Vikram Gandhi
{{short description|American documentary filmmaker, journalist and producer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Vikram Gandhi
| image = Vikram Gandhi in 2012.jpg
| caption = Gandhi in 2012
| birth_date =
| birth_place = New York City, U.S.
| education = {{ubl|Columbia University (BA)}}
| alma_mater =
| occupation = {{flatlist|
- Filmmaker
- journalist
- actor
- producer}}
| years_active =
| partner =
}}
Vikram Gandhi is an Indian American documentary filmmaker, producer, actor, and journalist. His works included Kumaré (2011), Barry (2016), Trigger Warning with Killer Mike (2019), 69: The Saga of Danny Hernandez (2020).
Biography
Gandhi was born in New York and grew up in a Hindu household in New Jersey.{{Cite news |last=Shattuck |first=Interview by Kathryn |date=2012-06-01 |title=Vikram Gandhi's Documentary 'Kumaré' |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/03/movies/vikram-gandhis-documentary-kumare.html |access-date=2022-07-20 |issn=0362-4331}} His parents are Punjabi immigrants from Burma and his father works at the Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. He received his B.A. from Columbia University in 2000.{{Cite web |date=2017-01-05 |title=Alumni in the News |url=https://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/issue/winter16/article/alumni-news |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=Columbia College Today |language=en}}
After college, Gandhi worked as a freelance video journalist and reported on political, economic and human rights issues in Asia for The Economist, Time, ABC and CNN. He also worked as a cinematographer and producer of documentary films and commercials, and his clients included American Express, Energizer, Yahoo and Katy Perry.{{Cite web |title=How to Create a Cult |url=https://inthesetimes.com/article/how-to-create-a-cult |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=In These Times |language=en}}
As a documentary filmmaker, Gandhi covered the emergence of the yoga industry in the US and, inspired by his own skepticism about religious movements, he started his own fake spiritual movement and called himself "Kumare," which is based on his middle name, Kumar.{{Cite news |title=False Guru |language=en |work=NPR.org |url=https://www.npr.org/2014/04/18/304550754/false-guru |access-date=2022-07-20}} Impersonating a fake Indian guru, he gained a following in Arizona.{{Cite web |last1=Watt |first1=Nick |last2=Shulman |first2=Scott |title='Kumare': Fake Guru Exposes Real, Desperate Desire to Believe |date=2012-08-10 |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/kumare-fake-guru-exposes-real-desperate-desire/story?id=16980674 |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=ABC News |language=en}} He filmed his interactions with his devotees and made the 2011 documentary Kumare, which won the SXSW 2011 Audience Award for Best Documentary and was nominated for a 2011 DOC NYC Viewfinders Grand Jury Prize and a 2013 Cinema Eye Audience Choice Prize.{{Cite news |last=Melwani |first=Lavina |date=2012-06-30 |title=Placebo for the soul? |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/society/placebo-for-the-soul/article3580308.ece |access-date=2022-07-20 |issn=0971-751X}}
Vikram joined HBO's Vice as a producer and correspondent in 2012.{{Cite web |title=Director Vikram Gandhi Joins Bullitt For Branded Content |url=https://www.shootonline.com/news/director-vikram-gandhi-joins-bullitt-branded-content |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=SHOOTonline |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Watch Host Vikram Gandhi Debrief Our VICE on HBO Episode 'Right to Die' |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/wd7aa4/watch-host-vikram-gandhi-debrief-vice-hbo-episode-right-to-die |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=www.vice.com |language=en}} In 2016, he directed and produced the Barack Obama biopic Barry, which he describes as a "superhero origin story".{{Cite web |last=Solomon |first=Dan |date=2016-12-16 |title="Barry" Director Vikram Gandhi On Why His Obama Biopic Is Like A Superhero Origin Tale |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3066696/barry-director-vikram-gandhi-on-why-his-obama-biopic-is-like-a-superhero-origin |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=Fast Company |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Macaulay |first=Scott |date=2016-09-09 |title=TIFF 2016: Five Questions for Barry Director Vikram Gandhi |url=https://filmmakermagazine.com/99794-tiff-2016-five-questions-for-barry-director-vikram-gandi/ |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=Filmmaker Magazine |language=en-US}} He also appeared in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice as himself.{{Cite web |date=2016-03-26 |title='Batman v Superman': 8 Real Media Stars Who Reported From Gotham and Metropolis |url=https://www.thewrap.com/batman-v-superman-8-real-media-stars-who-reported-from-gotham-and-metropolis/ |access-date=2022-07-20 |language=en-US}} He later produced and directed the Netflix series Trigger Warning with Killer Mike and Grass Is Greener.{{Cite web |last=Gandhi |first=Vikram |date=2020-11-23 |title=What I learned from making a documentary about Tekashi 6ix9ine |url=https://www.nme.com/en_au/features/tekashi-6ix9ine-danny-hernandez-vikram-gandhi-2823636 |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=NME |language=en-AU}}
In 2020, Gandhi reprised his role as Kumare for the comedy series The Guru Inside You that aired on First Look Media's streaming service Topic.{{Cite web |date=2020-06-24 |title=Vikram Gandhi Reprises Kumaré Character for Comedy Series 'The Guru Inside You' at Topic (Exclusive) |url=https://www.thewrap.com/vikram-gandhi-reprises-kumare-character-for-comedy-series-the-guru-inside-you-at-topic-exclusive/ |access-date=2022-07-20 |language=en-US}} He also directed the Hulu documentary 69: The Saga of Danny Hernandez.{{Cite web |date=2021-06-10 |title=69: The Saga of Danny Hernandez review – Tekashi69, fame-hungry narcissist, unwrapped |url=http://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/jun/10/69-the-saga-of-danny-hernandez-review-tekashi69-documentary-6ix-9ine |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}
Gandhi is directing and executive producing alongside Jehane Noujaim, The Man Will Burn, a documentary series revolving around Burning Man.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2023/09/burning-man-docuseries-in-the-works-rain-chaos-30-years-of-archive-1235540766/|title=Burning Man Docuseries In The Works; Project Includes Crazy Scenes Of Rain Chaos & 30 Years Of Archive|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Peter|last=White|date=September 8, 2023|access-date=September 12, 2023}}
References
External links
- {{IMDb name|1871577}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gandhi, Vikram}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:American documentary filmmakers
Category:Journalists from New Jersey