syed Abdul Rahim, the man Ajay Devgn is playing in his next film?|date=13 July 2018|first=Charu |last=Thakur|website=India Today|language=en|access-date=2018-12-09}}{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/ajay-devgn-football-coach-syed-abdul-rahim-5257776/|title=Ajay Devgn to play Syed Abdul Rahim|date=2018-07-14|website=The Indian Express|language=en-IN|access-date=2018-12-09}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/bollywood/041118/the-football-field-beckons-ajay-devgn-and-his-director-amit-sharma.html|title=The football field beckons Ajay Devgn and his director Amit Sharma|last=Jha|first=Subhash K|date=2018-11-04|website=Deccan Chronicle|language=en|access-date=2018-12-09}} The film features music by A. R. Rahman. It released on 10 April 2024 to tremendous critical acclaim.
Filmography
| class="wikitable" | |||||
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Tevar | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | ||
| 2018 | Badhaai Ho | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | ||
| rowspan=2|2023 | Lust Stories 2 | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | Segment: "Tilchatta" | |
| | Trial Period | {{yes}} | ||||
| 2024 | Maidaan | {{yes}} | {{yes}} |
Awards
- 2011 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity – Silver ('The Silent National Anthem')
- 2013 Spikes Asia – Gold ('Help A Child Reach 5', for Lifebuoy)
- D&AD (Graphite & Wood for Facebook Pooja Didi) {{Cite web |last=Ramesh |first=Aishwarya |title=Indian agencies bring home 4 Graphite and 5 Wood Pencils at the D&AD awards |url=https://www.afaqs.com/news/advertising/indian-agencies-bring-home-4-graphite-and-5-wood-pencils-at-the-dad-awards |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=www.afaqs.com |language=en}}
- Spikes Asia (Dove #StopTheBeautyTest) {{Cite web |title=Spikes Asia Festival of Creativity |url=https://www2.spikes.asia/winners/2022/film_craft/entry.cfm?entryid=518&award=4 |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=Spikes Asia Festival of Creativity |language=en}}
- Adfest (Facebook Pooja Didi) {{Cite web |title=Pooja Didi {{!}} Afaqs |url=https://www.afaqs.com/tags/pooja-didi |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=www.afaqs.com |language=en}}
- London International Awards (Facebook Pooja Didi & Dove #StopTheBeautyTest) {{Cite web |date=2021-02-04 |title=Know More About Amit Sharma - IFP |url=https://ifp.world/creator/amit-sharma/ |access-date=2024-09-28 |language=en-US}}
- National Film Award for Best Film Popular Providing Wholesome Entertainment - Feature film Badhaai Ho
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|2279430}}
{{Amit Ravindernath Sharma}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharma, Amit}}
Category:21st-century Indian people
Category:Hindi-language film directors
Category:Indian advertising directors