Sachin Kundalkar

He is recipient of two National Film Awards, as a director for Nirop and as a screenwriter for Gandha, the first Marathi film to win Best Screenplay award since the category's institution in 1967.

• Name — Sachin Kundalkar • Occupation — Film director, screenplay writer

Kundalkar, who had had an interest in film making since his school days, had approached director Ashutosh Gowarikar for assistance. But the director asked him to come back after finishing his education. While still a student, he assisted Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukhthankar in their first film together, Doghi (1995). The film was adjudged as the Best Film on Other Social Issues at the 43rd National Film Awards. He also assisted in other films including Zindagi Zindabad, Bhaais Barabar and Dahavi Fha. After completing his degree in commerce, Kundalkar later on enrolled at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). With a scholarship from the French Government, he then attended La Fémis, Paris, and made a short film, One Cafe Please. Kundalkar directed short films and worked in theatre before entering the mainstream cinema. His first short film, Out of the Box, was made while he was still a student at FTII. His 2005 documentary short film The Bath, starring Rajat Kapoor, is based on an explicit gay theme. The film won 2nd prize in the Short Fiction category presented by the Indian Documentary Producers' Association (IDPA) for "its sensitive depiction of issues of male sexuality" and was also screened at the 30th San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival. Kundalkar has also portrayed homosexual characters in his Marathi plays Chotyasha Suteet (literally meaning In the Short Break) and Poornaviram (literally meaning Fullstop). He went on to write Fridge Madhe Thevlela Prem and Chandralok Complex. All four plays were directed by Mohit Takalkar. These plays have also been staged in Hindi and English. Chotyasha Suteet has been staged as On Vacation for English audiences.

Films • Year — Film — Language — Notes • 2000 — Out of the Box — Marathi — Short film • 2004 — Shubra Kaahi — Marathi — Short film • 2005 — The Bath — Documentary film • 2006 — Restaurant — Marathi — Writer-Director • 2007 — Nirop — Marathi — Writer-Director • 2009 — Gandha — Marathi — Writer-Director • 2012 — Aiyyaa — Hindi — Writer-Director • 2014 — Happy Journey — Marathi — Writer-Director • 2015 — Rajwade and Sons — Marathi — Writer-Director • 2016 — Vazandar — Marathi — Writer-Director • 2017 — Gulabjaam — Marathi — Writer-Director • 2022 — Pondicherry — Marathi — Writer-Director • Cobalt Blue — Hindi — Writer-Director Plays • Title — Language — Role(s) • Dreams of Taleem — English — Writer • Chotyasha Suteet — Marathi — Writer • Poornaviram — Marathi — Writer • Fridge Madhe Thevlela Prem — Marathi — Writer • Chandralok Complex — Marathi — Writer