Manish Mundra’s Drishyam Films Goes Truly International

Manish Mundra‘s production company Drishyam Films has become an international film studio. The company signed up for three international productions at the ongoing Cannes film festival.

Manish Mundra is the producer of the critically acclaimed Ankhon Dekhi and Umrika both of which went on to win a lot of accolades. His other films as a producer include Dhanak and Masaan. Ankhon Dekhi was one of the best-reviewed films in India in 2014 and was critically acclaimed for its simplicity, philosophy, ensemble cast and acting. Umrika became the first Indian film to win the audience award at the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival in the United States. Mundra’s third production, Nagesh Kukunoor‘s Dhanak, is a heartwarming tale of a brother and sister set amid the dunes of Rajasthan. It clinched two prizes at the Berlin International Film Festival — the Grand Prix for best feature-length film and a children’s jury special mention for best feature. Another of his productions Masaan directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, was screened at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival and received a five-minute long standing ovation at the end.

His connection with human interest stories from the hinterland isn’t restricted to cinema. Manish has set up a school in Jodhpur, which provides free education and meals to over 250 students whose parents can’t afford to educate them. When funds were scarce for the Mumbai Film Festival last year and the festival was on the brink of closure, Manish along with a select few stepped in with the funding thereby acting as a guardian angel for the festival ensuring that the show goes on. 

Manish set up a film company – Drishyam Films in Mumbai, which is now producing a slew of interesting indie titles, which includes Anu Menon‘s Waiting starring Naseeruddin Shah and Kalki Koechlin, and an experimental project, X, which has 11 directors contributing to the same story.

Drishyam, in partnership with Sundance Institute, also organised the inaugural Drishyam–Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab 2015 which was held in Goa in April, 2015. The Lab, which is an initiative to support emerging filmmakers from India, is part of the Sundance Institute’s sustained commitment to international artists, which has in the last 25 years included programs in Brazil, Mexico, Jordan, Turkey, Japan, Israel and Central Europe. Films like Margarita with a Straw, Umrika and Masan have come out of the lab.

Now the good news is that Drishyam Films has been signed up for three international productions at the ongoing Cannes film festival. Manish Mundra shared this piece of news on his social platforms. 

Manish tweeted: 

@DrishyamFilms today became truly international film studio!! We signed for three international production @ Cannes!!! @ShiladityaBora

— Manish Mundra (@ManMundra) May 20, 2015

It is indeed heartwarming to see people like Mundra who believe in encouraging and nourishing good cinema. More power to him and his production company Drishyam Films.