Neeraj Ghaywan

Neeraj Ghaywan Biography

Neeraj Ghaywan is an award winning screenwriter and film director who shot to fame with his debut Bollywood film – Masaan (Fly Away Solo). Set in the present-day Banaras on the river banks of Gangas, the powerful screenplay successfully weaved two independent tragic love stories to unite at a point in the climax. The movie was screened at various film festivals and the most prestigious Cannes Film Festival winning two awards. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section and won the FIPRESCI Prize in the Un Certain Regard section and a 'Promising Future' prize of debut films. The film won Golden Frame Award for Best Feature Film at All Lights India International Film Festival Kochi. Neeraj worked as an assistant director to Anurag Kashyap for the movies - Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) and Ugly (2013).

Neeraj Ghaywan was born and brought up in Rajendra Nagar, Hyderabad. His family originally is a Maharashtrian.  He completed graduation in Electrical Engineering in 2002 and took MBA from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune. After MBA he had a short stint with corporate sector. But his passion to films prompted him to quit the profession and took a job as critic for the film magazine - Passionforcinema.com. It was director Anurag Kashyap who prompted him to join film line.

 When he typed his resignation letter, his parents had already found a girl for him. Yet he insisted on pursuing a career in Bollywood. As an independent director, he made his first short film, Independence that was shortlisted for the In Competition section of PFCOne in 2010. Very soon he joined Anurag’s crew as an assistant director, who was his real mentor and inspiration. Epiphany in 2013 was his second short film.

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Updated: January 18, 2016