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{{Short description|Indian film director and producer (b. 1969)}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2015}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Onir
| image = Onir 2.jpg
| birth_name = Anirban Dhar
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1969|5|1}}<ref name=Indian>{{cite web|title=(ONIR) ANIRBAN DHAR|url=http://iftda.org/index.php?option=com_members&id=1541&task=view&Itemid=79|publisher=Indian Film and Television Directors' Association|access-date=9 April 2011}}{{bsn|date=July 2021}}</ref>
| birth_place = [[Samtse District|Samchi]], [[Bhutan]]
| occupation = {{hlist|Film director|film producer|film editor|screenwriter}}
| years_active = 2005–present
| spouse =
}}

'''Onir''' (born '''Anirban Dhar''', 1 May 1969)<ref name=Indian /> is an Indian film and TV director, editor, screenwriter and producer. He is best known for his film ''[[My Brother…Nikhil]]'', based on the life of [[Dominic d'Souza]],<ref>{{cite web|last1=Ferrão|first1=R. Benedito|title=My Friend... Dominic|url=http://pink-pages.co.in/features/my-friend-dominic/|access-date=24 July 2014}}</ref> starring [[Sanjay Suri]] and [[Purab Kohli]] ''Nikhil'' was one of the first mainstream [[Bollywood|Hindi films]] to deal with AIDS and [[same-sex relationship]]s.

Onir won the [[National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi|National Award]] for his film ''[[I Am (2010 Indian film)|I Am]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title='I Am' is the first gay film to win national award|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/I-Am-is-the-first-gay-film-to-win-national-award/articleshow/12209306.cms|access-date=23 November 2016}}</ref> He has won 16 total film awards.

== Life and career ==

===Early life===
Onir was born as Anirban Dhar<ref>{{Cite news|last=Sriram|first=Jayant|date=2017-05-14|title=The shining legacy of Dominic D’Souza|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/the-shining-legacy-of-dominic-dsouza/article18449535.ece|access-date=2021-07-30|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> in Samchi, [[Bhutan]].<ref name="NIE-PenguinMemoir-21">{{Cite web|agency=IANS|date=2 March 2021|title=Penguin to publish memoir of award-winning film-maker Onir|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/lifestyle/books/2021/mar/02/penguin-to-publish-memoir-of-award-winning-film-maker-onir-2271142.html|access-date=2021-07-30|website=The New Indian Express}}</ref> His father Aparesh Dhar and mother Manjushree<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-02-06|title=Let’s talk about 377 {{!}} Whom we love, can’t be dictated by an IPC section: Filmmaker Onir’s parents|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/let-s-talk-about-377-whom-we-love-can-t-be-dictated-by-an-ipc-section-filmmaker-onir-s-parents/story-5cN7zZcboZdc0h261LWEDK.html|access-date=2021-07-30|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref> are of [[Bengali people|Bengali]] origin.{{cn|date=July 2021}} Onir spent much of his childhood going to the cinema.<ref>{{cite news|last=Anandan|first=S.|title=He holds a mirror up to Indian society.|url=http://www.hindu.com/2010/12/19/stories/2010121960650200.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109034346/http://www.hindu.com/2010/12/19/stories/2010121960650200.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 November 2012|access-date=9 April 2011|date=19 December 2010|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|location=Chennai, India}}</ref> The family moved to Kolkata around 1990.{{cn|date=July 2021}}

In [[Kolkata]], Onir studied [[comparative literature]] and took a few film classes at Chitrabani film school.<ref name=how /> He graduated from [[Jadavpur University]] in 1989, but left before getting his post-graduate degree when he received a scholarship to study film editing at SFB/TTC in [[Berlin]]. He later returned to India and worked as an editor, scriptwriter, art director, music album producer and song/music video director before becoming an independent Producer and Director,

===Early career===
In 1992 Onir directed and produced his first documentary film, ''Fallen Hero'' based on painter [[Bijan Choudhury]]'s life.<ref>{{cite web|title=I Am From Calcutta - The Telegraph|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110427/jsp/entertainment/story_13906185.jsp|access-date=22 Nov 2016|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=27 April 2011|location=Calcutta, India}}</ref> He also served as an assistant to [[Kalpana Lajmi]] on ''[[Daman (film)|Daman: A Victim of Marital Violence]]'' (2001) where he had his first experience directing a full-length feature film.<ref name=Seriously />

While working on a documentary about Dominic D'Souza, a champion swimmer and AIDS patient in [[Goa]], Onir conceived the idea for his first film.<ref name=how>{{cite web|title=How Onir made Karan Johar cry!|url=http://inhome.rediff.com/movies/2005/mar/23onir.htm|work=Rediff|access-date=9 April 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Roy|first=Sandeep|title=Ripples of Change in Indian Film|url=http://www.alternet.org/movies/23257/|work=AlterNet|publisher=[[Pacific News Service]]|access-date=9 April 2011}}</ref> His directorial debut ''[[My Brother... Nikhil]]'' (2005) starring co-producer [[Sanjay Suri]] and actress [[Juhi Chawla]] deals with the Goan government's harsh treatment of AIDS patients in the 1980s and the stigma attached to them.<ref>{{cite news |last= Sengupta |first= Somoni |title=Gay-Themed Film Tests Sensibilities in India |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/06/movies/gaythemed-film-tests-sensibilities-in-india.html |date= 6 April 2005 |work= New York Times |access-date=27 August 2009}}</ref> ''My Brother... Nikhil'' was screened at several international film festivals, and Juhi Chawla received an [[IIFA Award for Best Supporting Actress|IIFA nomination]] for her role as the main character's supportive sister. The film was screened at over 40 international film festivals,{{citation needed|date=May 2018}} and won the Audience Choice Awards in Milan, LGBT film festival, Best Film & Jury Audience Choice Award at Montreal, image+nation Film Festival amongst others.<ref>{{cite news |title=ONIR| Queer Ink |url= http://queer-ink.com/onir/ |date= 12 August 2014 |work= Queer Ink |access-date=22 November 2016}}</ref>

In 2006 he released his second film ''[[Bas Ek Pal]]'' with [[Urmila Matondkar]], [[Sanjay Suri]] and [[Jimmy Shergill]]. He received a nomination for the Best Director Critic's Award at the [[Global Indian Film Awards]] for the film. This film was not a financial success, only collecting 15–20 percent at the box office.<ref>{{cite news|title=Here's a look at what the BO booed|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/heres-a-look-at-what-the-bo-booed/21722-8.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014231447/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/heres-a-look-at-what-the-bo-booed/21722-8.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 October 2012|access-date=9 April 2011|newspaper=CNN-IBN|date=16 September 2006}}</ref> His next film ''[[Sorry Bhai!]]'' also failed to do well as it released the week of the [[2008 Mumbai attacks|terrorist attacks in Mumbai]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Oye Lucky! performs better than Sorry Bhai! amidst crisis|url=http://www.businessofcinema.com/news.php?newsid=10964|access-date=9 April 2011|newspaper=Businessofcinema.com|date=2 December 2008}}</ref>

===Critical acclaim===
Onir's eighth film was ''[[I Am (2010 Indian film)|I Am]]'', which consists of four short films exploring such themes as single motherhood, displacement, child abuse and same-sex relationships.<ref>{{cite web |title= Onir's next ventures into issues of gay sex, child abuse |url= http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Onir--s-next-ventures-into-issues-of-gay-sex--child-abuse/501190 |date= 12 August 2009 |work= Indian Express |access-date=27 August 2009}}</ref><ref>Mendes, AC. (2018). "Indie crowdfunded narratives of commercial surrogacy, or the contested bodies of neoliberalism: Onir’s "I Am Afia" and Arpita Kumar’s ''Sita''". Ashvin Devasundaram (org.), ''Indian Cinema Beyond Bollywood: The New Independent Cinema Revolution''. Routledge, 78-99. {{ISBN|978-0-815-36860-1}}.</ref> ''I Am'' won the National Award in two categories; Best Film and Best Lyrics.{{citation needed|date=May 2018}} It was also the winnerof I-VIEW 2010s Engendered Award (New York) for Outstanding Contribution.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/national-awards-i-am-adjudged-best-hindi-film/236997-8-66.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309180516/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/national-awards-i-am-adjudged-best-hindi-film/236997-8-66.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-03-09|title=News18.com: CNN-News18 Breaking News India, Latest News Headlines, Live News Updates|website=News18}}</ref>

Onir was awarded the 2008/9 Triangle Media Group Honorary Award on 7 February 2010, and won Best Film awards at both the London Asian Film Festival and the [[River to River. Florence Indian Film Festival]]. He won the IRDS film awards for Best Director for Social Concern.<ref>{{cite news|title=Onir's ''I AM'' awarded Best Film in London Asian Film festival|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/onirs-i-am-awarded-best-film-in-london-asian-film-festival/636307.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110410082325/http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/onirs-i-am-awarded-best-film-in-london-asian-film-festival/636307.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 April 2011|access-date=9 April 2011|newspaper=IBN Live|date=4 April 2011|agency=PTI}}</ref><ref name=times>{{cite news|title=Rahul Wows Florence | url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-12-15/news-interviews/28257454_1_florence-film-rahul-bose-audience-award | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104053418/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-12-15/news-interviews/28257454_1_florence-film-rahul-bose-audience-award | url-status=dead | archive-date=4 November 2012 |work=[[The Times of India]] | date=15 December 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://my.entertainment.yahoo.com/news/irds-awards-vidya-balan-wins-best-actress-dirty-051825569.html |title=IRDS Awards: Vidya Balan wins best actress for THE DIRTY PICTURE – Yahoo! |publisher=My.entertainment.yahoo.com |date=17 January 2012 |access-date=1 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Kotwani|first=Hiren|title=Mira Nair to help Onir release I Am in US, Europe|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Mira-Nair-to-help-Onir-release-I-Am-in-US-Europe/Article1-561369.aspx|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130125163319/http://www.hindustantimes.com/Mira-Nair-to-help-Onir-release-I-Am-in-US-Europe/Article1-561369.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 January 2013|access-date=9 April 2011|newspaper=Hindustan Times|date=22 June 2010}}</ref>

In 2018 he received Likho Award (Trailblazer Award).{{cn|date=July 2021}}

Onir has received the Diversity Award from Film Victoria Australia and La Trobe University at Indian Film Festival Of Melbourne 2019.{{cn|date=July 2021}}

Onir received the Jury Special mention for Outstanding work On LGBT Issues at the Indus Valley International Film Festival Oct 2020.{{cn|date=July 2021}}

===Recent work===
Together with [[Sanjay Suri]], Onir started Anticlock Films, a production company that will concentrate on promoting young directors. So far Anticlock has promoted people such as Bikas Ranjan Mishra who directed ''Chauranga'', which was released on [[Netflix]] India.<ref name=Seriously>{{cite news|last=Pereira|first=Priyanka|title=Seriously speaking|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/seriously-speaking/612140/0|access-date=9 April 2011|newspaper=Indian Express|date=28 April 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Dasgupta|first=Priyanka|title=We'll shoot in Jharkhand: Onir, Sanjay Suri|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-10-08/news-interviews/30257884_1_dalit-boy-onir-love-letter|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120717024400/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-10-08/news-interviews/30257884_1_dalit-boy-onir-love-letter|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 July 2012|access-date=8 October 2011|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=8 October 2011}}</ref>

He also worked on ''Raising the Bar'' - an Indo-Australian documentary about six youth with [[Down syndrome]], which won the Hollywood International Independent Documentary Award.<ref>{{cite web|title=Onir wins an award for indo-australian documentary|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/hindi/2016/dec/01/onir-wins-an-award-for-indo-australian-documentary-1544307.html|access-date=5 December 2016|website=New Indian Express}}</ref>

Onir fifth directional film titled ''Shab'' (The Night) starring Raveena Tandon, Ashish Bisht, Arpia Chatterjee and French actor Simon Frenay. The film was released on 14 July 2017. The film premiered at the New York Indian Film Festival and also screened at River to River Indian Film Festival Florence, Melbourne Indian Film Festival.

In 2017, a short film "Aaba" (Grandfather) that he co-produced premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival.<ref>{{cite web|last=Singh|first=Rajesh Kumar|title=Short Film AABA to premiere at Berlin International Film Festival|url=http://www.bollywoodtrade.com/film-festivals-markets/short-film-aaba-to-premiere-at-berlin-international-film-festival/1205.htm|access-date=17 Jan 2017|work= Bollywood Trade|date=16 Jan 2017}}{{bsn|date=July 2021}}</ref>

In 2017 Onir started shooting for his 6th directorial venture Kuchh Bheege Alfaaz with National Award winning actor Geetanjali Thapa and introducing a young Kashmiri actor Zain Khan Durrani. The film released in 16 February 2018 . The film won the audience Choice Award at the Jagaran Film Festival and has been screened at The London Asian Film Festival, Stuttgart Indian Film Festival, Melbourne Indian Film Festival and Karachi International Film Festival.

In 2018 Onir directed a documentary named ''Widows Of Vrindavan'' which won the Best Documentary at the Jagran Film festival 2019. It has also been screened at the Stuttgart Indian Film Festival and Melbourne Indian Film Festival in 2019.

== Personal life ==
Onir has one younger brother, Abhishek Dhar. Abhishek Dhar is a theoretical physicist at International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, TIFR [[Bangalore]], adjunct faculty at [[Raman Research Institute]] and winner of the [[Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Bhatnagar award for six from Bangalore|url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/27519/bhatnagar-award-six-bangalore.html|access-date=9 April 2011|newspaper=Deccan Herald|date=26 September 2009|agency=DH News Service}}</ref> Onir's sister Irene Dhar Malik<ref name="NIE-PenguinMemoir-21" /> is a film and television editor.<ref>{{cite web|title=Irene Dhar Malik|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1122197/|publisher=Internet Movie Database|access-date=9 April 2011}}</ref>

Onir is an [[atheist]]. He can speak [[Bengali language|Bengali]], Russian, German and [[Tamil language|Tamil]]. His favourite film directors are [[Ritwik Ghatak]], [[Satyajit Ray]], [[Luis Buñuel]] and [[Andrei Tarkovsky]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Every film has a message-Onir|url=http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood/features/onir-250806.html|work=One India.com|access-date=9 April 2011}}</ref> while he cites [[Shyam Benegal]]'s ''[[Junoon (1978 film)|Junoon]]'' as the reason he became a filmmaker.<ref>{{cite news|title='I Pretend To Have Seen Rang De Basanti'|url=http://www.tehelka.com/story_main41.asp?filename=hub230509the_take.asp|access-date=9 April 2011|newspaper=Tehelka|date=23 May 2009}}</ref> He is also one of the few openly gay directors in [[Bollywood]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Kumar|first=Sunaina|title=I Am, India's first truly indie film, gets ready for the Friday test|url=http://www.tehelka.com/story_main49.asp?filename=Ws020411FILM.asp|access-date=9 April 2011|newspaper=Tehelka|date=2 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120919180654/http://www.tehelka.com/story_main49.asp?filename=Ws020411FILM.asp|archive-date=19 September 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"
|-
!Year
!Film
!Director
!Producer
!Writer
!Editor
!class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|2001
|''[[Rahul (film)|Rahul]]''
|
|
|
|{{yes}}
|
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|2001
|''[[Daman (film)|Daman: A Victim of Marital Violence]]''
|
|
|
|{{yes}}
|
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|2003
|''[[Fun 2shh: Dudes In the 10th Century]]''
|
|
|
|{{yes}}
|
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|2003
|''[[Bhoot (film)|Bhoot]]''
|
|
|
|{{yes}}
|
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|2005
|''[[My Brother... Nikhil]]''
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|2006
|''[[Bas Ek Pal]]''
|{{yes}}
|
|{{yes}}
|
|
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|2008
|''[[Sorry Bhai!]]''
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|2011
|''[[I Am (2010 Indian film)|I Am]]''
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
| Won [[National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi|National Award for Best Hindi Feature Film]] 2011
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|2015
|''[[Chauranga]]''
|
|{{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|2016
|''Raising the Bar''
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|
|
|Documentary
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|2017
|''[[Shab (film)|Shab]]''
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|2018
|''[[Kuchh Bheege Alfaaz]]''
|{{yes}}
|
|
|
|
|-
|2019
|''Widows of Vrindavan''
|Yes
|Yes
|
|
|Best Documentary at the Jagran Film festival 2019
|-
|}

==Awards and nominations==

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!scope="col"| Year
!scope="col"| Film
!scope="col"| Award
!scope="col"| Category
!scope="col"| Result
|-
| rowspan="4"| 2005
| rowspan="5"| ''[[My Brother…Nikhil]]''
|rowspan="2" | Montreal (Image+ Nation film festival)
|Best Film (Jury)
|{{won}}
|-
|Best Film (Audience)
|{{won}}
|-
|The Saathi Rainbow Film Awards , Kolkatta
|Best Director
|{{won}}
|-
|TMG Global Awards
|Best Director/Producer
|{{won}}
|-
|2006
|20th Milan International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival
|Best Film (Audience)
|{{won}}
|-
| rowspan="8"| 2011
| rowspan="8"| ''[[I Am (2010 Indian film)|I Am]]''
|National Award
|Best Hindi Feature Film
|{{won}}
|-
|Jagran Film Festival
|Best Director
|{{won}}
|-
|London Asian Film Festival
|Best Film
|{{won}}
|-
|rowspan="2" | IFFK 2010
|NETPAC Award - Best in Asian Cinema
|{{won}}
|-
|Special Mention – International Jury
|{{won}}
|-
|KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival
|Best Narrative Feature
|{{won}}
|-
|River to River Film Festival, Florence, 2010
|Best Film (Audience)
|{{won}}
|-
|I-VIEW, 2010
|Engendered Award for Outstanding Contribution
|{{won}}
|-
|}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons}}
* {{IMDb name}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}
* {{BH person}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Onir}}
[[Category:1969 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian atheists]]
[[Category:Hindi-language film directors]]
[[Category:Jadavpur University alumni]]
[[Category:LGBT directors]]
[[Category:Bengali people]]
[[Category:Bhutanese film directors]]
[[Category:LGBT writers from India]]
[[Category:LGBT rights activists from India]]
[[Category:People from Thimphu]]
[[Category:Indian male screenwriters]]
[[Category:Gay writers]]
[[Category:LGBT screenwriters]]

Onir - Revision history

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