Brahmanand S. Siingh (born 3 May 1965) is a filmmaker and author from Mumbai, India. He is best known for the films Kaagaz Ki Kashti, a biopic on Jagjit Singh[1] and his feature-length documentary on R. D. Burman, Pancham Unmixed: Mujhe Chalte Jaana Hai.[2][3]
Brahmanand S. Siingh | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 3 May 1965 Purnia, Bihar, India. |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation(s) | Filmmaker, Author and Life Coach |
| Notable work | Pancham Unmixed, Kaagaz Ki Kashti, Jhalki |
| Awards | National Film Award for Best Biographical Film
National Film Award for Best Historical Reconstruction/Compilation Film REX Karmaveer Chakra Award |
| Website | Mobius Films Brahmanand Siingh |
Early life and education
editBrahmanand S Siingh grew up in Purnia, Bihar. Later he moved to St Xavier's College Ranchi and eventually to Kolkata University for his English Literature Masters. His journeys into cinema, however, started within a year of his moving to Mumbai[4] in 1993.
Career
editBrahmanand began writing about art and cinema in the 1980s, publishing articles in publications like The Telegraph, Statesman, Times of India, The Hindu, Indian Express, and The Independent. He also published online work during the dotcom boom. Brahmanand has published over 3,000 articles and features, essays, poems and short stories, as well as three biographical books, Strings Of Eternity, Diamonds & Rust and Lightness Of Being.
He began making films in the late 1990s, mainly producing biographical documentaries and independent films. He is most well known for his experiential biopics on figures like RD Burman[5] and Jagjit Singh (Pancham Unmixed & Kaagaz Ki Kashti). "Strings of Eternity" and "Diamonds and Rust", co-authored with Gaurav Sharma, provide insights into the life, music and personality of maestro RD Burman.
Pancham Unmixed is a rare biographical documentary to have premiered at IFFLA, Los Angeles to a full house. The film also featured on Netflix and is currently streaming on iTunes. Pancham Unmixed was screened by PVR Cinemas on 24-25 Mar, 2018 in screens across the country. It also saw a rare telecast on National Geographic on 26 Dec, 2021. Kaagaz ki Kashti featured on Amazon Prime and travelled to various international film festivals.
He has also won the REX-Karmaveer-Chakra Awards, in partnership with the United Nations, for transforming lives through social impact projects and ideas of hope. Siingh's latest feature project, Jhalki, a feature film that attempts to create public awareness of child trafficking and child labor.[6]
He has also sat on the jury of various international film festivals and award platforms, and conducts filmmaking and scriptwriting workshops.
Filmography
editAs a director and/or producer.
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1997 | Ashgari Bai |
| 1998 | A burden of Love |
| 1999 | Back to Nature |
| 2002 | Uncaging the Body[7] |
| 2005 | Ragpickers[8] |
| 2008 | Pancham Unmixed[9] |
| 2011 | Chidiya Rain Basera |
| 2012 | Ambassador of Peace |
| 2015 | Knowing Pancham[10] |
| 2015 | Through Our Eyes[11] |
| 2016 | Riding on a Sunbeam[12] |
| 2017 | Kaagaz Ki Kashti[13] |
| 2019 | Jhalki |
Awards
edit| Year | Award | Category | For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Apsara Film Producers Guild Awards | Best Short Film | Uncaging the Body |
| 2008 | IFFLA | Critics Special Mention | Pancham Unmixed |
| 2008 | Washington DC Film Festival | Audience Choice Award | Pancham Unmixed |
| 2009 | 57th National Film Awards | Best Compilation Film (Director) | Pancham Unmixed |
| 2009 | 57th National Film Awards | Best Compilation Film (Producer) | Pancham Unmixed |
| 2010 | AIFF | Best Documentary | Pancham Unmixed |
| 2016 | Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival[14] | Audience Choice Award | Kaagaz Ki Kashti |
| 2016 | Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival[14] | Best Documentary Award | Kaagaz Ki Kashti |
| 2019 | International Screen Awards (ISA 2019)[15] | Platinum Award for International Feature Film | Jhalki |
| 2019 | Washington DC South Asian Film Festival (DCSAFF 2019) | Best Director Award | Jhalki |
| 2019 | Indian Film Festival of Cincinnati (IFFCINCY 2019)[16] | Best Feature Film Award | Jhalki |
| 2019 | Indian International Film Festival Of Boston (IIFFB 2019) [17] | Best Social Cause Film Award | Jhalki |
| 2019 | International Independent Film Awards Los Angeles (IIFA 2019) [18] | Best Concept Platinum Winners | Jhalki |
| 2019 | International Independent Film Awards Los Angeles (IIFA 2019) [18] | Best Screenplay Platinum Winners | Jhalki |
| 2019 | Boston International Film Festival (BIFF 2019) [19] | Best Original Screenplay Award | Jhalki |
| 2019 | REX-Karmaveer-Chakra[20] | Karmaveer Chakra Award | N/A |
References
edit- ^ "In memory of Jagjit Singh". The Hindu. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
- ^ "Knowing Pancham: A Beautiful Docu On The Life Of R.D. Burman!". The Hindu.
- ^ sengupta, Rituparna (1 February 2020). "An Exclusive Interview with Brahmanand S Siingh". Expresso Magazine. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "AUDIENCE ARE HUNGRY FOR QUALITY CONTENT WELL-TOLD -BRAHMANAND SINGH". Bargad. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- ^ "RD Burman, a lesson in time management". mid-day. 2 February 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "Jhalki a film by Brahmanand S Siingh". Advantus. Archived from the original on 18 April 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
- ^ "Uncaging the Body – Documentary Films – Mobius Films". mobiusfilms.net. Archived from the original on 18 April 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
- ^ "Ragpickers – Documentary Films – Mobius Films". mobiusfilms.net. Archived from the original on 18 April 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
- ^ Ramnath, Nandini (30 June 2015). "'Pancham Unmixed' documentary gets rebooted with extended interviews about composer RD Burman". scroll.in. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
- ^ "Knowing Pancham: A Beautiful Docu On The Life Of R.D. Burman! – Jamuura Blog". jamuura.com. 8 July 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
- ^ mobiusfilms (24 August 2016). "Through Our Eyes". wordpress.com. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
- ^ "TiE Spotlight : Riding on a Sunbeam – With Brahmanand Siingh at Bangalore – Events High". eventshigh.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
- ^ Ramnath, Nandini (7 February 2016). "Documentary on ghazal superstar Jagjit Singh lines up the tributes and the tears". scroll.in. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
- ^ a b https://visaff.ca/. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "Winners International Screen Awards". internationalscreenawards.com. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
- ^ "Schedule 2019". indiasistercity. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
- ^ "Closing Night - IIFFB 2019". India International Film Festival of Boston. Archived from the original on 23 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
- ^ a b "Platinum Award". iifilmawards.com. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
- ^ "JHALKI: Tale Of A Tireless Sparrow". Boston International Film Festival | BostoninterFF. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
- ^ India (12 November 2019). "REX Karmaveer Global Young Leaders Fellowship and Karmaveer Chakra Awards". India. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
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