N. Chandra

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N. Chandra
Born
Chandrashekhar Narvekar

(1952-04-04) 4 April 1952 (age 73)
Occupation(s)Film director, producer, screenwriter, editor
Notable work

Chandrashekhar Narvekar (born 4 April 1952) is an Indian director, producer and writer, known for gritty realism, in his early dark and loud films. His most successful commercial films are Ankush, Pratighaat, Tezaab and Narsimha.[1][2]

Chandra also made moderately successful but critically scorned Style and its sequel Xcuse Me.[3]

Early life

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He was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Chandra grew up in a middle-class neighbourhood in Worli Naka.[4]

Career

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Breakthrough

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After his schooling, he started his career as a film editor at Film Centre in Tardeo, Mumbai, where his father worked. He received his first break in the film industry, when in 1971, as a clapper boy in Gulzar's Parichay (1972). Gradually moving up as film editor and assistant director.[4] He worked as associate director and editor in Anil Kapoor starrer Woh 7 Din (1983).[5]

1986–1991: Success

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Eventually, with Ankush, his directorial debut, in 1986, Chandra began his projection of the angry young man.[6] Influenced by Gulzar's Mere Apne, he wrote, directed, produced and edited the film about four frustrated unemployed men who roam the streets of Bombay, which also starred Nana Patekar. Made at a budget of Rs 12 lakh, the film and grossed Rs 95 lakh to become surprise hit of 1986, the year when many blockbusters failed.[4][7]

The following year he remade Telugu film, Pratighatana (1986) in Hindi as Pratighaat (1987), starring Sujata Mehta and Nana Patekar, a film on the gruesome reality of politics in India. It also brought the strong mental make-up of the Indian woman to the thoughts of the Indian youth.[6]

In 1988, he made Tezaab, the film that effectively launched Madhuri Dixit's career.[8] It was the beginning of the Bollywood diva's long and relatively successful pairing with Anil Kapoor, and her mastery of dancing through the song Ek Do Teen.[8] With Tezaab, N Chandra scored a box office hat-trick at his previous hits, Ankush (1986) and Pratighaat (1987).[4]

In 1991, his successful streak continued with Narsimha, his fourth consecutive hit. He wrote, produced and directed the film, which starred Sunny Deol, Dimple Kapadia and Urmila Matondkar.[2]

1992–2009: Downturn

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Unfortunately, his subsequent directed films could not replicate the success of his earlier four directed films. He directed 10 films during 1992 - 2009 and none of them was successful.

Filmography

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As a director:

Year Film Director Producer Editor Writer Lead cast
1986 Ankush Yes Yes Yes Yes Madan Jain, Arjun Chakraborty, Nana Patekar, Nisha Singh, Suhas Palshikar
1987 Pratighaat Yes Yes Yes Sujata Mehta, Charan Raj
1988 Tezaab Yes Yes Yes Yes Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, Chunky Pandey, Anupam Kher
1991 Narsimha Yes Yes Yes Yes Sunny Deol, Dimple Kapadia, Urmila Matondkar, Om Puri
1992 Humlaa Yes Yes Dharmendra, Anil Kapoor, Meenakshi Seshadri, Kimi Katkar
1993 Yugandhar Yes Yes
1994 Tejaswini Yes
1996 Beqabu Yes Yes Yes
1998 Wajood Yes Yes Yes Madhuri Dixit, Nana Patekar, Mukul Dev
2000 Shikari Yes Govinda, Tabu, Karisma Kapoor
2001 Style Yes Yes Yes
2003 Xcuse Me Yes Yes
Kagaar: Life on the Edge Yes Om Puri, Nandita Das
2009 Y.M.I : Yeh Mera India Yes Yes Yes


As an editor only:

Year Film
1983 Woh Saat Din
1984 Dharm Aur Qanoon
1985 Mohabbat
1986 Mera Dharam

References

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  1. ^ Style Ziya us Salam for The Hindu, 2002-01-04., Retrieved on 2007-08-10
  2. ^ a b "Narsimha 1991 Movie Box Office Collection, Budget and Unknown facts". KS Box Office. 19 March 2021.
  3. ^ Style Ziya us Salam for The Hindu, 2002-01-04. Retrieved on 2007-08-10
  4. ^ a b c d Madhu Jain (28 February 1989). "Mean street Moghul: Hit director N. Chandra brings realism to films". India Today. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  5. ^ Avijit Ghosh (1 September 2014). "Director Bapu helped shape careers of Mithun, Anil Kapoor". The Times of India. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  6. ^ a b The highs and lows - a recollection Bhawana Somaaya for The Hindu, 2000-11-24. Retrieved on 2007-08-10
  7. ^ "I sold my house for 'Ankush': N Chandra". The Times of India. 16 October 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  8. ^ a b Bollywood’s evergreen diva Shubhra Gupta for The Hindu Business Line, 2007-06-29. Retrieved on 2007-08-10
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