Dheeraj Akolkar

After graduating with a Gold Medal in Architecture from Pune University, India, Dheeraj worked extensively in the Indian film industry on various films such as Lagaan (Academy Award Nominee 2001), Devdas (Cannes Showcase 2002, BAFTA nominated 2003), Charas - A Joint Effort, Sala Bandar (official selection Rotterdam 2004, nominated Best Short Film Edinburgh 2004) and Black (Time magazine's fifth best film of the year 2006).As a writer, director, cinematographer and producer, his own work includes the short films Jyotirgamaya - Lead Me To The Light (IDPA Awards for Excellence 2005: Best Script and Best Editing), Whatever! (ICE 2006 2nd Best Film of the Festival), Sold my Soul (Official Selection Clermont Ferrand 2007) and Asylum (Official Selection Rotterdam 2010). He topped University of London in 2007 with distinction in MA in Feature Film and works between the UK, India and Scandinavia on a slate of five films under his London based production company Vardo Films.Dheeraj is the associate director of an independent film festival called Bombay Mix and founder of a charity called Grassroots Stories which specializes in making films that can inspire social change. Show less «