In 1980, Nihalani directed his first film, Aakrosh. Written by Vijay Tendulkar, the film brought the angst arising out of injustice and a faulty judicial system with an intensity that had never been seen before. Nihalani introduced Om Puri in the film, who, along with Naseeruddin Shah, gave a stellar performance.
Aakrosh won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi along with several Filmfare awards. There was no looking back for Nihalani after that. He made one compelling film after another such as Vijeta (1982), Ardh Satya (1983), Party (1984), Tamas (1987), Drohkaal (1994) and Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa (1997). These films were part of the parallel cinema movement that emerged in opposition to formulaic mainstream cinema. “They wanted stars and chocolate heroes, we didn’t,” Nihalani said. “They wanted songs and dance, we didn’t.”
Tamas, which also happens to be his longest film (four hours and 58 minutes), was telecast on Doordarshan in six episodes in 1987. “Having witnessed the Partition, I was keen to make a film on this colossal human tragedy for a long time,” Nihalani recalled. “ I had read a few books on Partition but it was only after discovering Bhisham Sahni’s Tamas that I realised that I had found my film. After taking the film rights from Bhishamji, I requested him to help me in the screenplay. He wrote several additional scenes. In fact, his contribution as an author and screenwriter of Tamas was much more than my contribution as a director. I had thought that Tamas was a work of pure imagination, but when I learnt that it was a based on true incidents that Bhishamji himself witnessed during the Partition, it gave me enormous conviction as a director.”
Nihalani finds it very encouraging that more books are adapted to the screen these days. It was waiting to happen, he said. “I got my ideas from literature, and they made my films more enriching and fulfilling,” he pointed out. “Both cinema and literature support each other. Now writers are getting recognition and money for their hard work.”
Nihalani hasn’t made many films in the last few years. His last Hindi film, Dev, was released in 2004, while his Marathi film, Ti Ani Itar, came in 2017. Nihalani is now looking forward to an early release of his first 3-D animation film. “It’s about the adventures of a baby camel,” Nihalani said. “I have a couple of scripts ready, the negotiations are on but there’s nothing definite as yet.”
Nihalani’s emphasis on his work is so complete that it’s only towards the end of the interview that I realise that he has only spoken about his films. I have no knowledge about his personal life and his family.
Nihalani didn’t marry. Was the workaholic director so tied up with filmmaking that he didn’t consider marrying? “I have been involved with my work,” Nihalani said. “But I have not been uninvolved with life. It’s just that some things are not destined to happen. I have lived a fulfilling life and have no regrets.”
When I asked him for his advice for aspiring filmmakers, he hesitated for the first time: “I don’t wish to sound preachy. All I can say is that there’s a way for everybody.”
Govind Nihalani – The combination of two words, cinema and photography, fascinated me as a teen. I decided to study cinematography; made my life.
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The combination of two words, cinema and photography, fascinated me as a teen. I decided to study cinematography. It made my life. – Govind Nihalani.
His journey from his first job as an intern in cinematography to his first film as director was nearly twenty years.
FILMOGRAPHY AS DIRECTOR:
Aakrosh (1980),
Vijeta (1982),
Ardh Satya (1983),
Party (1984), Aghaat (1985),
Tamas (1987),
Drishti (1990),
Jazeere (1991),
Pita (1991),
Rukmavati Ki Haveli (1991),
Drohkaal (1994),
Sanshodhan (1996),
Hazar Chaurasi Ki Maa (1997),
Thakshak (1999),
Deham (2001),
Dev (2004)
Kamlu (in post production, an animation film)
SNEAK PEEK
Born in Karachi (now in Pakistan); migrated to Udaipur, Rajasthan in 1947, after Partition; graduated in film-making with a diploma in motion picture technique, from Shri Jayachamarajendra Polytechnic (SJP), Bengaluru in 1962, with specialization in cinematography; commenced his career as an intern to legendary cinematographer V.K. Murthy on the film Ziddi in 1962. Continued as an assistant to V.K. Murthy over the next ten years; cinematographed and co-produced his first film Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe! (1971), directed by Pandit Satyadev Dubey; directed his first feature film, Aakrosh (1980); cinematographed fourteen feature films before his first break as film director.
(Photos: Govindji sign’s my copy.)
Film directors tell stories; they narrate them through their films. In this anthology, 12 film directors tell us about their journey from their childhood to their first film, and how they make films: Ashutosh Gowariker, Zoya Akhtar, Farah Khan, Imtiaz Ali, Vishal Bhardwaj, Anurag Basu, Mahesh Bhatt, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Prakash Jha, Subhash Ghai, Santosh Sivan, Govind Nihalani.
Blogger-Akash Shinde😍 (Assistant Director)
Student of journalism and mass communication.
Migrant Worker 