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With over 16 National and International awards to her credit and a body of work almost as captivating as her, Anu Malhotra is one of India’s top Producer-Directors. But for Anu film making is not just a profession, it is a passion - a passion with a cause. and the cause is to create meaningful and uplifting television content. Over the past decades, Anu has transformed the lives and minds of people across India, and the world, through her thought-provoking and visually delightful documentaries, trend setting television programming and revolutionary awareness campaigns, all of which is a tribute to India and her infinite diversity. There are three distinguishing features that set Anu apart from the rest of the filmmaking fraternity. The first is her ability to conceptualize original formats for communicating her ideas; the second is her knack of gaining unique access to people and places most others cannot even conceive of; and finally, she skillfully uses those original formats and unique access to create path-breaking works with never-before seen footage! In 1994, Anu set up AIM Television as a boutique production house and went on to create over 600 hours of quality non-fiction television programming, for premiere Indian satellite channels like Zee TV, Sony, BBC amongst others, and a range of infotainment series for reputed international channels like Discovery, Travel Channel U.K., France 5, Al Jazeera et al. Anu’s work always gets rave reviews from audiences and press alike with its “innovative techniques” and “impeccable content and production value”. She has achieved this by adopting a fully hands-on approach to her projects- directing on location, visualizing cinematography, scripting and directing the post–production personally! Anu’s motto “the journey is the destination” and as such, Anu Malhotra’s films with their journey-like-process have become, without a doubt, cinematic destinations in themselves and a tribute to India‘s infinite diversity. www.anumalhotra.com www.aimtelevision.com www.aimtvproductions.com == Documentary (2000 onwards) == Anu’s first love has always been documentary films. Her docu-work is especially pertinent to contemporary audiences because she has the foresight that only great artists have, to predict the course of history, and capture on camera worlds that have practically disappeared from our maps or have transformed beyond recognition. Her innate storytelling abilities and capacity to create stunning visual compositions was brought to the forefront when she documented and presented never-before seen footage of indigenous tribes from remote regions in India, and their compelling cultural practices. In fact, her films on the ‘Apatani of Arunachal Pradhesh’ and ‘Konyak of Nagaland’ are seminal pieces of history, depicting the fascinating worlds of a now-nearly extinct living traditions. As a part of a series ‘Tribal Wisdom’, these powerful films were aired on Discovery International, France 5, Al Jazeera, Twin Rambler, Tung Hoa et.al. A jack of all traits, Anu seamlessly blends into different worlds with ease and aplomb. And her versatility as a filmmaker was impressively showcased with the multiple award winning mega docu-feature, ‘The Maharaja of Jodhpur’. For this film Anu was able to gain unique access to the erstwhile royal family of Jodhpur that was previously protected from public scrutiny. With exclusive footage of and interviews with many of the family members, and in particular His Highness The Maharaja Gaj Singh II, Anu told the story of “the boy who-would-be-king” enthroned at age 4 and his trials and tribulations over the tumultuous years of historical change. The Maharaja’s quest to reinvent his role and relevance in the democratic landscape of the Republic of India is conveyed so comprehensively, that this film became a cornerstone of positive change in the attitude of the people towards the dwindling significance of royal states. A singularly masterful piece of cinema, ‘Maharaja of Jodhpur’ enthralls at every level – its dazzling visuals superbly capture Jodhpur’s incredible living traditions, festivals, ceremonial pageantry, regal splendour and the enchanting lifestyle of its royalty, while its technical detailing such as the treatment of sound and light bring each frame alive with grandeur, transporting the viewers as it were, to the realms of royal revelry. A favourite of film festivals and audiences alike, it won Best Documentary & Music at the Indian Telly Awards in 2006 and Best Documentary Cinematography at the IDPA in 2005. Internationally too, the accolades for it poured in from ever corner of the globe, with the film being feted and screened at least 15 festivals worldwide. It premiered at the Nehru Center in London in 2004 and was the opening film of the Miami Film Festival in the same year. It also received a nomination for Best Foreign Film at San Fernando Valley International Film Festival in 2005. It is no surprise then that after the unequivocal success of ‘The Maharaja of Jodhpur,’ Anu returns to the helm once again with ‘Shamans of the Himalayas,’ a spellbinding documentary that delves into the mystical world of the Shamans of Himachal Pradesh. In this film Anu takes us into the unexplored world of ritual and myth of the Kullu Valley, popularly called- Devbhoomi-the “Land of Gods”. She goes into the heart of this valley seeking to understand its culture through the ‘Shamans’ or “Gurs”- the mystical men, who are the key conduits between the myriad gods of the valley and its people. Anu explores the sacred landscape of Himachal and experiences its potency first hand. She documents rare and never before seen sacred rituals, magico – religious practices, traditional healing techniques and exorcisms. She interacts with unforgettable Shamans, who are oracles, trance mediums and healers, and gets a glimpse into their personal stories and struggles… ‘The Shamans of the Himalayas’ is the culmination of Anu’s long cinematic engagement with cultures and societies that exist in the fringes of modernity, bringing their ‘wisdoms’ to her urban audiences. For her audiences, Anu herself is quite like a ‘shaman’, whose practice as a film- maker shows that there are other ways of being, ways that can heal the fractured, alienated, urban existence- if we can ‘only connect’. “I have always sought to capture India’s rich cultural heritage and vibrant living traditions through my films. However, relentless urbanization is wiping out indigenous cultures. Today, when wise living traditions are dying and stressful urban lifestyle is leading us into dis-ease and discontent, we need a reminder of the value, and wisdom of our time tested ways of life that are wholesome and fulfilling” Anu Malhotra, filmmaker. The Film Festival 108 minute version was premiered in October 2010, at the Indian Habitat Centre, as the opening film of a retrospective on her documentaries. And the 4x1 hour docu- series was telecast on the Discovery Channel over July 2013. Pertinently, through all her films, pervades a deeper message as well as an enduring sense of optimism. Their importance is ever more significant as urban populations burgeon blindly, on the brink of moral and ecological implosion. Indeed, the world we inhabit today is riddled with bleak issues and often documentary filmmakers present with their noir-esque images. In contrast, Anu’s films are a breath of fresh air and uplifting, providing a much needed paradigm shift of focusing on the positive. As with the Tribal Wisdom series, Maharaja of Jodhpur and now Shamans of the Himalayas, Anu exposes us to living traditions that have persisted for thousands of years and proved successful in terms of harboring harmony and happiness for those who follow them still. In documenting these practices that are fast disappearing, Anu reminds her viewers of the importance of sustaining and learning from these systems. Through her journey Anu enables us to re-examine our relationship with the society we inhabit, to understand the value of community building, and finally delve into our selves and undertake a meditative journey of our own into our individual consciousnesses. As Anu says, so poignantly – “Every journey is a search, a quest to unravel the self”… 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Anu Malhotra」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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