Piyush Jha

Piyush Jha
Piyush Jha at a Bus Stop
Born Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India
Residence Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Nationality Indian
Occupation Film Director, Screenwriter, Novelist
Years active 1999–present
Spouse(s) Priyanka Sinha Jha
Website www.thepiyushjha.com

Piyush Jha is a film director, screenwriter and novelist from India.

Early life

Piyush Jha grew up in Mumbai, Maharashtra from the age of 8. He did all his schooling in Mumbai graduating with a bachelor's degree in Psychology at the University of Mumbai and following it up with an MBA from K. J. Somaiya Institute of Management Studies and Research.

Career

Advertising

Jha began his career in advertising as an Account Executive at Grey Global Group- India. He later went on to work in DDB Mudra in strategic account management with clients such as Procter & Gamble, Godrej Group, etc. At this point, he started getting interested in the creative aspect of advertising and began with directing in-house ad films for client companies and soon moved to directing corporate films as well.

In 1998, he took this interest on further to start his own ad film production company, where he made ads for Indian Oil, Hindustan Lever, and UB Group among many others.

Feature films

In 2000, the Government of India's NFDC produced his first feature film, Chalo America, about a three Indian college boys obsessed with the American dream, and how they concoct various schemes to find a way to the US.[1] It was a selection at the Indian Panorama Section at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), and was shown at international film festivals such as those in Shanghai, Cairo, San Diego, Dhaka, and Atlanta.

After continuing to make Ad films, Piyush Jha returned to the big screen in 2004, with the first Indian film in the "Mockumentary" genre, King of Bollywood, starring Om Puri and British supermodel Sophie Dahl. It tells the story of an ageing Bollywood movie star.[2][3]

In 2009, after his extensive travels around India and the world, Piyush Jha decided to pick up on another serious issue; terrorism in Kashmir. Sikandar is a story about a young boy who finds a gun on his way to school, and how that affects his life, and the life of the little village he lives in.

Sikandar was selected in the International Film Festivals, Dubai, IFFLA in LA, Edmonton in Canada, MIACC in New York, and Stuttgart in Germany, among others. Sikandar was highly acclaimed by critics, including those of the mainstream popular media (for example, Nikhat Kazmi, renowned film critic of the Times of India, India's largest selling English daily, gave it a 3.5 star rating)[4]

Personal life

Piyush Jha is married to Priyanka Sinha Jha, who is the editor of the film magazine Screen.

Writing

Piyush Jha has written crime and thriller novels.[5][6]

Filmography

Writer and director

Bibliography

Novelist

  • Mumbaistan (2012)
  • Compass Box Killer: An Inspector Vikrar Crime Thriller (2013)
  • Anti-Social Network: An Inspector Vikrar Crime Thriller (2014)
  • Raakshas : India's No. 1 Serial Killer (2016)

Short story writer

  • The Great Indian Bowel Movement (2017)

Festival official selections

  • Chalo America: Indian Panorama Section at the International Film Festival of India, 1999; The International film festivals of Shanghai, Cairo, San Diego, Dhaka, Atlanta, amongst others.
  • King of Bollywood: International Film Festivals in Bradford, UK (Bite the Mango Festival); Tel Aviv, Israel; New York City; Toronto, Canada; Melbourne, Australia etc.
  • Sikandar: International Film Festivals, Dubai, IFFLA in LA, Edmonton in Canada, MIACC in New York, and Stuttgart in Germany, among others.

Award nominations

  • Sikandar was nominated for the Ramnath Goenka Award for 'Movies That Make a Difference' at the 2010 Star Screen Awards.
  • Parzaan Dastur was nominated for Best Child Artiste for his eponymous role in 'Sikandar' at the 2010 Star Screen Awards.
  • Parzaan Dastur was nominated for BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE – MALE at The Max Stardust Awards 2010.
  • Mumbaistan was Long Listed for the Tata Lit Live Best First Book Award-2012:

References

  1. ↑ "Home Videos". nfdcindia.com. National Film Development Corporation of India. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  2. ↑ "Om shakti". Tribune India. The Tribune. 12 September 2004. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  3. ↑ "Dig at Bollywood". The Hindu. The Hindu. 27 September 2004. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  4. ↑ Moview Review: Sikandar by Nikhat Kazmi, Times of India, 20 August 2009.
  5. ↑ "Vidya Balan launches Piyush Jha's book 'Rakshas India's No 1 Serial Killer'". Bollywoodlife.com. India Webportal Private Limited. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  6. ↑ "Book Review: Raakshas by Piyush Jha". tell-a-tale.com. Tell-A-Tale. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
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