Sai Paranjpye
Encyclopedia
Sai Parānjpye is a movie director and a screenwriter in India
. She is the director of award-winning movies, Sparsh
, Katha, Chasme Buddoor, and Disha
.
The Government of India
awarded Sai, the Padma Bhushan
title in 2006 in recognition of her artistic talents.
, Uttar Pradesh
to Youra Sleptzoff and Shakuntala Paranjpye
. Youra Sleptzoff was a Russian watercolor artist and a son of a Russian general. Shakuntala Paranjpye was an actor in Marathi and Hindi films, in 1930s and 40s, including in V. Shantaram
's Hindi social classic, Duniya Na Mane
(1937), and later became a writer and a social worker, nominated to Rajya Sabha, Upper house of Indian Parliament and awarded the Padma Bhushan
in 1991.
Sai's parents divorced shortly after Sai's birth, and Sai's mother raised Sai in the household of her own father, Sir R. P. Paranjpye, who was a renowned mathematician and an educationist and who also served in 1944-47 as India's High Commissioner in Australia
. Sai thus grew up and received education various cities in India, including Pune
, and a few years in Canberra
, Australia
. As a child, she used to walk up to her uncle, Achyut Ranade, a noted filmmaker of the ’40s and ’50s, up Fergusson Hill in Pune, who would tell stories as if he were narrating a screenplay. Sai took to writing early in her life, and her first book of fairy tales, Mulānchā Mewā (in Marathi) was published when she was eight.
Sai graduated from the National School of Drama
(NSD), New Delhi
in 1963.
(AIR) in Pune
, Maharashtra
, India
as an announcer, and soon got involved with AIR's Children's Program.
Over the years, Sai has written and directed plays in Marathi
, Hindi
, and English
, both for adults and children. She has written and directed thus far six feature films, two children’s films, and five documentaries. She has also written many book for children, and six of her books have won national or state level awards.
Sai worked for many years as a director or a producer with Doordarshan
Television in Delhi
. Her first made-for-TV movie, The Little Tea Shop (1972), had won the Asian Broadcasting Union Award at Teheran, Iran
. Later that year, she was selected to produce the Inaugural Program of Bombay (Mumbai) Doordarshan
.
In the 1970s, Sai twice served as the Chairperson of Children's Film Society of India (CFSI), which is a Government of India organization with the objective of promoting and ensuring value-based entertainment for children. She made four children's films for CFSI, including the award-winning Jādoo Kā Shankh (1974) and Sikandar (1976).
Sai's first feature film, Sparsh
(The Touch), was released in 1980, and it won five film awards, including the National Film Award. Sparsh was followed by the comedies, Chashme Buddoor (1981) and Kathā (1982). Kathā was a musical satire based on the folk tale of a tortoise and a rabbit.
The 1979 film "Sparsh",released was delayed.
Sai next made TV serials, Ados Pados (1984), and Chhote Bade (1985).
Sai paranjpe worked as director,writer and narrator for Marathi drama,"Maza Khel mandu de". It was played on Saturday,27th September,1986 at Gadkari Rangayatan,Thane at 4.00pm.
Sai's subsequent movies include Angoothā Chhāp (1988) about National Literacy Mission; Disha
(1990) about the plight of immigrant workers; Papeeha (Forest Love Bird) (1993); Saaz
(1997) (inspired by the lives of Indian playback singing sisters, Lata Mangeshkar
and Asha Bhosle
); and Chakā Chak (2005), which was aimed at creating public awareness about environment issues.
She also made the serial Hum Panchi Ek Chawl Ke, Partyana, Behnaa. Sridhar Rangayan
assisted her in the film 'Papeeha' and in the serials 'Hum Panchi Ek Chawl Ke' and 'Partyana'
Sai directed several documentary movies, including those on Helping Hand (London), Talking Books, Capt. Laxmi, Warna Orchestra, and Pankaj Mullick. Sai's 1993 documentary, Choodiyan, on the anti-liquor agitation in a small Maharashtra village for the Films Division, received the National Film Award for Best Film on Social Issues
.
In 2001, Sai made a movie for children, Bhago Bhoot. At the first Indian International Women's Film Festival in Goa
in 2005, a review of Sai's movies was held, and it featured her best movies. She headed the jury in the feature film category of the 55th National Film Awards
for 2007.
In July 2009, Sai's documentary film Suee
was released, emerging from the South Asia Region Development Marketplace (SAR DM), an initiative spearheaded by the World Bank
. Suee explores a number of areas in the lives of injecting drug users including treatment, care, peer and community support, rehabilitation and the workplace, and was produced in partnership with Mumbai
based NGO Sankalp Rehabilitation Trust. The 29 minute film was aired on Doordarshan on World AIDS Day
, December 1, 2009.
(1980) and Katha
(1983). Their son Gautam Paranjpe is a professional cameraman, and their daughter Winnie Paranjpe Joglekar is now a home maker. Winnie acted in many of Sai's movies and TV serials in the 1980s. Winnie and her husband, Abhay, have two children: Abeer and Anshunee. Gautam starred as the male lead in Nana Patekar's directorial venture "Prahaar" with Madhuri Dixit playing the female lead.
Sai Paranjpye is a multi media personality. Sai Paranjpye made her own way,making "entertainment" that obliterate and indelible line between mainstream and parallel cinema.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. She is the director of award-winning movies, Sparsh
Sparsh (film)
Sparsh is a 1980 Bollywood feature film directed by Sai Paranjpye. It stars Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi playing the characters of a visually impaired principal and a "sighted" teacher in a School of the Blind, where both the characters fall in love with each other though soon their complexes...
, Katha, Chasme Buddoor, and Disha
Disha
Disha was a 1990 Hindi directed by Sai Paranjpye, based on the plight of immigrant workers in urban India, and starring Shabana Azmi, Nana Patekar, Om Puri in lead roles....
.
The Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
awarded Sai, the Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
title in 2006 in recognition of her artistic talents.
Early years
Sai Paranjpye was born on 19 March 1938 in LucknowLucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
to Youra Sleptzoff and Shakuntala Paranjpye
Shakuntala Paranjpye
Shakuntalā Parānjpye was an Indian writer and a prominent social worker. She was a member of Maharashtra Legislative Council during 1958–64, and was a nominated member of Indian Rajya Sabha during 1964–70...
. Youra Sleptzoff was a Russian watercolor artist and a son of a Russian general. Shakuntala Paranjpye was an actor in Marathi and Hindi films, in 1930s and 40s, including in V. Shantaram
V. Shantaram
V. Shantaram is a renowned Indian filmmaker, film producer and actor. He is most known for his films like Dr...
's Hindi social classic, Duniya Na Mane
Duniya Na Mane
Duniya Na Mane is a 1937 Hindi social classic directed by V. Shantaram, and based on the Marathi novel, "Na Patnari Goshta” by Narayan Hari Apte, who also wrote film’s screenplay...
(1937), and later became a writer and a social worker, nominated to Rajya Sabha, Upper house of Indian Parliament and awarded the Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
in 1991.
Sai's parents divorced shortly after Sai's birth, and Sai's mother raised Sai in the household of her own father, Sir R. P. Paranjpye, who was a renowned mathematician and an educationist and who also served in 1944-47 as India's High Commissioner in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Sai thus grew up and received education various cities in India, including Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
, and a few years in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. As a child, she used to walk up to her uncle, Achyut Ranade, a noted filmmaker of the ’40s and ’50s, up Fergusson Hill in Pune, who would tell stories as if he were narrating a screenplay. Sai took to writing early in her life, and her first book of fairy tales, Mulānchā Mewā (in Marathi) was published when she was eight.
Sai graduated from the National School of Drama
National School of Drama
National School of Drama is a theatre training institute situated at New Delhi, India, established . It is an autonomous organization under Ministry of Culture, Government of India. It was set up in 1959 by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, and became an independent school in 1975...
(NSD), New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
in 1963.
Career
Sai started her career in All India RadioAll India Radio
All India Radio , officially known since 1956 as Akashvani , is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati. Established in 1936, it is the sister service of Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster. All India Radio is one of the largest radio networks...
(AIR) in Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
, Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
as an announcer, and soon got involved with AIR's Children's Program.
Over the years, Sai has written and directed plays in Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
, Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, both for adults and children. She has written and directed thus far six feature films, two children’s films, and five documentaries. She has also written many book for children, and six of her books have won national or state level awards.
Sai worked for many years as a director or a producer with Doordarshan
DoorDarshan
Doordarshan is an Indian public service broadcaster, a division of Prasar Bharati. It is one of the largest broadcasting organizations in India in terms of the infrastructure of studios and transmitters. Recently, it has also started Digital Terrestrial Transmitters. On September 15, 2009,...
Television in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
. Her first made-for-TV movie, The Little Tea Shop (1972), had won the Asian Broadcasting Union Award at Teheran, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. Later that year, she was selected to produce the Inaugural Program of Bombay (Mumbai) Doordarshan
DoorDarshan
Doordarshan is an Indian public service broadcaster, a division of Prasar Bharati. It is one of the largest broadcasting organizations in India in terms of the infrastructure of studios and transmitters. Recently, it has also started Digital Terrestrial Transmitters. On September 15, 2009,...
.
In the 1970s, Sai twice served as the Chairperson of Children's Film Society of India (CFSI), which is a Government of India organization with the objective of promoting and ensuring value-based entertainment for children. She made four children's films for CFSI, including the award-winning Jādoo Kā Shankh (1974) and Sikandar (1976).
Sai's first feature film, Sparsh
Sparsh (film)
Sparsh is a 1980 Bollywood feature film directed by Sai Paranjpye. It stars Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi playing the characters of a visually impaired principal and a "sighted" teacher in a School of the Blind, where both the characters fall in love with each other though soon their complexes...
(The Touch), was released in 1980, and it won five film awards, including the National Film Award. Sparsh was followed by the comedies, Chashme Buddoor (1981) and Kathā (1982). Kathā was a musical satire based on the folk tale of a tortoise and a rabbit.
The 1979 film "Sparsh",released was delayed.
Sai next made TV serials, Ados Pados (1984), and Chhote Bade (1985).
Sai paranjpe worked as director,writer and narrator for Marathi drama,"Maza Khel mandu de". It was played on Saturday,27th September,1986 at Gadkari Rangayatan,Thane at 4.00pm.
Sai's subsequent movies include Angoothā Chhāp (1988) about National Literacy Mission; Disha
Disha
Disha was a 1990 Hindi directed by Sai Paranjpye, based on the plight of immigrant workers in urban India, and starring Shabana Azmi, Nana Patekar, Om Puri in lead roles....
(1990) about the plight of immigrant workers; Papeeha (Forest Love Bird) (1993); Saaz
Saaz (film)
Saaz is a Hindi movie produced and directed by Sai Paranjpye and released in 1998, starring Aruna Irani and Shabana Azmi in lead roles. The plot is allegedly based on the life of legendary singing sisters of Bollywood, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle . In an interview after the release of the film...
(1997) (inspired by the lives of Indian playback singing sisters, Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar is a singer from India. She is one of the best-known and most respected playback singers in India. Mangeshkar's career started in 1942 and has spanned over six and a half decades. She has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over thirty-six regional...
and Asha Bhosle
Asha Bhosle
Asha Bhosle is an Indian singer. She is one of the best-known and most highly-regarded Hindi playback singers in India, although she has a wider repertoire. Bhosle's career started in 1943 and has spanned over six decades. She has done playback singing for over a thousand Bollywood movies...
); and Chakā Chak (2005), which was aimed at creating public awareness about environment issues.
She also made the serial Hum Panchi Ek Chawl Ke, Partyana, Behnaa. Sridhar Rangayan
Sridhar Rangayan
Sridhar Rangayan ) is an Indian filmmaker who has made films with special focus on queer subjects. His queer films, The Pink Mirror and Yours Emotionally, have been considered groundbreaking because of their realistic and sympathetic portrayal of the largely closeted Indian gay community...
assisted her in the film 'Papeeha' and in the serials 'Hum Panchi Ek Chawl Ke' and 'Partyana'
Sai directed several documentary movies, including those on Helping Hand (London), Talking Books, Capt. Laxmi, Warna Orchestra, and Pankaj Mullick. Sai's 1993 documentary, Choodiyan, on the anti-liquor agitation in a small Maharashtra village for the Films Division, received the National Film Award for Best Film on Social Issues
National Film Award for Best Film on Social Issues
The National Film Award - Best Film On Social Issues is given by the Non-Feature film jury of the National Film Awards annually, to films covering issues including prohibition, women and child welfare, dowry, drug abuse, and welfare of the handicapped.The National Film Award - Best Film On...
.
In 2001, Sai made a movie for children, Bhago Bhoot. At the first Indian International Women's Film Festival in Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
in 2005, a review of Sai's movies was held, and it featured her best movies. She headed the jury in the feature film category of the 55th National Film Awards
National Film Awards
The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it is administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorate of Film Festivals since 1973.Every year, a national panel...
for 2007.
In July 2009, Sai's documentary film Suee
Suee
Suee , a film directed by Sai Paranjpye, explores a number of areas in the lives of injecting drug users including treatment, care, peer and community support, rehabilitation and the workplace...
was released, emerging from the South Asia Region Development Marketplace (SAR DM), an initiative spearheaded by the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
. Suee explores a number of areas in the lives of injecting drug users including treatment, care, peer and community support, rehabilitation and the workplace, and was produced in partnership with Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
based NGO Sankalp Rehabilitation Trust. The 29 minute film was aired on Doordarshan on World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day, observed December 1 every year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. Government and health officials observe the day, often with speeches or forums on the AIDS topics. Since 1995, the President of the United States has made an...
, December 1, 2009.
Personal life
Sai was married to theater artist Arun Joglekar, and the two had a son, Gautam, and a daughter, Winnie. Sai and Arun separated after two years, but they remained friends until Arun's death in 1992. After their separation, Arun acted in Sai's SparshSparsh (film)
Sparsh is a 1980 Bollywood feature film directed by Sai Paranjpye. It stars Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi playing the characters of a visually impaired principal and a "sighted" teacher in a School of the Blind, where both the characters fall in love with each other though soon their complexes...
(1980) and Katha
Katha (film)
Katha is a 1983 Hindi film by Sai Paranjpye featuring Naseeruddin Shah, Farooq Shaikh and Deepti Naval in the main roles. The film is about the daily lives of people living in a Bombay chawl....
(1983). Their son Gautam Paranjpe is a professional cameraman, and their daughter Winnie Paranjpe Joglekar is now a home maker. Winnie acted in many of Sai's movies and TV serials in the 1980s. Winnie and her husband, Abhay, have two children: Abeer and Anshunee. Gautam starred as the male lead in Nana Patekar's directorial venture "Prahaar" with Madhuri Dixit playing the female lead.
Sai Paranjpye is a multi media personality. Sai Paranjpye made her own way,making "entertainment" that obliterate and indelible line between mainstream and parallel cinema.
Awards
- 1980: National Film Award for Best ScreenplayNational Film Award for Best ScreenplayThe National Film Award for Best Screenplay winners:-References:...
: SparshSparsh (film)Sparsh is a 1980 Bollywood feature film directed by Sai Paranjpye. It stars Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi playing the characters of a visually impaired principal and a "sighted" teacher in a School of the Blind, where both the characters fall in love with each other though soon their complexes... - 1985: Filmfare Best Director AwardFilmfare Best Director AwardThe Filmfare Best Director Award is one of the main awards presented given by the annual Filmfare Awards to recognise directors working in the Hindi film Industry. It was first presented in 1954 in the inaugural year.-Superlatives:...
: SparshSparsh (film)Sparsh is a 1980 Bollywood feature film directed by Sai Paranjpye. It stars Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi playing the characters of a visually impaired principal and a "sighted" teacher in a School of the Blind, where both the characters fall in love with each other though soon their complexes... - 1985: Filmfare Best Dialogue AwardFilmfare Best Dialogue AwardThe Filmfare Best Dialogue Award is given by the Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films. Here is a list of the award winners since 1958 and the films for which they won.-Superlatives:Most AwardsGulzar - 4...
: SparshSparsh (film)Sparsh is a 1980 Bollywood feature film directed by Sai Paranjpye. It stars Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi playing the characters of a visually impaired principal and a "sighted" teacher in a School of the Blind, where both the characters fall in love with each other though soon their complexes...
. - 1993: National Film Award for Best Film on Social IssuesNational Film Award for Best Film on Social IssuesThe National Film Award - Best Film On Social Issues is given by the Non-Feature film jury of the National Film Awards annually, to films covering issues including prohibition, women and child welfare, dowry, drug abuse, and welfare of the handicapped.The National Film Award - Best Film On...
: Choodiyan
Filmography
- The Little Tea Shop (TV-1972)
- Jadu Ka ShankhJadu Ka ShankhJadu Ka Shankh is a 1974 Bollywood drama film directed by Sai Paranjpye.-Cast:*Nandita Aras*Sulabha Deshpande*Girish Karnad*Kulbhushan Kharbanda*Rahul Ranade...
(1974) - Begaar (1975)
- Sikander (1976)
- Dabcherry Milk Project (1976)
- Captain Laxmi (1977)
- Freedom From Fear (1978)
- SparshSparsh (film)Sparsh is a 1980 Bollywood feature film directed by Sai Paranjpye. It stars Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi playing the characters of a visually impaired principal and a "sighted" teacher in a School of the Blind, where both the characters fall in love with each other though soon their complexes...
(1980) - Chasme Buddoor (1981)
- Books That Talk (1981)
- KathaKatha (film)Katha is a 1983 Hindi film by Sai Paranjpye featuring Naseeruddin Shah, Farooq Shaikh and Deepti Naval in the main roles. The film is about the daily lives of people living in a Bombay chawl....
(1983) - Ados Pados (TV-1984)
- Chote Bade (TV-1985)
- Angootha Chhaap (1988)
- DishaDishaDisha was a 1990 Hindi directed by Sai Paranjpye, based on the plight of immigrant workers in urban India, and starring Shabana Azmi, Nana Patekar, Om Puri in lead roles....
(1990) - Papeeha (1993)
- Chooriyan (1993)
- SaazSaaz (film)Saaz is a Hindi movie produced and directed by Sai Paranjpye and released in 1998, starring Aruna Irani and Shabana Azmi in lead roles. The plot is allegedly based on the life of legendary singing sisters of Bollywood, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle . In an interview after the release of the film...
(1997) - Bhago Bhoot (2000)
- Chaka Chak (2005)
- Suee (2009)
Further reading
- Profiles in Creativity; Upadhyay, Madhusoodhan Narasimhacharya, Namaste Exports Ltd., 1991 Part II, 53. ISBN 8190034901.