Draft:Deb Medhekar



Deb Medhekar is an Indian Film Director, Screenwriter, and Producer. He is best known for his critically acclaimed feature film Bioscopewala (2018) and numerous advertising films.

Early Life and Education
Deb Medhekar was born in Mumbai, India. He completed his schooling at J.M.L School, Mumbai, earning his Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) in 1998. He then attended St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, where he completed his Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSC) in 2000 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in English Literature in 2003. Medhekar further pursued the Three-Year Certificate Course in Film Direction from the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India, Pune - graduating in 2009.

Music Videos
Being a musician himself, Deb started his career making music videos. His band DFL saw considerable local popularity but he left pursuing music as a career to chase after the visual arts. He started his career by directing music videos. Among these are popular musical acts such as Agnee, Atif Aslam and the Bartender. Kuch Is Tarah by Atif Aslam was Deb Medhekar's Playback exercise in his final year at the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. This video which currently has over 13 million views shows Deb Medhekar's prowess over visual effects even while he was still in film school. Other notable videos include Shaam Tanha by Agnee, This is Our Time featuring John Abraham, Mikey McCleary, and Nikhil D'Souza, and Yeh Raat Yeh Chandni Phir Kahan by the Bartender.

Advertising Films
It was thanks to his work on his music videos, his work was noticed by Ram Madhvani and Manoj Shroff at Equinox Films Pvt Ltd. It was a matter of assisting Ram Madhvani on three advertising projects before he was offered his contract as Director at Equinox Films Pvt. Ltd in 2010.

Over the last 14 years, Medhekar has established himself as a prolific director in the advertising industry, directing over 200 commercials with Equinox Films India. A genre agnostic filmmaker, he has worked with an impressive array of brands, including  HP Printers, Colgate, Head & Shoulders, Pantene, Danone, BBC, AO Smith, Nokia, Surf Excel, Horlicks, Knorr Soups, ENO, Mortien, Domex, Otrivin, Infosys, Kissan Jams, Hindustan Times, Star Sports, Becks Ice, Asian Paints, Complan, Glucon D, Vim, Rin, Dulux Paints amongst others. His work is characterized by a strong performances, seamless integration of live-action and animation, a uniquely Indian sense of design and innovative use of music.

Feature Film
Bioscopewala (2018)

Medhekar's directorial debut in feature films was Bioscopewala, a modern adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore's classic short story Kabuliwala. The film reimagines the character of Rehmat as an Afghan immigrant who collects film strips from his cinema after it is burned down by the Taliban and explores his relationship with a little girl in 1990s Calcutta. The film premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival running in the competition for the Best Film category. It was released in over 250 cinema halls across India and the Middle East garnering rave critical reviews. Bioscopewala is currently available for streaming on Disney+Hotstar.

Critical Reception of Bioscopewala
"#Bioscopewala is a tenderly wrought tale of fathers and daughters, love, loss and longing and the magic of cinema. It's a worthy adaptation of the #RabindranathTagore story. Do make time for it." Anupama Chopra, Film Companion

"Bioscopewala is about seeing cinema as an act of rebellion against repression. It’s then a significant film, at a time when arts and culture is being co-opted within a larger political agenda." Namrata Joshi, The Hindu

"It's a deeply affecting film, layered with a lingering love for cinema. Make time for it " Rajeev Masand, News 18

"Most of us have had definitive characters like the Bioscopewala in our childhoods – people whose peripheral legacies inevitably fade during our pursuit of adulthood. Even when we move forward, it always comes at the cost of leaving someone behind." Rahul Desai, Film Companion

''“The passage of time may dim the glow of moving images just as it can reduce the intensity of human feelings, but do they ever vanish altogether? In Medhekar’s take on Tagore’s timeless classic, they certainly do not; if anything, they assume new depth and urgency. “ Saibal Chatterjee, NDTV''

“Aching nostalgia for a world where love and humanity transcend borders and bigotry… tugs at our heartstrings.” Stutee Ghosh, Quint

''“The tales of Tagore that are a part of every Bengali family folklore have far more depth and intensity, the reverberations of which linger on in their psyche forever. Medhekar’s additions are enough to contemporise a tale that never dates; what he doesn’t add are moments that would have added another layer to Bioscopewala.” Arnab Banerjee, Deccan Chronicle''

Teaching
In addition to his work in Film and Advertising, Medhekar is also a Faculty Member at the Xavier's Institute of Communications, Mumbai. He teaches a course titled 'From Script, To Screen, To Shelf: The Three Act in 30 Secs'  where he shares his extensive knowledge and experience in scriptwriting, filmmaking, and the advertising industry with aspiring filmmakers and communicators who are a part of the PG Diploma Course in Filmmaking. He also conducts online courses at other media schools across the country.

Professional Affiliations
Equinox Films Pvt. Ltd, Mumbai

Medhekar serves as an in-house director and profit-sharing partner at Equinox Films Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai, where he has been active since 2010. In this role, he plays a key part in ensuring projects are completed on time and within budget, collaborating with agencies to add aesthetic value, and writing advertising scripts for clients.

Notable Works

 * Bioscopewala (2018) - Director, Screenwriter