Sai Paranjpye

Sai Paranjpye Biography

Sai Paranjpye is a well known film director and screenwriter of Indian cinema. She is the director of award-winning movies Sparsh, Katha, Chasme Buddoor and Disha. Her Marathi playwrights - Jaswandi, Sakkhe Shejari, Albel are immensely popular. In 2006, she received Padma Bhushan for her contributions to Indian cinema. In 1980, she received National Film Award for Best Screenplay for the movie – Sparsh. In 1993, her movie, Chhodiyan received National Film Award for Best Film on Social Issues. She has also received two Filmfare awards. In 1985, she received Filmfare Best Director Award and best dialogue writer award for the movie, Sparsh. In 1982, she received best director nomination at Filmfare for Chashme Baddoor.

Sai Paranjpye was born on 19 March 1938 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh to Russian Youra Sleptzoff and Shakuntala Paranjpye, an actor in Marathi and Hindi films. Sai's parents divorced shortly after her birth and she was raised by her mother. She completed her schooling and degree and later graduated from the National School of Drama, New Delhi in 1963. She started her career in All India Radio in Pune as an announcer. Later she became involved in Children’s programs of AIR. She has also written a few books for kids that won many awards. As a writer/director, she has also written and directed 6 screenplays, 2 Children films and 5 documentaries.

She has worked as a director or a producer with Doordarshan Television in Delhi. Her first television movie, The Little Tea Shop (1972), won the Asian Broadcasting Union Award at Teheran. She was the producer of inaugural program of Bombay Doordarshan. Sai has twice served as the Chairperson of Children's Film Society of India and during this time, she made a few children movies as well. Her debut feature film was ‘Sparsh’ winning several National and Filmfare awards, marking her successful entry to film making. She was married to theater artist Arun Joglekar, but got divorced. Till his death, they remained friends.

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Updated: January 16, 2014