Pankaj Parashar

Pankaj Parashar is an Indian film and television director. Among his most-known are cop-thriller Jalwa (1987) starring Naseeruddin Shah, the Sridevi hit, ChaalBaaz (1989), and television detective series Karamchand (1985). He also makes television commercials, corporate films and documentaries. He is married to Asmita Parashar and has two kids, Vivek and Vivaan Parashar.

Career
He debuted with the Hindi comedy Ab Ayega Mazaa (1984). He gained acclaim and popularity the next year with the television series Karamchand (1985) starring Pankaj Kapoor as lead detective Karamchand with Sushmita Mukherjee as assistant Kitti and Sanjay Gupta as the assistant director. It was broadcast on India's national television channel DD National, and it was one of India's first detective series. Sony Entertainment Television revived this serial in February 2007.

He became the first director to cast a then-art film actor Naseeruddin Shah in a commercial Bollywood film, Jalwa (1987) (a remake of Beverly Hills Cop) and in his 1989 film, ChaalBaaz (a remake of Seeta Aur Geeta) got lead actress Sridevi, the Filmfare Best Actress Award. Both were big hits.

Parashar's Malfunction was awarded the 1980 Filmfare Award for Best Documentary. His last venture Banaras (2006), was set in Benaras city, starring Urmila Matondkar and Naseeruddin Shah as leads.

Mazaa Films has been in the business of Production and Direction of Feature films, TV serials, Documentaries, Corporate films, Computer graphics for the last 25 years. Headed by Pankuj Parashar, Gold medalist Direction course FTII 1980, the company has won all the major awards in the country starting with the Filmfare award for the best short in 1980. He is the Life member of International Film And Television Club & International Film And Television Research Centre of Asian Academy Of Film & Television

Education
Diploma in Film Direction & Screenplay Writing, Gold Medalist Bachelor of Commerce (Economics, Mathematics and Statistics)
 * Film & Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune
 * Jai Hind College, Mumbai

Experience

 * Won the Filmfare Award for the documentary Malfunction in 1980. The film was shot at the Yerwada Mental Hospital, Pune and was part of a student exercise that won in a professional arena.
 * Directed 12 feature films, including Jalwa, with Naseeruddin Shah, Chaalbaaz with Sridevi, Sunny Deol and Rajnikant, Rajkumar with Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit, and Tumko Na Bhool Payenge with Salman Khan and Sushmita Sen.
 * Directed the cult classic Karamchand, which still counts as India's most popular and technically proficient detective television serial.
 * Introduced Akshaye Khanna with Himalaya Putra.
 * Produced and directed Shakti, a 30-minute anthropological documentary on an esoteric snake cult festival in Rajasthan. The documentary was invited to the Oberhausen Film Festival and was also screened at the Berlin Film Festival.
 * Invited to the Cairo Film Festival for the children's film Aasman Se Gira.
 * Produced and directed over 400 television commercials, including MRF Zigma, Colgate Fluriguard, Colgate Tartar Control, Kinetic Honda, Bajaj, Wheel, Forhans, Vicks, Jumpin' Mango, BPL, Richbru, Symphony Aircoolers, Nirlon, Erasmic, Birla White, Daewoo Corporate, Ashima Suitings, Pantaloon, Crystal Swimwear, Pan Parag, Jenson & Nicholson, White Eveready, Henkel Washing Powder, Dhara Vanaspati, Coca Cola, Fanta, Limca, Kamasutra, Zandu Balm, Suzuki, CyberITmall.com, Nihilent Technologies, TCL Television and Hercules Cycle.
 * Produced and directed the 2004 Congress election films
 * Won the CAG and RAPA Awards for best TV commercial for Colgate Fluriguard
 * Won the Ad Club Award for the White Eveready commercial
 * Directed over 15 corporate documentaries, including the bid for 1988 Commonwealth Games at the Seoul Olympics for the Ministry of Sports, Government of India, Sahara Pariwar one hour corporate, TCS 30 minute profile for International clients.
 * The first Indian director to use computer animation in films in 1986 for the titles in the movie Jalwa. Also directed the first Indian film to use virtual sets and computer-generated backdrops and weapons in the movie Rajkumar in 1996.
 * Featured twice on BBC's Tomorrow's World for bringing computer animation to the "level of the West" in Indian feature films in 1997 and 1998.
 * Created a variety of digital paintings and music that were featured in Innovation in Digital and Electronic Arts (IDEA), an international showcase for digital paintings and music in 2003 and 2004.
 * Trained the Computer Graphics personnel at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Mumbai in film animation and computer graphics.
 * Directed Baba Films Productions' Tumko Na Bhool Payenge, starring Salman Khan, Sushmita Sen and Dia Mirza in 2001. The movie also celebrated its Silver Jubilee.
 * Directed a 50-minute documentary on Shri Bhagawan Kalki, a globally recognized spiritual teacher from South India.
 * Directed a feature, Sab Gol Maal Hai, for the Children's Film Society of India (CFSI).
 * Directed a spiritual feature film called Banaras: a mystic love story starring Urmila Matondkar, Dimple Kapadia, Raj Babbar, Naseeruddin Shah, Raj Babbar, Ashmit Patel. Invited to IFFI festival in Goa, selected for Indian panorama 2006.
 * Produced and directed 'Karamchand 2006" for Sony TV.

Art

 * Had exhibition of digital mixed–media paintings at Dusk art gallery.
 * Invited by Kala Academy Goa for a solo exhibition.
 * Invited for collective Ganesh art festival in Goa, Ruchika art gallery.
 * Invited by the Nehru Center of Performing Arts, London to have a solo exhibition.
 * The Marriott Mumbai is displaying three paintings done by Mr. Parashar.
 * Taj Vivanta in Goa is displaying a collection Ganesha's done by Mr. Parashar.

Filmography

 * Ab Ayega Mazaa (1984)
 * Karamchand (1985) (TV Series)
 * Jalwa (1987)
 * ChaalBaaz (1989)
 * Aasmaan Se Gira (1992)
 * Rajkumar (1996)
 * Himalayputra (1997)
 * Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge (2002)
 * Meri Biwi Ka Jawab Nahin (2004)
 * It Was Raining That Night (2005)
 * Banaras (2006)