about
Nirad Mohapatra
Nirad N. Mohapatra (12 November 1947 – 19 February 2015) was an Indian film director. Nirad N Mohapatra was born in Odisha, an Eastern state of India. He was the eldest of 7 siblings. His father was a freedom fighter (in pre-independence India), journalist and later entered active politics. His mother was a teacher in school. The foundation to Nirad’s value system was laid with this background.
Nirad was also exposed to rural and urban life while growing up. All this made him very aware of the realities of middle class life. He was good in his studies with a keen interest in history and literature. His interest in cinema was kindled from his childhood days and further strengthened by the cinema theater very near his house in Bhadrak, Odisha. He was a good observer of human nature and relationship and strived to understand the same. In years to come, his film and body of work would reflect the same sensitivity.
Nirad continued his studies and completed B.A (Hons) with distinction (1967). He enrolled for postgraduate studies in Political Science (Utkal University), but discontinued it to pursue his love for cinema. Joined Film and Television Institute of India, Pune (FTII) Direction Course, 1968. He was admired for a keen understanding of the theory of cinema. In 1971, he passed out with a first class diploma in film direction. In 1972-1974 joined faculty of film direction FTII as a lecturer. Many noted and acclaimed directors of India namely Girish Kasaravalli, Jahnu Barua, Saeed Mirza, Ketan Mehta, Manmohan Mahapatra, Vidhu Vinod Chopra etc. were students during those times.
From 1974-1983 he founded and successfully ran a film society at Bhubaneswar, Odisha called Cinexstasy. This was with the aim of popularizing good cinema and creating an opportunity for the members to see classics of world cinema with analysis by professionals. This was hugely popular and garnered lot of response from people interested in seeing good cinema from all around the world. Nirad was pivotal in many people from Odisha being inspired to take up a career in cinema and who went on to join FTII, Pune.
During this time he edited the film section of a film cum literature journal Mana Phasal, continued to teach at FTII as a guest lecturer, contributed to several national journals as a freelancer, made a number of documentary films and conducted film appreciation course at Utkal University. It was a coincidence that his future wife was a participant in one of this film appreciation course and the film society ‘Cinexstasy’, and before you jump into conclusion, his was an arranged marriage to Sabita Mohanty in 1978. That she too loved cinema was another good thing.
In 1984, Nirad made Maya Miriga– his first feature film. The film was made with a shoestring budget. It was also made with an ensemble of primarily amateur actors. The film was shot completely in Puri, a beachside town in Odisha. The film dealt with the ever potent issue of those times (it’s still relevant today) – the joint family, aspirations of its members and its breaking up. This directorial debut went on to bag a lot of honor and accolade. It was adjudged as the second best national film in 1984, Indian panorama. It was adjudged the Best Third World Film at Mannheim-Hiedelberg International Film Festival (then West Germany). It got the Special jury award at the Hawaii International Film Festival, U.S.. It was selected for the ‘Critics Week’ of Cannes (France), Regus London Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival, Los Angeles and other international film festivals. In 1985 he was invited to visit four US universities to lecture on films.
After that he primarily concentrated on documentaries (see filmography). He has been a member of national film jury and member selection panel for Indian Panorama several times. He has been a jury member for 5th International Children’s film festival, Bhubaneswar. Has been a member of governing council, Film and TV Institute, Pune. He has been a member, NFDC script committee for Odisha. He was twice member of the Academic Council, Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Kolkata. He was the chairman, academic council, Biju Patnaik Film and Television Institute, Cuttack, Odisha and member, governing council, SIET, Bhubaneswar.