Amit Sharma (director)

2021-04-10T14:11:28Z

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{{short description|Indian director and producer}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Amit Sharma
| honorific_suffix =
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| birth_place = [[Delhi]], [[India]]
| alma mater =
| occupation = Filmmaker
| years_active = 2004–present
| notable_works = ''[[Badhaai Ho]]''
| networth =
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| children =
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}}
'''Amit Ravindernath Sharma''' is an Indian [[Film director|director]] and [[Film producer|producer]] working predominantly as a director of [[television commercial]]s.<ref>https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/amit-sharma-meet-the-director-of-landmark-ads-from-google-lifebuoy-visa-idea/articleshow/35633411.cms?from=mdr</ref>

In feature films, he is best known for the 2018 film ''[[Badhaai Ho]]'', which was one of the [[List of Bollywood films of 2018#Box office collection|highest grossing Bollywood films of 2018]], having earned [[Indian rupee|₹]]220.34 [[crore]] ([[United States dollar|$]]31 million) as of December 2018.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/badhaai-ho/box-office/|title=Badhaai Ho Box Office Collection till Now|last=Hungama|first=Bollywood|website=Bollywood Hungama|language=en|access-date=2018-12-08}}</ref>

== Biography ==

=== Early Life and Career ===
Sharma was born in [[Delhi]], [[India]] to parents who worked for the [[Government of India|government]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Amit-Ravindernath-Sharma-I-promised-my-mother-at-her-funeral-that-I-would-never-let-her-die/articleshow/45793363.cms|title=Amit Ravindernath Sharma: I promised my mother at her funeral that I would never let her die – Times of India|website=The Times of India|access-date=2018-12-08}}</ref> While still in school, he connected with film director [[Pradeep Sarkar]], and was invited to shoot an advert in [[Manali, Himachal Pradesh|Manali]]. After graduating, he worked with Sarkar for six years before moving to [[Mumbai]] in 2001.<ref name=":1" />

Two years later, he left the tutorship of Sarkar, and in 2004 he set up his own company, Chrome Pictures, with [[Aleya Sen]] and Hemant Bhandari. Later that year, he was offered an assistant role on Sarkar's film, [[Parineeta (2005 film)|''Parineeta'']], which he turned down.<ref name=":1" />

=== Advertising ===
Between 2005 and 2015, Sharma directed over 900 advertisements,<ref name=":1" /> including those for [[Google]], [[Coca-Cola]] and [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://bestmediainfo.com/2011/03/coca-cola-rolls-out-brrr-campaign-in-india/|title=Coca-Cola Rolls Out Brrr Campaign In India|website=www.bestmediaifo.com|access-date=2018-12-08}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://bestmediainfo.com/2018/04/amazon-s-chonkpur-cheetahs-the-journey-from-a-small-town-to-a-big-city/|title=Amazon's Chonkpur Cheetahs: The journey from a small town to a big city|last=Delhi|first=Akansha Mihir Mota|last2=April 26|website=www.bestmediaifo.com|access-date=2018-12-08|last3=2018}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/amit-sharma-meet-the-director-of-landmark-ads-from-google-lifebuoy-visa-idea/articleshow/35633411.cms|title=Amit Sharma: Meet the director of landmark ads from Google, Lifebuoy, Visa, Idea|last=Bapna|first=Amit|date=2014-05-28|work=The Economic Times|access-date=2018-12-08|last2=Balakrishnan|first2=Ravi}}</ref>

In 2011, he directed an advert entitled 'The Silent National Anthem' featured [[Hearing loss|deaf]] and [[Muteness|mute]] 'singing' the [[Jana Gana Mana]] through sign language, and won a silver award at the [[Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/silent-national-anthem-ad-wins-top-award-378011.html|title=Silent National Anthem ad wins top award|website=News18|access-date=2018-12-08}}</ref> A 2013 advert for [[Lifebuoy (soap)|Lifebuoy]] focused on hygiene in Indian villages, and won Gold at the Spikes Asia awards later that year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.afaqs.com/news/story/36818_Lifebuoys-moving-message|title=Lifebuoy's moving message|date=2013-02-24|website=www.afaqs.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-11}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=http://www2.spikes.asia/winners/2013/film/entry.cfm?entryid=4733&award=2|title=Spikes Asia Festival of Creativity|website=Spikes Asia Festival of Creativity|language=en|access-date=2018-12-11}}</ref>

The most well-known advert he directed is perhaps the Google [[Reunion (advertisement)|Reunion]] advert from November 2013, which told the fictional story about the reunion of two elderly men, one from [[India]] and one from [[Pakistan]], who were childhood friends but were separated as children during the [[Partition of India]]. The ad had a strong impact in both countries, leading to hopes that travel restrictions between the two countries might be eased,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/19647/google-can-envision-pakistan-india-harmony-in-less-than-4-minutes-can-we/|title=Google can envision Pakistan-India harmony in less than 4 minutes…can we?|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/131115/news-current-affairs/article/google-ad-reignites-hope-easier-indo-pak-visas|title=Google reunion ad reignites hope for easier Indo-Pak visas|date=2013-11-15|website=Deccan Chronicle|language=en|access-date=2018-12-11}}</ref> and the video garnered over 1.6 million views on [[YouTube]] before debuting on television.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ibtimes.com/reunion-googles-nasdaq-goog-ad-evoking-partition-separation-big-hit-india-pakistan-video-1477042|title='Reunion': Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG) Ad Evoking Partition Separation A Big Hit In India And Pakistan (VIDEO)|date=2013-11-19|website=International Business Times|access-date=2018-12-11}}</ref>

His work during this time was described by ''[[The Economic Times]]'' as a "contemporary greatest hits of Indian advertising"''.''<ref name=":2" />

=== Early film career and breakthrough ===
In 2014, Sharma was invited by producer [[Boney Kapoor]] to direct ''[[Tevar]]'', a remake of the 2003 Telugu film ''[[Okkadu]],'' starring [[Arjun Kapoor]].<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/arjun-kapoors-tevar-to-be-produced-by-sanjay-kapoor/|title=Arjun Kapoor's Tevar to be produced by Sanjay Kapoor|last=Hungama|first=Bollywood|date=2013-12-17|website=Bollywood Hungama|language=en|access-date=2018-12-08}}</ref> The film generally received poor reviews.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/review/review-tevar-is-a-tiring-watch/20150109.htm|title=Review: Tevar is a tiring watch|website=Rediff|access-date=2018-12-08}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/reviews/story/tevar-review-weak-story-covered-up-with-power-packed-dialogues-234969-2015-01-09|title=Tevar review: Weak story covered up with power packed dialogues|last=January 9|first=Saurabh Dwivedi|last2=January 10|first2=2015UPDATED|website=India Today|language=en|access-date=2018-12-08|last3=Ist|first3=2015 15:23}}</ref>

In 2016, Sharma was elected on the Cannes Lions Craft Jury.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/52520543.cms|title=Cannes Lions 2016: Clichés Indian jury members don't want to see in the ad fest|date=2016-06-01|work=The Economic Times|access-date=2018-12-11}}</ref>

Sharma worked as the director on ''[[Badhaai Ho]]'', which began shooting in late 2017, and starred [[Ayushmann Khurrana]] and [[Neena Gupta]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/ayushmann-khurrana-teams-up-with-tevar-director-amit-sharma-for-badhaai-ho-to-shoot-in-delhi/story-d3hYZMHCQkdB8LTeXInknN.html|title=Ayushmann Khurrana teams up with Tevar director Amit Sharma for Badhaai Ho, to shoot in Delhi|date=2017-11-24|website=www.hindustantimes.com|language=en|access-date=2018-12-08}}</ref> Sharma's production company Chrome Pictures produced the film alongside [[Junglee Pictures]], and it was released on 18 October 2018.<ref>{{Citation|title=Badhaai Ho|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7725596/|access-date=2018-12-08}}</ref> The film became the seventh-highest opening weekend grosser of 2018,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/box-office-special-features/box-office-badhaai-ho-becomes-7th-highest-opening-weekend-grosser-2018/|title=Box Office: Badhaai Ho becomes the 7th highest opening weekend grosser of 2018|last=Hungama|first=Bollywood|date=2018-10-22|website=Bollywood Hungama|language=en|access-date=2018-12-08}}</ref> and earned ₹220.34 [[crore]] ($31 million) worldwide.<ref name=":0" />

Sharma is set to direct an upcoming film about the life and career of [[Syed Abdul Rahim]], also produced by Boney Kapoor. It is due to start filming in mid-2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/who-is-syed-abdul-rahim-the-man-ajay-devgn-is-playing-in-his-next-film-1284817-2018-07-13|title=Who is Syed Abdul Rahim, the man Ajay Devgn is playing in his next film?|last=DelhiJuly 13|first=Charu Thakur New|last2=July 13|first2=2018UPDATED|website=India Today|language=en|access-date=2018-12-09|last3=Ist|first3=2018 19:52}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/ajay-devgn-football-coach-syed-abdul-rahim-5257776/|title=Ajay Devgn to play Syed Abdul Rahim|date=2018-07-14|website=The Indian Express|language=en-IN|access-date=2018-12-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/bollywood/041118/the-football-field-beckons-ajay-devgn-and-his-director-amit-sharma.html|title=The football field beckons Ajay Devgn and his director Amit Sharma|last=jha|first=subhash k|date=2018-11-04|website=Deccan Chronicle|language=en|access-date=2018-12-09}}</ref>

== Filmography ==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#d1e4fd;"
! Year !! Film !! Role(s)
|-
| 2015 ||''[[Tevar]]''|| Director
|-
| 2018 ||''[[Badhaai Ho]]''|| Director, Producer
|-
| 2021 || ''[[Maidaan]]'' || Director
|-
|TBA
|''The Intern''
|Director
|}

== Awards ==

* 2011 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity – Silver ('The Silent National Anthem')
* 2013 Spikes Asia – Gold ('Help A Child Reach 5', for [[Lifebuoy (soap)|Lifebuoy]])<ref name=":3" />

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Facebook |id= iamitrsharma | name= Amit Sharma}}
*{{Instagram |id= iamitrsharma | name= Amit Sharma}}
*{{Twitter |id= iamitrsharma | name= Amit Sharma}}
*{{IMDb name|2279430}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharma, Amit}}
[[Category:Indian art directors]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian film directors]]
[[Category:Hindi-language film directors]]
[[Category:Indian advertising directors]]
[[Category:Film directors from Delhi]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Directors who won the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment National Film Award]]

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Amit Sharma (director)