SUDHIR MISHRA

SUDHIR MISHRA - Film Director

Sudhir Mishra was born and brought up in Lucknow. He is the grandson of former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Dwarka Prasad Mishra. His father, DN Mishra, was the founder member of Lucknow Film Society. He graduated from Delhi University, where he met Badal Sircar and formed a theatre group called Workshop Theatre and worked on several plays with him.

After a year and a half with Badal Sarkar, Sudhir Mishra left for Pune. In Pune, he spent time at FTII, (Film and Television Institute of India), Pune, where his younger brother, Sudhanshu Mishra (to whom he credits to have learnt much of his cinema) was a student. Sudhir never studied at the institute himself.

He moved to Mumbai in 1980, and started his career as assistant director and scriptwriter in Kundan Shah's comedy classic Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron (1983) and later worked with Saeed Akhtar Mirza in Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho! (1984) and with Vidhu Vinod Chopra in Khamosh (1985).

He made his directorial debut with the film, Yeh Woh Manzil To Nahin in 1987 which won the National Film Award for Best First Film of a Director.

He went on to make acclaimed films like "Dharavi"(1991), Main Zinda Hoon (1988), Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin (1996) and Chameli (2003), and his most acclaimed film to date, the 2005 film, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi. This was followed by Khoya Khoya Chand in December 2007 and Yeh Saali Zindagi in 2010

He has received various awards and citations including Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a Director: Yeh Woh Manzil To Nahin (1987), National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues: Main Zinda Hoon (1989), National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi: Dharavi (1992), Filmfare Best Story Award: Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2006) and in 2010 Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (French Government). France's knighthood - equivalent to the "Sir" title of the British.

He married Renu Saluja. After her untimely death he married Sushmita Mukherjee. However, this marriage ended in a divorce.