Pankaj Advani (director)

Pankaj Advani (director) Biography

Pankaj Advani was a multi-facet personality better known as a film and theater director, editor, screenwriter most known for black comedy works. He was also a painter and photographer. As a screenwriter he is better known for the comic scripts are Sankat City and Kabhi haa kabhi naa. His shot film – ‘Sunday’ won the National Film Award for the Best Short Fiction Film in 1994 at National Film Festival. ‘Sankat City’ marked his Bollywood debut as a director in 2010 which gave him nominations for Most Promising Debut Director at Filmfare awards as well as Star Screen Awards. It also received best screenplay award at Star Screen Awards. However, after making a promising debut in Bollywood, he died the following year, aged only 45. Sankat City is his only film commercially released in theatres. He died of a sudden cardiac arrest in Mumbai.

He was born in Lucknow and brought up in Veraval, Gujarat. He was attracted towards cinema during his childhood and started directing and acting in school plays. After obtaining graduation in painting, he specialized in photography. He also participated in Habib Tanvir's workshop while at Baroda. He also obtained a diploma in editing from FTII, Pune. Then he returned to Baroda and made his first theatric production, a black comedy titled Kataria Gul Hui Gawa. Next he directed a short film titled Highway which was shown at many film festivals.

As a film screenwriter, his first work was Kabhi ha kabhi na, which he co-scripted with its director Kundan Shah. He also scripted a film titled Lovaria, which was never released. ‘Sunday’ – a children’s movie was his major break to film direction. However he continued with short films like Shadow Boxer, Urf Professor, Cape Karma etc. Sankat City is his only movie released in theater in feature film category.

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Updated: March 27, 2014