Onir

{{Infobox person

| name = Onir

| image = Onir 2.jpg

| birth_name = Anirban Dhar

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1969|5|1}}{{cite web|title=(ONIR) ANIRBAN DHAR|url=http://iftda.org/index.php?option=com_members&id=1541&task=view&Itemid=79|publisher=Indian Film and Television Directors' Association|access-date=9 April 2011}}{{bsn|date=July 2021}}

| birth_place = Samchi, Bhutan

| occupation = {{hlist|Film director|film producer|film editor|screenwriter}}

| years_active = 2005–present

| spouse =

}}

Onir (born Anirban Dhar, 1 May 1969) is an Indian film and TV director, editor, screenwriter and producer. He is best known for his film My Brother…Nikhil, based on the life of Dominic d'Souza,{{cite web|last1=Ferrão|first1=R. Benedito|title=My Friend... Dominic|url=http://pink-pages.co.in/features/my-friend-dominic/|access-date=24 July 2014}} was one of the first mainstream Hindi films to deal with AIDS and same-sex relationships.

Onir won the National Award for his film I Am.{{cite web|title='I Am' is the first gay film to win national award|website=The Times of India|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/I-Am-is-the-first-gay-film-to-win-national-award/articleshow/12209306.cms|access-date=23 November 2016}} He has won 16 film awards in total.

Life and career

=Early life=

Onir was born as Anirban Dhar{{Cite news|last=Sriram|first=Jayant|date=2017-05-14|title=The shining legacy of Dominic D'Souza|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/the-shining-legacy-of-dominic-dsouza/article18449535.ece|access-date=2021-07-30|issn=0971-751X}} in Samchi, Bhutan.{{Cite web|agency=IANS|date=2 March 2021|title=Penguin to publish memoir of award-winning film-maker Onir|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/lifestyle/books/2021/mar/02/penguin-to-publish-memoir-of-award-winning-film-maker-onir-2271142.html|access-date=2021-07-30|website=The New Indian Express}} His father Aparesh Dhar and mother Manjushree{{Cite web|date=2018-02-06|title=Let's talk about 377 {{!}} Whom we love, can't be dictated by an IPC section: Filmmaker Onir's parents|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/let-s-talk-about-377-whom-we-love-can-t-be-dictated-by-an-ipc-section-filmmaker-onir-s-parents/story-5cN7zZcboZdc0h261LWEDK.html|access-date=2021-07-30|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}} are of Bengali origin.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}} Onir spent much of his childhood going to the cinema.{{cite news|last=Anandan|first=S.|title=He holds a mirror up to Indian society.|url=http://www.hindu.com/2010/12/19/stories/2010121960650200.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109034346/http://www.hindu.com/2010/12/19/stories/2010121960650200.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 November 2012|access-date=9 April 2011|date=19 December 2010|newspaper=The Hindu|location=Chennai, India}} The family moved to Kolkata around 1990.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

In Kolkata, Onir studied comparative literature and took a few film classes at Chitrabani film school. He graduated from Jadavpur University in 1989, after which he received a scholarship to study film editing at SFB/TTC in Berlin. He later returned to India and worked as an editor, scriptwriter, art director, music album producer and director before becoming an independent producer and director.

=Early career=

In 1992 Onir directed and produced his first documentary film, Fallen Hero, based on painter Bijan Choudhury's life.{{cite web|title=I Am From Calcutta - The Telegraph|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110427/jsp/entertainment/story_13906185.jsp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430152909/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110427/jsp/entertainment/story_13906185.jsp|url-status=dead|archive-date=30 April 2011|access-date=22 Nov 2016|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=27 April 2011|location=Calcutta, India}} He also served as an assistant to Kalpana Lajmi on Daman: A Victim of Marital Violence (2001), which was his first experience directing a full-length feature film.{{cite news|last=Pereira|first=Priyanka|title=Seriously speaking|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/seriously-speaking/612140/0|access-date=9 April 2011|newspaper=Indian Express|date=28 April 2010}}

While working on a documentary about Dominic D'Souza, a champion swimmer and AIDS patient in Goa, Onir conceived the idea for his first film.{{cite web|title=How Onir made Karan Johar cry!|url=http://inhome.rediff.com/movies/2005/mar/23onir.htm|work=Rediff|access-date=9 April 2011}}{{cite web|last=Roy|first=Sandeep|title=Ripples of Change in Indian Film|url=http://www.alternet.org/movies/23257/|work=AlterNet|publisher=Pacific News Service|access-date=9 April 2011|archive-date=28 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528123539/http://www.alternet.org/movies/23257/|url-status=dead}} His directorial debut My Brother... Nikhil (2005) dealt with the Goan government's harsh treatment of AIDS patients in the 1980s and the stigma attached to them.{{cite news |last= Sengupta |first= Somoni |title=Gay-Themed Film Tests Sensibilities in India |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/06/movies/gaythemed-film-tests-sensibilities-in-india.html |date= 6 April 2005 |work= New York Times |access-date=27 August 2009}} My Brother... Nikhil was screened at several international film festivals, and Juhi Chawla received an IIFA nomination for her role as the main character's supportive sister. The film was screened at over 40 international film festivals,{{citation needed|date=May 2018}} and won the Audience Choice Awards in Milan, LGBT film festival, Best Film & Jury Audience Choice Award at Montreal, image+nation Film Festival amongst others.{{cite news |title= ONIR| Queer Ink |url= http://queer-ink.com/onir/ |date= 12 August 2014 |work= Queer Ink |access-date= 22 November 2016 |archive-date= 23 November 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161123073057/http://queer-ink.com/onir/ |url-status= dead }}

In 2006 he released his second film Bas Ek Pal. He received a nomination for the Best Director Critic's Award at the Global Indian Film Awards for the film. This film was not a financial success, only collecting 15–20 percent of its budget at the box office.{{cite news|title=Here's a look at what the BO booed|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/heres-a-look-at-what-the-bo-booed/21722-8.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014231447/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/heres-a-look-at-what-the-bo-booed/21722-8.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 October 2012|access-date=9 April 2011|newspaper=CNN-IBN|date=16 September 2006}} His next film Sorry Bhai! also failed to do well, as it was released the week of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai.{{cite news|title=Oye Lucky! performs better than Sorry Bhai! amidst crisis|url=http://www.businessofcinema.com/news.php?newsid=10964|access-date=9 April 2011|newspaper=Businessofcinema.com|date=2 December 2008|archive-date=24 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324232254/http://www.businessofcinema.com/news.php?newsid=10964|url-status=dead}}

=Critical acclaim=

Onir's eighth film was I Am, which consists of four short films exploring themes of single motherhood, displacement, child abuse and same-sex relationships.{{cite web |title= Onir's next ventures into issues of gay sex, child abuse |url= http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Onir--s-next-ventures-into-issues-of-gay-sex--child-abuse/501190 |date= 12 August 2009 |work= Indian Express |access-date=27 August 2009}}Mendes, AC. (2018). "Indie crowdfunded narratives of commercial surrogacy, or the contested bodies of neoliberalism: Onir’s "I Am Afia" and Arpita Kumar’s Sita". Ashvin Devasundaram (org.), Indian Cinema Beyond Bollywood: The New Independent Cinema Revolution. Routledge, 78-99. {{ISBN|978-0-815-36860-1}}. I Am won the National Award in two categories; Best Film and Best Lyrics.{{citation needed|date=May 2018}} It was also the winnerof I-VIEW 2010s Engendered Award (New York) for Outstanding Contribution.{{cite web|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/national-awards-i-am-adjudged-best-hindi-film/236997-8-66.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309180516/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/national-awards-i-am-adjudged-best-hindi-film/236997-8-66.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-03-09|title=News18.com: CNN-News18 Breaking News India, Latest News Headlines, Live News Updates|website=News18}}

Onir was awarded the 2008/9 Triangle Media Group Honorary Award on 7 February 2010, and won Best Film awards at both the London Asian Film Festival and the River to River. Florence Indian Film Festival. He won Best Director for Social Concern at the IRDS Film Awards.{{cite news|title=Onir's I AM awarded Best Film in London Asian Film festival|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/onirs-i-am-awarded-best-film-in-london-asian-film-festival/636307.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110410082325/http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/onirs-i-am-awarded-best-film-in-london-asian-film-festival/636307.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 April 2011|access-date=9 April 2011|newspaper=IBN Live|date=4 April 2011|agency=PTI}}{{cite news|title=Rahul Wows Florence | url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-12-15/news-interviews/28257454_1_florence-film-rahul-bose-audience-award | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104053418/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-12-15/news-interviews/28257454_1_florence-film-rahul-bose-audience-award | url-status=dead | archive-date=4 November 2012 |work=The Times of India | date=15 December 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://my.entertainment.yahoo.com/news/irds-awards-vidya-balan-wins-best-actress-dirty-051825569.html |title=IRDS Awards: Vidya Balan wins best actress for THE DIRTY PICTURE – Yahoo! |publisher=My.entertainment.yahoo.com |date=17 January 2012 |access-date=1 August 2012}}{{cite news|last=Kotwani|first=Hiren|title=Mira Nair to help Onir release I Am in US, Europe|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Mira-Nair-to-help-Onir-release-I-Am-in-US-Europe/Article1-561369.aspx|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130125163319/http://www.hindustantimes.com/Mira-Nair-to-help-Onir-release-I-Am-in-US-Europe/Article1-561369.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 January 2013|access-date=9 April 2011|newspaper=Hindustan Times|date=22 June 2010}}

Onir produced "Chauranga" (Four Colours) which won the Incredible India Award as the best script at the Goa Film Bazaar, International Film Festival of India, won best film India Gold at MAMI and IFFLA. This film is about a class conflict set in rural India and directed by Debutant Director Bikas Mishra. The script was also a part of Berlin Talent Campus 2010.

The feature-length documentary "Raising the Bar", an Indi-Australian documentary featuring the lives of 6 children and young people living with down syndrome premiered at the Melbourne Indian Film Festival in 2016.

"SHAB" (The night) directed by Onir released in 2017. The film premiered at New York Indian Film Festival, screened at Melbourne Indian Film Festival, Sydney Indian Film Festival, Florence River to River Indian Film Festival and Stuttgart India Film Festival.

His 6th feature film as director "Kuchh Bheege Alfaaz" (Rain-soaked words) was released in Feb 2018. The film had its Festival premiere at the London South Asian Film Festival in March 2018. The film is currently streaming on Netflix.

In 2018, he made a short documentary, 'Widows of Vrindavan', about unwanted mothers who try and seek solace in pursuit of divine love. The documentary portrays the lives of widows living at Maitri Ghar (House), their journey to Vrindavan, their childhood, their crushed dreams and what keeps them alive now. Widows of Vrindavan is a film about these widows trying to find dignity and hope as they await death. The documentary premiered at the Indisches Film festival Stuttgart in 2019. It received the Best Documentary (Audience choice award) at the 9th Jagran Film Festival.

In 2018 he received Likho Award (Trailblazer Award) Onir has received the Diversity Award from Film Victoria Australia and La Trobe University at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2019.

Onir received the Engendered Spirit of Independent Cinema Award 2020 at the Engendered Human Rights Film Festival in Delhi. Onir directed the Indo-Italian documentary film on contemporary art, SAMA: Symbols and Gestures in Contemporary Art of Italy and India (2021) which underlines the artistic parallels between India and Italy.

Onir's memoir; "I Am Onir and I Am Gay" which he has co-written with his sister Irene Dhar Malik was published by Penguin Viking in 2022. In August Onir's semi-autobiographical film "Pine Cone" premiered at 'The KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival where he won the 'Rainbow Warrior Award' for his film "Pine Cone". In August, 2023, "Pine Cone" had its Australian premiere at the 'Indian Film Festival Of Melbourne' where it won the 'Rainbow Stories Award'. Consecutively it was also screened at the 'Samabhav Travelling International film Festival' in Bhutan where Onir won the 'Trailblazing Award'.

He is also working on a SonyLiv web series on Pulwama Attack based on Rahul Pandita's book.

Onir is also working on a sequel to his 2011 National Award winning film "I Am", titled "We Are".

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Onir

Personal life

Onir has one younger brother, Abhishek Dhar, who is a theoretical physicist at the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, TIFR Bangalore, adjunct faculty at Raman Research Institute and winner of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology.{{cite news|title=Bhatnagar award for six from Bangalore|url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/27519/bhatnagar-award-six-bangalore.html|access-date=9 April 2011|newspaper=Deccan Herald|date=26 September 2009|agency=DH News Service}} Onir's sister Irene Dhar Malik is a film and television editor.{{cite web|title=Irene Dhar Malik|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1122197/|publisher=Internet Movie Database|access-date=9 April 2011}}

Onir is an atheist. He can speak Bengali, Russian, German and Tamil. His favourite film directors are Ritwik Ghatak, Satyajit Ray, Luis Buñuel and Andrei Tarkovsky{{cite web|title=Every film has a message-Onir|url=http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood/features/onir-250806.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709150240/http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood/features/onir-250806.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 July 2012|work=One India.com|access-date=9 April 2011}} while he cites Shyam Benegal's Junoon as the reason he became a filmmaker.{{cite news|title='I Pretend To Have Seen Rang De Basanti'|url=http://www.tehelka.com/story_main41.asp?filename=hub230509the_take.asp|access-date=9 April 2011|newspaper=Tehelka|date=23 May 2009|archive-date=8 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110408030949/http://www.tehelka.com/story_main41.asp?filename=hub230509the_take.asp|url-status=dead}} He is also one of the few openly gay directors in Bollywood.{{cite news|last=Kumar|first=Sunaina|title=I Am, India's first truly indie film, gets ready for the Friday test|url=http://www.tehelka.com/story_main49.asp?filename=Ws020411FILM.asp|access-date=9 April 2011|newspaper=Tehelka|date=2 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120919180654/http://www.tehelka.com/story_main49.asp?filename=Ws020411FILM.asp|archive-date=19 September 2012|url-status=dead}}

Filmography

class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"
Year !Film !Director !Producer !Writer !Editor !class="unsortable" \| Notes
style="text-align:center;"\|2001 \|Rahul \| \| \| \|{{yes}} \|
style="text-align:center;"\|2001 \|Daman: A Victim of Marital Violence \| \| \| \|{{yes}} \|
style="text-align:center;"\|2003 \|Fun 2shh: Dudes In the 10th Century \| \| \| \|{{yes}} \|
style="text-align:center;"\|2003 \|Bhoot \| \| \| \|{{yes}} \|
style="text-align:center;"\|2005 \|My Brother... Nikhil \|{{yes}} \|{{yes}} \|{{yes}} \|{{yes}} \|
style="text-align:center;"\|2006 \|Bas Ek Pal \|{{yes}} \| \|{{yes}} \| \|
style="text-align:center;"\|2008 \|Sorry Bhai! \|{{yes}} \|{{yes}} \| \| \|
style="text-align:center;"\|2011 \|I Am \|{{yes}} \|{{yes}} \|{{yes}} \|{{yes}} \| Won National Award for Best Hindi Feature Film 2011
style="text-align:center;"\|2015 \|Chauranga \| \|{{yes}} \| \| \|
style="text-align:center;"\|2016 \|Raising the Bar \|{{yes}} \|{{yes}} \| \| \|Documentary
style="text-align:center;"\|2017 \|Shab \|{{yes}} \|{{yes}} \|{{yes}} \|{{yes}} \|
style="text-align:center;"\|2018 \|Kuchh Bheege Alfaaz \|{{yes}} \| \| \| \|
style="text-align:center;"\|2019 \|Widows of Vrindavan \|Yes \|Yes \| \| \|Best Documentary at the Jagran Film festival 2019 \|
style="text-align:center;"\|2021 \|"SAMA: Symbols and Gestures in Contemporary Art of Italy and India" \|Yes \| \| \| \|
style="text-align:center;"\|2022 \|Pine Cone \|Yes \|Yes \|Yes \|Yes \|In last stage of Post- Production \|
style="text-align:center;" \|2024 \|My Melbourne \|{{yes}} \| \| \| \|Anthology Film

class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"

Year

!Film

!Director

!Producer

!Writer

!Editor

!class="unsortable" | Notes

style="text-align:center;"|2001

|Rahul

|{{yes}}

style="text-align:center;"|2001

|Daman: A Victim of Marital Violence

|{{yes}}

style="text-align:center;"|2003

|Fun 2shh: Dudes In the 10th Century

|{{yes}}

style="text-align:center;"|2003

|Bhoot

|{{yes}}

style="text-align:center;"|2005

|My Brother... Nikhil

|{{yes}}

style="text-align:center;"|2006

|Bas Ek Pal

|{{yes}}

style="text-align:center;"|2008

|Sorry Bhai!

|{{yes}}

style="text-align:center;"|2011

|I Am

|{{yes}}

| Won National Award for Best Hindi Feature Film 2011

style="text-align:center;"|2015

|Chauranga

|{{yes}}

style="text-align:center;"|2016

|Raising the Bar

|{{yes}}

|Documentary

style="text-align:center;"|2017

|Shab

|{{yes}}

style="text-align:center;"|2018

|Kuchh Bheege Alfaaz

|{{yes}}

style="text-align:center;"|2019

|Widows of Vrindavan

|Yes

|Best Documentary at the Jagran Film festival 2019

style="text-align:center;"|2021

|"SAMA: Symbols and Gestures in Contemporary Art of Italy and India"

|Yes

style="text-align:center;"|2022

|Pine Cone

|Yes

|In last stage of Post- Production

style="text-align:center;" |2024

|My Melbourne

|{{yes}}

|Anthology Film

Awards and nominations

class="wikitable sortable"
scope="col"\| Year !scope="col"\| Film !scope="col"\| Award !scope="col"\| Category !scope="col"\| Result
rowspan="4"\| 2005 \| rowspan="5"\| My Brother…Nikhil \|rowspan="2" \| Montreal (Image+ Nation film festival) \|Best Film (Jury) \|{{won}}
Best Film (Audience) \|{{won}}
The Saathi Rainbow Film Awards, Kolkatta \|Best Director \|{{won}}
TMG Global Awards \|Best Director/Producer \|{{won}}
2006 \|20th Milan International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival \|Best Film (Audience) \|{{won}}
rowspan="8"\| 2011 \| rowspan="8"\| I Am \|National Award \|Best Hindi Feature Film \|{{won}}
Jagran Film Festival \|Best Director \|{{won}}
London Asian Film Festival \|Best Film \|{{won}}
rowspan="2" \| IFFK 2010 \|NETPAC Award - Best in Asian Cinema \|{{won}}
Special Mention – International Jury \|{{won}}
KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival \|Best Narrative Feature \|{{won}}
River to River Film Festival, Florence, 2010 \|Best Film (Audience) \|{{won}}
I-VIEW, 2010 \|Engendered Award for Outstanding Contribution \|{{won}}

class="wikitable sortable"

scope="col"| Year

!scope="col"| Film

!scope="col"| Award

!scope="col"| Category

!scope="col"| Result

rowspan="4"| 2005

| rowspan="5"| My Brother…Nikhil

|rowspan="2" | Montreal (Image+ Nation film festival)

|Best Film (Jury)

|{{won}}

Best Film (Audience)

|{{won}}

The Saathi Rainbow Film Awards, Kolkatta

|Best Director

|{{won}}

TMG Global Awards

|Best Director/Producer

|{{won}}

2006

|20th Milan International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival

|Best Film (Audience)

|{{won}}

rowspan="8"| 2011

| rowspan="8"| I Am

|National Award

|Best Hindi Feature Film

|{{won}}

Jagran Film Festival

|Best Director

|{{won}}

London Asian Film Festival

|Best Film

|{{won}}

rowspan="2" | IFFK 2010

|NETPAC Award - Best in Asian Cinema

|{{won}}

Special Mention – International Jury

|{{won}}

KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival

|Best Narrative Feature

|{{won}}

River to River Film Festival, Florence, 2010

|Best Film (Audience)

|{{won}}

I-VIEW, 2010

|Engendered Award for Outstanding Contribution

|{{won}}

2018 'Widows of Vrindavan - It received the Best Documentary (Audience choice award) at the 9th Jagran Film Festival.

In 2018 he received Likho Award (Trailblazer Award) Onir has received the Diversity Award from Film Victoria Australia and La Trobe University at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2019.

Onir received the Engendered Spirit of Independent Cinema Award 2020 at the Engendered Human Rights Film Festival in Delhi.

In August Onir's semi-autobiographical film "Pine Cone" premiered at 'The KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival where he won the 'Rainbow Warrior Award' for his film "Pine Cone".

In August, 2023, "Pine Cone" had its Australian premiere at the 'Indian Film Festival Of Melbourne' where it won the 'Rainbow Stories Award'. Consecutively it was also screened at the 'Samabhav Travelling International film Festival' in Bhutan where Onir won the 'Trailblazing Award'.