Goa, September 6, 2009:
Noted theatre & film personality Feroz Abbas Khan has bagged two National Film Awards, including Special Jury Award for best film & Best Screenplay Award for his film Gandhi My Father. A third award for best supporting actor also went to Darshan Jariwalla for Gandhi My Father.
At the forefront of Indian theatre today, Feroz Abbas Khan is recognized as much for exploring new forms, as for bringing Hindi theatre, mainstream recognition. In a career spanning more than two decades, he has directed some of India's finest acting talent, both from stage and cinema.
From the intensely contemplative to the utterly exhilarating, from autobiographical one man shows to two character plays to full scale musicals….his pioneering productions have traveled extensively in India and abroad. His plays have been staged to packed audiences and international critical acclaim. The Lincoln centre and the United Nations in New York, the Memorial Hall-Stanford University, the Universal Studios Amphi-theatre in Los Angeles, the Waterman's Arts Centre in London and the Durban Playhouse in South Africa are some of the theatres he has performed at. He continues to travel with his powerful plays to Europe, North America, Far East Asia, Middle East, South East Asia and South Africa.
In line with a belief, that any pursuit of excellence, must go parallel to
continued relevant social contribution;
has been silently but significantly associated with various committed social
organizations;
As the first Artistic Director of the prestigious Prithvi Theatre in Mumbai, the throbbing hub of the young, the talented and the restless; Feroz, along with the late Jenniffer Kapoor spearheaded the International Prithvi Theatre Festival.
Proficient in various languages, he blends the Eastern tradition of story telling with Western sensibilities and modernity. His production of Peter Shaffer's epic play 'The Royal Hunt of The Sun' and the recent contemporary Indian adaptation of Arthur Miller's classic 'Death of a Salesman' are considered landmark events in Indian theatre.
His English theatre production of Mahatma v/s Gandhi created a sensation wherever it was staged. Major newspapers in India wrote laudatory editorials, news channels like BBC and NKK in Japan featured it in their prime time news and The New York Times called it “The finest English play to emerge from India in a long time.”Some of the finest acting talents like Naseeruddin Shah,Shabana Azmi,Anupam Kher,Kirron Kher,Farooque Shaikh,Seema Biswas,Satish Kaushik,Boman Irani and others have given their finest performances under his direction.
With 'Gandhi- My Father' Feroz made his first foray into the arena of motion picture. He was recently felicitated by Harvard University with a special screening followed by a discussion.
PRAISE FOR GANDHI MY FATHER:
“Groundbreaking…
“Great Film…I was moved to tears…” Thabo Mbeki,President Of South Africa
“Poignant…
“A worthy companion to Attenborough’
“Stunning…
“History that shocks you,,Cinema that seduces you..” The Telegraph
“If you do not see this film, you have missed something in life…” Chitralekha
AWARDS FOR GANDHI MY FATHER:
1,WINNER,BEST SCREENPLAY,ASIA-
2.WINNER BEST ACTRESS,TOKYO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL,SHEFALI SHAH.
3.WINNER,
A.PRESS AWARD FOR BEST FILM
B.PUBLIC AWARD FOR BEST FILM
C.JUNIOR JURY AWARD
LYONS ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL
HONOURED
OSCAR SCRIPT LIBRARY
HARVARD FILM ARCHIVE
CHRONOLOGY OF SIGNIFICANT THEATRE PRODUCTIONS
1.1990 Peter Shaffer’s Epic Play “THE ROYAL HUNT OF THE SUN”(Director-
2.1991 Gujarati Musical EVA MUMBAIMA CHAL JAIYE”(Director-
3.1992 TUMHARI AMRITA ( Director - Producer)
4.1994 SAALGIRAH (Director – Producer)
5.1995 ALL THE BEST (Adaptation and Producer)
6. 1997 MAHATMA V/S GANDHI (Director – Producer) )
7.1998 CHAAR DIN PYAAR KE (Adaptation and Producer)
8.1999 SALESMAN RAMLAL (Director - Producer)
9. 2003 KUCHH BHI HO SAKTA HAI WITH ANUPAM KHER (Writer-Director)
