Amit Khanna

Khanna has also won three National Film Awards as a producer and lyricist.

• Name — Amit Khanna • Born — 1 March 1951 • Birthplace — Delhi, India • Occupation — Film producer, lyricist, author, media executive • Years Active — 1971 - present • Known for — Founder trustee of the Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image • Notable Works — Gudia, Sardari Begum, Bhairavi • Father — Jawaharlal Khanna • Mother — Hem Khanna • Awards — 3 National Film Awards • Website — amitkhanna.in

He completed his higher education from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. He has been involved with media since his school days at St. Columba's School, Delhi and has worked in theatre, radio, television, journalism, and films. Khanna began his career as an executive producer with actor-producer Dev Anand’s Navketan Films in 1971 and subsequently produced films such as Man Pasand, Sheeshay Ka Ghar and Shesh. He has also written over 400 film and non-film songs and several film scripts. He began actively working in television as a producer-director in the eighties and set up Plus Channel in 1990 which was India’s first entertainment conglomerate and the largest independent producer of TV programmes. He left Plus as its Managing Director to launch Reliance Entertainment. His other achievements include editing the magazines Tempus and Take-2 and writing in various magazines and newspapers. He has served on the Central Board of Film Certification and the Film Import Selection Committee, as a vice president of the Film Producers Guild of India and has been on the committees of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation, Indian Music Industry and Film Federation of India. He helped found the Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image.

Amit Khanna is the only permanent member of the Council of Management of the Producers Guild of India (the two others were V. Shantaram and Raj Kapoor). He has participated as a keynote speaker for Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), NASSCOM, Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), and ECO, and served on over 50 international government committees and trade organizations and institutions. • Year — Title — Organisation — Notes — Ref • 1981 — EC member — Film Federation of India (FFI) — Apex body of the Indian film industry. • 1982 — Member — Radio & TV Advertising Practitioners Association • 1984 — Member — Indian Documentary Producers Association (IDPA) • 1985–2000 — Vice President — Association of Motion Picture & TV Program Producers — For 17 years. • 1988–1990 — Governing Council member — Film and Television Institute of India, Pune • 1988–1990 — Film Import Selection Committee member — Govt. of India • 1989–2000 — Managing Director & Group Editor — PLUS Channel — India’s first integrated media entertainment conglomerate. • 1990–1994 — Western Panel member — Central Board of Film Certification • 1990–1994 — Appraisal Committee member — Ministry of Environment & Forest, Govt. of India • 1992–1995 — Director — DSJ Communications • 1994–1996 — Governing Council member — Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Kolkata • 1997–2000 — Advisory group member — Ministry of I&B, Govt. of India • 1999 — Export Forum member — Ministry of I&B • 1999–2000 — Member — Indian Broadcasting Foundation • 1999–2003 — Advisory board director — Whistling Woods International film school, Mumbai • 1999–2003 — National EC member, Entertainment Committee — FICCI • 1999–2010 — US-India Business Alliance • 2000–2010 — Chairman, Convergence Committee — FICCI • 2000–2012 — Media committee member — US-India Business Council • 2000–2015 — Chairman — Reliance Entertainment • 2001 — Member — Indian Performing Rights Society • 2001–2004 — All India Film Producers Council • 2001–2015 — President — Earth Communications Office India Association — An environmental NGO. • 2002 — Member, Expert Group of GATS — Ministry of Commerce, Govt. of India • 2005 — Member, Prime Minister's Committee — Information, Communication & Entertainment (ICE) • 2005–2013 — EC member — National committee of Media & Entertainment, CII • 2005–2015 — Director — Reliance Big TV • 2005–2015 — Director — Reliance MediaWorks • Indo European Centre • Founder trustee — Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image • Service Council member — Forum d'Avignon, Paris • President — Producers Guild of India — For three terms.

Khanna started his film career as executive producer with Dev Anand's Navketan Films in 1971. In 1989 Khanna helped set up Plus Channel, a television programming house, and joined it as managing director and Group Editor. Under his tenure, the organization expanded its role to produce movies and music, and provide event management services. Several films created under the Plus Films banner went on to win National Film Awards. In 1996 Khanna won two awards as film producer at the 44th National Film Awards: Best Feature Film in Hindi for Gudia and Best Feature Film in Urdu for Sardari Begum. Plus Channel produced India's earliest audio books in both prose and verse. It also pioneered business news shows on Indian television. In 2000 Khanna resigned from Plus Channel to join Reliance Entertainment where he served as chairman for 15 years. Under his guidance, Reliance Entertainment became a major player in Hollywood. In May 2008 the company signed deals to produce and develop movies with prominent Hollywood actors such as Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Jim Carrey and Nicolas Cage. In September 2008 Reliance Entertainment formed a joint venture with Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks SKG named DreamWorks Studios via an equity investment of $325 million. In August 2009 Reliance Entertainment signed an $825 million production and distribution deal with DreamWorks Studios.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes — References • 1986 — Buniyaad — Executive producer • Chhapte Chhapte — Executive producer • Apne Aap — Executive producer • 1995 — A Mouthful of Sky — Producer — India's first English soap opera • Zameen Aasmaan — Producer • 1995–97 — Swabhimaan — Producer — Episodes #1.1 to 1.498 • 1996 — Badalte Rishte — Producer • Mumkin — Producer • 1997 — Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Yeh — Producer • Paltan — Producer • Kabhie Kabhie — Producer • Sab Golmaal Hai — Producer As a lyricist he has penned over 200 Hindi film songs, working mainly with music directors like Bappi Lahiri, Rajesh Roshan and Laxmikant–Pyarelal. He also composed lyrics for around 200 songs released in music albums by singers Nazia and Zoheb Hassan, Sharon Prabhakar, Salma Agha, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Mahendra Kapoor and Shafqat Ali Khan. In 1984 he directed three music videos for Nazia Hassan's music album Young Tarang. He was the lyricist for the opening theme song of ten Indian television series, including Buniyaad (1986), Dekh Bhai Dekh (1993) and Swabhimaan (1995).

• Year — Title — Role — Programme /episode — References • 1985 — Young Tarang — Director — TV show — Rock music • 1996 — Century of Cinema — Self — Docu — 'And the Show Goes On: Indian Chapter'