Govind Nihalani

• Name — Govind Nihalani • Born — 19 December 1940 • Birthplace — Karachi, Sindh, British India (in present-day Pakistan) • Years Active — 1962–present

Nihalani was born on 19 December 1940 in Karachi, Sindh province (now in Pakistan) and his family migrated to India during the partition of 1947. He graduated in cinematography from the Shree Jaya Chamrajendra polytechnic (the present Government Film and Television Institute) in Bangalore in 1962.

He started his career as an assistant cinematographer to V. K. Murthy, post which he made his debut as a cinematographer. He was associated with all the earlier films of Shyam Benegal and with the cinematography of Richard Attenborough's Oscar-winning period biographical drama Gandhi (1982). In the film Gandhi, he served as an uncredited second unit director, playing a key role in shooting significant scenes such as the massive funeral procession of Gandhi. Nihalani and Benegal are well known for their socially relevant films. His first directorial venture was the legal drama Aakrosh, starring Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, Smita Patil and Amrish Puri in lead roles. The film was scripted by noted Marathi playwright Vijay Tendulkar. The film won the Golden Peacock for best film at the International Film Festival of India held in New Delhi in 1981. He then directed Ardh Satya, a 1983 film based on a story by S. D. Panwalkar. In 1996, his script for Drohkaal was adapted by Kamal Haasan for its Tamil remake, Kuruthipunal, which subsequently became India's official entry for the 68th Academy Awards Best Foreign Language Film category. In 1997, he adapted Bengali novelist Mahasweta Devi's acclaimed novel by the same name to Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa.

• Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema, by Govind Nihalani, Saibal Chatterjee, Gulzar. Popular Prakashan, 2003.

Film • Year — Title — Director — Cinematographer — Writer — Notes — Ref. Reference(s) • 1974 — Ankur • 1975 — Nishant • 1976 — Manthan • 1977 — Bhumika • 1978 — Kondura — Hindi-Telugu bilingual film • 1978 — Junoon • 1980 — Aakrosh • 1981 — Kalyug • 1982 — Vijeta • 1982 — Arohan • 1983 — Ardh Satya • 1983 — Godam • 1984 — Party — Based on the play by Mahesh Elkunchwar • 1985 — Aghaat • 1988 — Tamas — Based on the book by Bhisham Sahni • 1990 — Drishti • 1991 — Pita • 1991 — Rukmavati Ki Haveli • 1991 — Jazeere — Television film; Based on Henrik Isben' Play - Little Eyolf • 1994 — Drohkaal • 1996 — Sanshodhan • 1996 — Kuruthipunal — story — Tamil language remake of Drohkaal • 1998 — Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa — Also producer; Based on book by Mahasweta Devi • 1999 — Thakshak — Also producer • 2001 — Deham • 2004 — Dev — Also producer • 2017 — Ti Ani Itar — Marathi language film • 2019 — Up Up and Up — Direct-to-video