Jahnu Barua

Jahnu Barua Biography

Jahnu Barua is a multiple national and international award-winning film director from Assam. He has also directed a few Bollywood movies of which, Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara is a noted one. He has also directed Anjane Dost segment of Mumbai cutting. Har pal is his unreleased Hindi movie. He works as director, scriptwriter, producer and editor of Assamese movies. He is married to Gayathri, a filmmaker. For his contributions to Indian cinema, he has been awarded with Padma Shri in 2003 and Kamal Kumari National award for culture the following year.

He has won National award nine times, mostly in regional language categories. The movies winning best Assamese film at National awards include – Baandhon, Ride on the Rainbow, Aparoopa, And the River Flows and The Price of Freedom. In 1987, he won Best Film for Halodhia Choraye Baodhan Khai and in 1992, won Second Best Feature Film for Firingoti. In 1995, he received best director award for Xagoroloi Bohu Door and in 1990, won Best film on Environment for Bonani. His movies have also won many international awards.

Jahnu Barua was born in Bakata in a financially sound family. His parents are Debeswar Barua and Gunabati. His education was completed in Guwahati. Later he joined FTII Pune, where he took diploma in film direction. He has worked as assistant director before making his debut. As a director, his debut movie was Aparoopa released in 1982. Xagoroloi Bohu Door (1995) is still regarded as one of his major movies for which he won best feature film National award, Getz World Peace Prize at Chicago International Film festival, Best Director award at Brussels film festival, International Fipresci Award at Singapore international film festival and Audience award and Award of the Pestalozzi Children's Village Foundation at Fribourg International Film festival. Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara has also received many international awards like Kodak Vision Award at Fukuoka International Film festival and International Fipresci Award at Mumbai international film festival.

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Updated: January 31, 2014